Maze Fan: I opened a buffet in the maze

Chapter 423 Development and Implementation

"A victory worth celebrating!"

After the banquet, the guests dispersed with lingering excitement. In the hotel's reception room, Fan Wei, along with Derain, General Quellclay, and Rona who had joined them, raised their glasses in celebration.

The four glasses clinked together, and the swirling golden liquor was drunk in one gulp.

On the table were contracts and bank drafts with various signatures printed on them, payable on demand.

Twenty-six thousand seven hundred gold coins! A dazzling number, this was the first investment the Alliance had received since its founding, and the gains were not just as simple as money.

According to the established alliance, the manpower and channels of each allied party can be used arbitrarily to a limited extent after being informed by Fan Wei and his group!

"The Empire is indeed a great place to make big money!"

With a slightly flushed face, Rona excitedly raised her hands, smoothed her long red hair, and stretched comfortably. "The orders I close here will earn me over a hundred gold coins!"

"Actually, it's not a lot," Drain said, putting down his glass with a smile. "It's just the initial investment."

"According to the traditional procedure, the next step is for me and my brothers and sisters to garner support from various departments in the capital. Asking about the reward money in advance is essential."

"Ask for a reward?" Fan Wei asked curiously, having just caught the new term.

"It's a kickback for the lower-level people. From the lowest-ranking officers and clerks to the highest-ranking officials in the entire capital, everyone has to send a kickback in my name."

"Junior officers receive about three to five silver coins, but there are many of them. Senior officers are fewer in number, but they receive dozens or even hundreds of gold coins."

"After spending this money, there's not much left."

"Wow, they're just giving away so much money for free." Rona calmed down and took another sip of her drink.

For her as a businesswoman, tens of thousands of gold coins was already a very large sum. If she could earn ten times that amount, she could achieve great success and retire.

However, for those who play politics, this is nothing.

"Don't worry, as long as the channels open up, it won't take much time to earn more." Fan Wei smiled easily. Of this sum of money, Drain directly allocated half to him for his use.

The days of not being able to afford a taxi are gone forever!

“That’s right. With Misel’s help and the support of my family, funding shouldn’t be a problem for now.”

"The Linber family owns many mines, forests, and agricultural territories, as well as north-south trade, labyrinth shares, and war requisitions. It's time for those old fogies to invest their vast fortunes."

As a prince, Drain possessed considerable political capital.

However, the relationship between the crown prince and the elder families is quite intriguing. They represent their respective families, yet they are not equal to them.

After all, the emperor was the one who controlled the entire empire, and the elder families served the emperor but also opposed him.

Each family formed political marriages with the emperor, creating their own bargaining chips, leaving the princes and princesses caught between the interests of the royal family and the elder families.

The family will support their crown prince, but never with all their heart; it will only be an investment.

After all, in some ways, the 'elders' are more secure than the emperor.

Furthermore, money is not everything in the struggle for the throne. The eldest prince pondered for a moment, "From now on, we must expand our network and increase our influence as soon as possible."

“At this time, ordinary people in the capital will also be very important, because many businessmen and lower-level officials belong to this class.”

"The combined power of them will also be transmitted layer by layer and have an impact on those above."

"I'm about to start preparing for a speaking tour in various districts. Misell and Miss Lorna, do you have any suggestions?"

Drain was very modest. Although he already had a think tank team in the newly formed alliance, the bespectacled young man from before was one of them.

But the eldest prince still values ​​the opinions of his most important friends.

Fan Wei paused as he turned the cup, glancing at the huge shop window beside him. Today was a rare mild and sunny day in winter, a rare occurrence during the long winters in the north.

"Winter in the Empire is very cold."

He said softly, "Why not start by improving people's livelihoods and winning their hearts, by distributing fuel, food, and warm clothing, and by intensifying our crackdown on gangs?"

"These are important to ordinary people..."

As Fan Wei was carefully considering the details, he noticed that Dreyen seemed somewhat puzzled.

"Do ordinary people lack these things? Those rats in the gutter of gangsters don't pose a threat to ordinary people, do they?"

The Crown Prince's words startled Fan Wei. He then realized that the "ordinary person" that Dreyen was talking about was not the same as the "ordinary person" he was talking about at all.

In the empire, only those with status, power, and wealth are considered 'ordinary people'.

What's missing? What is that?

