Following Zhang Wei's instructions, Xifeng, drawing on her experience, recruited a hundred thousand ordinary laborers. The upfront cost for their employment exceeded five hundred million Berries.
The Great Gourmet Era was currently in turmoil, with news of wars everywhere.
In chaotic times, human lives were not worth much. In some places, a strong young laborer could only fetch 2,500 Berries, equivalent to approximately 125,000 RMB.
In addition to these one hundred thousand people, there were five thousand from the Northern Alliance Army, five thousand strong young men from Wolf Valley, six thousand volunteering for enrollment slots, Haru, and another seven thousand hired from various places.
These were all laborers with cell levels, more resistant to the cold of the Ice Hell Plains than ordinary people.
However, they generally had only levels 5-10, considered relatively weak.
Even wearing fire-resistant linings, thick cotton clothes, and animal fur cloaks, they could only endure for six hours outdoors.
Fortunately, the Ice Hell Plains were perpetually overcast, with almost no temperature difference between day and night. It was a constant, biting cold of minus 70 degrees, allowing for round-the-clock work with sufficient lighting.
As for ordinary people…
Ordinary people could not participate in construction at all. Back in the Great Glacier, the temperature was only minus twenty degrees, and ordinary people still suffered frequent losses.
Once exposed to the outside, no matter how thickly they were dressed, they could not last for thirty minutes.
Exposed skin would instantly frost over, and their respiratory organs would be destroyed by the extreme cold…
Inside the warm house.
Zhang Wei, following strength rankings, had the lower-level individuals eat first.
Such a large number of diners presented quite a challenge for the chefs!
Zhang Wei deeply felt the inadequacy of their culinary workforce…
"Xifeng."
"Here."
"Release the first recruitment announcement immediately!"
Xifeng was startled. "Now? But the academy hasn't even laid its foundation. Wouldn't recruiting now be too frivolous?"
Zhang Wei pointed to the dozen warm houses and the hundreds of thousands of people. "There are countless mouths here, ravenous for food. In the future, they will engage in high-intensity physical labor daily, consuming an astronomical amount of ingredients. Where else can we find such excellent practice opportunities?"
After all, they were laborers.
No one would complain if the cooking was a little less refined.
Once the Gourmet City was established, chefs with inferior skills would not be able to perform on stage. Their practice dishes would have no outlet other than internal consumption, which would be a waste.
Moreover…
Regarding enrollment, the outside world must have been longing for it for a long time, right?
Xifeng nodded. "Alright, I'll get it done… But the academy's framework hasn't been built yet, and the current culinary staff is already stretched thin just feeding these one hundred thousand people."
"I will find a solution for that."
As they spoke.
The newly arrived ordinary laborers entered the banquet area.
The tables were arranged in a large circular formation. Inside the circle were busy chefs, with Zhang Wei overseeing them.
The tables were divided into one hundred and eleven sections, each with hundreds or thousands of bowls of small noodles, and the number was still increasing.
The ordinary laborers were somewhat cautious. The aroma of the noodles made their stomachs rumble, and they even doubted the authenticity of the event.
They had been transferred here as slaves, laborers, and "piglets," with a premonition of their bleak future. Yet, they had done nothing, and now they were able to enjoy such exquisite food…
Once around the table.
A famished laborer, swallowing hard, picked up a bowl of small noodles under everyone's gaze!
At this moment, all eyes were on him!
He looked around. This feeling of being watched by thousands made him extremely uncomfortable, and an urge to escape this place surged within him.
But… the hunger in his stomach and the aroma of the small noodles wouldn't let him think further!
Just as he reached out to grab it…
"Stop!"
All the laborers were startled!
They stopped him!
So, it was all fake, right?
Even though they had known it all along, when their illusions were shattered, there was still a painful sense of despair.
Though they were humble, why would they be toyed with like this?
"There are chopsticks over there. Grabbing with your hands is disrespectful to both the chefs and the cuisine."
The famished laborer picked up the chopsticks, rolled up all the small noodles in the bowl, and slurped them down heartily!
He even tilted his head back and drank the soup at the bottom of the bowl!
"Delicious!"
"So delicious!"
The laborer's eyes welled up with tears!
How long had it been since he had tasted such exquisite food!
Ever since the war broke out in his hometown, even having enough to eat had become a luxury.
As he reached for another bowl, someone immediately interrupted, "Forgot the rules?"
