Chapter 88: The Golden Wind Restaurant
It was no coincidence that the Zhang Clan had been able to acquire prestige equivalent to that of the top seven noble clans in the Burning Sky Empire relying on their wealth.
The Zhang's were not only good at investing in business, but they also knew how to invest in talent.
As wealthy businessmen with a civilian background, they preferred to invest in a civilian genius like Zen.
Therefore, although they wouldn't help Zen in his dispute with Fren Zhuge, they would support Zen secretly.
“As a rule, our Blessed Auction House gets ten percent commission from the proceeds of an auction,” Wick Zhang informed Zen. “But you are Wurth's friend. So we've decided not to charge any commission from the sale of your item.”
“No, that's not appropriate,” Zen politely rejected Wick's generosity. Ten percent of Zen's earnings from the auction was not a small amount. However, Zen didn't want to be indebted to others.
“If you refuse, that implies that you don't regard me as a friend,” Wick Zhang persisted. The Zhang Clan didn't offer Zen much support during his confrontation with Fren Zhuge a few minutes ago. So Wick Zhang decided to give Zen this favor.
Now that Wick Zhang was insisting, Zen felt as though he had no choice but to accept and express his gratitude.
“Schlik!” When Wick Zhang opened the door curtain of the back hall, a big heap of cubic crystals appeared in front of them. “Zen, the crystal core of the fire scorpion lion sold at a high price of 70, 000 cubic crystals. After deducting 25, 000 cubic crystals for the Weapon Refining Principle that you bought, you still have 45, 000 cubic crystals left,” Wick explained.
Nory and Sean were dumbfounded when they saw the cubic crystals shining brilliantly under the lights.
“Z... Zen, that fire scorpion lion's crystal core was yours?” Nory stuttered in amazement. Nory and Sean now understood why Zen had the confidence to participate in the auction of the Weapon Refining Principle. Zen turned out to be a potential millionaire!
“Oh my goodness! I've never seen so many cubic crystals in my life,” Sean also murmured. Since all three young men were of civilian origin, they didn't have much money.
Although they were outer disciples of Drizzle Peak at Cloud Sect, the gaps among them were tremendous. It was surprising that Zen had been able to earn so many points not long after joining Cloud Sect.
However, Zen didn't know what to do with so many cubic crystals. Although he had a space ring, yet its space was not much. It would be impossible to put all the cubic crystals in the space ring.
He couldn't carry them. Even if he asked Sean and Nory to help, they wouldn't be able to take that many cubic crystals. That was just not realistic. Zen had never considered that carrying or storing the crystals would be a problem.
Seeing the embarrassed expression on Zen's face, Wurth Zhang smiled and said, “Don't worry Zen. There is no need to take these cubic crystals with you. You can have a look first, and then we'll deposit them in the Blessed Draft Bank for you.”
With that, Wurth Zhang handed Zen a thin token that was mounted in a layer of shiny gold foil. Zen saw the words, Blessed Draft Bank, written on it in ancient Chinese characters.
“If you need money, you can withdraw it from the Blessed Draft Bank. We would be happy to open a draft for you should you need to make a large transaction. The credit of our bank's draft is the best in the entire empire. Besides, you could use our draft as conveniently as cubic crystals,” explained Wurth Zhang.
Zen knew that the Blessed Draft Bank was the most creditworthy bank in the empire and that it had branches throughout the Eastern Region. Having understood the benefits of depositing in a bank, Zen rubbed the token with his hand before putting it into his space ring.
Soon afterward, Wick Zhang handed Zen a small brocade box and told him, “This is the Weapon Refining Principle written by Chase. Please keep it safely.”
Zen opened the brocade box and saw a yellowed, tattered book.
Twenty-five thousand cubic crystals for an old book seemed like a risky investment on Zen's behalf.
Zen couldn't judge whether the Weapon Refining Principle would be useful to him or not. However, he knew he had to follow his plans, no matter the cost or the risk. He wasn't the kind of person to give up.
After receiving the Weapon Refining Principle, Zen left the auction house with his two friends, Nory and Sean. Wurth Zhang had to stay to do some inventory work, so he didn't leave with them.
Zen was satisfied with his visit to the Blessed Auction House. He had not only sold his fire scorpion lion's crystal core at an astronomical price but also acquired a precious book, the Weapon Refining Principle.
Of course, he believed his most significant gain was information.
Zen had finally gained knowledge of the iron essence. Now he knew that it was what other people referred to as heavenly essence.