Despite knowing that Drain's actions were unintentional, Fan Wei once again felt the deep cracks cutting into the huge dial of the capital city.

"Drain, have you... considered the power of the poor and slaves?"

After some hesitation, Fan Wei still tried to bring it up, wanting the prince to realize the power of the broadest masses.

But Drain still looked puzzled. The Crown Prince thought for a moment and finally shook his head. "I don't know much about it. The poor are very disorganized, while the slaves are managed by the 'Gray Organization'."

"The Cabers family behind the Gray Agency is represented by my vain and brainless third sister."

In the eyes of the eldest prince, the capital, the empire, and even the world are all divided up like a cake into various forces.

Those truly at the bottom of society are completely invisible to him from his position, just as many so-called experts, when pointing fingers at the country, are completely blind to the countless insignificant figures on the country.

Fan Wei thought a lot and wanted to say more, but realistically, he couldn't think of any reason for the Crown Prince to pay attention to the poor and slaves.

In the end, I could only come up with one idea.

"During a speech, you can have people hand out eggs or coal on the street; this will attract a large crowd, create a strong atmosphere, and generate loud cheers..."

The eldest prince immediately realized that this made sense!

"Goo! How could I... Waaah..."

As the four were talking, an echo suddenly came from the corridor. Yunxin stumbled into the room, crashing into Luo Na's arms with a look of utter disbelief, and letting out a strange whimper.

"We haven't come up with three plans yet! We're not satisfied!"

"What's wrong? Didn't you go to play chess with Princess Oriel?" Rona asked in surprise, just as Oriel silently entered through the door.

The princess, having just learned the Eastern language, nodded slightly and said to Yunxin, "You flatter me."

"We lost so badly! We lost so badly! Sister Oliel, why are you so powerful?"

Yunxin was on the verge of tears, unable to believe that she had suffered such a crushing defeat on the chessboard.

"Is it possible that you're just too bad at the game..." Rona, who got along well with her, analyzed seriously, delivering another heavy blow to the unfortunate young lady.

"Impossible! This heroine is both intelligent and brave! It can only be that Sister Oliel is too strong!!"

In any case, Yunxin didn't believe that she was bad at cooking. Seeing her stubbornness, the originally quiet reception room was suddenly filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Even Olivia was affected, her eyes softening.

Although this foreign girl was terrible at chess, she was a fantastic conversationalist! When she talked about her exciting adventures, she even made the princess forget to move her chess pieces.

She didn't dislike that lighthearted and lively personality, which was completely opposite to her own.

There was even a touch of joy in my heart, like a bright color suddenly appearing in a plain world, making me feel beautiful.

"Oriel, make more friends. Your brother supports you."

With a smile, Dreyen suddenly spoke, prompting the princess to look up and gaze at her with a startled expression. Then, she nodded gently, more forcefully than usual.

"That's great! If we become friends with Sister Oliel, can we learn the skills of the Imperial Chess Saint?" Yunxin said happily.

"I... I'm not that good..." Olivia explained softly, but her objections were ineffective.

Miss Yunxin's chess skills are extraordinary! Who else but a chess master could beat her?! No arguments allowed!!

A relaxed and pleasant atmosphere filled the room. Fan Wei looked at his friends, some standing and some sitting, smiled for a while, and then suddenly stood up. The aftereffects of the martial arts realm had already subsided.

Combined with Crimson Release, this skill might become a burst skill that can be used frequently in the future.

"It's time to act."

A brief and gentle announcement drew everyone's attention. Just as Fan Wei had said, they had gathered here to do something big!

Fan Wei is in charge of cooking, Draine is in charge of campaigning, Quellclay is in charge of providing support, and Rona joins in to make money.

We all work together towards a grand goal.

"Let's pull off a big heist!" With everyone working together and lifting their hands, the 'Cross Alliance' was officially established. The group left the manor hotel and headed to their respective locations.

"Lorna, I'd like to ask you to set up channels and start acquiring monsters on a large scale."

With the help of the Alliance, it was no longer as troublesome as before to do things in a private capacity. All they had to do was transfer the money to the accounts of their allies who ran businesses, and they would buy the goods and ship them to the restaurants.

"By the way, if we're short-handed, I can find plenty of helpers."

Fan Wei thought of Chen Hui and his group; this was a golden opportunity.

Let the hybrids develop through the emperor's election; once they demonstrate their value, they may become part of the Draenei faction and gain their own benefits in the future.

