After understanding Zhang Da Ye's intentions, Goodman patted his chest confidently. "Leave it to me!"
He then carried out a thorough inspection of the vessel, inside and out. "An old-style sailing ship, about twenty meters long. Keel slightly damaged but still repairable. Mast mostly intact. Hull shows impact and blast marks. Sails are torn and graffitied. Deck is badly corroded. Cabin interior…"
"These bastard pirates!" Goodman grew angrier the more he looked. "It was a fine ship, but they treated it like garbage. So many of these damages could've been avoided!"
Zhang Da Ye was equally furious. "Those idiots! They didn't just abuse my ship, they slashed the resale value too!"
Tom also got angry—simply because Zhang Da Ye was angry.
Goodman rubbed his chin. "If this ship were intact, it could fetch over a hundred million beli on the second-hand market. But in this state, it'll need a full overhaul plus materials before it's saleable. If we scrap it directly to the shipyard, I'd estimate thirty to forty million."
The drop in value stung, but it was still acceptable. After all, this was found money. And Goodman wasn't the type to cheat him. Zhang Da Ye nodded. "Fine, sell it to the yard."
Goodman raised another option. "You could pay us to repair it, and then we'd recommend it to buyers. Might fetch a higher price. But the downside is risk—it could take forever to sell, or not fetch better at all. Think carefully."
Zhang Da Ye understood perfectly well. Investing in ship repair was gambling. And by his philosophy—'if I don't invest, my money stays with me'—he waved it off. "No need. Just sell it directly."
"Then I'll take you to the boss," Goodman said with a wink. "Don't worry, I'll haggle for you."
The wink, paired with his rugged face, was anything but cute. Zhang Da Ye immediately thought back to how the old uncle had helped him negotiate the tavern purchase. But Goodman's tough-guy wink had none of that charm.
Zhang Da Ye hugged Tom, rubbing his fur for comfort. He decided he'd go home and let Artoria's presence soothe his eyes next.
Goodman explained the situation honestly to the shipyard boss, Dock. Even if he wanted to help, Goodman wouldn't lie about the condition—that was his professional integrity as a shipwright. All he could do was haggle.
Dock, who had intended to press the price to the minimum, finally gave in to Goodman's persistence and offered 38 million. He even added, "Next time, I'm drinking at your tavern for free."
Zhang Da Ye thumped his chest proudly. "Come by anytime. The drinks are on me."
After bidding farewell to Goodman, they returned to their bubble car with the cargo they'd purchased earlier still loaded in the back. Rui Mengmeng drove, while Zhang Da Ye hugged the cash box and called Old Bob.
"Yes, the pirates have been dealt with. The Navy took them."
"Your fishing gear's safe, you can keep using it."
"Haha, don't thank me, it was all for the bounty anyway. By the way, give your friend a message for me: save me that elephant tuna. I'm coming to buy it."
"No need for discounts, sell it at a fair price. I wouldn't want him to lose out."
"Good."
Hanging up, Zhang Da Ye grinned. "Alright, let's drop our things at the tavern, then head for the fish."
No more trouble this time. Smoothly, they acquired the strange creature.
Nearly two meters long, with a black, striped back, thick lips, and a trunk like an elephant's. Even two small tusks jutted out.
Not that such tiny tusks were worth nine hundred million.
"Are you sure this thing's edible?" Rui Mengmeng eyed the bizarre catch suspiciously.
Artoria nodded confidently, flipping through her notes. "Definitely. I read a report about it. The elephant tuna lives in the South Blue. It can be steamed or fried. Its flesh has the tenderness of fish and the firmness of beef. Especially the trunk—it's said to have an unforgettable taste…"
Her eyes practically glowed, the ahoge atop her head twitching in anticipation.
Her enthusiasm was infectious. Tom's mouth was already watering.
It was past midday—time for lunch anyway. Zhang Da Ye swallowed hard. "Alright. Half steamed, half fried. We don't even have a steamer big enough to cook it whole, and carving it up is less hassle."
Tom eagerly rubbed his paws together, signaling Rui Mengmeng to help him carry the massive fish inside.
Soon, rich aromas wafted from the kitchen. Tom and Rui Mengmeng pushed out a cart piled with dishes, laying the fish before them.
Zhang Da Ye picked up his chopsticks and frowned. "Wait. Am I imagining it, or is the trunk shorter?"
Tom whistled, eyes darting around, hands tucked behind his back. He pretended ignorance.
Rui Mengmeng, the silent witness, said nothing.
But the truth was obvious enough. Zhang Da Ye and Artoria chose forgiveness. After all—what's wrong with a cat eating fish?
A flash of silver. Artoria's small dining knife sliced the trunk cleanly into four neat portions, each landing on their plates.
Before anyone else could react, she had already speared a piece with her fork and closed her eyes blissfully as she chewed.
…
After the delicious meal, Zhang Da Ye lazily opened the tavern doors. A full belly always made him sleepy.
Slumped behind the bar with his chin propped in his hand, he half-listened to customers' idle chatter, sifting for anything useful among their ramblings.
Most of it was trivial—complaints about bosses, gossip about whose kid cried after being scolded, what they planned to eat for dinner.
When that ran out, they quoted half-remembered news from the paper, boldly spouting opinions on everything except the Celestial Dragons. Drunken patrons especially excelled at this.
And when even that wore thin, they returned to exaggerated theories about the flying house from the other day.
Clearly, the incident still lingered. Zhang Da Ye made a mental note: too many firecrackers last time. Lesson learned.
Finally, someone shared something juicier.
"I heard there was trouble at the Employment Bureau this morning."
"No way! At the Employment Bureau?"