This was a fake Michelin restaurant, but Gu Zheng didn't point it out.
First of all, this was Du Yang's intention. Whether it was a fake or not, Du Yang didn't know. He treated it as a real Michelin restaurant and treated everyone to a meal. If he pointed it out now, it would only make him embarrassed.
Secondly, Gu Zheng didn't care much about Michelin. Michelin was just a standard. It didn't mean that all Michelin restaurants were the best. Many restaurants that weren't marked by Michelin still tasted good.
Just like his Ancient Chicken Blood Soup, even if it wasn't marked by Michelin, the taste was still very attractive.
For Gu Zheng, no matter where he went to eat, taste was the most important thing. Since he was eating, he should eat comfortably and happily. As long as the food could satisfy him, it didn't matter whether it was a real Michelin restaurant or not.
Although this wasn't the core area of the Bund, it was still a commercial area. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that every inch of land was worth its weight in gold. Those who could open a restaurant here generally didn't taste bad.
Of course, the price here wouldn't be low either.
"Gentlemen, please come this way!"
A waiter came and served them with a smile. His attitude was okay. No matter what, they were pretending to be a Michelin restaurant. Michelin wasn't only good in taste, but also in service, environment, clothing, decoration, and many other details.
The dining table was very clean, and it was made of marble. It looked solemn and elegant.
Du Yang was very satisfied with this place, but it looked like it was his first time here. The waiter brought the menu. After looking at the menu, his eyes twitched slightly. The dishes here weren't cheap. Basically, they all cost at least three digits.
"You guys order. Eat whatever you like!"
Du Yang gave the menu to Wang Tao and the others. The dishes on the menu were really expensive. It wasn't that there weren't any dishes that cost two digits, but there were very few of them. Moreover, the two-digit prices weren't low either. Most of them were vegetarian.
You get what you pay for. Since the dishes here were so expensive, the taste wouldn't be bad. Wang Tao and Zhao Yongkui ordered casually. Gu Zheng also ordered a dish. Du Yang also ordered a dish and returned the menu to the waiter.
They had only ordered a total of six dishes. Just these six dishes alone cost almost a thousand yuan, and these were just the ordinary dishes. If they had ordered the more expensive dishes, it would have cost more than two thousand yuan.
The grade of the restaurant was indeed not low, but the cost was not low either. Du Yang secretly thought that he could only come to this kind of place occasionally. He really couldn't come here often in the future.
After the promotion, Du Yang's salary also increased. It was several times higher than before. Now, his monthly salary and bonus were about twenty to thirty thousand yuan. Because of this, Wang Tao said that he had entered the golden collar class. Among the few of them, only Gu Zheng was better than him. Wang Tao and Zhao Yongkui were not as good as him.
Even with a salary of twenty to thirty thousand yuan, they couldn't be considered regular customers here. It was too expensive. They couldn't possibly give their monthly salary to them.
"Would you like some wine?"
The price of the dishes was okay. Du Yang could still accept it. This time, he originally planned to treat them according to the two to three thousand yuan. Although he didn't know why he was put in an important position, he vaguely guessed it.
When their boss promoted him, he mentioned Gu Zheng. In addition, Gu Zheng's partner was called Changfeng. Although Gu Zheng never mentioned it, he was not stupid. He had already associated all these together. This time, he treated them to thank Gu Zheng.
Since it was a thank you, naturally, he couldn't be stingy.
"Okay, let's order!"
Wang Tao was the first to agree. It was boring to have dishes without wine. They were all big men. They usually drank. If they didn't drink now, they would probably go to the bar to drink later. It was estimated that they would drink more there.
Zhao Yongkui also agreed. Gu Zheng didn't object. It was good to drink. They hadn't gathered for a long time. It was good to be happy.
"Give me a bottle of good wine!"
After Du Yang looked at the wine list, he said to the waiter. The waiter quickly left. After a while, two dishes were served, and the wine was also brought.
Du Yang looked at their wine list before. The wine here wasn't cheap, but it wasn't particularly expensive. The Flying Maotai cost eighteen hundred and eighty yuan. It was a few hundred yuan more expensive than outside. But considering the place, this price wasn't unacceptable.
In addition, there was Wuliangye, which was cheaper than the Flying Maotai. Du Yang didn't have the nerve to order Wuliangye directly, so he casually said that he wanted better wine. But when the wine was served, Du Yang was dumbfounded.