"No problem at all. Don't you know who I am? Apart from my cousin, no one has surpassed me in business acumen!"

Luo Na was also very confident, drafting a plan in her notebook and calculating the construction of the upstream and downstream industries and the allocation of funds.

The carriage returned to the Bafang Restaurant. Fan Wei was surprised to see a carriage parked at the entrance on the third floor facing the street. An unexpected guest had arrived.

The president of the Chefs' Association.

"I'm so sorry to presume, Mr. Misell, I didn't expect you to be out today." Upon discovering Fan Wei's return, the chairman walked towards the carriage, greeted him with a smile and a handshake.

"Mr. Chairman, what brings you here? It is truly an honor for Bafang Restaurant."

Fan Wei expressed his respect for Fan, a senior figure in the culinary world, and surprised to find himself leading the old chairman to the door and serving him tea.

"You're really quite low-key, Misser." Sipping his tea, the chairman looked around at the restaurant's furnishings, chuckled, and sighed, "There aren't many young chefs like you anymore."

Despite his exceptional culinary skills, he chose to open a shop in such a remote location.

It seems she's completely focused on culinary research; no wonder she's so popular...

The chairman made some speculations about Fan Wei's identity and his miraculous cooking skills, and gradually went further and further down the road of imagination.

However, the truth is often simpler than it seems. The main reason for choosing to open a restaurant here is that it offers the best value for money in the same price range.

The key to everything is still having no money.

Fan Wei was completely bewildered, not understanding why the chairman had suddenly come to find him alone. Was he simply an old man taking a stroll out of boredom?

That's just a joke; things are never that simple.

After finishing a cup of tea, the old chairman finally revealed his purpose. He looked around cautiously and asked Fan Wei, "Are there any quieter rooms?"

"Of course."

Realizing this was a private meeting, Fan Wei led the chairman to a private room on the second floor. After closing the door to block out the noise, he turned around, and the chairman's expression became solemn and serious.

“Misser, I’ve come here to ask you sincerely, are you... a follower of the great god of food and cooking?”

What? The god of food and cooking?

Fan Wei was momentarily confused before remembering Gonia at home. The God of Gourmet Food was currently residing in her; she must be the current God of Gourmet Food.

What big stunt has this little guy gotten up to now?

"Probably, I guess so."

Fan Wei thought about it and admitted it. Mainly, he felt that if he sent a letter with the words "Who is this? Never heard of him, don't know him" to someone he didn't know well, it would be inappropriate.

The chairman, who looks like he's making an underground rendezvous, might be in an awkward position.

"As expected, I knew that an excellent chef like you would surely receive divine inspiration and be blessed with divine glory!" The president grasped Fan Wei's hand, his eyes brimming with tears of excitement.

"The era of chefs has finally arrived!"

"Please don't get agitated, Mr. Chairman. So what do you mean?" Fan Wei still didn't understand his purpose.

"We are all lucky ones blessed by the God of Food. As the first favored ones and pioneers of the deity, we must unite! We must expand the territory of faith for the deity!"

Firm and powerful words came from the old chairman's mouth.

His eyes shone brightly, a stark contrast to his usual gentle and kind demeanor. "Welcome divine grace! Strengthen the power of chefs! Chefs will no longer be at the mercy of others!"

Upon hearing these ambitious words, Fan Wei was speechless for a moment.

The president held his hand and continued, "Misser, you are such an outstanding young man! You must be favored by God. My abilities are certainly not as good as yours."

"Therefore, I hope you will lead all the chefs in the capital!"

"Lead all the chefs?" Fan Wei asked, puzzled. "Mr. Chairman, haven't you already done that? Besides, all I can do is cook, so I won't be of much use, will I?"

"No, the power of the Culinary Arts is not limited to cooking!"

"We can use divine magic to control some of the nobles and gain power in the capital without confronting the God of War," the guild leader said firmly in a low voice.

"Think about it, Misr, if you seize the opportunity, you can become a pope!"

"The person on earth who is closest to the gods!"

Weiwei was shocked by the president's ambition, and Fan Wei was also a little embarrassed. He was indeed quite close to becoming the 'God of Gourmet Food,' but he did not master the divine arts of gourmet food.

Gonia never talked to him about anything she was fiddling with.

It was from the president that he learned that the God of Gourmet Food had actually developed divine arts!

What are the effects of the magic of food?