Chapter 3: Operation Teddy Bear

Receiving the check, Martin glanced at it and found the amount incorrect, only 100 dollars.

This was supposed to be two weeks of salary.

Martin recalled the relevant situation before coming here and said, "Mr. Max, we agreed on a daily wage of $45, and I've worked for you for 12 days over two weeks."

"You never signed a daily wage contract with me, so it can only be considered the minimum hourly wage." Max had already considered the situation comprehensively when Martin Davis got injured and had been prepared for this.

Workers injuring their heads, such a complex part, could be quite troublesome if they persist. Max preemptively blocked the path: "You fell from the roof and damaged Mr. Paul's doghouse, which cost him 1200 dollars. I compensated 1000 dollars for it; you can confirm with Mr. Paul."

Paul was a friend Max had known since his teens and had already been informed about the situation: "Bill and Jones, who worked with you, testified that you were drinking on the job, violated operations regulations, and ignored warnings, leading to the accident and causing significant financial loss for the employer. You bear the primary responsibility."

"Furthermore, your behavior severely damaged the company's reputation, resulting in the loss of three consecutive business deals." Dealing with such poor, dropped-out, and inexperienced young fools, Max effortlessly delivered a series of strategic strikes.

He pulled out a folder and pushed it towards Martin: "Take a look. This is the termination agreement resulting from your actions, which caused the company to lose three important clients."

Martin quickly browsed through it, and on the surface, it seemed flawless. However, it is easy for a company to create such documents if need be.

Max revealed a merciful smile: "I didn't take you to court to claim damages from you. Instead, I paid you 100 dollars based on humanitarian grounds. You should say thank you."

He also kindly reminded: "If you have any objections, you can appeal to the union for arbitration. Sorry, I forgot, you don't have a permanent job, you cannot afford the membership fee, and you have never joined a union."

Martin closed the document and fell into thought, finding it tricky to deal with.

Max twitched his nose continuously, looking more excited: "You can't afford a lawyer, but you can apply for legal aid from the ATL Legal Aid Society. I heard the wait time is up to several months."

This was an all-encompassing crush from class to money, even if Max was just a small company's small boss.

Martin himself was not knowledgeable about American legal provisions, and his predecessor, who hadn't even completed joyful education, couldn't be expected to have the relevant knowledge base.

Max knocked on the table forcefully: "Go back and rest, young man. The company welcomes you back anytime."

Martin took the check, looked at Max, and realized the difficulty of taking the conventional path.

The reason? Class and money.

At that moment, the back door opened, and a strong Latin man appeared at the doorway.

Martin, unable to do anything with an injured leg, turned around and left Max's office.

As he went downstairs, he carefully searched his memory to confirm what he had discovered.

This thing is rampant in Atlanta.

Martin got into his car and saw a Cadillac parked not far away, remembering that it was Max's car.

After a few minutes of consideration, he noted down the license plate number and recalled more about Max, especially the mandatory route he takes home. Martin started his car and drove in that direction.

Max lived in a middle-class community, not very far from Clayton.

Martin drove along the route in his memory and returned to the Clayton community, entering the Carter house.

Elena came up and asked, "Did that damned guy pay up?"

Martin handed her the cash check: "I encountered a very tough boss."

"Only 100 dollars?" Elena was furious: "Is he treating you like a beggar?"

Harris, taking painkillers to suppress the pain temporarily, said, "What are our chances if we apply for arbitration or legal aid?"

Martin sat on the single sofa and said, "We are poor; time is a massive cost."

Hall suddenly chimed in: "Grab a gun and kill him!"

Lily mocked: "Do you want to go to jail?"

Elena punched both of them on the head and pointed towards the bedroom: "Get in there. Don't come out unless I say so, you two idiots!"

The siblings turned their heads away from each other and went into the bedroom.

Waiting for the bedroom door to close, Martin spoke again: "Harris, can you move normally?"

Harris nodded: "I took painkillers. There's no problem."

Martin cut to the chase: "I worked for Max for two weeks and have a certain understanding of him. He is a family-oriented man, leaving the company at 3:30 every day to go home. He takes the same route every time, and there's an ideal spot on that road. We can wait for him there."

Elena was shocked: "What do you plan to do, rob him?"

Harris shrank back: "The probability of going to jail if we rob Max is ninety percent. I still want to apply to university."

"What are you two idiots thinking?" Martin's fist thudded on the sofa armrest: "I am a man of principle and bottom line!"

Elena was confused: "I don't want to see the hellish prison, and Lily and Hall are two idiots..."

"Either shut up or listen to me!" Martin quickly explained his plan and then said: "Within their rules, the poor can never defeat the wealthy. We must step outside them."

Harris whispered, "Principles and bottom lines..."

Martin didn't care: "We have principles and bottom lines, but they need to be flexible and variable."

Elena raised both middle fingers but agreed: "You idiot finally got smarter a bit."

Martin grabbed Elena's leg and pulled off a few hairs from her teddy bear costume, asking: "Can you get a teddy bear costume?"

Elena raised her eyebrows: "No problem."

Martin then asked, "Do you have a camera or anything like that?"

Harris replied eagerly: "Scott's shop should have some second-hand ones."

"Great!" Martin instructed: "Elena, you get the costume; I'll find Scott. Harris, keep an eye on those two idiots; don't let them cause more trouble!"

Elena was the first to get up, walking out as she said: "Lazy bums, run quickly. Operation Teddy Bear starts now!"

She drove back to the promotional mall.

Martin headed to the north side of the community and found a small grocery store.

Scott Carter was sitting by the counter, gulping down a bottle of rum. Upon seeing Martin, he belched and said, "Kid, what are you here for?"

Martin approached the counter: "Your son Harris broke his arm."

Scott took another swig and said, "Remind him to go to the hospital."

Martin knew Scott wouldn't pay, so he asked, "Do you have a camera?"

"No camera, but there's a camcorder." Scott put down the bottle and proudly took out a mini camcorder: "JVC new model, just got it last week. Find me a buyer, and I'll give you a cut."

Martin had seen this model before and picked it up: "Still works?"

Scott craned his neck: "Of course, it works!"

Martin took it and without looking back: "Harris needs it for treatment; I'll return it later."

"Damn it, stop right there, stop!" Scott shouted furiously but didn't chase after him.

Returning to the Carter house, Elena quickly came back, and the three of them set off together.

Operation Teddy Bear began.

*****

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