The waiter didn't take the Flying Maotai or Wuliangye, but a bottle of foreign wine. It was a yellow bottle. It looked very noble.
"This is Louis XIII. Do you want me to open it for you?"
Louis XIII. Du Yang swallowed his saliva. He couldn't wait to press the waiter on the ground and beat him up. He only looked at the wine list and didn't pay attention to the other wine list. He didn't expect the waiter to serve such a bottle of wine.
Such a bottle of wine wasn't cheap. It was much more expensive than their dishes.
"Forget it. Change it to beer for us. We aren't used to drinking foreign wine!"
Gu Zheng said first. He noticed Du Yang's expression. He also knew the price of Louis XIII. If Du Yang really treated them to such wine, he would probably feel heartache for a long time after he went back.
Du Yang was slightly relieved. He looked at Gu Zheng gratefully. The waiter looked at Gu Zheng and then looked at Du Yang. The waiter also understood who was the host and who was the guest. It was up to the host to change the wine.
"Yes, yes. Gu Zheng is right. Let's drink beer!"
Wang Tao also said. Zhao Yongkui was the same. They were very curious about the wine of Louis XIII. But they also understood that such wine was expensive. They were just eating today. It was already good enough to eat in a high-end restaurant. If they drank such wine, it would be equivalent to ripping people off.
They were good friends with Du Yang. They couldn't do such a thing.
"Forget it. Change it to beer for us!"
Du Yang said. No matter how expensive beer was, it was much cheaper than this. Moreover, they could control how much beer they wanted to drink. The beer here was expensive. They could drink less and continue later at the bar.
"If you can't afford to drink, then don't pretend to be a big shot. You still have to serve good wine!"
The waiter pursed his lips and said in a low voice. Every waiter had a commission for the wine. If he sold this bottle of wine, he could earn a lot of money. Now that he was rejected, he was in a bad mood, so he complained.
If it was a real Michelin restaurant, such a thing would never happen. Unfortunately, this was a fake restaurant. Although the waiter's attitude was okay, once there was a problem, their true nature would be exposed.
"Who are you saying can't afford to drink?"
Du Yang was slightly stunned and immediately called out. Although the waiter's voice was soft, two people heard it. One was Du Yang, and the other was Gu Zheng.
Gu Zheng could hear it because of his enhanced hearing. Du Yang, on the other hand, was the closest to the waiter. Although he couldn't hear it clearly, he could still understand the general meaning, especially the words' can't afford to drink '. He heard it very clearly.
"No, I didn't tell anyone!"
The waiter curled his lips and rolled his eyes. He took the wine and was about to leave. Du Yang's face was red with anger. Gu Zheng's heart suddenly thumped. They had been together for several years and were good friends. He knew Du Yang's temper very well. Du Yang was usually careless and couldn't be provoked.
The waiter's attitude was even more serious than the provocation.
"Come back, open it!"
Sure enough, Du Yang stopped the waiter and asked him to open the wine. The waiter was stunned for a moment, but he quickly smiled and opened the wine and placed it on the table.
"Du Yang, you don't have to do this!"
Gu Zheng sighed. This bottle of wine usually cost twenty thousand. Who knows how much it would cost here. Du Yang's monthly salary might not be able to afford this bottle of wine. If he acted impulsively, he would definitely regret it in the end.
"How is it not necessary? You snob, one bottle of wine is not a problem. It just so happens that none of us have drunk this kind of wine before. Today, I will treat you all to a drink!"
Du Yang stretched his neck and said in a loud voice. He deliberately said it for the waiter to hear.
Gu Zheng shook his head again. No matter what Du Yang said, he had already bought the wine. The waiter didn't lose anything and the restaurant didn't lose anything. They had already earned the money that they should earn. Not a single cent less.
With Du Yang's temper, he must find a way to help him change. Otherwise, he would definitely suffer in the future.
This time it was just wine. Who knows what it would be next time.
The waiter really didn't care about what Du Yang said. He even smiled and gave them ice cubes. The commission of this bottle of wine was much higher than his salary. Of course, he was happy and satisfied.
The taste of the wine wasn't as good as he imagined. Gu Zheng also drank a little. The quality of the wine was good. It was real brandy, but he didn't know how long it had been aged. Gu Zheng didn't have a deep understanding of the culture of foreign wine. After all, he didn't have much contact with it. He could taste the authentic brandy, which was already better than many people.
