Chapter 90: Dock Workers' Union

Jonny left with the money very quickly; he didn't want to stay there any longer. After he left, Lansi asked curiously, "Did you really lend him the money?"

Lansi nodded. "He can't pay it back."

"I worked in his bakery for over a month. I know very well how much he earns each month."

"Even if his daughter didn't steal money from his cash box, after deducting all kinds of expenses, he would only have about two hundred dollars left each month."

Erwen couldn't help but exclaim, "That much?!"

Lansi agreed with this point. "Yes, it is indeed a lot, but you have to know that these two hundred dollars include the wage income of three people. If they went to work outside, as federal citizens, as long as they aren't lazy, it's very easy to earn thirty-five dollars a month."

"They still have to eat and drink."

"The bakery he actually relies on brings in one hundred dollars of income each month."

"Even if he didn't pay wages to others, he still couldn't pay back the money. Six months—even if he could save three hundred dollars a month, he still couldn't pay back this sum."

Erwen was a bit confused. "Then why did you lend it to him?"

Lansi casually put the document bag into the safe. "I want him to be unable to pay it back."

"If he could pay it back, how would I get his storefront?"

After hearing this, Erwen felt as if he had experienced a baptism of the soul. "So from the very beginning, you never intended to let him off."

Lansi shook his head. "There's no such thing as letting off or not. I've already taken back the eighteen dollars; the rest is just business."

As he spoke, he paused for a moment, took out the two contracts he had just signed with Jonny, and placed them on the table. "From now on, for loan businesses over one hundred dollars, use these two contracts."

Erwen looked at them for a while, his brain hurting. Lansi explained to him, "This part is the loan business, and this part is the financial consulting business. The two are not the same thing."

"Interest exceeding the 'Usury Law' is all calculated into the consulting fees and added to them. Do you understand?"

Erwen's brain was very flexible, and this matter wasn't complicated. Once Lansi put it this way, he understood.

"In this way, if someone doesn't pay back the money, we will sue them directly."

"Although we also do illegal business, at least when we can earn money while being legal, we try our best to be legal!"

In the afternoon, Lansi had an appointment with people from the union. Erwen helped him make an appointment with someone from the union, a vice president of the dock workers' union named Woen.

In the Federation, "union" is a general term. In reality, specific unions are "industry unions" formed by workers in different industries. For example, shipbuilders have a shipbuilding union.

Steelworkers have a steelworkers' union, so naturally, dock stevedores have a dock workers' union.

Woen looked to be around fifty years old, but he didn't look entirely like a vice president who had come from the working class.

The two met in a coffee shop outside the docks, finding a secluded spot.

"Mr. Lansi, your Wanli Agency has recently seriously disrupted the work order of our docks. Many workers are complaining to me. You have made the entire dock a mess!"

Holding thousands of work cards in his hands, with seven or eight thousand illegal immigrants finding work at the docks through Lansi, this would indeed bring a huge impact to the docks.

Although the anti-immigrant wave hadn't completely passed, the docks certainly couldn't stop and wait for its aftermath to completely subside.

Some companies had symbolically stopped for a few days and had already suffered huge losses; they couldn't continue to stop work.

Thus, a large number of illegal immigrants returned to the docks, which made many anti-immigrant workers who had been successfully brainwashed during the movement full of complaints!

"Our homeland is being invaded by illegal immigrants" became their slogan. The union received many complaints. As a representative of the working class, the union organization that shouted "Workers' Unity" certainly had to stand up to protect the interests of legal workers.

Interviewing Lansi became inevitable.

It was just that before they could go find Lansi, Lansi had taken the initiative to come to their door.

Facing Woen's complaints, Lansi maintained a smile throughout. "Mr. Woen..."

"No need for 'Mr.', just call me Woen. Adding those titles or forms of address is something only capitalists do."

Although he didn't look like the working class, he at least maintained the keen sense of smell of the working class.

Lansi changed his form of address. "Woen, I think what we are doing is not an offense to traditional local workers."

"You have to know what kind of work they are all doing."

"Ship cleaners, sewer cleaning, chimney cleaning, underwater operations..."

"Do you know how dirty, tiring, and dangerous these jobs are?"

Woen had to nod. "That is indeed the case, but..."

Lansi didn't let him continue, directly interrupting him. "But now all the dangerous, bitter, and tiring work is being done by those... illegal immigrants."

