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Chapter 148: Choose the Longest of the Two
When Lynch returned home after breakfast, his maid informed him that Mr. Ferrall had called and asked him to call back as soon as possible.
The era without mobile communication was indeed inconvenient. If someone didn't stay in a specific place, nobody in the world would be able to find them.
After Lynch promptly returned Ferrall's call, Ferrall explained the purpose of his call.
The mayor had already taken care of Lynch's application to join the Federal Progressive Party, saving him the trouble of dealing with it himself. The party's Development Office would handle all the paperwork on his behalf.
At the same time, probably on Wednesday, which was the day after tomorrow, someone from the State Office of the Federal Progressive Party would come to Sabin City to meet with Lynch. Members like him, joining the Progressive Party through the recommendation of a city mayor, typically received more prestigious treatment.
The development commissioner would talk to Lynch about his impression of the Progressive Party, whether Lynch had any suggestions for the party, and if he needed any help from the party.
Ferrall told Lynch that he could say anything but absolutely could not request help, as it wouldn't be a good thing.
Many newly joined members of the Progressive Party were unaware of that when they discussed the challenges they faced in their businesses or work, some of which could be easily solved by the Progressive Party. However, once the issues were resolved with the help of the party, they would immediately seek returns.
It wasn't the endless or unreasonable demands; they were just pointing out that if help was given to them, shouldn't they also provide assistance to others—some of their fellow Progressive Party friends—when they could?
In fact, this approach could easily integrate an individual with the collective, but sometimes it could also pose issues—not everyone appreciated such "dedication."
In addition, there would be a charity auction in the state on Saturday night to raise funds to solve some of the city's unemployment subsidy problems. Lynch was also invited to attend. And next Monday, Lynch had to make time as the City Hall would hold a forum to discuss how to revitalize urban development.
Lynch didn't refuse these events. After all, the higher a person's value in society, the less one could guarantee complete independence. So, he carefully noted the times for each event.
Many people thought that being wealthy would be very liberating. In some ways, it was true, but sometimes it could be very restrictive because all aspects of society needed these people to voice their opinions or make contributions.
People who had a lot of money and just played all day without doing anything didn't exist in this world or any other world.
There were all kinds of meetings and events they needed to attend to, and none of them could be missed. Sometimes, ladies and gentlemen of the upper class would also feel very exhausted, as this kind of mental and physical exhaustion could be much more taxing than the straightforward fatigue felt by manual laborers.
At this moment, Lynch suddenly remembered what Katherine had said that day. Perhaps the so-called life of the upper class was spent in chatting and dining.
The next day, Tuesday afternoon, Lynch arrived at the location agreed upon with Lunetto by car to visit his factory.
This man had met him at a previous reception, seeking opportunities for cooperation, which was also the purpose of Lynch's visit here.
He believed that as the federal situation worsened, many things would relax their requirements, including laws related to employment.
Once it got to the point that people couldn't even afford food, no one would care about laws and regulations anymore. At that time, making money, buying food, and filling one's stomach were the most important things.
As soon as the car stopped, Lunetto, accompanied by his secretary, hurriedly approached to greet Lynch. He halted Lynch's driver from opening the car door, opting to personally open it for Lynch instead.
If it weren't for his current precarious situation, how would he, a factory owner, make such a move?
"Sorry to keep you waiting..." After getting out of the car, Lynch adjusted his attire and shook hands with Lunetto. Compared to his calm and restrained demeanor and his strong confidence, Lunetto seemed like an insignificant supporting character in some stories.
He stood with a subtle lean, not quite like a bow but far from standing tall. He aimed to avoid appearing overly subservient yet lacked the confidence to assert himself, embodying a man caught in indecision.
"Not at all. I'm already very happy that you could come. Shall we proceed to tour my factory?" he said, leading Lynch towards the factory.
The factory occupied about forty acres of land with three workshops and a warehouse. Such factories were very common in industrial areas. Perhaps wanting to present a "busy" scene to Lynch, all the workers in the workshops were present today, wearing clean work clothes and working diligently.
Lunetto probably regarded Lynch as a young man with little social experience, assuming he had never been to a factory area. Otherwise, he would’ve understood how foolish his actions were.
In fact, whether it was sewing workers or laborers, their work clothes couldn't stay clean. Especially those on the assembly line, the high intensity of work and mounting pressure left them with little concern for whether they were getting their clothes dirty.
