Marco laughed. A prank. Then he saw the second page: ingredient costs, sourcing from a local organic farm, and a note from the CFO authorizing a 40% budget increase. "Productivity studies show happy workers make fewer errors," it said. "We are investing in morale."

She took one bite of the sea bass. Then another. She didn’t say it was delicious. She just started crying, silently, while the industrial fans hummed overhead.

Marco nodded.

Chef Marco scoffed. For ten years, he had planned the menus for Planta Sur , a massive auto parts factory. Three thousand workers. One miserable budget. His menus were a masterpiece of survival: lentils on Monday, pasta on Wednesday, always a gray-ish stew on Friday.

The image showed a stainless steel counter, identical to his. But on it sat a whole roasted sea bass, its skin crackling like gold leaf. Next to it, a bowl of ripe figs and a wedge of Valdeón blue cheese. The caption read: “New Standard Menu – Trial Week.”