Two!
Three!
Five!
Ten!
Twenty!
Cangma released twenty-two Impact Turtles in one go, each worth 6.5 billion, totaling 143 billion for all twenty-two!
143 billion!
Since Zhang Wei's Gourmet Bank opened, it had never handled such a large order!
Even Zhang Wei's Treasure Hall would need five days to generate such a massive profit!
Facing a transaction of this magnitude, Zhang Wei's hands trembled slightly. If these were stored in the Treasure Hall, the twenty-two items could be compressed into less than 10 days.
Furthermore, the price of replicas could definitely reach 12 billion!
Even higher than the price of the Silver Apple!
After all, it was a colossal creature weighing 800 tons, possessing an edible level corresponding to its capture level, which was incomparable to apples weighing just over a pound!
Zhan Lu was even more excited, asking incredulously, "Encountering just one of these rare ingredients is a stroke of immense luck. Twenty-two of them, even finding them would be difficult. Did you capture all the Impact Turtles in the entire ocean? Did you search the entire ocean?"
Cangma smiled and said, "Of course, I have my own methods. However, Mr. Zhang Wei, what kind of ingredients are you going to offer?"
"143 billion... your auction on the forty-fifth floor only reached a final price of 18 billion. Are you going to use the remaining ten floors for a gamble with me?"
As soon as he said this.
The merchants chimed in with displeasure, "Mr. Cangma, you can't take all the food from the pot. It would be better if you appeared after we've finished our transactions!"
Cangma chuckled, "Please continue. However, Mr. Zhang Wei, the goods they traded to you are also easily obtainable by me, so it's not an equal gamble with my bet! What I want are ingredients obtained through your exclusive channels!"
The implication was clear.
Only perfect, high-quality ingredients would suffice.
Zhang Wei nodded and said, "The auction continues, Mr. Cangma, I won't disappoint you with the subsequent gamble!"
All the merchants were even more astonished!
Could it be that Zhang Wei's hidden ingredients were worth more than 143 billion?
What a terrifying reserve!
Cangma's expression grew even more excited, "Indeed, you haven't disappointed me!"
Cangma turned to Zhan Lu and continued, "Aren't you curious why I could capture so many Impact Turtles? I'll tell you now! But I need Mr. Zhang Wei's consent, as I've only taken out a portion of the ingredients for my gamble."
Zhang Wei spread his hands, "So you still have more? Then just show it, don't keep us in suspense!"
With a flick of his wrist!
An even larger beast was released!
[Discovered storable ingredient: Leo Dragon]
[Capture Level: 95]
[Introduction: Known as the Dragon King of the Sea, the Leo Dragon possesses indestructible teeth, making it an excellent material for crafting knives. Its primary diet consists of slow-moving creatures with sturdy shells, such as Impact Turtles, Ancient Nautilus, and Battle Steel Crabs...]
[Introduction: Its meat value is around level 70, weighing approximately 1500 tons. It is an incredibly powerful predator in the ocean and extremely difficult to capture. The meat tastes similar to snake meat, is cool in nature, and is highly suitable for consumption in hot regions, offering a cooling effect!]
The Dragon King of the Sea, the Leo Dragon!
It was this creature!
Could it be that this creature and the Impact Turtle were a couple? Why did they always appear together?
This was still the battle from the original work between Barikamon and the Gourmet Mafia's Machi. Machi had used an enhanced version of the "Weakening Technique" to break through the armor made from the shell of Barikamon's Impact Turtle.
Machi had mentioned that the knife she used was made from the teeth of a Leo Dragon, but her own weakness prevented her from unleashing its full power.
In nature, the sturdy Impact Turtle was merely food for the Leo Dragon!
This wave was a "plot kill"!
Cangma laughed heartily, "To capture a large number of Impact Turtles, the method is naturally to catch a Leo Dragon first! Oh, no, one Leo Dragon is too inefficient. You need at least four!"
As he spoke, Cangma released three more Leo Dragons!
Being able to capture Leo Dragons in the vast ocean and command them was not something achievable by ordinary powerful beings in the Human World!
However, considering Cangma's cooking level, it was reasonable for him to have some friends above level 100. Even individuals of Elder Mo's caliber were within Cangma's reach.
The editor-in-chief of the Gourmet Journal was already at the highest echelon of human society. And this human society wasn't limited to just the Human World!
