Chương 8: Chapter 8 Payday
Chapter 8 Payday
"Old John."
"The interruption caused Old John to pause his persuasion, and Colin directed his attention to the elderly employee of the newspaper.
"Do you believe there is any significant distinction between earning 5 cents more or 5 cents less from the newsboys, considering the current sales situation of The Messenger?"
Colin's counter-question left John unsurprisingly speechless. He lowered his head, adjusted his brass glasses, and shook his head helplessly after a brief moment.
"Perhaps you're correct, boss."
Indeed, The Messenger's sales had plummeted to their lowest point, not even reaching one-fifth of its peak period.
These abysmal sales were no longer sufficient to sustain the newspaper's operations.
This reality was evident to the three individuals within the newspaper's office, but none of them wanted to acknowledge it.
After all, once the illusion burst, they would have to confront the harsh reality of the Great Depression.
"So instead of fixating on those 5 cents in the newsboys' hands, it's more productive to consider how to distribute the remaining news of The Messenger before the weekend edition."
Colin's words snapped John back to reality from his dilemma. John rotated his slightly sore wrist and glanced back at the typesetting machine behind him. He expressed his distress, saying, "Everything else can be managed. I've already had Johnny prepare the necessary materials for publication. But the crucial spot on the front page, it remains vacant."
Initially, John had intended to feature a photograph of the actress Virginia Cherill on the newspaper's front page.
She was the actress who played the blind girl alongside Charlie Chaplin in "City Lights."
Despite the waning popularity of the movie, featuring Virginia Cherill on the front page had a touch of reviving old news. However, given The Messenger's current situation, there was little room for picking and choosing.
It was truly unfortunate that not even such an opportunity favored John and the others.
Just as Colin had heard from outside the newspaper, Johnny's photography didn't go smoothly, and ultimately, they failed to capture a clear photo of Cherill for the newspaper's cover.
"When it comes to the front page of the newspaper, I actually have an idea."
Observing Old John's troubled expression, Colin displayed a confident demeanor.
Then, to the surprise of the other person, he handed over the news draft and the photos he had prepared long ago.
"What is this?"
Subconsciously, Old John reached out and accepted the paper handed to him by Colin. He lowered his head and glanced over the contents, furrowing his brow. Hesitantly, he began to express his concerns, "This content, is it perhaps too..."
Although Old John didn't complete his sentence, Colin understood his meaning from his expression alone.
"So, do you think there's an issue with what I've written?" Colin responded.
Confronted with Colin's question, Old John looked at the paper in his hand once more and shook his head, saying, "Indeed, as you mentioned, there's nothing wrong with the content itself, except for some harsh wording."
It was undeniably too harsh.
Old John silently added in his thoughts, but he refrained from the further argument as he realized that since Colin had prepared the news article, his input no longer held significance.
In that case, why bother going against him and needlessly upsetting the boss?
"Since there's no issue with the content, let's proceed with typesetting immediately. We have limited time until the publication day," Old John suggested.
It was already Friday, and considering the circumstances, there was only about a day and a half left before the release of "The Messenger."
Typesetting a newspaper in this era was far from being as convenient as it would be in the future. Even the most skilled typesetters require several hours of work to properly format an article.
Therefore, upon receiving the affirmative order, Old John no longer hesitated. He went straight to the typesetting machine with the paper in hand, meticulously arranging the layout according to the content.
While Old John began his work, Colin had no idle moments either.
In the modest office of the three-person Messenger newspaper, Colin not only served as the boss but also took on the role of editor.
Sitting at his own desk, Colin picked up a fountain pen filled with ink and swiftly started drafting the news based on various materials gathered by Johnny.
Fortunately, Colin's experience as a journalist from another world had made him familiar with the news production process. Although he lacked the convenience of a computer, which slowed down his writing, the urgency of time compelled Colin to produce the articles as quickly as possible.
Tap, tap...
Unbeknownst to them, the sky outside gradually darkened.
Finally completing his typesetting work, Old John let out a sigh of relief. He stretched his sore shoulders, turned around, and to his surprise, Colin was still hunched over his desk, writing with great fervor.
"Cough, cough..."
Observing this, Old John hesitated for a moment before placing his hand near his mouth and intentionally coughing.
"What's wrong?" John's cough didn't catch Colin's attention at the desk. Instead, it awakened Johnny, who had dozed off with his chin on his hand.
Rubbing his eyes in confusion, he glanced around the room, then partially awake, he asked John.
"It's none of your business."
Old John gave Johnny a speechless look, responded with a serious expression, and intensified his coughing.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
This time, John's cough had the desired effect.
Disturbed by the coughing, Colin reluctantly paused his writing and rotated his sore wrist.
Looking up, he finally noticed the pitch-black night outside the newspaper's office.
"It's already this late."
Realizing this, Colin put down his pen. Sensing the gaze of both Old John and Johnny, he blinked a few times, and his expression suddenly became a little bit stunned.
"I apologize, I was so engrossed in writing that I forgot to inform you."
"No worries. I just finished typesetting the news articles in my hands," Old John quickly responded, purposely avoiding mentioning the coughing incident.
Shaking his head, Colin stood up from his desk.
Colin was well aware that the reason both of them had stayed so late was not solely due to dedication and love for their work.
Therefore, he refrained from saying anything and reached into his pocket, retrieving a money pouch. He poured out two stacks of coins in front of Old John and Johnny.
"You've worked hard. Take care on your way home."
Handing over the two stacks of ten-dollar coins to Old John and Johnny, Colin casually reminded them.
"Thank you, boss!"
Accepting this week's wages from Colin, a faint smile appeared on John's weary face. As for Johnny, he couldn't contain his joy and wore a wide grin.
Watching Old John and his son leave the newspaper office, Colin sighed. He weighed the money pouch in his hand, which now felt considerably lighter.
After paying the workers' weekly wages, "The Messenger" newspaper had truly reached a point where resources were running dangerously low.
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