NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 170: James' Proposal
Carlton nodded slightly, "That's right. I have permission to access Sir James' treasury, and within it, I remember seeing a potion that extends lifespan. Perhaps, inside, there might be a potion that can save your parents. But this, of course, depends on your willingness to cooperate."
"I'll do it! This restaurant is yours, Sir Carlton. Just please save my parents!" Duan Mu begged as he suddenly fell on his knees, and kowtowed three times.
Carlton nodded and helped him up, "Stand up, young man. You've made a very wise decision. The remodeling will begin immediately." Then, he made a series of hand signs, and a moment later, the entrance opened, accompanied by the sound of the chime.
"Start the remodeling. I want this place to look worthy of Sir James' status." Carlton addressed the five men who entered.
"Don't yer worry, Sir Carlton."
"We won't let you down."
After speaking, the five men immediately started the restaurant's remodeling.
With a nod at their efficiency, Carlton turned around and glanced at Bei Fang, "Follow me."
Carlton then walked out of the restaurant accompanied by Bei Bang.
—----------------
Back at the Dragon Phoenix Auction House, the bidding war for the Dark Mythrite had slowed down tremendously, now there were only two people still bidding.
"820 Gold Coins." An old man shouted.
"821 Gold Coins." A Dwarf with a long red beard twisted into braids snorted in disdain as he countered with a bid.
He continued with a glint of annoyance, "Old Man Quan, don't you have any shame? The Dark Mythrite is only a Grade 1 material. Just give up."
Old Man Quan narrowed his eyes and glared at his rival, "If this Old Man wants to bid, what can you do Dwarf? 822 Gold Coins."
The Dwarf snorted and crossed his arms before his chest. "Take it then. I won't pay a Gold Coin more for a mere Dark Mythrite. Your stubbornness will be your downfall, you old coot."
Compared to hot-blooded Young Masters and Young Mistresses, who often let their emotions dictate their bidding, they were more level-headed and knew when to cut their losses.
The market price for Dark Mythrite typically ranged between 800 Gold Coins and 830 Gold Coins.
With the bidding reaching 822 Gold Coins, the old Dwarf decisively gave up.
"822 Gold Coins going once… going twice… and sold!" Meng Ruo declared as she brought the mallet down with a decisive thud. "Congratulations, Master Quan, for successfully winning the Dark Mythrite."
Following that, an attendant walked over with the chunk of Dark Mythrite in her hands.
"Congratulations, Sir." The attendant politely said as she respectfully handed the Dark Mythrite with both hands.
Old Man Quan briefly inspected the material. He traced his callous hands over the cold, dark surface, before nodding in approval, tucking it in his Spatial Ring, and paying the attendant.
The next item was a Grade 1 Mana Recovery Potion. It was quite self-explanatory, its only effect was it increased Mage's Mana recovery by 10%.
As the bidding commenced, in the VVVIP Room, a wide smile broke out on James' face as he placed his Long Distance Communication Device back into his Spatial Ring.
Seeing the weird and slightly grotesque smile, Lucian asked, "Why are you smiling?"
"Senior, I've obtained the kitchen you require. It's only a thousand feet away from the Dragon Phoenix Auction House. Though it's quite run down, my butler, Carlton, has made the necessary arrangements to have the entire restaurant remodeled for Senior." James replied.
With a faint smile, Lucian said, "That wasn't necessary… but I appreciate the gesture."
"Now that the kitchen has been taken care of, all that is left is to convince the Branch Leader to allow Senior to serve his dishes during the intermission."
After speaking that, James pressed the button on the side of his chair and waited as he and Lucian returned to watching the bidding.
—----------------
Meanwhile, on the third floor of the Dragon Phoenix Auction House, the Branch Leader was sitting behind a desk as her sharp reptilian eyes scanned through a detailed report on Lucian.
"Hmmm. Everyone who ate the Garlic Butter and Herb Popcorn had an increase in their Mana Reserves. This sounds like the work of an Alchemy Chef." After reading the last information, Yoshiko placed the report on her table and asked the head attendant, Mei, "Is this all the information on Lucian?"
