I am a master in India

Chapter 436 Security
There was a guard post on the road leading to the steel plant; that was Kasik's territory.

He was the security captain, and whenever Dwaram entered or left the factory, he could always be seen clumsily writing down the license plate numbers of the trucks entering and leaving the factory in a thick ledger, or answering phone calls from the office.

When Dwaram first came to the factory, he was very reluctant to let this Yankee meet with the general manager, Nambia.

However, his attitude changed drastically when he learned that Dwaram was one of Mr. Sue's men.

Seeing that Dwaram was very interested in the factory, he was pleased and willing to talk about it.

Kasik was very tall, with a neatly trimmed beard, wore glasses, and was very well-maintained.

His striped uniform indicated his higher status compared to the other security guards in gray shirts.

Although he doesn't seem to like meddling and always speaks to people in a calm tone, he takes the hierarchy very seriously, so he never interacts with or eats with other security guards.

However, for Kasik, the position of security captain seemed to have fallen from the sky.

He had previously envisioned other jobs for himself, but as his dreams shattered one by one, he became the security captain he is today.

Kasik came from a village in Orissa. His father died when he was very young.

Kasik's dream was to join the Air Force. He took the exam and passed it, and could have become a non-commissioned officer.

But his mother stopped him just as he was about to leave home, because she feared that her only son, Kasik, would die in the war in a remote place.

So Kasik gave up his dream of becoming an air force pilot and started running a small business instead.

He had worked in the poultry business for five years, buying chickens from farmers in Andhra Pradesh and then wholesaling them at the market in his village.

At the time, Kasik thought his business was doing quite well, but now whenever he looks back, he always says that his business was very unstable.

Kasik himself was responsible for sourcing in Andhra Pradesh, while his partners, all of whom were his childhood friends, were responsible for local sales.

Gradually, he discovered that his partners had been deceiving him all along, and that his business was actually losing money.

Things got even worse because he invested in building a new house in the village.

“I saw other people doing it,” he said, “so I did it too, and built one of those houses you see in movies, with urban-style furniture, sofas and stuff like that, and a big TV.”

I'm heavily in debt because of building that house and buying furniture. Now I live in a shabby rented room in the village of Kussel, while my luxurious house is rented out.

He told Dwaram with a smile his story: the workers, their clothes stained with oil, would sign his name before leaving, and then have it checked by the security guards.

The trucks followed slowly behind the workers, their diesel engines emitting exhaust fumes that filled the entire yard.

A security guard from the Bihar region came to Kasik to ask for leave. The guard had big, noticeable eyes.

He wore gold earrings, and his beard was carefully curled. When facing his subordinates, Kasik's expression immediately became serious.

Dwaram was surprised to find that Kasik still retained some traces of his military career, especially when he inspected his subordinates, who were also in uniform, while wearing his uniform.

"How long have you been at the factory? Are you familiar with the workers here?" he asked.

“I closed my small business three years ago and went to work for a private security company. Then I was assigned to different factories in this area, and it was only seven months ago that I came to Suer Steel Plant.”

"So you're very familiar with this place?"

“You could say that,” Kasik shook his head. “I have sixteen security guards under me, plus a female security guard, all of whom are old men who work in Kusser.”

He explained, “The factory hires Lambada women every day to clean and cook. They have to be thoroughly checked before they leave. Each time, they can steal about three or four kilograms of iron, hide it in their shirts, and then sell it to scrap dealers, which makes them a considerable amount of money.”

In the factory's hierarchy, Kasik belonged to a privileged class. He had a stable job, a decent salary, and benefits such as annual leave.

From a factional perspective, he belongs to the side that protects the factory's interests.

This is good, it's exactly what Dvalam wanted.

"Of the more than 1,000 workers in the factory, how many are local workers, such as those from Lambada?"

"There may be one or two hundred of them. They are not many, but they are very influential."

“I understand, because their families are here too; they are native Kusser people.”

That's how it is; pulling out one can bring out a whole bunch.

"And how many of them are troublemakers? They're the ones who like to cause trouble."

“Hmm?” Kasik glanced at him.

