Mr. Rat of the Steam World

Chapter 83: A cute little mouse is given to new employees.
The city council issued a joint statement: those involved in the Manchester incident received lenient treatment, and new laws will severely punish violence and vandalism.

Following a comprehensive review, the city hall and the military announced a lenient approach regarding those involved in the violent vandalism at the Manchester foundry last month.

All the arrested workers, who were originally sentenced to life imprisonment or death under the Public Safety Ordinance, have been granted amnesty and deported to the northern border to participate in defense construction projects, including trench construction, railway laying, and fortress repair, with sentences ranging from 3 to 10 years…

To prevent similar horrific incidents, Parliament unanimously passed the "Machinery Sabotage Act" yesterday, stipulating that any organization or individual who engages in acts such as sabotage, arson, or explosions of industrial equipment will be considered guilty of treason...

The city council simultaneously summoned several factory owners in Baker City, issuing stern warnings regarding issues such as excessive working hours, lack of safety facilities, and wage arrears…

— Manchester Times

……

……

"call."

Lu Ran leaned back helplessly on the office sofa.

The first few had clear penalties, but the last one was just a warning. It seems that people's opinions don't carry much weight, and they can't really help with certain things in the short term.

However, the punishment for the workers involved appears to have been considerably lighter.

Regardless of the reasons given that night in Manchester, the fact remains that the workers bombed the factory and clashed with the police, resulting in casualties.

It's unclear whether this was the city's original plan or whether they adopted some of his suggestions.

As for the ashes, they weren't even mentioned.

Of course, what happened next was beyond his control. He only knew that Wright's father had a relatively low level of involvement in the subsequent interrogations and only needed to serve three years at the border.

When Jacob and Garcia learned of this news, their long-standing fears were finally put to rest, and they wholeheartedly joined the Black Gold Factory.

Then, the factory logo was designed as a cute, simple cartoon mouse image.

Because "Black Gold" sounds a bit like "black heart," Lu Ran changed his name to "Moss," linking it to a trademark, a cartoon mouse named Moss.

The entire factory workshop was also covered with relevant regulations—

If there are gray mice watching the operation of the machinery, please do not shoo them away.

[Each new employee receives an adorable hamster as a companion. Employees can choose their own breed. When you're tired from work, why not play with these little guys for a while?]

The dried fruit for feeding the hamsters is in the wooden box next to them. Do not steal their food!

[When operating machinery, be sure to wear gauze to cover your mouth and nose. You can pick up the gauze at the workshop entrance.]

……

Working from 8 am to 6 pm, no days off, the salary is about 10% higher than outside. When it's time to leave work, everyone must leave before 7 pm, no matter how late it is, because 8 pm is the time for rats.

Of course, Lu Ran couldn't possibly entrust such a large factory entirely to two teenagers, so he contacted Afra to help find a good professional manager to help continue operating the Black Gold Factory.

Although this professional manager found some of the black gold factory's inexplicable rules hard to understand, the most incomprehensible of which was Lu Ran's statement—"Don't worry about taking on business; there are night shift workers in the factory, and the machines won't stop"—he could not understand them.

However, as an excellent professional manager, he clearly understands who the boss is and who he serves, so he tacitly chose to keep quiet.

At the same time, as one of the few humans Lu Ran could somewhat trust—the Jacob brothers—he still instructed them to make sure to calculate the number of workers leaving the factory each day, confirm that he was the last to leave, and that no one was allowed to stay in the factory after seven o'clock.

The Sentinel Rats also keep track of this in secret. Even if there's still one person in the factory tonight, they won't stop working. At worst, they'll wait for "Mr. Sherlock" to fire the disobedient worker.

Finally, at the end of April, the initial excavation of the underground territory was completed, and the laboratories and other facilities were moved down there.

At this point, the progress of the enlightenment process is 47%.

