Although the drinks have not yet arrived, the contract can still be signed!
Nineteen wineries offered 3,000 types of premium spirits and 12,000 types of ordinary spirits. Some rare ones might only have a dozen bottles, while abundant ones could reach hundreds of tons, all stored in oak barrels.
80,000 tons of spirits!
Valued at 18 billion!
More unique ingredients were put on display.
[Discovered Catchable Ingredient: Berry Grasshopper]
[Discovered Catchable Ingredient: Love Sardine]
[Discovered Catchable Ingredient: Armor Beetle]
[Discovered Catchable Ingredient: Peach Fig]
[Discovered Catchable Ingredient: Sticky Leek]
[Discovered Catchable Ingredient: Silver Grizzly]
[Discovered Catchable Ingredient: Rock Peak]
[Discovered Catchable Ingredient: Elephant Trunk Frog Beetle]
...
An unprecedented spectacle!
Floor 27: Starting bid 170 million!
Some smaller merchants were already breaking a sweat. Prices like these could easily reach a high of 250 million, which was no small sum even for these tycoons.
And this was only up to the twenty-seventh floor. The building had sixty floors in total and was still expanding.
Currently, the quality of the ingredients was indeed getting better!
The buyers were not blindly purchasing. Before each auction, they would inspect the goods and fully understand the value of the ingredients on each floor.
Sheng Tarou of the Healing Country stood up and asked, "I wonder if the Healing Country, given its national stature, is eligible to participate in this grand auction."
The Healing Country...
A nation with a long and rich history, it had never participated in any conflicts, having maintained its status as a permanent neutral country for hundreds of years.
Dedicated to healing and saving lives, it had consistently focused on medical development and the promotion of medicine.
This was also the only national power from the original work that Zhang Wei had encountered.
Based on the timeline, the Human Realm was about to experience a protracted Gourmet War, turning the entire world into chaos.
The Healing Country's ability to survive the Gourmet War and continue to exist until the main storyline unfolded was no simple matter!
Zhang Wei nodded and said, "Of course, I look forward to trading with the Healing Country."
Sheng Tarou bowed and quickly presented the Healing Country's unique products.
[Discovered Catchable Ingredient: Medicinal Bee]
[Capture Level: 23]
[Description: A unique species from the Healing Forest, composed of a head, thorax, abdomen, and wings. The structure of its abdomen closely resembles a syringe, and it stores a large amount of potent natural medicine within.]
[Description: The medicine stored by Medicinal Bees changes according to their habitat, with hundreds of types available, capable of effectively treating cancer, infections, external wounds, fractures, high fever, organ failure, blindness, deafness...]
The signature creature of the Healing Country!
The Medicinal Bee!
While they could be used for medicinal cuisine, no one would waste them.
The natural medicinal properties of the Medicinal Bee were excessively effective, and after use, they could slowly recover and continue to provide high-quality medicine.
However, Medicinal Bees were very particular about their habitat, only favoring flowers from medicinal plants, making them very difficult to raise.
A single dose of natural medicine sold for around 1,500 Berries on the market.
Due to their continuous value generation, a young and healthy Medicinal Bee could sell for 20,000 Berries. Sheng Tarou immediately brought ten thousand of them and promised to provide eighty thousand more in the coming days!
[Discovered Catchable Ingredient: Healer Aloe]
[Discovered Catchable Ingredient: Healing Butterfly]
[Discovered Catchable Ingredient: Acupuncture Cactus]
[Discovered Catchable Ingredient: Hot Spring Dragon]
[Discovered Catchable Ingredient: Liposuction Worm]
[Discovered Catchable Ingredient: Tumor-Eating Fish]
[Discovered Catchable Ingredient: Hair-Growth Keratin Berry]
[Discovered Catchable Ingredient: Blood-Replenishing Worm]
[Discovered Catchable Ingredient: Healing Jelly]
...
Sheng Tarou immediately presented eighteen types of extremely expensive medical products.
These medicinal creatures had low edible value, but due to their level, they were barely of interest to the Treasure Vault.
However, in terms of utility, they were incredibly practical species that would drive people wild, and each of these medical supplies was extremely expensive!
Medicinal Bees were actually among the cheaper ones.
Total value in exchange: 8.5 billion!
Sheng Tarou chuckled, "It seems I also have a part to play. The Healing Country also greatly needs the ingredients from the Gourmet Bank."
It seemed...
There were ingredients on this floor that the Healing Country needed!
