industrial lord

Chapter 798 Participating in the Investigation
Early in the morning, the dining room of Thomas's residence was filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread and fried sausages, as Thomas and Pavel sat at the newly purchased wooden table enjoying their breakfast.

Outside the window, the city of Budvis is slowly awakening after a night of silence, welcoming a brand new day.

Pavel had a copy of the "Budvis City Chronicle" spread out beside him, still smelling of ink. The headline on the front page was the full text of Hojenproz's speech at the welcome dinner the night before.

The young nobleman held a loaf of bread in one hand and a dip pen in the other, scribbling rapidly in a leather-bound notebook, his expression focused as if he were copying some important document.

Thomas glanced at him, picked up the glass jar, poured himself a glass of hot milk, and said dismissively, "Why bother remembering those official platitudes?"

"It's like adding a little milk to water; it looks plausible, but in reality, you don't know how much of it is water."

Having spent years immersed in the bureaucratic system of the Duchy of Weisen, he had said countless such polite words and had long since developed a habit of criticizing such public statements, believing them to be inferior to the red eggplant blossoms used as garnish on a plate of roasted pig's trotters in a restaurant, at least the red eggplant blossoms were edible.

Pavel didn't look up; the pen continued to move across the paper until he finished writing a paragraph before putting it down.

He put away his notebook, picked up a piece of bread, and said, "Mr. Thomas, I understand what you mean."

"But I think these 'clichés' make sense at certain times."

He spread jam on his bread and ate it. After organizing his thoughts, he said, "When giving orders, the biggest worry is being misunderstood by those below, especially when there are words with multiple meanings."

"The words used in clichés, though they may not sound vivid, can express complex intentions very accurately, avoiding over-interpretation or even misunderstanding by the audience due to the use of overly colloquial or personalized language."

“Especially when articulating a large plan, using this refined, relatively fixed way of expressing it, like using standard commands in the military, ensures that the information is not distorted during transmission, allowing all participants—whether investors, partners, or local officials—to understand and discuss it based on the same clear set of concepts.”

"That in itself is a form of efficiency."

Thomas glanced at Pavel with some surprise.

He hadn't expected this young military academy student to have such a...institutionalized perspective on issues.

He had to admit that there was some truth to what he said.

In the Duchy of Weisen, official documents and important speeches also emphasized the standardization and accuracy of wording; however, his deep-seated aversion to formalism often made him impatient with it.

Not wanting to argue with the young man on this issue, he picked up a grilled sausage and cleverly changed the subject: "Alright, I can't argue with you, future general."

"However, I am a little curious. When you met Mrs. Rhea in the banquet hall yesterday, she seemed quite familiar to you."

"You knew her before?"

After swallowing his bread, Pavel nodded and said, "Yes, I saw him a few times when I was in Wesenberg."

"Baron Metzger, who is also Lady Rhea's husband, is now the chief instructor at our military academy, teaching tactics courses."

"The head instructor was a strict and stern man, but we got along quite well. He invited me to his estate for small parties several times, and that's when I met Mrs. Rhea."

"She is a very... well, a woman of great courage and insight."

"I once saw her arguing with Mrs. Katie at a salon. She was logical and well-reasoned, and she did not lose her temper."

His tone conveyed respect for his teachers.

“I see,” Thomas nodded. “I’ve only heard of the couple. I didn’t expect Mrs. Rhea to be on par with Mrs. Katie. Mrs. Katie’s father is Master Richard Nal, and she herself is a big shot in the Inner Sea underworld.”

Pavel knew nothing about Katie's involvement in the underworld; he only knew that she was the queen of the paper industry and a famous poet. Although he was curious, he didn't ask too many questions to avoid getting into trouble.

He smiled and changed the subject: "I didn't expect that you would know Senator Hotzenproz."

“I noticed it yesterday; the way he looked at you wasn’t just polite, but also showed a familiarity like that of an old acquaintance.”

Thomas did not deny it. He picked up his cup, took a sip of milk, and said in a flat tone, "That was many years ago." "Back then, I was a newly appointed village chief who knew nothing. Hojenproz was a refugee who had just arrived in Weisen Territory. He didn't want to farm, so he did some small business near our village. At first, he relied on an Ammi donkey to haul goods."

“At the time, we studied that as Langnar City’s cement industry grew and strengthened, its industrial sector also developed, and the number of workers would increase significantly. People always need to eat, so we focused on the food industry.”

"Then he gradually built his career up and eventually became a member of parliament."

His words carried a faint reminiscence of the past.

Breakfast was drawing to a close amid relaxed conversation when someone came to deliver mail, one for Pavel and one for Thomas.

After reading the letter, Pavel said, "Yesterday, I requested to accompany Madame Rhea on an inspection trip outside the city as a student of Baron Metzger, and she agreed."

His eyes gleamed with excitement as he continued, "Seeing their planned breeding grounds and future industrial park sites in person is more useful than reading ten newspaper articles."

Thomas understands this, saying it's good for young people to broaden their horizons.

He looked at his letter and said, "Hozhenproz asked me if I was going. If you're going, I'll go and have some fun too."

"Oh, right," he suddenly remembered something, "do you have a thermos?"

"Huh?" Pavel was stunned for a moment, looking completely confused. "I won first place in the mortar shooting competition at the military academy. In addition to medals and certificates, I also received a thermos cup."

"I went to the department store before I came back and bought two for myself."

Thomas said seriously, "Bring the one issued by the military academy."

Pavel had indeed seen many people carrying thermos cups when he was in the Duchy of Wessen, especially the instructors, but he couldn't understand why they were carrying one today.

Since Thomas had said so, he did as he was told.

The two arrived at the city hall and met up with the main group, where they introduced themselves to each other.

Pavel was somewhat surprised that the chicken farm owner named Spike had previously been a soldier under Metzger, and the two quickly became acquainted.

They boarded a carriage and left the still somewhat bustling city, heading towards the outskirts of Budvis.

Outside the window, there are continuous rivers, ponds, and scattered farmland.

Hotzenproz, Spike, Mrs. Rhea, and others would occasionally get out of the car and talk in hushed tones, pointing to the surrounding terrain and assessing the condition of the land, the distance to water sources, and the convenience of future transportation connections.

Assessing the terrain was a fundamental skill for the officers. Rhea had Pavel offer his opinions several times, and each time he spoke with substance, quickly gaining their support.

Soon, Pavel discovered an interesting phenomenon.

The "leaders" including Hojenproz all carried a thermos, which, without exception, was a reward from a certain department of the official government of the Duchy of Wesen.

At this point, a thermos cup became a symbol of status. If your hands were empty, you would feel embarrassed to squeeze into that small circle, and even if you stood there, you would feel like an outsider.

The most impressive item was Thomas's thermos, which was printed with the words "Awarded to the Outstanding Worker of Weisen in 1025." It was clear at a glance that he was a veteran and could probably strike up a conversation with the Grand Duke of Weisen. The way the local officials looked at him changed.

One municipal official, in particular, never expected that the middle-aged man he had met that day would be so formidable.

We chose a small church as our lunch break spot, which was situated on a high point and offered views of the surrounding area.

Taking advantage of a lull in the crowd, Hojenproz approached Pavel, who was standing alone outside the gate intently observing the course of the river below. He was quite curious about this young local nobleman who had suddenly joined the group.

(End of this chapter)