America: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Driving the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, they stopped at the entrance of the factory, and the security personnel immediately came over to stop them. Pike and the Reko supervisor rolled down the window and greeted them, "It's our own people."

The security personnel, recognizing familiar faces, also relaxed and greeted back, "Boss."

They immediately waved to open the wire mesh gate and let them in. Allen Zhang also drove into the yard.

Outside, workers lying in tents playing with mobile phones and eating, upon seeing the luxury car driving into the factory area, immediately shouted, jumped up, and a group of them holding baseball bats and golf clubs ran over, blocking the entrance tightly.

"Geneva, pay up!!"

"Damn heartless boss! Pay me my hard-earned money! What right do you have to withhold my salary!"

"Fxxk you, Pike! I really want to shove my mobile phone's baseball bat hard up your ass! If you don't pay us our dues and wages, I will definitely do it!"

"Pay up! Pay up! Pay up!!"

A group of people surrounded the gate outside, frantically banging on the wire mesh, shouting chaotically, and even looking like they wanted to burst in directly, which scared the security personnel into a cold sweat.

Hesitating whether to run away if the situation becomes uncontrollable, to stand with the other team to fight against the heartless boss! After all, they earn just 200 US dollars a day, why risk their lives!

Allen Zhang looked at the workers crowding at the gate, many of whom were young mothers holding children a few years old, middle-aged Caucasians, and elderly men, all of them lower-class laborers.

But those leading with melee weapons in hand were several physically strong Caucasians, clean and tidy, looking more like street toughs than ordinary workers.

"Are those leaders possibly sent by the Los Angeles union?" Allen Zhang asked.

Reko nodded and said helplessly, "These people all paid union dues. In such cases, the union sends people to collect debts immediately. If money isn't paid, they even run to your living community, dumping garbage at your doorstep, doing everything to force you to pay. But they also take away thirty percent or even half of the money we finally give to the workers!"

"We do want to protect the workers' interests, but we really can't afford to pay their wages, and they won't listen. They'd rather have the union lead the trouble than wait a couple more days," Reko said.

"When you employ people, you have to pay them. How much can it be for thirty-five workers?" Allen Zhang asked.

"The company owes them a month and a half's wages, thirty-five people, almost $157,000. The company no longer has the funds for the project," Reko explained, showing Allen Zhang the ledger.

"I will pay them this $157,000, and not a cent less! Tell them to stop causing trouble here; it looks bad."

Allen Zhang glanced at the salary details in the ledger, then put it away and asked, "Have the department executives' wages been cleared?"

"It's precisely because we cleared our salaries first that there's no money left to pay them," Reko said awkwardly.

"..."Allen Zhang looked at him with a sarcastic smile.

Pike boss got out of the car with a dark face, feeling his dignity trampled and humiliated, loudly explained: "Calm down! Please stay calm, I don't know who among you is from the union leading this trouble, but I can clearly tell you, Pike Company has been sold to a very capable new owner, he will be responsible for paying everyone's wages. Guaranteed not a cent less!"

"We want to see the money now," the leading union member immediately shouted.

"You want money? I'll give you money, please don't cause trouble on my turf. Otherwise, I will call 911 and have officers come to expel and arrest you."

Allen Zhang got out of the car, looked at the crowd outside, and said in a softened tone, "I am the new owner of Pike Recycling Company. I assure you that I will not default on any of your wages, I can even pay you in cash right now, but first I need to confirm, who here still wants to work at this place?"

The crowd went silent.

The leading union member continued to provoke sarcastically, "You rich people always make big promises to the workers below! Go ahead, pay the money, and we will leave, right?"

"Shut your mouth, you pretend to stand up for workers but is it not for your own benefit? I can pay, even offer 1.5 times the compensation, but can you promise not to take any fees from them?" Allen Zhang sternly rebuked him.

The union member fell silent instantly.

Allen Zhang nodded slightly, looking at the silent workers, "No one wants to continue working at Pike Company? Good, in fact, a company that likes to withhold employee wages, whatever the reasons might be, if it were me, I wouldn't want to continue working here either. Moreover, the company's boss, burdened with debts, selling off assets, is only thinking of fleeing with a bucket, high management even cleared their own salaries in advance without considering the plight of the bottom-level people."

"Mr. Jin..." Pike and Reko looked a little embarrassed.

Allen Zhang waved his hand, not even glancing at them, "Capitalists aren't good things, include the General Sect Leader who often thinks of himself; this is just human nature, natural selection is nothing to be said."