Operation Red Book

Morris's office is not big, but compared to the welfare home outside, it does not look dilapidated. Instead, it has a very original wooden style.

What greets you is a large floor-to-ceiling cabinet filled with certificates, trophies, and photos of Morris with various dignitaries.

Morris himself was hiding behind a desk piled with letters and paperwork, smoking a cigarette contentedly.

Seeing Grace coming in with two people, Morris piled up his fat face, raised his hands and walked out.

He leaned against the table with his legs crossed, holding an unsmoked cigarette in his mouth and said:

"Ah, Grace, my angel, did you make a new friend today? Let me see, um, a little girl from East Asia, a beggar as skinny as someone who hasn't eaten, wuhahahahahaha... Dear, you should know that our welfare home does not accept orphans under the age of 12."

"You are the beggar. How rude, you old smoker."

Ivy grumbled and rolled her eyes, shaking her head at Joshua.

"No, Mr. Morris, this is Miss Ivy and Mr. Williams. They have just arrived in London and want to find a job to make a living. Ms. Maggie's eyesight is getting worse and worse, so I think maybe I can keep them..."

"Oh, old Maggie, she's getting old, isn't she? But she's still sharp at work."

Morris narrowed his cunning eyes and took a long drag on his cigarette.

"Oh, you should know this, Mr. Morris, Ms. Maggie's leg joints have been hurting these days, and it takes her 10 minutes to climb 20 floors of stairs..."

Grace hunched forward, rubbing her hands constantly.

"Hahahaha, oh, my Grace, you underestimate her. Maggie has been here for more than 20 years. There is nothing in the welfare home that she is not familiar with. Before you, she was my most capable helper."

"But Mr. Morris..."

“We don’t need East Asian chickens and skinny chickens in our welfare home. They should go to where they belong - brothels and prisons, hahahahahahahaha…”

"What did you say? You bald, hairless chicken?"

Ivy broke free from Joshua's obstruction, picked up a thick stack of books on the desk and threw it at Morris' head.

"Ah-"

The book knocked the cigarette out of Morris' mouth, and his head fell to the ground. Ivy quickly tripped him and caused Morris to fall heavily to the ground.

"You, you little bastard from East Asia!"

Morris struggled to stand up with Grace's help. A large amount of blood gushed out of his wide nose, staining Grace's skirt and the office floor.

"Say that again, old rabbit, and I'm going to punch you in the stomach!"

Ivy raised the book in her hand and was about to hit Morris in the stomach again.

“Holly shit!”

For a moment, Grace and Joshua hurriedly tried to stop Ivy. Morris covered his stomach and lowered his head. Ivy gritted her teeth and tried hard to aim, waiting for it to slip out of her hand and be thrown out.

The office was a mess, with most of the letters fallen over and piled up on the wooden floor.

"What are you doing? The children saw it all. How shameless!"

An old voice sounded at the door, followed by a childish laugh.

The four of them turned their heads while still wrestling towards the office door. Maggie was crowded at the door with a bunch of children. Her wrinkled face was full of severity. Henry, who had just squeezed in with his upper body, was even more stunned.

"Grace, take these brats to the second floor. I can't climb up. I want to go have a glass of whiskey."

With that, Maggie shooed the kids back, followed by a shoved Joshua and an angry Ivy.

"Mr. Morris, they didn't mean it...really."

Grace squatted uneasily, crossing her hands over her chest, longing for Morris.

"Show them away, I don't want to see them again!" Morris said in embarrassment, his nose still bleeding profusely.

"But, Mr. Morris..."

"Are you going to disobey God, Grace?" Morris' voice was low and threatening.

Grace's face turned pale and she walked out of the office with drooped shoulders.

"This orphanage is so weird. The director is definitely not a good person." Ivy put her hands on her hips and stomped her feet as she walked towards the door.

"Me, I think so too. The environment in that office is so different." Joshua followed closely.

"Don't you think there's something wrong with that bald guy?"

"Mr. Morris? He seems a bit rude. He shouldn't say those discriminatory words to you. Otherwise, he seems humorous."

"Of course not!" Ivy stopped.

"He is a vain, arrogant, selfish, flattering, greedy person. I dare say he has spent a lot of money that should be used for the children and this orphanage."

Ivy opened the door of the orphanage and went out. She looked around and her eyes were fixed on the bakery she had just visited.

"Hey - you -"

Henry’s voice sounded from behind, almost making Joshua fall.

Henry strode up to the two of them, and before he could even stand still he reached into his clothes, pulled out two pennies and handed them to Ivy.

Ivy weighed the money in her hand, looked at Henry with his teeth bared and his gums exposed, and reached out to return the two pence.

Seeing Henry's frown, Ivy crossed her arms and said, "Grace has already replenished it for me, so give it back to Grace."

Henry touched his nose guiltily, stuck out his tongue and said, "In fact, the baker's steelyard is greased under, and many people's pennies are under his steelyard."

"I knew the boss had bad intentions. His little eyes were always staring at the customers, waiting for the prey to take the bait."

"Then, then why did you give me back our two pennies?" asked Joshua.

"The boss gave us all the money under the scale. To us, the baker was a very good person. He would give us the unsold bread every night and would also give us dozens of coins from time to time."

Henry lowered his head with his hands behind his back and spoke calmly.

"I don't like Mr. Morris. He pretends to care about us in front of others, but he always punishes us in daily life."

Ivy opened her mouth but still didn't know how to start.

"Ms. Grace was always bullied by Mr. Morris. I always heard Miss Grace crying and Mr. Morris scolding in the cellar... So, seeing you so brave today, I think you must be a very good lady too."

Henry tilted his head to look inside the welfare home, then listened carefully to what was happening inside.

He said to Ivy anxiously, "If you want to find a job, you can go to the dock in the east. There are many traders from Asia there. I'm going back now. If they find out that I'm not in bed, I'm doomed!"

He stepped forward and handed the two pennies to Ivy, then opened the door and ran in. After a few steps, he turned back and whispered, "Actually, I also secretly took the money from that gentleman. These two pennies are for him."

While Ivy and Joshua were shocked, he ran into the welfare home without looking back.

"When was he?"

Joshua counted the money in his pocket, confirming it over and over again.

"It seems that there are indeed two coins missing."

"This is considered an amazing skill... I don't know whether I should praise it or educate it..." Ivy looked back at the gray and white building.

The sun was covered by clouds at this moment, and looked particularly pale under the dark clouds.

"There must be many unknown crimes hidden here. At least it must not be the Florence Orphanage as the outside world says." Ivy thought, "The same is true of this familiar yet strange city of London."

"What should we do now?" Joshua asked as he collected all the coins.

"Of course I'll continue looking for a job. I'll need to settle myself first so that I can have the energy to clear away the shadows of others." Ivy replied.