But here, everyone wore clean clothes and worked leisurely, as if they were dealing with artworks rather than commodities.
However, what Lynch mainly came to see wasn't these people and their skill levels; he came to inspect the condition of these sewing machines.
Currently, most of the federal garment factories used the same semi-manual, semi-steam-powered industrial sewing machines Lunetto used in his factory. They had a handlebar, four pedals, and relied on manual foot pedal operation for handling some of the finer details.
The necessity for steam power would only arise during sewing tasks involving long seams. However, this requirement would inadvertently result in a hot workshop environment, as the escaping hot steam from the pipes would contribute to the elevated temperature.
In fact, beside these steam-powered sewing machines, there were also some electric ones, but their sales and usage rates were low.
The hidden cost of expensive electricity compared to cheap steam was too high. Perhaps the daily electricity bill could buy enough fuel for a week, so steam-powered sewing machines were mainstream.
As for making the workbenches and workspaces hot, that wasn't something the factory owners cared about; they never cared whether the workers were comfortable when working.
"The machines are quite new..." Upon a cursory inspection, Lynch discovered that the machines seemed well-maintained, with no obvious signs of wear and tear.
Lunetto was puzzled but still nodded accommodatingly, "These machines were updated two years ago. They are practically indistinguishable from new ones."
Two years ago, business wasn't as tough, so he invested heavily in upgrading. However, he quickly encountered issues such as reduced demand, leading to significant losses.
Therefore, his words weren't exaggerated. Since purchasing these machines, their usage gradually decreased. Initially, they could operate on a one-day-on, one-day-off basis, but now they were essentially at a complete standstill.
If it weren't to avoid bankruptcy filings, he might have applied for a complete shutdown long ago.
After touring several workshops, Lynch arrived at Lunetto's office. His office was grand, indicating he had lived well in recent years.
The exquisite, luxurious furnishings made it look less like a factory owner's office and more like a CEO's office, but this also highlighted Lunetto's difficulties and some minor silliness.
As soon as Lynch settled onto the sofa, Lunetto's secretary promptly delivered a cup of coffee. However, he declined it. Who knew how old those coffee beans were? Considering the factory's financial state, they likely had to budget even for purchasing coffee beans.
Lunetto looked at Lynch with an expectant expression, hoping for a positive response. Even a trivial order could sustain him for a while longer.
Many factory owners like Lunetto faced the same embarrassing situation. Once they announced a complete shutdown and couldn't resume work in the short term, they would violate the land use agreement they signed with the city hall.
They would not only lose their factory land but also all the real estate on that land. By then, even if they could hold on for a while longer, they would declare bankruptcy under such pressure.
So even if these factory owners couldn't come up with money, even if they had to borrow or loan, they had to open their factories every now and then, at least to tide over these problems.
Lunetto looked at Lynch hopefully. Naturally, Lynch gave him some hope. "Do you have any recent issues of magazines or newspapers related to fashion here?"
Lunetto immediately looked at his secretary, who quickly confirmed and found a fashion magazine from last month. It featured some stylish clothes and accessories, all the latest trends in the fashion world.
Lynch flipped through it casually, then tossed the magazine onto the table. "Can you make these clothes and accessories? "
Lunetto was a little surprised. He wasn't sure what Lynch meant, but he still nodded, "It's not difficult. My blanket factory has the capability for accessories, and the clothing can be made by the garment factory. There's no technical difficulty; the main problem is the innovative design and concept."
Lynch nodded approvingly. "Using similar materials, I want you to select some of the most fashionable brands and popular clothing styles at present and produce a hundred pieces of each, and for accessories and bags, produce a thousand pieces of each. In return, I'll give you one buck profit for each item. Can you do it?"
Feeling troubled, Lunetto picked up the magazine and looked at the descriptions of the fashion and branded accessories. These were all products of big brands, and they had design patents. "If I don't have authorization, making these products would lead to legal consequences, even lawsuits..."
Lynch simply smiled. "Even if you get sued, your factory won't go bankrupt immediately. But without this order, your factory won't last a few days. Do you choose to let your business continue, facing possible lawsuits that may not even happen, or do you choose bankruptcy for the sake of adhering to some principles? I respect people with convictions, but I don't sympathize with them. So. what would you choose, Mr. Lunetto?”
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