1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 30 This system is not serious
Lucas took great pains to get everyone together for today's table.

Many of them were obtained through "begging" and were not people he could possibly reach.

I went to great lengths to stage this drama in order to convey to Ronan that I, Lucas, have plenty of connections and resources in Provence, and you can be absolutely assured of partnering with me.

And at a party attended by so many important guests, Ronan was placed next to him, which was also to convey a second message from Ronan - these guests are very distinguished, but you are definitely the more precious one.

Seeing that Ronan was very restrained, Lucas knew that his goal had been achieved. Ronan had seen what he wanted Ronan to see, but Lucas's preparations for tonight were more than that.

In order to make Ronan give in, he made sufficient preparations!

"Theo, open the bottle of wine Ronan brought and let everyone have a taste." Lucas waved to Theo.

"Okay." Theo did as he was told.

As a veteran alcoholic, he stared at the bottle of liquor for a long time.

What does white wine taste like?

Ronan stopped him and said:
"This bottle is 52% alcohol. We have already drunk so much wine. Let's not open it. We can try it next time."

Lucas and Theo, two drunkards, drank two bottles of wine before the main course came. Ronan couldn't even count how many bottles they had finished.

The alcohol content of most wines produced in Provence is between 8 and 12 degrees, which is not at the same level as China's grain wine.

Ronan's father, who only drinks white wine, often says: "Is wine also called wine? Isn't beer just water? Only white wine has the taste of wine!"

Mixing alcohol in now will definitely cause trouble!
Ronan meant well, but the meaning changed when Lucas and Theo heard it.

What? Are you questioning our drinking capacity?

"It has to be opened. We have to drink to our heart's content today!"

Ronan said nothing more. It was time to give these French people some shocks from China.

Lucas took a big gulp of the liquor like he was drinking wine. The spiciness made his face and neck red. He tried hard to swallow it, suppressing the discomfort in his mouth. Then he pretended to be calm and said to Ronan:
"How are you thinking about what I mentioned to you last time?"

Ronan wiped his mouth. What was coming finally came:
"I want to get more information before making a decision."

Lucas guessed Ronan's reaction and looked at Mrs. Chels' husband:

"Olivier, you tell the story."

Olivier stroked his beard and said:
"In Marseille and Nice, many high-end restaurants have a monthly demand of more than 30 kilograms of truffles. Those chefs cannot display their cooking skills without truffles. During the peak travel season around Christmas, more than 10 kilograms can be consumed in a single week. Those tourists come to Provence to eat truffles, because in Paris and London, each kilogram costs 6000 francs, while in Provence it only costs 3500."

"The truffle supply channels for these restaurants are monopolized by a few groups of people, and you would never imagine that the prices they sell to these high-end restaurants are even higher than the market price! The reason why those restaurants are willing to pay a high price is that they have a stable supply of goods. No matter what time you call, you can get the quantity you want, even if it is 50 kilograms. "

Olivier paused and looked at Lucas:
“I can find ways to get those high-end restaurants to re-evaluate their supply channels, but the premise is a stable supply.”

Lucas looked at Ronan enthusiastically:
“Olivier knows dozens of these restaurant owners.”

Do you see this huge market?

Ronan did not continue the conversation and asked about the topic he was concerned about:
"How many truffles do your restaurants need each month?"

"About 20 kilograms." Olivier blurted out.

"Can you take the truffles I dug?" Ronan raised his eyebrows.

Gentlemen, please put aside the big business in the future and talk about something practical.

If Olivier could take his truffles, he wouldn’t have to rush to find a way to set up a stall in other villages.

Olivier laughed awkwardly twice:
"I've been collecting Lucas's goods."

Ronan nodded in understanding.

It turns out that Lucas and Olivier are partners.

Not only that, it seems that the idea of truffle business was also influenced by Olivier.

Lucas rubbed his temples, hoping to relieve the physical discomfort caused by the liquor:
"My harvest is not stable. If I can't supply you, Olivier will come to you. He agreed." This is a 'gift' he gave to Ronan.

As a truffle hunter, I cannot share my 'secret garden', but it is a rare thing to share it with buyers.

Ronan turned to look at Lucas:

"To do this business, we need a huge supply of truffles. It's not possible with just the two of us. How do you want to solve this problem?"

Lucas smiled confidently and couldn't help but take another sip of liquor. His head suddenly hurt even more:

"Don't worry about that. We will definitely be able to supply you with the goods."

"for example?"

Lucas tilted his head, his eyes no longer focused:
"Join in and I'll tell you."

Ronan was just trying to find a way to get Lucas to reveal more information to him, when Lucas suddenly stood up with a pale face:

"Sorry, I'll be back for more."

Ronan laughed immediately, knowing that the liquor was taking effect.

Lucas kept talking to Ronan, and Ronan was too embarrassed to eat.

What he cares about is not whether he has enough to eat, but whether he has not earned enough happiness.

This table is filled with delicacies from both land and sea, and it will definitely make a lot of money.

Just as he was eating frantically, a piece of hot vanilla dragon lamb fell onto his plate.

"Try this." Elena smiled and waved the fork that was still dripping with soup.

"Thank you." Ronan cut a small piece and put it in his mouth. "Why are you sitting here?"

Elena put down her knife and fork gracefully:
"Lucas is out. As a member of the family, I have an obligation to take good care of the guests."

Elena lied sincerely.

Lucas went out, and Theo followed him out, so she could finally come to find Ronan!
After carefully observing Ronan tonight, Elena felt that Ronan was more in line with her aesthetic.

Theo and Lucas were obviously drunk, but Ronan not only had no problem at all, he was even able to eat meat in big mouthfuls. He was undoubtedly the most "manly" guy in the whole audience!

"Try this Provencal stew." Elena continued to help Ronan add food.

[Increase happiness by 4 points after tasting Provence stew]

“The smoked duck breast is also delicious.”

[Increase happiness by 3 points by tasting smoked duck breast]

"Shall I cut you a piece of the king's cake?"

[Increase happiness by 3 points by tasting King Cake]

“The lemon tart is a must!”

[Increase happiness by 3 points by tasting lemon tart]

Elena's chattering and the system's prompts echoed in Ronan's ears.

Ronan tried to stop Elena from "feeding" him several times, but the food she gave Ronan gave him a [Happiness] value that was 1-2 points higher than the [Happiness] of the food Ronan ate himself.

In line with the principle of 'making the best use of things', Ronan did not stop him, but just kept expressing his gratitude.

"This system is not very serious." He commented silently.

(End of this chapter)