The next day, during the morning roll call, Zhang Wei clearly felt the atmosphere had become even more somber.
A middle-aged man in a white formal suit walked over from a distance.
The supervisors, usually nonchalant and flippant, stood ramrod straight, as if being inspected like soldiers.
The tall, white-clad middle-aged man addressed the laborers loudly, "I am Od, the head of the Human Resources Department!"
"Here, I have some unfortunate news to announce."
"The newly arrived laborers encountered a Level 25 Ice Plains White Tiger on the Ice Hell Plains and have all perished."
"During this period of no new labor reinforcements, our workload will significantly increase."
As soon as these words were spoken, the laborers erupted in an uproar.
They were already at risk of dying from the cold, and now they had to work overtime?
"Silence!"
Od's voice was not loud, but everyone present felt a tangible chill!
"To motivate everyone, laborers will now be divided into groups of three, with collective rewards and punishments."
"The hundred groups that process the least amount of work each day will have their food rations halved."
"The top hundred groups will receive additional alcoholic beverages and chili peppers."
In the ice fields, alcohol and chili peppers could dispel the cold, acting as vital life-saving commodities!
The punishment was equally severe; the extreme cold of the glaciers made starvation a life-threatening prospect!
Subsequently, under the organization of the supervisors, the laborers drew numbers from the desks to form teams.
Zhang Wei arrived at desk number 666, where a plump figure looked very familiar.
"Zhang Wei!"
"You are... Guitian Biesan!"
Biesan was overjoyed. Yesterday, he had been standing next to Zhang Wei, and his speed in processing the ghost face mushrooms was practically divine. This time, he had no need to worry about being punished.
A tall figure approached.
"Desk 666, are you two teaming up with me?"
"Indeed!"
"My name is Wang Meng! Let's make this clear beforehand, I expect to drink alcohol and eat chili peppers. If you drag me down... don't blame me if my fists are too hard!"
Wang Meng's face was full of arrogance, suggesting he possessed genuine skill.
Guitian Biesan became even happier, knowing he had absolutely nothing to worry about regarding punishment this time!
As for getting beaten... taking a couple of punches was better than starving or freezing to death.
While distributing ingredients, a supervisor yelled, "This is the basic amount that must be completed. If you don't finish, don't expect to eat."
"If you finish, call me to refill. There will be no more early departures from now on."
"If you want alcohol and chili peppers, work yourselves to death for it!"
"Great job, even getting the women involved."
...
...
Zhang Wei opened his storage box.
[Ding~ Edible ingredient discovered!]
[Stone Crab (Juvenile)]
[Capture Level: 3]
[Habitat: Shallow waters and tidal flats]
[Description: Juvenile stone crabs are unremarkable on their own, but they are protected by adult female crabs, which makes capture difficult. The smaller the stone crab, the tastier it is. As they mature, the meat becomes increasingly bland.]
[Nutritional Effect: Strengthens bones and muscles, consolidates vital energy.]
As expected, nothing sent to the Ice Hell through such hardship could be ordinary!
Zhang Wei, holding the finest 'Precision Knife,' expertly slid it along the seams of the juvenile crab's shell, peeling off the stony plates piece by piece.
Next came the crab claws and legs, the meat within equally precious.
[Storage complete, replication time: 110 days]
[Storage complete, replication time: 93 days]
[Storage...]
Beside him, Guitian Biesan, armed with a rubber mallet and a soft nail, hammered away, sweating profusely.
Because they feared damaging the soft meat inside, ordinary laborers could only use this set of tools to meticulously grind away, their processing speed as slow as a snail's.
Wang Meng, having processed three, smiled in satisfaction.
He glanced at Guitian Biesan and scoffed, "Trash. He hasn't even finished one."
Then he looked back at Zhang Wei.
Huh?
Huh!
Wang Meng's eyes almost bulged out of his sockets!
The crab shells, stony plates, and crab meat on the table were neatly arranged.
