industrial lord

Chapter 794: Advantage or Disadvantage?

The next morning, Thomas was awakened by a commotion outside.

Outside the window came the clanging of iron striking stone, the rough shouts of workers, the clatter of wheels rolling over uneven ground, and the scolding of someone who looked like a foreman.

These sounds blended together, forming a powerful sound wave that penetrated the hotel's not-so-thick glass windows and entered his ears.

He sat up somewhat irritably and rubbed his temples, which ached slightly from lack of sleep.

Thomas was very frustrated. First, the market was closed, and today he was woken up by noise. Coupled with his real work tasks, he had a very bad impression of Budvis City.

Pavel, in the next room, was also woken up. He mumbled something, turned over, and pulled the blanket over his head, but it was obviously to no avail.

Unable to sleep, I could only wash up and go downstairs for breakfast.

The two met on the stairs.

"What's going on outside?" Thomas's voice was hoarse and displeased with the early morning.

Pavel retorted irritably, "It sounds like they're demolishing houses or building roads?"

The restaurant on the first floor of the hotel was already occupied by some early risers, most of whom looked to have been woken up by the noise, their faces showing similar confusion and dissatisfaction.

They found a table by the window and ordered a simple breakfast—black bread, fried eggs, a strong-flavored local cheese, and hot milk.

Pavel ate a fried egg, glanced at the commotion outside, then got up and walked familiarly toward the innkeeper behind the counter who was wiping cups.

The boss was a slightly overweight, kind-looking middle-aged man.

"Boss, what's going on outside? It's so noisy so early in the morning," Pavel asked casually, as if he were having a casual chat.

The innkeeper put down his cup, wiped his hands, and gave a smile that was a mixture of understanding and helplessness: "Oh dear, you two guests, you don't know this, but we're making preparations to welcome Mr. Weisen and his entourage."

"Today, the city hall hired the stonemasons' guild to renovate this main street outside."

"They said they would fill in all the potholes, replace all the uneven stone slabs, and thoroughly wash them with clean water."

He pointed to the dusty scene outside the window: "Look at this, I've never seen anything like it before."

Thomas picked up his cup, took a sip of warm milk, and continued to gaze out the window.

You can see workers laboriously using crowbars to remove the broken stone slabs and replace them with new ones.

Someone pushed a wheelbarrow, bringing mixed cement and gravel to fill the potholes.

There were also horse-drawn carriages pulling huge wooden barrels, scooping up water with ladles and splashing it onto the newly paved road, creating a muddy mess.

The guild overseer stood by, giving loud instructions, looking very impatient.

“Unexpectedly,” Thomas put down his cup, his voice low but clearly sarcastic, and said to Pavel, “that such standard formalism in welcoming inspections can be seen here as well.”

He worked in the officialdom of the Principality of Weisen for fifteen years, starting from the lowest level of village chief and rising step by step to a mid-level official. He witnessed and experienced firsthand the various drawbacks of formalism, and he deeply abhorred it.

In preparation for inspections by higher authorities, last-minute cleaning, wall painting, and temporary road repairs were commonplace in some parts of the Duchy of Wesen.

In some places, local leaders spare no effort to maintain a good image, and it is not uncommon for grassroots officials to work overtime until midnight on their days off, which has drawn widespread complaints.

Despite vigorous efforts to rectify the situation in recent years, deeply ingrained habits are hard to break.

He hadn't expected that this kind of thing would be used so skillfully in this remote city of Budvis.

Pavel cut off a small piece of cheese and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly, a slightly playful expression on his face.

He did not immediately refute Thomas.

“Mr. Thomas,” he said slowly, swallowing his food, “I understand what you mean.”

“In the Principality of Weisen, formalism is indeed heavily criticized because it often means wasting resources and superficiality.”

Although he had only been in the Duchy of Wessen for a short time, he had read many newspapers and was clear about the issue.

Then, Pavel changed the subject, turning his gaze to the chaotic scene outside the window, and continued, "But you have to see where you are."

“In Budvis City, and most of the surrounding area, traditional management methods have long been rigid and ineffective.”

"The bureaucratic system is inefficient, and municipal maintenance has long been lacking, just like that road outside—"

He gestured with his chin.

"The stone slab that has been lifted now, judging from its wear, has been there longer than the combined ages of you and me."

“The city hall officials are certainly aware of the problem, but without external pressure, they will ignore it year after year.”

“And now,” Pavel said, his tone reminiscent of a tactical lesson analyzing case studies, “the pressure of welcoming the investment group has finally made these bureaucrats realize what they need to do.”

"They were mobilized, resources were centrally allocated, and the road that had troubled residents for years was repaired and leveled within a few days."

"Regardless of the initial motivation, the end result is that the street has indeed been improved."

