Chapter 267: Chapter 267: The Imperial Fish

The elderly man's body was truly in shambles, especially his bones which seemed to be at risk of falling apart at the slightest touch.Upon a brief examination, Chen Yu found that the old man had at least twenty steel pins in his body. seaʀᴄh thё NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

This condition had surpassed Chen Yu's expectations—the steel pins had penetrated deep into the marrow, some having already fused with the flesh and blood.

To fully heal the old man, all the steel pins had to be removed, but doing so might cause his body to enter a premature state of decay.

Chen Yu couldn't help but frown; the old man's physical condition was entirely dependent on high-end medication.

Without it, he probably wouldn't live past two days.

"Sir, your body must undergo surgery to receive comprehensive treatment. How about we set aside a special time after the banquet for me to perform the surgery on you?"

The old man immediately became excited. Since Chen Yu had said this, it meant there was still hope for his illness.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Chen. May I ask if you have any other businesses besides these food enterprises? I think we could become very good partners."

Chen Yu smiled somewhat embarrassedly: "Right now, these are all I have. When it's time to expand my business, I will contact you, sir."

The old man nodded repeatedly, which was akin to reaching some sort of cooperation with Chen Yu.

Just as they spoke, a commotion suddenly arose at the scene, followed by a dozen workers carrying a massive fish slowly walking past.

This fish was surprisingly large, comparable to half the size of a whale.

A creature of this size would normally be found deep in the ocean; it was virtually impossible to encounter one in shallow waters.

Catching such a thing was enough to show how powerful the host of the banquet was.

"Ladies and gentlemen, just now, our fishing boat was fortunate enough to catch a deep-sea imperial fish—an event so rare it's seldom seen. Perfectly timed with today's banquet, we'd like to invite the esteemed chefs present to delight in a special imperial fish banquet!"

The crowd instantly boiled with excitement. Although the fish wasn't a rare species, it usually dwelled in the deep sea and was rarely seen by average people.

Moreover, legend has it that each part of this fish tastes different and requires an endlessly diverse array of cooking methods.

Preparing this fish with just one method would be a waste.

Yet, while everyone was reveling, the chefs on site couldn't help but frown.

Although they all carried the title of culinary masters, they had never encountered such a fish. The last time humans had caught one of these deep-sea fish was over thirteen hundred years ago.

The host, noting all the chefs sighing and looking troubled, felt somewhat embarrassed. He was aware of the rarity of this fish and the complexity of its cooking methods, but such an occasion demanded a spectacle to elevate the banquet to a climax.

The frenzied excitement at the venue gradually cooled down, and everyone's gaze focused on these culinary experts.

They all anticipated someone stepping forward!

Right then, Chen Yu suddenly stood up from his seat, walking slowly to the front of the large fish.

"The imperial fish, also known as the Mariana Deep Sea King Fish, is one of the few mammalian fish in the deep sea. It has a shark-like appearance but resembles a whale in size. Additionally, there's a noticeable lump of flesh on its head, like a second brain, which is why it's also known as the two-headed monster fish."

This explanation instantly silenced everyone at the scene. They didn't expect that someone in this world would actually be familiar with this fish.

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Especially the chefs sitting there, each one of them felt utterly embarrassed.

Originally, understanding the ingredients was meant to be a chef's basic skill, yet they didn't even know to which variety the royal fish in front of them belonged.

While everyone was still astonished, Chen Yu had already picked up a large knife from the side and placed it at the head of the fish.

"The tumors on the head of this kind of fish are used to convert waste in the body; therefore, they contain a lot of filth and are inedible," he said.

As he spoke, he had completely removed the tumor on the top of the head and set it aside.

Although this material couldn't be used as an ingredient, it could to some extent be considered medicinal.

The substances contained within were similar to the feces of sperm whales and could emit a peculiar fragrance.

Moreover, its medicinal properties were tens of times stronger than that of a sperm whale.

In fact, the ambergris mentioned in ancient records might possibly be these tumors from the head of the royal fish.

Chen Yu didn't tell the others about this, he simply and quietly put the tumor into a box beside him, planning to take it away later.

These things were all documented in ancient Eastern records; after all, there were four instances in Eastern history where this fish had been captured.

After the tumor was removed from its head, the fish's head would have an extremely delicious taste, similar to carp but hundreds of times more savory, making it perfect for stewing in soup.

The section below the fish's head, resembling the belly of a cow, not only had firm flesh but was also extremely rich in protein, making it a good choice for grilling or frying.

As for the flesh in the abdominal area, it was somewhat like that of a pomfret, extremely soft and tender, which could easily fall apart if not handled with care during cooking.

The flesh on the back was reminiscent of lamb and was definitely a top choice for hotpot or thinly sliced for dipping.

The flesh near the tail was slightly sour and somewhat tough, but it became perfect when stewed in a spicy soup.

As he divided the fish's body, Chen Yu described the tastes of the different parts and their cooking methods.

The many chefs present naturally understood Chen Yu's intentions; after all, such a big fish could not be cooked by Chen Yu alone.

Moreover, today Chen Yu generously shared this information with them, providing them a lesson, so they did not dare to be negligent and quickly stepped forward to help Chen Yu cook the fish.

The awkwardness caused by the host earlier was instantly alleviated, and the scene became lively once again, with a rich aroma spreading throughout the entire hall before long.

Even people from other cabins were attracted by the smell and came over in droves.

At this point, Chen Yu truly stood out, with all eyes on him as nearly everyone inquired about the cooking packages he brought.

It wasn't until 8 o'clock in the evening that the banquet gradually came to an end.

However, this banquet wasn't just a culinary competition, there were a variety of other activities in the other cabins as well.

After finishing up here, Chen Yu followed Victor to the adjacent cabin.

The place was far more luxurious than the neighboring one in both decoration and other aspects, with even some basic facilities made out of 24k pure gold.

On a huge shelf, there were several Buddha heads carved from white jade on display.

When Chen Yu saw these Buddha heads, his eyes widened instantly; without exception, all of them were authentic, and they had been passed down from the Tang Dynasty.