Chapter 0006: The Sale of a Abalone
Upon arriving at the restaurant, and with the dining time not yet having arrived, Shen Long directly addressed the lobby manager, saying, "Call your manager out; I have dried abalone personally crafted by Master Tamura Riki from Japan that I wish to sell to you."
Since modern times, due to industrial pollution and the development of fishing technology, many abalones are caught and consumed before they have fully grown, making it difficult to find such a dried abalone again. " Saying this, Liao Jie opened the box, allowing Shen Long to appreciate the abalone more intuitively, " An abalone of this size must have grown in the sea for at least seventy to eighty years.
He has been working at Ayi Abalone for about ten years, but this is still the first time he has seen an abalone
Thinking to himself, Shen Long immediately proposed the purchase; if someone else had said this, Liao Jie would definitely have told him to get lost quickly, as this is the treasured gem of our Yangzhou building, how could it be said that it can be sold just like that
This specimen is enormous, with a thick and plump abalone, comparable in size to an adult's palm; its color is deep, and the skirt edge pearls are robust and distinct. When the box is opened, it emits a rich and fresh dried abalone aroma, and its quality is excellent. Even when compared to the renowned abalone from Hong Kong, it stands as a prized possession.
"Well, a net abalone, I think it is most suitable to sell it to you in the capital." Shen Long did not waste any words and directly took the box out of the bag and placed it on the coffee table
Thus, Shen Long exchanged all the US dollars he had prepared for this palm-sized dried abalone, and immediately took his leave. He returned to the White Swan Hotel to check out and chose a corner where no one was paying attention to make his return.
It is only the 1980s now, and a dried abalone is already so rare; wouldn't it be even more valuable if I were to take it back? I have spent quite a bit of money for this mission, so wouldn't it be just right to bring something back to recoup my costs?
Shen Long carefully inspected the box containing the abalone and found no signs that could reveal its origin. He then found a bag to pack it up and called for a taxi, heading straight to Ayi Abalone.
Two abalones naturally weigh six hundred grams each, while the one in Shen Long's possession weighs over one pound, worth several times more than the two abalones. In other words, this trip has earned him several times his annual salary in skills. Compared to his expenses for forging documents and purchasing old U.S. dollars, this is undoubtedly a significant profit
Due to the unknown origin of the abalone, he found it difficult to approach the auction house. Therefore, he thought of the famous restaurants in the capital. Since Yangzhou Lou displays this abalone at the entrance as a treasure of the establishment, these restaurants would surely be willing to pay a high price to acquire it. This is far more effective than any advertisement.
Dried abalone is made from fresh abalone that has been air-dried, and it is a rather precious ingredient among seafood. Due to the complexity of the production process, the skill of the producer is required to be exceptionally high. Master Chikara Tamura from Aomori Prefecture, Japan, is an expert in abalone production and also serves as the president of the local net abalone association. His family has been producing net abalone for several hundred years.
But when he saw what Shen Long took out, his eyes nearly popped out; it was indeed a dried abalone! When was the last time he saw this thing? Was it fifteen years ago or twenty years ago?
Upon hearing this, Shen Long was taken aback. How much should I ask for?
The manager was initially in a difficult position, but upon learning of Shen Long's identity as a returning overseas Chinese, he immediately changed his stance and agreed. Allowing overseas Chinese to savor the delicacies of their homeland is also a political task
As the saying goes, a fine sword is given to a hero, and a beautiful flower is presented to a beloved. Selling this abalone to A Yi seems to be its best destination, and moreover, this establishment has long been renowned and has a reputable background, so there is no need to worry excessively about being cheated; of course, if the price they offer does not meet one's satisfaction, that is another matter.
How much can I sell this abalone for? This one is twice the size of two abalones; the term "head count" refers to how many abalones of uniform size equal one shima jin (604.79 grams). For example, if ten abalones weighing approximately 60 grams each add up to about one shima jin, then that would be considered ten heads of abalone
Not long ago, someone in Shanghai spent 400,000 on a meal, and it is said that there was a whole abalone on the table. However, those were fresh abalones, which cannot be compared to dried abalones.
Hearing this, the lobby manager frowned, as it was clearly a request to be taken advantage of. However, Yang Wanglong was not concerned at all; as long as he could purchase this abalone and place it in the store, he would be able to earn back any amount spent.
"I never expected to see an abalone again in my lifetime. Sir, may I ask if you could open it for me to take a look?" After receiving permission from Shen Long, Yang Wanglong put on gloves, took out an abalone, and examined it carefully with a magnifying glass, millimeter by millimeter. The lobby manager behind him could not help but stretch his neck to get a better view.
Upon passing through the time portal and returning to the rental apartment, still holding the box containing the dried abalone, Shen Long quickly regained his composure and opened his phone to search the internet. This search proved to be quite revealing, as the abalone auctions on major auction websites dazzled his eyes; a mere two-headed dried abalone could fetch a price equivalent to his annual income.
Shen Long remained silent, quietly sipping his tea. After refilling the tea three times in succession, Yang Wanglong finally placed the abalone back into the box, saying, "Indeed, this is the net abalone personally crafted by Master Tianshun Li. No matter what, I must keep this abalone. Sir, please name your price!"
After searching online for several restaurants in Beijing known for their abalone dishes, Shen Long ultimately chose A Yi Abalone. This decision was partly influenced by what Liao Jie had just mentioned, and partly because Shen Long had seen comments online stating that as long as Yang Guanyi is still alive, discussing who makes the best abalone in the world is a meaningless endeavor. This serves to prove that A Yi Abalone is indeed a top master in the art of cooking abalone
"A whole net abalone?" Yang Wanglong almost laughed. You aren't trying to fool me with South African fresh abalone, are you? Where can you still find a whole Japanese net abalone now!
Before long, a stout middle-aged man walked in, "I am Yang Wanglong, the general manager of this store. May I ask if you are the one who wishes to sell us the online abalone from Master Tian Cunli?"
However, Shen Long had just saved his wife and children, and Liao Jie owed him a great favor. He immediately called the manager to sell this abalone to Shen Long. The Yangzhou Restaurant is still a state-owned establishment; if it were his own, he would have given it directly.
Please take a seat and rest for a moment, I will go call our manager right away. Those who can serve as the lobby manager at Ayi Abalone naturally have a deep understanding of abalone. Upon hearing this name, they immediately invited Shen Long to the lounge and turned to fetch the manager
It is still necessary to seize the time to sell the items, as the place where Shen Long resides is a mix of good and bad. Keeping them at home may result in their loss one day, so it is better to convert them into cash sooner for peace of mind
The history of edible abalone in China is long-standing, with records of famous individuals enjoying abalone throughout the ages, such as Wang Mang and Su Shi. Later on, abalone was even listed as one of the eight delicacies. Liao Jie noticed Shen Long's great interest in this dried abalone and began to explain.