The Ship Interception Incident had passed for a month, and during this time, the mainland had undergone drastic changes.
First, the North Continent branches of the four major salt merchants suddenly announced a change in sales directors, with all sales strategies shifting to a conservative stance, as if an internal upheaval was occurring.
Second, the overall situation in the Human Realm became more volatile. Within a month, over thirty countries declared war, and war news dominated almost all news sections.
The Gourmet Wars had begun!
However, this was only the initial stage. According to the original work, this war, launched to seize ingredient resources, would last for a full hundred years, with Acacia bringing it to a close.
The guardians of the Human Realm also became busy, notifying all known high-level combatants not to act rashly against ordinary people, nor to easily participate in the wars.
But this did not affect the development of the Gourmet Bank.
In this month, Zhang Wei's Gourmet Bank had developed rapidly, with its turnover at least quintupling. Daily gourmet sales had long surpassed thirty billion.
The ingredients exchanged daily piled up like mountains, far exceeding Zhang Wei's storage capacity.
According to Gourmet Periodicals, there were currently over 40,000 types of gourmet foods in the Human Realm, and Zhang Wei had already collected over 20,000.
Not counting the profits from the last Gourmet World, the replicated amount of ingredients from levels 1-50 alone was worth eighty billion daily.
"I can't take it anymore!"
Zhang Wei clutched his head, panting as he ran out of the warm storage.
He let the snowflakes of the north fall on his face, trying to calm himself down.
"This is truly not a life for humans."
For the past month, Zhang Wei had been squatting in the Treasure Hall, storing ingredients. To increase his speed, he had even entered the Left Hall with a 47x time flow to catch up with the workload.
But no matter how hard he tried, the ingredients to be stored only kept increasing!
For Zhang Wei, this wasn't a month, but forty-seven months. Every day, he opened his eyes to ingredients, to storage, to nothing else. He didn't even have time to speak.
Zhang Wei felt that if this continued, his language skills would degenerate, and he would become foolish.
"Even the donkeys of the production team don't work this hard!"
However, looking at the Treasure Hall, which was ten times richer than before, Zhang Wei felt a considerable sense of accomplishment.
It was time to give himself a break…
Perhaps he should go on a trip?
Clear his head?
Makes sense!
As soon as Zhang Wei entered the Gourmet Bank, he saw Zhan Lu, the representative from the Blade Forging Mountain Villa, who had come for procurement.
"Good morning, Mr. Zhan Lu, here to buy bark again?"
Zhan Lu nodded. "With frequent wars recently, orders for weapons and armor have surged. I've come to replenish raw materials…"
The raw material Zhan Lu was referring to was none other than the magical pea vines that Zhang Wei had chopped down in Vegetable Sky.
Zhang Wei had stored all the magical pea vines from Vegetable Sky, and it only took him one day to replicate them.
The magical pea vine was a treasure trove. Its flowing sap was an excellent beverage, natural and rich in vitamins, very beneficial for the growth and development of adolescents.
Its peas contained female hormones, which could be used to make tofu and soy milk, having breast-enhancing and beautifying effects for women.
The leaves were energy-rich but not tasty, but when chopped, they could be used as feed for cattle and sheep.
Furthermore, the magical pea vine was extremely tough. Its outer skin, after processing, could be made into lightweight and sturdy armor. Its inner fibers could be tanned into ropes, and the inner wood, after sun-drying, could be used to make furniture.
In addition, the magical pea vine had a high calorific value and was a very good firewood after drying.
The greatest benefit was its abundance. One magical pea vine could yield thousands of tons of natural beverages, five hundred tons of peas, three thousand tons of leaf feed, two hundred thousand cubic meters of pea husks, and five hundred thousand tons of firewood.
The North was cold, consuming a large amount of firewood daily. One pea vine could keep the Great Glacier burning for over ten days.
Zhan Lu said, "Give me one million cubic meters of vine bark, billed at 25 Berries per cubic meter."
Zhang Wei clapped his hands. "Arms dealing is indeed a profitable business. One million cubic meters of vine bark can make at least 200,000 sets of vine armor, right?"
Zhan Lu waved his hand. "Do you think vine armor is that easy to make? First, it needs to be uniformly dried at a constant temperature for 36 hours to completely remove moisture. Then, it's soaked and softened in a special oil mixture, and then woven into armor by specialized artisans. Finally, it's dried and shaped. It's very troublesome."
