Beyond the Northern Lands lay a vast world.
The Northern Lands were situated at the very north of the Human Realm, part of its outer ring. This region was home to numerous wild ingredient gathering spots, such as the Four Snow Lands, the Hengduan Mountains, and the Ice Hell Plains.
The Human Realm also had an inner ring.
There, humans were more concentrated, with a distinct urban style.
Progress City, for instance, was on the fringe of the inner ring, with a massive population.
Zhang Wei, transforming into lightning, crossed four thousand kilometers of straits and continents, finally arriving at Progress City!
"Haro, come out and see me!"
He roared.
Zhang Wei's voice resonated throughout Progress City.
Upon hearing Haro's name, the city's residents flinched and shivered.
"Who is so bold to directly call out Haro's name!"
"I heard Haro participated in the Cloud Country campaign in the Northern Lands, and his combat power went up a notch after returning!"
The original Haro, at level 48, could already dominate Progress City. After a period of arduous training, his strength had broken through the level 56 mark, making remarkable progress.
Of course, this was also inseparable from the boost from the spoils of war in Cloud Country; those delicacies had all transformed into Haro's strength, making him even more powerful!
Hearing Zhang Wei's call.
A figure leaped out from atop the city's skyscrapers, laughing wildly as he looked at the sky.
"Who is it? Isn't it my dear partner!"
Zhang Wei landed and threw a punch. "You brat, you ate so many spoils of war, yet you haven't put on much weight."
Haro scratched his head. "I've been training too much lately. It's hard to gain fat, and my wallet can't take it."
"I'll give you an opportunity to make money."
"Tell me."
"Find me a bunch of people over level 10 who can withstand low temperatures. I need a labor force, and the price is negotiable. You can take a cut as the intermediary."
Haro asked, "How much money would that be? How many people do you need?"
Zhang Wei calculated, "One Level 10 Cell Awakener, working their life away as a laborer, should earn at least 80 Beli a day. Taking 10 Beli as a cut is reasonable, right? Recruiting a thousand people would be 10,000 Beli, 10,000 a day!"
Hiss~
It sounded quite profitable!
"Eighty Beli? Isn't that a bit low? Can you even recruit people at that rate?"
"That's your problem. Also, meals are provided, all you can eat!"
All you can eat!
Haro suddenly thought of something!
He awkwardly said, "Uh, can I go too?"
"Good heavens, you're coming to my place to fatten up, aren't you?"
Zhang Wei had already guessed the kid's intentions.
Eating for eight days in one go, three meals a day. Working for one day wouldn't take as long as eating.
After half a month, he'd be fat and round, and then Haro would announce his resignation and departure.
Thinking of this, Zhang Wei felt like punching him to death.
However, more fat might indeed help with the cold.
Zhang Wei continued, "Additionally, I need a large quantity of building materials: bricks, heat insulation boards, steel bars, solid cement, lumber, stone, etc."
"How much?"
"Enough to build a house."
"How big a house?"
Zhang Wei blinked and grinned, "About half the size of the city?"
Haro: ...
"Brother, are you planning to build a city?"
"What are you talking about? Just a simple little house to keep out the cold."
"Do you need a designer?"
"All the famous designers in the city. I'll take them all and have them come up with plans for me. By the way, with all these requests, it's not too much trouble, is it?"
Haro muttered, "Not troublesome... but my reputation in Progress City will probably... get even worse."
"It's fine, it's already terrible, a little more won't matter."
Haro: .................
One day later.
Zhang Wei stored the mountain of building materials into his Treasure Hall.
The insulation materials in Progress City were of excellent quality and abundant. Zhang Wei booked all the accumulated stock and the next six months' production in one go.
Refuse?
Haro didn't care if they refused.
In Progress City, Haro was like an emperor.
He also acquired a good amount of bricks, lumber, stone, and steel bars, but these weren't exclusively produced in Progress City, so he had to make trips elsewhere.
To thank Haro, Zhang Wei made french fries and potato chips for him using sacred-grade spherical potatoes.
Although the spherical potatoes were only level one, with a hundred thousand-fold amplification, each potato weighed three tons and had a perfect spherical shape. The skin was thin as paper, and the taste was crisp and delicious, comparable to level 10 ingredients even when eaten raw.
Zhang Wei took out ten sacred-grade potatoes and prepared them with high-quality vegetable oil and spices. Thirty tons of potatoes were processed into twenty tons of french fries and potato chips.
With Zhang Wei's culinary skills, selling them at 450 Beli per kilogram was not an issue.
Twenty tons would be worth 9 million Beli!
Haro laughed, "Your profits are no different from a printing press. These delicious ingredients can be used as currency, becoming essential for trade."
"Nonsense, food is only valuable when it tastes good. Who keeps money at home for three to five days until it rots?"
"Hey, if you make food that doesn't rot, wouldn't it really be money then..."
"Non-perishable ingredients... money..."
Zhang Wei was suddenly enlightened!
That's right, if delicious food didn't spoil, it could serve as currency!
Food Bank... Food Bank... Without currency, how could it be called a bank?
Zhang Wei threw a punch and roared, "You're a truly clever old fox!"
Haro was sent flying by the punch, crashing through three buildings...
It took him a long while to crawl back.
He looked at Zhang Wei helplessly. "I don't know what you thought of, but you didn't have to punch me like that."
"Hahaha, I was too excited!"
"Is there any medical fee?"
"Regrettably, no!"
.........
How to create a gourmet currency?
In the original manga, Toriko and others went to the Gourmet Casino in the underground culinary world, where the chips were edible delicacies.
The more expensive the chip, the better the taste.
The most expensive chip was worth 1 million yen, which was equivalent to about 1200 Beli in purchasing power. Coco, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Gourmet, once won a million of these chips in a single go at the Gourmet Casino!
Zhang Wei's goal was beyond that. The most basic gourmet coin should be worth 10,000 Beli.
Unlike chips, currency needs to circulate for a long time. To prevent damage during circulation, the outer layer must be completely sealed with gold leaf.
This would provide anti-fouling, moisture-proof, water-loss prevention, and extended shelf-life effects.
Therefore, the chosen ingredients needed to be ready to eat upon opening, preferably snacks.
Zhang Wei pondered for a moment, "Long-lasting snacks... candies? Chocolate?"
"Speaking of which, Happiness Candy is perfectly suitable. The taste, texture, and variety are all top-notch. Unfortunately, the quantity is too limited to be sufficient."
Once gourmet currency is issued, the required amount will be substantial!
But if it's just candy, wouldn't it be too monotonous...
"If various delicious foods can be sealed into coins, then it can truly be called a real gourmet coin!"