Oneirataxia: My Fictional Man

CHAPTER 39

Chapter Thirty-nine

After printing 250 copies of each promising book by Chanel, Yma, Anne, and Ryan, the Marketing team immediately released the news on our website that the books will be soon launched a week after. As guaranteed, the Production team delivered and distributed 25 copies to each branch of DDR (Daily Dose of Reading) bookstore.

After a week, we are all here in our conference room and intensively discussing our business' partial sales movement at cash inflow.

Chelsea, the head of the Sales Department was thoroughly tackling the first weekly basis report in front of us. Tutok ang lahat ng pares ng mga mata sa PowerPoint presentation niya. I was amazed by how she organized numbers and percentages through tables and graphs in keen detail. When I scrutinized her report, I couldn't help but smile in triumph. Napalingon ako sa mga empleyado ko at katulad ko ay malaki rin ang ngiting nakaguhit sa mga labi nila.

"Isang linggo pa lang ang lumipas mula nung na-display ang mga libro sa bawat bookstore ay sold out na agad. Now, the public is demanding us to produce and print more of the same books," she said after her last slide.

I glanced meaningfully at Shaina, the head of the Production Department and without hesitation, she nodded as if she could read my mind.

"Kaya ba ang 500 copies in just one week?" tanong ko.

"2,000 po lahat?" Mukhang nag-aalanganing nag-isip si Shaina dahil sa tanong ko.

500 copies of each story by those four writers, so that makes it 2,000 books in total.

"I'm afraid we couldn't, Ma'am. Two book-printing machines were damaged due to overworked nung second day of printing. Kaya sa mga sumunod na araw ay nag-overtime na lang kami at umaasang hindi rin bumigay ang mga natitirang machines," imporma ni Chloe, one of the workers who is assigned to book binding.

Tumaas ang kilay ko sa nalaman.

"Why didn't you tell me that?" I asked, glaring at them.

Napalunok naman si Shaina at hindi magkamayaw na napasulyap sa kanyang mga kasama.

"I apologize, Ma'am. We just wanted to meet your expected number of prints. We didn't want to fail you"

Natahimik ako sa tinuran niya. They are willing to work overtime just to meet my demand. Yeah, my fault. I didn't check the equipment and manpower prior to the week of printing. Worse, I impulsively mandated how many copies I wanted them to produce.

"Additional Ma'am, those who live in places without bookstore are immensely requesting for an online delivery transaction of the books. Should we consider to go for it?" ani ni Chelsea.

Of course, we should. Satisfying our consumers' wants is one of our top priorities.

"Bella, contact our supplier and purchase five book-printing machines and two binding machines. ASAP," utos ko at tumayo na, "And Shaina, assign any in your team to build an online store on our website, make sure that it's only accessible to the ones located in a place with no bookstore. The meeting is adjourned."

Agad na akong lumabas at dumeretso na sa opisina ko, nakasunod si Bella habang dala-dala ang mga sales report.

"Bella, bar tayo mamaya," anyaya ko at lumingon sa kanya.

Hindi na siya nagulat sa sinabi ko ngunit puno naman ng pagtataka ang nakarehistro ngayon sa mukha niya.

"Ma'am, gabi-gabi po ata kayo nagba-bar ah? Nightly celebration? O may problema kayo?" pansin niya. Inirapan ko lang siya at tuloy-tuloy na naglakad.