One and a half months later, Gangu's equipment shop officially opened.
With nearly 30 million Gourmet Coins injected, everything became simple, and only two percent of this fund had been spent so far.
Inside the Gourmet Hunter Academy.
Gangu, as a professor, promoted products to the students.
"This lesson will cover the matching of seven types of herbivore trap bait..."
"By observing the living habits of herbivores, we can infer their preferences from the following details... Ruminants tend to... The differences between sheep, cattle, and horses lie in..."
Pausing, Gangu began to introduce his own products: "First is the general-purpose type, with alfalfa as the main ingredient. Its advantage is strong versatility, suitable for various situations, but its specificity is weak, and some picky animals are difficult to lure."
"Here, I recommend my latest blend!"
As he spoke, Gangu took out a can with a Rainbow Fruit pattern on it and grinned, saying, "That's right, this trap bait contains eight percent Rainbow Fruit, which has a fatal allure for herbivores. Don't underestimate this can; you only need to take a few grams of powder and mix it with fodder each time!"
"Of course, since this can contains Rainbow Fruit, its price is high. Catching low-value prey might even result in a loss."
This was Gangu's latest developed bait, and its testing showed astonishing results. Otherwise, the review committee wouldn't have allowed it on the shelves.
Gangu could be considered a little inventor. In just one and a half months, he had developed over thirty types of bait, covering all kinds of herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and scavengers...
It could be said that being a Gourmet Hunter was a waste of his talent.
However, he lacked money and research capital back then. It could only be said that luck had smiled upon him.
"Professor Gangu, you're not going to rip us off, are you?" a student questioned, looking at the sky-high price of the bait.
"How could I!"
"I've always treated you like family!"
"In my eyes, you are my dearest students!"
"What's the use of making so much money? Your money is my money, and my money is..."
...
...
In the past month and a half, Gourmet City had undergone even more earth-shattering changes.
The most eye-catching among them was the Food Luck Shrine!
Perhaps due to the manga's Japanese setting, the architectural style was very Japanese. It was said that only traditional monks from the core continent were qualified to build it. Zhang Wei spent a colossal sum to build a shrine of immense scale. Due to its location in the extreme north, the cost was at least ten times that of other places!
At this moment, countless worshippers were present.
Various ingredients were laid out on the Gourmet Shrine, piled up like hills.
A monk bowed and said, "Lay disciple Zhang Wei, food supplies for ten million people for one year have been prepared for you. All of it is placed inside the shrine for worship. With these ingredients, I believe many food destinies will be attracted."
That's right.
The fundamental purpose of the shrine was to attract food destinies!
According to the logic of this world, food destinies were part of the primordial gods, formless spiritual entities that could influence reality, avert disasters, and guide one's path!
If your food destiny was prosperous enough, you could even become a life form!
"Gathering the world's food, enriching human destiny!"
"What grand ambition!"
Beneath three pillar-like incense sticks, Zhang Wei stood with his hands behind his back, a strange feeling lingering in his heart.
It seemed...
Something was coming!
The monk rejoiced: "Excellent, I have never seen such joyous food destinies; even the incense sticks are contorting!"
Xifeng, standing beside him, asked, "How strong is it?"
"A strength never seen before... Only legendary figures from epics have exhibited such a phenomenon!"
Saying that, the monk took out two willow leaves, dipped them in an unknown liquid, and wiped them before his and Xifeng's eyes.
Indeed.
Spiritual bodies were surging within the shrine!
These willow leaves could actually discern spiritual bodies. What a divine artifact!
The winds of fortune gathered!
A familiar figure descended from the sky, Old Mo!
Everyone around immediately paid their respects, their voices filled with reverence.
"Guardian of the Human Realm, why didn't you inform us in advance? We could have prepared a banquet."
"No need!"
Old Mo stared intently at Zhang Wei and exclaimed, "It is truly strange that such a vast amount of food destiny can be gathered!"
"What is strange?"
Old Mo explained: "Generally speaking, a person's talent is determined from birth. If there is a possibility of reaching the pinnacle, their food destiny will be prosperous from birth..."
"But Zhang Wei, his food destiny was pitifully sparse. He shouldn't have become an excellent chef under normal circumstances, yet he has reached this point without the blessing of food destiny..."
Such rituals were not uncommon.
For example, a person with a food destiny of one hundred would gain an additional hundred food destinies through such a ritual, compensating for the increases brought about by life experiences.
A food destiny of one thousand would be replenished by one thousand.
But in Zhang Wei's case, he only had a food destiny of one, yet it was replenished to ten thousand!
What had these life experiences brought him!
What kind of experiences allowed a person to grow to this point and make food destinies submit?
"Perhaps... it's because of the offerings?"
Mellow Cola...
BB Corn...
Jewel Meat...
Crimson Sugar...
In addition to these ingredients, Zhang Wei had also prepared thousands of exquisite dishes, with his most proud creation taking center stage.
Formless!
From form to formlessness, from myriad forms to formlessness!
When this dish left the treasure vault, it could even trigger anomalies in the heavens and earth. It had to be sealed in a container with sacred bronze or the like, otherwise, everyone would go mad from the taste of Formless!
The second was Sweet Lover, which was far less sensational than Formless, but it represented pure spiritual strength and the ultimate yearning for love. For young men and women in love, no food surpassed it.
The third dish, First Taste, was even more unremarkable than Sweet Lover, blending in with the crowd... but it represented the unyielding nature of ordinary things and the pursuit of deliciousness by the masses.
It wasn't expensive, and its strength lay in its affordability, thus becoming something ordinary people could look up to.
The fourth dish, Pure Hiddendrop!
It had no special meaning, but its ingredients were difficult-to-handle special ingredients, usually considered useless waste.
In this world, ingredients were like beings with consciousness and souls. They were also thanking Zhang Wei for giving them a new life, thus working hard to display their delicious allure.
Following these four dishes were the works of the Gourmet Academy elites.
Shao An, Froze, Soul of Soup, Jun Qing, Wolfgang, Mr. Lo...
And Kurozawa City and Koizumi from the Black List...
Top chefs dispatched by the Cloud Country, True Lord of the Clouds, Xie Min...
Also, Kurama and his disciples, the Sichuan Cuisine Fairy, and the chefs from Kikuka Lou...
Zhang Wei had mobilized almost all his connections!
Thousands of them!
Each one was a peerless delicacy rare in the human realm!
Old Mo took a deep breath, frowned, and said, "No, it's not enough!"
Xifeng stood stunned, his mouth agape.
These were not enough?
Did you truly understand the value of these dishes?
Old Mo said solemnly, "The food destinies have been forcefully gathered. In this sacrificial ritual, there must be more ingredients that can stir up destiny!"