"They have contracted all the things that people at the docks don't want to do, keeping our federal workers away from danger. This is not invasion and chaos!"

"Letting them leave is very simple, but can you find enough people to do these things?"

"For twenty or thirty dollars a month, risking huge dangers to work—I think the lives of federal workers shouldn't be worth only this much money!"

Woen fell into deep thought. The core reason why these illegal immigrants could find work was actually because these jobs were indeed things no one wanted to do.

Whether it was summer or winter, holding a damp cloth that could salt out at any time, scrubbing hard on the deck or by the ship—doing it for a whole day, at most it was one dollar of income.

Many ship cleaners earned less than thirty dollars a month.

Many people were either sunburned or frozen cold, but someone had to do it. If federal people themselves didn't want to, then they could only find illegal immigrants.

Seeing that Woen's attitude seemed to have undergone some change, Lansi put forward his own thoughts. "I understand that some workers feel they are chaotic or have bad habits, but you have mentioned it, and we have now noticed it. I will strengthen the management of this part of the workers."

"I am also a federal citizen. I am actually on the side of federal workers. Everything I do is just to keep the docks running normally."

Lansi licked his lips and took a sip of coffee. "I plan to donate some money."

Woen was thinking about other things and didn't react for a moment. "What?"

"Take three hundred dollars from my company's profits every month to help some worker families in need, for example, those who have temporarily lost their jobs and need to live, or those who are sick or injured and have no money for treatment."

"Everyone is a worker, everyone is at the very bottom of society. We should unite!"

Woen came back to his senses. "Yes, yes, workers should unite to resist the exploitation and oppression of capitalists!"

He pondered for a while. "Your idea is very good, Lansi, and what you said is not entirely unreasonable. I will go back and tell them."

"As for the donation you mentioned..."

Lansi took over the topic. "I don't know all the workers at the docks. I don't know who really needs help and who actually doesn't."

"So I am only responsible for donating this money. How to use this money is up to you."

Three hundred dollars a month sounds like not much, but it is definitely not a small amount.

Lansi even went a step further. "I will say I donate three hundred to the outside, but I will actually give four hundred. You are actually also very hard-working."

"Not only do you have to work, but you also have to deal with union matters. I am moved by your noble sentiments."

"So this money... you can buy some beef or something else. There is a saying I think is very correct: the body is the capital for progress. Only when our bodies are strong can we do more for the workers!"

The wrinkles on Woen's face seemed to smooth out. "Sounds good?", but he was a bit hesitant. "Will there be any problems doing this?"

Lansi stared at him with wide eyes. "What problems could there be?"

"Is there any law that forbids me from donating to the union to help those families and workers in need?"

"Or is it that the federal judiciary has even deprived us of the right to help each other?"

Woen was very moved after hearing this. "You are very right, Lansi. I think people might have some misunderstandings about you. I will explain it clearly to them."

"Also, you mentioned norms just now?"

"Yes!", Lansi said, his mouth a bit dry. He took a sip of coffee and gave Woen a cigarette. "I plan to have these illegal immigrant laborers wear uniform clothing and restrain their behavior at the docks."

"If you have any ideas, you can also tell me. As long as it is appropriate, I can add it in."

"For one thing, doing this will let them know who exactly is destroying the tranquility of the docks, which can allow people to better supervise the work situation of illegal immigrants."

"Secondly, it is also a form of spurring and supervising illegal immigrant laborers, letting them understand that every word and action of theirs will be watched. In this way, they will consider clearly whether it is appropriate before doing certain things."

Woen always felt that there was something wrong with this matter, but he couldn't put his finger on it. After seriously considering it for a while, he felt it was indeed a good idea.

Who is an illegal immigrant and who is not—it is clear at a glance.

At the same time, it is also a warning.

A very good plan!

Even Woen thought that if dock workers could also have uniform clothing, then they would look even more powerful!

After he went back, he would discuss this matter with the management of the dock workers' union. Although it was unlikely to be allowed, at least he should try.

"Chatting with you has given me many new ideas, Lansi. You are an interesting person. We should keep in touch more."

Lansi placed the four-hundred-dollar check on the table, pressed it with his index and middle fingers, and pushed it over.

Facing Lansi's sincere gaze, Woen felt that not accepting it would be failing Lansi's sincerity!