Yang Ruoqian did not want ritual.
Ritual was what people called inconvenience after they forgave it.
The old cinema's manual ticket process had no right to become anything except slow. A customer walked to the counter, named a film, paid, waited for the printer, received a sleeve, checked the seat, and moved away. This was not culture. This was a queue with paper.
He ordered a time study.
Time studies were excellent weapons. They turned human softness into seconds. Seconds could be compared. Comparisons could shame. Shame could justify cuts.
The report arrived after two screenings.
Average counter purchase time: 52 seconds.
Average online purchase time: 18 seconds.
Manual sleeve handling: 9 seconds.
Customer schedule inquiry: 21 to 75 seconds.
Yang smiled.
Numbers had finally behaved.
He added the totals himself.
