"I've said it before, this is all a misunderstanding. We only broke free from our chains to prove we could escape! But we chose to stay because we didn't want any misunderstandings!"
Zhang Wei shook his head. "Regardless, you all came under the guise of guests and carelessly explored the secrets of our home! You did it, but do you admit your fault?"
"Fault... Of course!"
The Gourmet Hunters gritted their teeth and nodded. As guests, such actions were indeed quite egregious...
Zhang Wei gestured for them to sit and said slowly, "I don't have any other demands. Just tell me who came and why. State your purpose."
"The people who came, all of them?"
"All of them."
Zhang Wei added, "Don't tell me you don't know. We're all intelligent people. If you provide enough information, I can let you witness the birth of a one-of-a-kind, naturally occurring ingredient! And I'll even share some with you."
One-of-a-kind? Naturally occurring ingredient? For Gourmet Hunters, what could be more tempting?
What followed was a grand unveiling of information. Each person provided their piece of the puzzle, deepening Zhang Wei's understanding of this group. Among them, the Blade Forging Manor, the Country of Healing, the Fabric Merchants, the Chain Hotels, and the Winery were all seeking cooperation, assessing the long-term viability of the Gourmet Bank and whether to invest. Zangma, despite his foul temper, surprisingly had a good reputation. Apart from his foul mouth and abrasive personality, he was known to be fair. The representative of the Salt Merchants was an outstanding businessman, smooth-talking and well-connected, but rumored to employ dark, bloodless methods.
So... what was the Gourmet Hunter Group there for?
"We... are here to find job opportunities, of course."
"According to market analysis reports, the Gourmet Bank has a massive inventory of high-quality ingredients. I believe the Gourmet Bank must have its own hunting team, and a very elite one at that."
"However... ingredients are incredibly varied. Sometimes you need Gourmet Hunters specialized in different fields!"
"Or if there's a target ingredient you're looking for, you can entrust it to us!"
Zhang Wei said, "While that may be true, you could have just said so."
"We were waiting for an opportunity!"
"What opportunity?"
"An opportunity to act when the Gourmet Bank is under pressure. And I believe the day is not far off when the Gourmet Bank will be overwhelmed by multiple forces!"
Offering help in times of need... or perhaps trying to exploit the situation for a higher price. Zhang Wei couldn't be sure, but the Gourmet Hunters were a force he urgently needed. Ingredients from level 1 to 20 could be easily obtained through trade. Levels 21 to 35 were considered very rare and had limited stock. Zhang Wei's business transactions were limited to levels 1 to 35. The methods of the Black List were not sustainable; a surge in ingredient theft cases would easily prompt survivors to upgrade their defenses and carry a risk of exposure. Therefore, for high-end ingredients above level 35, Gourmet Hunters would be needed for the hunt. As long as sufficient funds were prepared for bounties, Gourmet Hunters would naturally bring the rare ingredients to Zhang Wei.
"Perhaps... I should establish an Adventurer's Guild as well?"
"Just as the Black List cultivates assassins, I could cultivate a group of Gourmet Hunters I need... If these Gourmet Hunters are strong enough, it might even be possible to venture into the Gourmet World with me!"
...
Zangma had been very quiet lately. After asking Zhang Wei for a kitchen and some ingredients, he and his subordinates had been holed up in the kitchen, meticulously experimenting with Zhang Wei's textbooks. The rest of his time was spent attending lectures at the teaching location, listening intently. He showed no airs of a ten-star chef, asking questions like a regular student and sitting attentively.
Meanwhile, the fleets of the thirty-four distributors finally arrived. The day of the financial assessment had come!
Yan Yan, the Salt Merchant's representative, chuckled, "Mr. Zhang Wei seems quite at ease. You haven't seemed busy these past few days, suggesting you're quite confident."
"There's no need for such talk. We open our doors to do business; why should we fear customers?"
"Heh heh, it seems Mr. Zhang Wei's ingredient supply chain is quite stable!"
Accompanying the thirty-four distributors were friends from the media and administrative staff under Zangma, all present to record the event! This was the first true gathering of guests at the Gourmet Bank since its opening, and they were quite affluent guests.
