Leon saw a small crowd had started gathering near the back alley of the copper foundry. He turned and headed towards the crowd. Because of his small size, he didn't have any problem squeezing through the crowd and getting to the front.
He saw a woman in her late teens. She wore old clothes that had been patched in many places. Although she looked young, her skin was pale, with soot forming dark spots here and there. Her lips were cracked like soil in the scorching sun—so were her hands. Her green eyes sported big dark circles underneath. They were staring at a man in front of an old, worn-down building.
In contrast to everyone around him, the man looked clean and pristine. He wore a spotless white shirt and black pants. His black leather shoes shone brightly in the dead eyes of the woman.
Hearing the woman scream, the man's expression twisted into annoyance."Then don't come back. We got ten more who'll do the same job for half the coin."
The crowd had grown significantly larger, mostly factory workers nearby, all dressed in similar old, worn clothes.
The man's crude words struck a nerve in their hearts too, as murmurs spread through the crowd:
"For half a coin? Really?"
"It's reality, my friend. Because of the government's new policy, many farmers and villagers in rural areas are having a hard time feeding their families. Because of that, they've started coming to cities to find work."
"Exactly. For managers like him, workers like us are nothing. If one leaves, he'll have dozens to replace us for half our wages."
"The only reason we're still working is because they find training new employees annoying."
"We're walking a thin line."
"I saw my colleague get thrown out because she got pregnant."
"One of my coworkers got fired just because he irked the higher-ups."
"It'll only get harder, as those country bumpkins keep coming in droves."
"Who are you calling country bumpkins? You think we came to this hellhole because we wanted to?"
"Yeah, tell 'em, man! We're here just to earn a little to feed our families!"
"Hmph. You're wasting your time. These selfish city bastards only care about money. Hell, they don't even understand family!"
Leon heard each and every whisper clearly. People were frustrated and anxious, but their anger was aimed at each other—afraid of being replaced, resentful of limited work options.
He understood how bad this situation was. People were fighting among themselves for jobs, while factory owners were diving into pools of money. The more divided the people, the cheaper the labor and the worse the working conditions.
It was a vicious cycle—but one that would eventually break, crumbling under its own weight. When the piled-up public anger erupts, heads roll and blood flows like a river. History is testimony to that.
But it wouldn't necessarily have to reach that point. Not if Leon could help it.
Because if left alone, the revolution might take a decade or two. And until then, many workers would die from overwork, or starve to death.
Leon took a step forward.
"What if no one comes?" Leon shouted, raising his voice over the noise to make himself heard.
Eyes turned towards the small figure walking up to the woman at the center of this chaos.
"Who's that brat?"
"Kids are always annoying…"
Murmurs reached Leon's ears, but he didn't turn back. He reached the woman and stood in front of her, pointing his tiny fingers toward the man.
"What if no one comes to replace her?" he said loudly. "They know—if they replace her today, tomorrow it'll be them getting replaced. No human can work all the time without making a mistake or two."
Sigh "Look here, even if you bring your child, I don't pity you. Now leave," the man said, not even sparing Leon a glance.
Leon felt flabbergasted—not because he was being ignored. He was used to that. But because the woman, who barely looked out of her teens, could be mistaken for his mother.
'This world has gone to shit,' he thought.
"I'm not her child. I don't even know her," Leon said through gritted teeth.
"So whose product are you?" the man said, a sneer on his face.
This time, it was Leon who ignored the man.
"Look here, people! I'm a child, barely six—and even I know this might be my future," Leon said, pointing to the woman behind him. "I know some of you desperately need money to feed yourselves and your families, but if you replace her—or people like her—these factory owners will only abuse you more. They already think you're replaceable. They can throw you out any time they want."
Leon took a deep breath."And that's the problem. The more you fight for the scraps they throw at you, the more reason they have to give you even less—and exploit you even more."
The crowd was still rowdy, but some had stopped what they were doing and were now listening to Leon.
"Just think about it—if you all unite, if all workers demand better pay, more jobs, better living conditions, better treatment, and job security—"
He paused deliberately.
"—then things will change for the better. But only if you stand together and unite. If you keep thinking selfishly, things will only get worse—not just for you, but for me, and for your children too."
Leon pointed at the man again.
"People like him are greedy. If they can squeeze us dry and pay less, they won't hesitate. If you think being loyal and working hard will save you—you're wrong. The moment they find someone who'll work for even less, you'll be out."
"And then this cycle will continue—not just for you, but for your entire generation."
The crowd had gone silent, with all eyes on Leon.
"Wow, what a speech. But that's all it is," the manager said with a mocking grin.
"You see, these people have mouths to feed. They're not some snot-nosed brat spouting nonsense."
Leon turned toward the manager. "You see this?" he pointed at his mouth. "This needs feeding, you know? My mouth doesn't feed itself. I have a family that bleeds themselves dry in these factories just to afford some bread."
He looked up at the crowd, then pointed to himself and said with a voice that cracked slightly,"I AM ONE OF THEM."
He paused. His breath hitched. Then continued,"My big brother died a couple months ago. Do you know why?"
Leon raised a trembling finger toward the man again."Because he was trying to feed this snot-nosed brat spouting nonsense…"
His eyes watered, and faint chokes escaped through his throat. He wiped them away, but the pain in his voice was raw.
"You're not spouting nonsense, kid."A voice came from behind him.
Leon felt a hand gently touch his shoulder. The woman who had been behind him stepped forward, standing beside him.
"You're right," she said firmly. "You realize more than these so-called adults."She shot a smirk toward the stunned crowd.
"What's your name, kid?" she asked, glancing down at him.
"Leon. My name's Leon."
"Quite fitting indeed, young lion." She smiled. "I'm Tracy."
"Sigh... I was trying to solve this peacefully," the manager muttered with clear irritation. "Guards, make them leave."
Responding to his shout, a few blurry figures emerged from the building behind him tall , muscled, and clearly not just there to talk.
Tracy immediately stepped forward, shielding Leon behind her."Don't even think about touching any of them, Jacob."
Her voice was sharp—deadly sharp.
Before the guards could move further, another voice rang out, deep and commanding:"Don't you dare, Jacob."
The crowd instinctively parted, like a red sea clearing the way.
An old man in a worn worker's uniform walked forward. He wasn't alone—five or six others followed behind him, all clearly workers from the foundry.
The manager, Jacob, stiffened at the sight of him. His expression soured.