The luxurious journey to the Hot Spring Water Country lasted a full four days. Not only were all the injured completely recovered, but their levels and strength had also significantly improved.
The advent of the Hot Spring Water Country and the Candy Castle instantly captured the attention of the entire Human World.
As Kurama was leaving, he said happily, "This trip alone will earn a headline in the Gourmet Journal!"
That kind of position was the biggest news segment in the Human World, not inferior in value to the King of Northern Chefs.
And at this moment.
Zhang Wei was in a cave beneath the Great Glacier...
Before him stood a shifty-eyed construction foreman wearing a hard hat.
This man's name was Yu Yan. He led a group of well-known miners and a geomancy team skilled in "Dragon Seeking and Gold Splitting."
They were adept at finding treasures buried between underground mountains and rivers, such as tombs, mineral veins, caves, and ruins.
Yu Yan bowed and said obsequiously, "Boss, as you wished. I and my brothers searched day and night for over ten days and finally located what you need."
"Good, you've worked hard."
Yu Yan made a gesture of wiping sweat from his brow. "It was indeed a bit tough. We haven't seen daylight for half a month. To complete the task quickly, every brother barely slept, and one even missed his wife giving birth..."
Then, Yu Yan launched into a flood of woes, such as his mother's difficult childbirth, his father remarrying, his sister being imprisoned, and his brother running away. He had missed almost everything that could be missed in life.
Zhang Wei was not stingy and casually rewarded them with two million Berries as hardship pay.
According to the initial agreement for the exploration, these individuals would receive 1% ownership of all the mined minerals, based on the proven reserves.
This was an astronomical sum!
It was testament to their professionalism.
Following this, Yu Yan led Zhang Wei into the intricate network of underground tunnels, all excavated by Yu Yan's subordinates.
As per the agreement, Yu Yan's men were to thoroughly search all the salt walls beneath the Great Glacier.
[Found Collectible Ingredient: Salt Wall]
[Capture Level: 25]
[Description: Formed by ancient Salt Spirits lingering in ore marrow for tens of thousands of years. It can only be formed within mountain caves and earth veins! Mature Salt Walls are harder than refined steel and extremely difficult to mine!]
Salt Spirits!
After such a long time, he finally saw them.
Zhang Wei waved his hand. "Take your men and leave. There might be a collapse here. You have fifteen minutes."
Yu Yan was startled and fled with his men.
Fifteen minutes later, Zhang Wei took a deep breath. "How nostalgic..."
Spiral Fist Energy!
[Collection Complete: Salt Spirit]
[Replication Time: 1 day]
[Replicated Quantity: 12.35 kg]
...
...
"Xifeng, what's the current market price of Salt Spirit?"
"It's fallen from 5000 Berries per gram to 4500 Berries."
"Continue to lower the price."
Xifeng was taken aback. "Isn't that thing difficult to mine and extremely costly? Do we really need to engage in a price war with the Four Great Salt Merchants?"
"High cost? That refers to *their* cost!"
"How much should we lower it by?"
"To 1000 Berries."
"So that's 3500 Berries?"
"No, I mean lower it to 1000 Berries. I want to make the Four Great Salt Merchants operate at a loss, to experience the despair of being squeezed out."
Assassination?
Sabotage?
Zhang Wei was not the type to take blows without retaliation. When he struck, he would strike at the most vulnerable point! What did the Four Great Salt Merchants fear the most?
What did a merchant fear the most?
Not making money! Losing money!
Everything they built was supported by money. Zhang Wei intended to destroy them from the roots.
Xifeng shuddered. "That would be a fight to the death."
"It already is."
Zhang Wei then produced several other ingredients.
Saccharin!
Food Level: 40.
Also known as the essence of sugar, a hard white sugar block. It is a unique mineral formed by excess, undigestible sugar dissolving underground over long periods. A single hard white sugar block placed in coffee can remove most of its bitterness and improve its taste in just 30 seconds.
And one saccharin block can infuse for three years.
Sushi Salt!
Food Level: 75.
A specialty of the Gravity Well, it can only be mined in tiny quantities at depths below 30,000 meters. Its saltiness is light but can maximize the flavor of ingredients, greatly enhancing and refining their original taste. It is a far more precious seasoning than Salt Spirit!
Seven-Flavor Wine!
Food Level: 70.
A legendary wine brewed from naturally occurring plant sugars and starches. Due to the presence of Four-Dimensional Water in its ingredients, its flavor concentration is ten thousand times that of ordinary wine!
