"Hmm… I'm glad to see you, but not glad to see you this way,” said Arthur looking at Oliver in a parking lot crowded with trucks.
"Hello, how are you? Mr. Arthur. Nice to meet you again."
Oliver greeted Arthur politely and looked around.
In addition to trucks, there were a lot of truck drivers around the parking lot, all with bats or blackjacks in their hands.
Oliver thought it would hurt quite a bit if he got hit by that, and he understood why the Hoffman family couldn't control it prematurely.
In the loud noisy atmosphere, Arthur spoke again
"It's the first time since the contaminated zone, right? Are you hired by Hoffman?"
"Actually, I was hired by Mr. Murphy. Did you get a new prosthetic arm?"
Oliver asked, pointing at the new Golem arm.
The arm looked stronger than the one he had before looking at the amount of magic that was flowing through it.
"Yeah. Sadly, thanks to that, the debt has increased… But what's even sadder is that I met you now. Jimmy, did that kid ask you to beat us?"
"No, I'm…"
"… Wait, it's not like that."
Murphy interrupted the conversation between the two. He seized the opportunity like a fox and bit like a wolf.
"We're here to negotiate. So let's put down what we're holding and have a conversation. Aren't we all Landa citizens?"
"The conversation ended in the fu*king evening…if you wanted to talk, you shouldn't have broken Huff's arm."
When someone from the crowd spoke those words, the word [Right] echoed through the space.
Oliver asked Jimmy's subordinate, Frank.
"Who's Huff?"
"…He is one of the employees here. I broke his arm as he was talking back to the boss."
"Ah…"
Oliver understood the reason for people's anger, and why there was no atmosphere for conversation.
When everyone thought there won’t be any progress with the current situation, a helping hand came from an unexpected place.
"Come on. Let's all calm down a bit and talk."
It was Arthur.
"Huh? What did you just say, Mr. Arthur!? Did you forget what these guys did?!”
"Yes, there will be no conversation until they accept the terms that we put out first!"
"It's obvious that they'll say they're going to negotiate but in the end, they will just bark at us like they did last time, and why are you taking their side?"
Despite the angry cries from the crowd, Arthur was calm. He slowly lifted his golem prosthetic arm, pointed at Oliver, and said.
“It was because they didn’t have that guy at that time… I came here to help, not to put my life on the line.”
Hearing Arthur’s words, a young man approached Arthur. He also gave off a unique aura of a person who lived with violence.
"He looks like a fu*king child, Arthur. Why are you acting like a coward? It’s very disappointing."
Arthur reacted as soon as he heard the word ‘Coward’.
"…Listen up, you motherfu*ker. When you were sucking your mom’s titties, I was killing natives in the New World with my fu*king hands. Next, I went to the Eastern Company and put a flag of the Great Empire the size of 40 times your di*k on top of the unknown kingdom. If you call me a fu*king coward just one more time, I'll rip off your fu*king di*k and shove it into your rude mouth, so trust this uncle and don't mess with that guy. Do you understand?"
When the calm Arthur growled with anger, not only the young man but also other Solvers and truck drivers felt discouraged.
Everyone went silent and after a while, Arthur slowly came toward Oliver and said.
"Hey, Dave."
"Yes, Mr. Arthur."
"Now that I've saved your face, I'll ask you a favor. We'll listen to you, but if it's outrageous, we'll turn it down. Promise me that you'll go back then and won't make a fuss. Is it possible?"
"Yes, of course. From the beginning, I have had no intention of harming the people here. I just came for my client’s security."
"All right, then. Follow me, I'll show you around.”
⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩
Arthur guided Oliver to a place on the corner of the parking lot that looked like an office.
Because of the narrow space, it looked like a place where it would be difficult to breathe even if only three people went in, but right now, at least five people were inside it.
Jimmy Huffman's negotiating agent, Murphy, his overseer Frank, and their bodyguard Oliver. Opposite them was Denny, the truck driver's representative, and his bodyguard, Arthur.
They were so close that they could hear each other's breathing.
"Nice to meet you."
"Nice to see you, too."
Murphy and Denny greeted each other first and then followed by others.
Everyone kept their manners, but they were busy trying to figure out each other's intentions, and this was similar to a battle, only in a different form.
It was Denny, the truck driver's representative, who struck first.
"Let's get straight to the point. What are you here to negotiate? I'm sorry, but we've already said the terms."
"Yes, I know because I've heard it. Double the compensation for the drivers who died during delivery. And after that, wage improvement, right?"
"There are a few other small things, but the most important thing is those two."
Then Frank stepped in. He was covered in a cold sweat and busily gestured as if to represent the feeling of nervousness.
"Look at this, Denny. Are you crazy? Twice… I don't even know if you can get 65 percent."
The voice rose in the narrow space.
Frank said 35 percent of the insurance money is usually eaten by employers, and Denny called it a bad habit and shouted that they should receive twice as much as compensation for the damage they received.