Like Du Yang and Wang Tao, they only knew that it was wine and couldn't taste anything else.
"Bill, please!"
After eating and drinking to his heart's content, Du Yang waved his water and took out his credit card. He knew that he would have to spend a lot of money today, but he accepted it. Anyway, he wanted to thank Gu Zheng. Of course, the higher the price, the better.
"Hello, your total bill is 10,003 yuan. May I ask if you want to pay by credit card or cash? We also support online transfer!"
The waiter came over with the bill and said with a smile.
"How much?" Du Yang was stunned and asked again.
"A hundred thousand nine hundred and three. This is your bill!"
The waiter repeated again. Du Yang heard it before, but he thought he heard it wrong. There were a total of six dishes and a bottle of wine. Although the wine was better, it shouldn't cost more than 100,000 yuan.
After getting the bill, Du Yang was stunned again.
"1997, Louis XIII, 99,800 yuan!"
A bottle of wine was almost 100,000 yuan. The dishes they ate didn't even cost 1,000 yuan. It was only 950 yuan.
In the bill, the wine was definitely the biggest part.
Gu Zheng was also stunned. He took the bill from Du Yang's hand. His brows quickly knitted together and soon relaxed.
Wang Tao and Zhao Yongkui also hurriedly looked at the bill. 99,800 yuan. It was clearly written that this wine was expensive, but it was so expensive that they didn't expect it at all.
Ninety-nine thousand eight hundred. Du Yang's heart was filled with regret. If he knew that this wine was so expensive, he wouldn't have ordered it at all. His salary had indeed increased, but it was only a month's salary. His total savings were less than fifty thousand, which was not enough to pay for this bottle of wine.
Even if it was enough, he wasn't willing to pay for a bottle of wine with all his money. He really regretted it.
"Are you sure this is 1997, Louis XIII?"
Gu Zheng suddenly asked. A normal bottle of Louis XIII was about 20,000 yuan. Here, it was at most 30,000 yuan. Generally, it was more than 20,000 yuan in restaurants, except for special requirements.
This bottle of Louis XIII cost 99,800 yuan. The reason was that this was an old wine. A 1997 bottle of Louis XIII had been kept for almost 20 years.
"Of course. If not, how could it be so expensive?"
The waiter nodded immediately. Gu Zheng's face suddenly showed a smile. He picked up the empty bottle and took a photo. Then, he put the bill in his pocket.
"Du Yang, you are rich. Do you have enough money? If not, I will pay for you!" Gu Zheng said to Du Yang with a smile.
"What rich? It's more like bankrupt. You still have the mood to laugh at me?"
Du Yang's heart was bleeding. His credit card and savings card could barely reach 100,000 yuan. There were still a few hundred yuan left. He had some money with him, but he was penniless. He didn't know what to do with his life.
"Don't worry. Trust me. I will definitely be rich. Swipe the card. Also, give me the invoice!"
Gu Zheng directly took out his bank card and asked the waiter to swipe it. The waiter looked at him doubtfully and quickly swiped the card. After swiping the card, the waiter's face showed a smile again. This time, the business was done. He would definitely get his commission.
"Old Gao, I am Gu Zheng. Sorry to trouble you so late. There is a fake Michelin restaurant that is suspected of fraud. I would like to ask the Food Association to help me deal with it. Yes, I am now …!"
When the waiter went to give the invoice, Gu Zheng took out his mobile phone and made a call. Du Yang, Wang Tao, and the others were all puzzled.
"Gu Zheng, I have 50,000 yuan in my card. I will transfer it to you later. As for the rest, I will pay you back after I get my salary. This time, I am treating. I can't let you pay!"
After Gu Zheng hung up the phone, Du Yang said to Gu Zheng again. He indeed only had 50,000 yuan in his card. After that, he could swipe 50,000 yuan with two credit cards. However, Gu Zheng had already swiped his card. He couldn't swipe it again and had no place to cash it out. He could only give Gu Zheng 50,000 yuan in cash first.
"Okay, this meal is on you. However, you have to treat us properly again. Who asked you to be rich this time!"
Gu Zheng laughed. Seeing that Gu Zheng was still talking about being rich, Du Yang's face suddenly fell and his eyes turned red. Gu Zheng was still teasing him. He didn't know that his heart was being cut by a knife. 100,000 yuan. It was enough to do a lot of things. In the end, he lost it all with a meal.
