Four months had passed since the inauguration of the new sawmill.
And, to the surprise of many…
Luis had not done anything as grand as that again.
In fact, he had barely started any new projects.
The main reason for this was Helena.
After observing the frantic pace her son had maintained for more than a month, she finally decided to intervene.
"You're going too fast."
At first, Luis didn't pay much attention.
But after reflecting for a while… he realized she was right.
The memories he possessed were vast.
Almost infinite in possibilities.
Technology.
Organization.
Scientific knowledge.
Industrial ideas.
But precisely because of that, he needed something fundamental:
Self-control.
At some point, Luis realized something curious about himself.
He was beginning to behave like an addict.
An addict to his own memories.
Always seeking the next idea.
The next project.
The next innovation.
That could be dangerous.
So he decided to slow down.
During those months, Luis spent much more time simply living.
He explored every corner of the estate.
Fields.
Woodlands.
Small rivers.
He spoke with workers he had never truly known before.
He also visited neighboring farms a few times.
And made some trips to the city of Rio de Janeiro.
These small changes began to create new habits in his routine.
Some of them… quite unusual for the time.
Luis began paying much more attention to personal hygiene.
Something that, in the late 19th century, was still not treated with such discipline.
He started taking two or even three baths a day.
Whenever possible.
He also developed the habit of cleaning his teeth regularly.
He used threads of string between his teeth.
And a strange paste that he improvised himself.
Some people in the house observed this with curiosity.
Others with suspicion.
But slowly, Luis began encouraging everyone around him to do the same.
"A clean mouth prevents disease," he explained.
Even if not everyone fully understood… many began to imitate him.
Another important change was his physical routine.
Luis began exercising every morning.
Running.
Push-ups.
Strength training.
At first, he did everything alone.
But at some point, he decided to drag Matheus along.
Matheus hated the idea.
"This is torture."
Luis completely ignored him.
Miguel, on the other hand, was extremely pleased.
Finally, there was an efficient way to wake his son early.
So he began actively collaborating with Luis.
"Matheus! Get up!"
"Luis is waiting!"
Matheus often showed up at the training field still half-asleep.
But over time, he got used to it.
As the weeks passed, Luis decided to take the training even further.
He began designing workout equipment.
Nothing extremely sophisticated.
But very effective.
Weights made of iron.
Chains.
Leather straps.
Lifting structures.
Exercise bars.
The inspiration came from modern gyms he remembered from his previous life.
Especially the styles popular between the 1970s and 1980s.
To build all of this, Luis relied on Rafael's help.
And also on two new assistants.
These assistants had been hired by Augusto.
Officially, it was a way to reward Rafael for his excellent work on the steam-powered sawmill.
But Rafael was not naïve.
He knew exactly what that meant.
Augusto was creating a small team.
A team for Luis.
In practice, Rafael and the two new assistants now worked directly under the young master's orders.
And Rafael couldn't be happier.
He knew Luis's talent.
And working alongside him always meant something interesting.
To produce the equipment, Miguel once again had to travel through the city.
He sought out blacksmiths.
Metalworkers.
Craftsmen capable of producing specific parts.
Fortunately, the previous experience with the steam engine project helped a lot.
He already knew exactly where to look.
Soon after, the parts began to arrive.
And Luis already had the perfect place to assemble everything.
The old sawmill.
The building had been completely abandoned since the new sawmill was built.
Initially, Augusto intended to turn it into a storage facility.
But Luis had a better idea.
He completely cleared the place.
Removing old tools.
Useless structures.
Forgotten pieces of wood.
When he finished…
The old sawmill had transformed into something entirely new.
A large physical training gym.
Filled with iron bars.
Improvised weights.
Exercise structures.
Chains and leather supports.
When Matheus entered for the first time…
He slowly looked around.
Then turned to Luis.
"This looks like a place of torture."
Luis simply smiled.
"You're going to like it."
Matheus sighed deeply.
Because he knew.
Whether he liked it or not…
He would be spending a lot of time there.