On the tenth day after Allen officially received the deed to Nolan Steel Mill, a brand new sign was hung above the heavy iron gate—Williams Food Company.
The lettering was written in black lacquer by the best craftsman in the city, appearing solemn and powerful in the morning light.
Inside the gate, twenty newly recruited workers stood uneasily in the vast factory area, curiously and reverently observing their future boss, the 'Canned Hero' who had been so sensationally praised in the newspapers.
Allen stood at the front of the line, facing the workers.
Beside him were Sergeant Miller, in military uniform with a solemn expression, and Catherine, holding a thick ledger with a calm demeanor.
"Welcome everyone to Williams Food Company."
Allen skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point.
"You are the first batch of employees for this company. Before today, this was just an empty factory, but I believe that in the near future, it will become the largest and best food company in all of America."
Upon hearing him speak, the workers' faces showed expressions of skepticism.
"My rules are very simple."
Ignoring whether they believed him or not, Allen's gaze swept over each person.
"First, work hard. The wages I give you are higher than what dock foremen pay, so all the sweat I demand from you must be worthy of that wage. Second, obey, strictly abide by the company's management and regulations. Third, and most importantly, absolute cleanliness.
In any aspect related to food production, your hands, tools, and workstations must be kept clean and tidy. Anyone who violates this, no matter who he is, will be immediately told to pack his bags and leave."
His stern tone made the originally somewhat lax line of workers immediately stand ramrod straight.
No one wanted to lose this job; after all, the wages here were much higher than outside.
"Of course, there will be rewards as well as punishments."
Allen's tone softened slightly as he said this.
"Here, you will get fresh work meals every day, which is our own stewed beef. Workers with excellent performance will receive an extra bonus every month. I will not mistreat anyone who works hard."
He paused, then delivered his final summary.
"Now, my office supervisor, Miss Catherine, will register everyone and distribute your work badges and your tasks for the first day. Remember, from the moment you step through this door, you are no longer street vagrants or dock laborers, but official employees of Williams Food Company. I hope you can be proud of this identity. Now, let's begin!"
With that, he turned and returned to his office, leaving the scene to Catherine and the security detail.
The workers immediately stirred; they hadn't expected that the person in charge of managing their registration would be such a young and beautiful woman.
She looked very soft and easy to bully.
A few slick individuals already had smiles on their faces.
"Hey, beautiful lady, are you the one assigning our work?"
A tall, burly man asked in a deliberately flippant tone.
Catherine ignored his tone, simply raising her head and looking at him calmly with her clear blue eyes.
"Yes, I am responsible for registering your information and ensuring that on every payday, your wages will not be short by a single cent. If you have any questions about my work, or if you feel that having me calculate your wages is beneath your status, you may submit your resignation to Mr. Williams right now."
Her words were soft and logically clear, without any hint of anger, yet they effectively blocked all of the burly man's potential responses.
The man was choked into a flush, and amidst the laughter of his fellow workers, he could only sullenly shut his mouth.
Catherine's authority was thus established immediately, in a professional and dignified manner.
She opened the ledger and began to register the workers' names one by one, distributing numbered bronze work badges, and clearly informing them of their respective job types and areas for the first day.
The entire process was orderly, without the slightest confusion.
Allen watched from his office window and nodded with satisfaction.
As the workers were divided into different groups and led by Jones and others to begin cleaning the factory area and installing equipment, Allen took Catherine into the main factory building, which he had designated as the 'heart.'
"Catherine, this is where we will create miracles in the future."
Allen articulated his assembly line concept for the first time in its entirety to a second person.
He did not mention any technology beyond its time, focusing solely on process optimization.
"...You see, raw materials enter from the east gate, where they are cleaned and cut. We will custom-order a batch of cutting boards with markings to ensure that every piece of beef is uniform in size. This is called standardization; it's the first step in reducing waste and ensuring quality."
"The cut meat pieces will be transported by special carts to the cooking area over there. I've hired the best blacksmith in the city to forge ten huge copper pots for us, which will be connected to a steam piping system below. Heating with steam, compared to direct fire, provides a more even temperature and is less likely to scorch the pot."
"The finished stewed product is then sent here, to the canning area. Then comes sealing the cans..."
Catherine listened, rapidly taking notes in her own notebook, her eyes growing brighter and brighter.
Although she didn't understand the principles of mechanics and engineering, with a woman's unique intuition, she immediately grasped the core advantages of this design—efficiency, professionalism, and ultimate control over the process.
"Sir... this... this is simply a brilliant design!"
She couldn't help but exclaim after seeing the whole thing.
"Breaking down a complex process into so many simple steps not only allows workers to get started faster but also greatly improves efficiency! If this can truly be achieved, our production speed will be ten, even dozens of times, that of any handmade workshop!"
"That is precisely my goal."
"However, there is always a gap between theory and reality. This requires us to conduct our first trial production."
That afternoon, the entire factory building was thoroughly cleaned. Allen planned to officially operate the newly established factory tomorrow.