When he imagined that he could extract a lot of heavenly essence from mysterious weapons and make money continuously, Zen could not help but feel excited. However, he knew his plan could not be rushed. He knew that it would be wise for him to consider all angles and plans. So he controlled the impulse.
Once they left the Blessed Auction House, Nory and Sean began to worry about Zen's safety.
After all, Fren Zhuge had threatened Zen at the auction house a short while ago.
Even though Zen was courageous, because of Fren Zhuge's superior strength, they believed their friend was in a dangerous situation.
Zen could sense what his friends were worried about. He comforted them by saying, “Don't worry. There are always ways to defuse risks. He's not the only one person who wants to see me dead. I'm still alive despite the previous attempts to take my life!”
When they saw that Zen was confident and optimistic, Nory and Sean relaxed slightly.
“Let's go have some fun,” suggested Zen as they walked along the street. Since Zen came to the Imperial Capital, he hadn't explored the city.
“Good idea. Today, you have made a big fortune. You should treat us,” said Nory with a smile. He certainly wouldn't miss such an excellent opportunity!
“Okay. I'm not familiar with the Imperial Capital. You lead the way. I'll cover all the expenses,” replied Zen with a nod. It had been a lucky day for Zen. He smiled at the idea of celebrating.
“Well, we're going to blackmail you,” Nory said to Zen. Nory looked at Sean with a sly grin, and Sean responded with a chortle.
“Of course, the Golden Wind Restaurant is the most popular place in the Imperial Capital,” claimed Nory. “But it is expensive. We had better not go there,” he continued.
“No, not there,” Sean added, “It's too expensive for us.” Saying this, Sean shook his head in feigned helplessness.
Knowing that they were playing tricks with him, Zen pointed at them and said with a smile, “If you want to go, just say so. Are you afraid that I can't afford it?”
“That's what we were waiting for, Zen.” They laughed happily. “Let's go now,” Nory urged as he led the way.
As they walked through the street, Zen felt the prosperity of the Imperial Capital. The sights and sounds he came across were hard to describe.
The streets were busy, and the buildings were magnificent.
After a long walk, the three young men stopped in front of a green building. The sign with bold characters said Golden Wind Restaurant.
“Is the entire building made of jade?” Zen looked up and asked. He was astonished by the luxurious and exquisite workmanship of the Golden Wind Restaurant.
Nory chuckled and answered, “Jade is soft. How can it be used to build a building?”
“But, look at this,” said Zen in confusion. Although Zen was a young master born in a wealthy family in C County, he did look a little simple when facing the opulence in the Imperial Capital.
“The building is covered in a layer of jade. It's a common misconception that the whole building is made of jade,” explained Nory.
“I see,” Zen nodded, “Even so, the Golden Wind Restaurant is an ingenious work.”
Then they climbed the emerald stairs and entered the restaurant.
As soon as they entered, a well-dressed waiter came up to greet them warmly.
As a resident of the Imperial Capital, Nory seemed to be acquainted with this kind of place. After he spoke with the waiter, the waiter took them to a room on the second floor.
The ambiance of the Golden Wind Restaurant was also as exquisite as the outer facade.
After they had been seated, Nory asked the waiter, “People say that there is no match in the world for Miss Coco's playing and singing. Is Miss Coco free today?”
“Umm...” Hesitation appeared on the waiter's face.
Miss Coco was a starring actress at the Golden Wind Restaurant. Her appearance fee was extremely high. Since the waiter had some experience, he could tell that the boys in white robes were outer disciples of Cloud Sect. Besides, they didn't look noble nor rich.
The waiter also knew from experience that some disciples from Cloud Sect visited the restaurant specifically to make trouble. Caught in a dilemma, the waiter could neither agree nor refuse.
Seeing the waiter's hesitation, Nory shrugged his shoulders and said to Zen, “It's up to you, Zen.”
Zen was usually very frugal, but he was not stingy on every occasion.
“Are you afraid we can't afford the cost? Is this enough?” Zen asked the waiter. A dozen cubic crystals dropped from the space ring in Zen's hand as he spoke.
For an ordinary person, a single cubic crystal could support his family's cost for decades.
Though the Golden Wind Restaurant was expensive, the cubic crystals Zen showed were more than enough to invite the starring actress to make an appearance.
The waiter's eyes glittered when he saw the cubic crystals. Instantly, his hesitation was swept away. With a grin, the waiter said, “Please wait a moment. I'll bring Miss Coco to you.” Then he bowed and left the room.
Not long after, they heard light footsteps on the stairs. A delicate fragrance filled the room even before Miss Coco appeared before the three boys.