"Self-awareness?
The only things he could be remembered for, besides his cooking, were ingredients, right?
'You're here for the ingredients? Everyone here is here for ingredients!'
Dr. Karon laughed, 'Ingredients? No, no, no, I'm here for the secrets behind the ingredients!'
Everyone perked up their ears.
Each of them had their own speculations about the astonishing quality of ingredients at the Gourmet Bank.
As expected!
The side effects of forcefully activating the Treasury had arrived!
But now, Zhang Wei had, with the help of the Gourmet Bank, collected an enormous amount of ingredients that would take a century to gather. With such efficiency, Zhang Wei would not give up the Gourmet Bank.
And all of this had only taken three months!
The risks were a bit high, but the profits were considerable.
How considerable?
Four hundredfold!
And a threefold profit was enough to make ordinary people disregard laws and morals!
For this, Zhang Wei spared no expense!
The Gourmet Bank was now even larger, and maintaining it for a day was equivalent to Zhang Wei's solo efforts for two years! To fulfill his grand aspiration of collecting all known ingredients, all risks were worth it!
'Do you think I'll tell you?'
Dr. Karon shook his head, 'Do you think you're the only one who has mastered the concentration of deliciousness factors and multi-species integration technology?'
Huh?
Deliciousness factors?
Multi-species integration?
What are those?
Dr. Karon said proudly, 'These ingredient compilations you're doing can all be accomplished in the laboratory. It's nothing more than the stacking of Gourmet Jellyfish! I just didn't expect you to have a channel into the gourmet world.'
Gourmet Jellyfish?
Discovered by Acacia, the legendary Gourmet Jellyfish that could make ingredients more delicious and was the easiest to obtain Gourmet Cells from!
This was different from Acacia's legendary story!
Dr. Karon continued, 'Mr. Zhang Wei, the Tower of Scholars sincerely admires your intelligence. You have already achieved practical application and large-scale production of what we are still researching.'
'But don't worry, the Tower of Scholars is composed of scholars, and we value intellectual property the most!'
'We would never steal knowledge. Of course, if you're willing to sell, we'd be delighted! The Tower of Scholars hopes for your joining; your knowledge would surely make you an academician.'
Karon's words shocked everyone present.
Did this mean everything here was a product of high technology?
Impossible!
They had already tasted it, and the deliciousness wouldn't lie.
But everyone soon came to terms with it. After all, a rogue doesn't ask for age, deliciousness doesn't ask for origin, and the Great Gourmet Era only pursued tastiness, and everything else was secondary.
Zhang Wei intended to refuse directly, but making too many enemies was not a good thing.
Especially since he had already offended the agents of the Four Great Salt Merchants...
Zhang Wei finally said, 'I can accept, but the Gourmet Bank and I are both free.'
Dr. Karon excitedly replied, 'Of course, the Tower of Scholars also values an academic environment and will not have any malicious intent to restrain your actions!'
'So, can we discuss the transaction of ships now?'
'This... Regarding this matter, I still hope you can make a trip to the East Continent in person. After building your own tower on the East Continent and officially becoming a member of the Tower of Scholars, we can discuss this further.'
'Good!'
With Karon's words.
The coal magnate finally confirmed that the high-quality ingredients of the Gourmet Bank could not be depleted.
Instead of engaging in long-term friendly transactions, it was the most correct choice at the moment!
The coal magnate was also a decisive businessman.
He immediately stood up and said, 'Mr. Zhang Wei, in order to continue friendly trade, I wish to present a batch of ingredients to the Gourmet Bank to aid in its construction!'
Present?
He remembered the first time they met, this guy was quite arrogant.
——————
Elephant Dragon!
Capture Level 17!
A ten-ton behemoth, with an overall appearance like an elephant, but its trunk was a reptilian snake's head, capable of biting prey. It was a fierce, large creature. Both its teeth and meat were highly valuable.
Quantity: 200!
——————
Bacchus Dragon of Wine Madness Island!
Capture Level 37
On the Wine Paradise, there were incredibly powerful individual Bacchus Dragons! Its alcohol-rich meat was famous for its taste, resembling mellow brandy!
Quantity: 30!
——————
Drunk Berserk Bull
Also known as the Wine Madness Bull, with a capture level of 30. It consumed the alcohol-filled lakes of Bacchus Island, always appearing drunk. However, the more intoxicated it became, the stronger the Wine Madness Bull grew!
Quantity: 60!
——————
Mature Aged Vinegar Grasshopper
Capture Level: 25
It stored the most potent aged vinegar on its back, which it would spew out upon encountering enemies, causing predators to give up due to extreme acidity.
Quantity: 300!
—————
...
...
As soon as the coal magnate made a move, he presented over a dozen rare ingredients, with substantial quantities. They were just enough for perfect storage.
Most importantly, these were gifts, solely to foster a good relationship with Zhang Wei!
Estimated value: over 1.5 billion!
