The three elderly robbers refused any form of interview or assistance, firmly shutting their doors, which left many visitors, eager for a juicy story or a social practice opportunity, deeply disappointed. They had to redirect their attention towards other coworkers, hoping to uncover some new leads.
Unlike them, Bella boldly knocked on their door.
“We’ve said it many times! We don’t do interviews!” a middle-aged woman, evidently agitated, opened the door slightly, standing defensively.
I’m the prettiest! I’m your friend! Look at my sincere eyes!
Bella’s face radiated an infectious charm, manifesting her slowly mobilized psychic energy.
She intensely suggested to the middle-aged woman and her daughter, who appeared to be just over ten, that she was their friend.
The woman’s defenses gradually lowered, her distrust became confused, and her anger became guilt. She suddenly regretted her harsh initial response. Seeing such a beautiful young woman at her door, shouldn’t she invite her inside for a sit and a drink?
The young girl also thought they looked friendly and righteous, gently tugging at her mother’s sleeve.
“We want to understand more about the pension stoppages and the bank’s financial products.”
When spoken by different people, the same words can have different effects.
The woman felt Bella’s words touch her heart, sounding warm and compelling.
“Come in then!” she invited them in.
Natasha was surprised by their reception, as her previous visit hadn’t been nearly as welcoming. She scrutinized Bella, wondering if she had such a magnetic effect on strangers.
Their first target was 82-year-old Joe, who in his younger days had been a minor leader in the factory, known for his organizational and social skills.
Now, everyone knew they were the bank robbers, and they knew everyone else knew it. However, since there was no proof, everyone pretended not to know, and they pretended not to know that everyone else knew.
Joe was surprised by their visit. He had already told his daughter not to entertain guests or answer questions.
The money was secured, and they planned to keep a low profile. After the situation cooled down, they wouldn’t have to worry about living expenses. There was no need to stir things up now.
But since the guests were brought in by his daughter and granddaughter, he still tried to greet them politely.
Bella’s charm didn’t work as well on the old man, who was 82 and didn’t see well anymore. To him, everyone looked like moving mosaics. No matter how beautiful she was, it was useless to him.
However, Natasha was adept at steering the conversation and quickly focused on the matter before they could be dismissed.
Bella said, “You can’t ignore the FBI’s tracking; those guys are relentless. You can’t shake them off once you’re on their radar.”
She intended to shatter the old man’s hope by telling him directly that money gained through robbery couldn’t be easily enjoyed.
The old man initially seemed indifferent: “Perhaps they have their ways.”
“Methods?” Bella chuckled lightly. “The most they can do is launder it through the mob, a trick even a student like me knows. Do you think the FBI isn’t watching every mob boss in town? Or do you think the robbers can smuggle the money to Mexico?”
The old man panicked at the thought of all his efforts being for naught. They had trained for a month to perform the robbery efficiently in their old age.
Natasha saw the old man’s anxiety and pitched in, asking Bella, “It would be terrible to go through all that for nothing. Do you have a better idea?”
Bella sincerely suggested, “If those robbers were smart, they’d donate all the money. Then, they should use legal means to protect their rights. This isn’t just for themselves or three old buddies, but for everyone, for all the old workers to get justice and compensation.”
Joe pondered this and asked, “What brings you two here today?”
They each pulled out a notebook, ready to record his words like journalists.
“Mr. Joe, can you tell us about the reasons behind Wexler Steel’s pension freezes?”
They focused solely on the issues of the pension freeze and the bank’s financial products, avoiding any mention of the bank robbery.
The old man was eager to share his grievances, a burden too heavy to keep to himself. He spoke with emotion, “That Stark Industries wants to move Wexler Steel to Vietnam, where labor is cheaper?! Those damned capitalists! During the war, we worked day and night producing steel for the front lines, without rest or sleep, making tanks, planes, and cannons. Why didn’t they move to Vietnam then?”
His voice trembled passionately, “The young guys in the factory are devastated. Vietnam? God! They’ve never left Arizona in their lives! They’re
facing unemployment, maybe without even severance pay!”
Natasha and Bella comforted him, and his mood gradually improved. “They say they need all the pension expense details, for what?”
Joe struggled to find the right term.
“Asset restructuring?” “Property liquidation?” Natasha suggested a few terms, but none seemed right to Joe, who shook his head, unable to recall the exact terms used by management.
Bella was more focused on the figures: “Uh, how much is your annual pension?”
Joe remembered clearly: “$45,000.”
He pointed around his home: “Look at this place. My daughter’s divorced, her husband was a scoundrel, and she’s raising her child and living with me without any income. Our whole family’s expenses rely on my pension. Those bastards! Those maggots won’t let me live, I just—”
Joe grew more agitated as he spoke, almost spilling the beans about the bank robbery, but Bella quickly coughed, interrupting his rant.
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