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
Huston had prepared lunch, but not at the construction site. Moreover, it might be too late to order the canteen to prepare anything decent now.The workers' canteen bore no resemblance to an actual canteen. George's lunch was delivered from outside.Houston knew he could no longer conceal the truth as over 100 workers looked at Sylvia and Eric with pleading eyes.Their midday meal consisted of a chaotic concoction of boiled cabbage and potatoes in a large pot. It might have been edible with some meat slices, but unfortunately, Eric saw no such thing in the pot. What's more, the cabbage and potatoes had already spoiled.Eric placed his bowl aside and turned to Houston. His face was dark as he asked, "Mr. Whitlock, is this what the workers eat here? Is this fit for human consumption? Even the pigs my parents raise in the countryside eat better than this!"In the countryside, even if pigs were not fed proper fodder, they would be given properly cooked vegetables and cornmeal. They w
Houston was stunned as things spiraled out of control.Meanwhile, the workers' reactions exceeded Sylvia and Eric's expectations.However, they couldn't allow George's men to harm the workers in front of them.When a man approached a worker with a steel bat, Eric swiftly moved in front and grabbed the bat. "You didn't pay them, and now you want to hit them?"A loud bang echoed as he sent the man flying with a single punch."Yeah!" The workers erupted in cheers. They wanted to fight back, but fear held them back. Today, witnessing Eric's action emboldened them.Houston and George were astonished. They did not expect Eric to effortlessly catch the steel bat.Eric said as he tossed the steel bat aside, "Mr. Whitlock, the situation here is quite serious! Should I notify the relevant authorities?"Initially, Sylvia and Eric did not want to reveal their identities as the CEO and CIO of the Innova Group. However, they realized they could not delay any longer after last night's interro