Chapter 47: Alchemical Energy—107.5 Points

Wu You didn't keep everyone waiting; he simply signaled for them to start eating.

The delicate fish melted in their mouths, the light and balanced seasoning mingling with the fresh aroma of the flesh, overwhelming everyone's taste buds. The flavor of the fish belly was even more incomparable; in the mouth, it felt like chewing resilient, creamy fat, making one reluctant to swallow. If this plate of fish had appeared in "Chinese Little Master Chef," it would surely glow and come with its own background music, Wu You mused.

The fish soup was equally astonishing in its richness. Lunch stretched from noon to half past one, with the last two dishes serving as the crowning touch.

Such exquisite food deserved recognition. Wu You searched for "yellow-lipped fish" on his phone and discovered that each kilogram was worth tens of thousands. In other words, those two dishes alone cost at least seventy or eighty thousand. What Wu You didn't know was that nearly all the essence of a thirty-kilogram yellow-lipped fish was concentrated in those very dishes.

After settling the bill, the group gradually left the private room. Yang Dawei had long been waiting outside, wisely refraining from disturbing Wu You and his companions during their meal.

Seeing Yang Dawei's prosperous face and prominent belly, Wu You immediately recognized him as the man in charge.

"Hello, Mr. Wu. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Yang Dawei, the sole general manager of Sophia Grand Hotel."

Yang Dawei enthusiastically stepped forward, extending his right hand—he had seen Wu You's name on the bill. Wu You reciprocated the handshake.

"Hello, Mr. Yang. Those two dishes were excellent."

"Haha, as long as Mr. Wu enjoyed them! Here is my business card," Yang Dawei said, offering a card edged in blue.

Wu You accepted it and handed over a special card he had had printed only recently.

Yang Dawei received it with care. "Then I won't disturb Mr. Wu and your friends any further. The front desk manager will bring each of you a Sophia Hotel Platinum Card shortly, with a sixty percent discount on food and lodging."

After politely bidding farewell to Wu You's party, Yang Dawei turned and departed, never once mentioning anything else.

Wu You watched Yang Dawei's retreating figure.

Interesting. Another clever man.

Yang Dawei might have a favor to ask, or perhaps he simply wished to win Wu You’s goodwill with two exceptional dishes. Whether genuine or calculated, the ability to make the gesture without causing offense indeed deserved praise.

Leaving the hotel, Wang Hui and Wan Qianqian felt as if they were dreaming.

During the meal, Wan Qianqian had posted photos to her social circle, attracting endless compliments, and the last two dishes were so delicious it seemed almost unreal.

She had discreetly looked up the names of the dishes online and whispered the results to Wang Hui. To their minds, this meal had cost them their entire annual salary—though in truth, it was far more.

The two planned to explore Kun City, while Wu You needed to head to Ailao Mountain, so they parted ways.

Barring unexpected fortune, Wang Hui thought, this kind of life would likely remain forever out of reach.

...

Yang Dawei walked briskly to his office and closed the door behind him.

He took out the business card Wu You had given him.

Though it looked to be just ordinary cardstock with a faint ink tint, it carried a unique scent of grass that invigorated the spirit.

There were no ostentatious titles, only a few simple words:

"Wild Beasts Manor Biotech Company, Wu You," followed by a phone number.

It was a standard card Wu You had printed recently, but it had been coated with a highly diluted, dried solution of the Rejuvenation Elixir, which possessed exceptional adhesion.

There weren't many of these cards; Wu You had only a few dozen.

...

The process of buying rubies in Ailao Mountain went more smoothly than Wu You had expected.

Rubies, after all, were not diamonds. Even the finest could fetch only about ten thousand per carat. Larger stones did command a premium, but not nearly as much as diamonds. Although the Mother of Rubies would certainly sell for more at auction, the mine owner, Liu Yuzhu, was facing a financial crisis and only wanted quick cash.

No unforeseen complications arose, no imagined commercial conflicts—just a straightforward bidding contest.

Among the businessmen who came to negotiate, Wu You ultimately secured the Mother of Rubies for twenty-five million dollars.

And as Liu Yuzhu owned a high-quality ruby mine, Wu You was eager to cultivate a relationship.

With the foundation of this transaction, they soon negotiated a partnership agreement for long-term supply and purchase.

The requirement was that the rubies must be at least of second-grade quality, with purchase prices determined by market conditions.

This stipulation arose because, in the small building by the mine, Wu You had feigned interest while examining the rough rubies Liu Yuzhu presented.

Only rough stones of first or second grade triggered the system’s extraction prompt.

But with others present, Wu You could not absorb them directly.

Including the Mother of Rubies, he bought fifty first-grade and fifty second-grade rough rubies, each about one carat.

These one-carat stones were much cheaper, being "factory wholesale," with an average price under six thousand apiece.

With the preliminary agreement reached, Wu You said he would appoint lawyers to draft a formal contract and left his business card.

The grass-scented, subtly masculine card intrigued Liu Yuzhu, who studied it closely.

Only later would he understand the value it contained.

After spending a night in the area, Wu You left Wang Dong and two new employees to handle subsequent affairs, while he, Xiang Biao, and two others flew back to Qiantang.

...

On the flight back to Qiantang, Wu You was quite frustrated.

A one-carat first-grade ruby yielded one point of alchemical energy; a second-grade one yielded half a point. That was fine.

But the Mother of Rubies, at 32.5 carats—acquired at great expense—provided only 32.5 points of alchemical energy.

Not a sliver more.

Wu You felt utterly cheated; spending twenty-five million dollars on ordinary small rubies would have yielded over thirty thousand points of alchemical energy.

Still, having learned his lesson, he now understood that the system's evaluation standard had nothing whatsoever to do with human artistic appreciation or value.

In the airport restroom, he absorbed all the rough rubies, flushing away the crimson powder residue amid the sound of running water.

He kept a small amount of that powder in a box, planning to analyze it later and figure out what was left behind and what had been absorbed.

This time he gained a total of 107.5 points of alchemical energy—he wondered if that half-point would even be usable.

Now his total was 133.5 points, enough to upgrade the system to level three.

But Wu You dared not upgrade recklessly.

Based on past experience, level one had a novice task, level two an advanced task, and level three would likely bring another mandatory quest.

This time, he would make absolutely sure there were no mistakes before entering Wild Beasts Manor again.

As for that damned brown bear, he'd settle the score with it someday.