The appraisers were going wild with excitement. The ingredients listed were already rare in the world. Impact Turtles of level 60 were not even available on the market, let alone Leo Dragons of level 95!
"Leo Dragons are strong and robust, their meat is quite high-grade, and they have a special effect of dispelling heat and dampness. Although their edible level doesn't match their capture level, based on their reputation, selling them for a sky-high price of 220,000 Berries per kilogram would be no problem!"
"However, the yield of premium meat is difficult to determine, but based on volume, the meat value alone is at least 50 billion!"
"But the meat isn't the only expensive part of the Leo Dragon. Its ancillary value is ten times that of an Impact Turtle! A single tooth selling for 200 million Berries is quite normal!"
"Considering the comprehensive valuation, each one should be above 80 billion, and if auctioned, selling them for 120 billion would likely be normal!"
At a price of 100 billion each, the cost of four would be 400 billion, which was already 11 days' worth of Zhang Wei's output!
Zhang Wei admitted that he was starting to feel a little pressure.
Among Zhang Wei's daily output of over 30 billion, there were Silver Apples and Bronze Apples that he also needed. Zhang Wei didn't want to give them away carelessly.
As expected, the connections built by a level 100 chef were not to be underestimated!
Speaking of which, Zhang Wei's current goal was still ingredients from levels 1 to 30. Once these ingredients were mostly collected, his Treasure Hall's output value would increase exponentially!
Among the currently known ingredients, except for those from the South and West continents, he had basically collected them all!
Zhang Wei remained expressionless and continued the auction!
Forty-ninth floor, six lots in total, 3.2 billion per lot!
Fifty-third floor, seven lots in total, 5.5 billion per lot!
Sixtieth floor, four lots in total, 11.5 billion per lot!
The auction was complete!
The average final price was 150% of the marked price. Not a single item went unsold. The profit from each floor ranged from 12 billion to 60 billion, all of which were Zhang Wei's long-term accumulated stock.
"Business is booming to this extent. It looks like I'll need to carve out some from the Lawful Mammoth's teeth."
"The latest batch hasn't been processed yet. Including this time, the total value of ingredients is likely over 600 billion. After processing, the output will reach over 45 billion, and the daily output will double."
"Will there be more trading events like this? This feeling of getting rich overnight is intoxicatingly enjoyable!"
Zhang Wei took a deep breath, trying to appear less excited.
The merchants around him were also smiling, having acquired goods they were very pleased with!
Such a large sale would involve a considerable workload. Zhang Wei could only temporarily redeploy construction teams, put the Gourmet City construction on hold, and focus on the Gourmet Bank to meticulously cut and transport the ice.
Ten fully loaded cargo ships returned with only three fully loaded ones.
This indicated that Zhang Wei's ingredients had a higher unit price, even including the ice used for packaging.
The ice from the Great Glacier was a rare and valuable item, very effective for preserving ingredients. It didn't melt easily without wind, and even in a thirty-eight-degree indoor environment, it would only melt completely within three days.
Amidst this cheerful scene, Zhang Wei felt an extremely strong electromagnetic wave approaching from afar!
He could clearly sense that the emotion behind it was not benevolent!
"This intensity... is not achievable in the Human World!"
"It's comparable to the intensity of that emaciated toad from the Cloud Country!"
Zhang Wei vaguely remembered that terrifying, scrawny toad. If Elder Mo hadn't intervened, Zhang Wei would likely have met an early demise.
Speaking of which, Zhang Wei still owed Elder Mo a significant favor.
Meteorite Flash!
The originally dark sky seemed to sparkle with countless dazzling stars!
This was...
Constellations!
The starlight power of the Olympus divine realm!
The stars descended, and five warriors clad in armor stood on a high platform, the biting cold wind of the north unable to approach them!
Saint Seiya!
Armor crafted with the power of Olympus and the raw material of Bronze Apples. Only the most resilient warriors were qualified to wear these Cloths!
"I am one of the Bronze Saints of Crater, my name is Truman!"
Zhang Wei had studied constellations for a while in his past life.
Not the kind girls liked, but proper astronomy.
According to Western viewpoints, the sky was divided into the southern, northern, and ecliptic regions.
The ecliptic was the well-known twelve houses of the zodiac, the twelve constellations.
The northern sky had twenty-four constellations, including the five circumpolar constellations: Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Draco, Cassiopeia, and Cepheus.
