New Gods of North America.

Chapter 586 Truce
Another week passed, and during this time Willie reportedly had two court appearances. Lina remained incredibly busy, even turning a small cabin into the prototype of an archive room.
After some modifications, the workshop, using locally sourced meat and cheese, has achieved a balance between cost and taste that meets Wayne's expectations, at least theoretically fulfilling the condition of "economic feasibility."

The most technically demanding mill was initially completed. For the first month, technicians from the Brook factory would come twice a week to check for wear and tear and usage conditions; after that, the intervals would be lengthened.
The supporting facilities in the workshop have been completed one after another. Although the overall look is still a bit "empty", it is no longer a problem for people to live there and for low-load production.

The weakness, ironically, lay in the "human resource" aspect. The mill and the design, which could barely be called an "assembly line," did significantly reduce the physical exertion required in the workshop.

However, manpower is still needed for loading, unloading, and transportation. Parker certainly can't handle it all by himself, and Lina wouldn't agree to Wayne using the chef like a beast of burden. It's fine for the agents to help out for a short period of time, but it would be a waste to use them in the long run.

Hiring someone specifically to manage the workshop's production is not out of the question, but in that case, the detective agency would have to pay even closer attention to the issue of "Extraordinary Individuals."

Moreover, if certain business and technical details are leaked, it's like creating competitors for yourself.

Wayne doesn't have a good solution yet, so for now, everyone will just have to make do for the time being.
Some of the manual labor was outsourced to slaves on the plantation—this was their "part-time job." The plantation managers turned a blind eye to it because of Wayne's influence. The payment Wayne received was mainly for raw meat, as well as products like luncheon meat and reconstituted cheese, which actually made it quite cheap.

Lina's little black maid was the main facilitator of this matter. With her acting as a bridge between the two sides, the cooperation was relatively pleasant. They didn't have to worry about being beaten or scolded at the workshop, and the workshop didn't have to worry about them slacking off.

Unfortunately, this approach is clearly not sustainable. After all, these people are plantation workers, and no matter how enthusiastic they are about "part-time work," the time they can spend here is still limited.

Wayne's views on slavery were generally critical; he had never considered buying slaves.
But now that I've done the math, damn it, in the long run, using slaves really is more cost-effective...

Aside from the slightly larger initial investment, the rest of the time is almost entirely spent recouping the cost, and the secrecy is also more reliable. Even if someone escapes, there will be a slave patrol team to help you catch them.

Well……

It's true that when it comes to money, people easily lose their "spiritual resolve."

Wayne was deep in thought in his cabin when Doug knocked on the door and, after receiving permission, simply poked his head in.
“Sir, James Damody from the dock area has come to visit and hopes to meet with you.”

That "Jimmy"? What's he doing here at this time?
Wayne nodded. "Take him to the meeting room. I'll be there in a bit."

……

The workshop, specifically used to receive guests, is actually a small wooden hut.

In order to present a presentable location, the site was chosen not far from the river, which is considered to have a "scenic view". The water quality will not be polluted by the factory's production wastewater, and there is even a washroom that can be supplied with tap water from a water tank.

James Damody still maintains an attitude of "the situation is beyond my control, I have to bow down, but I'm keeping a good attitude."

After greeting Wayne, he quickly got to the point, his head slightly bowed and his hands resting on his knees:
“Mr. Wayne, in the past two weeks, three members of our gang have been tried in court, and the evidence was provided by your detective agency’s Agent Willie—I originally thought that after telling you the truth, we had reached a 'ceasefire'.”

"Has the war ended?"

Wayne's face remained expressionless. "I had hoped you would accuse the mastermind behind this and overturn the verdict in the previous journalist case, but you refused. Then I myself became a suspect in another journalist's murder case and am still being prevented from leaving Richmond by the police. It's hard to believe this is just a coincidence."

James Damody looked a little aggrieved: "I saw the news about it in the newspaper, but it has nothing to do with our gang." Wayne nodded. "I completely understand. So our agents are just cooperating with the investigation as usual. If this is a war, then you should go to the judge or prosecutor and ask them to stop."

"This……"

James Damody hesitated, and Wayne didn't respond, continuing to ponder feasible cost-reduction methods for the workshop. They both started recalling which young townspeople in Blackrock Town might be able to be called in to help.

The silence lasted for several minutes before James Damody finally slapped his thighs lightly. "Like I said before, I'd rather take the blame myself than go to court and accuse someone else. But if I tell you who committed the case that implicated you, could your detective agency stop investigating our gang members?"

Damn it? !
I was just trying to bluff, and it turns out it really was you guys who did it.

Wayne thought for a moment: "Do you have credible evidence? Or are you still only able to tell me the 'facts' without admitting them in court?"

James Damody shrugged. "We're a gang. Personally, for me, some things are enough as long as we can identify who did them; we don't need evidence."

That's true... after all, that's just how their corporate culture is.
Wayne maintained his poker face. "Tell me. If the answer is satisfactory, our detective agency currently has many gang cases to investigate, and some can perhaps be put on hold a little longer—at least you don't have to worry about our detective agency using gang tactics against you."

"The instigator was probably Mr. Schwartz, but the people who actually carried out the operation were likely the 'Sailors' Gang' from the dock area."

James Damody answered so readily, so quickly, that Wayne almost wondered if he had "gone too little."
Wayne chuckled. "I think this is the first time I've heard Mr. Schwarz's name from you. Aren't you going to keep his secret?"

The small-time gang leader sitting across from Wayne shrugged, his mind still as cunning as ever: "Actually, I've already discovered that the letters I secretly kept have mysteriously disappeared, and they're probably in your detective agency's hands now. In that case, I might as well choose to be honest."

"Is the 'Sailors' gang you mentioned something that overlaps with your gang's business?" Wayne asked.

James Damody seemed quite candid. “Actually, the overlap isn’t that high. They mainly operate around a few docks, charging laborers ‘brokerage fees,’ and of course, they also help Mr. Schwartz recover some loans. If our gang should be in court, then they are more qualified. I think that also aligns with your detective agency’s ‘fighting crime’ principle.”

Good grief, are you trying to use one tiger to devour another?

Wayne readily extended his hand to the other party, "If the situation is true, at least until their gang is wiped out, our detective agency will not bring any further charges against you or your people."

“Thank you very much.” James Damody quickly reached out his hand, gave it a light shake, and was about to let go.

Wayne smiled and didn't let him pull his hand back. "Our detective agency has limited manpower, and we're also very curious about the other gangs in the dock area. If you can provide more clues, perhaps we can put your gang's affairs aside for later."

James Damody's eyes darted around slightly. "Which gangs are you interested in right now?"

"I'm not sure either, maybe they're interested in both."

Wayne released the other person's hand, tapped the small table next to him, and then said to Doug, who had been waiting outside the door, "Go ask Lina who she plans to arrange to talk to Mr. James to find out the details of what's to come."

(End of this chapter)