The next few days settled into a new rhythm for Ashburn. The security teams had begun their initial deployments, the internal audit members were stepping into their responsibilities, and the factory schedules were now moving under a watchful structure that didn't exist a month ago. Nothing dramatic happened—no major crisis, no unusual incident—but that didn't mean there was no work. If anything, this phase demanded the most patience. It was about ironing out the small inefficiencies that, when ignored, grew into larger risks.
On a Thursday morning, Ashburn stepped into the warehouse to observe the performance of the newly assigned audit members. One of them approached him hesitantly, holding a clipboard. "Sir, we noticed a mismatch in the stock count of detergent packs yesterday. Only a difference of five, but we thought we should bring it up."
Ashburn nodded. "Good. That's exactly what you're supposed to do. It doesn't matter if it's five or fifty—any inconsistency has to be flagged."
"Yes, sir," the man replied, looking a little more confident now.
He walked with the audit team for a while, observing how they logged entries, double-checked documents, and questioned small irregularities. They weren't perfect yet—some were a little too nervous, some took too long verifying basic things, and others hesitated before speaking up—but Ashburn wasn't expecting perfection on day one.
As he moved through the warehouse, he noticed two workers struggling with labeling. "Hold on," he called out, stepping closer. "Why are these boxes arranged this way? They're going to slow down sorting later."
One of the workers scratched his head. "Sir, we thought we'd get to labeling later—after loading."
Ashburn shook his head lightly. "No. It needs to be done before. It saves time and reduces errors. Let's reorganize this batch now, okay?"
They nodded quickly and began shifting the boxes. Nearby, Aisha watched the interaction and smiled. "You're going to turn this place into a training school one day," she teased softly.
Ashburn chuckled. "Only if they keep stacking boxes like this."
While the audit team focused on paperwork and process consistency, the security recruits were undergoing their early drills outside the factory grounds. The retired special operations officer—now officially the head of security operations—had set up a full training circuit. The area buzzed with energy: men running, drilling formations, practicing vehicle coordination, and learning how to respond to route disruptions.
Ashburn stood at a distance with the officer, observing. One of the trainers shouted instructions to the guards. "Simulate a blocked street! Respond in pairs—go!"
"Not bad," the officer murmured. "They pick things up quickly. Your instructions on prioritizing delivery vehicle protection have already sunk in."
Ashburn nodded. "They look more comfortable now. Earlier, they were stiff like they were preparing for a parade."
"They'll loosen up," the officer replied. "Drills make everything smoother… Speaking of which, you should try one or two. Just to show them you're not just the guy in the office."
Ashburn blinked. "Me?"
"Yes. You. Don't worry, we'll be gentle," the officer smirked.
Aisha and Kainat, who had just arrived to observe the training, immediately grinned. "Oh, yes, he should definitely try," Kainat whispered excitedly. Aisha nodded almost too quickly. "Make him join the running drill."
Ashburn stared at them. "You two seem way too happy about this."
"It's good for morale," Aisha replied innocently.
And so, under the amused eyes of the team, Ashburn reluctantly joined a short drill—pair running, quick pivoting, and simulated obstruction handling. He wasn't unfit, but running with guards used to daily training was another matter. By the end, he was catching his breath, hands on his knees.
One of the guards whispered jokingly to another, "Sir's fast—but not faster than us."
Ashburn straightened and smirked. "I heard that. Don't worry, I'll catch up one day."
The team laughed, tension melting into motivation. Even the officer nodded approvingly. "Good. They'll respect you more for this."
As training continued, the officer brought Ashburn a preliminary report. "We'll need better communication devices. The current set is fine for basics, but not for coordinated multi-route operations."
Ashburn made a mental note. "Arrange a list of what you need. We'll get proper equipment."
Meanwhile, on the business side, the fifth month had just begun—and with it came a major milestone: a total of eight shops now established in Bahawalnagar. Every shop had been opened one after another with careful planning, and now almost the entire city was covered. Deliveries were smooth, customer flow steady, and brand recognition growing. The map on Ashburn's office wall now had most of Bahawalnagar marked in fresh red pins.
During a meeting with the team, Aisha pointed at the map. "We've covered this much. If we expand more inside Bahawalnagar itself, it'll start overlapping."
Kainat agreed. "It's time to pick another smaller city. We need somewhere close enough to manage efficiently, but big enough to justify the investment."
Ashburn looked over the map. Minchinabad, Fort Abbas, Chishtian… all options, each with pros and cons. "We'll survey them," he said. "But first, I want to complete rounding off Bahawalnagar properly."
That afternoon, he went out himself to survey routes—again.
Driving through Bahawalnagar reminded him of the early days in Ashrock City. He had done the same thing there: analyzing routes, studying traffic flow, observing competitor patterns, checking availability of local suppliers, and identifying gaps in product distribution.
Even now, with eight shops running, Ashburn didn't rely only on reports. He preferred seeing things with his own eyes.
He stood outside one of the newer branches, watching customers walk in and out. The manager came out quickly when he saw him. "Sir! You could have called—we would've prepared for your visit."
"No need. I'm here to observe, not inspect."
He stayed for half an hour, checking how the shelves were arranged, whether the product flow felt natural, and how quickly the cash counter moved during mini-rushes. Everything was fine… but fine wasn't enough for him.
As he drove further across the city, he took notes mentally:
– Route 12 was too congested at peak hours.
– Delivery vehicles needed to avoid the old market road due to construction.
– One branch needed better fridge placement.
– Another required adjusting supplier timings to avoid overload in the evening hours.
Every detail mattered.
When he returned to the main office, the managers gathered around as he laid out the route adjustments. "If we optimize like this," he said, drawing lines across the map, "we'll cut delivery time by fifteen to twenty minutes per round. Across eight shops, that's a big difference."
One manager frowned. "But we've already optimized once, sir."
"And now we're optimizing again," Ashburn replied calmly. "Growth requires constant adjustments."
Aisha added with a small smile, "He's right. What works today might not work tomorrow."
In the coming days, the flagged inconsistencies—small ones only—kept appearing. A supplier arrived late with one batch of products. A route vehicle mixed up two crates. A branch used slightly outdated price labels. Nothing catastrophic, nothing alarming, but enough to justify the structure Ashburn had built.
Each inconsistency triggered a discussion, a correction, and sometimes a training session.
"Don't worry," Ashburn told one anxious branch supervisor. "Small issues are normal. The point is to identify them early."
The supervisor nodded with relief. "Thank you, sir. We'll be more careful."
Meanwhile, the security recruits continued their daily drills. Ashburn attended occasionally—not to participate this time, but to observe. The officer showed him a new drill involving quick regrouping after simulated obstructions.
"They're getting sharper," the officer said. "In a month, we'll have a highly reliable team."
"Good. I'll need them ready before we expand into the next city."
The officer glanced at him. "Have you chosen one yet?"
"Not yet," Ashburn replied. "But I'll start surveying soon."
By the end of the week, Bahawalnagar's entire business flow looked tighter. Routes were faster. Shops were smoother. Managers were more confident. Guards were more disciplined. Audit members were more alert.
There was still much to be done—expansion, product line improvements, supplier diversifications—but the system Ashburn built was working. Quietly, efficiently, steadily. And for the moment, that was enough.
As he closed his office for the night, Aisha leaned against the doorframe. "Long day?"
"Long month already," he replied with a tired smile.
Kainat looked up from her phone. "And the next one is going to be longer."
Ashburn nodded. "Yes. But we're ready."
And Ashburn walked out of the office with a quiet confidence—because the foundation was now firmer than ever.