Chapter 34: Excellent Material

In truth, the offer was quite attractive—it amounted to a salary of a million a year. Yet Bai Renzong had loftier ambitions; he was determined not to work for others. Moreover... he simply wasn't fond of alcohol. Even the bottle of red wine worth over seven thousand, gifted by ZY Vineyards, was merely acceptable to him; he never truly cared for the taste. If he had to choose, he would much rather have a carbonated drink or sparkling water.

"This is ridiculous..." Escaping the exhibition hall, Bai Renzong wiped the sweat from his brow. "Why are these people acting as if they've suddenly gone mad?"

"Don’t you know what you represent in their eyes? You're a gold mine!" Han Jiayi explained beside him. "There was a Chinese man named 'Huang Zhenwang,' just like you—he possessed an extraordinarily keen sense of taste. He became legendary in the world of wine, able to identify the brand and vintage of a red wine just by sniffing and tasting it. People hailed him as the God of Wine..."

"And then?" Bai Renzong asked, intrigued.

"He was eventually caught and imprisoned for selling counterfeit wine," Wang Bei interjected.

Bai Renzong's expression darkened instantly.

"But that's not the point," Han Jiayi pinched Wang Bei’s ear. "Though he was imprisoned for fraud, his skills were genuine. He could pick out the very best red wines, and collectors would flock to buy those he deemed exceptional. You have to understand—wine is a luxury for the wealthy, and for them, its collectible value far outweighs its drinking value."

Han Jiayi poked Bai Renzong's chest as she spoke, "People like you are invaluable to major wine companies. Many wealthy collectors have no idea if a wine truly tastes good; your evaluation becomes their compass. When they share their collections with connoisseurs and receive praise, their status is affirmed and their purpose fulfilled."

"But what benefit does this bring to the wine companies?" Bai Renzong asked in confusion.

Han Jiayi frowned. "The companies can stockpile these wines in advance and jack up the prices later. Plus, they can use your presence in events just like today to generate publicity. Didn’t you hear the ZY manager? The 1982 Lafite was famous largely because of its marketing. Once a wine reaches that level of promotion, its actual taste barely matters."

"Oh, so that's how it works," Bai Renzong finally understood.

"Huang Zhenwang used this very method to single-handedly drive wine sales that year—the average price of wine surged by twenty percent! Many vineyards profited handsomely," Han Jiayi said seriously. "That’s why they’re trying to win you over. What you did at the exhibition was remarkable."

"So how did he end up selling fake wine?" Bai Renzong’s curiosity was piqued. "Just curious, not because I want to follow his example."

"He became famous, and many people and vineyards sent him rare wines. Eventually, he claimed his collection was too large and needed to sell some. He filled those famous bottles with counterfeit wine and sold them, making tens of millions before getting caught," Han Jiayi replied with a slight smile. "That’s what you call getting what he deserved. You mustn’t ever stray down that path."

"Don’t worry," Bai Renzong said, handing the two bottles of wine he’d bought to Han Jiayi. "Here, these are for you. Use them in your cooking."

"Are you insane? No one cooks with such expensive wine!" Han Jiayi frowned, but still accepted the bottles, smiling. "But we can certainly drink a little to celebrate getting some great video footage today."

What Bai Renzong didn’t know was that the first bottle he recommended to Zhang Zhiyong, which he claimed had the most authentic grape taste, was worth over nine thousand—two thousand more than the bottle in his hand.

Right after Bai Renzong left the exhibition, Zhang Zhiyong immediately notified the company to stockpile large quantities of the 2004 vintage, knowing full well that it would soon become a favorite among collectors.

Returning home, Bai Renzong was in high spirits: he had gathered excellent material for his videos today. The trip to the wine exhibition had been worthwhile.

Taking that bottle of wine worth over seven thousand made Bai Renzong feel a little guilty, but upon reflection, he realized that posting the video was essentially advertising for them, which eased his conscience.

All in all, it was a win-win collaboration. The event organizers used him to attract crowds, while Bai Renzong obtained valuable content for his videos.

He hadn’t actually drunk much wine—he only took a sip of each glass—so his mind remained clear. Once home, Bai Renzong immediately started transferring the footage to his computer and began editing, while Han Jiayi and Wang Bei busied themselves in the kitchen preparing lunch.

"Sis, his taste buds really are impressive. Seems you can’t be a decent content creator these days without some real skill," Wang Bei said excitedly. "Have you experienced it for yourself?"

"Almost," Han Jiayi replied, pursing her lips. In truth, she felt a twinge of jealousy: if she had such an extraordinary palate, conquering this stubborn critic would be a matter of moments.

As soon as he got home, Bai Renzong rushed to his room and focused entirely on editing the footage from the exhibition, not even bothering to eat. His mind was consumed by the editing process—he feared he might forget something after dinner.

Content alone wasn’t enough; a compelling soundtrack and an eye-catching title were crucial to a video’s popularity.

Considering this, Bai Renzong first settled on a title: "Shocking! Gourmet Content Creator Dominates the Wine Exhibition!"

He was quite pleased with the title. Next came the search for suitable background music and editing the footage to match its style.

The editing itself didn’t take long. The key moments were his wine tasting sessions, but to maximize the "Connoisseur App" reward’s visibility, the video had to qualify as a "connoisseur" segment. He needed to include his final wine evaluations, and ideally keep the length under twenty minutes.

By speeding up the tasting process in the middle, Bai Renzong managed to keep the video at sixteen minutes. Since he didn’t need to add post-production commentary—only subtitles—the editing went faster.

Not long after he started, Han Jiayi pushed the door open and entered.

Bai Renzong was so absorbed in editing that he didn’t bother to ask why she never knocked.

"Here, remember to eat," Han Jiayi placed a plate in front of him, topped with four mini sandwiches, each bite-sized. "When we’re too busy to sit down for a meal, we make these little sandwiches—they don’t interfere with work."

"Mm," Bai Renzong murmured, grabbing one and eating it absentmindedly as he continued editing.

Han Jiayi waited with a hopeful smile for his reaction, but after a long while, she realized his attention was elsewhere. She left, pouting in disappointment like a spoiled kitten whose charms had failed.

But Bai Renzong didn’t even notice; all his energy was focused on editing.

When he finally finished, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. Now, all he had to do was wait for the results.

Only then did he realize it was already dark outside, and his stomach was growling fiercely—it was time for dinner.

(Thanks to Qishui Xiaoran and Super Cat Lover for their generous support.)