Ch.168 Discovered

Gin removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He and the lawyer had been keeping an eye on things all night. Since the boss wasn't resting, they had no reason to rest either.

He wasn't particularly tired, but his eyes felt a bit strained.

So they found a corner of the warehouse to smoke and drink some coffee to pass the time.

The clerks below had already changed shifts, but as the ones in charge, they couldn't swap out. This corner of the warehouse was the only quiet place where they could chat for a bit.

"Sir? Hello!"

Gin turned his head to look but saw nothing. Had he imagined it? He could have sworn someone was speaking to him.

"Down here, sir."

He looked down and saw a small boy with black hair staring up at him.

Gin frowned. These two kids couldn't be more than ten years old. The boss wouldn't be pleased to see such young workers.

However, the old lawyer didn't mind. He knew his subordinates wouldn't sign contracts with children, so the kids must have come here because they were hungry.

If all they wanted was some food, it wouldn't hurt to do a good deed. There was plenty of food here; how much could two children eat?

"Come here, tell Grandpa what you're doing here."

"We want some temporary work, the kind where we can earn some food by helping out," Bucky quickly stated, noticing the lawyer seemed more approachable.

Compared to the stern-looking Gin, the lawyer did indeed look friendly, but the boss had clearly stated no child labor, so the lawyer would not bend the rules.

"Sorry, kids, the boss doesn't hire child labor. I'll give you some food, but then you should head home."

Sure enough, the old man smiled as he gently turned them down. As a lawyer, he had to follow the boss's rules if he was taking the boss's money.

"No, we don't want charity; we want to earn our food through work."

Steve shook his head and, pulling Bucky along, started to leave. If they couldn't work for it, he wasn't going to accept charity.

Gin raised his hand to signal the lawyer to stop talking. He called out to the two kids.

"Wait a minute. Simple work isn't out of the question. I also started helping my father hunt when I was very young. Earning your food through labor is perfectly reasonable."

"But Gin, the boss..." the old man immediately reminded him. Gin and the lawyer were on good terms, and he didn't want Gin to get into trouble.

"It's okay. The boss appreciates people with ideals." Gin smiled at the lawyer, a smile that looked far from friendly, giving Steve and Bucky the feeling they were stepping onto a pirate ship.

President Lincoln had once said that this was how Black people were taken aboard ships.

Gin took off his gloves and pulled two hamburgers from the pile of food, instructing a subordinate to heat them up. He squatted down, the hem of his expensive coat brushing the ground, as he put his hands on their shoulders, looking them in the eyes.

"So, gentlemen, what kind of work are you looking to do?"

"We can help register names, write name tags, or run errands," Bucky replied quickly, smiling despite Gin's intimidating grin.

"Hmm, that's doable. But as you can see, this work is only for today. You also can't tell any of your friends that you once worked for Wilson Enterprises. Deal?"

"Yes, we agree."

Steve and Bucky nodded eagerly. They were already thinking about how many hamburgers they could earn today.

"Good. Maybe when you grow up, you'll have the chance to work for the company properly. By the way, what are your names?" Gin smiled, satisfied. He liked people with strong principles because he wasn't like that himself.

"My name is Steven Rogers."

"And I'm James Buchanan Barnes."

What started as a small matter suddenly became more significant as these two names made Gin raise an eyebrow.

Steve and Bucky—those were names the boss had mentioned.

He scrutinized the two boys, especially the blonde Steve. Though frail, his eyes were full of determination, the kind of look that hinted at future success.

Though he didn't understand how the boss knew about these two boys he'd never met, Gin grasped the boss's intent. The boss definitely wanted to meet them.

"Very good. Nice names. Come on, I'll give you a better job."

Gin instructed the lawyer to keep an eye on the warehouse while he led the two kids toward the car parked by the roadside. Su Ming was still inside, waiting, as if he'd been expecting them all along.

Bucky and Steve whispered to each other, marveling at the beautiful car, especially its length—longer than three regular cars put together.

They wanted to run over and check out the car's brand but hesitated, feeling a bit nervous.

"What a big car, Steve. Have you ever seen one like this before?"

"No, it must be very luxurious inside."

"Do you think it's like that hotel we saw that one time, the one with the beautiful chandelier in the lobby?"

"I don't know, but it probably looks similar."

Gin walked ahead with the bodyguard and then opened the car door.

The two boys saw a man with one eye sitting inside, smiling at them. This man was handsome, with an extraordinary demeanor, but they suddenly felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over them.

A fear welled up from deep within, as if they were being pulled into a small, dark jar, as if their fates were veering off course.

"Steve, Bucky, I knew you'd come."

Su Ming swirled his glass, knowing that these two would definitely come to check out their fathers' new jobs. Whether it was out of curiosity or boredom, they were never ones to sit still.

He had originally intended to get involved in their lives but quickly changed his mind. His biggest advantage at the moment was his knowledge of future events, and this advantage was slowly eroding over time.

Without Captain America, the future storylines would be difficult to unfold. Although it wouldn't affect Su Ming's plans, being in the Marvel world meant he wouldn't want to miss the grand and epic future.

He extinguished his momentary impulse and decided to let the two boys follow their original life paths. Even though their fathers had found new jobs at Wilson Enterprises, making their childhoods a bit easier, that wouldn't change their beliefs or personalities.

After all, being a little better fed and dressed wouldn't alter their character. In some ways, Captain America and Batman were both obsessive.

Steve's fear passed as quickly as it came, like a fleeting illusion, leaving nothing changed.

He shook his head, and when he looked at Su Ming again, that strange feeling was gone.

"Sir, do you know us?"

"No, this is our first meeting, but I know your fathers. They're good men," Su Ming said, though he only knew them from the future.

"You're their new boss?"

"Hehe, you could say that." Su Ming gestured for Gin to bring them into the car, wanting to chat with the future Captain America. "But being their boss doesn't conflict with them being good men."

Gin immediately understood, lifting the two still-stunned boys into the luxurious seats and closing the door before taking his place in the front passenger seat.

By the time the boys realized what was happening, the car was already moving.

Bucky felt uneasy. Unlike Steve, he often played outside and knew a few boys who had strange things done to them by some mysterious priests.

The thought made him tighten up, and his face paled.