The southern sky had forty-eight constellations, and Crater was one of the southern constellations.
In total, there were eighty-eight constellations in the heavens!
Zhang Wei raised his hand and asked, "Excuse me, since you are a Bronze Saint, there must also be Gold and Silver Saints, right?"
Although his cool entrance was interrupted, Truman still explained, "Of course, they are all heroes I admire."
"Can you tell me how many of each type of Saint there are? If it's convenient to reveal."
"Certainly, the Olympus divine realm never conceals anything. There are twelve Gold Saints..."
"Hold on, are those twelve constellations part of the twelve houses of the zodiac?"
"Uh... yes."
"Oh, oh, please continue."
Truman continued with a hint of annoyance, "There are 240 Silver Saints!"
"Wait, how can there be so many constellations in the sky!"
"The constellations of the Silver Saints are the twenty-four constellations of the northern sky. Unlike the Gold Saints, there are ten people for each constellation."
"Then there must be 4800 Bronze Saints? And their constellations are the forty-eight constellations of the southern sky?"
"Uh... yes, you are very intelligent."
Zhang Wei nodded, "I understand, thank you very much. You may continue your dramatic pose."
Truman nodded.
However, there was an indescribable awkwardness, as if a smooth process had been abruptly broken into pieces.
The feeling was gone!
"Um, you are Zhang Wei, right?"
"I am."
Truman said very seriously, "Next time we meet, could you please wait until I finish my entrance before asking questions."
"I apologize profusely for interrupting your mood. I am sorry for my impoliteness."
"Very well, I accept your apology."
Truman nodded.
He felt that Zhang Wei was actually a very polite person. He wasn't as terrible as those guys from Cetus had said.
Cetus was responsible for guarding the Bronze Apples. With the Cetus Cloth, each of them possessed extremely acute sensory abilities, very similar to Zhang Wei's electromagnetic sense.
Cetus had never imagined that in such a remote location, someone would discover them and overcome the protective beasts. Those Apples were hidden quite well!
Truman said, "Zhang Wei, I am here to reclaim the Apples. Even if I can't get the Apples, you must hand over the Apple peels to me!"
"Oh, alright."
"Ah... this... you actually agreed?"
"Why? Are you surprised?"
Truman scratched his head, "My companions told me that you are a very cunning and annoying fellow, and you would definitely not hand over the Apple peels easily."
This Truman was truly amusing.
Zhang Wei asked with interest, "Did they also tell you how to deal with me?"
"They told me to scare you first. If you are bold and not afraid, then we'll trade. If that doesn't work, then I'll steal them. If that doesn't work, then I'll fight... but it has to be quick, otherwise, the guardians of the Human World will interfere."
Truman exclaimed, "I shouldn't have told you this!"
Zhang Wei chuckled helplessly.
What was Olympus thinking, sending such a goofball?
Zhang Wei stroked his chin, "Since that's the case, shall we trade? What do you think?"
Truman nodded, "I think you are quite a good person. I don't want to fight you. Although you seem much stronger and more formidable than others, if we were to fight, I'm afraid I might accidentally injure you."
So confident?
However, the fighters from the Olympus divine realm were at least level 200, and with the enhancement from their Cloths, their combat power was immeasurable.
At least for the current Zhang Wei, he didn't have the confidence to defeat him.
His current strength was still too limited.
Truman clasped his hands together, and his Cloth peeled away, forming the shapes of a great serpent and a cup in the air!
Crater!
One of the 48 constellations first named by Ptolemy, shaped like a huge cup placed on the base of a giant serpent!
The character "Jue" (爵) in ancient Eastern languages also meant a vessel for holding wine!
And the cup of Crater contained far more than the Divine Gourd Vine or any other spatial equipment!
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a small world!
"This is what I brought from the Gourmet World, a specialty of the Olympus divine realm! It is the mythical water from Dionysus's Wine God Island, a product of my master, Dionysus, in the Human World!"
Dionysus?
The god of wine in Greek mythology, right? Legend had it he was the offspring of Zeus's indiscretions, but his status was extraordinary, being one of the twelve main gods of Olympus.
Although he didn't know the strength of the gods in this world, the fact that he could command a powerful warrior like Truman meant his own strength should be astonishing.
Last time in the Rivendell Forest, he learned that Tian Zui was also a descendant of Zeus.
