Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Otti/You'd better give me a solution...
"What? I can go?" Audrey looked at Charles in surprise. "Then I'll go change now!"
"Oh! No need to change, your dress is very beautiful. Mr. White's meeting is about to start, let's go now." Charles smiled and nodded.
Audrey: "I'm not here to dress up, Charles. Didn't you just say that no one would dress like that in a factory?"
"Yes, to be exact, there has never been such a precedent." Charles shrugged, "But it is clear that my employer is good at breaking the rules."
As he led the way, he said playfully, "So, does it matter what Mrs. White wears? You're already the 'first' anyway, which is enough to give you fresh topics to talk about among the ladies. When they brag about which estate they visited, you can proudly say, 'Oh, I went to Haddonfield to see the gray smog. Have you been there?'"
Audrey and Charles were very familiar with each other. She didn't get angry when he jokingly said that. Instead, she explained with a smile, "Charles, don't laugh at me. I'm not out for an outing. I want to see how the machines work."
"As much as I want to flatter you, this is an unusual hobby for a lady." Charles opened the carriage door for her, took off his hat, nodded, and raised an eyebrow. "But Mr. White must be very pleased. Other ladies can only talk about jewelry, but Mrs. White has made a big splash, sharing her brilliant ideas for improving machinery during afternoon tea."
Audrey got in the car and pretended to be annoyed: "Oh, Charles, I never hated your humor so much, because it is more like a sharp sarcasm."
Charles smiled and closed the car door, finally ending his display of sharp language skills with satisfaction: "God is my witness that I have absolute respect for you."
In another car, Herman, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them when Charles returned to his seat and said calmly, "If you're always talking nonsense regardless of the occasion, I can introduce you to a job at Charlie's Circus. There, you'll have plenty of opportunities to showcase your talent."
"No, sir."
Charles immediately became honest, stroking his remaining hair and smiling, "I just want Mrs. White to lower her expectations. Haddonfield isn't a very interesting place, with all the roaring machines and billowing smoke and dust. To be honest, even I wouldn't want to go there unless it was absolutely necessary, let alone a young lady."
Hermann lowered his eyes, and the sound of rolling wheels was heard in his ears.
"Once she sees the place where even the sun doesn't shine and the chaos there, she won't want to set foot there again."
Charles was slightly startled and looked at the silver-haired gentleman.
Even the assistant, who claimed to know his employer best, could not tell whether the words were referring to the Haddonfield factory or something else.
In the other car, Audrey was unaware of their conversation.
She looked out the window, with infinite longing for her destination.
Haddonfield was the industrial capital of Ceylon, where machines worked day and night, creating an endless stream of wealth.
If we go back a few decades, no one would have believed that the world could be changed by a small machine. But the fact is so mysterious.
Audrey grew up hearing these stories and longed for Haddonfield.
I have been to the urban area of Harbin when I traveled with my parents in the past, but I have never seen the real industrial area.
The wheels rolled forward, and I didn't know how long they had been running.
Audrey took a nap and woke up, and the sky outside the window had changed.
The sun was hidden behind the clouds, and the gray sky looked like it was going to rain. The hot and humid air rushed towards the car window, and Audrey subconsciously covered her nose.
Not far away, black smoke billowed out of the chimney, and the factory walls stood tall, and rumbling sounds could be heard.
The luxurious carriage stopped in front of the largest red brick building, and Charles opened the door for Audrey.
"Welcome to White Factory, ma'am."
Audrey looked up in shock. She was completely unaware of the hem of her goose-yellow lace skirt touching the ground, and subconsciously observed the magnificent factory building in front of her.
Audrey had read in a book that early factories were mostly built along rivers and powered by water wheels. Since the advent of steam engines, chimneys have replaced water wheels as the symbol of factories.
The White Factory was five stories high, with a chimney on top that was thirty meters high. The billowing black smoke almost covered the surrounding area for miles, blocking out the sky and the sun.
The factory manager was a middle-aged man with a mustache. He had been waiting outside the gate early with several assistants.
White Industries was involved in many businesses, and this factory was just one of them. Normally, each business was managed by a separate manager, who would then submit regular financial reports to Herman.
Therefore, as the factory consul, Little Mustache did not often see the legendary big boss, let alone the boss's wife. For a moment, he could not control his desire to improve himself and walked forward with a flattering smile.