The voices kept getting higher and higher, and it seemed that there won’t be any agreement, but at that moment, Murphy intervened.
"Everyone, calm down… Let's find an Agreement that’s good for both parties."
"Agreement?"
"Yes."
"I think I've never seen you before, so listen carefully. The point of agreement went out of hand. Jimmy, when that kid stole more than half of our insurance money and broke Huff's arm…. that insurance fee was also deducted from our wages.”
"If you continue to go on a strike like this, won't you lose money? Do you think the cost of living would go down from next week?"
Denny paused for a moment as if he had pinpointed their weakness correctly.
As Forrest told Oliver, the workers seemed to be creatures that face life-or-death situations every once a week.
He also mentioned that if their wages get pushed back by even once in their weekly pay, they could be kicked out of their house and would be left with nothing to feed their families.
Understanding this weakness, Murphy pushed.
"What about next week's rent and living expenses? Don't you have to feed your kids?"
"If we tighten our belts…"
"You'll starve to death. Of course, that would be the case only if Jimmy leaves you alone until then.”
"Are you threatening us? Fu*k it, so what! The Union will look after us!!"
"Even if they watch your back, you’ll still bleed….. Do you really think they're helping you out of care? They're the same as the guys in Pinkman. One of the things I've learned in my life is that I'm the only one who cares about myself. I pretend to help now, but I'll sneak out if there's any danger or greater benefit… Just accept Jimmy's terms. 65 percent compensation, a 5 percent increase per day. It's unconventional, especially in this city. Of course, this won't be enough. So I'll make it up to you."
“… .What do you mean?”
Murphy pulled out a silver cigarette case and took a cigarette. Then he recommended one to Denny.
"……."
"It's expensive. Let's have a smoke.”
Denny hesitated and picked up a cigarette, Murphy lit the cigarette and continued.
"Once the commotion is over, the Hoffman family and our Kimbell family will do business together. It's about distributing Magic wine all over the country. Have you ever tried out Magic wine?"
"….Yes, it tasted pretty good."
"Thank you. I have faith in my product. I don't make trash to earn another penny. I’m not those piece of sh*ts who try to make money with anything and everything. I'm going to make a proper product, a product that would make everyone want to drink it. There's going to be a lot of money."
Murphy rubbed his thumb and index finger. Before they knew it, everyone except Oliver fell in love with the story.
“But to do that, I have to pay attention not only to the product but also to the distribution. You guys are excellent at delivery, so I will give you incentives based on the amount of Magic wine you deliver every week."
"Incentive?"
"Yeah, Jimmy and I decided to split 4-6 each, and I'll provide for you from my share. If the size of the business grows, the insurance money can be ridiculous."
"…are you serious?"
“Why do you think I'm doing this here? Although I'm not familiar with you guys, I'm also a veteran. On the honor of being a soldier, I never lie….. Think about it yourself after you've tried my product. Whether this business will fail or succeed.”
Murphy's words made a lot of sense. The room filled with silence was evidence of that, but Denny was still hesitating.
"Please wait a moment….. I think I should talk to the labor union."
"I'm sorry, but we don't have time. I've barely persuaded Jimmy to come here.…. And, of course, isn't it obvious that the union will tell you not to fall for such sweet talks? Since, if we make an agreement, they won't get anything."
"…We're in trouble, too. If we agree with you like this, the union will no longer help us. What if you break your promise? We should also have a minimum safety net."
"Do you think I'm lying?
"You're not the only one we’re talking about here. Jimmy is included. We know his personality, and I'm sure he'll retaliate."
"If that's the case, I'll help. I put the safety and interests of my co-workers first."
"I'm sorry, but you know how the floor works. As long as you belong to the Crime Firm, you're limited in what you can do when Jimmy pushes you, right?"
Murphy tried to say something, but soon he shut his mouth.
He was confident in blocking Jimmy, but it seemed that he couldn't say anything, and thanks to that, the meeting fell into a stalemate again.
Everyone exuded emotions of confusion and frustration, and it seemed that the meeting would come to an end if it went on like this.
And if that happens, Oliver could be pushed into a situation where he would not be able to use the warehouse.
‘I got an ID and a warehouse, and Murphy seems confident enough to stop Jimmy… Um.'
Oliver quietly raised his hand.
"Excuse me, how about I help you then?”
Everyone saw Oliver.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, I thought I could help you with that."
“…. Who are you?”
"He’s Dave. A Solver who made a name for himself in District T."
Arthur whispered to Denny.
"Help… what do you mean?"
"If Mr. Murphy or Mr. Jimmy breaks their promise and retaliates against you, I'll help you for free. Maybe once or twice?"
"…….."
Everyone went silent and looked at Oliver. They kept blinking as if they could not understand what Oliver was trying to do here, and at that moment, Murphy pulled Oliver's hand and whispered.
