Chapter 683: The World Is About to Change (2)

Chapter 683: Chapter 383: The World Is About to Change (2)

“Mr. Chen, if these sea fish are used to entertain friends and family, that would be an unparalleled way to earn face,” Zhao Dali echoed.

At times like this, it’s imperative to keep selling and convince the gentleman in front to purchase all these items.

“Take a look at these again.” Zhao Dali was incredibly diligent, seeing that Mr. Chen was very fond of the fish they brought this time. In that case, he decided to make an all-out effort to sell everything to Mr. Chen, converting it to travel expenses, making their trip worthwhile.

One by one, the oddly-shaped sea fish were bought by Mr. Chen at a high price, and Zhao Dali no longer cared much about the remaining ordinary-looking fish. After all, after raking in such a large sum from Mr. Chen, how could the profit from those small fish matter to him?

“Someone, move all these fish back for me. Keep the live ones in the pond for a few days, and prepare the dead ones for tonight’s banquet. Have the chefs in the manor prepare them well, and don’t waste such rare ingredients,” Mr. Chen said with a smile.

Coincidentally, he was planning to host a banquet for a few friends at his home tonight. He had been worried that the banquet would be too ordinary and lackluster, but with the rare seafood he just purchased, he needn’t worry anymore. Once the dishes are prepared with these unique ingredients, it will undoubtedly grab everyone’s attention tonight.

Can you find these oddly-shaped ingredients anywhere else in Cyan Yang City, even if you have money? It’s unlikely you’d even be able to see them.

After all the fish were sold, the total was one hundred seventy taels. After receiving the silver notes from the Chen Mansion’s steward, Zhao Dali immediately left the premises with his associates.

Regardless, there was something unusual about those fish. When something is out of the ordinary, there must be some trickery involved. Selling these for a high price was a blessing; if Mr. Chen had suddenly changed his mind and decided not to buy, they would have been elated just to have this completed deal.

Soon, Zhao Dali and his group evacuated from the Chen Mansion.

Mr. Chen took out the turtle with colorful crystal stones on its back from the basket, stroking its shell with a smile, “How interesting. It’s the first time I’ve seen such a turtle. I should wait until it dies, then turn its shell into an object, playing with it in my hand daily, which is quite fascinating.”

To Zhao Dali, selling fish to Mr. Chen was like a drop of water into a pond, making no splash, let alone attracting anyone’s attention.

…

Nightfall, at Mr. Chen’s residence.

Chen Bin, an outsider, moved to Cyan Yang City with all his possessions more than a decade prior and settled there permanently. His knack for business allowed him to quickly establish himself, and his ventures flourished, with the Phoenix Inn becoming one of his enterprises.

Conducting business naturally involved making friends. Today, Mr. Chen invited several local gentlemen to the Chen Mansion to host a banquet, where they would also discuss forming a business alliance in Cyan Yang City.

Relying on one person for business yields limited wealth. However, when several wealthy individuals join hands to establish a business alliance, each contributing their connections and resources, the collective earnings can multiply. It’s a case of shared joy being better than individual enjoyment.

Attending the banquet at the Chen Mansion today were Mr. Huang of the Hundred Show Cloth Shop, Mr. Li of the Fragrant Wine Workshop, and Mr. Sun of the Value Pawn Shop.

As the moon rose high, the three gentlemen’s carriages stopped outside the Chen Mansion. Upon seeing the guests arrive, Chen Bin promptly greeted them with a smile.

“Brother Chen, you said you’ve acquired some rare seafood. I’m eager to try it,” Mr. Huang said with a smile to Chen Bin.

This man loves seafood so much that he consumes several large pots of shrimp and crabs daily, often suffering from gout as a result. It’s a miserable condition, yet sometimes the craving for seafood is irresistible.

“I’m curious too, what kind of seafood could make Brother Chen so enthusiastic? Given Brother Chen’s wealth, there shouldn’t be any seafood you cherish as a rarity,” remarked Mr. Li.

Mr. Sun nodded in agreement.

Chen Bin smiled mysteriously, “Let’s not stand outside discussing. You’ll know once you come in and take a seat.”

The gentlemen promptly entered the gate and, led by Mr. Chen, made their way to the pond inside.

Tonight’s banquet was arranged by Chen Bin in the pavilion beside the pond, a scenic spot where guests could enjoy delicacies while admiring the night view of the pond.

The guests took their seats, and soon, the maids pre-arranged by Chen Bin came over, serving dishes meticulously prepared by the chefs, placing them on the table.

Outside the pavilion was a crescent-shaped pond. In the moonlight, a group of strangely-shaped seafood swam at the water’s surface—the very fish Chen Bin had purchased from Zhao Dali in the morning.

If someone with exceptional vision were present, they might see fine, hair-like rays of light descending from the sky, entering the pond and being contested by the seafood within.

If Huang Ting were here to witness, he would exclaim that it was ‘Moonlight.’

According to ancient texts, only enlightened demons could comprehend the cultivation technique of absorbing the essence of the sun and moon.

To have the entire pond’s worth of seafood practicing a cultivation technique to draw moonlight from the sky—what an extraordinary sight it was.