"Mr. White, Mrs. White, I want to say hello to you on behalf of all the workers."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone bowed in unison.
Audrey was startled and subconsciously took Herman's arm and hid behind him.
Hermann glanced at the silk glove that was clutching his arm. He said nothing, but he didn't try to break free either.
Charles immediately stepped forward and said, "Okay, Pete, Mr. White is in a hurry today, so hurry up and call a management meeting."
This is a routine quarterly inspection covering multiple aspects including management, safety, and economy.
Herman's standards were stringent, and if he discovered a problem, everyone from top to bottom would be in trouble. Fraudulent conduct could lead to imprisonment. Therefore, the end of each quarter was a test for management.
Audrey followed Herman into the office building across from the factory. The soundproofing was excellent, so she couldn't hear the rumbling of the machines. But her heart was still on the other side.
As Charles led the assistants to sit down, Audrey quietly poked Herman: "What about me? Am I just supposed to listen to your meeting?"
Hermann sat in the middle of the long table, with Audrey sitting next to him. He thought his voice was very quiet, but in fact, his every move was under everyone's eyes.
Herman glanced at her and said with a half-smile: "If you want, it's not impossible."
Audrey frowned and muttered, "I don't want to."
Charles laughed and said, "Pete, quickly send a few smart guys to take Mrs. White to visit her new factory."
"That factory originally belonged to...Mrs. White?!"
Moustache Pete suddenly realized something and said quickly, "Oh, the factory is so big, even the smartest guy wouldn't dare to entrust him with such an important task. Let me show Mrs. White around myself!"
Charles raised his eyebrows: "If you leave, who will report to you?"
Before Peter could answer, Herman said calmly, "That's it. You go there yourself."
"Yes! Mr. White!" Peter's face lit up with joy, knowing that his courtesy this time was a success. As long as he could please Mrs. White, the quarterly checkup would be nothing. "Mrs. White, this way, please."
"I'm leaving." Audrey turned around and waved to Herman.
Herman's eyes followed her as she left, and he said calmly, "Don't run around."
"Yeah! I know!"
Audrey happily followed Pete away.
Herman lowered his eyes, not knowing what he was thinking.
As the employees began to report, he suddenly knocked on the desk and said, "I don't want to hear too much nonsense. Let's get to the point and make a quick decision."
The assistant was terrified: "Yes..."
-
The factory building looks very magnificent from the outside, and you can feel its grandeur even more when you step inside.
Pete took Audrey into the new factory through a special passage. The overall design of the factory was a large open space, and each floor was divided into spinning, combing, winding and other process areas.
The production line, which has not yet been put into use, is still very new and there is no one inside, as if it is specially waiting for distinguished guests to visit.
Audrey's favorite part was the window, which took up more than half of the wall.
Peter then explained: "Factory production requires good lighting conditions. For example, when the weather is nice, sunlight shines through the glass windows into the factory, and the whole building glows, which is very beautiful."
"What a pity it's a cloudy day today." Audrey looked out the window.
Peter was good at flattery and quickly said with a smile, "The weather in Haddonfield changes so quickly. Why don't you stay here a while? I'll prepare afternoon tea, and then you can watch the sun come out from here."
Audrey subconsciously wanted to refuse.
She came to the factory to see the machines, not to change places to enjoy the scenery. It was too strange to have afternoon tea here.
But Pete was very attentive and left happily before she could say anything.
Audrey raised an eyebrow helplessly and could only walk along the production line.
Honestly, she could tell that Peter was afraid of any mishaps, so he'd left the factory empty for her. She wanted to see the workers actually using the machines.
Suddenly, a roar was heard from across the wall.
She followed the sound and found a door connecting the two factories.
The moment the door was opened, cotton wool flew out. Audrey was caught off guard and choked, her face flushed red: "Cough cough cough!"
The coughing sound was drowned out by the sound of the machine, and no one noticed that there was a lady in a lace dress in the corner.
Audrey coughed, shocked by the scene before her.
In the huge factory, countless textile machines are making rhythmic roars, and the shuttles are shuttling back and forth between the yarns. Every time they hit the reed, a fine white mist rises - that is not steam, but the cotton fibers that are shaken apart and are silently penetrating into the workers' lungs.
