Chapter 99: Emperor Maotai
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Dong dong dong.” The laughter-filled conversation of Zhou Chao and his companions was interrupted by a knocking sound. Lin Wu, hearing the knock, quickly went to the door.
“Hello, is Mr. Zhou Chao at home?” Lin Wu looked at the middle-aged man in front of him, holding a bag. He immediately recognized him as Lao Guo from Deshe.
“He’s in. Please come in.” Lin Wu quickly stepped aside to let Lao Guo in.
“This courtyard is so beautiful.” Lao Guo walked in and was amazed by the luxury of the house. He had only heard about it before but had never seen it in person. Today, he got to experience it.
“Mr. Guo, this way please. My boss and your partner, Master Yu, are in the backyard.” Lin Wu led Lao Guo to the backyard, carrying a welcome gift.
“Oh, if you were to come half an hour earlier, you would have seen something impressive,” said Yu Qian as he walked out of the house.
“I came as soon as I finished what 1 was doing. This must be Mr. Zhou, right? It’s a pleasure to meet you.” At this point, Zhou Chao and Lao Guo shook hands and greeted each other.
“Hello, I’m Zhou Chao.” Zhou Chao and Lao Guo shook hands, then everyone took their seats.
“Mr. Zhou, I came in a hurry today and didn’t bring much of a gift. 1 brought a bottle of 20-year-old Maotai. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Feel free to come as you are. No need to bring gifts. We can enjoy a good drink during lunch.” Zhou Chao didn’t really care about the gifts. It was already nice enough that people came.
“Zhou, when it comes to drinking, I feel like my throat is starting to itch.” Hearing about drinking, Ma Wei’s enthusiasm for alcohol was ignited.
Zhou Chao checked the time; it was already 11:30 AM.
“Lin Wu, check how much longer until we can have lunch.”
“Sure, Boss.” Lin Wu went inside, and soon he returned.
“Boss, lunch is ready.”
“Alright, go prepare. Oh, and go to the wine cellar and bring out the box that looks like a jade seal. Be careful.” Lin Wu was instructed and headed to the wine cellar.
“Let’s go, everyone. The dishes are ready, and I’ve arranged for the wine. You can’t leave until it’s all finished!”
“You might not have enough wine for us!” Yu Qian teased. After all, he had been craving that bottle of Maotai since yesterday.
“Let’s go, let’s go see what this legendary wine looks like.” Ma Wei was equally eager, while Lao Guo was still somewhat puzzled.
“What wine are you talking about?” Lao Guo couldn’t contain his curiosity and asked Yu Qian beside him.
“All, this 20-year-old Maotai of yours is like the grandson of wines compared to that!” Lao Guo was even more puzzled upon hearing this. Despite his own bottle of wine not being inexpensive, costing tens of thousands, it seemed to pale in comparison, merely considered a grandchild among the ranks.
“Let’s go in and discuss.” Saying this, Zhou Chao led the way inside, and Yu Qian and the others followed suit.
“Boss, the wine is here.” Just as everyone sat down, they saw Lin Wu carrying an item resembling an imperial seal box out of the wine cellar.
“Place it directly on the table, in front of Old Master Ma and Master Yu. Let them take a closer look.” Zhou Chao looked at the two with a smile. Since Lin Wu had brought it out, their attention had not left the imperial seal box.
“Lao Ma, what kind of wine is this? It looks so imposing!” Although Lao Guo drank alcohol, his knowledge of it wasn’t deep. Unlike Yu Qian and the others, who had delved into the subject thoroughly.
“Let me tell you, this can be considered a fine wine. This bottle of wine can be worth a year of your income.” Ma Wei lightly stroked the imperial seal box, revealing a hint of pride in his words. After all, he was about to enjoy the wine.
“Oh my, it’s that expensive? How come 1 haven’t heard of it before?”
“Lao Guo, you can count the number of people nationwide who possess this bottle of wine using two hands.” Yu Qian’s statement left him in awe. Less than 10 bottles of this wine existed in the entire country, and now one was here. Lao Guo fully grasped its rarity and importance.
“This wine is called ‘Emperor’s Maotai’. It was produced in the early 1990s. It’s said to have been fermented and brewed using the most primitive yeast starter. From conception, planning, design to its release, it took a whole twenty years. Only 10 bottles were produced. It’s said that one bottle is still kept by Maotai Group, and there are only 9 bottles in the market. In auctions, it’s already valued at around ten million yuan!” Ma Wei explained to Lao Guo. Lao Guo now understood the value of this wine.
“Alright, enough analyzing it. This wine is meant to be enjoyed. If Old Master Ma doesn’t mind, you can take the wine bottle back with you later.”
“No, young man, if you’re giving it away, you should give it to me!” protested Yu Qian from the sidelines. After all, when the time came for them to enjoy the wine and share stories, it would surely spark envy in others.
