Dayu was taken aback by Zhao Shen's sudden recitation of this poignant, tear-jerking line. However, upon hearing the playful retort, "I won't sell," he felt thoroughly deceived.
"What do you mean? Are you saying the price is too low? You honestly believe someone would spend a thousand gold coins on your rice? Dream on!"
Zhao Shen felt a pang of despair within, yet he remained silent, unable to articulate his thoughts. He could only watch as Dayu fumbled to produce gold coins, desperately attempting to push through the crowd—a truly disheartening spectacle.
Task Prompt: "A Culinary Master must begin with standards; only with the highest standards can one ascend to culinary greatness!"
The system's voice chimed in at an inopportune moment, and Zhao Shen could only curse under his breath. Was it his fault that the task's requirements were so demanding? Did they think he didn't want to sell?
...
"Dayu, let's go. Don't impede the owner's business," Xiaoshuang urged, tugging at Dayu to move away from the stall. Yet, Dayu remained undeterred.
"Xiaoshuang, just wait a moment."
Seeing that Dayu refused to back down caused Xiaoshuang to lose her temper as she stepped aside, curious about his next move.
"Xiaoshuang, just a moment. I need to speak with him." Dayu understood that Xiaoshuang was irritated, but his thoughts were simple: there was no one in this world who would turn down money.
"Boss, your business approach isn't conducive to long-term success. Frankly, I admit your rice is delicious—it's the best I've ever tasted," Dayu began.
Noticing Zhao Shen's silence, he assumed his persuasive tactics were working, pausing briefly before continuing. "But you must understand, in these times, there are far too many seekers and insufficient offerings. You don't even have a shop; the fragrance of good wine fears the deep alley. If you provide us with an extra serving today, I'll pay ten times the price and help promote your business. What do you say?"
It must be said that Dayu's eloquence was impressive for a scion of a wealthy family; his words were so convincing that Zhao Shen felt momentarily swayed. Unfortunately, it was all for naught.
Zhao Shen simply stood there, watching Dayu playact.
Dayu rifled through his pockets, extracting gold coins as he passionately delivered his speech, appealing to emotions and logic alike, believing he had succeeded—only to hear Zhao Shen's crisp, unyielding rejection: "No thanks, I won't sell."
...
"Who says no one would spend a thousand gold coins to buy Zhao Shen's Dragon's Saliva Rice?"
Suddenly, a voice emerged from the side. From his portly stature, Zhao Shen recognized the newcomer as Mu Yichun.
In truth, Mu Yichun had been present for quite some time, observing from the shadows; he wanted to ascertain whether Zhao Shen truly adhered to his principles.
It was only when Dayu began to harass him that Mu Yichun chose to step forward.
"Brother, it seems today might be a bit challenging for you. My friends and I have gathered all the brothers from the village; we anticipate that soon, there may be hundreds coming to enjoy your Dragon's Saliva Rice. Here's a deposit of ten thousand gold coins—please accept it," Mu Yichun said, producing a gleaming crystal card.
In this simulation, crystal cards began at a value of ten thousand.
Not merely a thousand, but ten thousand.
"Um, beautiful lady, I apologize; I might be a bit busy now. You're welcome to come back tomorrow to continue tasting; new dishes will be offered then," Zhao Shen stated, disregarding the forlorn Dayu.
"I'm truly sorry for the delay, but your rice is incredibly delicious. I look forward to your new dishes tomorrow," Xiaoshuang replied with a smile as she climbed into her jeep. She had never held much fondness for the cloying Dayu, and his presence had only inconvenienced Zhao Shen. Consequently, her admiration shifted towards the culinary genius who maintained his principles.
A true master must possess his own character.
...
Watching Xiaoshuang's smile, Zhao Shen felt as if his heart had soared into the jeep. Dayu hurried to chase after the departing Xiaoshuang.
"Hey, what are you staring at? She's gone! And you didn't think to inform me about the new dishes arriving tomorrow?" Mu Yichun teased, shaking Zhao Shen from his reverie.
"Oh, nothing—just cooking."
The stark contrasts in their attitudes left Mu Yichun feeling itchily frustrated, yet helpless.
