178 5.67 Midorikos Limestone Cave And Tochigi Prefecture. (2/2)
+-==Kurin and Feroa Kurina==-+
1st Shift 7 am to 3 pm
12 x workers (2x12)
2ndShift 3 pm to 11 pm
12 x workers (2x12)
3rd Shift 11 pm to 7 am
12 x workers (2x12)
+-==Karada soap==-+
1st Shift 7 am to 3 pm
6 x workers (2x6)
2ndShift 3 pm to 11 pm
6 x workers (2x6)
3rd Shift 11 pm to 7 am
6 x workers (2x6)
+-==Kaori No Kyandoru==+
1st Shift 7 am to 3 pm
4 x workers (2x4)
2ndShift 3 pm to 11 pm
4 x workers (2x4)
3rd Shift 11 pm to 7 am
4 x workers (2x4)
+-==Hamigachiko==-+
1st Shift 7 am to 3 pm
4 x workers (2x4)
2ndShift 3 pm to 11 pm
4 x workers (2x4)
3rd Shift 11 pm to 7 am
4 x workers (2x4)
From the current manpower above, there would be another 200% increase of manpower required that needs to be filled. The foreman has agreed to release the 30 male workers to us and that means we need to hire another 48 more female workers.
I asked a few girls from the production line to gather another 48 girls and ladies that would love to join our workforce to make up a total of 200 manpower deployed at Fasuto Japan, and off they went to inquire their friends and neighbours that hadn't apply for any positions yet.
In half an hour the total number of 48 made up of girls and ladies had assembled in our courtyard. After briefing the new batch of freshly acquired staffs, and informing them that they would be joining the production line to make beauty products, they were delighted.
I explain the 3 shift work and made them choose among themselves which shift they would like to work in and soon 3 groups of 16 girls and ladies were formed. I took their names and ages for each shift to make their vests and had a messenger sent a note for the tailor to come and take down the names and sizes for the vests.
Soon, she came over with her sketchpad and slowly writes their names and estimated the sizes for them since it only comprises of medium and large sizes. After performing her tasks, she left for her tailor shop, while I dismissed the new employees and would inform them as well as the new assemblers on their commencement date. They will all report in the morning for a debrief of their roles and duties before commencement.
I checked the estimated salary that needs to be paid and it almost amounted close to 600 gold coins per month. With the fortnightly sales and new products, it would be a breeze to cover that amount based on the float cash that we have right now.
I went in the house and took out all the bundles of gold coins and discovered that I have about 1200 gold coins after paying for the construction of the 3 warehouses and also for the furnishing needed such as 1500 crates, 60 pallets and some low work tables, picnic tables, benches and 8 assembly platforms.
I discussed with the delivery boys that we needed some pickaxe, shovels and sacks tomorrow for limestone expedition. 1 horse-drawn wagon is required for tomorrow and both the delivery boys will be included.
They understood and went to get the necessary tools. I went over to the garden and the 'aunties' sounded the signal for dinner as they had a piece of thick bamboo hung near their kitchen and locked on it like the Myojo Mee seller.
Today's dinner was wonderful and we let the employees take theirs first while the 'aunties' served us afterwards. It was a simple one-dish meal that consisted of steamed rice with saba grilled fish and yellow curry with cabbage, long beans and potatoes. The yellow curry had lemongrass and ginger with a few red chillies that had been prepared in rich and savoury coconut milk.
The yellow curry was served in a large bowl with a large ladle and 6 large bowls of steaming rice. The smell was fragrant and just the yellow curry and the fish would satisfy any growling stomachs.
We ate and had seconds for the rice. Even when the vegetables were cooked in the yellow curry but it was still crunchy. Soon there would be 200 employees on the ground except for the 8 general workers in the machinery shop.
After we had our fills, the 'aunties' cleared the empty bowls and asked if we wanted baked apples for supper later on and we agreed since the baked apples were sweet on its own juices with a dab of butter and a pinch of salt inside the core.
The 'aunties' enjoyed preparing and cooking for the employees just like one big happy family.
The guards came to us to show their handicraft of making katana out of the 1x2 timbers and from afar it looked real enough with their triangular designed handle with their rectangular handguard.
The paint had been totally dried and I said the 2 delivery boys would be carrying 2 each and slung it behind their backs like a shinobi and at the meantime, since the flag was not ready, they would just use a handkerchief to cover their faces.