By a rough estimate, there were at least ten!
"This is impossible!"
"How did you do it!"
Zhang Wei's knife skills were unpretentious yet flowed like water, and Wang Meng watched with wide eyes.
Another box was brought in from the distance. Zhang Wei smiled, "What are you gawking at? If you want to drink tonight, you need to speed up!"
"Disrespecting a master leads to death!"
"I was blind earlier, I failed to recognize true skill."
"Brother, teach me a few tricks. Wang Meng owes you a favor."
He hadn't expected this brute to have such a side to him. Though a bit arrogant, he knew how to admit defeat and show respect.
Zhang Wei remained silent, focusing on the stone crabs in his hands.
After a moment of quiet, Wang Meng bowed deeply.
"Sir, your skills are extraordinary, please teach me a few tricks!"
Zhang Wei smiled faintly, "Isn't the lesson already underway?"
As he spoke, the blade in his palm danced, sliding across the stone crab's shell in a specific pattern.
With seemingly little effort, the stony plates peeled off piece by piece.
Wang Meng's joy was evident on his face as he stared intently, his hands mimicking the movements in mid-air.
Meanwhile, the pile of stone crab shells grew beside Zhang Wei.
[Storage complete: Replication time: 13 days]
[Storage complete: Replication time: 11 days]
[Storage...]
...
"Desk 664: 18 pieces... Ineligible!"
"Desk 665: 20 pieces, passes the threshold."
"Desk 666... This... 78 pieces!"
The supervisor exclaimed in surprise, his gaze towards Zhang Wei and his companions warming considerably.
Clearly, Zhang Wei's group's performance also reflected on the supervisor.
Wang Meng asked in a gruff voice, "With this result, we're sure to be first, right?"
The supervisor coughed lightly, "Not necessarily. The highest group so far processed nearly 200! However, your group's performance will surely place you within the top fifty."
Wang Meng wore an expression of disbelief, while Zhang Wei inwardly rejoiced.
Fearing it would be too conspicuous, Zhang Wei had not used his full speed.
If there were so many strong individuals, a bit more speed from him wouldn't attract too much attention.
As the supervisor left, he instructed, "Keep up the good work. Of the ten groups under me, yours is the most impressive. Tonight, I'll bring you extra liquor..."
...
His mind sank into the Treasured Collection Hall.
On the display stand, the juvenile stone crabs were lively and spirited.
In terms of spirit, ease of processing, meat quality, weight, age, etc., they were all in their most perfect state!
They were practically a new breed.
Only rare ingredients were valued by the Treasured Collection Hall. Zhang Wei had stored over fifty items today.
He had managed to reduce the replication time from 110 days to under 24 hours.
A flash of the blade, and the crab's meat was extracted.
"About 200 grams... is the yield rate also at its peak?"
He was still at the same downwind location as yesterday, the biting wind causing countless passersby to deliberately avoid it.
Zhang Wei summoned a platter of assorted sashimi from the Treasured Collection Hall and, using the sashimi's wasabi, placed the crab meat into his mouth.
"This taste!"
"Fresh!"
The tender crab leg meat spurted juice in his mouth, exploding like a bomb when combined with the sashimi's signature wasabi.
"As expected of the Treasured Collection Hall's top collection, embodying the strengths of over fifty juvenile crabs, even the flavor is three parts richer!"
As the crab meat went down, his Gourmet Cells clearly expressed their delight.
Zhang Wei had precise control over his body and could clearly feel the changes within.
"Strengthens bones and muscles, consolidates vital energy. The effects are clear and significant."
"Gourmet Cells, truly miraculous!"
Zhang Wei had encountered many nourishing ingredients, but none had the restorative effects of the stone crab.
"If only I could make a dish with this... I still have too few ingredients."
"I won't think too much about it for now. What shall I eat today?"
French Baked Snails...
Pan-Seared Foie Gras...
State Banquet: Golden Soup Lion's Head...
Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding...