"What was that all about?" Lukas demanded an answer from Mike who scratched the bridge of his nose uncomfortably.
"Well... I did say that you shouldn't know about it..."
"Just tell me already."
"Fine." Mike sat on the slightly cleaner kitchen floor and explained the circumstances in detail to Tingting and Lukas.
"This area, the poorer part of the country, is seen as a convenient source of free labour. " Mike paused at the two's astonished faces. He continued. "All males under sixty are taken away to be factory-workers nearly every week. That's not all they do, some are used as servants, road-sweepers and, of course, slaves. Nearly all this town's men were sent to the Capital just so the rich guys up there can continue to live in comfort while we toil away for their convenience. There's no point running to the upper towns. They'd be caught immediately. Plus, nobody would accept them. This is why I didn't tell you guys about this. From a glance I could easily guess that you're probably from one of the big cities. You seemed like good people so I didn't really want to make you feel guilty."
"Oh."
"So that's how it was."
Tingting thought back to her life in the Capital. Though it wasn't lavish, it was cosy and warm. Just imagining that her clothes, food and other daily things she used without any thought was being made with the bloody sweat of these people made her lip quiver.
Lukas was reminded of his food. The cold soup and hard bread that he ate with difficulty and disgust was made by the people living here? Should he have eaten it more gratefully? His posh school uniform that made any girl unable to stare straight at him, was it sewn by them? How about the roof he lived under? Was it made brick by brick, their hands scratched from the weight and rough texture? Wait, what about the lollipops that he enjoyed so much? Were the sweets created with the blood and toil of others?... It was, he decided, better to not think too deeply of these things. As long as he felt grateful, that was all that mattered, right?
"You said they were unpaid." Lukas asked this question suddenly.
"Yeah?" Mike answered curiously, wondering why he asked in the first place.
"The government are the ones behind it?"
"The government turns a blind eye to it."
"Why?"
"A lot of big names own many of those factories you know."
"I see."
His father, if he could recall, owned quite a few buildings. Could he also have... Somehow, Lukas was feeling slightly guilty. Even though the only relationship he had with his father was being of the same blood, Lukas felt as if he was just as responsible. He really needed to think of a way to bring down his father from the top.
"By the way," Tingting felt curious about one thing and she hoped the answer would be something positive. "What happens to those who can't work anymore?"
A reasonable question. Too bad that the answer would be the opposite.
"I don't know." Tingting looked down, relieved. She'd rather not hear the full thing; she had a bad feeling about it.
"I don't know the exact details, but I do know one thing for certain; they don't come home."
Tingting trembled, imagining the worst outcomes and possibilities. On top of not being paid, they were separated from their families, their homes, forever?
"Are you sure?" Tingting wanted to reaffirm whether what she heard was all in her head or not.
"Positive. That's all the grannies in town ever talk about." Mike crushed that little flicker of hope nonchalantly and Tingting dipped her head, dispirited. Her blonde hair spilled from her shoulder and covered her face, making a curtain that hid her expression.
Meanwhile, Lukas struggled to remember something. Something to do with grannies...! The granny from the apartment! He remembered how she had to be sent to the hospital for them. Not going to visit would be disrespectful right? Besides, it would take Tingting's mind off of the Capital's dirty secret and be a great way to escape the gloomy atmosphere this town emitted.
"Hey, you two."
Tingting raised her head at the sound of his voice. Mike too stooped fiddling with his fingers and concentrated his attention on Lukas.
"Let's go somewhere tomorrow."
Mike put on a confused look but grunted in acknowledgement. Tingting simply nodded her head. She hadn't been able to go out for quite a while so this would give her some time to escape from her thoughts.
Like that, with different thoughts racing through their heads, Mike, Lukas and Tingting went to bed, waiting for the next day to come.