Chapter 624 - 408: Meeting 2

Chapter 624: Chapter 408: Meeting 2

The Crown Territory’s natural mineral hot springs and pristine environment turned out to be an unexpected health benefit for the tourists.

Of course, a small portion of the feedback was also worth noting.

Younger tourists widely reported that while the Crown Territory was beautiful, its remote location meant it lacked the kind of thrilling entertainment they craved.

There were no lively bars, no thrilling amusement rides, and barely any nightlife to speak of.

Ouyang Xue recorded these opinions one by one, circling the key points in her notebook.

Drawing on all the tourist feedback, Ouyang Xue, a seasoned professional with years of hard-won experience in the tourism industry, quickly compiled a detailed analysis report.

On the first page of the report, she wrote her core conclusion.

The Crown Territory’s natural wellness benefits and untouched scenery were its irreplaceable trump cards, but development had to be differentiated to target various customer demographics.

They needed to preserve its tranquil, healing atmosphere while also adding outdoor adventure activities suitable for younger people.

For instance, snowmobile racing, aurora photography contests, or even comprehensive collaborations with local tribes to develop immersive cultural experiences.

In Ouyang Xue’s view,

this stretch of desolate land in Alaska was a tourism gold mine that had yet to be fully tapped.

Of course, another crucial factor solidified her determination.

The Crown Territory tour route was a completely exclusive resource.

Other travel agencies, even if they coveted this lucrative prize, could only look on with envy.

Alaska was thousands of miles away, a completely unfamiliar territory. To replicate the tour, a competitor would not only have to travel vast distances to scout resources and establish channels but would also find it nearly impossible to navigate the complex local networks.

Even if someone wanted to resort to underhanded tactics, the vast ocean between them made it impossible to even begin.

It was precisely this scarcity and irreplaceability of the Crown Territory route that made Ouyang Xue willing to resolutely remain at the Crown Leader Travel Agency, despite her awkward and unofficial position.

She was even willing to accept it, though the initial salary Zhang Kai offered fell short of her expectations.

Because in Ouyang Xue’s eyes,

this company was like a seed just starting to sprout.

Once it matured, the potential returns and industry influence would far outweigh what any salary could measure.

She just hadn’t expected that after she had prepared to say the compensation was negotiable,

and had even mentally prepared herself to make some concessions,

this President Feng before her would agree to her proposed terms without a moment’s hesitation.

This unreserved trust stirred an unexpected feeling of gratitude in Ouyang Xue’s heart.

The anxiety she had been feeling moments ago finally settled.

As for Feng Shan wanting to appoint his own finance person, Ouyang Xue saw no problem with that at all.

After all, the finance position was a crucial one in company management.

Feng Shan’s arrangement was clearly made with the company’s best interests in mind; in fact, it was a prudent and wise decision.

"President Feng, rest assured. I understand your arrangements. I will do everything in my power to handle the company’s business..."

Ouyang Xue had just begun to state her resolve when, before she could finish,

Feng Shan stood up abruptly, a broad smile on his face, and extended his hand.

"Vice President Ouyang, would you be so kind as to inform all company personnel that we’ll have a meeting in ten minutes? I’ll formally announce your position and welcome you to the Crown Leader Travel Agency then."

He finished, his voice laced with a friendly smile, "This time, we can have a proper handshake, can’t we?"

Hearing this, Ouyang Xue couldn’t help but recall her cold attitude toward Feng Shan when she had first entered.

A faint blush crept across her beautiful face, and she felt a little embarrassed.

She quickly got up and shook Feng Shan’s outstretched hand. "Of course, President Feng. I’ll go inform them right away."

Their handshake was brief.

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! Sitting on the sofa, Zhang Kai broke into a relaxed smile and began to applaud. His voice held a mix of teasing and admiration. "Lao Feng, who knew? You’ve even studied company management. Not bad."

"Enough of that. I had a cellmate in prison who used to be a CEO. He loved to talk about company management whenever he was bored. I heard so much about it my ears were about to fall off."

