121 Unable to Help Myself

Sang Qingye turned the wine jar over, and the words "Brewed in the First Year of the Republic of China" were indeed engraved on the bottom.

"You really are generous. A two-jin jar of century-old vintage—do you have any idea how much this is worth?" Sang Qingye had once again gained a profound understanding of just how wealthy Xiao Yao was.

"This jar was produced by a major distillery during the Republic of China era. If it were to go to auction, the hammer price would likely be around four to five hundred thousand yuan."

This price was even higher than she had imagined, and it truly startled her. "The guests who arrived today—surely they weren't all given gifts of this caliber, were they?"

"Although I do have a significant stock, most of the guests are ordinary people. I was worried that gifting a jar like this might overwhelm them, so naturally, I had to differentiate."

While Xiao Yao possessed both the wealth and the foundation, he was not a fool; he certainly wouldn't just hand out such precious century-old vintage to everyone.

He explained, "The guests at the main table were all gifted century-old vintage, and those who brought gifts valued over 200,000 yuan also received this version. For other guests, some received 50-year-old vintage, and the majority received 50-year-old Moutai."

"Century-old vintage is so rare; how do you have so much of it?" Even with the tiered gifting system, the number of jars handed out likely totaled twenty or thirty, which was already staggering. Sang Qingye was genuinely astonished.

"Xunweizhai aims for the high-end market, so we must be prepared with aged spirits and top-tier liquors. When it comes to the reserves of premium alcohol, Xunweizhai is absolutely unrivaled in the industry," Xiao Yao said with great confidence.

Within Pan Wu’s Saint Soul Ring, there was an immense stock of spirits. Although white spirits can be aged for a very long time, after several centuries they turn into a concentrated wine paste that requires dilution to be drinkable. Consequently, the ring contained a massive quantity of this wine paste.

Xiao Yao hadn't known how to utilize these vast reserves at first, and the aged spirits that hadn't yet turned into paste had just been sitting there. He felt it was a waste, and now that he had the high-end restaurant Xunweizhai, he finally found a purpose for them.

Selling these aged vintages to recoup capital while simultaneously elevating the status and prestige of Xunweizhai was a win-win situation.

He had over ten thousand jars of this specific century-old vintage in the Saint Soul Ring, enough to keep Xunweizhai supplied for a very long time. Once these two-jin jars were sold out, he had plenty more similar century-old vintages—or even older ones—in the ring to replace them with.

Sang Qingye continued with grace, "Since you have plenty of this, I won't be overly modest and will accept it. While I personally don't care for white spirits, my father has a bit of a penchant for them. Giving this jar to him will surely make him thrilled."

Although the price of this century-old vintage was astronomical, it meant little to Xiao Yao. Sang Qingye had already accepted the job he arranged for her; having accepted such a massive favor, there was no need to dwell on the cost of a single jar of wine.

"The dishes at the 'Knight's Banquet' are already priced very high. Now that you've stocked up on such top-tier spirits, if someone really wanted to splurge at Xunweizhai, the sky would be the limit. If they ordered a few of these jars, it would cost millions. It seems your ambitions for Xunweizhai are quite grand." Although Sang Qingye often frequented high-end restaurants as a food blogger, she had never visited one where the spending limit was virtually nonexistent like at Xunweizhai.

"Consumption is a matter of acting within one's means. You can enter Xunweizhai for a few thousand yuan, or you could spend hundreds of thousands and it might not be enough. Whether they are wealthy professionals or billionaires, everyone can experience the joy of supreme flavors. While Xunweizhai follows a high-end path, it isn't overly aloof—it balances luxury with a touch of refined lifestyle." Xiao Yao felt this positioning was quite appropriate.

Originally, Zhou Xiaobai had only intended to aim for the high-end market; Xunweizhai was not meant to be a luxury restaurant. However, with the perfect dishes Xiao Yao introduced step by step, and the top-tier spirits he kept bringing out, the restaurant had unknowingly acquired the hardware of a luxury establishment. Since the conditions were met, he naturally had to integrate this advantage into the restaurant's style.

After greeting Zhou Xiaobai and Chen Xingwen, Sang Qingye invited Xiao Yao to a café.

Each ordered a coffee, and Sang Qingye said, "Thank you for connecting me with the job at the television station. My dream is to become a screen presenter. Saying 'thank you' feels too light, but I know that for you, perhaps only this sincere gratitude carries any weight. Once I join the station, I will work hard and strive not to disappoint you."

Sang Qingye had interacted with Xiao Yao many times, but this was the first time she had expressed her gratitude so earnestly and solemnly.

"It was just a small effort. Don't push yourself too hard once you're at the station; I believe that one day I will see a television program hosted by you." For Sang Qingye, this was a monumental event, but for Xiao Yao, it was truly just a casual favor.

He had done such a huge favor for Fan Jingyu, and he knew how grateful Fan was. Although he didn't need anything in return, it was necessary to use this matter to put Fan's mind at ease. One party always giving while the other cannot reciprocate is not the way to maintain a relationship.

"It's not that easy. Even with Mayor Fan's influence, it depends on whether there's a suitable opportunity. But I'm not in a hurry; just being able to work at the station makes me very happy." Today’s outcome was already an unexpected joy, and Sang Qingye did not dare to ask for more.

Xiao Yao had wanted to achieve the goal in one step, making Sang Qingye a host for a specific program immediately, but in the short term, that idea was clearly unfeasible. This was where the importance of connections became apparent. Even though he was wealthy enough to rival a nation, without the right network, achieving such a "small" thing in one go was quite difficult. If Fan Jingyu didn't have enough influence at the provincial television station, Xiao Yao would have to think of another way once she joined.

"After you join the station, be sure to maintain your relationships well. When you make new friends and colleagues, feel free to invite them to dine at Xunweizhai. I've given you the privilege of free meals, after all; if you don't use it, it might just go to waste," Xiao Yao said in a relaxed tone.

"Don't worry, I certainly won't pass up an opportunity to take advantage of a 'local tyrant' like you," Sang Qingye said, taking a sip of her coffee.

A trace of coffee remained at the corner of her mouth, making her look inexplicably playful and adorable. Xiao Yao couldn't help but reach out and gently wipe it away with his finger. "You're about to be a widely watched presenter; you need to pay attention to your image from now on."