Only by taste could it rival Grade 15 high-end ingredients!
With a selling price of 220 Beli per kilogram and a yield of 3,600 jin, its price could reach over 800,000!
This was merely for beef cattle; if sold as valuable breeding stock, it could double, reaching 2.7 million Beli!
One perfect grade was equivalent to hundreds or even thousands of ordinary grades!
Zhang Wei had quite a few perfect-grade ingredients in his possession.
Most were accumulated from the Great Glacier, never sold, only tasted by himself.
Among them, the most frequently collected were the Qiqiú Mǎlíngshǔ from the Cloud Kingdom!
A staggering one hundred thousand collections!
Truly a perfect sacred product that represented the strength of the entire tribe.
However, Zhang Wei truly dared not bring out such a thing. If the Icefield Yāoniú had already made them like this, what would happen if he brought out a hundred thousand-in-one Qiqiú Mǎlíngshǔ? Wouldn't these country bumpkins collapse?
But... the company was just established and truly needed some valuable assets to be its centerpiece!
...
He beckoned everyone inside.
Zhang Wei entered the indoor area and stood before the food display window. Hundreds of chefs surrounded him, each holding a small notebook, chewing on the freshly slaughtered beef.
"This taste... is excellent!"
"Eating it as sashimi would be a waste. The brisket part can be used for soup, let's try it later!"
"The shape of the beef bones is also quite good, thick bones with thin interiors. There should be a lot of marrow inside..."
"Pan-fried beef would also be a delicacy, right? With such evenly distributed fat, it must be exceptionally fragrant when roasted!"
They recorded all their impressions.
These were evaluations of the new ingredients, which would eventually be compiled into a report for the publisher, leading to a statement on ingredient discovery. Zhang Wei's name would also spread widely with this statement.
And only chefs were qualified to write such ingredient reviews.
Entering the hall, Zhang Wei announced loudly, "Effective immediately, the Gourmet Bank officially enters the realm of formality."
"Now, I will announce its functions and operating methods. We will contact the media later for various promotions for the Gourmet Bank!"
"1. Utilizing the special ice quality of the Frozen Hell Plain, the Gourmet Bank undertakes the business of preserving ingredients. These ingredients will become bank deposit slips, akin to currency."
"2. Ingredient Trading. We undertake various forms of bartering, as well as the official trading of ingredients. Of course, we also approve of private transactions and will not charge any intermediary fees or taxes!"
"3. Regularly hosting culinary exchanges and food competitions, and introducing gameplay such as Shí Jǐ gambling battles."
"4. Selling recipes, providing culinary instruction, and establishing a chef academy to attract talented individuals from all over the world!"
With these four points alone.
If any one of them was done well, Zhang Wei would become incredibly wealthy!
Moreover, the four aspects complemented each other; if one succeeded, the other three would receive immense benefits.
For the first point, Zhang Wei was doing his utmost to accumulate ingredients, even planning to borrow money from some good friends.
The first of these was Tiān Zuì.
With the full support of the Black List, coupled with assistance from the Northern Lands, the Gourmet Bank would accumulate wealth that countless people would envy within three months!
As long as the inventory was sufficient, truly desirable and sought-after items for chefs would inevitably appear, and trade would naturally arise.
"If we're talking about ingredients that are coveted yet hard to obtain... they would surely be rare or endangered ones, or newly discovered ingredients that people want to try for the novelty."
"The perfect ingredients in the Treasure Hall perfectly fit these descriptions!"
As he spoke, Zhang Wei took out over a hundred kinds of perfect ingredients!
They were neatly stacked together, each one translucent and radiant. The overall appearance was like a delicate oil painting, artfully enhanced.
Each one, when singled out, was a rare beauty in appearance!
When placed together, it was simply dazzling!
Just as Zhang Wei was about to say something, a sudden shout erupted!
"Don't move!"
"Get back!"
"Strike that pose again!"
Zhang Wei blinked in surprise.
Who was this?
He looked very unfamiliar!
However, instinctively, Zhang Wei froze in place!
The person roared furiously, "No, it's not like that! There's no longer that spirited, confident aura!"
"It's gone! The soul!"
"Spirited... confident?"
Zhang Wei repeated the words.
His inner fire ignited, then dissipated. Zhang Wei's aura suddenly surged!
The person exclaimed, "Yes, that's it! Perfect!"
"Don't move, hold it! Give me a minute... no, twenty seconds!"
The person unfurled a large scroll, squeezed out over a dozen paints, and grabbed seven or eight brushes and sponges.
Holding two brushes simultaneously, he furiously mixed colors, his eyes darting about, occasionally glancing at Zhang Wei and the ingredients, then at the paints on his palette!
Suddenly!
The person threw his head back and closed his eyes, as if imprinting everything in his mind. Then, he began to create frantically on the scroll!
"It seems... I'm not needed here anymore."
Zhang Wei moved aside and asked Xi Feng, "Who is this person?"
Xi Feng replied, "Didn't you ask me to contact some influential media friends? He's one of them!"
"He's known as the Mad Painter, Xiao Qian. Every interview is accompanied by a perfect oil painting. He's known for his fusion of artistic master and news connoisseur, and his artistic style has always been highly sought after."
In this era where the media industry was still underdeveloped.
A reporter would also be a novelist, bard, painter, warrior, survival expert, and so on. To obtain firsthand material, they constantly dealt with various dangers.
For example, perilous wilderness, thug-filled criminal gangs, and unsanitary kitchens...
Xiao Qian was renowned for his shop visits and reviews, with many establishments becoming famous and popular under his promotion.
Xi Feng finding him was indeed a match made in heaven.
At this moment, Xiao Qian was working with manic intensity, three to five brushes furiously sketching on the canvas. His assistant quickly poured various paints, ensuring each tray had sufficient quantity.
Another assistant used some form of cell power to heat the paper and paints. The indoor temperature was minus twenty degrees Celsius, making it difficult to complete the artwork.
Zhang Wei walked over and unleashed the flames of compassion and care, enveloping Xiao Qian.
Zhang Wei thought to make it easier for him, but the gap between them was too vast. Xiao Qian's will was directly consumed by Zhang Wei's heart fire.
Xiao Qian looked up blankly. In the glow of the flames, Zhang Wei appeared incredibly sacred and majestic. All Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, God, and Christ were eclipsed at this moment!
A tear fell, dripping onto the canvas.
This feeling of warmth...
Looking back at the canvas, Xiao Qian suddenly felt it was meaningless.
"What was I painting just now..."
"These monotonous lines, dull colors, childish composition... they can't describe even a fraction of this place!"
"At this moment, I saw the Holy Spirit!"
Xiao Qian lowered his head, tore up the painting, and began to create on an ice wall instead.