Chapter 2 second quarter

"I'm in charge of this case..." Muto asked his supervisor in surprise in the izakaya on the weekend. Sitting at the other end of the table was Director Takaoka of the Planning Department of Seitomi Ashiya Branch.He was pulling the chicken off the bamboo skewer, and said slowly: "You also want to be on your own, I think you should be able to do it alone. This case is fairly easy." "Minister, you asked me to be in charge of the dessert project? This...isn't right..." Even though he was drunk, the other party was still his boss after all, so Muto's reckless answer was really inappropriate.What's more, the minister invited him tonight.In fact, Minister Takaoka's words are equivalent to saying "I will leave this case to you".If it were someone else, they would definitely reply respectfully: "No problem, I will definitely do my best."

However, Muto roared in pain: "Don't give me this kind of case!" His mind was racing, trying to figure out why this had happened. ——The minister should know that I hate sweets, right?I remember that I said it several times during my breaks at work or when I was at the end of the day, and every time he said sympathetically: "Hate sweets? This is very painful!" He should not forget it!So you deliberately tricked me?Did I offend him somewhere? Muto asked tremblingly: "That... about the dessert project, is to invite a dessert chef to fill the venue with desserts..."

Xifu Department Store has opened several branches in Kansai. Every year during the Golden Week, dessert-themed activities are held in the main store and branches.Because there are many Keihanshin confectionery shops participating in the event, it attracts a large number of people every year, especially female customers.Of course, the Ashiya branch will not miss this event. "I didn't appoint you to be in charge this time." Minister Takaoka understood the uneasiness in Muto's heart, and saw him chewing the chicken with relish. "Actually, 'Nishinomiya Garden' hopes to be hosted by you...the contact window over there is Ms. Ogata."

There is a large shopping mall on the south side of Hankyu Electric Railway Nishinomiya Kitaguchi Station.Two years ago, in 2008, a shop-in-shop named "Nishinomiya Garden" opened here.Not only is there a connecting bridge directly to the station, but the location and surrounding environment are also top-notch.In December last year, a roof was added to the contact bridge, and LED lighting was added at night, adding to the gorgeous atmosphere. The West Palace Garden is a five-storey building. There are many famous shops on the first to third floors. The top floor is a cultural club and beauty salon, and the fourth floor is a dining area.

Minister Takaoka said, "Isn't our cafe located on the fourth floor over there?" Muto nodded.Many restaurants and dessert shops have settled in West Palace Garden, and one of them is a compound cafe called "Palais Doux" (Palais Doux), which was invested and established by Xifu Department Store. "Dessert Palace" has signed contracts with many pastry shops, and the products displayed in the commodity cabinets are all the proud works of pastry chefs.Also because of the collection of products from many famous stores, the rich variety of products is a major feature of the "Dessert Palace".The store is very spacious, more like a small restaurant than a coffee shop.Every year, various events are held here by the Planning Department of Seitomi Ashiya Branch.

After taking a sip of beer, Minister Takaoka continued, "They want to use the place to hold a dessert carnival." "But the Dessert Palace isn't as big as a department store event venue." "As long as the content of the project is strong enough, the venue is not a problem! It was originally designed for this kind of project, and it is suitable for holding small events." "Is this Miss Ogata's proposal?" "That's right. I thought it would be great if she could take care of organizing activities and communicating with manufacturers. The problem is that the time for activities is very tight, and no matter how strong she is, she can't do both."

"I think it's more efficient for Ms. Ogata to take the lead and me to assist." "But she very much wants you to be in charge this time!" "Would it be a bit too..." "Isn't there a 'sweet man' popular recently? It's good to think about it! For example, men can easily bring their girlfriends to enjoy sweets and the like." Minister Takaoka saw the embarrassment on Muto's face, and smiled and said, "I know you hate sweets!" "In that case—" "However, as long as you stay in the planning department, you will encounter all kinds of jobs. Is it possible that you will quit when you encounter jobs that are 'I hate food' or 'I have no interest in this aspect'? Such workers Disgraceful!"

"I am willing to do everything else, but the dessert is really..." "That's good. You can ask Ms. Ogata for advice, but you have to write the planning proposal yourself. I'll put my ugly words first, and if you mess up things casually, I won't let you go! This project must make money, you know? give it to you." The words have come to this point, and I can't push them away.After Muto Shoku finished his meal without taste, he said goodbye to Minister Takaoka. On the tram home, Muto kept thinking about various countermeasures—all of which had nothing to do with the project.For example, how to avoid touching desserts, how to ask Ogata to do it for him, etc., he racked his brains to think about how to avoid desserts.

——It should be the best way to invite her to enjoy desserts from famous restaurants, and then suggest her when she is in a good mood? "No, this trick will definitely not work." Muto shook his head. In fact, according to the time when she joined the company, Ogata Reiko is considered to be Muto's younger generation.Unlike Muto, she was assigned to the planning department from the very beginning, so although Muto was two years old, she had more planning experience than him. Reiko Ogata is a lovely fair-skinned, short-haired woman who goes well with rouge-colored metal-rimmed glasses.

"I love desserts so much that I won't get tired of eating them all day long!" Compared to her cute remarks about desserts, she is super strict at work. Muto once witnessed Reiko sternly refute her male colleagues at a planning meeting.The male colleague criticized Lizi for being too strict on desserts with a sneer, but Lizi suddenly changed her face and shouted angrily, "Don't underestimate desserts and female guests!" Then a heated argument broke out. If Reiko just complained, others could easily say, "It's okay! Miss Ogata, calm down." Or "Actually, he didn't mean anything badly."

But that time the situation was not so easy, because Lizi was calmly arguing with the other party repeatedly, even to the point of chasing and beating her fiercely.She enumerated various information in detail, questioned the other party whether he understood the customer class, and forced the other party to escape from the conference room before giving up. "If I was said to be like that, I'm afraid I can't stand it." Muto couldn't help trembling when he thought of this. But looking at it from another angle, it is precisely because Lizi has this kind of personality... "If I am reasonable, it is possible to convince her and make her willing to help, isn't it?" Muto thought.