Chapter-9 Buying Mills (Part-3)

28th January 1828

It's dawn, and the first rays of sunlight delicately stroke the world, painting the sky in hues of soft orange and pink. The air is crisp and energizing, carrying the sweet scent of budding flowers and dew-kissed grass. As the day slowly awakens, the chorus of birdsong fills the peaceful atmosphere.

Here in the royal garden of Munich, Otto was running among the chorus of the birdsong. Sweat trickled down his face, evidence of his effort as he ran. After a while, he finished his 20 laps of running around the track. He then took a rest for 5 minutes by sitting on the grass.

Feeling energized, he proceeded to involve in a series of exercises suitable for beginners. First, he began with 10 push-ups, strengthening his upper body muscles. Next, he transitioned into a set of 15 sit-ups, working on his core strength. He followed it up with a round of 20 jumping jacks, which increased his heart rate and improved his cardiovascular endurance. Determined to enhance his flexibility, he then performed a set of 10 forward lunges, alternating between each leg. Not wanting to neglect his lower body, he concluded his workout with 15 squats, targeting his thighs and glutes. He took a rest of 5 minutes after the completion of every exercise. This was the exercise routine that Otto decided to follow for the next 1 month.

After these exercises, Otto went back to his room and took a bath. After bathing, the maids came into his room and dressed him to make him ready for today's endeavours. Thereafter, he ate his morning breakfast with his family. After that, he returned to his room. Upon returning to his room, he promptly summoned his loyal butler, Michael. In a hushed tone, Otto relayed his instructions to prepare the carriage for departure, ensuring that the royal guards would accompany them discreetly in ordinary attire. Assured of Michael's competence, Otto settled himself inside the carriage alongside his trusted confidant, ready to delve into their secret mission.

Otto turned towards Michael and started their conversation. With a glance exchanged between the two, the question left Otto's lips,

"Who shall be our first objective, Michael?"

Michael spoke with a confident voice,

"Owner of Hacker-Pschorr, Joseph Pschorr, Milord."

"Oh, what did you do about the Augustiner-Bräu?"

"Milord, we successfully negotiated with Augustiner-Bräu, and they promised that they will happily accept our generous offer of 290 golden. The fact that they are owned by the Augustian Monastery makes them even more agreeable to striking a deal."

" Hmm. They are not businessmen just some greedy priests who want profits. Let's prioritize a visit to Augustiner-Bräu first as they will be easy prey to lure with money."Top of Form

"Alright, Milord. Coachman Bryan, take us to Augustian Monastery."

Coachman replied,

"Okay, Sir."

Like this, they went to Augustian Monastery and easily made the deal with them in 290 Gulden. After that,

they met Joseph Pschorr. There instead of using his real identity, Otto introduced himself as a nobleman Andrea von Hoffman who wanted to buy his business. He said,

"Mr Pschorr, I'm very interested in your brewery. How do you make such excellent beer?"

He asked Joseph several questions about his brewing methods and skills and nodded approvingly at his answers. He said,

"You are a very talented brewer, Mr. Pschorr. I have a proposition for you. I want to merge my brewery with yours and make you my chief employee. You will have full authority over the production and quality of the beer. What do you say?"

Joseph was curious but thoughtful.

He said,

"That sounds very generous, sir. But why do you want to buy my brewery? What's in it for you?"

Otto said in an amused tone, "I like your beer very much, Mr Pschorr. I think it has a great potential in the market. I also admire your passion and expertise in brewing. I think we can work well together. I want to buy your brewery at 200 Gulden. Your monthly salary will be 5 Gulden. Do we have a deal?"

Joseph agreed instantly. Otto then revealed him his identity to and told him that he had hidden him his identity to test him. He also told him he selected a secretary for him who would help him in his wine research. Joseph had got interest in seeing him so Otto ordered Michael to bring him there. Then Michael bought a 15-year-old child, Josef Groll with him. Then Otto told Joseph to train this wine enthusiast little guy so that he would help him in his brewery. He also told him to rename the new brewery as Pschorr-Groll and start managing it from tomorrow onwards. Then he gave him a modern wine recipe and the technique of using bottom-fermenting yeast at cooler temperatures set the standard for modern lagers to encourage them. Joseph became astonished after watching these techniques and promised to give good results as fast as possible. He handed 800 Gulden and a 5% share of his brewery to Joseph as the initial investment in the brewery.

That was how he got Joseph Pschorr and Josef Groll who would become renowned for his wine.

After learning about F. J. Heilmann & Co.'s financial struggles, he contemplated acquiring the textile company at a reduced price due to its impending bankruptcy. Recognizing the potential for turning it around, he saw an opportunity to revive the business and make it profitable once again.

After considering several times the lower prices offered by F. J. Heilmann & Co., he made the decision to switch from Heinrich Anton Wolff to the former. The competitive pricing of the textile company was a determining factor in his choice. So, he went straight to the F. J. Heilmann & Co. from Joseph Pschorr and bought that company at 400 guldens.

He also decided to handle this company in his own hands for now and later he would hand all of the workload to another person. So, he ordered Michael to train someone in two months to handle his work in this company. He decided to name it 'ta roúcha'. It is a Greek word that means 'The clothes.

After this, he decided to inspect the textile factory of the company.

At the time of his visit to the textile factory, he carefully inspected every aspect of the company's operations. Meeting with the employees, he listened attentively to their concerns and challenges, valuing their insights and experiences. Deeply moved by their dedication, he resolved to address their issues and improve the conditions in the factory.

As he journeyed back to the palace that evening, his mind buzzed with ideas and plans to transform the textile factory into a beacon of innovation and worker satisfaction. Determined to create a harmonious environment, he envisioned implementing modern machinery, introducing fair labour practices, and investing in employee training and well-being.

Arriving at the palace, he began sharing his vision with Michael, eager to collaborate on revitalizing the textile factory and uplifting the lives of its workers. His passion and commitment to positive change set in motion a transformative journey that would impact not only the company but also the entire textile industry in Munich at first then it will slowly spread waves throughout the entire Europe.