"You know it's blowing a gale and pouring buckets out here. Kicking off work at this time, are you lot out of your minds?"
Sophia barked the question, her voice nearly snatched away by the howling wind and rain. She mustered all her strength and shouted at Tomas, "Get everyone back now; we can't work tonight!"
Tomas, who had never seen Sophia so fierce before, was momentarily stunned and hesitant, but soon his resolve hardened. He yelled back at Sophia through the storm, "No can do! Everything's set; crew and materials are all prepped, just waiting for the auspicious moment to get started. Don't worry, we're just pouring one beam and column; won't take too long. Everyone can tough it out for a bit."
"Mr. Crawley has already made it clear, forget the auspicious timing; safety comes first."
The dialogue was strained against the storm, and Sophia roared once more at Tomas, "I said now, everybody get back!"
Tomas, intimidated by Sophia's forcefulness, glanced over at Jerry, who spoke up for Tomas, "We're just minutes away from starting, and everyone's been here getting soaked to the bone all night long. You expect us to just pack up and leave? All that rain for nothing? No way!"
With that, he turned and instructed the workers still bustling about, "Keep an eye on the clock, get ready, don’t miss the right moment."
Tomas, swayed by Jerry's words but with a softer approach, tried to persuade Sophia, "Yeah, Jerry's right. Everyone's been out in the downpour all night to help the company start at the right time. Sending them home now would not only be a waste of effort, but it would also dishearten everyone."
"We appreciate their dedication." Sophia tried to soften her tone, too, "But with the storm raging like this, it's not safe to work. Jerry, send everyone home now, and I'll take the heat for it."
Jerry chuckled dismissively, "What's there for you to take the heat for?"
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