“Mr. Warlock, what are you doing now?”
"I thought I'd try and help you out a bit because the negotiation seemed not progressing. Aren't you going to keep your promise?"
"…I intend to keep it."
"Then that's fine…. Or should I stop?"
Murphy looked around for a moment and said.
"No. Please continue."
Denny spoke.
“Are you serious now?”
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"Of course, it's a problem…. Arthur admits your skills, but I honestly don't know who you are. I don't like making deals with a warlock… I once almost got killed by a Warlock who came to pick up dead bodies during trench warfare. He almost killed everyone by releasing some black magic rats. If it were you, would you trust a Warlock after all that?!”
It made sense in its own way.
From his experience, Oliver knew that people trust when money is involved or if they spend some time together.
However, he did not know how to build trust in someone who he barely knew and with the money he barely had.
After thinking for a while about how to persuade, Oliver spoke.
“Um… Then, how about signing an official contract through an intermediary?”
"What?"
"You can officially sign a contract with me through my broker. If I don't fulfill my promise, it will hurt my broker too, so I have a reason to keep my promise. What do you think?”
Once again everyone went silent, and once again they did not know what Oliver was trying to do here.
"…are you serious?"
“Yeah, I also have something to gain from this job, so I want to finish it as well as possible.”
"But your skills…"
"I guarantee his skills."
"Arthur. I believe in you, but our survival depends on it too, so I can't just trust you, can I?”
At that moment, Oliver had a good idea.
"Then, how about I take down the robbers that are attacking the truck to prove my skills? That's a problem that needs to be solved anyway, so I think it'll be convenient if we tie it up together. Mr. Denny, if you want you can follow me and check it out for yourself."
Everyone continued to make absurd expressions on their faces as Oliver kept talking.
"…Arthur, is he always like this?"
"I didn't know it was this much… Dave, I'm sorry, but that's a bit difficult."
"Why?"
"The attackers are quite good. The attack happens and they escape in the blink of an eye. Already, 12 drivers have died….. This guy is the father of a family. He can't go to a place where he might die."
"Um… I can protect him."
"No, that’s not the point dammit… Above all else, you don't have enough people to do it. You need to have at least three or four trucks to lure out the robbers, and you can't just drive them all by yourself?"
“… .If I learn, wouldn’t I be able to drive?”
"It's a big deal. You don't understand… What about the other three?"
"Wouldn't Mr. Murphy, Mr. Arthur, and Mr. Denny be perfect?"
"What? Me?"
"Damn, I'm going crazy.”
“Is he really someone we can trust?”
As the conversation kept circling around in a way that tired everyone mentally, Arthur desperately continued the conversation.
"Phew. . . God of patience, be with me… All right, I can drive, but we need manpower to fight the attackers. At least four talented people are needed. How are we going to procure this? From Hoffman’s side?"
"I think I can provide that."
Oliver spoke as if it was a simple matter. Then, before others could refute it, he took people outside.
"Can you follow me outside for a moment?”
"Why outside?"
"I can't show you because it's narrow inside.”
As soon as everyone went outside, Oliver pulled out a glutton bag from his leather case.
The glutton bag, which opened slowly, swelled up like bread dough. Seeing that Denny and Frank retreated back in fear.
The glutton bag rolled its eyes and looked at Oliver.
" Glutton bag. Could you take it out, please”
Reluctantly, the glutton bag began to force its hand into its mouth as soon as ordered.
Because of its actions, the glutton bag’s stomach rumbled and soon it started to vomit something.
Ohwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Ohwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Ohwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Ohwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
The glutton bag spat out 4 corpse dolls.
Everyone got startled, while Arthur mumbled as if he had noticed something.
“Hey, is this?”
"I took some when we cleaned the contaminated zone. I repaired the broken ones, and I forcefully put other parts in them. My skills are somewhat clumsy, so it looks a bit like that. Please understand."
“Were you picking them in that situation?”
"Yes, it was such a waste."
With these words, Oliver took out four test tubes that were kept separately in his pocket.
There was a piece of paper attached to the test tubes, with the words First, Second, Third, and Fourth, written on them respectively.
"What is this?"
“It was made by imitating.”
"What?"
Oliver skipped the answer and opened the top of the test tubes.
"Come out, Children."
Hearing Oliver’s words, First Child, Second Child, Third Child, and Fourth Child, which were similar to a minion, but definitely different, came out.
Everyone shivered while looking at the alien sight, but Oliver didn't mind and ordered the four to do their part.
As soon as the order was given, they approached the head of the corpse dolls and went inside the head through the hole Oliver made.
At that moment, something similar to ‘Life’ began to circulate in the eyes of the corpse doll.
squeak…
squeak…
Queek…
Queek…
Oliver had named them Living corpse dolls.
"If manpower is the problem, each of them will do their part. What do you think?"
Once again everyone went silent.
(To be Continued)
