"Old man, are we still going to keep eating?"
Jun Lao Tou showed no sign of the dejection that usually followed a failed gamble. He grabbed Zhang Wei's hand. His attitude had completely reversed.
"Young friend, your skill is divine! In all my years, I've never witnessed such exquisite and unparalleled cuisine."
"Spare me!" Zhang Wei pushed the old man away and held out his palm. "A bet is a bet."
"I concede, I concede! But you mentioned it's your first time in the city, so you must not have a place of employment yet. I can't boast about much else, but Wang Yue Zhai is renowned throughout the Northern Region."
"No need." Zhang Wei refused outright. The great glacier was quite interesting. If he were to be a head chef, he'd be bogged down with endless trivial matters, which would be no fun.
Zhang Wei continued, "Then, how much should this recipe of mine be priced at?"
"This… this recipe is too complex. Very few chefs can complete it, and it's of little use to ordinary people. If someone possesses such skill, the recipe's value diminishes significantly." The old man was speaking the truth, and Zhang Wei knew it. This recipe was more about showing off his skills than having practical value.
The old man glanced at the manager. "The borrowing fee can be set at 350,000 Belize."
"What? Three hundred fifty thousand!!!"
"What's the big fuss? It's just that this recipe's practicality isn't high; otherwise, it would be priceless!" The old man continued, "If it were in a library for borrowing, it would circulate widely, losing its unique value. As a secret recipe, marking it at 35 million is already very cheap, in my opinion."
The "Soup of the Soul's" Lingxi Wuqin Tang was a prime example of a secret recipe. It was one of a kind in the world. Fewer than a handful of people knew it, and its rarity naturally increased its value.
"The library offers two borrowing methods: profit sharing or outright purchase."
"For profit sharing, each party receives half of the profit each time someone borrows it. After fifty years, the copyright belongs to the Book Pavilion."
"For outright purchase, this recipe will have nothing to do with you anymore, and you will receive a one-time profit..."
Zhang Wei asked, "If it's an outright purchase… how much would I get?"
Jun Lao Tou replied, "Forty million! If the Desert Book Pavilion doesn't want it, I can represent Wang Yue Zhai and acquire it!"
Zhang Wei was startled. He never expected a recipe he'd casually concocted to fetch such a high price. He even felt an impulse to write ten more such recipes on the spot. That would be an easy four to five hundred million.
"Never mind. Too much money is meaningless." Zhang Wei wasn't lacking in ways to earn money now; he was quite Zen.
"I choose outright purchase." Jun Lao Tou glanced at the manager.
The manager didn't hesitate and stated firmly, "Based on the exquisite nature of this dish, the Desert Book Pavilion will pay forty million! Sir, if you plan to sell recipes in the future, please consider us first. We'll offer you the highest price in the industry!"
"Please wait here for a moment, and I'll go get the money immediately!" With that, the book pavilion manager dashed off as if someone was chasing him.
Back in the thatched hut, Jun Lao Tou reverently took out a small sandalwood box. Inside were about a dozen plant stems, each the size of a soybean.
"This is one of the Northern Region's rare treasures, 'Bo Yun Shou Yue' (Clearing Clouds and Guarding the Moon). It's second only to all other teas in the Northern Region. I usually can't bear to drink it, but I'll share it with you, young friend."
Zhang Wei was not surprised by the old man's change in attitude. He said with a hint of teasing, "Trying to bribe me? Let me tell you, the bet between us must be honored to the last detail."
"What are you saying? Am I the kind of person who goes back on his word!"
"Someone!" The old man called for a servant. "Prepare a set of all the seasonings from the kitchen, and pack them up. Also, immediately inquire at the auction house if there are any endangered ingredients available recently, and procure them for me at any cost!"
The servant looked troubled. "Other things are manageable, but we only have 45 grams of Salt Essence left. The Northern Region Chef's Feast is about to begin, and this amount..."
Salt Essence was scarce in production, yet its consumption was enormous. Most high-end dishes could be elevated by half a level with just a pinch. Fortunately, the four major salt merchants had operated for centuries and maintained a minimum supply to each shop, which stabilized the salt price. Moreover, the price of Salt Essence had rarely changed, making it quite reasonable.
"This..." Jun Lao Tou gritted his teeth. "Take out ten grams and give it to this young friend."
Zhang Wei's head ached at the mention of Salt Essence. It produced over ten kilograms a day, filling the side halls. Yet, salt was something one could only eat in small quantities daily; too much was truly overwhelming.
Zhang Wei waved his hand and immediately said, "Forget the Salt Essence, I don't need that junk. Pack more of other things for me."
Jun Lao Tou was taken aback. What was this fellow's background? He called critically scarce Salt Essence "junk." Even the four major salt merchants wouldn't dare say such a thing. Perhaps he simply didn't want to take what was offered with such rarity?
Jun Lao Tou looked at Zhang Wei with gratitude and immediately told the servant, "Hurry up! Pack more of all the seasonings except Salt Essence!"
After brewing the tea, Jun Lao Tou poured Zhang Wei a full cup.
"Bo Yun Shou Yue, please, taste it."
Zhang Wei's tongue lightly touched the liquid, and he immediately exclaimed, "Good tea!" It was fresh, distant, and had a long-lasting aftertaste, undoubtedly a top-tier tea! Compared to it, Dahongpao from Jiulongke, Pu'er Jingua Gong, Longjing from West Lake, and Maofeng from Huangshan all became trash. In his past life, many were overpriced due to their rarity, but the quality of this tea was worlds apart!
"I'm glad you like it." Zhang Wei asked, "If this is only the second-best in the Northern Region, how strong must the first be?"
"The first one is extraordinary!" When it came to tea, Jun Lao Tou became animated. "A hundred years ago, someone flew a dirigible to the 'Cloud Kingdom' and discovered a tea tree on the verge of death. After transplanting it back, they used all sorts of methods to help it regain its vitality."
"Unfortunately, this unknown withered tree only produces dozens of grams a year, and the supply falls far short of demand. Not long ago at a Northern Region auction, a wealthy female tycoon outbid everyone at a price of 5 million Belize, only managing to acquire a mere 45 grams." Jun Lao Tou sighed, lamenting. For someone who deeply loved tea, the inability to experience such a rare treasure was indeed difficult. The price of five million Belize was also a significant burden for Jun Lao Tou. Satisfying mere culinary desires was still too extravagant.
Jun Lao Tou personally poured tea and subtly inquired, "Besides researching cooking, what other hobbies do you have, young friend?"
"Besides cooking and eating… not much. Reading or exercising, things like that."
"If I had to pick a special hobby, perhaps I like collecting some out-of-print ingredients?" For Zhang Wei, once an ingredient could be collected, it would remain in the Treasure Hall forever. Therefore, no matter how high-end a food was, it was all the same to him. But out-of-print ingredients were different. Even if they weren't particularly expensive, once lost, there would be no chance of encountering them again. For Zhang Wei, who had a severe collection obsession, a lost ingredient would eventually become a "white moonlight." It was like having a full skin account but missing a cheap early-game skin that was, by chance, limited edition! Looking at the missing piece, it caused a suffocating, unpleasant feeling.
"Out-of-print ingredients?"
"I understand." Jun Lao Tou smiled slyly, clearly hatching some mischievous plan.