Chapter 2 - The beginning of the end

cough cough cough cough

Violent coughing was the only sound to be heard within the dark room. A pale dark haired youth sat in a chair surrounded by books, reminiscing. He sat there, lightly putting up his glasses which were quite old. He was reading a book which was titled ’Advertising and Marketing`, no other sounds could be heard in the room other than his laboured breathing.

He has been through a lot and knew that his opportunities were over. It had been eight years since he first arrived at this place and much has happened since. The highest position I managed to reach was captain, was it worth it? he wondered. The youth marked a page in the book and then closed it, after closing the book he took the paper that was in front of him and looked over the information on it.

Worker - earns 2 point/hour.

vice Team Leader - 4 points/hour

Team Leader( leads 10 workers, two of which are vice team leaders) - 5 points/hour

Captain(5 teams) - 7 points/hour

vice Overseer( 4 captains) - 10 points/hour

Overseer (10 vice overseers) - 15 points/hour

Director(5 overseers) - Unknown

Sigh, the director really is ruthless. Making us earn these inner system points that are supposed to be converted. It would be fine if not for the restriction on conversion. So most of our earnings are wasted. Para couldn't help but feel incredibly angry. He spent years here after being scammed by that old man who at the time was a vice team leader. The years of hardship here did not help with his declining health. As such it as no surprise that he tried to take revenge on the man but who could have guessed that he would become a vice overseer. So Para ended up losing the majority of his hard earned savings.

F*ck, why did this happen. Just because of a moment of carelessness. Though, at least am able to read these books or else I don`t know what would`ve happened to me. Para looked at the heaps of books that are to be thanked for his position today. Because they really helped him cultivate the talent that he had at managing money and other resources which helped him advance his position. However, because of his unsuccessful attempt on revenge the position of captain ended up being the highest position he would reach.

Just as he was about to continue on with his thoughts a young woman walked into the room.

“Para, your free time is over so get back to work already.” She said with a monotonous while she tried to look him anywhere but in his eyes.

“....”

Para just got up from his chair and went past her wholly ignoring her. They were once friends but at this hellish place friendship is akin to the drifting clouds, worth nothing. He couldn't believe that he once found her inability to pronounce `r` pleasant. Para`s whole life has been bitter and good for nothing except earning for others. Just as he reached for the door a heavy coughing fit started. Para, used as he was to his declining health due to the fumes, responded quickly by catching the phlegm with a handkerchief but due to his haste and anger he managed to miss the traces of blood in the phlegm.

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“Para, how long will you continue to ignore us. You know we did it so that we can all live better together and it was never West`s intention to inform the vice overseer.” said the young woman with the intention of reassuring herself rather than Para.

Living better? All you did was sell me out and ruin me instead of helping. The result? You all earn on my hard work and suffering. Para felt cold rage rising inside him but did nothing because he knew that if he offended someone higher than him than he would lose the meager amount of money that he has left.

So, Para left to do his job but on his way out he suddenly felt dizzy and weightless and after a few seconds everything blacked out.

……………………….

When Para became conscious he saw himself in the same old dormroom that he had spent the last eight years in. He would be able to get his own room if he was willing to pay but there was no way that he would be willing to waste his hard earned money for something as mundane as comfort. He looked to the side of his bed and noticed a document, he got up walked his desk and read the letter while fearing for the worst. It turned out that his fears became real since the document informed him that his pay would be reduced for the foreseeable future due to him being unable to work because of his health.

Bastards! Just you wait I won`t let these acts go unpaid. I have waited years for this last opportunity. Para was not stupid he knew that his health was bad. This place did not just ruin his life figuratively but also literally, that is why he wants to take this place down but he also had to be realistic. Luckily, he had managed to find evidence that he was certain all of the officials involved in this would not be able to ignore. He hoped that the new mayor, who was elected recently, would not ignore these illegal acts and as such make all those who made him suffer pay.

The only thing he had to do was to safely get the evidence delivered to a newspaper outlet so that they could publish it and it would ruin this establishment and fulfill his revenge.As fate would have seen it today was the end of his eight years of service contract and as such he was free from this place. The problem was that he had a high fever and not much time left because of his sickness which he suspects to be tuberculosis.

Para was not determined enough to do all this, instead he would have his hate fuel him, it was strong enough to see this through, so he summoned whatever strength his body could muster and slowly made his way to the old pure white door and into the awful grey corridor. As Para was only seventeen years old he was extremely afraid to lose whatever he had left but he was even more unwilling to die without having his revenge, so he had to get this place taken down and use the money “awarded” to him as medical fees.

Para felt his heart pound strongly and it nearly bursted when he reached the factory gates. This was his only chance after all. He slowly but painfully made his way towards the guards.

“Stop, what is your purpose coming here, Captain?” the guard started his speech with a disrespectful tone but that changed quickly when he saw the badge on Para`s shoulder.

“Sir, today was my last day working here. So I am supposed to leave.” Para explained patiently while showing all the documents.

The guards carefully looked through his documents and went into his guard post. Para carefully studied the guard while trying to hide his unease, his heartbeat increased when he saw the guard make a call. After the call was done he wrote down something while looking at Para surprised.

“All clear” Para nearly jumped when he heard that there was nothing wrong but he would not question his luck so he quickly exited the gates and left the place that he had spent the last eight years of his life in.

When Para got out on the streets for the first time in eight years he nearly cried out because of his mixed feelings. However, his elation was cut short when a military cart dragged by horses stopped before him and soldiers with flintlocks arrested him with no real explanation given as to why he was being arrested.

It was at this moment that Para realized that his plan had failed, the moment that he realised that all of his planing and all of his effort went down the drain he immediately felt his fever getting worse and his coughing returning and this time without anything other than despair he could just barely stand straight while trying to understand how it all had failed.

He managed to focus enough so that he would be capable of seeing in front of him let his eyes focus on the inside of the cart where he saw a middle aged man who had white sideburns and glasses. The man let out a light laugh while Para visibly paled because the man had a director badge on his shoulder.

“ You think you are the first child who has tried to get revenge? You are too naive.” The middle aged man said tiredly while motioning to his driver to stop.

However, Para did not get to see what happens next because his sickness suddenly attacked and everything went dark.

This was his second and last life lesson.

Even walls have ears.