To Carter Wright, this was just an administrative procedure.
But to Leo, it was his jugular.
Next Tuesday was payday.
Hundreds of workers, hundreds of families, were waiting for this money to pay their rent, buy food, and cover their children's school fees.
If the paychecks didn't go out on Tuesday, the once disciplined "Worker Vanguard Team" would fall apart in an instant.
It took months to build trust, but only a day for it to collapse.
Leo sat behind his desk, looking out the window.
The construction site was silent. The heavy machinery was all powered down, lying dormant like a pile of scrap metal.
The workers gathered in small groups, smoking cigarettes and talking in low voices.
The pride and drive that had filled their eyes in previous months were gone, replaced by doubt, anxiety, and fear for the future.
Frank pushed the door open. The tough man looked as if he had aged ten years overnight.
