The regional cooperative occupied a long brick building on the edge of the county seat, surrounded by bulk fertilizer tanks, equipment sheds, and a parking lot that seemed permanently full of pickup trucks. Its name, Cumberland Valley Agricultural Cooperative, appeared above the entrance in block letters faded by sun. Inside, telephones rang behind a reception counter and a wall map showed the farms and service routes the organization supported. Noah arrived wearing his cleanest button-down shirt, carrying the inventory book in a canvas bag that had once belonged to Earl.
Rachel came with him. It was partly a matter of transportation and partly because she understood what it meant for a minor to begin handling commercial transactions that involved equipment reliability and possible liability. She had helped him gather basic records about the workshop property, reviewed how he would issue receipts, and arranged a conversation with a local accountant about keeping business money separate from household money. The idea of success was becoming less romantic and more full of forms.
The equipment manager was Rebecca Sloane, a practical woman in her late forties with short graying hair and a habit of folding her hands while other people talked. She had begun her career servicing grain equipment before moving into operations management, and she looked at Noah's age only once before directing her attention toward his notes. Daniel Mercer had called her personally. She respected Daniel, but she respected accurate records more.
"He tells me you located a generator part no supplier could deliver in time," she said.
"I found a candidate in an old engine," Noah replied. "Mr. Reddick verified the identity and installed it. The generator passed the checks he required."
Rebecca tilted her head. "You make it sound like the technician did all the work."
"He did the installation," Noah said. "I found the part and documented it. Those are different responsibilities."
She held his gaze for a moment, then nodded toward the inventory book. "Show me what different responsibilities look like on paper."
Noah opened to the page for engine eleven and explained how the part's identification had led him to the generator family. He walked her through the comparison sheets, the rejected candidate from engine seven, the service literature Arthur had helped locate, and the final notes from Thomas's test. Rebecca paid particular attention to the rejected candidate. Many suppliers could explain why something fit after a successful sale; fewer could show why they had refused a tempting alternative before making one.
"This red mark," she said, pointing to NO CONFIRMED MATCH. "What does it mean in practice?"
"That I don't sell the part as compatible until I can support the claim," Noah replied. "It may turn out useful somewhere else, but not on that customer's equipment without more evidence."
Rebecca closed the book and turned to Rachel. "You know this isn't a hobby if we begin ordering parts from him. There are invoices, responsibility for the work, and situations where the wrong answer can cost someone a crop."
"I do," Rachel said. "I'm making sure he understands that, too. He's still in school. We won't promise anything we can't carry out."