It cannot be consumed normally and must be diluted with regular spirits, otherwise, it will cause immediate alcohol poisoning. Depending on the spirits used for dilution, it will present seven different flavor profiles, hence its name. Due to its unique taste, it is often diluted and used as cooking wine.
Sushi Salt, even more precious than Salt Spirit!
Cooking wine seasoning that needs to be diluted ten thousand times!
Hard white sugar blocks that can infuse for three years!
These are all rare delicacies in the culinary world. Even a small amount of any of them would be a treasure in the Human World.
Zhang Wei declared, "From today onwards, these will be our flagship products!"
...
...
Western side of the North Continent – Principality of Bavaria.
This region boasted the most prosperous economy and the most complete commercial model on the entire North Continent. Cheap labor fueled its countless factories, making it the base for many merchant guilds.
Within the most luxurious core district lay the North Continent headquarters of the Four Great Salt Merchants.
Yan Yan flipped through a paper slip in his hand, which listed the rankings of various underground organizations. Not many were capable of assassinations and sabotage at level 100 or above.
After all, at that level, they preferred to target the Gourmet World.
"Sigh, this is annoying... When will that Zhang Wei step into the Gourmet World and not come back?"
Ideally, he would die in the Gourmet World.
Yan Yan thought with extreme malice.
Just then, his assistant walked in with a frown. "Director, something very strange has happened in the past two days."
"What is it?"
"It's about the sales of Salt Spirit."
Yan Yan was surprised. Ever since the Gourmet Bank muscled in, the sales of Salt Spirit had not been ideal. Recently, the market price had dropped from 5000 Berries to 4500 Berries, causing Yan Yan great distress.
The assistant continued, "The enthusiasm for purchasing Salt Spirit from large restaurants in the North Continent has rapidly declined. Salt Spirit that should have sold out immediately upon shelving is now experiencing sales stagnation."
"How is that possible!"
Yan Yan couldn't believe it. "Salt Spirit has always been sold under a scarcity strategy, with daily sales absolutely not exceeding fifteen kilograms. Faced with high-class restaurants across the continent, it's barely enough. It should be extremely in demand!"
After a moment of thought, Yan Yan disguised himself and his assistant and went to a well-known and familiar restaurant.
He specifically ordered a Tomahawk Steak.
The Tomahawk Steak used a Level 26 Horned Rhino, a flagship product of the Gourmet Bank, priced at a staggering 25,000 Berries per serving.
Yan Yan chose the highest tier of cooking methods and the most luxurious seasoning pack, which quadrupled the price!
The Tomahawk Steak was served, weighing over a hundred kilograms.
The assistant took a bite and said slowly, "Director... The flavors are rich, the ingredients are luxurious, and it was indeed seasoned with Salt Spirit."
"There's no shortage of Salt Spirit... and yet they didn't purchase Salt Spirit... There's something fishy!" Da Feng Novel Network
Yan Yan, with no appetite, immediately launched an investigation.
Regarding Salt Spirit, restaurants maintained a high level of secrecy. It was only through some underhanded means that Yan Yan uncovered the secret.
As expected! It was the Gourmet Bank again!
"Zhang Wei is secretly selling Salt Spirit!"
"The price is outrageously low, only 1200 Berries per gram..."
"It's a price war against the Four Great Salt Merchants!"
The assistant exclaimed, "Wouldn't that lose money at this price?"
Yan Yan sneered, "A naive tactic... Go withdraw a sum of money. For the 1200 Berries per gram Salt Spirit, you pay 1500 Berries. Buy as much as you can!"
"Understood!"
...
A day later, the assistant returned dejectedly.
"Director, the Gourmet Bank's sales method is membership-based. Only renowned hotels can participate in purchases, and each hotel has a purchase quota. Exceeding this quota means purchasing at the market price of 4500 Berries."
"This is reportedly a welfare benefit from the Gourmet Bank to reward new and old users. Only those with close business dealings with the Gourmet Bank are eligible to apply."
Yan Yan was shocked again! Bundled sales!
Isn't this a high-level marketing strategy?
Using some products to offer discounts, thereby driving sales of other goods!
With this tactic, Yan Yan's idea of using economic superiority to clear out market inventory was also dashed.
Yan Yan grumbled, "Zhang Wei is determined to get rid of me. He's truly overestimating himself..."
The assistant asked, "What should we do now? Should we contact major restaurants and buy their Salt Spirit at a high price?"
Yan Yan paused, then looked at his assistant as if he were an idiot. "Are you going to buy salt from restaurants? If the restaurant sells you their salt, how can they continue to operate?"
"Then... what do we do?"
"Can you find out how much Salt Spirit the Gourmet Bank releases daily?"
