"The Royal Ham he’s skilled in, along with the Dark Pork Chop and Starry Night Eel Rice, are all very famous. Many people specifically book flights just to make a reservation to taste them. Merely making a reservation costs over ten thousand yuan."
"If it weren’t for Master Zheng’s connections, an ordinary person would have to wait at least three years to have a meal here."
After getting out of the car, Zheng Xinxi remained silent along the way, focusing only on leading the way.
Meanwhile, the pretty girl next to him acted as the narrator, ostensibly praising the restaurant, but in reality, every word praised Zheng Xinxi.
After all, Zheng Xinxi is the eldest son of the Zheng Clan. Even if he had no money, relying on his face alone could still earn him respect.
In terms of status, Zheng Xinxi at this moment looked very much like a fallen aristocrat. Although he maintained an outward appearance of dignity, as long as he could maintain this appearance, no one dared to disrespect him.
Xiang Island, influenced by many island countries, had adopted Western standards in raising children.
No matter how unscrupulous or disreputable one might be in private, the surface still looked bright and respectable.
Girls like Yu Mengjie, who were unaware of the truth, were dazzled by the various auras Zheng Xinxi exuded. Even Yuan Yanan was immersed in this adulation.
In comparison to Zheng Xinxi, the men around him, even if they weren’t unpolished, still lacked in their outward demeanor.
But Zheng Xinxi paid extreme attention to details, making these girls feel cherished and treasured.
"You all sit down first. I know the chef here and I’ll ask him to cook personally, not relying on the apprentices."
After entering the private room, Zheng Xinxi walked a few steps ahead, opened the door for the girls, and then politely asked everyone to be seated before finally looking at Lin Beichen.
"The head chef will need a bit more time to get here. Young brother, if you don’t mind, could you let us take a look at the magical artifact first?"
The tricks Zheng Xinxi played earlier were merely to make a good impression on everyone.
His true intention was actually very simple.
He wanted Lin Beichen to bring out the magical artifact. If Lin refused, he could use everyone’s positive opinion of him to pressure Lin.
Lin Beichen saw through his ploys long ago but couldn’t be bothered to expose them.
No matter who examined this Red Rope Gourd, they would only see it as a common item, with nothing special about it.
Lin Beichen dared to let them look at it because of this certainty.
Lin Beichen opened the box and took out the item. Everyone examined it in their hands, emitting sighs of awe.
Though the Red Rope Gourd was just an ordinary magical artifact, it wasn’t too bad as an antique.
The surface of the gourd was intricately and beautifully carved, resembling some ancient runes, the meaning of which no one could explain.
The material of the gourd itself was unremarkable, but the paint used for the coloring was exceptionally beautiful, and the carvings were exquisite, as if made from some kind of jade.
After marveling for a moment, the group was just about to praise it when they suddenly remembered the price Lin Beichen paid for it.
This item was indeed worth some money, but spending forty million on it seemed excessive.
Liu Yunxi, who had been holding back all the way, finally couldn’t hold it in anymore.
"Professor, even if you have money to burn, you can’t waste forty million on this! At most, this thing is worth one million. In other words, you squandered the remaining thirty-nine million as a fool’s tax!"
Lin Beichen smiled without speaking.
Zheng Xinxi looked at Lin Beichen silently, as if he had seen through Lin’s thoughts, and said with a cheerful smile:
"Liu, you apparently don’t know what a magical artifact is. Just remember, as long as it bears the name magical artifact, its price will at least double by two million!
This Red Rope Gourd can calm the mind and soothe the spirit. If auctioned for twenty million, it wouldn’t be too outrageous. Thirty million could barely be accepted, but forty million? I can’t say much about that."
Zheng Xinxi sighed and looked at Lin Beichen with regret, as if Lin didn’t understand the value of money.
Everyone present had the right to say this, but Zheng Xinxi was the least qualified.
Everyone on Xiang Island knew Zheng Xinxi was a wastrel.
Among the rich kids on Xiang Island, Zheng Xinxi was a famous spendthrift. If there were a ranking for squanderers, Zheng Xinxi would certainly be at the top.
The money he wasted over the years was more than a hundred billion!
Lin Beichen continued sipping his tea, paying no attention.
As Lin Beichen still didn’t respond, everyone else found it inconvenient to say more.
At that moment, the head chef finally arrived at the restaurant.
However, to everyone’s surprise, the chef who entered was not wearing a chef’s robe and was not fat and jovial but rather an elder with an immortal demeanor, more like a Daoist than a chef.
"Zheng Xinxi, last time you said you wanted to auction a magical artifact. Now that you’re here, I assume you’ve got it?"
Huang Henxin greeted with a hearty smile as soon as he walked in.
"Huang Henxin, indeed the artifact has been auctioned, but it’s not in my possession; it belongs to this young brother here."
This young brother is remarkable. Though his form doesn’t look striking, he spent forty million in a single stroke."
Zheng Xinxi cheerfully explained, as if the failure at the auction meant nothing to him.
Spending forty million just to buy a magical artifact?
Huang Henxin was momentarily taken aback, casting a quick glance at Lin Beichen, then quickly regained his composure.
"Young brother, if you don’t mind, may I have a look? Though I’m just a cook, I do have some skills and can help you appraise it!"
Zheng Xinxi nodded in agreement and chimed in.
"Huang Henxin is a renowned cultivation master on Xiang Island, a standing member of the Xiang Island Feng Shui and Metaphysics Association, and a consultant for many academic institutions. Have you heard of Master Zhou Kuangtian?"
At this point, Zheng Xinxi even stood up, face solemn, and bowed solemnly towards the window, showing great respect as he continued:
"Master Zhou Kuangtian had countless disciples in his lifetime but very few personally taught apprentices, and Huang Henxin was just a step away from being Master Zhou Daoji’s personal apprentice."
"Zheng Xinxi, you better stop exaggerating. When did I ever say I was Master Zhou’s personal disciple?
I wished to be, but the master said I lacked talent, so I switched to cultivation and dedicated myself to being a chef!"
Huang Henxin explained with a smile.
To the crowd, his words weren’t an explanation but a display of pride.
Mentioning the name Zhou Kuangtian, indeed, some might not be familiar. But if one spoke of Xiang Island’s greatest Feng Shui master, even those indifferent to Feng Shui like Liu Yunxi had heard of him.
Zhou Kuangtian was Xiang Island’s top expert in Feng Shui. Reportedly, he was proficient in all matters related to Feng Shui.
To become this master’s disciple, even if not a personal apprentice, one must be exceptional.
Liu Yunxi and others were skeptical.
They didn’t care much about Feng Shui, as it held little significance on the mainland after all.
But Lin Beichen, upon hearing the name Zhou Kuangtian, scrutinized Huang Henxin more closely.
Indeed, Huang Henxin exuded the aura of a cultivator, containing a trace of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.
Though he had reached the stage of Great Accomplishment in Inner Strength, he still had quite a distance to the true peak or the pinnacle of cultivation.
Lin Beichen wasn’t intending to belittle Huang Henxin. One must know that among countless talents in the world, those who could reach Great Accomplishment in Inner Strength were already exceedingly rare.
Zheng Xinxi could be considered a master no matter where placed, even if not at the pinnacle.
"Lin Beichen, quickly show your treasure to the master. Let him help us with the appraisal."
Yu Mengjie, seeing Lin Beichen’s inactivity, couldn’t help but urge.
A noble like Zheng Xinxi was unlikely to deceive them, and the person before them was a master’s disciple, so this was a rare opportunity.