Eric and Sylvia decided to head to Sunridge the following day.Jake and Ethan stayed at the hospital, where they had access to meals, beverages, medical care, and the chance to recuperate.The next morning, accompanied by Matthew, they flew to Sunridge.Before boarding the plane, Eric requested the Combat Department to check the information about Whitlocks Construction. This time, he didn't plan to intervene in the name of the Innova Group.-After several hours of flight, they arrived in Sunridge.The Innova Group had already established an office there, and a car was parked in advance at the airport parking lot.Getting into the car, they decided to visit Jake's house first. They were unsure of the situation in Sunridge and couldn't take immediate action.Jake and his family lived in an affordable old house on the outskirts.When Jake moved to Sunridge, he brought his wife and daughter with him, expecting a better life. Unfortunately, they didn't anticipate the current situa
In theory, the Combat Department would not get involved in this matter, but it seemed unavoidable given the number of people implicated.After ending the call, Jake's wife, Nora Povitch, and daughter, Fiona Mason, returned home, looking weary. Nora carried a large bag filled with bottles, cans, newspapers, and cardboard she had collected. The little girl held a plastic bag, her once tender hands now dirty with noticeable cracks.Sylvia felt sorry for them. She approached Fiona and said, "Come, I'll give you candy.""Thank you, Miss," the little girl sweetly replied.Sylvia smiled, took out a piece of candy from her pocket, unwrapped it, and handed it to Fiona. Perhaps it had been a long time since Fiona had enjoyed such candy, so she immediately cheered and rejoiced."Fiona!" Jake approached and said, "Get off Ms. Williams. You've gotten her clothes dirty!"Sylvia smiled and replied, "It's okay."She genuinely liked children and felt her heart break seeing them suffer.At tha
It became evident that a group led by Whitlocks Construction was actively searching for Jake and Ethan. Although Ethan's family was not in Sunridge, he felt guilty for not sending money home for a long time.Meanwhile, Jake found himself entangled in a more intricate predicament. While his parents resided in the countryside and managed to get by on a piece of land, his wife and child were experiencing difficulties alongside him. Adding to Jake's worries, people were watching downstairs every day, possibly lying in wait for his return.Eric gained more insights after listening to Jake's account. Around 200 workers wanted to leave, but Whitlocks Construction coerced them into submission. Eric couldn't believe that such dark practices still existed in today's society."We can't do anything," Jake said helplessly. "We were arrested for trying to get our money back. To make matters worse, they colluded with the authorities, treating us like mere laborers, almost like slaves!"Eric nodde
Ethan snorted and remarked, "No need to fear them. We've got over 100 people on the construction site, all doing hard labor. I'm confident we're stronger than them. We'll give them a run for their money if they want a fight. Our lives are tough enough. It doesn't seem like things could get any worse. No reason to be scared!"Matthew chuckled at this and assured, "Don't worry. If it comes to a fight, I'll handle them all myself. I've been Mr. Johnson's bodyguard and practiced martial arts for over two decades!"Jake and Ethan felt somewhat relieved. Though unafraid of a fight, they lacked a leader to rally them. With someone taking charge, they would have retaliated long ago.After gathering information, Eric and Sylvia found themselves with nothing to do, so they took Fiona to kindergarten.Even though it had been over a month since kindergarten started, it wasn't too late for Fiona to join.Sylvia paid the childcare fees and living expenses for the entire semester.They all had
The man felt dizzy from witnessing Matthew's knife skills. It was evident that Matthew was a master at handling blades. However, he couldn't fathom where Jake and Ethan had found such a skilled individual and where the two had disappeared.Suddenly, Matthew thrust the knife into the cement floor and demanded, "Speak or not?!"His voice was cold, and the three men were frightened to the core.One of them stammered, "I-I'll speak! I'll speak!""I'll talk too! Don't kill me!" another one pleaded.Matthew sneered. "First, tell me why you came looking for Jake and Ethan. Did you hunt them a month ago?"He recalled Jake mentioning that someone had been hunting them when they left Sunridge.The leader hastily explained, "Yes, we hunted them. We knew they were going to run, and if they escaped, it wouldn't be good for us!""Who ordered you to do this?""It's Mr. Baldwin!" The leader said, "Mr. Baldwin ordered us to do this. He told us to watch the construction site and monitor the peo
Houston did not suspect anything else since only Eric and Sylvia had arrived. He poured coffee for them.Taking a sip, Eric said, "Mr. Whitlock, could you take us to the construction site?"Houston's body trembled slightly. The workers were busy with construction, and dozens of Baldwin's people were keeping an eye on them. If Sylvia and Eric went over, everything would be exposed instantly.However, the Innova Group had commissioned the construction of the main building. It would seem inappropriate and suspicious if he refused to let them go there.Seeing the troubled expression on Houston's face, Sylvia asked, "Is there any problem?"Houston snapped himself back from his trance and replied, "Nothing. It's just that the weather is hot, and it's quite dusty at the construction site. I'm afraid—"Before he could finish speaking, Sylvia waved her hand and interjected, "Mr. Whitlock, Mr. Johnson and I aren't afraid of getting dirty. It's crucial for the smooth progress of the constru
Sylvia and Eric were at a loss for words.Houston chuckled confidently, observing their bewildered expressions.Biting her lip, Sylvia asked, "Mr. Whitlock, what's the name of the third-party outsourcing company?""It's Sunridge Human Resources Limited," Houston replied. "They provide the workers, and we pay 5,000 dollars for each worker. The allocation of funds is Sunridge Human Resources Limited's responsibility."Sylvia and Eric nodded in understanding. Houston, however, wondered why they were fixated on the workers instead of inspecting the construction site.Anticipating his curiosity, Sylvia explained, "Mr. Whitlock, it's not our choice to delve into these matters. According to protocol, we should be updated on the progress of construction. However, the wage arrears incident has garnered attention, affecting the Innova Group's operations."Online voices suggest our company should take responsibility, leading to disturbances at our office. Relevant departments have also inqu
The worker was furious. "There's no company at all! When we were hired, you promised a monthly salary of 5,000 dollars plus overtime pay! But for over half a year, we haven't received our regular wages, let alone overtime pay!"When we joined, it was under the name of Whitlocks Construction! We work 16 hours a day with no extra benefits, and you even refuse to pay us. Do you consider us human? Are you still human?!"Eric looked at Houston, seeking an explanation. Even if Houston's statement held true and a third party outsourced the workers, Whitlock Construction was still be in charge of the project. In such a situation, they could not completely shirk their responsibility."I…" Houston stammered, "T-The people from Sunridge Human Resources are here too. I'll take you to them, and you can ask any questions you want."After saying that, he signaled the two people nearby to take the worker away. He would deal with him properly later.However, Eric did not give him the chance. He tu