Ahem!
Mike Joseph took out a handkerchief, covered his mouth, and coughed several times.
The fog in the factory district was thicker than anywhere else. The air was a yellowish-grey, as if filled with floating dust. Occasionally, a pungent, irritating smell would permeate, making it hard to endure even for the journalist, who had long grown accustomed to the air of Backlund.
He turned his head and said to Klein, who was also coughing softly: "I have always supported the government's formation of the Kingdom's Air Pollution Investigation Committee and the establishment of the Alkali Inspector position, but only today did I realize the problem was so severe."
"If effective measures aren't taken, it might lead to a tragedy in the future." Klein tried hard to unblock his stuffy nose.
Perhaps the whole of Backlund would be shrouded in fog so thick visibility wouldn't exceed five meters, and an evil god might descend or be born in such a scene... he silently added.
Old Kohler didn't quite understand their conversation. He cleared his throat, which was filled with phlegm, and led the journalist and detective past the watchmen, sneaking into a white lead factory.
The workers here were mostly women. They were busy without any protective measures, and the factory was filled with visible dust.
Looking at the "small particles" floating and drifting in the air, Klein felt as if he could see poison gas. The young women without masks were like lambs waiting to be slaughtered.
In that moment, it felt like he was back in Tingen, back in the time when he helped Sir Dwayne Dantes deal with a resentment matter.
He seemed to have already witnessed the future of each worker here. Some would suffer from throbbing headaches, some would experience blurred vision, some would become hysterical, some would have blue lines appear on their gums, eventually turning blind or dying quickly.
It was like a large-scale bloody sacrificial ritual, only the target was the gleaming symbol of money... If the Aurora Order, the Rose School of Thought, and other cult organizations could make use of similar incidents, like Lanerwus did, the problem would be huge... Klein covered his mouth and nose, gazing silently.
Mike Joseph whispered, shocked and angry: "How can this be?" "How can they do this?" "All the newspapers and magazines have been discussing lead poisoning extensively recently, and they haven't taken any precautions at all?" "They can't even spare a mask?" "These factory owners are committing murder!"
Truly a journalist with a sense of justice. Although he wasn't young, had a somewhat stingy style, and was quite an actor, he still kept to his original ideals... But how is he so knowledgeable about lead poisoning? Ah, I forgot, I had Sir Dwayne Dantes widely publicize the dangers of lead poisoning in various newspapers and magazines... It looks like he did a good job, but to some people, what does it matter if one or two lower-class plebeians die? There are plenty of people waiting for work! Klein thought with a heavy heart.
As an experienced journalist, Mike didn't lose his cool. Quietly observing and questioning a few workers changing shifts, he left the white lead factory.
Afterwards, they entered one factory after another, and the dirty environment and the intense labor of the people left them with no heart to discuss anything.
Around noon, Klein suddenly noticed a crowd gathering outside a factory ahead. Mostly women, they were shouting excitedly and trying to rush inside.
"What's going on?" Mike asked Old Kohler in confusion.
Old Kohler was also confused. "I'll go ask."
He jogged to the factory gate, mixed into the crowd, and didn't return to Klein and Mike's side for several minutes.
"They want to smash those new machines!" Old Kohler said, catching his breath and stating the main point.
"Why?" Mike didn't cover such news before and didn't know much about it. Klein, however, vaguely guessed the reason.
Old Kohler pointed at the factory. "It's a textile mill. They're going to replace the looms with the newest models, and the number of operators will be reduced. It seems, it seems they're going to fire a third of the workers!"
"Those women workers hope to smash the machines to get their jobs back. Otherwise, otherwise they, they might not survive, or they'll have to become streetwalkers."
Mike's mouth opened and closed. From the shape of his lips, it seemed he was about to say "foolish," but in the end, he said nothing. He just silently watched the scene, not even getting closer.
"Let's head back. I've pretty much done what I came for in terms of investigation and interviews." After a long while, Mike sighed.
The three of them immediately turned around and walked out of the factory district. They were silent the whole way, no one speaking.
Right before they parted ways, Mike glanced at Klein and asked in a low voice: "Do you think, if they close down these unprotected white lead factories and put their owners on trial, those women workers can find other things to do?"
Klein thought about it seriously for a moment and said: "If it's just a few, it wouldn't be a big problem. But some of these women might have to endure hunger and cold while looking for other jobs, gradually losing their ability to work, because they have no savings at all."