The newspaper master returned to his residence, suspicious and fearful. It was quite a large place.
This was originally an abandoned factory, which he bought at a low price and transformed into his base.
There was a yard, a two-story building where he lived, and a four-story building where the newsboys resided.
Additionally, there was a warehouse where some unsold newspapers and garbage collected by the newsboys from the streets were stored.
Yes, the newsboys appeared on the streets selling newspapers in the morning and evening, but where did they go at other times?
Such people as the newspaper master were essentially just low-level merchants. They still relied on exploitation to generate profits and wouldn't waste a single minute of the newsboys' time. So at other times, they would be on the streets collecting trash.
There were even rumors circulating in certain communities about child thieves engaging in home burglaries. In short, they had no moment of peace, except for the girls and during their nighttime rest.
In the warehouse, the newspaper master met the five newsboys, who also looked very distressed.
Everyone had an expression of fear and pain on their faces. Losing more than two thousand dollars from the newspaper master had terrified these children, but they themselves didn't know where things went wrong.
Seeing the newspaper master return with a stern face and no smile, they realized that he hadn't achieved the results he expected on this outing. This was a terrifying matter, meaning they might continue to be beaten.
The youngest among them had already lost control of his bladder and bowels and did so again at this moment, with some dribbles running down his thigh. These children, whether physically, energetically, or mentally, had all reached their limits.
The newspaper master looked at these children with a somber expression, no hint of the cowardice he showed when meeting Michael, nor the inexplicable fear when he was in the same room with Lynch. His face only showed ruthlessness and some malice.
"Tell me, after you left that house, did you encounter anyone, what happened? This concerns your fate ahead, so think carefully before answering!" He stared with a whip in hand, making the children shiver.
They widened their eyes, exchanging glances. The oldest child seemed to grasp something from the newspaper master's words and immediately said, "We went to see Mr. Michael..."
In this child's description, when they went to see Mr. Michael, to be polite, they hung their cowhide bag on the hook by the door before meeting Mr. Michael.
If there's a problem with the money, it happened there.
For these children, it no longer mattered who took the money; what's important was first biting back to solve the terrifying situation they faced.
With the first person speaking up, the others quickly followed suit, collectively amplifying suspicion towards Michael in an instant.
This actually aligns with the newspaper master's inner "needs." He doesn't believe that Lynch, this young man, could steal his money because the money was counted twice in front of several pairs of eyes and couldn't have an issue. He also unwillingly believes Lynch could do it.
If he believed in it, it would mean he deemed himself inferior to Lynch, which is hard for newspaper masters to accept. They might concede to someone like Michael but never think they're worse than someone like Lynch.
Simultaneously, he more firmly believes if there's a problem, Michael is the cause. This is why he sought Michael first after the problem was found; he thinks Michael took the money.
The relationship between them isn't simple cooperation. Michael has leverage over him as he is noticeably weaker. If something happens, he feels it's Michael's doing, a kind of paranoid persecution complex.
Conversations with Lynch reinforced this kind of thinking. Seeking money from Lynch was greatly about seeking a "shared victim mentality," making him feel not alone.
Michael's suspicion is undoubtedly the greatest, and it's both what he wants to see and fears the most, a feeling he doesn't fully understand.
He let go of a child, instructing him to release the others. If Michael indeed was the culprit and refuses to admit...
He really has no solution.
But this isn't a small sum of money, and he can't feign ignorance as if nothing happened.
He sent the children to buy some food and bring a bottle of wine. Sitting in the yard, eating ham slices from the deli and drinking alcohol, he plotted how to get his money back.
The newspaper master's relationship with Michael went beyond hostile; it was pure hatred. But Michael held the weakness over him, and he could not resist, being in a subordinate position.
This increasingly made him want to escape his current predicament. Sometimes, when privately interacting with Michael, murderous thoughts would arise, with the impulse to recklessly stab that bastard, making him understand the pain endured over the years.
Drunk and filled with bitterness, he staggered into the children's dormitory with his whip. Soon, the dormitory echoed with cries, pleas for mercy, and the newspaper master's roaring.
The next day, Lynch hadn't had a chance to step out when the newspaper master came looking for him again.
"Lynch, my friend. This time, I just want to talk!" The newspaper master said, standing outside the door, looking at Lynch inside. For some reason, he naturally felt some fear and didn't want to enter the room. He proposed, "Shall we walk nearby?"
Lynch pondered a bit, nodded in agreement. He initially thought the newspaper master would begrudgingly accept this happening and drop the matter, but now it seemed the newspaper master wasn't willing to give up the money.
At that moment, some new plans emerged in Lynch's mind.
He changed clothes, grabbed his keys and wallet, and left the room, walking towards downtown with the newspaper master, with no particular destination in mind.
"Listen, I lost a large sum of money, and so did you. You think we'll just let it go?"
After walking for about two or three minutes, the newspaper master spoke first. He turned his face towards Lynch, "That wasn't a few hundred dollars. We need to get the money back!"
Lynch nodded subtly, "You're right. My money can't be taken without a reason. But the question is, how do we retrieve it?"
"Approaching Michael, he won't admit it. Instead, we might lose even more. If not him, do we approach his family?"
Lynch paused slightly, "That's not the right way. We must follow his rules!" He added, "I heard his wife is very young and pretty, and his child is cute, too."
He subtly led the newspaper master. If the newspaper master could do what Lynch intended, it would save a lot of trouble, without implicating himself.
He noticed the newspaper master's expression, including a change in his gaze, which resulted from his hint.
They indeed weren't a match for Michael, but Michael's family didn't have Michael's intimidating force, making it significantly easier to deal with them.
The newspaper master's expression twisted. He recalled being beaten up and humiliated repeatedly by Michael.
His dignity, self-esteem, and personality were crushed by Michael, which explained his increasing brutality, eager to find through similar means what was lost, possibly from innocent children.
His breathing began to quicken, and his gaze became frightful; Lynch quietly stood beside him, fanning the flames further.
"It's unfair that such scum as Michael has a decent job, a beautiful young wife, a lovely child, and an enviable family," Lynch incited, "Lord truly is unfair!"
"Why can he plunder everything from us without restraint, while we can only silently endure?"
Lynch grabbed the newspaper master's arm, "If given a chance, we must retaliate, even if not retrieving anything, ensuring he regrets every past deed!"
His voice became softer yet more enchanting, as if speaking directly into one's heart, "To let him truly feel our sufferings, and cry out!!"