Chapter 2

Drew's POV

The next morning, when I arrived at the factory, I found a crowd gathered around my old workstation.

Billy hurried over as soon as he saw me. "Drew, Ms. Thompson hired a third-party contractor. They're going to sort through and reorganize everything in the warehouse."

I nodded. "At least that will make things easier for you."

Pamela happened to walk by with a fake smile plastered on her face.

"It certainly will. There wasn't much work to begin with, and now that we've brought in a new inventory system and are moving everything into the database, everything will be much more efficient than just scribbling into that notebook of yours.

"No one in this world is irreplaceable, Drew Krause. No matter how capable you are, you can't change that!"

I nodded without saying anything. I just took a quick glance out the window. All the dirt in the open lot had been dug up and paved over with concrete.

I took a deep breath. What a shame. They'd never get to eat homegrown vegetables again.

The contractors took the records I'd organized to the warehouse. But they had just taken one look at the overwhelming amount of work waiting for them before they quickly backed off.

"Ms. Thompson, this is way too much work. You'll need to pay us extra!"

Pamela wired them 15,000 dollars without hesitation. "You have three days to finish everything!"

The team agreed immediately.

I stood off to the side, watching without a word, while Pamela looked around the factory with her chin held high.

"You're all going to watch carefully over the next few days," she said, raising her voice. "Don't think having decades of experience means you have the right to coast on seniority. This is a tech-driven society. If you don't keep working hard, you can expect to be laid off!

"It's time for this company to bring in some fresh blood. Starting now, we'll have morning briefings, end-of-day summaries, and direct individual accountability!

"Drew Krause, you're lucky you're retired. Otherwise, someone like you wouldn't be able to keep up with our pace."

I just chuckled softly at her words. Then, I returned to my workstation to look through recipes.

The contractors might be able to get the warehouse sorted out, but the factory's machinery wasn't something that could simply be replaced overnight.

Pamela talked about buying new equipment, but a single machine could cost anywhere between hundreds of thousands of dollars and over a million dollars. That would drive up costs considerably.

With the economy struggling, tacking on millions of dollars in costs wasn't reform. It was reckless expansion—something only an idiot would do.

But I didn't say anything. I just quietly studied my recipes. I still had to figure out what to cook when I got home, after all.

The contractors stayed for three days, but in that time, they only managed to sort through a few hundred parts. Even that nearly wore them out.

Then, on the fourth day, the new system went live, with all 3,000-plus parts entered into the database.

Seeing this, Pamela immediately made the decision to have me pack up and leave.

I didn't argue. I completed the handover checklist, finished all the necessary paperwork, and then prepared to leave.

At the same time, the new machinery Pamela ordered arrived at the factory. When the workers saw the production line shut down and the new equipment being moved in, they immediately erupted into a commotion.

One after another, they came looking for me.

"Drew, what the heck is going on here?"

"Drew, all the new machines have controls entirely in Wallernian. None of us know how to operate them!"

I just chuckled softly. "With fresh blood coming in, it only makes sense to use new equipment."

"Good. At least you're aware of that," Pamela boomed, her voice coming from behind me.

She stood there with her arms crossed, looking down her nose at me.

"Brand-new, fully automated equipment from Wallerny. From now on, our production line is going to be the fastest in the industry!"

She was practically dripping with self-satisfaction as she continued, "Those who used to coast by doing the bare minimum, don't expect to slack off on my watch anymore. 24-hour surveillance cameras have been installed across the entire factory. No more excuses."

Hearing this, I drew a deep breath.

"Creating a high-pressure work environment like this will only make the workers resent the company. In the past—"

"The past is ancient history!" Pamela cut me off. "My dad sent me abroad to study business specifically so I could come back and straighten out this workplace!"