America 1929: John F. Kennedy, the Great Writer

Chapter 72 The Attacker's Apology

Late at night, Arthur was revising a new chapter of "Yes, Mayor," so engrossed in his writing that he didn't notice Isabella walk in.

"Arthur, there are three people outside who want to see you."

He looked up and saw Isabella's expression was somewhat strange, a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

Arthur's hand stopped on the typewriter: "Who?"

Isabella hesitated for a moment: "They said... they were the ones who attacked you last time."

Arthur was stunned. Those three people? The three who attacked him in the dead of night, only to be defeated by him?

His first reaction was to call the police.

But then Arthur remembered what Samuel had said that day: "Those three men are not important."

Not important? If it's not important, why would they take the initiative to contact them?

Isabella continued, "They didn't seem...like they were here to cause trouble. And they said they had something important to tell you."

Arthur remained silent for a few seconds. Reason told him this might be a trap. But intuition told him that the appearance of these three men was related to Samuel.

"Let them in, and while you're at it, please ask Uncle Patrick to come over as well."

Patrick was worried about his safety and had been staying at Arthur's house for the past few nights.

Isabella nodded and turned to leave.

A few minutes later, the door was pushed open.

Three men walked in, and Arthur immediately recognized them: the short, stocky one, the tall one, and the one with the knife.

The short, stocky man's breathing was rapid, his fingers constantly rubbing against the seams of his trousers. The tall man's eyes flickered, avoiding Arthur's gaze. The man with the knife's lips trembled slightly, his Adam's apple bobbing. He was struggling to control his emotions.

Their eyes were complex, filled with guilt, unease, and an inexplicable fear.

Arthur spoke first, "Speak, what are you here for?"

The three of them exchanged a glance.

Finally, the short, stocky man spoke.

"sorry."

Arthur didn't speak, he just looked at him.

"We shouldn't have attacked you, we just... needed money," the short, stocky man continued.

"Need money? So you can attack a stranger?"

The tall man hurriedly said, "No, we...we thought it was just a normal service for money."

"Someone gave us a hundred dollars to teach you a lesson. We thought...we thought it was just to scare you," the man with the knife added.

Arthur sneered: "Intimidate? With a knife?"

The man holding the knife turned pale and lowered his head.

"We didn't know who you were until the next day when we saw your picture in the newspaper. We've read all the articles you wrote. My son even said you're a good person."

Arthur's expression remained unchanged.

He wasn't a saint; he wouldn't forgive these people just because of a few apologies. That night, if the system hadn't suddenly given him free fighting techniques, he might still be lying in the hospital.

"So what? You think that apologizing now will make everything alright?" Arthur said coldly.

All three of them lowered their heads.

The short, stocky man said, "We know, we know apologies won't help. But we... we had to come. Someone found us."

Arthur's eyes narrowed. Just as he expected.

"Who is it?"

"A...terrible man. He knows we attacked you. He knows who hired us. He also knows...a lot of things."

"He said if we didn't come, he would put us in jail tomorrow."

Arthur had some guesses in his mind, but he asked knowingly, "Who is that person?"

"We don't know, and we dare not say."

Arthur was silent for a moment. He was thinking.

These three people are, in essence, victims. Victims of the economic crisis, victims of poverty. They were exploited, used as tools.

But that cannot be a reason for them to attack him.

"Are you all workers?" he asked.

The three people nodded.

"Unemployed?"

The three of them spoke one after another, afraid that Arthur would not forgive them.

"Yes, after the stock market crash, factory business dropped by half. Many people were laid off."

"I have three children, the youngest is only five years old. My wife is sick and we need money to buy medicine."

The man with the knife said, "My father is paralyzed and needs someone to take care of him. But I can't find a job."

Arthur looked at them, his heart filled with mixed feelings. He understood their situation. But understanding was not the same as forgiveness.

"Who hired you?" he asked.

The three people exchanged a glance.

"We don't know his name, but we can tell you where he found us."

"where?"

"In the Lower East Side, there is a 'job placement agency' that ostensibly helps unemployed workers find jobs, but in reality, it also takes on some special services."

"Many people know that place. If you need someone to do something...not very respectable, you can go there."

Arthur noted this information down.

"Who is the owner of that employment agency?"

"There was an Italian named Vito, and many people were afraid of him."

Arthur nodded. He had gotten the information he wanted.

The question now is, how should he deal with these three people?

Call the police? But if they had called the police, that person could have done so long ago.

Let them go? But if we do that, won't they be used again?

Arthur remained silent for a long time. Finally, he made a decision.

"I won't call the police," he said.

The three of them wore expressions of relief.

"But you attacked me, and that can't be forgiven with just an apology. I know you're in trouble, and I know you've been taken advantage of. But that's no excuse."

The three people lowered their heads, not daring to speak.

"I'm giving you a chance, a chance to atone for your sins."

"What opportunity?" The short, stocky man looked up.

"If in the future, if someone needs you to testify against the person who hired you, would you be willing?"

The three people were stunned.

The tall man said, "Testify? But that would put us in danger."

"Yes, there will be danger. But this is your chance to atone, and your only chance."

The three men fell silent. Finally, the short, stocky man spoke.

"If it's really necessary, we are willing."

"We are too," said the tall man and the one with the knife.

Arthur nodded. "Very good. But you can't leave now. Stay here and come with me to the employment agency tomorrow."

The three men nodded hastily, and were then grabbed by the collar and driven out by Patrick and his henchmen.