If he had known in advance that this wine was so expensive, he definitely wouldn't have accepted it.
"Gu Zheng, what do you mean by fraud just now?"
Zhao Yongkui was more attentive and asked hurriedly. Gu Zheng smiled slightly. The waiter wrote the receipt. Gu Zheng looked at the receipt and put it away with satisfaction.
"They said that this is Louis XIII from 1997. However, I know that this is not the case. The restaurant is committing fraud. They have to refund us one to three. They have to refund us all the money and pay us three times the compensation. This meal cost 100,000 yuan and the restaurant has to pay 300,000 yuan. What do you think Du Yang is if he is not rich?"
Du Yang explained directly with a smile on his face. He didn't care if the waiter was at the side.
"You said that this is not the real wine? It is fake wine?"
Du Yang was stunned and hurriedly shouted. If it was fake wine, then he could be saved. As for the three times compensation that Gu Zheng said, he didn't care much about it. It was fine as long as he could get his money back.
Although he didn't pay the money, he had to return it to Gu Zheng. It was still his.
"It is not fake wine, but it is definitely not Louis XIII from 1997. You can rest assured about this!"
Gu Zheng smiled and shook his head. The wine was real. If it was fake wine, Gu Zheng would have drunk it earlier. It was impossible for them to finish it. The wine was real, but it was not guaranteed that it was not Louis XIII. As for Louis XIII from 1997, it was even more impossible.
Overall, a fake Louis XIII from 1997 couldn't escape. Since it was fake, it was a fraud. Gu Zheng was a gourmet. He was very clear about how to deal with this kind of thing.
Fraud. If it was less than 500 yuan, it would be calculated as 500 yuan. If it was more than 500 yuan, the compensation would be three times the actual amount. They had spent more than 100,000 yuan. Of course, they had to pay more than 300,000 yuan.
Therefore, Du Yang always said that he was the one paying for this meal. Gu Zheng didn't object. He only helped to pay first. However, his money wasn't so easy to take. If he took it, he would have to return it.
"A fake Louis XIII is also fine. You just said that they will have to pay three times the original amount?"
Du Yang finally reacted. No wonder Gu Zheng kept saying that he was going to make a fortune. It turned out that this was the reason. If the restaurant really wanted to pay him three times the original amount, then he would really make a fortune. After the refund, he would have to pay three times the original amount. Their meal was 100,000 yuan. The compensation would be 300,000 yuan. He had worked for so long and only managed to save 50,000 yuan. This was six times of his savings.
"That's right!"
Gu Zheng nodded with a smile. This was not what Gu Zheng said. There was really such a law. Moreover, when Gu Zheng was a food critic, he had encountered such a thing.
At that time, he didn't have so much money. He only had 3,000 yuan. In the end, the restaurant had to pay more than 10,000 yuan. That time, it wasn't fake wine. It was a bill fraud. They deliberately added more dishes that they didn't order.
The matter was different, but the meaning was the same. This restaurant was more serious. They were suspected of selling fake wine. Such a large amount of money was enough to make them suffer.
"Our restaurant is a Michelin restaurant. How can we sell fake wine? Don't even think about compensation!"
Hearing them say this, the waiter couldn't help but say. In the waiter's opinion, Gu Zheng and his group were doing this deliberately. Their wine couldn't be fake, and there wouldn't be any compensation.
"How long have you been working here?" Gu Zheng looked at the waiter and asked with a smile.
"More than a year!" The waiter looked at Gu Zheng and answered Gu Zheng's question.
"How many times have you sold this wine?" Gu Zheng asked again.
"Including this time, three times!"
The waiter was very honest. He answered Gu Zheng's question honestly. Gu Zheng sighed in his heart and continued, "Three times. Did anyone mention this to you before? Did anyone say that there was a problem with this wine?"
"No, no one!" The waiter shook his head immediately like a rattle-drum.
"Gu Zheng, what's going on? Tell us clearly. We're in a daze right now and don't know anything!"
Du Yang hurriedly shouted again. He was really anxious. This was related to his 100,000 yuan. How could he not be anxious? As for the waiter, he was purely curious.
