Cough cough!

Mike Joseph took out a handkerchief, covered his mouth, and coughed several times.

The fog in the factory area was thicker than in other places. The air was gray with yellow, as if dust was floating, and occasionally it would emit a pungent and pungent smell, which was unbearable for the reporter who had long been accustomed to the air in Backlund.

He turned to Klein, who was also coughing, and said:

“I have always supported the government’s establishment of a commission to investigate air pollution in the kingdom and the establishment of an alkali industry prosecutor, but I only realized today how serious the problem has become.”

"If effective measures are not taken, it may lead to tragedy in the future." Klein tried hard to clear his blocked nose.

Perhaps the entire Backlund would be shrouded in fog with a visual range of no more than five meters, and the evil god might very well descend, or be born, in such a scene... he added silently.

Old Kohler didn't quite understand their conversation. He cleared his throat which was thick with phlegm, led the reporter and the detective around the guards, and sneaked into a white lead factory.

The workers here are mainly women, who are busy working without any protective measures, and there is obvious dust in the factory.

Looking at the "small particles" suspended and floating in the air, Klein seemed to see poison gas, and the young women without masks were like lambs to be slaughtered.

At this moment, he seemed to be back in Tingen, back to the time when he was helping Sir Deville deal with his resentment.

He seemed to have witnessed the future of each of the female workers here. Some of them had headaches, some had blurred vision, some became hysterical, some had blue lines appear on their gums, and eventually, some became blind or died soon.

This was like a large-scale bloody sacrificial ceremony, except that the target was the flashing money symbol... If cult organizations like the Aurora Society and the Rose School could make good use of similar things, like Lanevus did, then it would be a big problem... Klein covered his mouth and nose and stared quietly.

Michael Joseph whispered in shock and anger:

"How can this be possible?"

"How could they do this?"

"Lead poisoning has been discussed intensively in various newspapers and magazines some time ago, but they didn't take any precautions at all?"

“You can’t even bear to give up a mask?”

“These factory owners are committing murder!”

He is a journalist with a sense of justice. Although he is not young, his style is rather stingy, and his acting skills are quite good, he still retains his original intention... But how does he know so much about lead poisoning? Oh, I forgot. I asked Sir Deville to widely publicize the dangers of lead poisoning in various newspapers and magazines... It seems that he did a good job, but for some people, the death of one or two untouchables in the lower class is nothing? There are many people waiting for job opportunities! Klein thought with a heavy heart.

As a veteran reporter, Mike did not lose his mind. He quietly observed and questioned several workers who were changing shifts, and then left the white lead factory.

Afterwards, they entered one factory after another, but were so horrified by the dirty environment and the intense labor that people put in that factory that they had no mood to discuss.

Near noon, Klein suddenly noticed that a lot of people, mostly women, had gathered outside a factory ahead. They were shouting something excitedly and trying to rush inside.

"What happened?" Mike asked old Kohler puzzledly.

Old Kohler also looked puzzled:

"I'll go over and ask."

He trotted to the outside of the factory and blended into the crowd. After several minutes, he returned to Klein and Mike.

"They're going to smash those new machines!" Old Kohler took a breath and said the main point first.

"Why?" Mike had not been in charge of similar news before and didn't know much about it, but Klein vaguely guessed the reason.

Old Kohler pointed to the factory and said:

"This is a textile factory. They are going to switch to the latest textile machines, and the number of people responsible for operating them will also be reduced. It seems, it seems that one-third of the workers are going to be laid off!"

"Those female workers want to smash the machines and get their jobs back. Otherwise, they may not be able to survive, or they may have to become streetwalkers."

Mike opened his mouth, and from the shape of his lips, he seemed to want to say "stupid", but in the end he said nothing. He just stared over there silently, not even moving closer.

"Let's go back. I'm almost done with my investigation and interviews." Mike sighed after a long time.

The three of them immediately turned around and walked out of the factory area. They were silent all the way and no one spoke.

When they were about to part, Mike glanced at Klein and said in a low voice:

"Tell me, if we close down the white lead factories that don't provide protection, or bring their bosses to court, will those women workers be able to find other things to do?"

Klein thought about it carefully and said:

"If there are only a few houses, it won't be a big problem, but some women workers may suffer from hunger and cold while looking for other jobs, and gradually lose their labor force because they have no savings at all."

