Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 44
Roman had no idea that Karlos was different from the usual fisherman. He went to college, both in his current and past lives. Just like in his past life, Karlos also majored in Linguistics. Although he didn't finish college in either life, he died in his past one, while he dropped out in this one, he still gained remarkable skills. He knew how to speak Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, and English fluently enough to hold conversations, negotiate, and even understand jokes in each language. So yeah, he was not the simple fisherman Roman believed him to be.
"I heard from your friends that my tuna is high quality and they have no problem buying it for 15,000 yen per kilogram. If you convert that to pesos, that would be 6,600 pesos per kilo."
Karlos explained, further proving that he understood Japanese.
"From what I can see, your friends seem important. You want to leave a great impression by buying the fish as a gift for them. This is Bluefin Tuna we are talking about, a prized catch that chefs consider a jewel of the ocean," Karlos muttered.
"This guy…" Roman was speechless and even a little unsettled. He didn't expect a fisherman to corner him in just a few sentences like a seasoned businessman. He was the businessman here. Their family had carried strong business sense since his grandfather's generation, and now his pride felt wounded by being cornered by a mere fisherman.
However, he also knew his situation. Out of all the tuna they had inspected so far, Karlos' Bluefin Tuna was the best in freshness, color, and overall quality. Still, for some reason, Roman didn't feel like bullying this fisherman as he usually did with sellers to exploit them for the lowest price. Perhaps he was impressed, or maybe he just took a liking to Karlos' unique behavior?
"If you don't, I can speak to them in Japanese," Karlos added confidently, his tone sharp and unwavering.
The two Japanese, Mr. Geto and Mr. Satoru, were watching them closely. They were actually stunned to see the obvious similarities between Karlos and Roman, not only in their facial features but also in the way they carried themselves with confidence. If not for the age difference, they might have been mistaken for twins, standing side by side like mirror reflections.
"Haha, I see, you got me. How about this, I'll pay you 4,000 pesos per kilogram instead. It's not that bad, right?"
"5,000 pesos per kilogram and you have a deal. That's a fair price."
"Deal."
Both agreed. Just like Roman, Karlos felt he didn't want to push the businessman into a corner because of his own sense of morality. It didn't sit well with him to take advantage of someone, but he also disliked being taken advantage of. For him, 5,000 pesos per kilo was already a great deal, enough to secure his family's needs.
"This is your cheque. Also, if you catch nice and rare seafood, you can contact me through this business card. My secretary will answer you." Roman handed him both the cheque and the card.
"You won't scam me, right?"
"Do I look like the kind of guy who'd ruin his reputation for a few pesos?"
"I don't know."
The few pesos Roman was talking about was 1.6 million...
Karlos carefully inspected the cheque, making sure it wasn't fake. His hands trembled slightly as he read the amount, he never imagined holding something worth that much money in his life.
1,635,000 pesos. 1.6 million pesos. He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry from excitement and nervousness.
He checked the quality of the paper, the microprinting, watermark, and security thread. He had some knowledge about spotting counterfeit cheques, and so far this one seemed authentic, which gave him both relief and disbelief at the same time.
Then he read the businessman's card.
"Roman Alejandro? Hey, we have the same surname." Karlos' mood lifted instantly. Realizing that the businessman shared his surname, he felt an odd sense of kinship and trust.
"You're also an Alejandro?"
"That's right. My name is Karlos Alejandro."
"You're from Evitac City?"
"That's right, my father's from Evitac City," Karlos replied, suddenly feeling like fate was playing tricks on him.
"Then we might be related. My grandparents are also from Evitac City."
The two laughed loudly and genuinely, the tension between them dissolving into something much lighter. Evitac City was far east of their town, located in the inner part of Timog-Kanluran Province. It was also the very place where Karlos' parents had dropped him off about two years ago.
"We're actually related, look at that."
"Yeah, I guess so."
Their earlier heavy interaction eased up. Now that they realized they had the same surname, they felt no hostility toward each other. A thin thread of trust began weaving between them.
"Well then, you can process the tuna. Are you interested in red snapper and Mahi-Mahi? I can give them to you as a gift. Treat it as a freebie."
"Nah, it's fine. I'm just taking my business partners to tour this fish port since they're interested in buying seafood."
Roman bid farewell and followed the two Japanese. The tuna was processed by flash freeze, and Roman hired workers to cut its head and tail. Then they filled its stomach with ice before placing it in a styrofoam box and surrounding it with more ice to ensure freshness during transport. As for the head and tail, the Japanese would, of course, eat them later, because in their culture, every part of a prized tuna was valued.
"That guy looks like you," Andres commented as he approached Karlos.
"That's what I thought too," Joseph added.
"Huh? We don't look alike at all." Karlos shrugged and left the tuna area. He carefully tucked the cheque into his inner pocket like it was the most precious piece of paper he had ever held… which, technically, it was.
Andres and Joseph looked at each other, then shook their heads.
"You and that guy almost have the same appearance, except you look younger."
"Really?" Karlos frowned. "Perhaps it's because we have the same surname. Maybe we're closely related. I heard from my grandma that we have rich relatives, but I'm not sure, she never liked me and always avoided talking about family ties."
"Well, that explains it."
Karlos then sold the crabs and prawns to Joseph for 4,289 pesos. Joseph and Andres didn't ask how much he had earned from selling the Bluefin Tuna, they respected his privacy and knew that money matters were sensitive. They were simply there to help Karlos if he needed them.
Still, Karlos tipped Andres 100 pesos since he felt great that day. The gesture made Andres happy, small tokens meant a lot to hardworking porters. Karlos also paid the other porters who had helped carry the tuna 25 pesos each, making sure everyone who contributed received a fair share of the joy.
After that, Karlos returned to the beach with a wide smile, his steps lighter than usual and his heart beating fast with triumph. He carefully shielded the cheque in his inner pocket from the water.
"Maya! Maya!"
Karlos excitedly opened the wooden gate, carrying his belongings with renewed energy.
"What? Did something happen?" Maya asked. She rarely heard her husband raise his voice with such excitement, which made her heart pound with curiosity and concern.
"I caught a Bluefin Tuna and earned a huge amount of money. Look at this." Karlos handed her the cheque with trembling hands, his smile stretched wide across his face.
"Huh? Wait—huh? Huh?"
Maya froze, staring at the amount written on the cheque. Her knees nearly gave way from the shock.
"Later, let's settle the amount in the bank."
"O-Okay." She nodded and carefully placed the cheque in the cabinet. She was still confused, but judging by Karlos' expression, something incredible had happened. Especially when the cheque they received was worth 1.6 million pesos.
[Author's Note: Thank you guys for all of your support, you can read more on my Pat reon.]