Before long, as Mu Yichun had predicted, the stall became inundated with customers.
"Delicious! Oh my goodness, boss, I'm so moved; I will surely pledge my loyalty to you."
"There are indeed attribute bonuses—13 points in attack power, that's a significant boost!"
"Wow! A 24-hour enhancement buff! This is the first time I've ever seen one. This 88 gold coins is absolutely worth it—it's like gaining two levels in attributes in a single day!"
...
Amidst the heartfelt exclamations, Zhao Shen sold a staggering total of 135 servings of Dragon's Saliva Rice. Surprising himself, he far exceeded what he initially thought would take several days to achieve, thanks to Mu Yichun's unforeseen assistance. Moreover, with the increase in proficiency, the enhancement to attack power had risen to 13 points.
After the bustling day, Zhao Shen dove into his daily accounting. In the morning, his backpack contained 39 gold coins. After deducting the stall fees for eight hours and tallying up the 154 servings sold, he had earned an impressive 13,551 gold coins.
The cost of the ingredients for 154 servings amounted to 7,398 gold coins, with 38 already on hand, translating to a cost of 5,568.
The profit of 13,551 minus 5,568 left him with a net gain of 7,983.
Earning 7,983 gold coins in a single day was unfathomable—a sum that would take Zhao Shen several months to earn in reality.
While such explosive earnings were not an everyday occurrence, this achievement had deeply moved Zhao Shen.
...
Naturally, upon completing the task, he was eager to claim his reward.
"Ding! Congratulations on completing the Culinary Master task for cooking. You have earned a +1 to your Culinary Master level. Permanent supply of rice materials initiated."
"The next task for the Culinary Master profession is steaming buns."
Opening his profile, Zhao Shen reviewed his current status.
Character: Zhao Shen
Level: 2
Gender: Male
Age: 23
Physical Condition: D (SSS.SS.S.A.B.C.D)
Health Points: 100
Magic Points: 100
Physical Attack Power: 10
Magic Attack: 0
Physical Defense: 10
Magic Defense: 10
Movement Speed: 1
Critical Hit Rate: 1%
Available Attribute Points: 5
Saturation: 100
Skills: Cooking, Steaming Buns
Culinary Talent: Culinary Master (Highest Level)
Task [Steaming Buns]: Produce buns with unique characteristics and sell 500 at a unit price of 58 gold coins each. (Each person is limited to purchasing 5 per day, and sales will bind automatically.)
Zhao Shen, now somewhat accustomed to the interface, opened his inventory to find three new items.
[Glacial Valley Flour]: Legend has it that in places of extreme cold, there exists a corresponding source of intense heat. The flour that grows adjacent to such sources is the finest in the world, nurtured by the snowmelt of millennia-old glaciers and the fertile, untouched frozen soil, resulting in this exquisite creation. (This task item is not tradable, cannot be destroyed, and cannot be dropped.)
[Steamer]: A steamer passed down through generations of Culinary Masters, forged from unknown materials—non-stick! Rust-proof! Leak-proof! Never turns yellow! (This task item is not tradable, cannot be destroyed, and cannot be dropped.)
[Culinary Master's Blade]: An heirloom blade of the Culinary Masters, crafted from unknown materials—sharp! Extremely sharp! Exceptionally sharp! Very sharp! (This task item is not tradable, cannot be destroyed, and cannot be dropped.)
...
What is this? Zhao Shen had never even heard of "Glacial Valley Flour." Are there crops that can grow in such frigid regions? Who would plant them?
Task Prompt: "A Culinary Master creates unique, unparalleled masterpieces. Observe keenly, listen attentively, learn diligently, and inquire sparingly."
"I haven't even asked yet! And what about this steamer? Its color is just as yellow as can be," Zhao Shen quipped sarcastically.
Task Prompt: "A Culinary Master creates unique, unparalleled masterpieces. Observe keenly, listen attentively, learn diligently, and inquire sparingly."
Frustrated with the Culinary Master tasks, Zhao Shen thought to himself: since the rice is excellent, the flour must be of equally high quality!