From the twenty-seventh floor onwards, most of the items were collected by Zhang Wei from the Cloud Country and the peaks of the Transverse Mountains. Indeed, many ingredients could be used in the medical field.
No wonder Sheng Tarou was tempted!
Floor 30, starting bid 280 million per item!
This included a large number of ferocious beasts from the Legalistic Island and low-end ingredients from the Hungry Road.
Currently, among the dungeons Zhang Wei had encountered, the ingredients from the Hungry Road were the most advanced and in considerable quantity.
At this moment, Zhang Wei was already winning big.
Excluding the massive amount of gold, Zhang Wei had collected over 300 types of ingredients, all of them excellent varieties unobtainable by normal means, far superior to the ordinary goods acquired through regular transactions!
Once these were stored tonight, tomorrow's daily output would directly increase by one billion!
And that was a conservative estimate; the actual earning potential of perfect specimens far exceeded this figure!
The coal boss was now completely stunned.
And the sense of doubt grew even stronger!
Was his concept truly flawed? Would someone really dump all their best quality goods in this manner? Wouldn't they consider the future?
Or perhaps... were all his goods this high quality?
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
Time reached the thirty-second round, and the starting bid had already reached 390 million.
Many unprepared merchants had started making promises, their gold brought by their fleets depleted, intending to use contracts for pre-orders of goods.
Seeing that not much more could be squeezed out, Zhang Wei divided the ingredients on the thirty-second floor into 30 portions, which greatly reduced the pressure on everyone. The starting bid per portion was only 130 million.
However, not being able to see the ingredients made Zhang Wei extremely uncomfortable.
He immediately declared, "Given the excessive transaction volume, the sale of ingredients from the thirty-third floor upwards will be temporarily suspended. Everyone can go back and prepare some funds, and then we can proceed with the transactions!"
Boss Jin questioned, "Are you planning to swap the high-quality exhibits, or perhaps go back on your word after a month?"
Zhang Wei immediately agreed to seal off the building floors from the thirty-third floor upwards and reopen them after a month.
Although everyone was unwilling, all the money they had brought was spent. It was not unreasonable for the host to want cash transactions.
Boss Ji said, "Alright, it's a deal!"
"However, I will send people to guard the entrance to the thirty-third floor of the Gourmet Bank, to prevent you from making any subtle moves!"
"Feel free," Zhang Wei said indifferently.
With a month's time, the Treasure Vault could prepare another large batch of ingredients.
Furthermore, Zhang Wei's merchant association was spread throughout the Human Realm. Ingredients from levels 1-20 had been mostly collected, and they were shifting their focus to ingredients above level 20.
At this rate, it wouldn't be long before they collected all the treasures of the Human Realm, and then their sights would be set on the Gourmet World!
...
After everyone left, Zhang Wei went to Cang Ma's kitchen.
"Chef Cang Ma, you didn't attend the auction?"
Cang Ma shook his head, "From the moment you could handle these merchants, I knew your financial strength was not an issue. I just didn't expect the Gourmet Bank to actually have such scale and reserves. I underestimated you."
Who would have thought that an emerging force would possess such deep financial reserves!
This was unreasonable!
"How is your research on my textbooks going?"
Although Cang Ma was reluctant to admit it, the value of these three textbooks was undeniable.
He could only say, "Heretical, some of the ideas within... for instance, this concept of equation cooking, claiming that cooking is mathematics, is an utterly wicked and heretical notion!"
"Cooking is something that brings happiness. Only with heart can one reach the pinnacle. Emotions and love should be infused into cooking..."
Old-fashioned theories.
Thoroughly idealistic!
But Zhang Wei could not deny the boundless power of idealism within this worldview.
As long as it was sufficiently idealistic, one could ignore the gap in technical mastery, much like teammates sacrificing themselves in a hot-blooded story, leading to boundless magic.
Zhang Wei retorted, "So, my cooking cannot bring happiness? Eating my cooking will make people unhappy?"
"This... this is not the case..."
"So it lacks emotion and love? Why would you think that? Am I a robot without feelings?"
"This..."
Zhang Wei was merciless, "What do you consider emotion? Must textbooks be filled with emotion and love to be perfect knowledge? Then why bother explaining techniques? Wouldn't a romance novel be more effective?"
Cang Ma's expression darkened, "That's not what I meant. I'm just saying this textbook completely ignores the interpretation of the chef's mindset, completely indulging in techniques. Moreover, these techniques... lack any aesthetic appeal, it's practically blasphemy against culinary art!"
