Volume 2: Knocking on Heaven's Door Chapter 65: A New Look
Piles of documents were loaded onto Dennis' jeep during the chaos. The police were left to block the door to prevent the wild boars from escaping the factory, and Dennis personally drove the car with the documents towards the government building.
The photographer obviously did not notice Dennis's departure and focused his attention on the more attractive factory. After all, at this moment Kevin and Frank were wrestling with several white security guards.
In Dennis's car, besides the information, there were only Chris and the trainee whose family had worked as a county tax commissioner, who were now quickly looking through the documents.
When the car drove all the way to the government building, Tommy, Stephen, David and others who had been waiting here for a long time came over. Tommy stared at Chris who was still looking through the pages even when the car was parked:
"How about it?"
"It's certain that they evaded taxes, but they only evaded taxes in this country. They didn't try to evade the tax owed to the United States." Chris held up a document and handed it to Tommy, saying, "This is the account book of the sugar factory that records the workers' debts."
"If the news that the blacks are being exploited as slaves is leaked by its opponents, even the president can't save Bolton Sugar." Stephen said in a firm tone.
"Go up and take pictures, and give them to the lawyers to take away." Tommy signaled others to help carry the documents upstairs. "The originals must be kept properly. I estimate that they will come to ask for them soon. We cannot anger them. We must return them in full."
As Tommy expected, in less than an hour, the head of the sugar factory came to the government building with the factory security personnel and demanded the return of the various account books that had been forcibly taken away.
"You were the first to lack respect for us! That's why we did this!" David, the little fat boy, said to the person in charge with a stern face, "You cut off the power without informing us in advance. This is the punishment!"
"You want punishment, right? Let the real Prime Minister of this country stand up and let him see who is being punished for the more than 6,000 workers losing their jobs." The person in charge said sternly, "I don't care if you are doing a summer camp or some other program. In short, the factory is not a place for children to play around. Hand over the account books and I will allow you to steal electricity to play games, or I will let more than 6,000 unemployed workers come here to listen to your explanation."
David seemed to be frightened by his tone, and at this moment he lowered his head and exhaled, Stephen walked in from outside the door: “David, let Chris return the account book to them.”
“Stephen~” David looked at Stephen, somewhat unwillingly: “He doesn’t respect us.”
"Then teach them to respect." Stephen stood beside David, his hand on David's shoulder, and looked at the other person in charge with a blank expression: "Zoe found a document. The United States promised to provide 20 million US dollars in aid here, but it didn't pay. We are now contacting the United States. If the other party doesn't pay back the money, according to the contract, we can close the factory."
"You can go and take the account books, but wait, we will come to you soon." Hearing Stephen's words, David became alert and spoke to the other party in a provocative tone.
…
Barbados, Caribbean.
In the U.S. Embassy in the Caribbean, Zoe sat elegantly in the reception room, with Kevin next to her helping with security.
"Ms. Zoe Winters, when I called home, my children really enjoyed your summer camp program, but I didn't expect you to appear in front of me, especially Zoe. My wife has been praising you and said that you are simply the best example of a young lady." A young employee of the embassy walked into the reception room with a smile and took the initiative to greet the two people: "I am Jody, the embassy secretary."
Then he waved at the camera lens next to him and said, "I will be on camera too, right?"
"Mr. Jody, I have called countless times before and asked to summon Ambassador Edward Bolton." Zoe shook hands with the other party and then asked seriously, "But there was no response every time."
"Mr. Edward has returned to the country for a physical examination. Can you two tell me if you have any questions?"
"Why don't you guess what I'm going to say next?"
"I think it's the financial aid?" Jody laughed. "Come on, kids, that's a lot of money. The United States has a formal and cumbersome process for doing this kind of thing. It's not as easy as giving gifts between friends. How about this? Let's put this issue aside, but I can personally order two TVs from the embassy. When I give gifts to the high school cabinet, you can take them back to that country. They will definitely appreciate your efforts."
"We are talking about something serious, aren't we, Mr. Jody?"
