industrial lord

Chapter 792 The granularity must be fine.

The train station in Boudvis became a noisy and dusty place as soon as it was built. The brand-new stone platform witnessed the goods and merchants coming and going. The air was filled with the humid heat of water vapor, the aroma of food trucks, and the sweat and perfume of the passengers.

The newspaper reported that the parliament of the Duchy of Wessen was recently discussing a new law that would prohibit passengers who did not bathe, had body odor, or wore perfume from taking the train. Holleček stood on the platform for a while and felt that it was necessary.

The train departed today, and the platform was quiet for a moment, but it will soon be busy again.

Several workers were carefully spreading a thick roll of carpet on the platform.

The carpet was neither expensive oriental silk nor the velvet favored by the nobility. They didn't have that much money; it was just newly dyed ordinary linen. It was laid all the way from the platform to the exit, and it still managed to create a somewhat solemn and warm atmosphere.

"Move a little to the left, yes, right there, smooth out that crease!"

The stationmaster stood in the middle of the platform, his hands behind his back, carefully scrutinizing every detail.

Following Jori's advice, they first laid out the red carpet to test the route and to see if there was enough space.

This method worked. Holleček, who came to inspect, found that, according to his original plan, there were too many people standing on both sides of the red carpet, and the band had to play from a relatively far place.

Meanwhile, faint sounds of wind and string instruments practicing could be heard coming from the theater next to the station square.

That was the Budvis City's own citizens' band, which usually only performed at church on holidays and Sundays. Now they had gathered together temporarily to repeatedly rehearse a lively "Welcome March".

Holleček inspected two locations, and the situation at both was fairly good, with no major problems. Minor issues were brought back to the city government for discussion.

A conference room in the city hall has been turned into a special office, bustling with people coming and going.

Holleček had the welcome ceremony at the train station changed, and the city government also funded a simple afternoon tea for the citizens' orchestra. That was about it for the morning's work.

He glanced around the conference room and saw Jori engrossed in writing not far away.

Holleczek nodded slightly. Jori had been a great help; otherwise, they would never have been able to come up with the idea of ​​preparing a red carpet.

After all, when Grand Duke Wessen came last time, he said in advance that there was no need for extravagance, and there was no money in the city for extravagance.

Things are different now; you have to be sincere for others to be willing to spend money.

Soon, it was lunchtime, and the staff brought us Weisen bread and hot tea.

Holleček said to Jori, "Mr. Jori, you can rest for a while and have something to eat."

Without looking up, Qiao Li said, "Wait a moment, I'm about to finish writing."

Two minutes later, he stopped writing, took out a blue eye mask from a box next to him, leaned back in his chair, tilted his head back, and applied the mask to his eyes for a few minutes.

Holleček and many others are curious about this eye mask that can relieve eye fatigue; it is said that he bought it when he went to Wesenberg.

“The red carpet and the band are just the first step.” Jori lowered his voice, not forgetting work even while eating lunch. “Next, we need to know who is coming and what their respective business areas are.”

Holleček couldn't quite handle his work enthusiasm, so he just nodded and said they could talk about it after lunch break.

Jori didn't say anything more, and thoughtfully picked up a fish cake Weisen bun and started eating it, seemingly lost in thought.

When it was time to start work, Jori earnestly told Holleček, "We need to send a telegram to Högenproz to confirm the itinerary details, inquire about the exact number of people in the delegation, and the list and approximate identities of the key members."

Holleček frowned slightly upon hearing this.

He leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and after a moment of silence said, "Mr. Jori, isn't it a bit impolite to directly inquire about the other party's background?"

"The Duchy of Wesen is known for its efficiency and directness, but we must not appear too eager, as if we are plotting something."

Holleček was essentially a businessman, used to speaking in terms of malt concentration and fermentation time in the distillery, and he felt an instinctive discomfort with this kind of reception work that was full of skill and probing.

He worried that excessive "preparation" would backfire, making the other party think that Budvis City lacked confidence or had ulterior motives.

Jori turned his head, a "you're too naive" smile on his face, and said, "Mr. Mayor, this is not a test. In the Duchy of Weisen, this is called precise alignment."

"Understanding the composition of the other party's personnel is not to pry into their privacy, but to provide just the right service."

"Think about it, if a statistician who is extremely sensitive to numbers came, but we only prepared a vague vision, would he be satisfied?"

"If a factory owner who demands a high quality of life comes to visit, and we provide him with simple accommodations or violate his dietary taboos, wouldn't that make us seem negligent?"

Holleček thought about it and agreed. Putting aside everything else, it would be very awkward if he prepared food that the other person didn't like.