"Well, I will tell you the reason. Before I tell you the reason, let me talk about this wine first. Louis XIII is a very noble cognac. Why is it so expensive? It is because it is aged for more than 50 years. Cognac is a brand of wine. All cognac wine is cognac, but not all cognac is cognac. Cognac is the name of a region in France. Just like our Maotai Town, Maotai wine is white wine, but not all white wine is called Maotai!"
With Gu Zheng's example, Du Yang and the others immediately understood what was going on. They all listened quietly.
"Louis XIII is produced by Remy Martin Company. It is a high-end product of Remy Martin Company. Any company attaches great importance to the anti-counterfeiting of high-end products. Remy Martin Company is the same. Therefore, the packaging of Louis XIII is changed every five years. This bottle of wine is said to be from 1997, but they used the recent packaging of Louis XIII. From this, we can conclude that this so-called 1997 bottle of Louis XIII is not real at all. That's why we say they are cheating!"
Gu Zheng explained the reason. Du Yang, Wang Tao, and Zhao Yongkui immediately looked at the empty bottle.
The waiter also leaned his head over and looked curiously.
"How can you tell that this is a new bottle?" Du Yang looked for a while and was still confused. He couldn't help but ask again.
"Search on the Internet!"
Gu Zheng couldn't help but say angrily. Du Yang suddenly took out his mobile phone. Not only him, but several people around him also took out their mobile phones. The waiter was no exception.
Soon, they all found the difference between the bottles. After comparing, Du Yang was the first to shout, "It's real! It's real! This is not the packaging of the old bottle. It's the current one. There is an '11' here. This is the 11th generation bottle. No, this is fake wine. They actually sold us fake wine!"
Hearing Du Yang's words, Gu Zheng couldn't help but sigh again.
He had said that the wine was real, but it wasn't the real Louis XIII. It was like a fake Maotai. If other cheaper wines were put into the Maotai bottle, the wine wouldn't be fake. It would still be real, but it wasn't worth the price.
This bottle of Louis XIII was the same. It was a real cognac. If it was fake, Gu Zheng would have drunk it out long ago.
"It's a fraud. Pay for it!"
After understanding what was going on, Du Yang immediately said to the waiter fiercely. Zhao Yongkui looked at Gu Zheng. He finally understood why Gu Zheng took photos of the bottle, why he put away the bill first, and then went to pay for the invoice.
These were all evidence. With these evidence, they could make them pay for it.
In other words, Gu Zheng knew all this from the beginning. Gu Zheng kept saying that Du Yang had made a fortune. From this point, it could be seen that Gu Zheng was helping Du Yang whether it was paying money or collecting evidence.
Du Yang was really lucky this time. He didn't have to pay a penny, but he could still make 300,000 yuan.
"If you say it's a fraud, then it's a fraud. What you say doesn't count!"
The waiter hurriedly explained, but he was shocked in his heart. He also went online and searched for information about the packaging of Louis XIII. It was exactly the same as what Gu Zheng had said. Their bottles were indeed new bottles and not from 1997 at all.
In this case, the so-called 1997 bottle of Louis XIII was naturally fake.
"Gu Zheng!"
"Elder Gao, why did you come in person?!"
A group of people came into the restaurant and walked directly toward Gu Zheng. Gu Zheng hurriedly got up. He didn't expect Elder Gao to come in person. He called Elder Gao because the Food Association had done this kind of consumer fraud many times and had experience.
"I happened to be free. I heard that someone was pretending to be a Michelin restaurant and committing consumer fraud, so I came to take a look!"
Elder Gao said with a smile and introduced the people who came over to Gu Zheng. A few of them were staff from the Food Association who were in charge of consumer fraud. Two of them were in charge of investigating the fake Michelin restaurant, and a few others were friends from the Industry and Commerce Bureau.
They were on duty, and one of them happened to be Elder Gao's nephew. With this layer of relationship, he brought them along.
When Elder Gao and the others arrived, the restaurant immediately became lively.
The manager of the restaurant also came out. First, he denied that it was a fake Louis XIII. In the face of hard evidence, he changed his statement and said that he had taken the wrong bottle and sold the wrong bottle. In the end, the Food Association and the Industry and Commerce Bureau couldn't stand it anymore. They gave them a stern warning and asked them to close the restaurant starting tomorrow. After the investigation was over, their business license might be revoked.
Not only would their business license be revoked, but there would also be a high fine. They would also have to pay the compensation.
