"Boss, we've found a school of fish, and it's a big one," First Mate Zhang Houqiang said excitedly.
The boat's sonar had detected several schools of fish during the trip, but none of them had been very large. This was the biggest one yet.
Li Yang stopped holding out and said directly, "Prepare to cast the nets!"
"Roger!"
"Roger!"
...
With Li Yang's order, the entire fishing boat sprang into action. The vessel's speed was continuously adjusted.
"Yu Zhi, you take control of the boat! I'll handle the net!"
Zhang Houqiang shouted. Li Yang stood to the side, watching him work.
He knew where the large yellow croakers were, but casting a net was a true skill. Even if you knew there were fish right below, you could still come up empty if you didn't know what you were doing.
This was where experience really paid off.
The entire crew sprang into motion. At this point, no one but Li Yang knew that the school below was made up of large yellow croakers!
The fishing boat's sonar could show the size of the fish, but not the species.
It's like tossing a stone into water. The impact creates ripples. When those ripples hit an obstacle, they bounce back. Sonar works on a similar principle, which is why it can only roughly determine an object's size and distance, nothing more.
The net was cast. It was clear that Zhang Houqiang was a seasoned veteran. From the seabed, the octopus avatar could clearly see the net descend. The large yellow croakers began to panic and scatter, but most were still funneled into the trawl.
"Haha, we've got a haul!"
Sun Datao was ecstatic, working his heart out alongside everyone.
Soon, the trawl net was hauled aboard, revealing the fish inside to everyone.
These fish had flat bodies, were golden-yellow or yellowish-brown, had large heads with protruding lower jaws, and orange-red lips.
The entire trawl was packed, dense with these fish.
And at that moment, nearly everyone on the fishing boat froze, their eyes filled with utter disbelief.
"Large yellow croakers! This is a school of large yellow croakers."
"Oh my God, so many large yellow croakers! There must be thousands of pounds! How much is all this worth?"
Everyone was completely stunned.
Anyone who makes their living from the sea knows the value of large yellow croakers. This single haul was worth at least ten million!
"Xiaoyang, he…"
Li Yang's cousin, Li Jun, watched from his spot on the boat, a look of astonishment on his face.
'My cousin's luck is just too good, isn't it? First, he finds that precious Dragon Palace slit shell, and now, on the first cast of his maiden voyage, he catches such valuable large yellow croakers!'
"Wow, Brother Li, are these large yellow croakers?"
Beside Li Yang, Sun Datao's face was a mask of utter shock, which quickly turned to elation.
Li Yang had a faint smile on his face and said, "I didn't expect my luck to be this good."
He then ordered, "What's everyone staring for? Hurry and get the net open."
That snapped everyone back to reality, and they quickly got to work.
The crew members' faces were full of excitement as they sorted the large yellow croakers according to their size.
Large yellow croakers of different sizes fetch completely different prices.
Soon, the large yellow croakers were sorted and put on ice.
The fishing boat cast its nets a few more times, catching some of the remaining fish, though some inevitably got away.
"Boss, are we heading back?" Zhang Houqiang asked, after confirming there were no more large yellow croakers in the area.
In reality, the fishing boat Li Yang had bought could easily hold nearly 100,000 pounds of fish, and this haul of large yellow croakers was less than 10,000 pounds.
But these large yellow croakers were very expensive. If an ordinary person caught so many at once, they would probably choose to return to port immediately to sell them.
Li Yang nodded and said, "Head back. On the way back, keep an eye out for other schools of fish. We might get another huge haul."
Hearing this, Zhang Houqiang smiled and said, "Boss, with your luck, it just might be possible."
In reality, catching so many large yellow croakers was already a matter of immense luck. The probability of encountering another school of valuable fish was too small.
'Right now, I really should sell these large yellow croakers first,' Li Yang thought. 'The key is that my octopus avatar has only found this school. It hasn't encountered any others yet.'
If he kept casting nets now, he'd be like a chicken with its head cut off, with no idea where to go.
'What I said about casting nets on the way back was intentional. I can't have every single haul be a precious species, can I?'
He didn't actually care what they caught while casting nets on the way back.
'A haul of valuable fish mixed in with all sorts of cheaper ones… That's the only way to avoid suspicion.'
"Everyone, cheer up! We caught so many large yellow croakers this time. Everyone gets a bonus when we get back," Li Yang said with a smile.
A fishing crew's pay included a fixed salary and bonuses. The bigger the haul, the bigger the bonus.
"Thank you, Boss."
The crew members were thrilled to hear Li Yang's words.
They hadn't done much of anything—the first cast was at Li Yang's direction. They never expected to get so lucky and run into a school of large yellow croakers, and now they were getting bonuses for it.
"Boss, with so many large yellow croakers, should we contact buyers in advance now?" Zhang Houqiang suggested.
Once the boat docks, the fish have to be sold. The sooner, the better.
Large fishing operations keep contacts for many hotels and restaurants. That way, they can sell a good catch directly to them.
The demand from hotels and restaurants for high-end seafood was immense.
"Mm, make the calls," Li Yang nodded.
...
All the large yellow croakers were weighed. The total weight came out to an astonishing 7,800 pounds!
Soon, news that Li Yang's fishing boat had caught nearly 8,000 pounds of large yellow croakers spread like wildfire, creating a frenzy among local hotels and restaurants. They all dispatched people to try and buy a portion of the catch.
At this time, even Lin Qiang's family's "First Lobster House" received the news.
Lin Kunming had a shocked expression on his face. "8,000 pounds of large yellow croakers?"
'Large yellow croakers are so expensive. How much would 8,000 pounds be worth?'
His eyes filled with unconcealed envy.
Fishermen truly lived by the grace of the heavens and good luck. It was the classic story of "one haul to make you a millionaire"—a single cast of the net could really make you rich overnight.
"Boss Lin, let's talk about what we were just discussing tomorrow. I need to rush to the seaside now and see if I can buy some of those large yellow croakers."
A middle-aged man standing before Lin Kunming said hurriedly.
With that, he hurried away. Large yellow croakers were a rare commodity, and you could never have too many.
Beside Lin Kunming, Lin Qiang was also there. His eyes were full of envy as he said, "Dad, 8,000 pounds of large yellow croakers… how much would that sell for?"
Selling their entire lobster restaurant wouldn't fetch as much as that 8,000-pound catch.
"Dad, I'm going to the shore to take a look now," Lin Qiang said after a moment of thought.
His family was in the lobster business, but 8,000 pounds of large yellow croakers… the scene must be spectacular. He definitely wanted to see it for himself.
Right now, Lin Qiang was walking on eggshells in the restaurant, and he was even a little afraid of his own father.
Ever since that one-meter-long giant lobster had appeared at the "Spicy Lobster House," the name of their "First Lobster House" had become a joke.
Sometimes, customers just came for the novelty. The "Spicy Lobster House" was using that giant lobster as a marketing gimmick to build its reputation. In less than ten days, business at their own restaurant had taken a noticeable hit and was now trailing behind the "Spicy Lobster House."
Under these circumstances, how could Lin Kunming possibly be in a good mood?
Lin Kunming nodded. "Go take a look. It'll be good for you. If you get a chance, you could even buy some of the wild yellow croakers. Even if we don't serve them, they make excellent gifts."