The cotton wool produced by a single textile machine is nothing special, but when hundreds or even thousands of machines work together, the scene is like heavy snow falling from the sky.
Audrey covered her nose and stared intently.
She stared at the shuttle sliding back and forth, and her mind automatically simulated the structure of the machine - the gears turning in her heart, over and over again.
Following the worker's hands, she quickly calculated the efficiency by the frequency of pauses.
Just as she was about to continue observing other structures, the worker she was observing suddenly started coughing.
He had just lifted the sackcloth covering his mouth and nose, wanting to secretly drink some water, when a stern rebuke rang out: "Kevin! Are you looking for death?!"
Along with the shouting and scolding, a sharp whip came and hit the male worker hard, spilling the water in the bottle all over the ground.
"ah!"
The worker cried out in pain and fell right at Audrey's feet. As soon as he looked up, he met a pair of aqua blue eyes.
"Kevin, is that you?!"
Audrey looked at the male worker in surprise. His mask slipped off, revealing familiar freckles - it was the boy who proposed marriage at the villagers' dance.
Kevin was also shocked: "Mrs. White...how could you..."
Before he could finish his words, the ferocious steward came over and grabbed Kevin and said, "You little bastard! You dare to be lazy! Get up and work!"
"Ah!" Kevin was dragged and bleeding. He struggled and coughed violently.
Audrey's eyes widened as she quickly ran forward to stop the steward: "Stop! What gives you the right to hit someone? Let him go!"
The steward turned around and glanced at Audrey's clothes.
She was not wearing any expensive jewelry today, but from the fabric of her clothes it was easy to tell that she was a lady from a good family.
The steward restrained his expression, but still maintained an arrogant attitude: "Madam, may I ask who you are? I manage my workers according to the rules and regulations. Do you have any objections?"
Audrey's blood rushed to her head, and as soon as she took a deep breath, she was choked by the cotton wool in the air.
"You...cough cough cough! I am...cough cough cough!"
The steward now concluded that Audrey was a middle-class lady who had gotten lost somewhere and wanted to be a hero when she saw injustice.
After all, Haddonfield is an inclusive city where countless people look for jobs every day, including many educated and broke ladies.
"Hmph! Young lady! Please move aside! Since you want to find a job at White Factory, please familiarize yourself with the rules here in advance!" The manager pushed Audrey away and sneered, "Anything you see is up to me!"
Kevin struggled and gasped: "No! Hawk, she is..."
"Shut up, you little brat! What are you still trying to argue about?!" The steward whipped Kevin again and picked him up again. "Listen up, if anyone dares to take off their mask to drink water and take the opportunity to slack off, this will be the end of you!"
Cotton wool floated in the air, and the workers were silent. A few of them showed angry expressions and were held down by their colleagues.
Audrey clenched her fists and stared at the steward: "What's your name? I'm warning you for the last time, you'd better let him go!"
"Manager Pete, do you know? He's the manager here. Even the big boss, Mr. White, has to give him some respect. And I'm his nephew!" The manager sneered. "Why? You want to cause trouble for me? Please find out more about the status of the White Factory in Haddonfield!"
After saying this, the steward and his supporters behind him laughed together.
The next moment, the partition door was pushed open, and Peter's flattering voice came: "Mrs. White, where have you been? Afternoon tea is served. Would you like to drink Royal Earl Grey tea or black tea from the Far East with lemon slices? The desserts are raisin scones, citrus tarts and..."
Pete paused at the sight before him.
The nephew was carrying a bloody boy with an arrogant look on his face, while the henchmen behind him were laughing loudly, not even able to close their mouths.
All the workers had burning eyes and looked like they were enduring in silence.
To be honest, this kind of scene is not uncommon, but things are different now. Peter looked at Audrey with a stiff neck——
The usually gentle lady's smile completely disappeared at this moment, her cheeks turned red with anger, and anger was about to burst out of her eyes.
"Mr. Pitt," she said, "you'd better give me an explanation."
Just as Pete was stammering and trying to speak, regular footsteps sounded behind him, coming closer and closer, accompanied by the sound of a cane hitting the ground.
At that moment, Peter realized something and turned back tremblingly. In his sight, the silver-haired man was walking slowly towards him, his dark gray eyes cold.
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The author has something to say: The timing was wrong, so White was added to the appearance.
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