“Listen,” Dvalam leaned closer, “this is what Mr. Sue instructed me to do.”

"Mr. Sue?!"

"That's right, it's Mr. Sur, the only Mr. Sur in all of India!"

“What does his great Mr. Sur have to say?” Kasik’s voice trembled slightly. “Someone’s trying to cause trouble, a strike!”

“Oh no,” Kasik exclaimed in shock, “Why would they do this?”

"You can't figure it out either, can you? Since Mr. Sue took over the steel mill, he has been distributing a lot of subsidies. There has never been such a good thing before."

"Don't these scumbags have any conscience?" Kasik asked indignantly.

"It's all because of greed, and Mr. Sull won't stand idly by. We need to find those troublemakers and nip the strike in the bud. Kasik, I remember you're currently working for a security company, right?"

“Yes, I’m an outsider, but I’ve worked very hard, sir!” Kasik stammered. “During my time here, the factory has never had a single mistake!”

"It's because you've done a good job that I'm here to see you on behalf of Mr. Sue. Once this matter is settled, you can be transferred directly."

"Turn around?"

"It means leaving the security company and joining the Suer Steel Plant. You know what that means, right? Higher salary, no middlemen taking a cut, and a whole bunch of benefits and security."

*Snap!* Kasik stood at attention, chest puffed out, and saluted, “Long live the great Mr. Sur!”

“Good,” Dvalam nodded in satisfaction. “Now I need a few reliable men.”

"Mohan, come here!" Kasik called out, turning his head.

A man in a gray striped uniform walked over. He was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old and tall.

"You will stay with this gentleman for the next few days, and bring your fellow villagers with you. Remember! Obey any orders."

“Yes, sir.” The young man named Mohan nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry about ordering them around. They're not locals, and they have no connection to us."

“Okay.” Dvalam nodded.

He just wants to gauge the situation of the local workers; it's not time for a direct confrontation yet, so there's no need for Kasik to get involved.

Mohan is from Assam, and this is his first time away from home. This also explains why he doesn't appear as tired and miserable as the other workers.

Mohan left the village with two other men who were more experienced than him in finding work outside the village.

They took a bus from their village to Guwahati, the capital of Assam, then took a train south, changing trains once before arriving in Goa.

Eventually, Mohan and his friends were hired by the steel mill as security guards.

Mohan was telling Dwaram how he got to the factory when his coworkers appeared in the corridor. They had left their shifts without permission.

One of them was named Dahanlam, twenty-eight years old, a bit older than Mohan. Another was named Dabyati, who claimed to be twenty years old, but looked only sixteen.

Both of them were thin and wiry, and the oversized uniforms made them look even smaller.

They were very happy to hear that Dwaram had been to Assam.

“The people here know nothing about our homeland,” Mohan said with a laugh. “They always call us Nepalese.”

These workers from Assam didn't have much contact with the local workers. They mostly interacted only with those from their hometown, which may be one reason why their living quarters were so filthy.

The air was filled with absolute masculinity, with no women or children present, even though it is often women and children who are more likely to break down racial boundaries and create a larger collective image.

In other aspects, the playful children and chatting women, the harmonious atmosphere found even in the worst of the poorest guesthouses, were absent from where the workers lived.

In the slums, at least there are women drying colorful saris, the aroma of food, and the chili peppers they grow.

However, none of this exists here; it seems as if the workers had no intention of staying here long-term.

Mohan told Dwaram that security personnel are usually Nepalese and Bihari, a mindset inherited from the colonial era.

Just like when people mention Indians, they think of the Indian police officers in the foreign concessions.

People thought Nepalese and Bihari were good at security work, while Assamese people often got jobs because they were mistaken for Nepalese.

The other security guards in the factory were all from Bihar province, except for those three.

A very interesting stereotype, seemingly another extension of the caste system.

However, it is divided according to region, not surname.

"Do you know who is more prestigious among the workers? I'm talking about outsiders, not Lambadaites."

“We should ask Saka about this; he’s the middleman. Most of the out-of-town workers in the factory were introduced by him,” Mohan said.

“A middleman? That’s perfect.” Dvalam had already planned to do so.

(End of this chapter)