At this time, the manager softened and came to Gu Zheng and Du Yang. He was willing to refund the money in full. Today's meal would be free of charge. However, it was impossible for him to pay the compensation. He didn't have the authority to do so.
Gu Zheng didn't pay attention to him at all. The worse their attitude was, the more impossible it would be to end so easily.
Gu Zheng and Du Yang left first, and Elder Gao left soon after. The Food Association and the Industry and Commerce Bureau both got the evidence. The people from the Industry and Commerce Bureau even issued a notice to close the restaurant on the spot.
The investigation results came out the next day. It was a fake Louis XIII, and the compensation was one to three.
The Michelin side asked them to remove the high imitation Michelin brand. The Industry and Commerce Bureau gave them a fine of five hundred thousand yuan. They sold a bottle of wine, but they were fined eight hundred thousand yuan. The fake Michelin was also exposed.
To this restaurant, it was a great loss, but to Du Yang, it was a real fortune.
The restaurant obediently handed over three hundred thousand yuan. They didn't want to hand it over, but if they didn't hand it over, the restaurant that invested tens of millions would be completely lost. They knew very well which was more important.
Even if their reputation was damaged, as long as their quality, service, and taste were good, they could still make money in the future. It was just that they couldn't rely on Michelin anymore. They had to do all their business on their own in the future.
"Gu Zheng, I can't accept this money!"
On the fifth day after the meal, the four of them gathered again. Looking at the three hundred thousand yuan sent by Gu Zheng, Du Yang kept shaking his head. Although Gu Zheng kept saying that he was the one who got rich, in his heart, he didn't want to accept this money.
If he was the one who paid for the meal, he would feel at ease taking this money. However, Gu Zheng paid for the meal. Gu Zheng was also the one who saw that it was fake. It was also Gu Zheng who asked the Food Association for help. He didn't do anything, so he felt uneasy taking this money.
"If it's yours, it's yours. If it was my treat that day, I wouldn't have sent it to you at all!"
Gu Zheng laughed. The money was transferred from the Industry and Commerce Bureau. They gave him a check, so he directly took cash and brought it over.
"Du Yang, take it. You can't see that this is Gu Zheng's good intentions. If you're really grateful, treat him again!"
Zhao Yongkui was older and knew that Gu Zheng wasn't short of money now. He was taking the opportunity to help Du Yang. Among the four of them, only Du Yang came from the countryside. No matter what, the others' families could help, but Du Yang had to rely on himself here.
"That's right. Take it. Haven't you always wanted to buy a house? Now that you've been promoted, you've made a fortune. Find a chance to buy a house quickly and have your own little nest!"
Wang Tao also persuaded. Gu Zheng had a house. Although Wang Tao and Zhao Yongkui didn't, their families had said that they would help them buy a house, so they didn't have to worry.
Only Du Yang relied on himself. In the past, he had no hope of buying a house with his salary. Now that he had been promoted and unexpectedly earned 300,000 yuan, buying a house was no longer a distant dream.
With 300,000 yuan, plus his own savings and credit card, it wasn't a problem to pay for a small house in a remote suburb. Although it was far, it was still his home.
"Okay, then I'll treat you again!"
Du Yang's eyes were red. He sniffed heavily and took the money.
He knew that Gu Zheng had been helping him. His work was, and this time was, too. He still couldn't return the favor he owed Gu Zheng. He could only find a chance to repay him in the future.
Knowing Gu Zheng and making friends with Gu Zheng was his greatest gain and pride. Du Yang didn't hesitate. Gu Zheng was also very happy. Now he didn't lack money. The chicken blood soup shop could give him a few million yuan in dividends every month. It was just that he couldn't and couldn't directly give money to his friends.
If he really did that, he would lose all his friends.
This was an opportunity. But if Du Yang didn't sincerely want to thank Gu Zheng and wanted to treat him to a good meal, he wouldn't have such an opportunity. This could be considered Du Yang's fortune.
For this treat, Du Yang didn't specially find a good place. He randomly found a food stall. The four of them drank beer happily and then went to the bar to play for half the night. Except for Gu Zheng, the others drank too much. In the end, it was Gu Zheng who sent them home.
"Gokusen's successor, you did a good job this time!"
As soon as they returned home, the device spirit suddenly said to Gu Zheng. The sun rose from the west. The device spirit was actually praising him again.