“Okay, okay, 1 won’t compete with you. Are you satisfied now?” Seeing Yu Qian’s expression, Master Ma shook his head.
“Old Master Ma, would you mind uncorking the wine and keeping the conversation going? The dishes are cooling down.” Old Master Ma wasn’t perturbed; he simply popped open the bottle of Emperor’s Maotai. The aroma immediately filled the air, rich and alluring.
“Sip.” Lao Guo held the small wine glass and took a careful sip. He felt the delicate and smooth texture without the spiciness, only a gentle and smooth sensation.
“Delicious!” The three of them couldn’t help but exclaim in unison.
“If you want more, pour it yourself.” Then, he gave a signal to Lin Wu, who was standing nearby. Lin Wu understood and went off to have dinner with the others.
The table quickly became lively. The main focus was on the friendly competition between Yu Qian and Ma Wei. Zhou Chao and Lao Guo watched the two jostling back and forth.
“Lao Ma, don’t you want to savor it a bit? You’re on your fourth glass already, slow down!” Seeing Ma Wei had already finished three glasses, while he was still on his third, Yu Qian felt he was at a disadvantage.
Zhou Chao and the others laughed heartily at the sight.
“Hey, Lao Yu, what good thing did 1 miss earlier?” Lao Guo turned to Yu Qian next to him and asked.
“Well, about that, it’s that Zhou Chao found a painting. Lao Ma just realized there was something fishy about it, so he uncovered the painting. It turned out to be a genuine Tang Bohu’s ‘Peach Blossom An’ calligraphy and painting.” After taking a small sip, Yu Qian recounted what had happened earlier to Lao Guo.
“My goodness, a genuine Tang Bohu might be worth several hundred million!” Lao Guo couldn’t help but be amazed.
“Stop thinking about that. Let’s drink and eat!” Soon, Lao Guo joined the wine-tasting party.
Three rounds of wine and five flavors of dishes later, the multi-million yuan bottle of white wine was finished by the four of them. To them, this amount of alcohol wasn’t much. The main thing was to enjoy the taste of this Emperor’s Maotai.
“Guys, can 1 really take this box back later?”
“You can take it back. 1 won’t be using it anyway!” Zhou Chao waved his hand lightly. After all, keeping it would just take up space.
“This box could easily sell for several tens of thousands on the market!”
“Master Yu, if you considered me as your friend, you don’t have to be so formal. Just take it with you!”
Next to them, Ma Wei’s gaze had been fixed on Yu Qian, causing Lao Guo to feel like laughing, though he refrained.
The group resumed chatting about various topics. As for the theater incident, it had already been left behind with the wine. Wise Lao Guo didn’t bring it up again.
“Guys, it’s getting late. We should head back too.” Zhou Chao looked at the time; it was almost three o’clock. He didn’t try to keep them; he just called Lin Wu over.
“Lin Wu, go and pack the three bottles of wine from last night. Pack them separately.”
Soon, Lin Wu came back with three bags.
“I don’t have anything to give you, so I’ve packed a bottle of red wine for each of you. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Hey, after drinking such an expensive wine today and you even gave us some to bring home. Why would you still give us more red wine?”
“Master Yu, just accept it. 1 won’t be drinking them anyway.”
Ma Wei and Lao Guo didn’t waste any time. They each took a bag, and Yu Qian held onto a box as they exited the courtyard.
“Dad, you’re back.” Guo Qilin looked at Lao Guo, who walked in from the main gate with a bag.
“Yeah, I paid a visit to Mr. Zhou. You should visit him more if you have the chance.” Lao Guo casually placed the bag on the table. Guo Qilin opened it to see what was inside.
In the bag, there was a wooden box containing a bottle of red wine. When Qilin took it out and examined it, he couldn’t help but feel astonished.
“Dad, who gave this to you!” Guo Qilin’s voice trembled slightly as he spoke.
“Oh, it was Mr. Zhou who gave it to me!” Lao Guo casually touched his temple and said.
“Dad, do you have that much influence? Someone gifted you a nearly 4-million-worth red wine?” Guo Qilin’s words were like a bomb, instantly shocking Lao Guo. He felt like he had been sheltered from the world’s realities until today.
“What did you say? Nearly 4 million? What kind of wine is this?”
“This is a 1945 Domaine Romanee Conti, which is considered one of the most top-tier red wines.”
“Well, make sure to keep it safe. Let me make a call first.” Lao Guo proceeded to call Yu Qian and Ma Wei. All three of them had received the same wine. Upon hearing this news, both Yu Qian and Ma Wei were shocked too. Even their casually exchanged gifts had reached the multimillion level.
“It seems that Deshe has secured a strong alliance.” Lao Guo gazed at the night sky quietly, lost in thought..