"Conservatively estimated at over thirty kilograms."
So much!
That was at least twice the share of the Four Great Salt Merchants in the North Continent!
No wonder no one was buying; the market was saturated.
Yan Yan burst into laughter. The assistant was confused. "Director, why are you laughing?"
Yan Yan's eyes turned sinister. "The Gourmet Bank is playing with fire. With such large-volume sales at a loss, as long as we can hold steady, we'll eventually deplete their inventory!"
"But this will result in a loss of market share!"
"Hmph! When the Gourmet Bank runs out of stock, do we still need to worry about market share? By then, all the rebellious restaurants will face my punishment!"
...
...
On the other side, after tireless efforts day and night, Zhang Wei finally pulverized all the Salt Walls discovered beneath the Great Glacier.
Due to his improved strength, the replication volume that previously took three months to yield ten kilograms now reached 50 kilograms in four days, and it was still increasing.
"Yu Yan, continue your exploration. Anything except Salt Walls and the Ice Hell Plains is fine."
Yu Yan had been earning handsomely these past two days. He had never encountered such a generous employer as Zhang Wei.
He immediately replied, "Don't worry, leave it to us. You won't find a more professional exploration team in the entire North Continent!"
Leaving the underground cave.
Xifeng brought another piece of good news.
Regarding the ultimate seasoning in the Human World – Melk's Stardust!
In the original work, Komatsu accidentally lost his long-cherished kitchen knife. In his sadness, Toriko suggested searching for a top-tier seasoning, and its location was Mount Melk!
A peak named after the swordsmith Melk.
Herein lies the problem.
The first-generation swordsmith was a contemporary of Ichiryu, and Ichiryu's master, Acacia, was still a child then...
How could he find the legendary Mount Melk?
It wasn't called that name anymore.
Zhang Wei had to rely on clues such as whetstones, cliff faces, an altitude of 4,000 meters, a large number of flying beasts in the air, the ground growth of Level 15 Six-Legged Apes, and Level 22 Scaled Armored Kongs...
With these conditions, he could narrow down and pinpoint the target location.
According to the intelligence, there were countless peaks at an altitude of 4,000 meters, perhaps eight thousand if not ten thousand. However, only a few dozen locations simultaneously harbored Six-Legged Apes and Scaled Armored Kongs.
Coupled with the vast numbers of aerial beasts and birds, and the steep rocky terrain...
Zhang Wei finally pinpointed the future Mount Melk!
Xifeng asked, "Boss, are you leaving again?"
"Yes, this time it's for the Human World's ultimate seasoning. To defeat the Four Great Salt Merchants, we'll definitely need its help."
Xifeng said with a wry smile, "Then please don't disappear this time. If you're gone for months without a word, and something else happens, I won't be able to handle it."
"Don't worry, now that the Four Great Salt Merchants are in turmoil, I wouldn't dare to be away for too long... Also, you need to steadily gather intelligence, closely monitor the movements of the Four Great Salt Merchants, and those few trump cards can be used now."
"Understood."
...
...
Using the Warm Port for teleportation, Zhang Wei crossed over 20,000 kilometers in an instant and arrived at an unnamed steep peak.
"Is this the Mount Melk from the original work... It's quite different from my impression."
In the original work, Mount Melk had tens of thousands of steps, each over half a meter high, clearly not constructed for normal human proportions.
However, it was said that Melk himself built those steps, so it was normal for them not to be there now.
Zhang Wei directly used his Wind Riding technique to fly to the summit. It was indeed wild here, with no signs of human habitation.
"In the original work, Melk's Stardust was actually a whetstone, said to be able to grind anything in the world."
"And when this whetstone grinds extremely hard substances, it produces a golden powder, which is the origin of this highest quality seasoning."
"The composition of this seasoning is a type of brand-new amino acid, an organic compound with alkaline amino and acidic carboxyl groups, similar in composition to MSG. It's a fantastical flavor never before discovered by humans."
"It's a bit like MSG, really."
Zhang Wei sat on the ground.
He meticulously recalled the plot of the original work in his mind.
Starting from the summit of Mount Melk as the origin, thirty kilometers to the north lies a deep ravine tens of thousands of meters down, known as the Serpent's Den. Due to magnetic field and atmospheric pressure, the pressure and gravity there are several times that of the outside world.
The Serpent's Den is the deepest underground cave in the Human World, and it is the mining site for Melk's Stardust.
"Speaking of which, this environment is quite similar to the one beneath the Life Waterfall Pool."
"In the original work, when Toriko arrived here, his strength was around Level 75, still relatively weak."
"For me at my current level, I can move about freely here."