Feng Shan shrugged nonchalantly, making no effort to hide it. He didn’t care if Ouyang Xue knew about his past.

In his view, trust was a two-way street.

Since he had chosen to trust Ouyang Xue with managing the company, there was no reason not to be completely honest with her.

Hearing that Feng Shan had been in prison,

Ouyang Xue, who had been about to turn and leave, froze for a moment, a look of surprise on her face.

She glanced up, her eyes lingering on Feng Shan’s face for a second before she said nothing and walked briskly out of the office.

The office door closed gently behind her.

Zhang Kai walked over to Feng Shan and clapped him on the shoulder. "Lao Feng, don’t worry about it. She was bound to be a little surprised, but I don’t think she’s the type to be prejudiced over something like that."

After offering his reassurance, Zhang Kai changed the subject, bringing news that delighted Feng Shan.

"Oh, right. That brother of yours in prison—he was already on good behavior, even studied for an associate’s degree, and has had his sentence reduced three times. Brother Yang and I pulled some strings. He should be out by next week."

"Thanks." Feng Shan nodded, a flash of gratitude in his eyes.

Back then, he himself had been sentenced to eight years for that incident, while Black Egg had gotten ten years—his crime of chasing someone down and stabbing them was considered more severe.

Now that Xiaohua, Hu Zi, and Black Hide were all settled, this last brother was the only one left to worry about.

"What’s with the ’thanks’ between brothers?" Zhang Kai’s eyes widened in mock anger. "Just buy me a drink later. If you don’t, watch me chew you out."

Feng Shan couldn’t help but laugh. "No problem."

He was happy his brother would soon be out of prison, and he was also deeply grateful for the help from Zhang Kai and Su Yang.

Just then,

the office door was pushed open gently. Ouyang Xue stood at the entrance, her posture ramrod straight. Her voice was crisp as she announced, "President Feng, President Zhang, the meeting is ready."

Feng Shan immediately stood up at the sound of her voice.

His gaze fell on Zhang Kai, who was still sitting leisurely on the sofa, sipping his tea.

"Let’s go, time for the meeting!" Feng Shan urged.

But Zhang Kai just shook his head, a wry smile on his face.

He then waved a hand dismissively, his tone a mix of teasing and profound relief.

"What meeting? This is your company. I was just managing it for you. Now that you’re back, my job is done. I can finally relax."

Seeing this, Feng Shan couldn’t help but chuckle.

He understood that Zhang Kai truly intended to hand the company’s affairs back to him completely.

He said no more and followed Ouyang Xue toward the conference room.

Neither of them spoke on the way, and the atmosphere was a little quiet.

Soon, they arrived outside the conference room. They could faintly hear the employees’ hushed whispers from within.

Feng Shan felt an unexpected surge of nervousness.

After all, this was his official return to the company and his first time meeting the employees as their boss.

Ouyang Xue gently pushed open the conference room door, her movements elegant and unhurried.

Then, she stood by the door, turned sideways to look at Feng Shan, and gave him a look that said, ’You’re the boss. It’s your stage.’

Feng Shan took a deep breath, trying to compose himself.

He straightened his back slightly, put on a confident smile, and strode into the conference room.

The employees, who had been chatting in low voices, gradually fell silent as they saw someone enter.

The employees all rose to their feet, their gazes turning in unison toward the door, their eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation.

Their boss had never once made an appearance in the two months since the company opened.

They had only ever seen his heroic figure on promotional posters from various hunting trips.

However, in those photos and videos, the boss always wore a windproof face mask, making it impossible to see what he looked like.

As for what their boss actually looked like, everyone could only imagine.

The employees had often discussed their mysterious boss in private.

Some guessed he was a rich heir who had used his family’s vast fortune to break into the tourism industry and create a unique project like the Crown Territory.

Others thought he was a self-made middle-aged man who had carved out a niche for himself in Alaska through his own hard work.

Some even said he was a retiree who had founded the travel agency out of a deep love for Alaska, hoping to fulfill a lifelong dream in his twilight years.

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