The beautiful head attendant, Mei, nodded her head. "Yes, Branch Leader. Even with our extensive network of information, I could only trace his movement back to his appearance at the gates of Thunderfall City. It's as if he didn't exist before that day."
"Didn't exist before?" Yoshiko's interest was piqued. A young man with such a high level of culinary skills appeared out of nowhere was certainly intriguing.
"I wonder what Rank Alchemy Chef he is-"
*Ding*
Just then, a soft ring interrupted Yoshiko.
With an embarrassed smile, Mei bowed and respectfully explained, "It's Sir James."
Yoshiko nodded. She did not mind being interrupted. "Go on and answer."
Nodding slightly, Mei straightened her posture and from her Spatial Ring, retrieved a small, flat circle with a red button on the top.
After pressing the red button, Mei respectfully asked, "How may I help, Sir James?"
James' voice came through the communication device, "I'd like to speak with your Branch Leader. I have a proposal that I believe she can't resist."
Hearing this, Mei glanced at Yoshiko, silently asking for her opinion, who nodded her assent.
"Please wait a moment, Sir James," Mei replied. She then handed the communication device to Yoshiko.
"James, I'm the current Branch Leader. You can call me Yoshiko" Yoshiko said, then continued, after a moment, "What proposal do you have that requires my immediate attention?"
"Branch Leader, I've recently met a talented chef whose culinary skills are second to none. I wonder if you would agree to allow him to serve his dishes to the guests during the intermission? I'm confident that it will enhance the prestige of the Dragon Phoenix Auction House and leave a lasting impression on the guests.
Branch Leader, will surely be praised and rewarded handsomely by your superiors." James explained.
With a smile, Yoshiko replied, "James, do you understand we have a reputation to maintain? The food we serve is as much a part of our prestige as the items we sell. If the chef's skills are not up to par…"
Yoshiko stopped speaking, knowing James would understand her meaning.
James laughed. "Branch Leader, I can assure you that his skills are up to par. In fact, if you were to taste his food, you would find them unparalleled. Allow him this opportunity, and I'm confident the citizens of the neighboring cities will come in droves to your Branch Auction House. The benefits will pile up at your doorstep."
At the mention of the neighboring cities' citizens coming to her Branch House in droves, Yoshiko's expression changed drastically.
Each major city had a Dragon Phoenix Auction House Branch, and competition between them was fierce but remained hidden in the shadows. Drawing the attention of the people from the neighboring cities was no small feat; however, if done so, the potential profit would be immense. The very thought of it made Yoshiko pause and ponder it seriously.
After a while of pondering, Yoshiko asked, "This chef… he wouldn't happen to be the same individual currently in your VVVIP Room, would he?"
"Hahaha, you are perceptive as ever Branch Leader," James said, acting like he had known her forever. "Yes, it's the same individual. His name is Lucian and I believe he would surely not disappoint you."
"Very well, I'll trust you, James," Yoshiko replied. "But I expect nothing less than excellence. If it fails to meet the standards Dragon Phoenix Auction House has set, you'll be the one to answer for it."
"Also, you should know today's sponsor was Dragon's Feast Restaurant," Yoshiko added with a smile that James heard through the communication device.
James laughed at the subtle threat. "Understood, Branch Leader. I'll make the necessary arrangements. Also, don't be hasty to cancel the deal with Dragon's Feast Restaurant just yet."
Yoshiko's brows furrowed. "Why?"
However, James did not answer.
Releasing his finger from the button on the side of the chair, James asked, "Senior, which dish will you be serving the guests?"
"The Siren's Melody Poached Egg," Lucian said without hesitation. He had already decided on that dish because it was easy to cook and could be made in batches. With a big enough pan, he could even poach 5,000 Siren's Melody Eggs.
Without asking another question, James pressed the button, activating the communication device built into the chair, and said, "My Senior is quite eccentric, and his dishes are even more so. Each dish has a Mage Rank Requirement. For the intermission, he intends to serve a dish called Siren's Melody Poached Egg, which can only be eaten by Tendon Tempering Realm Mages and above.
The price of the dish is also quite steep — 5 Low-Grade Mana Stones."