Project Department Meeting

Frederick and Manuel returned to the Oak Village town hall, where everyone involved in today's project meeting had already arrived.

There was no proper meeting room here. Just like when they met with the villagers, everyone sat on chairs around the hearth. A pot of tea hung over the fire, and anyone who wanted some could ladle it into their cup.

Frederick ladled himself a cup of tea and sat down calmly, taking a sip. Now they could finally sit down and discuss the canal.

He had named the canal the "Carolina Canal" after his mother.

Today was the first full meeting of the Carolina Canal Project Department. Attendees included Baron Frederick von Weissen, the client; Ah Fu, the Weissen Family steward and client representative; Professor Einhard, the civil engineering veteran representing Weissenburg University, the design unit; Edward, the master craftsman from the City of Nuremberg Stonemasons' Guild, the chief person in charge of the construction unit; and Bishop Clement of the Weissenburg Cathedral, representing the Church of Light as the supervising unit.

Edward had done many projects before, but this "supervision" thing was new to him. For a moment, he couldn't figure out what these clerics were supposed to do.

Bishop Clement also wasn't sure why he had been invited, but upon hearing it was a business worth about 60 Florins, he came anyway.

The Weissen Family had never been easily swayed by clerics and hadn't donated much in the past, leaving the clerics living in straitened circumstances. Dozens of gold coins was no small sum.

Frederick held his cup, looked around at everyone, and began, "It is a pleasure to meet you all here today. Together, we will build this Carolina Canal, which will change the economic landscape of the continent."

"There are rules for getting work done. I will now clearly state my rules. If you don't understand or have objections, we can discuss them together. Once a decision is made, it must be followed. Does everyone agree on this point?"

This was a normal procedure, and no one had any objections.

Frederick pointed at Ah Fu and said, "He will be my representative on the project, responsible for coordination, management, schedule management, quality control review, and payment of project funds."

Then he pointed at Einhard and said, "Professor Einhard is the representative of the design side. The canal was designed by him and his students."

"Construction will, in principle, follow the design drawings. If difficulties arise during construction, he will be responsible for finding solutions. If necessary, the design can be altered. For significant changes, written documentation must be submitted for my review, and additional payment may be provided."

Edward's eyes lit up upon hearing this. Previous projects were always fixed-price contracts, and clients often made changes here and there without increasing the payment. Getting extra money for work here was unprecedented.

Then Frederick poured a bucket of cold water on him: "Edward, you quoted based on the drawings. Getting extra money is good for you, but I'm not easy to fool."

"The approval for extra payment will ultimately come from me. I have a master here who helps me review things. You can try adding extra costs randomly."

The "master" Frederick was referring to was actually himself. In his past life, he had worked his way up from construction worker to project manager, from plumbing and electrical installation to "dry land to water" projects. He had seen it all.

Edward immediately calmed down, recalling the detailed prices in the contract, such as the price per man-day, earthwork unit price, and transportation costs. He instantly realized this was preparation for modified work.

He patted his sturdy chest with his strong arm and said, "Please rest assured, Baron. We make money with a clear conscience."

"Your willingness to pay thirty percent of the gold upfront is a sign of trust in us. We will not do anything that harms your interests."

Frederick nodded and said, "Work hard. I haven't started looking for people for those bridges on the canal yet. You understand."

Edward's smile became even brighter. If he didn't understand such a hint, he would have lived in vain.

Frederick nodded in greeting to Bishop Clement, then said, "Your Excellency and the other clerics' duty is supervision, not only supervising the craftsmen's work but also supervising whether we pay according to the contract."

"Our contract is to pay thirty percent upfront, with the remaining fifty percent paid in installments based on ten milestones. The final remaining payment will be settled after the first ship sails through the canal."

"One of Your Excellency's tasks is to confirm when the craftsmen complete the corresponding milestones and sign their payment requests as verification. Similarly, when we make payments, you will sign the payment receipts as verification."

Frederick didn't expect the clerics to have architectural knowledge to act as professional supervisors. The conditions for setting up a professional supervision company didn't exist yet either. Digging a canal only required measuring the length, width, and height to calculate earthwork, which was achievable.

Matters involving money could easily lead to disputes. Frederick didn't want to waste energy on this, so he found a third party that both sides could accept to act as a witness.

Bishop Clement believed he understood Frederick's meaning. He had never seen delayed payments for projects but had heard of them. He bowed slightly to him and praised, "Baron Weissen's benevolence will surely receive the blessing of the God of Light."

"We will do our job well."

Frederick nodded slightly in thanks and then asked Edward, "Do you agree with this point?"

The smile on Edward's face had never disappeared. What he feared most was, of course, being owed money by the client. Now, with a cleric as a witness, if Baron Weissen didn't pay, the case could be taken before the king.

"I agree!" he replied happily.

Frederick nodded slightly and said to him, "This hard-earned money isn't easy to come by. If you encounter any difficulties, speak up immediately, and we'll discuss solutions together."

"From now on, on the 5th and 10th of every month, we'll sit down like this and discuss things we can't solve ourselves, and finally find solutions."

"I'll also come when I have time, mainly to handle major issues."

Edward immediately patted his chest and said, "Please rest assured, Baron! We will definitely listen to you!"

Frederick just nodded slightly. That's what he said, but how he would actually do it remained to be seen.

"You can also rest assured," he said. "All the wages are already in my treasury. As long as you do the work, you'll get paid."

"As soon as you cut down the trees within the canal's red line, the first payment will arrive."

Edward immediately said, "Our organized carpenters have already started arriving. Cutting trees and building wooden houses won't be delayed."

Frederick nodded, then said, "You need to pay attention to fire prevention for the residences. A fire would be disastrous."

During the rest of the time, he discussed the craftsmen's food, clothing, housing, and transportation in detail.

After the meeting, Frederick dismissed everyone, ladled himself a cup of tea, and finished it quietly, letting out a sigh of relief.

This canal excavation was not only a major project within the territory but also a great opportunity to promote the image of the Weissen Territory to other territories.

In the future, the development of the Weissen Territory would require attracting craftsmen from surrounding areas. By setting a good example that hard work would be rewarded with payment, they wouldn't have to worry about craftsmen not coming.