"I think maybe we shouldn't take it too seriously. It seems like a joke. After all, you brought a photographer from an entertainment program."
“It may be a joke for America, but it’s a disaster for this country.”
Zoe lowered her head, and after a long while she slowly raised it up: "I wrote in my personal information when applying for the summer camp that I no longer wanted to be a well-behaved and sensible lady in the eyes of others, and I didn't want to be a good girl who had to smile and show that she didn't care when others spoke harshly to me. I wanted to change from the first day I joined the summer camp, but someone dissuaded me and told me to wait for a better opportunity. Now I am sure that this is the opportunity I have been waiting for."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm not going to say any more, you American bastard ! I'll show you how a role model of a lady can do bad things!" Zoe threw the coffee in her hand at Jody, and then slammed the coffee cup to the ground. "I hope your wife sees this on TV and will praise me as a lady worthy of all girls to learn from."
…
"Zoe caused a scene at the American Embassy and is now being held in the embassy, waiting for her parents to take her back home. More than a dozen newspapers have called Lincoln High School, hoping to interview us." Tommy Hawke, holding a cigarette in his mouth, looked at Stephen.
These days, most of the time, other people appear in public, while Tommy hides in his office, keeping a low profile and calm.
"This means that your goal of attracting attention to the farce has been achieved. Now it's my turn to take the stage?"
"Yes, prepare to go to Washington. I'll ask those newspapers to interview you and Zoe in Washington. I've used everything I can think of." Tommy exhaled and leaned lazily in his chair. "Call your father. He should have a way to make sure the whole thing is a comedy."
"Tommy, we should rely on ourselves." Steve frowned slightly: "You are in good command, there is no need to rely on other forces."
“Don’t get me wrong, Stephen. I know your father is a well-known person. I have never thought of using his power. I just need him to help convey a message.”
"What news?"
"To put it simply, it means to give them advance notice and give them some buffer time, so that they won't be speechless when facing your questioning, which will make it easier for them to blame everything on the British."
Stephen picked up the phone on the table and dialed a number: “Dad , I hope you have time to watch Neil Children’s Channel recently.”
"I saw it. Even the newspaper introduced the new program. You are the Chancellor of the Exchequer, but it seems that you don't have many opportunities to appear on TV. Son, the Police Commissioner, the Minister of Taxation, the Home Secretary or even the Minister of Defense are more attractive." Stephen's father joked with a smile on the other end of the phone.
"How is Grandfather?"
"Same old, lying in a coma in a hospital ward, with machines keeping him alive. Don't be too sad. Your grandfather has been kept alive like this for seven years. He was trapped in that bed and couldn't move. Don't be too sad about his death."
"I'm not sad because I haven't seen my grandfather many times since I was a child. I just want to ask, I'm already eighteen years old. As the heir, am I qualified to take some adventures I want to do?" Stephen asked calmly into the receiver.
"That depends on what kind of adventure it is, Stephen."
"I will represent St. Vincent in attending the weekly meeting of the Organization for American Cooperation in Washington. The Reagan administration promised to pay St. Vincent $20 million in aid in exchange for the country's sugar industry, but the sugar industry was taken away and the United States did not pay. I will go to the weekly meeting as a representative of St. Vincent to condemn the United States and urge them to fulfill the contract."
"Wow, you are much better than those students. This is what you should do. I was worried that you would catch wild boars and steal wires like them. Now I don't have to worry."
"Yes, I want to go to Washington and play house, and then I want you to help me pass the message to the other party so that they won't be speechless when they arrive."
"Did you come up with the idea of going to Washington to play house?"
"So, it's not like I could have come up with this idea?"
"Of course you can think of it, and your thinking is very clear, son. That's what politics is, the art of compromise. You've impressed me."
Stephen hung up the phone with a dull look and looked at Tommy. "It wasn't until just now that I realized that this was the first time he praised me with the word 'look at me with admiration'. However, this was not what I expected at all."
"It has to be something you thought of, because no one else can even get through the door of the Washington convention hall."
