233. My treat

Jason Liu turned his attention to the vast expanse of wasteland outside the warehouse walls. This area had been designated as industrial land by the High-tech Zone, but not many businesses had set up here yet. As a result, there was still a huge open space.

With expansion in mind, Jason planned to rent a larger plot of land to increase the warehouse's capacity. Satisfied with this decision, he drove his commercial vehicle out of the warehouse area.

Following his instructions, entry into the warehouse area would soon require facial recognition and security cameras. Only employees of Fusion Trading would be able to access the premises by scanning their faces. In the future, whenever new shipments arrived, Fusion Trading staff would need to unlock the doors and oversee the unloading process.

Jason had no intention of hiring security personnel for the warehouse. Doing so would only risk exposing his secrets. Besides, many logistics companies were already transitioning to automated systems, so adopting intelligent operations for his warehouse made complete sense.

After handling his business at the warehouse, Jason drove back to his villa at Forest Peninsula, Villa No. 7. He hadn't been home for more than twenty days, but thanks to the cleaning service he had hired, the villa remained spotless.

Tossing his car keys onto the living room table, Jason checked the time—it was almost 5 p.m. He went to his room and changed into a white casual outfit before picking up his phone. Opening WeChat, he sent a message to his company's group chat, announcing that he would be treating everyone to dinner that evening.

Fusion Trading had an internal WeChat group, but Jason rarely spoke in it unless it was for announcements like this. Within moments, the employees began responding enthusiastically.

Justin from Sales: "Haha! Thanks for the treat, boss! Welcome back!"

Samantha from HR: "Mr. Liu, are you back from a business trip? Hehe, where are we going for dinner?"

Ryan from Purchasing: "I heard there's a new barbecue place at Wanda. They're offering discounts for new customers! Should we go there? @Boss Liu, what do you think?"

Daniel from Sales: "Barbecue sounds great! I think I can eat at least five plates!"

Jiang Chuchu from Sales: "Wow, Mr. Liu, I'm surprised you're back! "

Regina from HR: "Sorry, Mr. Liu, I can't make it tonight. My husband and I are taking the kids to visit my grandmother."

Emily from Finance: "I'm free tonight. Count me in! "

Emma from Purchasing: "Single dog here, signing up! +1 "

Lucas from Purchasing: "Another single dog, signing up! +1 🐶"

Oliver from Purchasing: "Got it, Mr. Liu!"

Lin Xiaohan from Finance: "When did you get back, Mr. Liu?"

Jason Liu: "@Regina No worries. The dinner is completely voluntary, so don't feel pressured!"

Jason Liu: "@Lin Xiaohan Just got back this afternoon. Sent the message as soon as I got home. Looking forward to catching up tonight!"

Jason Liu: "Where do you all want to eat? I'll go with your choice. @Everyone"

The group chat immediately became lively as employees debated where to eat. Many wanted to go all out and have a feast.

Eventually, the majority decided on a high-end seafood buffet. The female employees had the final say, as three out of the company's four managers were women. The men, who had originally voted for barbecue, had no choice but to go along.

Jason didn't mind. After spending weeks in Westeros, he had eaten enough roasted meats—venison, beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and even bear paws. Lina had bought the bear paws from a winter market town, remembering that Jason had once mentioned they were considered a rare delicacy in his homeland. However, after trying them, Jason found them overly fatty and not as delicious as the legends claimed. He decided he wouldn't eat them again.

Since he had eaten so much grilled food lately, seafood sounded like the perfect change of pace.

At 6 p.m., everyone gathered at the seafood buffet in City Mall. Apart from Regina, who had family commitments, all employees showed up, making a total of eleven attendees.

Each meal cost 398 yuan per person, which was actually cheaper than their last company dinner at Wanda.

Since there were no private rooms available, they had to settle for two large tables in a corner of the dining hall.

Jason, who didn't drink and had to drive, sat at a table with Lin Xiaohan, Jiang Chuchu, Emily, and Emma. Meanwhile, the more outgoing Samantha, who was rumored to have a high alcohol tolerance, sat with Oliver and the other male employees. That table quickly became rowdy as they argued over who should drink the most.

Jason didn't mind. As long as everyone was happy, they could drink as much as they wanted. If needed, they could take a taxi or hire a driver to get home safely.

Picking up his glass of juice, Jason raised it in a toast with his tablemates before letting the others drink to their hearts' content.

Emma and Emily were too busy devouring the large lobsters on their plates to join in the conversation.

Jason casually ate the scallops Lin Xiaohan had peeled for him while chatting with Jiang Chuchu about work. During his absence, the company had continued running smoothly, and Jiang Chuchu and Lin Xiaohan gave him a brief update.

"It's great that Fusion trading's sales channels are expanding," Jason said thoughtfully as he placed a piece of salmon on Lin Xiaohan's plate. "We'll soon receive a large shipment of logs. Make sure Ironwood Timber Co handles the primary processing before selling them."

Jiang Chuchu, while peeling a crab, looked up curiously. "Aren't we cutting the logs into wooden planks before selling them?"

Jason took a sip of juice and nodded. "No, we'll sell them as raw logs. There'll be too many to process on our own, and deep wood processing would take too much time. Selling them with minimal processing will be faster."

Lin Xiaohan, who had been reviewing company finances, brought up another point. "By the way, the 60 million yuan you deposited into the company account last time—6.5 million has been paid to Carriage Factory. We still have tens of millions left. But seriously, where did you even find carriages that expensive?"

Jason simply smiled. "I have my own channels. Don't worry about it."

With work discussions wrapped up, the group moved on to personal topics, sharing updates on their lives over the past few weeks. The night continued with laughter, good food, and lively conversations, making for a memorable company gathering.

------------------------

For Advance chapters visit : patreon.com/Mythic_Muse