'Mr. Zhang Wei, while these gifts may seem vulgar, as a businessman, this is the only way I can express my desire for friendship. I hope you won't dislike them!' Daifeng Novel Network
'Foolish!'
Zhang Wei rebuked, 'How can you call matters of ingredients vulgar?'
'This...'
Zhang Wei said, 'Don't worry, I will make good use of the ingredients you've gifted and ensure they are not wasted! You have also earned my friendship. In the future, for any good news or rare ingredients, I will prioritize you.'
It seemed...
It was quite effective!
The other merchants exclaimed in disbelief!
Was it that simple?
Just by sending gifts, they could gain future trading opportunities!
However, judging by Zhang Wei's subtle expressions, he seemed only interested in rare ingredients!
Every time he traded with gold, Zhang Wei was expressionless. But when it came to ingredients, a faint smile would appear. The Arab old man just now had dumped a hundred thousand poisonous zombie snakes, and any normal merchant would have been furious.
But Zhang Wei still maintained a smiling demeanor, showing no sign of annoyance at being ripped off.
Ingredients!
Ingredients were the key!
They didn't have to be perfect; as long as the Gourmet Bank didn't have them, they were treasures to Zhang Wei!
In fact... even if he already had them, Zhang Wei could use them to increase the volume of ingredients in the Treasury!
'Mr. Zhang Wei, I have a thousand Guaraná eels here, which I'd like to present to you as a token of our meeting.'
An A-grade ingredient with a capture level of 18, rich in caffeine, with strong invigorating effects. Additionally, the eel meat tasted similar to tiger testicles and had a strong sudorific effect, promoting metabolism and blood circulation.
A bite when tired could immediately revitalize one!
After a bustling round of gift-giving, the auction continued.
At this point, everyone's thoughts were no longer on the ingredients themselves but on Zhang Wei's subsequent ingredient supply!
Their initial stingy bidding and eager purchases were based on the assumption that Zhang Wei would be unable to provide goods of equivalent quality in the future.
Once Zhang Wei's supply capability and quality were guaranteed, everyone desired exclusive dealership rights for certain ingredients!
Monopoly!
Only through monopoly could one make significant profits, and only ingredients with extremely high value or enormous demand were eligible for monopoly!
The customers of ingredient distributors were the major restaurants. For restaurants to survive long-term, they needed signature dishes that were difficult for other restaurants to replicate!
Using precious and rare ingredients as raw materials was an excellent choice.
Therefore, the demand of restaurants was the demand of ingredient distributors!
Precious, rare, and unreproducible!
Zhang Wei's ingredients, which did not exist in nature, naturally met all these conditions!
Ingredient transactions continued!
The forty-fifth floor, a total of eight items, starting bid at 1.7 billion!
Dr. Karon from the Tower of Scholars raised his hand, 'Speaking of which, there are quite a few ingredients here that the Tower of Scholars fancies. And this time, I've brought quite a few unique products from the Tower of Scholars!'
Unique products?
Zhang Wei loved those!
He felt a slight anticipation!
[Discoverable Ingredient: Pork Belly Tofu]
[Capture Level: Unknown]
[Edible Level: 15]
[Type: Artificially Cultivated]
[Description: Made from high-quality soybeans and cultivated using live animals as carriers, this premium ingredient possesses both the rich fat of pork and the refreshing aftertaste of tofu. Due to being a laboratory product, its yield is extremely low.]
——————
[Discoverable Ingredient: Muscle Crab]
[Capture Level: Unknown]
[Edible Level: 21]
[Type: Artificially Cultivated]
[Description: A hybrid breed of Razor Crab and Brute Force Bison, it appears as a crab without a hard shell and possesses extremely muscular limbs. Its meat is as rich as crab roe!]
——————
[Discoverable Ingredient: Elegant Mammoth]
[Capture Level: Unknown]
[Edible Level: 40]
[Type: Artificially Cultivated]
[Description: A defective product that easily falls ill and dies, it can only live in a sterile laboratory from birth. However, its meat flavor is unparalleled, a supremely rare and delicious delicacy!]
——————
[Discoverable Ingredient: Self-Heating Pig]
[Capture Level: Unknown]
[Edible Level: 28]
[Description: A giant pig whose entire body can spew flames. When angered, it becomes hot-blooded, scorching enemies while roasting itself. The timing of its defeat must be precise, or a foul burnt smell will result.]
[Description: The finest sweet and fatty meat flowing from a whole roasted pig, accompanied by a mouth-watering herbal aroma. The exquisite sauce made from abundant ingredients drizzled over the meat enhances its flavor, releasing its full deliciousness.]
——————
Dr. Karon brought out over a dozen ingredients at once.
All of them were laboratory products without capture levels, but according to the Treasury's hints, they were all high-quality products with excellent flavor and nutritional value.
However, it seemed that the ingredients from the Tower of Scholars could only be produced in laboratories, with limited quantities.
But Dr. Karon was well-prepared for this trip. The relatively common Pork Belly Tofu had tens of thousands of portions, and there were also dozens of Elegant Mammoths.