"It's a small matter. I can see your character. I didn't choose the wrong person this time!"
The device spirit said again. Gu Zheng's face was a little proud. It wasn't easy to be praised by the device spirit. Moreover, the praise this time was about his character.
"Next, I'll give you a small test!"
The words of the device spirit made Gu Zheng tremble. He quickly shouted in his heart, "Wait, didn't you say that I have a good character? Why are you giving me a test again?"
"Is there a relationship between good character and the test? Don't tell me that you won't accept the test if you have a good character?"
The words of the device spirit made Gu Zheng feel like he was choking. Did this device spirit find him an eyesore recently and found something for him to do?
"This test is related to wine. The immortal world also has wine. The immortal wine is very good. Lord Gokusen himself can brew many kinds of immortal wine. Because of the environmental problems on earth, it's difficult to brew immortal wine, but it's not impossible. This test is to use existing and unknown ingredients to brew a pot of immortal wine!"
The test this time was actually to brew immortal wine. However, the device spirit said that it was very difficult to brew immortal wine in the current environment. This wasn't how difficult it was for a strong person. Moreover, he didn't know how to brew immortal wine at all.
"The duration of this test is one month. You can reject the test, but if you do, the successor of the Gluttony Immortal will lose all of the brewing techniques of the Gluttony Immortal, and will never get them again. If you pass the test, you will be rewarded handsomely!
After the device spirit finished speaking, the choice was back in Gu Zheng's hands.
The test this time could actually be refused, unlike the previous tests that were overbearing and not allowed to be refused at all.
Although he could refuse, the result would be quite cruel. He would lose all of the Glutton Immortal's winemaking skills. Although winemaking was not a formal cooking skill, good wine was just like good dishes. It was not easy to make. A good winemaker was not inferior to a good cooking master.
If he refused, he would never receive these techniques again. If the test was successful, he would receive a generous reward. Gu Zheng felt that the device spirit was like a little devil, deliberately tempting him.
On one side was loss, and on the other side was gain. Gu Zheng gritted his teeth more and more tightly. Finally, he nodded heavily.
"I accept the test!"
The test was difficult, but it wasn't impossible. Moreover, he had completed many tests. Wasn't it just brewing wine? As long as he had enough ingredients and knew the method of brewing wine, he believed that he could succeed.
"Successor of Gokusen, you have accepted the test. The test begins now!"
The device spirit's voice sounded. Gu Zheng listened quietly, but after that, the device spirit didn't say a word, which made Gu Zheng very puzzled.
"That's it?" Finally, Gu Zheng couldn't help but ask.
"How do I brew immortal wine? I don't know the technique. How can I complete the test?"
Gu Zheng couldn't wait to ask loudly. This device spirit, he had to ask for everything before telling him. The test was to brew wine, but it didn't tell him the method of brewing wine. Even if he had enough ingredients, he couldn't make it.
"If you don't know, then go and find it. The test has begun. I don't care if you know the technique or not, as long as you can produce the immortal wine you brew within the time limit!"
The device spirit said quickly. Gu Zheng's eyes were wide open.
"You mean, you won't give me the technique of brewing wine?"
Gu Zheng asked in a trembling voice. The device spirit naturally replied, "Of course, if I give it to you, it's equivalent to cheating. Of course, I can't give it to you!"
"Device spirit, you bastard!"
After a while, Gu Zheng cursed in his heart. But thinking about it, the device spirit really didn't promise to give him the technique of brewing immortal wine. Everything he thought was reasonable. Since the test was to brew wine, it should give him the method of brewing wine.
But he didn't expect that the device spirit would dig such a big hole and jump into it without giving him anything.
"It's not impossible to get the method of brewing wine, but you have to take another test. If you complete it, you will be rewarded with the method of brewing immortal wine!"
The device spirit said with a smile. Gu Zheng couldn't wait to punch it a few times. He still had to take the test. Gu Zheng wasn't fooled this time. If he took the test again, he didn't know what kind of trap was waiting for him.
"If you fail the test, you will be whipped three hundred times!"
The device spirit's voice suddenly became louder. Gu Zheng's body trembled fiercely. After a night of tossing and turning, the sky was almost bright. Gu Zheng didn't sleep anymore. He directly got up and went to book the ticket.
He booked the ticket back to Emei.
