Why are people at Charlie’s work frightened of Charlie? (Getting smarter; retaliation) Excerpt:

I figured out a new way to line up the machines in the factory, and
Mr. Donnegan says it will save him ten thousand dollars a year in labor and
increased production. He gave me a twenty-five-dollar bonus.
I wanted to take Joe Carp and Frank Reilly out to lunch to celebrate, but
Joe said he had to buy some things for his wife, and Frank said he was
meeting his cousin for lunch. I guess it'll take a little time for them to get used
to the changes in me. Everybody seems to be frightened of me. When I went
over to Amos Borg and tapped him on the shoulder, he jumped up in the
air. People don't talk to me much any more or kid around the way they used
to. It makes the job kind of lonely.