Chapter 32: Harvest

"Mr. Monet, allow me to introduce you. This gentleman is Mr. Chandler, the manager of Coca-Cola in the New York area. He's also my good friend. After hearing that you used Coca-Cola to cure my illness, he specifically asked me to introduce you!" Mrs. Olsen pointed to a middle-aged man beside her and introduced him to Mr. Monet.

Mr. Chandler took the initiative to greet, "Hello, Mr. Monet. Previously, I heard from Livia that you used Coca-Cola to cure her gastric stones. I was truly astonished. I've been drinking Coca-Cola for so many years, and I never imagined that Coca-Cola could actually have healing properties. Mr. Monet, your creativity is truly remarkable!"

Mr. Monet waved his hand and said, "Thank you for your praise. In my understanding, it seems that initially, cola was actually a type of medicinal water used to invigorate, calm, and alleviate pain. It was later that they added syrup and carbon dioxide to it, which eventually became the Coca-Cola we know today."

"But even so, who would have thought that Coca-Cola could treat gastric stones, right? So, this is still a significant innovation on your part!" Mr. Chandler continued to commend.

Then, changing the topic, he said, "Mr. Monet, the main purpose of my visit this time is to discuss with you whether we could use Livia's case as a promotional advertisement for Coca-Cola. Of course, you can rest assured that we will pay you two thousand dollars for the patent and promotional expenses. What do you think?" (In 1901, Coca-Cola's advertising budget was already as high as one hundred thousand dollars.)

Although the offer of two thousand dollars intrigued Mr. Monet, he asked cautiously, "But Coca-Cola is still a beverage. By promoting it as a medicinal solution, wouldn't that be a bit off-track?"

"It's a beverage with medicinal properties. After all, Coca-Cola is currently being sold in pharmacies, isn't it?" Mr. Chandler explained. (Early versions of Coca-Cola were sold in pharmacies, until it spread to all kinds of stores after World War II.)

Mr. Monet pondered for a moment and realized that this made sense. After all, even Wang Lao Ji followed a similar path. So he nodded in agreement, "You have a point. However, I'd like to remind you that Coca-Cola only works for plant-based stones caused by excessive consumption of dates, hawthorn, pomegranate, and persimmon. It has no effect on other types of stones. Additionally, patients' gastrointestinal systems must be free of other issues. You must make these points clear in your advertising, or else it could lead to misconceptions."

"Rest assured, we're actually more concerned about avoiding issues!" Mr. Chandler reassured repeatedly. Then, he reacted with excitement, "Wait a moment, Mr. Monet, are you saying that you agree to this advertising proposal?"

Mr. Monet nodded, "Yes, I agree. Because this matter is based on truth, and I also enjoy drinking Coca-Cola, so naturally, I hope more people will like it too."

He added, "By the way, today I've brought my chef along. He has prepared a dish related to Coca-Cola. I invite everyone to try it!"

Originally, everyone thought that Mr. Monet had merely used Coca-Cola to prepare a sauce. In the United States, there was a dish called 'COCA-CHICKEN', made using Coca-Cola and tomato sauce. The creator of the 'Coca-Cola Chicken Wings' was said to be a chef from Jinan, but in reality, it was an adaptation of the traditional braised chicken wings.

Because Americans have an insatiable sweet tooth, they generally love anything sweet or sweet-spicy. When the 'Coca-Cola Chicken Wings' were served, everyone couldn't stop praising the dish. (Of course, there was also an element of showing respect to Mr. Monet.)

Especially Mr. Chandler, who gave a thumbs-up and exclaimed, "DELICIOUS! VERY DELICIOUS! Mr. Monet, you are truly a genius. I believe Coca-Cola should award you a medal! Your exploration and development of Coca-Cola have reached an astounding level! Tomorrow, no, the day after tomorrow, I will personally send a telegram to headquarters to elucidate your contributions to Coca-Cola!"

"Mr. Chandler, you're being too generous. In fact, I'm just someone with a curious nature who likes to try new things," Mr. Monet humbly replied.

"Curiosity is the greatest source of human progress, isn't it?" Mr. Chandler responded with a smile. Then he asked, "I've decided that at next month's party, I want all the guests to taste this dish made with Coca-Cola. So, dear Mr. Monet, would you mind selling me the recipe for these Coca-Cola Chicken Wings?"

"Come on, it's not some big secret. I'll just tell you directly, or I can have my chef demonstrate it for you right now!" Monet replied casually.

However, Chandler quickly waved his hand, "That wouldn't be right. This is the result of your wisdom. How can I just take it without paying you anything?" With that, he opened his wallet and took out a stack of dollars, handing it to Monet, "Here's five hundred dollars. Please accept it!"

Monet declined a couple of times before reluctantly agreeing, "Alright then, I'll accept it humbly."

Seeing Monet accept, Chandler let out a sigh of relief, "Now, I'll go have my chefs come over to learn how to make these Coca-Cola Chicken Wings from you!"

Watching Chandler's departing figure, Monet thought to himself, "If only you were willing to hire Chinese chefs. If you just told them to use Coca-Cola instead of caramel, they'd probably understand. As for American chefs, well, that would require thorough instruction."

Unexpectedly, halfway through, Chandler turned back and asked him, "By the way, Mr. Monet, have you developed any other uses for Coca-Cola?"

"Um, not at the moment!"

After leaving the Olsen residence, Monet drove and chatted with Nicole beside him, "I never thought I'd make twenty-five hundred dollars just by having dinner. This Mr. Chandler is quite generous!"

Nicole chuckled lightly, "Do you believe that at least a thousand dollars of that twenty-five hundred came from Livia?"

Hearing Nicole say that, Monet was momentarily stunned, then he realized, "Are you saying Mrs. Olsen is indirectly paying for her medical expenses?"

Nicole nodded and replied, "Exactly, because she knew you might not accept the money directly. So, she opted for this method. However, I don't think they planned for the Coca-Cola Chicken Wings in advance. But since the initial two thousand dollars already raised the base price, Chandler probably couldn't push down the price for the recipe too low. Under normal circumstances, I'd guess they would have offered at most two hundred dollars."

After a brief reflection, Monet agreed, "Well, you have a point. It seems our luck was really good today."

"Luck is just part of it. The most important thing is that you, Tony, have the skills. Not only can you heal, but you can also cook!" Nicole said, then she leaned in and planted a deep kiss on Monet's cheek.