Each page contained over a dozen precious ingredients, any one of which would be worth tens of billions if taken out, no less than the valuable Silver Apples of yesteryear.
However, flipping further back, many overlapped with the Gourmet Bank. Counting them, at least 1,500 of the over 5,000 precious ingredients on this list were ones Zhang Wei had not obtained.
Each was a delicacy with an edible level above fifty, and quite rare. Some even lacked any documentation or mention in books.
These were obscure ingredients of the human world that Zhang Wei knew nothing about, rare treasures that had seldom appeared in history.
Zhang Wei pondered for a moment.
"This is surprising. My intuition tells me you haven't held back. Did you truly send the complete ingredient catalog?"
Golden Tooth Brian snorted, "Don't play coy after getting the better end of the deal. We agreed beforehand that even in an exchange, you must provide something of equal value, or you'll face the full might of the Gourmet Casino!"
He was gambling that Zhang Wei wouldn't dare to act with unbridled force.
Zhang Wei shook his head, "Equal value? No, no, no!"
The air instantly froze.
"It will be whatever it is. I will purchase these precious ingredients at double their appraised value."
Double?
Everyone was aghast!
This was no small sum. These delicacies were the culmination of years of the casino's operations, valued at well over a trillion.
Double?
How much money would that cost?
The combined GDP of all nations in the human world would need to be earned for one to two months.
It was equivalent to the output of at least three or four ordinary countries!
And now, Zhang Wei's output, which was already beyond comprehension, would translate into a great many zeros when calculated purely by numbers!
The appetite of the法定犸 (Fǎdìng Mà - Legal Mammoth) could be easily satisfied. The Plant Hell was also ordinary. Last time, Zhang Wei had dumped half a year's worth of ingredients onto the Morse Mountains.
But the Morse Mountains, the foremost river in the human world, provided nutrition far beyond Zhang Wei's imagination. Hundreds of millions of ingredients had vanished without a trace.
And the ultimate concentrate of this nutrition, Morse Oil, was the very essence of this nourishment!
As he spoke, Zhang Wei summoned his cooking utensils and a full liter of Morse Oil.
"What is this?"
"It looks like some kind of oil. Its origin can't be determined just by its appearance."
Everyone gathered around, chattering and speculating about what could give Zhang Wei such immense confidence that it could be exchanged for the precious ingredients accumulated by the Gourmet Casino over decades.
Golden Tooth Brian sniffed lightly, his eyes narrowing, "Such a clean aroma, yet it gives a feeling of... satisfaction. And there's no greasiness at all. It's a high-quality oil, for cooking..."
"Shall I taste it?"
"You may."
With Zhang Wei's permission, Golden Tooth Brian gently dabbed a tiny amount with his finger and brought it to his lips...
Instantly!
A unique smoothness, characteristic of oil, flowed down his abdomen and through his intestines.
Cramps...
It was the effect of consuming too much cooking oil, a laxative effect that would cause severe diarrhea!
Golden Tooth Brian's expression changed. He clenched his buttocks, desperately trying to suppress the churning in his stomach. His face was grim. "Wh-what on earth is this? My stomach wouldn't react this strongly even if I ate poison!"
...
Zhang Wei waved his hand, "Who eats raw oil like that? It's no wonder you're having diarrhea."
Let's see the correct method!
Zhang Wei retrieved a bag of ordinary flour, a bag of high-grade wheat flour, and a barrel of premium peanut oil.
Heating oil in two separate pots, Zhang Wei mixed water with the two types of flour separately...
"This sequence... and the preparation of ingredients... are you going to fry dough twists?"
Flour, salt, water, oil...
He kneaded the flour and peanut oil together evenly, then added water to form a dough. The consistency needed to be moderate, neither too dry nor too soft.
At this point, the difference between the premium wheat flour and the ordinary flour became apparent. Despite the same proportion of water, the premium wheat flour was noticeably more elastic, giving a 'boing' sound when torn.
The ordinary flour, however, was limp. Even with the optimal water ratio, it lacked that chewy texture.
After resting for 20 minutes, it was cut into small strips and left to rest again.
Finally, it was rolled into long strips, forming the basic shape of dough twists, and then fried in oil at thirty percent heat...
"Very standard preparation technique!"
"It's so ordinary, yet it gives a pleasing aesthetic. It appears incredibly smooth and fluid, a true visual feast."
"The King of Northern Chefs lives up to his name!"
"This skill with dim sum indicates a very solid foundation. It couldn't be achieved without ten thousand repetitions. Even professional dough twist chefs wouldn't be better!"
"It feels... at least on par with the boss!"
The surrounding chefs whispered, speaking cautiously as Golden Tooth Brian was nearby.
Meanwhile, Zhang Wei had finished his preparations.
The dough twists made from inferior flour were placed in Morse Oil, while those from premium wheat flour were placed in premium peanut oil.
Here, the inferior flour took the lead. In the Morse Oil, it gradually turned golden, becoming more fluffy and three-dimensional, exuding an appetizing aura!
Its visual appeal increased significantly!
"It's transparent, crystalline oil, yet it fries the food to a golden yellow!"
"Even a dye wouldn't do that!"
"The aroma is drifting over! It's the exclusive scent from the pastry kitchen, the fragrance produced by oil and flour!"
"How can this be... only two dough twists have been fried!"
Amidst the murmurs, Zhang Wei pointed to one of the chefs who had been talking the most.
This individual had four arms and four eyes, a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks, a stout waist, and a strong build... a very distinctive appearance. One hand gripped a rolling pin forged from refined steel, indicating he was also a pastry specialist, his cooking utensil doubling as a weapon.
"Come here."
The four-eyed chef blinked, pointing at himself, "Me?"
"Yes, you will be the one to taste it."
The four-eyed chef burst with joy. Who wouldn't love such high-end cuisine, especially in his specialty area of pastry? What if he could learn something... wouldn't that be highly beneficial?
Seeing the displeasure on his boss's face, the four-eyed chef coughed lightly, suppressing his smile. "Understood. My palate is quite reliable."
A nearby chef reminded him, "You better give an honest evaluation. Your evaluation concerns... well, think carefully before you speak."
The four-eyed chef gave a knowing nod and made an "OK" gesture.
First, the dough twist fried with premium flour!
Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. The outer shell was a hollow, deep red crisp, while the interior was soft yellow dough, sprinkled with sesame seeds, making it quite appealing.
The four-eyed chef swallowed hard. "Then I won't be polite!"
The Collector from Toriko