Jori continued earnestly, "This is not rudeness, but respect; it is the utmost respect for their time and purpose."

"In the specific work arrangements, there is a working method that the Duchy of Wesen calls 'granularity'."

“Grain size?” Holleček repeated the unfamiliar term, his eyes filled with doubt. Not only him, but the other officials in the conference room also looked over curiously.

The municipal official, Delnets, also showed interest, picked up his notebook, and sat down to take notes.

“That’s right, granularity!” Jori cleared his throat. It was time to instill some advanced ideas into the mayor and his colleagues, whose knowledge structure was outdated.

“The term ‘graininess’ originally referred to the level of detail in oil paintings or embroidery,” Jori began to explain, as if he were a scholar lecturing at an academy. “The finer the graininess, the clearer the image and the richer the details.”

"Extending this to our reception work, it means breaking down the entire process of welcoming, visiting, and meeting, like cutting a diamond, into countless fine facets, ensuring that every small detail shines, and ultimately combining them into a flawless whole."

Holleček and Delnets exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.

Delnets, who came from a slaughterhouse background, was the first to understand part of it, saying, "It's like processing a livestock. From bleeding, skinning, and butchering to classifying the different parts, every step has its own rules and can't be done haphazardly."

"Brilliant!" Jori snapped his fingers approvingly. "Mr. Delnets hit the nail on the head!"

He cleared his throat again and began to explain in detail: "First, there is the granularity of information acquisition."

“We not only need to know that Representative Hojenpoulos is coming, but we also need to try to understand the businessmen who are with him.”

"The factories in the Duchy of Weisen tend to cluster together. I've visited the textile park, where spinning, weaving, and dyeing factories are all built together. You go in with cotton, wool, and linen, and you come out with cloth."

"This reduces transportation costs, and it's very popular nowadays."

"I suspect that if the guests this time are going to build a terry cloth factory, they will likely adopt the same approach."

"Therefore, we need to know who our customers are and what kind of business they are in so that we can respond accordingly."

"These details determine the precision of our service."

Holleček seemed thoughtful, then nodded and said, "You're right."

"Secondly, it's about the granularity of the plan," Qiao Li continued, "The timeframe needs to be accurate to the minute."

"From the moment the special train arrives at the station, the length of the welcoming ceremony, the travel time to the city hall, which streets along the way can showcase our city's appearance, and which places should not be seen by the guests; the duration of the meeting, and even the tea break time, must all be clearly planned."

"When guests arrive, they will be most concerned about two things: the duck farming situation outside the city and where the factory is located. They will definitely need to go to the site to see for themselves."

"The route must be surveyed on-site in advance, the exact driving distance must be calculated, and the best place to stop and view the view must be determined to ensure that the ground under the feet of the VIPs is flat and clean."

"Personnel must be assigned specific responsibilities. It must be clear who is responsible for guiding, who is responsible for explaining, and who is responsible for serving tea and water. Ideally, there should be one-on-one contact."

Delnets couldn't help but interject, "That sounds like... a lot of manpower is needed."

“Manpower can be allocated,” Holleček finally spoke, his tone much more firm. “If this can really bring in investment from the Wesson businessmen, it’s worth it.”

He was captivated by the exquisite picture Jori had painted, as if a whole new door had opened for him, and he was full of confidence in attracting investment.

"Finally, there's the granularity of all the details and contingency plans." Jori became more and more excited as he spoke. "The report can't just be a general outline; it needs to be supported by detailed data and made into a thick book... for example, called 'Budvis City Investment Environment Report'."

"Meeting materials, name cards, pens, ink, and water glasses should be arranged in accordance with etiquette."

"We also need to consider all sorts of unforeseen circumstances, such as what if there's a blizzard?"

What if any of our VIP guests become unwell?

What if the projector used for the presentation malfunctions?

"There must be a solution for everything."

Jori concluded, "The essence of its granularity lies in dedication. It means putting yourself in the other person's shoes, considering every conceivable detail, and making them feel our respect, professionalism, and efficiency."

"The ultimate goal is to make this visit worry-free, convenient, and comfortable, laying the most solid foundation for future cooperation."

The meeting room was silent; Holleček, Delnecke, and the others were all stunned by the rigorous and intricate system.

It is both stressful and possesses a compelling magic.

“I understand.” Holleček let out a long breath, his eyes sharpening. “Do as you say.”

"Mr. Jori, please take charge of overall guidance."

“Delnets, we will cooperate with Mr. Jori and mobilize all necessary resources.”

"Our goal is singular: to get merchants from the Duchy of Wesen to willingly invest their money here!"

(End of this chapter)