165 5.54 The Invasion Of Seijuro Tumbler Machine In Kitakata (1/2)
Mesen-san explained that there was some fine-tuning to be made as he explained the this STM could be used not only washing but also wringing. He explained that he designed the small hole at the end of this tumbler so that it would be tilted by this leg extension which he showed how and when the spindle was turned, the clothes inside would be sloshed and somehow being wrung and excess water would come out from this hole,
At the end, when this STM was at an angle, the water would be ejected out from this hole at the end of the tumbler and the tumbler would turn until there was no more water spouting from it... It was a hole of mystery and yet it served a purpose. Wonderful! Thank God for this machinist or else we would not know how to drain the water away. Hahahahaha!
The additional utility had been concluded and we thanked Mesen-san for making an effort to improve it. We asked the machinist about the total cost and he told us that the whole thing only cost 1 gold, 2 silvers and 4 coppers. He managed to keep the price low and he told us that these materials were all brand new and not being used from his shop.
”Mesen-san, please deliver this prototype to Fasuto Japan KabushikiGaisha tomorrow after lunch and we will test it out. Furthermore, for your information, we would be distributing this machine in here, Aizuwakamatsu, Yonezawa and Shibata.”
”We had located the locale to lease for a long term and there will be 4 STM on display and the sale persons in Aizuwakamatsu, Yonezawa and Shibata would take orders, you and your nephew would concentrate on promoting it here. At the same time, production would be made and if you could fabricate an STM for 3 days, then in 1 month you would be able to make 10 of them.”
”We will discuss with you tomorrow after you had delivered the STM to our place”
”Yes, Senior and Young Master we will go right ahead and touch up this and we will send it to you tomorrow after lunch.”
We bade farewell and walked out of the store.
”Sensei, where's the place to make a proposal in a scroll form? We will make a contract for the managers at least its a joint effort and they could earn a fixed salary as well as incentives. The more the sales generate, the more gold they will receive.”
”I agree, kid. You already have a contract plan?”
”Yes Sensei, it's in my head and I have to inform the author so that he would type out and fill this coater right to three thousand to four thousand words. To him achieving a 10k words per day is nothing as long as it is filled with informative and useful information.”
Soon, Hiko-sama showed to a single storey building with frames of certificates, birth certs, nso records and marriage contracts, just like the streets of Recto, Philippines.
A short stocky man came forward as we approached his dainty little shop. We asked him if he could make some copies of a contract repeatedly for 4 times so that we could make our managers sign.
”How much does it costs for one copy?”
”Ah, Master, it is only 1 silver for one copy. The more copies you need, the more you will pay.”
I understood what he meant and informed him of the information that needs to be filled.
”Dear...,
We are pleased to offer the position of Regional Manager and your monthly salary would be capped at ... Per month.
You would be in charge of taking care of the accounts in Aizuwakamatsu, Yonezawa and Shibata and your monthly remunerations would be based on the (... ..) coins as opposed to (....) coins on a 1:1 basis.
This remuneration is based on the group effort calculated every month and shared by each one of you in equal portions, for example (.....) coins would be equivalent to (.....) and be exchanged to the proper number of (....) coins divided by (....). This way, it would be a motivational gain for you.
Please undersigned this contract if you find it agreeable.”
I narrated it off and I corrected the stocky man along the way and it just took one piece of parchment paper. I asked him to make 8 copies while we waited at the shop.
He had another assistant and that made the work faster. I checked the penmanship and there was a red ribbon attached at the end of the parchment to tie it up easily.
Since I had not thought of the contract for the STM, I leave it later when we get back home.
We went back home with the parchments in our hands and were quite satisfied. As we walked I asked a rather sensitive question to Hiko-sama.
”Sensei, can I ask you a question? As a Samurai before you had earned 10 gold coins per month right? Then now you are assisting me in the Blacksmithing, the soap making, running errands here and there... Don't you think you deserve a sort of reward or remuneration package? I'm sorry if this is a sensitive question but I was just wondering....”