That's right!
The rules!
One bowl per type of noodle per round!
These noodles were so delicious, he wanted more of this one. The famished laborer ran quickly, wanting to savor that perfect taste again.
But he stopped after just two steps.
Passing by a different type of noodle, he suddenly smelled the scent of home…
It instantly evoked his memories.
He took a bowl.
"Mmm~~~"
"It truly tastes like home. The clear streams before the war, the peaceful and harmonious town, and my favorite ramen shop."
As he spoke.
This laborer actually began to cry.
White smoke began to emanate from his body.
Everyone was shocked!
"This, the initial awakening of Gourmet Cells!"
It was known that the initial awakening of Gourmet Cells was the most difficult. It required not only a large amount of high-quality ingredients but also perfect flavors and dishes that perfectly matched one's physique.
Furthermore, individual talent was a factor. Some people were naturally prone to awakening Gourmet Cells, such as the protagonists in the original story, and so on.
Those with lesser talent would find it difficult to gain extraordinary powers even with excessive consumption. Such people were the majority; ordinary people without extraordinary powers accounted for over 95% of the total population!
Being a laborer here was itself a demonstration of talent.
A rather poor one!
"What are you all standing around for?"
"The noodles will get cold soon!"
The crowd snapped back to reality!
With the first person's experience, the other laborers finally mustered the courage and rushed forward to get their small noodles.
Remembering the rules.
One bowl per type per round, use chopsticks, and place used bowls and chopsticks on the periphery, where dedicated personnel would collect them.
Exclamations of surprise erupted continuously.
Everyone found their own taste among the small noodles. Laughter and sorrow intertwined, along with many joyful shouts. They had not been so unrestrained even on their wedding nights.
White steam billowed continuously!
More and more laborers underwent advancements. Not only the onlookers but even the chefs preparing the dishes were astounded!
"How can this be!"
"The difficulty of ordinary people awakening is so high, one might be luck… but so many…"
"Could it be that these noodles truly have such an astonishing effect!"
The chefs had long known the extraordinary nature of these noodles.
But they never imagined they would be this extraordinary!
These were dishes capable of mass-producing cell awakeners, and cell awakeners were the embodiment of everything, the foundation of countless powerful factions!
Looking around, a full half of the people had completed their advancement!
And the number was still increasing!
"Calm yourselves, do not panic!"
"Focus on the task at hand!"
Seeing that the chefs were distracted, Zhang Wei could only remind them.
Zhang Wei continued, "You have already learned seventy to eighty percent of the essence of this dish. With diligent practice, you will be able to master it proficiently sooner or later!"
"This recipe will also be one of your compulsory courses in the future!"
"You won't be able to avoid learning it!"
"Now, do your work well!"
"Look, your small noodles are almost gone!"
As Zhang Wei reminded them, the chefs finally realized that the thousands of bowls of small noodles they had prepared were largely consumed by the surging crowd, with some having only a little over a hundred bowls left!
Zhang Wei had previously warned that the noodles must never run out! Otherwise, it would affect the success rate of the cuisine.
Moreover, this dish, with its hundred noodles, was interconnected. If one part failed, everyone would be affected!
The chefs responsible for their respective areas were greatly alarmed!
They immediately turned the heat to maximum and worked frantically to speed up.
Most of these chefs had experienced hands. Their specially made long chopsticks skimmed through the water, and the noodles formed beautiful arcs in the air, landing precisely in the bowls not far away, with even the portions being almost identical.
Assistants immediately refilled the soup and then served the dishes.
Because the ingredients were prepared in advance, the cooking speed was acceptable.
Although the crowd appeared ravenous and the portion size of each bowl was small, they usually felt incredibly full after eating only four or five bowls.
These dishes were made with ingredient grades and contained abundant energy. Ordinary people could only eat four or five bowls at their limit.
In the Great Gourmet Era, appetite was also a manifestation of strength and talent. The more voracious one's appetite, the faster they would level up and the stronger their combat power.
"Based on the standards of ordinary people, bottlenecks will be encountered frequently, perhaps every five or six levels."
"Once they complete their initial awakening, they will have a chance to reach level five or higher, and dealing with the severe cold will not be a problem."
The efficacy of Gourmet Cells was terrifyingly powerful.
A level one beast could contend with ten professional hunters armed with hunting rifles.
Translating this to humans, or in other worldviews, upon awakening, one would be at the innate level, capable of cutting down a hundred people with cold weapons without issue!
