Chapter 284: Chapter 278: You Can ‘t Enjoy the Wealth
Translator: 549690339
If the abalone was enough to grab everyone’s attention, then what came next was even more jaw-dropping. Ever seen a 30-plus-pound king crab? Or a lobster weighing more than 20 kilograms? All of these were wheeled straight out of the kitchen on trolleys.
At first, everyone’s faces were full of astonishment, but now, they had reached the point of total numbness. These goods were priceless rarities. Following these expensive sea products came seemingly ordinary dishes, such as the simplest chicken stew with mushrooms. When they saw this dish, they thought they were seeing things, considering how common it was.
However, the aroma emanating from the dish soon made everyone take a deep breath, “Every single ingredient used here, even the least used seasoning, is all pure, natural, non-polluted, green food. For this, I have a dedicated marine fishing company, farms, and ranches, all of which are produced in the unpolluted environment of Proudly Nation.
“All of our products undergo food sanitation checks and quarantines. You don’t need to question whether these massive sea products are natural or not, so please feel free to enjoy, I believe you will have a pleasant evening,” Finn Lewis began with a smile.
Honestly, Finn Lewis hadn’t tried any of these things before, but after his explanation, everyone seemed to be at a loss for words. However, since Mr. Lewis was treating them, they certainly didn’t hold back. These dishes, let alone ever having tasted them, were ones they had never even laid their eyes on before.
Observing everyone’s expressions, Finn Lewis stepped down from the stage and took a seat directly at Mr. M’s table, which was Matthew Chan’s table. The others were Yuri Johnson and some of the top tycoons in Celeston City. These understated figures each had a net worth of at least tens of billions of Flame Nation coins.
“Mr. Lewis, you really are…” As soon as Finn Lewis sat down, Mr. M couldn’t help but give a wry smile and speak.
“Haha, how is it? Getting these things wasn’t easy. I actually wanted to start a truly top-notch restaurant where all the ingredients are the best and the finest. From the look of things now, I think I did pretty well,” Finn Lewis laughed a couple of times before continuing.
“More than just fine. Heroic indeed for such a young man. We have neither tasted nor even heard of these dishes before. I didn’t expect that in our lifetime we would taste these legendary things,” said an elderly man with white hair sitting next to Finn Lewis, laughing.
“Let me introduce you, this is Autumn Zenith, the CEO of the Rich Ocean Mining Group,” Matthew Chan introduced with a smile, “You probably don’t need me to introduce this guy?” he said laughing.
“Hello, Mr. Zenith.” Finn Lewis extended his hand to Autumn Zenith with a smile. Don’t let the name Rich Ocean Mining fool you, the company owns a fair number of mines domestically plus, importantly, a great many large-scale copper and high-manganese mines overseas, particularly in Africa and places like Outer Mongolia.
“We really have to thank you for the feast tonight, Mr. Lewis,” Mr. Zenith smiled, “But I do wonder, how are you going to charge for this? And can we expect the same abalones in the future when we return?”
“Of course. I admit that these goods are becoming increasingly scarce, but I have leased a significant area of sea that prohibits others from fishing. Even though it would be near impossible to offer up large quantities like tonight’s on a regular basis, occasional single-headed abalones should certainly be feasible. The supply of double-headed abalones would, on the other hand, be a little more plentiful,” Finn Lewis pondered, then replied.
“Furthermore, I’ve established related farms for all of the ingredients here, adopting the most primitive farming methods, void of any chemical fertilizers or pesticides. All the fertilizers used in this field are pure, natural organic fertilizers,” Finn Lewis explained with a smile.
The people at Finn Lewis’s table exchanged glances, they were somewhat speechless. They knew from intuition that the meals at this restaurant would not be cheap. However, it would also certainly not be too unreasonable given the amount of work behind the scenes to make the restaurant what it was. Simply acquiring the oceanic lease, the farms, the ranches, that was already a significant expenditure, even if they counted as one’s private property once bought in a place like Proudly Nation.
“I was wondering how you plan to charge for the meals here? My only hobby is eating. Now that I have had a taste of your feast, Mr. Lewis, I doubt I’ll be able to eat anywhere else. So, I’ll go find Kay Lee in a bit and get myself a membership for this place,” another slightly stout middle-aged man asked heartily with a smile.
“Because of the scarcity of ingredients, we’re considering a buffet style of operation. It’s 250,000 yuan per person. However, what you get to eat won’t be å la carte, it will all depend on whatever is available that day. Things like single- and double-headed abalone are more premium quality and will need to be individually ordered. Of course, other less premium items will always be available. I can assure you, although it costs 250,000 yuan, the same meal could easily cost you above 500,000 yuan on the outside market,” Finn Lewis spoke with finality.
“The price isn’t expensive, only the dining format…” The buffet format left them somewhat speechless. But was the price unaffordable? Everyone in the room knew that it was not an expensive price – as Finn Lewis had said, the place offered food that you couldn’t get anywhere else, giving it a status as a priceless rarity.
Furthermore, what were you sitting on? They were sitting on Dalbergia vera wood chairs worth millions. The dinner furniture alone cost a few million. The antiques hanging on the walls commanded no less than a million each and even the most ordinary teacups were probably tens of thousands each.
The value of these antiques alone was worth the price! This didn’t even account for the food that you simply couldn’t get any other place! But this…not being able to order food…the style of this restaurant… The people at Finn Lewis’s table were stunned. Damn it, they’d thought they had seen it all, but a peculiar restaurant like this was a first for them.
“We may change this in the future. But for now, it’s just not possible, we have a
shortage of ingredients,” Finn Lewis laughed and glossed over the situation with an excuse.
At such gatherings, most people come not for the meals, but for chatting and business discussions. But the meal today… no one would willingly opt to skip it. Especially when there was single-headed abalone on offer, a dish they possibly wouldn’t have the chance to eat again, Finn Lewis could not help but reach out and slice several pieces for himself utilizing a dinner knife. The taste was simply divine—many times better than any abalone he had ever tasted..