Chapter 37: Are you selling the formula?

Out of courtesy, Fabricio asked politely, "Have you eaten yet? If not, would you like to come in and have a bite?" This was just basic courtesy. After all, most people would ask this question if they were in such a situation. The person who was asked would usually refuse. After all, who would simply eat food from strangers? But the old man was different. After hearing this, he walked in eagerly and said, "Well, it'll be a little embarrassing of me to oblige..." Fabricio was speechless. He didn't look embarrassed at all. Anyhow, complaints were just complaints. Fabricio, Ruff, Davey and Waimarie didn't show any expression of annoyance. On the contrary, Ruff immediately served the old man a bowl instead. The latter thanked him, and then started praising, "The soup is thick but not oily, and the meat is smooth and juicy. It must have been boiled for at least three or four hours, right?" Fabricio raised his eyebrows while smiling, "It looks like you are a learned man when it comes to culinary, sir." "Nah, I'm not that learned." The old man replied with a smile, "Just that my family owns a restaurant, so I know a little bit about food." After taking a sip of the soup, his eyes suddenly brightened up. He nodded repeatedly, "It's delicious. This soup not only brings out the remarkable taste of the chicken fully, but the fantastic part is that it completely covered the smell of all the medicinal herbs. It's amazing, simply amazing." ” It wasn't over yet. He took another mouthful of meat, and this time he almost swallowed his tongue. He mumbled, "And the chicken still retained its flavour? Young man, how did you do it?" Fabricio smiled silently. The old man laughed when he saw this. He nodded to himself, "Now I'm just being rude. Let me rephrase the question. Young man, are you selling this chicken soup recipe?" Why didn't he ask him where he bought the chicken soup? First, because he heard Fabricio say that he made the soup personally when he was at the door. Furthermore, if Harchester... no, if anywhere in the entire Jefferton province had such a delicious dish, he couldn't possibly not know about it. So he asked with great certainty. But Fabricio shook his head and said, "Sorry, I'm not selling it." The old man didn't expect him to refuse so simply. He couldn't help but ask, "Why didn't you ask about the price?" Fabricio shook his head again, "I'm going to start my own a restaurant, so I won't sell it not matter how much is offered." "You won't sell it for a million?" The old man persisted, "I won't buy it outright, I just want the licensing. Won't you give it some thought?" The three siblings nearly shrieked in surprise. A million? Just to buy a recipe for a dish? And wasn't a buyout? This old man... was he crazy? But what stunned them even more was that Fabricio didn't even hesitate before decisively refusing, "Not just a million, I won't even sell it for ten million." Why? The Drunken chicken was so delicious, not because of all the vegetables and ingredients, but rather the secret five-spice seasoning! The function of this seasoning was to remove the peculiar smell of most dishes and at the same time enhance the aroma. In other words, any broth or even stir-fry can be made extremely delicious by the use of it. Selling this recipe for a million? Was Fabricio crazy? Licensing instead of buying out? Haha, did he really think Fabricio was a fool? Not to mention that this old man obviously had some background, just the ring on the ring finger of his left hand... A ring made of the finest imperial green jadeite can cost at least hundreds of thousands, or even millions. If such a person really owned a restaurant, would he only have one? If he gave him the license, how could he sell it himself? The old man seemed to realize something. Hearing this, he couldn't help but shake his head regretfully. "It's a pity..." As he was speaking, another voice was heard. "Grandpa, why are you here?" Everyone turned around and saw a well-dressed young man standing at the door. Fabricio narrowed his eyes slightly and confirmed his suspicions. He didn't recognize this man's watch, because his powers did not include such items, but the suit he was wearing was made of top-grade silk. From this alone, it wasn't hard to deduce that it must have been hand-made by a fine tailor. The starting price for clothing like this was roughly twenty-eight thousand dollars, which basically meant that it was for wealthy families. If you add in the shirts, belts, leather shoes and such... Think, just think about it! How could he run into someone like this so easily? But after a second thought, Fabricio realised something. The 16th floor was where all the VIP wards were. Its class was higher than the premium wards, so the people staying here must have a certain level of financial capability. Wasn't it normal that the kind of people you meet depend on the circle you are in? While Fabricio was caught up in his thoughts, the old man stood up calmly, "It's nothing. I was a little bored in the ward, so I came out for a walk." After saying that, he put down the bowl in his hand and smiled at Fabricio, "Young man, thank you for your hospitality, I'll take my leave now." Fabricio smiled and replied politely, "Take care, sir." The old man smiled again, turned around, and slowly walked out of the ward. When they got outside, the young man couldn't help but frown, "Grandpa, why would you mingle with people like those and eat their food?" The old man asked him expressionlessly, "What kind of people?" The young man rudely replied, "Peasants." Although it was crude, it was also an indisputable fact. Just as how Fabricio could tell the gist of the other person's background through his clothes, he could also tell Fabricio and the others' status at a glance. None of the clothes amongst the three cost more than a hundred dollars, especially the eldest one, who wore a complete set of knock-off goods. What were they if they weren't a bunch of broke losers? But when the old man heard this, he stopped in his tracks and looked at him sternly, "When did our family teach you to judge a book by its cover?" If Fabricio were here, he would be shocked. Was this the same old man who looked so easy-going and kind earlier? With this aura... even Iggy was inferior compared to him. Who... was he? But he wasn't there after all, and the young man's heart was pounding loudly because of this. Without any hesitation, he immediately lowered his head and said respectfully, "I'm sorry, grandpa. I was wrong." The old man shook his head. The disappointment in his eyes was clear. He knew that his grandson wasn't admitting his mistake sincerely. Of course, he couldn't be blamed fully. After all, he knew nothing about what happened in the morning and the day before. It was normal for him to treat the young man like this. That's right, the old man had purposely paid a visit to Room 1608. This was all because he coincidentally saw Iggy's visit the day before and the entire process of Fabricio treating the patient who went into anaphylactic shock earlier in the morning. Hence, the incident just now played out. But he didn't expect this "interesting" young man to give him such a big surprise again. That recipe! ! ! Squinting a little, the old man said calmly, "Go and find out everything about the people in Room 1608. Remember, I want every single piece of information!" Although the young man was doubtful, he did not dare to disobey this time. He immediately nodded and respectfully replied, "Okay, I'm right on it!"