The leading merchant, adorned with gold and jade, introduced himself as the "Coal Boss." He reportedly dealt in charcoal and firewood, owning numerous heating companies. His firewood was not only abundant and cheap but also burned steadily, making it ideal for cooking.
The Coal Boss said, "The corridors are new, with no signs of previous traffic. It seems we are the first batch of guests. Chef Zhang, you must know our purpose here is to stock up."
"While it's a stock-up, I won't buy any junk. I hope to find something that catches my eye!"
Although they had been here for some time, they hadn't been allowed to leave the academy, and they knew very little about the Gourmet Bank. While the Gourmet Bank had conducted business before, no one had ever braved the deadly cold to conduct transactions here. Ingredients were frozen and transported out via flying beasts.
The gate opened! A constant temperature of minus twenty degrees Celsius! While still cold, ordinary people could remain warm with thick cotton clothing. The Gourmet Academy's temperature was 18 degrees Celsius, requiring only a light jacket. Therefore, before entering the Gourmet Bank through the passage, everyone had changed into their most advanced cold-weather gear. The thick wool felt warm to the touch, allowing ordinary people to withstand minus forty degrees Celsius and even break a sweat with a little movement.
The Coal Boss remarked, "It's much warmer than I expected. I've always heard the Ice Hell Plains are unbearably cold, but I didn't expect the temperature inside this ice house to be so mild."
"It's simply a testament to the ingenious design of this ice house. The Ice Hell Plains have a temperature of minus seventy degrees Celsius, and with the biting wind, the apparent temperature can reach minus one hundred and ten degrees Celsius. That's a temperature even high-level Gourmet Hunters can't endure!"
"Never mind the temperature, look!" another person urged.
Everyone looked up! The interior of the Gourmet Bank shimmered with a kaleidoscope of natural light, a rainbow decomposed by the effect of the triangular prisms. The crystal-clear ice walls made the interior exceptionally radiant! It was so beautiful! It was like a crystal palace from a fairy tale! The interior space was also very spacious, giving a sense of grandeur. Countless staff members bustled about, wearing matching uniforms made of fur and cotton, both aesthetically pleasing and practical. On the transport carts were processed ingredients, entirely encased in smooth, translucent ice, like the finest amber.
The crowd couldn't help but comment. "The decor is perfect, and the overall structure is unique, clearly designed by a renowned master." "It's grand and majestic, yet practical and rigorous. The overall sense of neatness perfectly complements the theme of ingredients." "However... wouldn't this kind of freezing damage the flavor of the ingredients? After thawing frozen ingredients, at least thirty percent of the taste is lost." "You wouldn't understand. The extreme cold of the Ice Hell Plains instantly freezes the icy water soaking the ingredients. And due to the special material, it perfectly locks in the flavor! This is the fundamental reason for the Gourmet Bank's establishment."
In reality, there was a substance that could extract the deliciousness from thawed ingredients. It was the extremely special methane hydrate found underground! This was also the origin of the pure natural Century Soup! Xifeng led everyone to their destination – the Gourmet Showcase! This was designed to resemble a gourmet display case; although it was a single unit, adding and removing items was more convenient. The water used had been treated, and with the lighting, it made the ingredients appear in a rich palette of colors, like a painting.
"Esteemed guests, the Gourmet Showcase has sixty floors, with the food grade increasing on each level. Areas above the sixtieth floor are currently under construction and will open soon!" "Everything here is freely tradable, with no purchase restrictions. We also offer tasting services. The amounts you trade will earn you points, which can be used to choose tasting services." This point system was an idea of Zhang Wei's. It served as a form of rebate, giving loyal customers a greater sense of belonging and a desire to return.
The Coal Boss snorted, "All flash and no substance. In this business, only a stable supply of goods and guaranteed quality will allow you to go far!" The Coal Boss didn't even look and turned to descend to the next floor. Why would the most basic quality ingredients impress him? Besides his firewood business, the Coal Boss also ran high-end shops. Ordinary, low-value ingredients simply didn't catch his eye. Before he could descend, the merchants accompanying him began to discuss.
