Chapter 101: Scandalous Whispers

Finally, they arrived at a seafood restaurant. The storefront was grand, the décor lavish, and above the entrance hung a bold golden sign: The World’s Finest Seafood!

Zhuang Chen glanced at the swelling crowd. Every stall was packed to the brim. He could only sigh in resignation, muttering, “Forget it, there’s no chance of a bargain now.”

Inside, row upon row of enormous aquariums displayed a dazzling array of marine life in every color imaginable. The owner greeted them with a confident smile. “Whatever you want, just say the word, and we’ll have it!”

“This is a geoduck clam from the Pacific—look at its size and meaty siphon, doesn’t it resemble an elephant’s trunk?”

With enthusiastic hands, the owner fished out a geoduck. Its twin shells were large, thin, and brittle, the front rim serrated, and the siphon looked like a thick, fleshy tube. When it searched for food, the siphon stretched out, truly reminiscent of an elephant’s trunk.

Suddenly, with a mischievous grin, the owner scraped his finger along the “trunk.” In an instant, a mysterious liquid sprayed forth…

“What on earth!” Xia Long and Xia Hu exclaimed in shock, while Zhuang Chen burst out laughing. The owner, with a lewd wink, declared, “A delicacy for men—impressive, isn’t it?”

From its youth, the geoduck anchors itself deep in the sand, exposing only its siphon to the outside world. Its foot is so degenerated that, once buried, it can no longer move.

Harvesting wild geoduck is a strenuous task. Once their traces are detected, workers use high-pressure water jets to blast away the heavy layers of mud, then carefully dig out the clams.

“The most prized part is this robust trunk. With a small knife, you cut along the edge of the shell, gently separating the body from its casing.”

“After removing the innards, blanch the siphon in hot water for a moment, and the tough outer skin peels off easily, revealing tender, springy white flesh.”

The owner boasted, “It’s like a beauty slipping out of her dress, wordlessly inviting you. Soaked in ice water, the geoduck can be served as sashimi—crisp, tender, and indescribably delicious…”

Zhuang Chen gave a thumbs up. “Superb! Truly remarkable!”

He picked out the two largest specimens. The owner, now even more animated, scooped from the tank a long cylindrical creature, with plump, rosy protrusions and a delicate, pinkish flesh—its appearance utterly indescribable.

Plump in the water, when poked, it squirted a jet of water before shrinking back…

Xia Long and Xia Hu were dumbfounded. Zhuang Chen laughed. “This fellow has a rather formidable name…”

“The Chinese Stallion Fish!”

“In fact, it’s simply a sea intestine, commonly known as sea sausage. Legend has it that when people from Fushan first ventured to the capital, their dishes always tasted better than anyone else’s, but no one could figure out why. When the old chefs finally retired and returned home, they revealed the secret at last.”

“The key was the sea intestine. Each winter, they’d buy them in bulk, dry them, and grind them into a fine powder to take back to the capital. Back then, both waiters and master chefs wore large aprons, used not only to wipe sweat but also to clean tables.”

“The chefs would stash the powder in their aprons. When the opportunity arose, they’d sprinkle a little into their dishes, making the food remarkably fresh and savory. In truth, this powder was nothing but natural MSG.”

“You’re a connoisseur,” the owner’s eyes lit up, flattering. “To prepare, cut off both ends of the sea sausage to remove sand, clean thoroughly, and cut into segments. When the water reaches a near boil, blanch the sea sausage for seven or eight seconds, then stir-fry quickly in hot oil with scallions, ginger, and chives, seasoning lightly with salt before serving.”

“Crisp, tender, fresh, fragrant, and silky… words can hardly capture the pleasure!”

“Now look at this—the sea anemone. Just give it a poke, heh heh…”

It was a plump, cylindrical creature, its surface covered in fine, numerous wrinkles like a mass of tiny tentacles. When a finger slipped inside, the tentacles coiled and writhed as if trying to draw in their prey…

The legendary number one among the top ten marine curiosities—the sea anemone!

Everyone got the innuendo and burst into laughter. Zhuang Chen moved to another tank and, with delight, exclaimed, “There are even sandworms here!”

Inside, a heap of creatures, ten to twenty centimeters long, with luminous pink skin, smooth and hairless, and covered in net-like patterns, squirmed about…

“These are treasures, known as sea ginseng!” the owner presented proudly. “They grow in coastal mudflats and are extremely sensitive to water quality—any pollution and they’ll perish.”

“These are the finest, from Guangcun Beach in Danzhou. Local fishermen harvest them on nights of the full moon, when they float to the surface to mate. They’re renowned for invigorating the kidneys and boosting vitality!”

Zhuang Chen personally selected a large basinful, smiling. “Pierce the sandworm’s belly with a small skewer, clean out the sand and entrails, then rinse away the slimy coating. Stir-fry quickly with scallions and ginger on high heat—the flesh turns snowy white, with a sweet, crisp bite and delightful chew, a true delicacy.”

The owner, hearing that they wanted the seafood processed, declared with bravado, “I’ll have them cleaned and ready for you to enjoy raw!”

“Don’t be fooled by the coarse, black exterior. The thick ones are like fingers, the thin ones like rice stalks, each trailing a tail that can extend or contract at will. The end is covered in dense, dark, nipple-like protuberances—its shape defies description…”

“The taste surpasses even winter bamboo shoots from the mountains, which is why locals call them earth bamboo shoots.”

“Boil them briefly in clear water—they turn translucent, with a crisp, jelly-like texture and a sweet, delicate flavor. Take a bite—the coolness fills your mouth, and the crunch is irresistible.”

“Pair them with minced garlic, soy sauce, and northern vinegar, and the flavor becomes extraordinary, leaving a lingering aftertaste.”

“This is the earth dragon. The red tail is called the rouge tail. True wild earth dragons are rare—many five-star hotels use imported Vietnamese substitutes. Locals say it’s as effective as opening the body’s vital meridians, invigorating the blood and clearing stagnation. You’re lucky—there are only two.”

“This is the Xi Shi tongue—smaller than a razor clam, longer than a regular clam, but not quite a mussel. It’s actually a shallow-water sand clam. Its siphon is long, often extending outside the shell like a tongue—milky white, tender, and silky smooth.”

“When men eat Xi Shi tongue, they often imagine themselves entangled with the legendary beauty’s fragrant tongue, as if sharing a first kiss. The sensation of that delicate, tender tongue is enough to make anyone’s heart race!”

Zhuang Chen admired the owner’s imagination. He ordered everything to be packed up, remembering how Mr. Liang Shiqiu once tasted Xi Shi tongue for the first time at Shunxing Restaurant—a bowl of clear soup with a layer of pointed, white things floating on top. At first, he didn’t know what it was; the host called it Xi Shi tongue, and when he tasted it, the silky, tender texture lived up to its name.

As for Australian lobster, king crab, abalone, and sea cucumber, there was no need to say more—he bought only the best. The total came to sixty-five thousand. He handed the sum to the owner and asked for immediate preparation.

The owner instructed the chef to take special care, then leaned in close to Zhuang Chen and whispered, “Would you like to see our restaurant’s ultimate treasure?”