The black gold factory has been rectified and reopened. Lu Ran didn't immediately reinstate the previous workers; instead, he chose to resume recruitment. Those who had previously worked at the black gold factory could be rehired if they met the requirements.

After all, there will always be those who are disobedient, find it troublesome, and are unwilling to wear gauze to cover their mouths and noses.

There are also people who hate rodents and even enjoy abusing animals.

There are also some who lack the skills and try to take advantage of the situation.

Even if Lu Ran wanted people to gradually get used to the rats, he didn't necessarily have to start with these people. With the benefits his factory offered, there were plenty of people willing to come, so naturally he would recruit the best.

As for why he suddenly made such a big fuss about connecting with the rat, and even changed the brand name, it was because after several previous incidents, Lu Ran obtained some information that he didn't know if it was correct or not.

These churches are all vying for their own followers, distributing faith as if they were claiming territory. So even if Lu Ran doesn't understand the underlying principles, it's not a problem for him to casually set up a scheme and filter out people who like mice.

If we really discover some secret, we might even be able to start a Sacred Fire Rat Cult.

A kind factory owner, excellent working conditions... these things are subtly associated with mice, which will always have some effect, so that the image of gray mice is not always associated with darkness and thieves.

Finally, on May 1st, the new factory—Moss Transportation Equipment Machinery Manufacturing Plant—reopened.

Baker Express – The generous entrepreneur, Sherlock Holmes.

……

On the first morning after the news spread, more than two hours before the factory gates opened, long queues had already formed outside the tightly closed gates of the Morse factory.

"I heard it's true that they only work until six o'clock? Is that a lie?" A burly man with sunken cheeks gripped the brim of his hat tightly and asked the person next to him in a low, hoarse voice.

“Who knows! But the salary… it’s all over the newspaper! It’s a full 10 shillings higher than my previous factory!” His companion licked his chapped lips, his eyes shining.

"I just don't understand why they give out gray mice when you start a job. Who wants to keep that kind of thing?"

"Yes, they say if a pet rat dies without a valid reason, you'll be fired immediately..."

"Then why should I!"

"Why should I care? I'm not asking you to pay to raise them. The factory provides free dried fruit. If you don't like the mice, make some room in the back and I'll take them. I love raising mice; I've loved them since I was a child."

"Don't push! Damn it! The line is all crooked!" Angry shoving and cursing came from the front.

When the factory gate creaked open, the crowd surged forward with a whoosh. If Edwin hadn't borrowed some police officers in advance to hold them back with their bodies, there would probably have been a stampede on the first day.

The interviews were held in several makeshift tents. Although Jacob and Garcia were still a little nervous, they quickly got into the swing of things under the guidance of Mr. Bernard, the experienced professional manager they had hired.

"Must we leave the factory before seven o'clock? Sir, is this...is this true?" A young apprentice asked in a trembling voice after receiving an affirmative answer, his face showing both excitement and fear.

“It’s true, son.” Mr. Bernard nodded patiently, pointing to the signboard. “Mr. Sherlock believes that good rest leads to good productivity. Work is for a better life.”

An uproar ensued.

In just two days, hundreds of positions were filled, and the remaining positions will be filled as needed based on the factory's order workload.

Those who were not selected were dejected, while those who were selected were as if they had won the lottery, walking out of the factory gate with their heads held high, eager to announce the good news to their neighbors.

However, before the project even started, some people sourly remarked that it might just be a superficial effort to appease the higher-ups, and that in reality, it would be no different from what they were doing.

Even so, phrases like "The kind-hearted Sherlock Holmes!" "Mr. Sherlock who treats workers well!" and "It's a workers' paradise! It's a pity I wasn't elected..." still circulated among ordinary people.

This wave of enthusiasm naturally swept through the media as well. Coinciding with the official warnings issued some time ago, the MOS factory has made a good start and received much praise.

Lu Ran had no interest in the praise he received, as he had already quietly returned to Biden Estate.

(End of this chapter)