Tianlin City.
With winter gone and spring arriving, the weather had gradually grown warmer.
At a construction site in the still-developing new district, a group of construction workers with golden eyes and blonde hair, all wearing yellow hard hats, gathered together.
“Old Charlie, when did President Liu say he’d pay our wages?”
“It’s already been six months overdue.”
“If we don’t get paid soon, we’re not working anymore! We’ve got wives and children to support at home!”
The middle-aged man called Old Charlie frowned deeply, looking helplessly at his tall, lanky compatriots surrounding him.
“Boss Liu said that if we work another three months, he’ll pay all the wages at once.”
“Three months, and then another three months. It’s almost been six months already.”
“Our families are starving. We can barely put food on the table.”
“Yeah, we’re struggling to eat these days.” The crowd grew increasingly agitated.
Just then, a black Audi A6L stopped at the gate of the construction site.
The car door opened, and a handsome young man in a white shirt and black slacks stepped out. Following behind him was a secretary in a light gray professional outfit, holding a folder and wearing flat shoes.
Due to a unique latitude and longitude, the temperature in Tianlin City didn’t rise gradually, but all at once!
Just a few days ago, it was still six or seven degrees and everyone was wearing heavy coats. Now the average indoor temperature was around twenty-six or twenty-seven degrees, and there wasn’t a trace of chill in the air.
Such a striking pair instantly drew the attention of all the construction workers present.
“Excuse me, who’s Old Charlie?” Zhao Yicheng asked in fluent foreign language, making these white workers, who had spent years living far from home, feel a sudden warmth and familiarity.
“That’s me.” Old Charlie stepped forward.
With a smile, Zhao Yicheng shook his hand and explained, “We’re volunteers from the Worker Association. After receiving reports that someone’s been withholding workers’ wages, we’ve come here specifically to investigate.”
Old Charlie was momentarily stunned, but soon understood.
He had, of course, heard of the Federation’s labor unions. When Boss Liu first started delaying wages, he’d considered reporting to the union. But first, their team had just arrived for this project, and everything was unfamiliar. Second, rumor had it that President Liu had some connections in the union. Third, it was President Liu himself who had sworn with his hand on his chest that if they just worked another three months, he’d settle all six months of back pay.
That was why he hadn’t reported the matter.
“Kind angels, please help us!” Suddenly, a black man with blue eyes and blond hair rushed over, falling to his knees in tears.
“That Liu guy hasn’t paid us for three months! I’ve got an eighty-year-old mother and a three-year-old son at home. We can’t even afford food anymore!”
“Tom, go back!” Old Charlie barked sternly. “Boss Liu promised: work another three months, and we’ll get all six months’ wages.”
“Three months? When will it end, Old Charlie? You’re the one who brought us abroad for work, promised us we’d get rich, but now we’ve worked three months for nothing—not a cent in pay. Tell me, are you getting kickbacks from Liu?”
Tom’s voice grew choked. “My parents have always been honest plantation workers, always hoping I’d make it big and bring them to the city. But not only have I not earned a cent, I’ve nearly spent all the money I brought.”
As the saying goes, real men don’t cry easily—unless they’re truly heartbroken. Tom’s words moved everyone. Even those listening couldn’t help but tear up.
If there were any other way, none of them would have come to work in a foreign land. Alas, they were all fellow sufferers, bound by the same bitter fate.
“Please, comrade, don’t do this.” Zhao Yicheng helped Tom up and brushed the dust from his shoulder.
He also noticed the hesitation in Old Charlie’s eyes. He knew that if he didn’t win over this leader, the rest would be hard to convince.
He shot a look at his secretary. Yu Yinsheng immediately understood and stepped forward, handing the folder to Old Charlie.
Zhao Yicheng continued, “After receiving concerned reports, our association pulled some records on the ‘President Liu’ you mentioned—Liu Jianqian. We discovered…”
Old Charlie flipped through the documents.
Though he was a foreigner, his Huayuanese had passed Level 8. He’d even mastered the local accent, always preparing for the possibility of immigration.
As he turned page after page, everyone could see his face grow darker and darker. Finally, he took a deep breath, closed the file, and looked at Zhao Yicheng standing not far away, his voice trembling.
“Is this all true?”
“Based on the information held by the Worker Association, it’s exactly as you see.” Zhao Yicheng replied. “He has several construction teams, all with severe wage arrears. The Worker Association blacklisted him years ago. He can’t hire locally, so he started recruiting construction workers from abroad.”
“We…” Old Charlie’s voice trembled, tears glimmering in his eyes. “Can we still get our wages back?”
Zhao Yicheng’s smile grew even warmer.
“The association will provide you with a lawyer, as well as legal aid.” He paused. “It’s all free—no fees of any kind.”
Only after Old Charlie, representing his construction crew, signed the lawsuit did Zhao Yicheng and Yu Yinsheng return to their BMW.
In the front passenger seat, Yu Yinsheng bent over, massaging her numb calves from standing too long, muttering, “Didn’t think you’d be such a good guy—actually footing the bill to help them sue.”
“I just hope their lawsuit delays Liu Jianqian for a while.” Zhao Yicheng put the documents away, his tone calm.
“So you were just giving them false hope?”
“No, the Worker Association really will assign them a lawyer,” Zhao Yicheng said, pausing for a moment. “Within three to five working days.”
“That fast? Do you have friends in the Worker Association?” Yu Yinsheng couldn’t help but ask.
From what she knew, it usually took at least one or two weeks—seven to fourteen days.
After all, the Worker Association strictly adhered to labor laws, taking time off when they should and never working overtime if they could avoid it.
“I have some small authority in the association,” Zhao Yicheng replied, pulling a union certificate from his pocket.
Yu Yinsheng reached over to take it.
Flipping it open, she saw it really was an official union certificate—red stamp, steel embossing, contact details, everything in order. And he wasn’t just an ordinary volunteer, but a Senior Officer, a true mid-level backbone.
“I’ve never seen you do any volunteer work.” Yu Yinsheng inspected the Volunteer Certificate, then handed it back to Zhao Yicheng.
“I pay one million a year in membership fees.”
Yu Yinsheng: …
With money, you can make the devil turn the millstone—the ancestors weren’t wrong!
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