And once they reached level five, they could contend with infantry fighting vehicles. Level ten would allow them to contend with modern main battle tanks, and the severe cold would no longer be life-threatening to them.
"Those who have eaten their fill should exit through this entrance and make way for those entering behind them!"
"Enter in batches, one thousand people at a time!"
Controlling the pace of entry also gave the chefs some time to rest.
This allowed popular varieties time to be replenished.
Zhang Wei made minor adjustments to staffing based on the consumption rate of the food types.
Meanwhile, the management personnel at the exit continuously let out astonished cries!
Everyone who walked out of here was surrounded by white mist and steam, their spirits high, and their vitality surging!
Advancement!
Advancement!
Everyone had completed the awakening of their cells!
And some had directly reached levels two or three!
What kind of divine cuisine was this that could make people awaken one hundred percent?
If such cuisine were to spread, would there still be ordinary people in the world?
The same thought appeared in the minds of every high-ranking official watching. They deeply understood what this dish represented, perhaps driving the world even more mad than the Silver Apple!
The Silver Apple could at most promote a single high-level combatant, but this dish could promote everyone on the entire continent!
Perhaps in the near future, there would no longer be any ordinary people in this world!
At this moment, a tall, gaunt figure caught Zhang Wei's attention.
This person was clad in rags and looked emaciated, but his height of over two meters made him quite conspicuous in the crowd.
His appetite was truly terrifying. As far as Zhang Wei could see, he had already eaten seventeen bowls. His appetite was monstrous! His level also surged to six, making him the highest gainer on the field.
Yet, this fellow showed no signs of stopping. His eyes scanned for the small noodles he favored, and he had only passed the halfway point!
"Xifeng, who is that person?"
"That person… Boss, there are so many slaves, how can I possibly remember them all? I'll have to check the roster."
"No need. Later, you will organize some people to escort those who have reached level five or above separately."
"Understood."
Xifeng agreed.
The banquet continued…
………………
Fifteen hours later, the chefs had served sixty waves of guests.
Every one of them was exhausted, their eyes bloodshot, and their hands trembling. A total of sixty thousand people was a challenge even for these high-level chefs.
Zhang Wei nodded with satisfaction. "Very good, not a single one stopped midway today. I am very pleased with your performance."
"Master! We're not tired."
"Indeed. As chefs, how can we refuse a dish?"
"I can work for another fifteen hours!"
"We've already served nearly half the people. Everyone, keep it up!"
Zhang Wei smiled. "I know your enthusiasm, and I believe that even though your condition has declined, you will still produce satisfactory dishes. But now the raw materials are almost depleted; we must prepare, right?"
"This…"
"Master, we'll prepare right away!"
"I didn't expect that even with so much prepared, it wouldn't be enough…"
"This time, we'll prepare more!"
Zhang Wei continued, "Excess is as bad as deficiency. Let's stop here for today; we'll continue tomorrow. And I want to summarize today's dishes while you still have the energy…"
The chefs became even more excited!
They had all noticed the effect of this dish – it made ordinary people awaken one hundred percent!
The value of such a dish was unimaginable, absolutely sky-high!
Following that, Zhang Wei announced, "Today's banquet ends here. The chefs are tired and need rest to produce satisfactory delicacies. Those who haven't had a chance to eat yet, don't worry, the banquet will continue tomorrow."
Zhang Wei then ordered Ajin and others to increase security.
Six thousand people had awakened their cells today. Among them, there were inevitably some with restless minds, whose temperaments might change after gaining power. If these individuals conspired together and caused a riot, the impact would be quite severe.
However, this group numbered only sixty thousand. Even if they all joined forces, they would not be a match for any of Ajin's team.
But in terms of labor, sixty thousand people were stronger than ten Ajin teams!
After all, Ajin and his team only had two hands.
Exiting the warm house where Zhang Wei was, the two hundred chefs continued to work diligently.
Here, a massive amount of pre-processed ingredients was piled up, mostly within levels 1-7.
These were the raw materials for those hundred types of noodles.
"Master, what is the reason for asking us to do all this, and what is the name of today's dish?"
A more impatient chef, upon entering the room, immediately asked eagerly.
Zhang Wei smiled. "Didn't I tell you? This is the third dish on my life's menu, 'Hundred Flavored Small Noodles,' also known as 'The First Taste'!"