Chapter 15: We Lost a Headline, Who Saw It?

The news dealer returned suspiciously to his residence, which was quite spacious.

It was an old, abandoned factory he bought cheaply and converted into his base.

There was a courtyard, a two-story building where he lived, and a four-story building where the newsboys lived.

Besides that, there was a warehouse filled with unsold newspapers and recyclable trash the newsboys collected from the streets.

Yes, newsboys sold papers on the streets in the morning and evening, but where were they at other times?

People like the dealer were essentially low-level businessmen who profited by exploiting the newsboys; they wouldn’t waste a single moment of their time, so the boys spent other hours scavenging trash on the streets.

Rumors even circulated in some communities about child thieves breaking into houses. In short, they never had a moment of peace, except for the girls and when they rested at night.

In the warehouse, the dealer found the five newsboys, who looked equally disheveled.

Fear and pain showed clearly on their faces. Losing more than two thousand Sol scared them badly, but they didn’t know where things had gone wrong.

Seeing the dealer return without a smile, they realized this trip had not gone as he expected—this was terrifying because it meant they might be beaten again.

The youngest had lost control of his bladder and bowels again; liquid dripped down his legs. These kids were physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted.

The dealer’s face was dark and fierce as he stared at the children, showing none of the fear he had when meeting Michael, nor the odd dread he felt sharing a room with Lynch. His face only showed ruthless control and cruelty.

“Tell me, after leaving that house, who else did you meet and what happened? This affects your fate. Think carefully before answering!” He held a whip and watched them closely, terrifying the children.

They exchanged wide-eyed looks. The oldest seemed to understand the dealer’s meaning and said, “We went to see Mr. Michael…”

According to this child, to appear polite when meeting Michael, they hung their leather bag on a hook by the door before going in.

If the money was lost, the problem started there.

For these kids, who took the money no longer mattered; what mattered was to shift blame first to avoid the terrible consequences ahead.

With the first child speaking, the others quickly followed, amplifying Michael’s suspicion.

This suited the dealer’s inner need. He didn’t believe Lynch, a young man, could steal the money, as it was counted twice in front of many eyes. He refused to believe Lynch could do that.

If he believed that, it meant accepting he was inferior to Lynch, which was unbearable. They could accept being worse than Michael, but never worse than a poor kid like Lynch.

He also believed if there was a problem, it was Michael’s fault. That’s why he immediately sought Michael after discovering the loss—he thought Michael took the money.

Their relationship wasn’t simple cooperation; Michael held leverage over him. The dealer was clearly the weaker party. If something happened, he blamed Michael—this was a paranoid victim mentality.

His conversation with Lynch confirmed this. Asking Lynch for money was mostly to share a sense of mutual victimhood, so he wouldn’t feel alone.

Now, Michael was the biggest suspect—the outcome the dealer both wanted and dreaded, though he didn’t understand why.

He let one child go and told him to let the others go. If it was Michael and he denied it… the dealer had no solution.

But this was no small sum, so he couldn’t pretend nothing happened.

After buying some food and a bottle of wine, he sat in the courtyard, eating ham slices from a deli and drinking, planning how to get his money back.

The dealer and Michael’s relationship was beyond hostile—it was hatred. But Michael held his weakness, so he was powerless and dominated.

This only made him want to escape his plight more. Sometimes in private, murderous thoughts arose, wanting to stab Michael to make him feel the pain he had suffered.

Drunk and frustrated, he staggered into the newsboys’ dormitory, and soon cries, pleas, and his roars echoed.

The next day, before Lynch left, the dealer came again.

“Lynch, my friend, I just want to talk!” Outside the door, the dealer looked at Lynch and, for some reason, felt fear. He didn’t want to enter, so he suggested, “Shall we take a walk nearby?”

Lynch hesitated slightly but agreed, thinking the dealer would begrudgingly accept and the matter would end. But the dealer didn’t seem willing to give up the money.

At that moment, new plans formed in Lynch’s mind.

He changed clothes, took his keys and wallet, and left, walking with the dealer toward downtown with no real destination.

“Listen, I lost a lot of money, and so did you. Do you think this ends here?”

After two or three minutes, the dealer spoke, looking at Lynch sideways, “It’s not just a few hundred Sol; we have to get the money back!”

Lynch nodded calmly, “You’re right. My money can’t just disappear. But how do we get it back?”

“If we confront Michael, he won’t admit it and might make us lose more. But if not him, can we go to his family?”

Lynch paused, “That’s not right. We must follow his rules!” He added quietly, “I heard his wife is young and beautiful, and his child is adorable.”

He subtly guided the dealer. If the dealer did what Lynch wanted, it would save trouble and keep Lynch uninvolved.

He noticed the dealer’s expression and eyes change—that was Lynch’s hint working.

They weren’t a match for Michael, but Michael’s family lacked his intimidation, so dealing with them was easier.

The dealer’s expression twisted, recalling how Michael had beaten and humiliated him many times.

His dignity, pride, and personality had been crushed under Michael’s feet. This fueled his growing brutality; he desperately wanted to regain those lost things from possibly innocent children.

His breath quickened, and his eyes became frightening. Lynch stood quietly beside him, adding fuel to the fire.

“Such a scumbag as Michael can have a decent job, a young beautiful wife, a lovely child, an enviable family. God is truly unfair!”

“Why can he plunder everything from us with impunity, while we silently endure?”

Lynch grabbed the dealer’s arm, “If we get a chance, we must fight back. Even if we get nothing back, we’ll make him regret everything he’s done!”

His voice softened but grew more persuasive, as if speaking straight to the heart, “Make him feel our pain. Make him cry!”