The device spirit didn't give him the method of brewing wine, so he could only find it himself. After all, Emei was a big sect that existed during the Flourishing Era. During the Flourishing Era, Earth also had immortal wine. Presumably, the method of brewing wine from that time would be left behind.
As long as there was, Gu Zheng had hope of brewing immortal wine and completing this test.
In the afternoon, Gu Zheng arrived at Mount Emei and went straight to Emei.
Gu Zheng already knew how to get to Emei's immortal array, so he didn't need anyone to pick him up. After he entered Emei, there were many disciples cultivating in front of Emei Pagoda.
"Greetings, Sect Leader!"
Some disciples saw Gu Zheng and hurriedly bowed. After Gu Zheng returned their greetings, he immediately went to the backyard to look for Wuyou and Wuchou.
"Sect Leader, you want the technique of brewing immortal wine?"
Hearing Gu Zheng's request, Wuyou and Wuchou both stared with their eyes wide open in disbelief.
"That's right. Our Emei has existed for so many years. I think we have such a technique!"
Gu Zheng nodded seriously. Without the method of brewing wine, he didn't know what raw materials were needed. This test was even more impossible. Everything needed a recipe first, a recipe for brewing wine.
"We have some wine that can strengthen the body, but we don't have immortal wine!"
Wuyou and Wuchou looked at each other. In the end, Elder Wuchou said awkwardly. Immortal wine was something from thousands of years ago. There was no such thing now, let alone any technique.
"No, how can we not have it? Our Emei is a big sect. Didn't the immortal cultivator ancestors drink wine?"
Gu Zheng cried out involuntarily. He thought that Emei definitely had it. On the way here, he was still angry with the device spirit and said that he had a way to find the recipe for brewing wine. But he didn't expect Elder Wuchou to say that they didn't have it.
"Sect Leader, the immortal cultivator ancestors did drink wine, but it doesn't mean that they can brew it. Our Emei has always been diligent in cultivating immortal arts. No one knows how to brew immortal wine!"
Elder Wuyou laughed bitterly and explained to Gu Zheng.
There was one thing that Gu Zheng didn't know. Ordinary wine was easy to brew, but immortal wine was not easy. Immortal wine itself could increase the immortal power in the body, and had a similar effect to immortal pills. It was very complicated to brew it. This kind of immortal wine brewing technique was not widespread. It was all mastered by the big sects. The immortal wine they brewed could be exchanged for more cultivation resources.
In the Age of Chaos, immortal wine was not easy to brew, so it was not valuable. But when it was not valuable, people who did not need it would not want it. So it was not circulated much.
Emei was not small, but after all, it was only a branch of Mount Shu. In addition, the disciples were cultivating, so no one paid attention to this kind of brewing technique. If they wanted immortal wine, they could just buy it.
Even if they bought immortal wine, they didn't drink it often. Even immortal cultivators could get drunk on immortal wine. Getting drunk would also cause trouble.
After listening to Elder Wuyou's explanation, Gu Zheng was completely dumbfounded. It seemed that this brewing technique was a very important treasure. Ordinary people in the Flourishing Era did not have it at all. He had indeed thought too simply.
"Sect Leader, one must have immortal power to brew immortal wine. Without immortal power, it would be useless. If you want the technique, do you want to brew it yourself?"
Elder Wuyou asked again. In fact, he and Wuchou had suspected that Gu Zheng had some way to use immortal power.
Previously, Gu Zheng's performance in the Taiji Sect was truly unimaginable. Not to mention them, the others had also thought so.
If it wasn't for the fact that Gu Zheng had always used his inner strength, they would have suspected that Gu Zheng was a cultivator who was hiding his strength.
"Even if I don't have immortal power, I have other ways!"
Gu Zheng did not deny it, but he also did not admit that he had immortal power. He only said that he had a way.
Wuyou and Wuchou looked at each other. Sure enough, the Sect Leader did have a way to use immortal power. It was just that he might not be able to use it for a long time or often. Even so, it was very powerful. How could ordinary cultivators have immortal power?
If he could use part of immortal power now, didn't that mean that the possibility of becoming an immortal cultivator in the future would be greater? No wonder the Sect Leader was so confident that he would not consume the snow lotus seed. He had a backup plan.
This also made the two of them even more emotional. Who was the master behind the Sect Leader? He actually had such a powerful cultivation method.
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