"For rural areas like this, this kind of campaign-style governance with its formalistic elements can sometimes break the deadlock and bring about some tangible improvements that are difficult to promote under normal circumstances." "I am more inclined to believe that some of the formalistic inspections in the Duchy of Weisen are a kind of open-book exam."

"The purpose of this inspection is not for each department to do everything perfectly and not make any outrageous mistakes, but to correct errors through self-examination and self-correction, while strengthening correct concepts."

"If we really want to find fault, then the inspection team that comes will not be the one that issues an official document in advance, but the undercover team."

Thomas listened in silence; Pavel's perspective was one he had considered.

He was once just a painting student. When he served as an official in the Duchy of Weisen, he came into contact with a relatively mature administrative system jointly created by Frederick and Psyche, which emphasized institutional and routine management. Therefore, he believed that governments all over the world should be like this.

He used to be annoyed by all sorts of inspections and visits. Several times, when he was rushing to finish his work on "The Tale of Two Bears" after work, he was interrupted and could not submit his work on time. Therefore, he was critical of any form of formalism.

But Pavel's words were like a fine needle, gently piercing his preconceived notions.

I don't know the true face of Lushan, I am only in this mountain.

Thomas stepped outside his original perspective and looked at the issue from a different angle.

It must be admitted that in places with weak governance foundations, a strong external impetus, even if it is for the sake of saving face, may produce some positive practical effects.

However, his aversion to formalism itself did not diminish as a result.

Thomas gave a soft hum, his tone still reserved, and said, "Perhaps."

"But this approach is unsustainable. What happens after the investment team leaves? Will everything remain the same?"

"The surprise crackdowns carried out in preparation for the event are often accompanied by disruptions to normal order, such as market closures and the noise in the early morning."

"Moreover, it can easily mask deeper problems, making managers satisfied with superficial appearances rather than committed to building long-term mechanisms."

He recalled how, when he was the village chief, he led the villagers to clean the village roads overnight in order to pass an inspection from higher authorities.

The inspection revealed that the garbage was still there.

That feeling of exhaustion and helplessness remains vivid in my memory.

This was actually a problem with his management, but because the village's economic development was going well, this trivial problem was covered up and later handled by his successor.

Pavel looked at the expression on Thomas's face and knew that such a meticulous Wesson official was not easily persuaded.

He didn't continue arguing, but suddenly smiled and turned to the innkeeper behind the counter again, asking in a more casual tone, "Boss, speaking of which, with all this commotion outside, isn't it affecting your business?"

What do you think of this cleanup and road repairs?

The hotel owner was pouring hot milk made from milk powder for another table of guests. After finishing, he brought over a large milk jug and refilled their cups.

"Sir, you ask me what I think?" He chuckled, his voice booming, "Of course I think it's great!"

He walked to the window, pointed outside and said, "You two are outsiders, so you may not know, but this street outside has been dilapidated like this since my grandfather's generation."

“I was born and raised in this hotel, and I’ve been running this business for over 20 years. I’ve seen at least 8,000 to 10,000 guests. Almost everyone who comes in complains about how difficult the road is. On rainy days, you get covered in mud, and on sunny days, it’s common to sprain your ankle.”

"The horse-drawn carts used for hauling goods often got stuck in potholes, which not only caused delays but also easily damaged the goods."

His tone became wistful as he continued, "The old men at the city hall have said they'd fix it before, but it's always all talk and no action."

"If it weren't for the important figure coming to welcome Weisen, who gave a strict order to fix it within a certain time, this road would have been in such bad shape for who knows how long."

He concluded hopefully, "It's a bit noisy and dusty, but it'll only last a few days."

"Once it's repaired, the road is smooth and clean, making it comfortable for customers to walk on and convenient for carriages to come and go. This business might even be better!"

The boss's words were simple and unadorned, without any profound theories, yet they were like a heavy stone thrown into Thomas's heart, stirring up ripples.

He stared blankly out the window at the busy workers, watching them sweat as they pried up the broken stone slabs and filled the potholes with cement and gravel.

The dust in the air no longer seemed so annoying.

Pavel didn't say anything more, and just quietly ate his breakfast.

Thomas picked up the freshly refilled glass of milk and slowly took a sip.

His initial sarcasm and dissatisfaction gradually softened in the face of Pavel's calm analysis and the innkeeper's simple hopes.

He realized that the logic of governance in this seemingly backward land was far more complex and convoluted than he had known in the Duchy of Weisen.

While formalism certainly has its significant drawbacks, under certain circumstances, it can also become a clumsy yet effective tool for breaking down deep-seated problems and bringing about some practical changes.

This street, which is currently under renovation, is the most direct proof of that.

The noise outside the window continued, but to Thomas at this moment it seemed to have a different meaning.

This ancient city is trying to shake off the dust and stumble towards an unknown but hopeful new stage in its own way, perhaps imperfect but powerful.

Thomas, the supervisor from afar, is destined to have his work and life inextricably intertwined with the city's struggles and hopes.

(End of this chapter)