"Look at this cauliflower. It's emerald green on top and white below, with clearly defined gradient colors. It's a premium cauliflower. It can only grow like this with perfect nutrient supply and ample sunlight." "And... every cauliflower here has such perfect gradient colors. Regardless of grade, the appearance alone is superb!" Another person said, "Perhaps you should take a look at this... From the outside, it looks very much like a striped salmon, but striped salmon never grow this large! And this fish is vibrant and plump, with each scale like a rhombus craft!" "Based on my years of experience in the fish trade, the appearance of this fish is perfect. It can be sold as a limited-edition premium product."
The Coal Boss snorted, "What a lack of worldly experience. You are all representatives of top-tier consortiums in the human world, don't lose face." As soon as he finished speaking, the Coal Boss's gaze was drawn to a dazzling gold. What was this? It looked as if it were gilded, exuding an aura of opulence. It was perfectly spherical, round without a single blemish. "Hey, what kind of ingredient is this?" A waiter replied, "Potato." "A potato? It's as big as a carriage... I've never heard of a potato with such an alluring color and such a perfect shape." However, the Coal Boss immediately changed his tune, dismissively saying, "It's just its appearance, after all, it's a low-level ingredient." With that, he walked towards the second underground level without looking back.
A group of people followed, continuously commenting on the goods in the Gourmet Showcase. They were trying to find fault, but... The Coal Boss was getting anxious. His business was closely intertwined with the four great salt merchants, and the mission for this operation was to devalue the Gourmet Bank as much as possible and put pressure on Zhang Wei in the sales department. But he never expected this! "Damn it, are all the ingredients here this perfect?" "Impossible, even the largest and wealthiest gourmet associations in the human world couldn't achieve this!" "Could it be... the Gourmet Bank has an enormous inventory, and these exhibits are the best of the best, with the actual shipments being of lower quality?" The Coal Boss's thoughts became more and more convinced. Otherwise, there was no explanation for the dreamlike quality of these ingredients! Their inventory must be of poor quality, and by purchasing large quantities, they could force the Gourmet Bank to reveal their lower-quality ingredients, thus allowing them to demand returns and compensation for the discrepancy between goods and advertising. Furthermore, they could specifically request to purchase the display samples, taking their highest-quality ingredients! The Coal Boss was so moved by his own cleverness that he immediately declared, "Take all the goods on this floor!" The others expressed their displeasure, "Boss Coal is too overbearing, hoarding such amazing ingredients all to himself?" The Coal Boss explained, "No, no, no, I only want these exhibits. You can have the Gourmet Bank's inventory." The others were also renowned merchants, and they instantly understood the Coal Boss's plan. With ingredients of this quality, how could they possibly yield? Thus, conflicts erupted, with the target being the goods in the exhibition area.
The surrounding attendants softly reminded them, "This is only the second floor, and the products are the most basic." That's right! Didn't this Gourmet Bank have sixty floors? If they could maintain such appearance and the ingredients were of higher grade... the profits would be unimaginable! Over a dozen merchants immediately rushed towards the stairs, afraid of being beaten to it. And on each floor, they were met with continuous exclamations of awe! "This behemoth is a Baron Tiger? Impossible!" "How could a Baron Tiger grow so large... and its fur, its fangs... Damn it, from any angle, it truly looks like a Baron Tiger!" "Or perhaps a perfect enlarged version of a Baron Tiger!" "The Baron Tiger King!" On the fourth floor, the goods in the showcase were equally massive! On the fifth floor, the merchants had become numb, even finding amusement in searching for flaws. On the sixth floor, unable to find any flaws in the ingredients, they began to nitpick about the placement of the ingredients, such as the pear being frozen askew or the strips of meat not being laid flat. On the seventh floor, the ingredients here were equivalent to level 11-18 quality, and each one was perfect! On the twelfth floor, the variety of ingredients began to decrease from here, but their individual volumes increased, with many colossal creatures weighing thousands of tons! On the eighteenth floor, the ingredients here were equivalent to level 27-40 quality, and the selling prices also became astonishingly high! On the twenty-fifth floor, the ingredients here had become quite scarce. While the first seven floors had eight to nine hundred varieties, here there were less than eighty or ninety. On the twenty-seventh floor, there was the Rainbow Fruit, known as the treasure of fruits. Normally, its appearance would cause frenzied adoration, but the merchants, already stunned, had become quite numb.