Chapter 181: Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work

[Chapter 181: Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get To Work]

The day after the Grammys ended, Ryan hurriedly flew with Taylor to Indiana.

"We're a full five days ahead of schedule. That should be enough time, right?" Taylor seemed a bit anxious on the plane.

However, Ryan didn't respond. She turned and found Ryan had already fallen asleep in the plush airplane seat with a sleep mask covering his eyes. Without a second thought, she propped her leg up and playfully shoved her bare foot near Ryan's face.

Ryan's nostrils twitched a couple of times, and before Taylor could even chuckle loudly, Ryan quickly grabbed her foot.

"Hahaha... Don't tickle!" Taylor squealed, immediately covering her mouth.

In first class, the seating was semi-private, with a curtain separating them from the aisle. There were only the two of them in the entire first-class section, so making small moves didn't really matter.

"That's something you'd need to ask your dad," Ryan replied. He had left all the touring arrangements to Scott Swift, who had taken on the role of tour director, while he had just appointed a tour manager -- someone who was the father of a fan from the forums. The rest of the technical team was all recruited by those two.

As he spoke, Ryan played with her toes, his thoughts drifting to Taylor's figure. If he had to describe it in one phrase, he would say, "world-class below the waist." Her long legs looked fantastic, and her small feet were cute -- fair-skinned and a rosy hue.

He could only think to admire it.

"The performance team seemed fine, but I'm worried about the technical crew..." Taylor pondered. The band members and dancers were all good since she had rehearsed with them multiple times.

"Have we got all the truck drivers lined up?" Ryan wondered aloud.

"Not sure about that," Taylor shook her head.

"How do you not know anything?" Ryan raised his sleep mask slightly.

"Are you seriously going to have me manage everything? I'm in charge of the performance side. Given the short time we have to run through rehearsals, it's been tough enough as is," Taylor replied, pouting slightly.

"Fair point," Ryan nodded. It wasn't easy starting from scratch; there were just too many things to consider.

"You're so bossy!" Taylor joked, pretended to kick at Ryan's face.

"Wait... are you actually going to bite me?"

...

When the plane landed in Indianapolis, Ryan and Taylor were picked up by a car arranged by Taylor's dad, which took them directly to Evansville.

After a few hours in the car, they finally arrived at Roberts Municipal Sports Center. As they stepped out, Taylor spotted her parents waiting at the entrance and dashed over to embrace them.

Ryan noticed that Taylor's parents were accompanied by a few other people who were well-dressed and serious-looking, seemingly local officials.

"Let me introduce you all. This is from the Mayor's office...

And this is from the local tourism department...

And here is the manager of the sports center... Any issues related to the venue should be directed to him.

This person here is from the local police department... He's in charge of the municipal security work for the tour."

"We're honored that Ms. Swift chose Evansville as her tour's kickoff. I represent the Mayor and the City Council, and I warmly welcome you both. We've planned some events that pertain to the City Council. The day of the concert will be proclaimed 'Taylor Swift Rivers Day'... Additionally, congratulations on winning the Grammy for Best New Artist!" The staff member from the Mayor's office shook Taylor's hand with one hand but clasped Ryan's with both hands.

This was Taylor's tour, funded by Ryan, who also liaised with the ticketing company, effectively the organizer. However, the choice of location was not really his doing; AEG had provided the list, taking into account Taylor's fan distribution to finalize the decision.

Ryan exchanged a few polite remarks; major concerts could boost the local economy, after all, and it certainly counted as part of the "city achievements."

Ryan spoke with the tourism and police department personnel, and they expressed that if Ryan or Taylor needed anything, they could reach out. Taylor's dad had contact information, and after a quick couple of exchanges, they opted to move on.

...

Finally, it was time to address their own people, and Ryan directly asked about the tour manager.

"Can we have everything ready within a week?"

"That shouldn't be a problem," the manager nodded.

They then entered the interior of the sports center, where numerous staff were busy setting up. Steel structures were being erected, and there was scarcely a trace of the stage.