And Tian Zui's talent was among the strongest Zhang Wei had ever seen, which showed how powerful Zeus's genes were.
Within Crater, a vast ocean slowly emerged!
The refreshing aroma of wine, like a deadly spell, enveloped the scene.
Cangma leaped out from some corner, his eyes wide, "Dionysus's Gift?"
Truman said, "Eh? You know of it?"
"Of course!"
Cangma said with a serious expression, "When it comes to wine, among all intelligent beings, few can surpass Dionysus. His winemaking techniques are recorded in various ancient texts and are part of epic lore!"
All the merchants and laborers stopped in their tracks, gazing at Truman with dazed eyes.
Even the aroma of the wine contained a significant amount of alcohol. Those with a weaker tolerance began to feel unsteady, even staggering!
Could the mere aroma of wine cause intoxication?
Truman's face began to turn rosy, and he said with slight pride, "This is merely the faint aroma emanating outwards. When I unleash it, this wine aroma will spread for dozens of miles."
"Just one whiff is equivalent to drinking 500..."
Before Zhang Wei could say anything, Cangma's saliva was already flowing from the corner of his mouth, his gaze fixed on the wine, "Fifteen years ago, when I traveled the Gourmet World, I visited Wine God Island. I was fortunate enough to be received by the Wine God himself and tasted a dreamlike wine that I will never forget."
"Unfortunately, I couldn't preserve that pot of wine... I remember during the last sip, I would only allow myself to smell the aroma for three minutes each day!"
"Mr. Zhang Wei, no matter what he asks for, quickly trade with him! Use this as your bet, I can appraise it at 10 billion per kilogram!"
The specialty of Wine God Island was only supplied to the Olympus divine realm, a rare and exquisite treasure in the mortal world.
The meat of a level 70 Leo Dragon was sold for 220,000 Berries per kilogram. Wine of comparable quality would be around the same price. A unit price of ten billion...
Edible level and capture level were two different concepts. For example, a level 18 capture level Rainbow Fruit had an edible level above level 35.
The higher the level and larger the organism, the lower the corresponding edible level.
For instance, the Lawful Mammoth on Lawful Island had ordinary meat with an edible level of 10, premium meat around level 20, and gem meat with an edible level of at least 120!
Even so, the predicted selling price was only around 20 million Berries.
A unit price of ten billion had already exceeded Zhang Wei's imagination!
Holy crap!
Truman had offered a price that Zhang Wei couldn't refuse!
"So, Mr. Zhang Wei, are you willing to trade with me?"
"Of course!" It was impossible to refuse!
But...
"You only want the peels, right?"
"That's right. For the Olympus divine realm, Sacred Bronze and Sacred Silver are the foundation for maintaining combat power and science. Their value is incomparable to the flesh."
"Furthermore, Sacred Metal has no value to mortals, and mortals cannot utilize Sacred Metal with human methods. Even forging and reshaping it would be very difficult, right?"
Before Truman could finish.
Zhang Wei took out two metal ingots from his pocket.
"Here, this is your Sacred Metal."
Truman's remaining words were stuck in his throat, his face a mask of incomprehension!
This mortal actually possessed the means to smelt Sacred Metal?
This was impossible!
Zhang Wei had no choice. Given the value of Sacred Metal, Zhang Wei would never dare to reveal the perfect-grade apples. He had also given away a lot of apple peels, and he couldn't gather the amount he had picked at the time.
He had to melt the perfect-grade apple peels into lumps using his inner fire so that he could pass it off.
"All my apple peels are here. Do you want to count them?"
Zhang Wei had collected twenty-seven Bronze Apple trees and picked 225 Bronze Apples.
Three Silver Apple trees, and he had picked 81 Silver Apples.
The Silver Apples had a more radiant sheen, while the Sacred Bronze appeared dull and gray.
Contact with the Olympus divine realm was inevitable. Facing such a colossal power far exceeding mortal capabilities, direct confrontation was highly irrational. These two lumps of metal had been cast long ago, and their weight was slightly less than the harvested amount.
This was to prevent the exposed Sacred Metal from causing his golden finger to be revealed.
As long as the Gourmet World didn't interfere, Zhang Wei was invincible in the Human World with his current strength. Even if he could replicate a mountain-sized potato, there would be no problem.