Meanwhile, the 5 ex samurai were deep in their own thoughts and I told them that during or after the limestone expedition we would be going to look for the elusive Youkai Taijiya Village and we could go demon hunting with them if they allow us. Furthermore, we could gain experiences as we had not been spilling blood for quite some time and it's time we practise on these demons to make us to create awareness and adds agility.
They agreed and we chatted on other things in general and had placed the incident at the back of our minds for the moment until it arises again. I knew what they were thinking and I said it's better we know we have enemies around rather than have friends that turned against us as hidden enemies.
Furthermore, I suggested we make acquaintances with the common enemies so that every movement of theirs could be monitors and secret messages could be relayed by our trusted stable boys.
We changed subjects and asked how many employees that we would have and said its around 200 and this shocked them most. Since they had joined Fasuto Japan, the corporation had expanded within 30 days of operations.
At the rate the cosmetic products and the Refined Iron was produced and stocked, we had no problems in expanding our business. We just need to get to know some shipmates and captains in order to make open a proposal to them.
In this way, we could expand the business empire from Shibata towards the other neighbouring port of calls.
I took out my sketchpad and turned to a fresh page and commenced another part of the meeting.
”Seniors, we have now maintained Kitakata, Aizuwakamatsu, Yonezawa and Shibata. We wish to expand further into the other regions and then we can take it easy from there. Can anyone tell me the region that would be on the north side of us since the southern part had been conquered?”
”We have Tochigi Prefecture and it was more of a group of cities and towns. If I'm not mistaken there is a capital city named Utsunomiya that had a population 5 times of Aizuwakamatsu!”
”The trip to the Tochigi Prefecture would take 4 to 4.5 hours horseback ride.”
”Do you intend to penetrate and invade the cities? With the 6 of us to penetrate and invade the same way as we did to Aizuwakamatsu, Yonezawa and Shibata would take several months because its a city and its size would be 25 times of our village. Just imagine, our town is only made up of 10,000 residents.”
”No, we do it the smart way. But then can you named me the cities as populated as Shibata?”
Hiko-sama and the 4 managers rattled off the names of the cities of Tochigi Prefecture and I noted that they have at least 10 cities and 1 capital cities. I collected the time taken to travel from here to the cities, while I made them in order from the shortest travel time to the longest.
Nasushiobara 3.5hrs
***
Otawara 4hrs
***
Kanuma 4.5hrs
Moka 4.5hrs
Nikko 4.5hrs
Tochigi 4.5hrs
Utsunomiya (capital) 4.5hrs
***
Shimotsuke 5hrs
***
Ashikaga 6hrs
Oyama 6hrs
Sano 6hrs
”CFO-san, do we need to find a locale there like what we did last time?”
”Not really necessary at this moment because we do not have enough manpower to delegate to each location. But I have an idea as I shared it with everyone, while everyone voices out that it's the most feasible idea.
”We won't be promoting the cosmetics products at this moment, let it be in full swing so that we can settle them when the time comes.”
The managers knew that doing things too fast would harm the productivity and right now what we could do is to withhold stocks and release when there's surplus to Tochigi Prefecture.
The managers nodded that the idea is ideal so that the supply is higher than the demand.
I quickly draft a letter and addressed it to the Blacksmith Alliance. In that letter, we introduced ourselves as the ambassadors for Fasuto Japan and wishes to promote these plates for their consumption.
We also state that the price of each plate costs 6 gold coins but if they were to self collect here in Kitakata, the price would be discounted to 5 gold each.
Furthermore, they do not have to carry gold coins to do the necessary transaction but use the Treasury Department to issue them a deposit slip and adds Fasuto Japan KabushikiGaisha as the beneficiary or payee.
Enclosed is the Refined Iron plate for their assessment. Please reply and state the total number of plates needed and we will schedule a date for the Blacksmith Alliance to collect.
Since the Recto Shop opens 24 hours we could go there after our supper of baked apples.
The managers asked why we never think of these in the first place. I explained the corporation need to be built based on baby steps. In this way, we would know how difficult it is to do business and from there we learn to evolve and revolve, create to innovate.
I told them we would rarely go out once we have made this kind of arrangements and only delivers 3 days every fortnight.
The men agree as we could play our part as Bandits later on. Hahahaha