"However, armor made from vine bark is quite effective. Not only is it tougher than iron armor, with knife and axe blows only leaving shallow marks, but it also weighs only one-twelfth of iron armor, allowing heavy infantry to run as fast as light infantry… it's simply a war artifact!"
Zhang Wei pondered, "Removing moisture… soaking in oil… bark… I say this armor is tough, but what if the enemy uses fire?"
Zhan Lu's proud smile froze on his face.
It seemed… he had a point!
Zhan Lu became angry on the spot. "Are you going to sell it or not?!"
"Selling, selling, selling! But I have another big business I want to discuss with you."
"Go ahead."
"Whetstones."
"What?"
Zhang Wei said, "I've recently found a batch of excellent whetstones that can grind all the hard materials in the world. Do you want to try them?"
"Hahaha…"
Zhan Lu laughed until tears streamed down his face. "Grind all materials in the world? That's a pretty big boast!"
"There are countless materials in the world that can be used to forge blades. How many do you know to claim you can grind all materials in the world."
Zhang Wei leaned into Zhan Lu's ear and whispered, "I heard someone once used it to grind the teeth of Dragon King Dilou Si~~~"
!!!
"What did you say!"
"Keep your voice down, you brat, this is classified!"
Zhan Lu panted, "The Dragon King you're talking about… is the one who is one of the eight rulers of the Gourmet World?"
"It's indeed from the Dragon King clan, but it was an immature specimen, and also a fossilized one…"
"That's still very strong!"
"Of course."
Zhan Lu said urgently, "Hurry up and show me!"
"There are conditions!"
"What conditions, tell me quickly!"
"I must grind it myself."
Zhan Lu was completely baffled.
You're a chef, and you want to grind blades?
Zhang Wei had no choice. If he didn't grind it himself, the stone made of King's Monosodium Glutamate would not turn into Melke's Stardust.
The Treasure Hall would not store it.
Moreover, after Zhang Wei's experiments, ordinary grinding methods could only produce Melke's Stardust of the lowest grade. Only by combining it with high-quality whetstone techniques could the highest grade of Melke's Stardust be produced.
And the requirements for blade materials were also strict. The tougher and higher quality the blade material, the finer the Melke's Stardust.
Zhan Lu said seriously, "The techniques of the Blade Forging Mountain Villa will never be easily leaked!"
"Meaning, it's not entirely impossible, right?"
Zhang Wei said, "I have my own difficulties. That whetstone involves extremely critical ingredients, and I cannot display it easily."
"I need to discuss this matter when I return."
Zhang Wei said, "I hope to have closer cooperation with the Blade Forging Mountain Villa."
After bidding farewell to Zhan Lu,
Zhang Wei set off for his travel destination this time – the Desert Garden.
Accompanying him were Sheng Taro and Kurama.
On the Bus Jellyfish, Zhang Wei shrugged. "Actually, I didn't really want to bring Sheng Taro along. I feel like this guy will definitely be a hindrance."
Sheng Taro chuckled. "If you want to learn the medical arts of a Regenerator, you must accept the Regenerator's philosophy. I need to make sure you won't disrupt the ecological balance."
Kurama was making soup on the Bus Jellyfish, his exquisite craftsmanship evident.
"Zhang Wei, the Desert Garden is a very desolate place. Why are you going there?"
Zhang Wei smiled. "My dear Mr. Kurama, you just need to prepare paper and pen. This will definitely be an exciting adventure, one I think is enough to make headlines."
Kurama was noncommittal.
Zhang Wei was always mysterious.
The Desert Garden covered a total area of 39 million square kilometers, with terrifying sandstorms raging incessantly on the periphery, also known as the Valley of Sand and Dust.
To pass through there, one had to take the Mountain Climbing Ladder House.
It was a super-sized cableway, somewhat similar to a cable car, but beneath the cables were towering buildings.
Upon arriving at the initial point of the Valley of Sand and Dust, it was contracted by the local chamber of commerce.
"Esteemed guest, are you heading to the Desert Garden?"
Upon seeing the three of them approach, a merchant quickly ran over, a smile plastered on his face as he introduced his services.
"To reach the Desert Garden, you need to live in a cable car villa for a month. This is not a matter to be taken lightly."
"As long as you pay one month's rent, you can safely and comfortably cross the Valley of Sand and Dust. This is a very wise choice."
"Will you choose to share a large hotel, or rent a villa individually?"
"Please take a look at our packages."
"500-person large hotel, provides three meals a day and additional meal services, private bathroom, 25 sqm room, monthly rent of 350 Berries per person."