Though Ryan had never organized a concert, he had experienced music festivals, and according to his memory, it was around this time when stage decoration should have started.

"Are you sure everything can be ready to go in a week?" Ryan asked once more.

"Shouldn't be a big deal."

"So there are issues?" Ryan assessed him closely.

"Just some minor problems at most," the person appeared a bit flustered.

"What kind of problems?"

"The manpower might still be somewhat lacking with such a tight timeline."

Ryan looked towards Taylor's dad; he hadn't mentioned anything like this.

"According to the stage design layout, there should be enough people for this, but Taylor has a high standard for performance quality... and because of the sports center's layout, to maximize attendance, the stage has to be pushed to one side but is obstructed by the newly constructed upper stands. Before construction, I had someone measure it to ensure there would be no issues... Turns out, it mainly comes down to a lack of experience," Taylor's dad chuckled sheepishly, skillfully redirecting the blame away from himself.

Ryan stepped closer to observe, noticing several signs of rushed work: sound equipment, lighting, wiring, and huge screens -- none of it was set up yet...

What was more, there were many workers present seeming utterly indifferent; a steel pipe that one person could easily lift required three to four people.

Understanding the slow pace was one thing, but this was excessively slow, wasn't it?

"Where's the site supervisor?" Ryan looked at the manager.

"Where is the supervisor?" Taylor's dad quickly chimed in.

After asking a few people, the manager returned, saying, "They said they went out to smoke; we do have fire regulations..."

They waited for nearly ten minutes before seeing the person.

...

"Mr. Rivers, sometimes we just can't control the circumstances. My advice is to try and get more hands on deck," the supervisor smiled apologetically.

"Is finance manager available?" Ryan inquired, glancing at Taylor's dad.

"Yes, in a temporary office at the venue," Taylor's dad replied.

"You go get the finance manager," Ryan instructed, looking back at the construction supervisor.

"Are we hiring locals with that money?"

"No, I'm settling your wages," Ryan said firmly.

It's already this late, and you're still leisurely? What were you doing before?

"Yes, letting him go is overdue, but it will delay our progress..." Taylor's dad worriedly remarked.

"I'll find a solution," Ryan said, dialing the AEG representative.

...

"I'm in Indiana; I need stage construction workers, whatever you have, just send everyone. Anything less wouldn't do... No problem, just hurry to the site... Also, send two more supervisors over as well."

After casting his phone down, Ryan figured the costs weren't trivial, plus sending others via plane would elevate additional expenses.

But with the clock ticking, Ryan couldn't worry about those numbers anymore.

...

Next, he dialed the manager of the Bad Room, Sean.

"Help me contact the team that did the interior setup for the Bad Room... I know it's a bit far... Get them moving ASAP; they're not heading to Indiana but to Jonesboro, Arkansas, which is the tour's second stop." Ryan hung up.

"Ryan, shouldn't we focus on just one location? The stage for our first stop isn't even built yet." Taylor's dad expressed confusion.

As a high-level executive at a financial firm, Taylor's dad excelled in monetary matters, but when it came to the nitty-gritty of organizing a performance, he was a bit out of his depth.

"The initial stages of a tour are all connected. One city each day is like a line of dominoes -- if one is delayed, all the following performances get affected." Ryan reminded him.

The tight scheduling was also set up to maximize profits.

Three shows in a week save on labor costs compared to having three shows in three different days, which also requires higher proficiency, meaning more efficient work equals more money earned.

So, while Taylor's concert may seem like only a single stage, in reality, it was two teams, A and B, alternating setup in different places.

Ryan hadn't forgotten to source some basic labor for free from the city office; those workers could help with lesser tasks, and he even considered asking Taylor's band members and performers. At first, these people seemed reluctant since they were either musicians or dancers, but upon seeing Ryan roll up his sleeves and start hauling steel pipes, they felt compelled to join in. Finally, even Taylor was pitching in to help out...

Taylor's dad watched this unfold with a sigh; he knew deep down that his oversight had led to this situation, and he rolled up his sleeves to lend a hand.

*****

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