But if the replication target was Sacred Metal... even if Olympus had a falling out with the guardians of the Human World, they would capture Zhang Wei and investigate the secret of the rapid generation of those metals, right?
"Then, let's discuss the terms of the trade."
The apple peels were very thin and light.
A single apple peel was about ten cubic centimeters, weighing around 70 grams.
Zhang Wei had prepared 14 kilograms of Sacred Bronze and 5 kilograms of Sacred Silver.
After weighing, Dionysus frowned, "The weight seems to be off. It's missing about 15%."
"I gave some away. This is all I have left now. I think this is enough for you to report back."
"Who did you give it to?"
"Many people, and it's now dispersed and its whereabouts are unknown. But the largest portion should be with Zeus's son."
Zeus's son!
Truman was not surprised.
Although it sounded high-end, Zeus had countless sons. Who knew which son of Zeus Zhang Wei was referring to.
Besides, the group of war god believers who had chased Zhang Wei had all perished in the Rivendell Forest.
"Truman, did your companions tell you how much Dreamlike Water I should exchange for?"
"This... I cannot say! However... I am willing to give you the greatest gift."
Truman said, "Three berries of Bronze Metal per kilogram, and six berries of Silver Metal per kilogram!"
Berries? Wine was measured in berries?
"Of course! Oh, right, you haven't seen the true form of Dionysus's Gift yet, have you?"
"The true form? Isn't this vast expanse of water in the cup?"
Truman looked at him as if he were an idiot, "How is that possible? How could my master's precious brew appear so crude? This is merely base wine used to prevent the wine's flavor from evaporating and to contain it. It has absorbed a hint of the unique wine aroma after prolonged soaking in Dionysus's Gift."
As he spoke.
The calm water surface of Crater rippled, and a dreamlike radiance caught the eye!
So dazzling!
The colorful special effects were incredibly impressive!
Amidst the radiance, a round, crystal-clear water droplet floated up, emanating a dazzling seven-colored brilliance.
The moment it appeared, the aroma of wine in the air became more intense, its flavor escalating from the level of beer and sake to the potency of vodka, whiskey, and Wuliangye!
Truman's face became even redder, and some of the surrounding laborers lost their footing, collapsing to the ground, their faces still showing a bewildered expression as if drunk!
Birds singing and flowers fragrant, a vibrant jungle...
Lanterns red and wine green, a cheerful pleasure boat...
Zhang Wei's vision flashed with countless bizarre and magical scenes, each so comforting that it made him want to completely let loose.
Is this the extent of the ultimate wine?
Enduring the dizziness of intoxication, Zhang Wei mustered his spirits and said, "Good wine... never seen such good wine!"
He took a step closer.
The Treasure Hall's notification sound rang out!
[Discovered storable ingredient: Dionysus's Gift]
[Capture Level: Unknown]
[Edible Level: 170]
[Type: Man-made cultivation/Fruit]
[Introduction: A magical ingredient cultivated by the Wine God Dionysus on Wine God Island. It can only grow in special environments within the divine realm. The fruit consists of a transparent membrane and the wine within.]
[Introduction: The wine within the fruit is very active and volatile. The outer membrane can block 90% of the wine vapor, preventing the wine from deteriorating. To block the remaining 10%, the fruit must be soaked in water throughout its growth process.]
[Introduction: The ordinary wine used for soaking, under prolonged influence, will acquire 1% of the fruit's flavor. However, even so, it can reach an edible level of 60.]
[Introduction: The transparent membrane has a very high alcohol content. When soaked in water, it can turn ordinary water into extremely high-quality wine. Even after soaking for three months, the transparent membrane will still retain a wine aroma, at which point it can be used as a starter for brewing.]
So it was a fruit!
Judging by the size of the fruit, the wine content within each fruit should only be about 200 milliliters, which wasn't a lot.
But with this flavor, even a single drop would make other wines desperately compete for it!
"Good! Perfect!"
"It's that taste!"
Cangma was going mad at this point!
If not for Truman's immense power, Cangma would have had the urge to snatch it immediately!
"Zhang Wei, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and complete the trade!!"
Zhang Wei rolled his eyes.
This old fellow was making such a fuss, how could he have such little composure despite his esteemed status?
With this kind of behavior, how was he supposed to haggle?
Zhang Wei kicked Cangma away and turned to Truman with his most sincere smile, "Um... we can still talk about other things. By the way, how many of these fruits did you bring?"