Chapter 2

I didn't open the door. Instead, I said calmly, "Mr. Greer, according to regulations, you need to report it immediately to the supervisor-on-duty if key equipment malfunctions. Have you reported it yet?"

Brad replied, "Yes, I did, but he was out drinking with clients and didn't answer the phone."

"Then, did you report it to the plant's safety department?"

Brad hesitated. "No, I haven't had a chance to report it yet…"

I smiled. "Alright. Then, let me make the report on your behalf."

Brad froze abruptly as his tone became increasingly urgent all of a sudden. "No! Don't report this to the safety department! It's just a small problem and not worth bringing it to their attention. If you do, our safety bonus for this month will be gone!

"Samuel, I'm begging you, please don't report it! I've been working here for 20 years and never had an accident. If this gets reported, I'll lose my 100-thousand-dollar bonus at the end of this year!

"Here's what I'll do! I'll give you three thousand dollars if you don't tell anyone. Just go and adjust the valve in Unit 4 and come back! It's something you can handle very easily!"

Then, he tried stuffing a wad of cash under the door and even took a photo of it.

Another email appeared on my computer screen.

"He's really good at scheming, isn't he? Three thousand dollars in exchange for a 100-thousand-dollar year-end bonus? And he'll even be awarded the safety employee of the year and get an extra 50-thousand-dollar bonus too—he's got it all figured out!

"Don't you touch the money he gave you. He'll flip the narrative around and say that you refused to help him, demanded a bribe, and then made a mistake in your operation. That'll be ironclad evidence against you."

I stared at the money under the door and kicked it back out.

"I don't want your money, Mr. Greer. I can't help you. You should hurry up and get a hold of the shift manager for now instead of wasting time here with me. If not, I'll just make the call to the safety department for you—"

"Why the hell are you being so cold-blooded and stubborn?" Brad suddenly screeched at my door, attracting the attention of a couple of other night-shift employees in the middle of a shift change.

He looked at them with an indignant expression on his face.

"You guys can be the judge! The steam pipe valve is stuck, and I just asked Sam for help to adjust the valve, but he keeps making excuses and refusing to go!

"He even insisted that he was nothing but an inspector and didn't know how to repair the valves. That's bullshit! He's just being arrogant on purpose!

"There are also three maintenance workers trapped inside the control room! If the unit blows up, they're going to be…"

The other employees immediately gathered at my door when they heard what Brad said.

"Isn't this the new guy? Samuel Williams or something? I thought he was supposed to be pretty skilled, and he can't even adjust a valve?"

"He's doing this on purpose, isn't he? Just to show off in front of us?"

"Sam! You know that this isn't right! We're all coworkers here. You're being really inconsiderate by refusing to help like this."

"Yeah. Brad is usually really good to us. He's just doing this for the sake of the three other people in the control room. Just do it, for goodness' sake!"

"Their lives are at stake! Even if you're just an inspector, you can't just stand by and watch them die, can you?"

Brad kicked at my door again when he saw everyone speaking up for him.

"Don't you dare push your luck, Samuel! I'm only asking you to go and adjust the valve because I look up to you! Don't be so damn stubborn! This is our plant! Wanna bet that we're going to burst in and drag you out of there?"

I fought to keep my voice as calm as I could.

"I've already told you very clearly that my job here is only to inspect the plant equipment and not to repair valves. I don't have the qualifications for it. I really can't help you here."

"Impossible!" the employees exclaimed. "How can someone with no qualifications be allowed to inspect our power plant?"

"Dig into his background! All his information should be inside the safety supervision system. Let's see if he actually knows what he's talking about."

Hearing this, Brad quickly took out his phone to check my qualifications on the plant's internal website.

"Samuel Williams. You have a special equipment operation certificate and even took part in three state-level equipment maintenance inspections. And now, you tell us that you don't know a thing about repair works? You think we're just born yesterday or something?"

A wicked grin curled at the corner of Brad's mouth once he was done talking, as though he had already figured out how to trick me once more.

"Samuel! If you still refuse to go and check the valve, it's all going to be your fault if anything happens! You'll be held fully responsible for it!"

The other employees next to him began pounding heavily on my door with him.

"Samuel! You're too pompous and arrogant! The plant hired you to work here, so you have to be responsible for our safety! Now get out of there!"

"Yeah! Stop wasting everybody's time! This is a matter of life and death! And you still think you have the luxury to put on airs? Can you even afford to take responsibility if anything terrible happens?"

Brad looked at me mockingly through the frosted glass.

"Samuel! If you admit you're completely incompetent and that you bought your phony certificate online, or publicly admit that you forged your ID and background qualifications, then we'll let you off the hook. If not, I'll make sure you never live another peaceful day in your life ever again!"

The half dozen men continued pounding heavily at the door. The wooden door was starting to give out when a loud voice suddenly boomed from outside the door.