He closed the tablet. Tomorrow, he’d have another mudslide, another missing delivery, another client with a perfect theory. And he’d be ready—not with a PDF, but with the real nuts and bolts.
Liam turned. "The procurement strategy is a beautiful PDF. But steel doesn't care about PDFs. Steel cares about diesel, detours, and dignity."
"The PDF doesn't know Darek," Liam whispered back.
"This document," Ashworth said, slapping the damp pages, "says you should have a 'robust risk register' and 'clear interim valuation protocols.' My question, Liam, is simple: Where are my steel beams? "
"Good," Liam said. "Here’s the real nuts and bolts. There’s a secondary road three miles east. It’s gravel, not tarmac, but it’s dry. You can get the lorry around the mudslide if you unhitch the rear trailer. It’ll take two trips. I’ll pay you double the haulage rate for the extra fuel. Cash. Today."
"The PDF says to issue a formal delay notice," Ashworth whispered.