All of them combined had an estimated value of at least over 1 billion.
And each ingredient looked strange and unusual, species rarely found in nature!
Today was another highly rewarding day!
Just as everyone was happily trading, Cang Ma arrived with his entourage.
'Mr. Cang Ma, it's been a long time. I apologize for the delay in our match due to certain circumstances. Please wait a while longer; I will continue our duel after this auction is concluded.'
Cang Ma didn't seem to mind.
Instead, he said casually, 'Such things are understandable. Actually, I was two days late in preparing the ingredients and the capital for our culinary battle with you. The reason I'm here is to remind you not to sell too recklessly and forget to leave enough capital for our duel!'
Capital?
You're kidding!
I'm so rich I'm drowning in money!
Even if I sold everything today, I'd make another 30 billion in a day!
The Gourmet Bank contained varieties that could be collected repeatedly, all considered standard goods. The truly valuable items had not yet been displayed!
Moreover, Zhang Wei used nine-tenths of his ingredients to feed the Plant Hell and the Legal Mammoth, so he could easily save a fortune from their leavings!
Speaking of which, the ingredients he had recently accumulated had not been given to Xi Feng; this was something to note!
With his recent efforts, the replication time for BB Corn had been compressed to within 60 days. With 25 more collections, it would reach perfect grade.
There was only one Legal Mammoth, and it had only undergone its third replication so far, with a replication time of 298 days.
Cang Ma revealed a confident smile, 'Mr. Zhang Wei, have you heard of the Impact Turtle?'
Impact Turtle!
Zhang Wei had an impression of this creature, not from texts, but from his memories of the original work!
In the original work, Toriko, Komatsu, Takimaru, and Maki encountered the vice chef of the Gourmet Corp, the insect monster Domelott, on the Ice Hell Plains.
A disgusting character who could spit out various insects from his esophagus.
His two subordinates were the heads of the Fourth Division, Barikamon.
And the head of the Fifth Division, Bujiuze.
During the final battle, Barikamon fought against Maki, the representative of the Gourmet Yakuza!
Zhang Wei had a vivid memory of that battle. Barry's body could continuously secrete slippery oil to ward off the cold, and his slippery surface allowed bullets to bounce off. His sturdy armor rendered Maki's swordsmanship ineffective, making him a veritable greasy man!
And the raw material for that indestructible armor was the Impact Turtle!
As soon as the name "Impact Turtle" was heard, the Forging Mountain Villa, one of the Four Great Merchant Guilds, immediately became restless.
Zhan Lu, the representative, directly stood up and questioned, 'Mr. Cang Ma, why didn't you prioritize our Forging Mountain Villa if such a creature exists?'
The shell strength of the Impact Turtle was second to none, its rigidity and toughness being several times that of the finest alloys. With the hands of skilled craftsmen, it could be used to make numerous cooking utensils like pots, making it a highly sought-after commodity!
Furthermore, with a capture level of 60 and being a difficult-to-catch marine creature, it was extremely rare on the market!
Cang Ma replied, 'To capture this thing, I had to expend a considerable amount of favors! Mr. Zhang Wei, please calculate its value!'
Saying that.
Cang Ma took out a small cage from his embrace and poured out a ferocious-looking turtle the size of a small mountain from it.
Spatial equipment!
And it was a spatial equipment with a rather high capacity!
The appraisers of the Gourmet Bank immediately gathered around, constantly making sounds of approval.
'A mature, high-quality turtle. It appears to have lived for over eight hundred years, and its body is quite strong!'
'13 meters high and 25 meters long, with an estimated weight of over 800 tons. The meat of the Impact Turtle is highly nutritious and very suitable for pregnant women, said to promote healthier fetal development. This alone makes it priceless!'
'It looks like it can yield twenty tons of prime meat, 150 tons of secondary meat, and also a hundred tons of turtle bones, and two hundred tons of shell! The rest are valueless scraps.'
'Forty-level turtle meat can sell for about 4500 Berries per kilogram!'
'Sixty-level super-premium turtle meat, with special edible effects, can easily fetch twenty times the market price!'
'The shell is quite large, strong, and lightweight. Even if sold separately, it would be astronomically expensive!'
Finally.
Everyone reached a conclusion!
The conservative value of this Impact Turtle was over 5.5 billion!
The prime turtle meat alone could fetch 2 billion, and with other miscellaneous items, 5.5 billion was a very conservative estimate!
Zhang Wei said with a hint of sarcasm, 'I'll give you 6.5 billion!'
'But... is that all you have? Cang Ma, you've disappointed me! I was really looking forward to this duel!'
Cang Ma shrugged and shook the spatial equipment in his hand, 'This is a treasure brought back from the Gourmet World. Do you think it can only hold one Impact Turtle?'
'Oh? Then what else can it hold?'
'It can hold many!'
Cang Ma shook the artifact in his hand and said proudly, 'I'm afraid your small room won't be able to fit them all!'