Chapter 363 A Lapdog
Indigo was shaking all over, pleading, "I'm sorry, Mr. Harris! I didn't mean it! I'm really sorry!"
"Slap yourself twenty times, then get out," Hawk said, his voice cold.
"Slap myself?" Indigo's face fell. "Mr. Harris, my arms are busted because of this guy. I can't do it."
Hawk noticed Indigo's arms hanging uselessly. "Who did this?" he asked.
"It was this kid!" Indigo shot a hateful look at Noah, his eyes burning with anger.
Hawk glanced at Noah, intrigued. "What's the story here?"
Indigo quickly recounted the events. Hawk's brows knitted together as he looked at Noah with contempt. "You're just a lapdog, riding on someone else's coattails!"
"Last time, at the Intoxicated Red Boat, you crossed the Moore family. Now, you're using Mr. Cooper's name to beat up someone from the Jennings family! Do you really think Mr. Cooper can shield you forever?"
"One day, if you piss off all the big families on the Eastern Eagleland, even Mr. Cooper's money won't save you!"
"Don't worry, if I dare to do it, I can handle the consequences," Noah said, his face unreadable.
"Handle it? You're just borrowing Mr. Cooper's confidence!" Hawk snapped. "But don't think that just because Mr. Cooper's got your back, you can do whatever you want. One day, you might end up dead in the street, and Mr. Cooper won't even know!"
"And all of this because you're a loose cannon, attacking anyone in sight!"
'Who is Mr. Cooper? Does this kid have some other background?' Indigo wondered upon hearing this.
"You can leave now," Hawk said, turning back to Indigo.
"Alright, Mr. Harris, I'm outta here!" Indigo, though confused, didn't dare to defy Hawk. He left with his woman, looking defeated.
Hawk walked back into the private room.
"Hawk, what was all that racket outside? It was annoying," Nathaniel asked, holding a seductive woman close.
"Father, here's what happened," Hawk briefly explained the situation.
After listening, Nathaniel's eyes narrowed. He turned to Bodhi and said, "Mr. Cooper, you need to keep your guy Noah in check! A subordinate who likes to throw his weight around will only cause you trouble."
"Even though the Jennings family is small, they have connections in Silverlight City's business and fire departments. If Indigo holds a grudge and seeks revenge, our factory might face constant inspections."
"Sure, it's just a minor hassle that the Harris family can handle, but nobody likes a buzzing fly, right?"
Bodhi's face tightened, forcing a smile. "You're right."
He felt frustrated. After all, his status was thanks to Noah. If anyone was relying on someone else's power, it was him relying on Noah's.
Nathaniel nodded and said to Noah, "Noah, you need to tone it down. Don't think you can act like a big shot just because Mr. Cooper's backing you! The waters in Silverlight City are deep, and there are hidden aristocratic families even the Harris family wouldn't dare cross."
"If you ever provoke one of those families, not only Mr. Cooper but even the Harris family could get dragged into it!"
"Got it," Noah said, though he didn't really care about Nathaniel's warning.
"Knowing isn't enough; you have to remember it," Nathaniel said firmly. "Mr. Cooper, you need to be strict with your people. There's a saying: without rules, nothing gets done. Subordinates need rules, like a cage, to keep them in line. For instance, my workers follow strict rules. People talk about the '996' work schedule—working from 9 AM to 9 PM, six days a week."
"But my workers have it even tougher. They start on the assembly line at 7:30 AM and finish at 10 PM, seven days a week, with only three days off a month. Those are the rules."
"Mr. Harris, with such hard-working employees, their salaries must be high!" Noah said, though he felt disgusted. This wasn't work; it was blatant exploitation, a sweatshop!
"Sorry, their average salary is only three to four thousand dollars. Even working themselves to death, they only make a little over four thousand," Nathaniel said indifferently.
"Working themselves to death for just over four thousand dollars," Bodhi's face changed. This salary was too low for Silverlight City, a central city where wages should be high. And those workers were working nearly twelve hours a day.
"Mr. Cooper, you don't feel sorry for those workers, do you?" Nathaniel asked, noticing Bodhi's expression.
"I must remind you, once the contract is signed, you'll be a major shareholder in our factory. You must think from the top down."
"For example, the factory's monthly electricity bill, equipment damage, depreciation, updates, workers' insurance, and benefits—all these cost money. So, we must consider costs."
"And where does this money come from? We have to find ways to save on the workers."
Nathaniel continued matter-of-factly, "In my view, those workers are just cheap lives, mere machines to create profit for me. So, we must extract as much money from them as possible!"
"Late by a minute? Deduct their full attendance bonus! Not wearing a uniform? Deduct their pay! Didn't meet the work quota? Deduct their pay! Took a leave? Deduct their pay! In short, find ways to deduct their pay! This way, we can save costs and maximize profits!"
Nathaniel, full of pride, seemed to be boasting, "Half of the Harris family's rapid development in the business world owes to these rules."
Bodhi and Noah exchanged glances, both remaining silent, feeling a bit desolate. The Harris family's business had reached such heights by exploiting countless workers. Each worker's heart bore a bloodsucking parasite, draining their blood day and night.
'One day, I will change all of this,' Noah thought to himself. His mind flashed back to his father's words.
"The more wealth you have, the greater the responsibility. The amount of wealth you possess signifies the amount of responsibility you bear."
The group played in the private room for over two hours, separating late at night. Nathaniel and Bodhi had already agreed to draft the contract the next day and hold a press conference to sign the share transfer agreement.
Noah took the drunk Bodhi back to the Hilton. The night passed without incident, and now they just had to wait for Nathaniel's news.
The next day, Noah went to work at Punk Guitar as usual. When he reached his desk, he found a breakfast waiting for him: a cup of milk and two sandwiches.
"Mr. Anderson, I brought you breakfast," a voice said. Audrey walked over.
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