"Public bathhouse leisure residence, bathing in the desert is so enjoyable, and the room is 30 sqm, monthly rent of 550 Berries per person…"
"Simple apartment with kitchen, includes one month's worth of ingredients, 50 sqm room, monthly rent of 220 Berries per person."
"And…"
Kurama frowned and waved his hand. "Why are they all for many people? I'd prefer a villa…"
Zhang Wei said, "More people means more liveliness. Staying with the three of you for a month, I'd go mad."
In the end,
Zhang Wei chose the most crowded place, a recreational luxury cruise ship suspended on a cable.
According to the introducer, there were many casinos, board games, dance floors, and other facilities, making it very interesting.
However, the rent was also the highest, 850 Berries per person per month. For the three of them, it was enough to rent a villa. But Zhang Wei himself was here to relax, and he just wanted some excitement. Otherwise, they could have flown the Bus Jellyfish directly.
The area in front of the Mountain Climbing Ladder House was crowded with people of all sorts of attire.
"There are so many people!"
Zhang Wei was dumbfounded. "Didn't you say it was a very desolate place? Why are there so many people?"
Kurama's face turned dark, and he suppressed his anger. "You confidently said you could find headline-grabbing news, yet you look like you know nothing!"
Zhang Wei spread his hands. "You believe everything I say, how naive you are."
Kurama: …
Sheng Taro said, "Although it's the world's largest desert, there are still countries and residents within it. This cableway is a mandatory route for travel. Moreover, the Desert Garden has extremely rich resources, enough to sustain a country."
A desert of carbon and rare earth elements.
A desert of wealth composed of alluvial gold and diamond rock.
A desert of industry composed of iron sand, aluminum powder, and copper slag.
A desert of gemstones composed of jade, agate, corundum, and crystal.
It could be said that this place was not only not poor but extremely wealthy, with the only lacking resource probably being water.
"Perhaps Yuan Shui would sell well here…"
Soon, a massive cruise ship appeared below the cable. Its immense weight caused the half-meter diameter cable to sag slightly. By estimation, this ship could accommodate at least a thousand people, it was that large.
The three of them paid their tickets and couldn't help but exclaim, "850 Berries per person, and for a thousand people, that's 850,000 Berries. This money is really easy to make."
"Looking at the carrying capacity, it's easy to depart dozens of buildings a day."
Zhang Wei smiled. "It's good, very tempting. I don't even want to sell ingredients anymore. I should just do real estate here."
From their attire, one could clearly distinguish whether they were locals.
Outsiders wore a hodgepodge of clothing, while locals preferred to wrap themselves entirely in white robes and wear Arab-style headscarves, exuding an aura of nouveau riche.
In fact, these white-robed individuals were indeed nobles of the Desert Kingdom, controlling the export of various resources, not much different from the wealthy people of the UAE in his previous life.
However, these headscarf-wearing individuals had no religious restraints and were quite extravagant, each accompanied by maids, guards, and personal chefs.
But the chefs' ranks were mostly only one-star.
"The environment here is nice. The decoration is grand, and each room has a simple kitchen."
Zhang Wei shook his head and refused. "Don't mention kitchens to me. I don't want to know anything about ingredients for the next month."
Kurama scratched his head. "Not mention kitchens? Then what will we eat this month? Can you get used to the food on the ship?"
Zhang Wei said matter-of-factly, "Take a guess. Why did I insist on bringing you here?"
Kurama: …………
This person was too shameless!
As soon as they boarded, the three of them let loose and plunged into the central entertainment area.
Billiards, cards, slot machines…
Chess, Go, Five-in-a-Row, Checkers…
Catering to the needs of all age groups.
Sheng Taro pointed at the Go board. "A game?"
"Let's play!"
After a while.
Zhang Wei looked at the Go board and said helplessly, "Sheng Taro, your Go playing is truly like a bun asking a bun to open the door for it, it's all buns."
Sheng Taro's old face reddened, and he loudly retorted, "Nonsense! My colleagues from the Land of Healing all praised me as a 'half-step to heaven'—a versatile player on the chessboard."
"Oh. Then your colleagues are truly like Genghis Khan playing with repeated words, just babbling nonsense!"
"Huh? What is Genghis Khan?"
"That's not important!"
Sheng Taro looked up. "Where's Kurama?"
"He said he was going to the dance floor to dance."
"Dance? Him?"
"Eh… you don't understand this. Dancing is mainly about the feeling. How you dance doesn't matter."