Zhang Wei tilted his head, "So you're saying that adding romance should be done in proportion? Should you remind me to add some romantic elements, like celebrating the ingredients' birthdays?"
"Also, what do you mean by indulging in techniques? Isn't cooking all about techniques? Should I fall in love with culinary art? Talking to my skills, isn't that a bit schizophrenic?"
"As for the techniques lacking aesthetic appeal, you feel I'm too bare, don't you?"
Zhang Wei understood Cang Ma's idea.
It was nothing more than elevating a certain technique to an unattainable height, thereby achieving a sense of aspiration and mental worship.
Zhang Wei, on the other hand, dissected things too cleanly, too directly!
It was like disassembling a work of art back into bricks, tiles, mud, and red paint, making it impossible to worship.
Zhang Wei shook his head, "Art is art; it does not become great because of your mental worship. Humans are fundamental!"
"You place culinary art on too high and unreachable a pedestal, which also creates an imbalance and communication difficulties between you. If culinary art were to be personified, why must it be an idol? Isn't being a friend better?"
"Under your theory, culinary art is so unattainable, shrouded in a veil of mystery, so how can anyone see it clearly?"
"If I were to question it, under your thinking, understanding culinary art is too tiring. Moreover... this is not suitable for teaching. Academies, in particular, should be purpose-driven for teaching. If you want to express worship for some fantasy product, why not do it behind closed doors?"
Cang Ma was momentarily speechless, his face turning pale.
Zhang Wei's appreciation for his talent instantly vanished!
Zhang Wei's set of theories completely ground Cang Ma's views into the dirt, like an act of provocation from a fanatic cursing a true god!
Zhang Wei said, "Then... from your academic perspective, how should this textbook of mine be revised!"
"Heh, no need to revise! I will record it truthfully and publish it in the Gourmet Journal!"
"Let's hope it's truthful, and not with added personal opinions and private agenda."
Cang Ma's expression turned even uglier.
Because what Zhang Wei said was exactly what Cang Ma intended.
"Hmph, kid, you underestimate my professional ethics as an editor!"
"Yes, I hope the editor's professional ethics are not burdened with too much personal emotion!"
"You scoundrel!"
Cang Ma had had enough of Zhang Wei's sarcasm. His terrifying aura, reaching level 100, erupted instantly!
Fierce winds scattered in all directions, but Zhang Wei seemed completely unfazed, his expression still calm.
The aura vanished as quickly as it appeared.
Cang Ma understood that getting angry during academic discussions was useless.
He immediately said, "There is one final academic consideration: the skill of the ultimate master of technique, which is your skill."
"How do you want to test it?"
"A culinary duel!"
"With whom?"
"With me!"
Cang Ma decided to take action personally!
Cang Ma stated, "I ranked 88th in the world at the cooking festival in the previous two realms. If you can equal me, it will signify that you possess the highest level of teaching ability!"
Cooking Festival!
The highest level culinary event on the entire planet. To be among the top 100 was a great recognition of a chef's status!
It was said that half of those participating in the Cooking Festival were chefs who had traveled in the Gourmet World, possessing terrifying strength!
Zhang Wei smiled wryly, "A culinary duel... how nostalgic."
"What, are you going to refuse this part?"
"Of course... not!"
Cang Ma said proudly, "Very well, in one month, we will have our decisive battle on the Great Glacier. Do not disappoint me!"
"Wait a moment."
"What?"
"According to the rules of the Delicious Treasure Academy, a Shokugeki must have a bet!"
"What stake do you want?"
"Does this even need to be asked? Ingredients! Super-quality ingredients that the Gourmet Bank does not possess! And in sufficient quantity! Considering our identities, 20 billion worth of ingredients should not be considered excessive, right?"
"That's a bit petty."
As expected of a great chef who could rank on the world stage, he didn't even care about 20 billion.
However, with Cang Ma's status, as long as he spoke the word, countless people would rush to offer him ingredients, and even super-grade items from the Gourmet World could be easily obtained!
And ingredients from the Gourmet World were entirely beyond the measure of Berries!
Cang Ma said, "I will bring enough stakes. I hope you can also produce corresponding ones. A few apples won't impress me!"
The matter of the Silver Apples had always been Zhang Wei's publicity stunt.
Cang Ma naturally knew about it.
Zhang Wei chuckled, "Very well, I hope the ingredients you bring can slightly impress me."