Lunch Meeting
Having a light meeting during lunch.
For some, just hearing this might feel like a punishment, but in top-tier companies, even lunch is rarely a time to relax.
Forget about “having a chic lunch with colleagues at an elegant office” or “limited-edition bento from Marunouchi.” That’s a fantasy. More like something out of a clueless airhead’s delusions.
People often say, “Foreigners don’t work hard!” or “They don’t do overtime!” but those are lies.
At the top levels, regardless of country or company, people work late, have meetings during lunch, and spend weekends at parties (basically drinking sessions) with business partners. It’s the grind—the notorious heavy workload.
However, the top-tier professionals not only work themselves to the edge of burnout but also handle social events, sports, and hobbies, enjoying trends and their interests.
They live in a different world than people who spend their nights lounging around on social media or whining about having “no time” after a drinking binge.
As for those who say, “The rich are unfair!”—well, that’s just envy. Get over it. Honestly, there are almost no people who earn money easily in this world. Quit dreaming.
So, with that out of the way, let’s begin the lunch meeting.
Fundamentally, it’s not a formal event.
It’s just gathering executives together, having a meal, and discussing work a little. That’s all.
The portions are generous, though. Feed everyone well so they can work hard afterward.
Today’s menu:
- Beef stew with bread
- Light salad and macaroni with cheese
- Salmon and avocado tartare
- Caprese sprinkled with pink pepper for flair
- Herb-roasted chicken with lemon and rosemary for a Mediterranean touch
- Seafood paella
- Roasted pork with honey mustard
Soups include:
- Potage soup
- Tomato vegetable soup
- Chinese-style egg soup seasoned with sesame oil
Desserts are panna cotta with berry sauce, assorted éclairs, and ice cream.
Drinks? No alcohol, of course. Just some fresh fruit juices.
“Alright then, cheers!”
“Cheers!”
And thus began the lunch meeting in a relaxed atmosphere.
The Reports Begin
“About the ‘robots,’ things are progressing well. I think we’re almost ready to deploy the quadrupedal type,” someone began.
“Yeah, using magic and mana stones, we’ve solved most of the hardware issues. If we refine the program I created and collect more data, we should be able to shape it up,” another added.
“The issue is close-combat skills. The movements are too basic! Even I can counter them easily,” one commented.
“Is there even a point in making humanoids fight hand-to-hand? Couldn’t we just use something like claymore mines?”
“But wouldn’t it be cooler if they could fight?”
“Eh, do as you like. It’s not a priority anyway.”
As usual, Fran-chan’s enthusiasm was brushed off, while I grabbed two pieces of chicken. Delicious.
Grace chimed in while tearing into cheese-filled bread, “The training for the new recruits is going well. The interpersonal skills I developed at the church are proving useful.”
“When it comes to training, don’t scare them too much. Some of the lower-ranked members are too afraid of me. Being overly feared or revered makes things hard.”
“But most of them don’t realize how incredible a person they’re serving. Especially nobles—they tend to be prideful…”
“Fair point. What’s your suggestion?”
“How about giving those who reach the wizard class some leadership training to shift their mindset?”
“Oh? Got an idea in mind?”
“Yes! I came up with a draft during my break!”
“Nice. Summarize it and submit the outline later. I’ll evaluate it.”
Grace is motivated. I like that.
“What about you, Yuki?”
“Huh? Just selling Aurora Co. products as usual!” she said, already digging into the ice cream.
“Where have you been selling them?”
“Recently, in the Dominion Empire. I got in touch with a local noble during a royal capital party, and that opened doors for us.”
“And?”
“The Adon Magocracy, though… not so much. They’re confident in their domestic products and barely buy ours, mostly for research purposes. Otherwise, they’re practically banning imports. But in the Dominion, the higher-ups don’t seem to care about economic invasions—or maybe they don’t notice—so I’m exploring the possibility of setting up a branch there.”
She’s an airhead, but she’s amazing.
As a sales representative, she’s top-tier.
Her social skills and aristocratic status make her a natural diplomat. Despite her talent, she’s unaware of it, so I have to draw out her reports and give her proper recognition.
“Good job. Keep reporting properly, okay? You’re doing great, so don’t be shy about showcasing your skills.”
Meanwhile, what about Alan and Betty?
Alan, who loves fish, poked at the salmon with a fork and asked, “The accounting side is fine, but I often get underestimated. This makes negotiations tough.”
“Well, in this world, even noblemen who are gay still have to sleep with women to produce heirs.”
“Must be tough. Glad I’m a commoner,” Alan replied.
What kind of conversation is this???
Oh well, and Betty?
Chewing on bread, she responded, “I don’t have any major concerns or issues. If anything, I’d like to chat about personal matters later.”
“Hmm.”
It seems Betty lacks confidence in her abilities and keeps trying various methods to win my favor. Honestly, among the executives, she’s probably the most capable when it comes to getting things done. But… even if I told her that, she wouldn’t believe me, so I’ll just let it be.
For now, it looks like she’s trying to establish a friendly relationship by having private conversations with me, aiming to ensure she doesn’t get cut loose.
“Private conversations? Hmm… Well, lately, I’ve been into leathercraft. I’ve been making things by hand without using magic. I’m a fan of long wallets, but since there’s no paper money in this world, it’s a shame wallets here end up being leather pouches.”
And so, I respond to her normally.
Not with internet meme references or a flashy menko battle, but with a conversation topic that regular folks from other professions can relate to. Isn’t that a social obligation for adults?
When I lived in America, I made it a point to attend NFL games every year. NFL… That’s American football.
American football is wildly popular in the U.S., kind of like baseball is in Japan. In Japan, baseball is a topic most people can relate to, right? It’s the same idea.
Sports, trending movies or books, politics, and scientific news—keeping up with those things is a duty for working adults. Pardon me, it’s the duty of those in the upper echelons of society. Those at the lower rungs can keep chatting about adult entertainment and gambling if they like.
“That’s wonderful! Lately, I’ve been spending most of my time writing novels. Maybe I should give handicrafts a try?”
“In that case, why not start with knitting? It doesn’t require much use of needles or sharp tools, so it’s a good choice for beginners. Well, not that I’ve done much of it myself.”
“Oh, that sounds great! I’ll look up how to do it and give it a try!”
“If you’re going to try it, it’d help if you document the process. While I can generate fabric directly with magic, I have no idea how to knit.”
“Understood! Still, your Generate Magic is almost unfair. To think you can create things even without understanding them…”
“Well, I might not know knitting, but isn’t it just math at its core? Defining the interlocking of threads to maintain mechanical strength as stitches, transforming a flat surface into a three-dimensional object would involve calculus. To create periodic decorative patterns, you’d use periodic functions… then there’s sequences, topology, exponential functions, and trigonometry. If you can break it down mathematically, the rest is just a matter of industrial technique.”
“I see! That’s fascinating! As Exas-sama always says, math is the foundation of everything. To think it’s even used in things like knitting…”
“Well… it’s not like knitting was intentionally designed with math in mind. Humans are just unconsciously using phenomena that can be mathematically defined. Still, knowing things, no matter how small, enriches life.”
…And so, in this way, while maintaining friendly relations with my subordinates, I kept getting the job done.