”Kid, do you take a salary right now? You don't right? You had taken out good coins for our daily needs and provisions the new house, the warehouse, providing shelter for unfortunate girls, providing permanent work for the workers and also proving employment for my Comrades that they now need not kill anyone.”
”So, should I be taking a salary? Just like you have thousands of gold coins and yet still a simple guy. Not even a single ring, or whatnot in your fingers, wrist or neck except for the pocket watch that is essential in telling time. As long as I have good to eat and sake, then I've got nothing to worry about.'
”Oh yeah, talking about money, we should go to the Treasury and deposit this slip using this account book and both our ID.”
We turned back and went to the Treasury to deposit using the slip of bank cheque issued by Aizuwakamatsu treasury. After the clerk verified the slip and the corporate account as well as our ID, he wrote the amount deposited and the total and stamped it. The amount in the account books showed slightly above 18,700. We thanked the clerk and he bowed deeply to us.
What's the big deal, its just numbers after all.
We seemed to settle everything and decided to head back home. We checked in the warehouse and found that the 10 fruits variety had come and it would be processing time soon since it is still winter so the fruits would be able to last longer. However, we could chill them further in the Realm of Mind.
The coconut and olive oil had nene placed under the staging area and clearly marked which one is which. The lye and baking powder had arrived too and was separated due to the similarity in the colour of sacks while one of named kye and the other is just soda.
”Young master, what are your plans to do with this fruits?” one of the men said.
”I'm going to make Essense and have shanpu so that women wash their hairs will smell very fruity.”
”Interesting, young master. I wish to buy some for my wife too.”
”Don't worry guy, the time will come soon.”
Before we left the warehouse, we told the storekeeper that we need to have these handcarts empty and the handcart to be placed near the Ops Room to carry in the fruits.
All the plates can be placed on the pallets first if unfinished packing. We soon left the warehouse and intend to come back after supper tonight.
We would be making the rest of the plates after we had brought in the fruits and brought out the 2,000 plates.
The storekeeper and the delivery boys were unable to keep up with the pace of making the crates and storing the plates into the crates as suddenly there were thousands of [Refined Iron] to be stored away.
No one asked where the Refined Iron plates come from as it was suddenly accumulated like nobody's business and they were making the crates first before storing the plates inside. From the number of pallets with the mounds of Refined Iron plates, it seems they need to make at least 300 crates to store all these thousand of pieces of [Refined Iron] plates.
The estimates that one pallet would be able to8 crates and per pallet height would be 8 crates high. In order to be stored underneath the staging area. So it's 64 crates per pallet. And they need about 5 pallets to store such crates and stock!
The balance wood materials were placed outside the warehouse even after the delivery boys and storekeepers had gone home, the 2nd and 3rs shift guards can continue their work. These people could really utilise their time-management well.
The 4 managers arrived for dinner and since it was their off day, casualness sets in. I don't really mind and called them seniors as well and they called me kid, or boy and yeah... It is informal so no hard feelings.
I asked them how was everything and they were appreciative for showing a new route for Yonezawa and Shibata or else they would forever be crawling like a snail. Hahahahaha
After dinner, since the girls did not join us for supper, all 6 of us were sitting in the garden and all 4 of them were peering at the documents in front of me very intently.
I asked them, whether the salary given by the shogunate is enough and they said its fine because they would be out for an expedition after taking a rest of a day or two. And the food supplies were given by the shogunate, only certain luxuries like sake would be bought by them.
They said now as a civilian, they find it hard to accept for a long time that they had to pay for their own meals and especially the 4 were still bachelors.
”Tell me, since a 10 gold for a civilian is a bit difficult and what amount would you feel comfortable?”
One said 12, another said no change, while 2 agreed at 15 because they drink a lot of sake. I calculated the whole figure and came up with an average of 13 per person a month. They said the figure is fair and just since they also had some retirement funds paid through them by the mayor.
I took out the parchment and showed them and handed each one of them to read. The areas they were intentionally left blank had been filled especially their names.
I wrote 13 on the agreement as to the salary that they would receive per month. Then they looked a lot the blanks and asked me what does it mean.