"If too many factories are shut down in a short period of time, coupled with the fact that people lose their jobs after the new textile machines are put into use, it will be a disaster."

In the Backlund factory area alone, there may be thousands or even tens of thousands of unemployed workers. They will be without food and clothing, wandering the streets like zombies, or lowering their salary demands to compete for other workers' jobs... I don't know how many people in the entire East District will die or have a harder time because of this. It will be a hellish scene. Even if there is no supernatural power in this world, it will bring great disasters. Now, various evil gods are secretly coveting and waiting... Klein swallowed many words back into his stomach.

Mike fell silent again. After paying 10 pounds and 6 soli, he took a carriage and left the factory area filled with smoke.

Klein watched the carriage go away and remained silent for a long time.

When he was a night watchman, he had known and come into contact with the lives of those poor people, but none of them was as impressive as this time.

The all-round, three-dimensional observation presented a complete picture of the abyss on earth before his eyes.

The East District is really full of dangers and fires. If you are not careful, it might be ignited by a cult organization... Klein pondered for a few seconds and said:

"Khloe, I'd like you to keep an eye on the East District for me, um, in your spare time."

"I will pay you so that you can have money to build relationships with other workers. We will meet at the same cafe at a fixed time every week."

Old Kohler's eyes suddenly lit up:

“No problem!”

He did not mention the price and fully trusted the kind detective.

Klein considered and said:

"Every time we meet, I will give you 15 soli in funding and compensation. If the information you provide satisfies me, there will be an additional 5 soli reward."

"One pound?" Old Kohler blurted out in surprise.

During the warmest and happiest period of his life, his weekly salary was only 21 soli, or 1 pound 1 soli.

"Yes." Klein nodded. "You should be careful about your words and actions. Don't be too eager to collect intelligence. Ask less and listen more. Otherwise, you will be in danger."

Theoretically, this kind of informant fee can be reimbursed. However, I am now a five-penny person who brings my own dry food... Klein laughed half sighing and half self-deprecatingly.

…………

In Queens, in the luxurious villa of Earl Hall's family, in Miss Audrey's study.

The blonde girl was listening to the psychology teacher Miss Eastlant's talk, and from time to time she would stroke the big dog Susie squatting next to her.

Islamat Osisleka, who had waist-length black hair, noticed that the dog seemed to be listening very carefully, and he couldn't help but smile and paused for two seconds.

She then went on to say:

"There is no absolutely orthodox theory in the field of psychology. There are several schools of thought, such as psychoanalysis, personality analysis, and behavioral psychology."

"Of course, the study of the mind and spirit is not only done by psychologists and psychiatrists. Many professionals in the field of mysticism are also doing similar work. Among them, the most famous is... Oh, sorry, I strayed from the textbook. Let's get back to the topic just now and talk about the psychoanalytic school first."

Audrey clearly heard the other party's intention to seduce her, and pretended to be ignorant and curious and asked:

"Teacher, I would like to know more about the psychological research in the field of mysticism."

"You know, I'm very interested in this."

Eslant pursed his lips, frowned slightly, and said awkwardly:

"But this involves some oaths of confidentiality. I mean, these theories and research situations are secrets of certain occult circles and are only spread internally."

"Is that so... Then, can I join?" Audrey asked expectantly, "They shouldn't be involved in any evil things, right?"

"Ha, how is that possible? That was just a seminar organized by enthusiasts." After saying this, Islant took the initiative to change the subject, "We can talk about this later. Let's continue with the course first."

Know when to stop and take things step by step. If this is the general quality of the members of the Psychological Alchemy Society, then I don't have to worry too much about them being filled with lunatics and perverts like Mr. A... Audrey deliberately showed an expression of reluctance to give up the previous topic, but still listened to the theoretical basis of the psychoanalytic school in an educated manner.

After the class was over and Eslante was sent away, she returned to the study, carefully closed the heavy wooden door, and said to the golden retriever:

"Susie, what do you think of her?"

"She's not sincere!" Susie answered bluntly.

Then, it tilted its head and said:

"But what she said was very interesting. I think it's more interesting than meat and snack cookies!"

Susie, do you want to be a psychologist in the future? Specialize in treating mental illnesses of animals? For example, the horse in the Glint family may have depression... Audrey suddenly fell into deep thought, considering whether to prepare a special white coat and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses for Susie to make her look more professional.