{{Claim for Compensation}} chapter 3

Waiting for Evidence on the Roof

Mr. Smith understood. So Jack wanted to extort some money to go back and treat his father! He walked over and saw that Jack’s eyes were fixed on a striking news headline: A migrant worker threatened to jump off a building to get his unpaid wages, and the wages were finally settled. After a while, Jack’s eyes lit up. He stood up suddenly and shouted excitedly, “I’ve got it! I have a way!” Then he left in a hurry. Mr. Smith shook his head. “Crazy!”

It was getting a bit dark and extremely cold outside. Mr. Smith closed the office door and came down from the fifth floor. Just as he stepped out of the building, he saw a group of people downstairs looking up at the roof and chattering about someone threatening to jump off. He looked up and was shocked. Oh my god! The one who was going to jump was Jack! Was he crazy about money?

At this time, the 110 police also arrived. They tried to persuade him to calm down and not do something stupid while preparing to go up and save him. Jack stood on the edge of the roof and declared that if anyone came up, he would jump off immediately! He said he had no other choice. He just wanted a reporter from the city morning newspaper to come and help him. The reporter soon arrived and went up to the roof. Jack turned around warily and kept a distance from the reporter. He told the whole story of his rescue and put forward his request.

It turned out that Jack wanted the reporter to write about his story and publish it in the newspaper to find the passengers in the car accident back then to testify for him. The reporter thought it was a good news story and readily agreed, promising to make it appear in the newspaper. Then he walked over and wanted to ask Jack to come downstairs. Unexpectedly, Jack quickly stepped back to the edge of the roof and shouted impulsively, “Don’t come closer. If you come closer, I’ll jump! I won’t go down. I’m in a hurry. I’ll wait on the roof tonight. If the story doesn’t appear in the newspaper tomorrow morning, I’ll jump! Please go and write the article quickly. I’m begging you!”

It was a matter of life and death, and everyone was at a loss. At this time, the northwest wind made the reporter shiver. He patted his chest and promised that the story would appear in the newspaper the next morning. He tried his best to persuade Jack to come downstairs.

Jack wouldn’t listen at all. Helplessly, everyone had to let the reporter send up a cotton – padded overcoat and a quilt to keep him warm, and then they left.