Chapter 4: Stepping In
September 15th, 1880.
Matthew reincarnated on the date of September 7th, 1880. And it had been eight days since that. For the last week, he had experienced the life the people had in the 1880s. It was tough. First in personal hygiene, there was no consistent running water, making cleaning up a challenge, especially after a long day of work. The communal pump behind the station was the closest thing they had to a bath, and privacy was almost nonexistent. He missed the convenience of his old life, where everything was readily available.
Every day, Matthew helped unload the cargo and kept track of the goods, gradually earning Railmaster Stone's trust. It was tedious.
On the morning of the ninth day, as Matthew was preparing to head to the station, he noticed something different in the air. The town felt busier than usual. As he made his way through the narrow streets, he overheard people murmuring about an important visitor arriving in Sylvania.
"What's going on?" Matthew asked as he approached Benson.
"Bigwig from the capital is coming in on today's train," Benson grumbled. "The owner of the railway company himself, Mr. Hargrave, is coming to inspect the station. It's causing a stir with all the workers."
"The owner? So he is rich right?" Matthew continued, his interest piqued.
Benson shrugged. "Rich? That's an understatement. He practically owns half the railways in Amerathia. When Hargrave shows up, everyone's on edge. He doesn't tolerate mistakes."
"So he is that rich huh?" Matthew mused.
"Why are you asking if he is rich?" Railmaster Stone asked with a raised brow.
"Please tell me about him," Matthew ignored his question and instead focused on Railmaster Stone. He knew that learning more about Hargrave could give him an advantage in their upcoming meeting. If Hargrave was anything like the businessmen Matthew had dealt with in his previous life, there would be a way to get through to him—but only if he understood the man behind the empire.
Stone glanced at Matthew, his expression wary. After a brief pause, he crossed his arms and leaned back slightly.
"Hargrave isn't just rich. He's a force of nature. Built his fortune from the ground up, started with just a few small rail lines, and now he controls the majority of the railways in Amerathia. His wealth isn't just about money—it's about power. Every decision he makes affects hundreds of thousands of people."
Benson nodded in agreement. "He's ruthless when it comes to business. You cross him, you're done. But if you're useful, he'll elevate you faster than you can imagine."
Railmaster Stone sighed, his eyes narrowing slightly as if recalling past experiences. "Hargrave's got a reputation for being as hard as iron. He doesn't like wasting time, and he has no patience for incompetence. That's why everyone's on edge when he visits. If something's out of place or not running the way it should, heads will roll. He's closed entire stations for less."
"Has he ever invested in new technology?" Matthew asked, trying to keep his tone casual.
He has, but only if it increases efficiency or profits. He's not one to throw money on something unless there's a clear return on investment. If you're thinking of pitching some fancy ideas to him, you'd better be sure it's something that'll save him time or make him more money. Otherwise, you'll be out of here faster than you can blink."
"Interesting," Matthew muttered under his breath. "Thanks for the info."
Benson chuckled. "You planning to impress the man with your ideas, kid?"
"Something like that," Matthew said.
"Well, good luck with that," Benson muttered, though the skepticism in his voice was clear. He gave Matthew a sidelong glance before turning back to his task of preparing the station for Hargrave's arrival.
The day passed slowly, with everyone on edge as they prepared for Hargrave's arrival. The station was scrubbed clean, and the workers moved quickly, their eyes darting around nervously, as though Hargrave himself could appear at any moment.
By late afternoon, the distant sound of a train whistle echoed across the hills. It was a low, rumbling sound that immediately set the workers in motion. Matthew stood near the platform, watching as the large, sleek locomotive rolled into the station, steam billowing from its chimney.
As the train slowed to a stop, a group of finely dressed men emerged from one of the carriages. At the center of group is the dashing of them all.
At the center of the group, a refined man stood out from the rest. He wore a perfectly tailored three-piece suit with a dark overcoat draped over his shoulders. His top hat sat at a sharp angle, and in his gloved hand, he held a sleek ebony cane with a silver handle shaped like a lion's head.
Matthew's eyes locked onto him. This must be Hargrave, he thought, watching the man's poised movements as he stepped down from the train with effortless grace. His steely blue eyes surveyed the station, barely acknowledging the men bustling around him.
The station workers, who had been rushing moments before, now stood still, waiting for orders.
Railmaster Stone approached, his usual composed demeanor replaced with visible tension.
"Mr. Hargrave," Stone greeted with a respectful nod. "Welcome to Sylvania Station. Everything is ready for your inspection."
Hargrave barely inclined his head in acknowledgment. "Good."
His eyes scanned the station, taking in every detail, as if calculating its value. "Let's see if this place is running as efficiently as it should."
As Hargrave and his entourage moved further into the station, Matthew stayed back, observing every movement. Hargrave didn't waste time on pleasantries. He questioned Railmaster Stone about logistics, efficiency, and profit margins. His sharp, direct questions put everyone on edge, and Stone answered as best he could.
As the group approached the freight cars, Hargrave stopped suddenly. His gaze landed on the workers manually applying brakes to the train, just as Matthew had noticed earlier.
"There was a major accident at Columbus a week ago. A train derailed due to faulty brakes," Hargrave said, his tone ice-cold. His eyes narrowed at the sight of the men struggling to manually turn the brake wheels.
"That's unfortunate," Railmaster Stone said. "We've been managing fine here, sir, with no major incidents. But our brakemen here are all trained and experienced. We've avoided any major problems so far."
Hargrave's lips pressed into a thin line as he scrutinized the scene. "Managing is not good enough, Stone. I don't pay for 'fine.' This system is dangerous which is why I had my engineers come up with a solution. And they are still yet to produce results."
Matthew, still lingering on the sidelines, saw his chance. Taking a deep breath, Matthew stepped forward again, speaking before he lost his nerve. "Mr. Hargrave, I might have a solution to your braking problem."
Hargrave's eyes flicked to Matthew, he didn't expect that the one who interrupted him would be this young.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Matthew Hesh, an assistant of Mr. Stone."
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