The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 122: Chapter 122: Connections Make Things Easy

Han Xiaorui greeted everyone, then smiled and asked, ”Village Chief Liu, what’s the situation with Wu Guangfu’s big boat?”

Village Chief Liu smiled. ”Xiao Rui, the owner is in a hurry to sell. The boat has only been in use for a year and a half, so it’s practically new. It was bought for 340,000. Wu Guangfu is desperate to save his son, so he’s selling it for 270,000 now. If you can pay in cash, you might get it for a little less.”

”Can we get it for 250,000?” Han Xiaorui asked.

Secretary Liu thought for a moment and said, ”I doubt he’ll go that low. After all, a lot of people are looking to buy sea boats these days.”

”Huh?” Han Xiaorui was taken aback. ”But isn’t fishing getting harder and the number of fishermen decreasing?”

Secretary Liu laughed heartily. ”Actually, that’s because of you and your fath... no, your Uncle Yang. People have seen how much money you two make from fishing, and they’ve gotten envious.”

Han Xiaorui didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at that. ”So, the price won’t come down much, then? Alright, in that case, could I trouble you, Uncle Liu, to tell Wu Guangfu that we’ll come to see the boat tomorrow morning?”

”If there are no problems with his boat, we’ll negotiate the price. Once we agree, we can pay anytime.”

The huge sum from selling the ambergris was coming in very handy.

Not only had she bought a new boat and donated one million to her hometown’s school, but she still had several hundred thousand left over.

It was enough to buy this secondhand boat.

’Little sea snake, you’re the best.’

Village Chief Liu smiled and nodded. ”Alright, I’ll go take care of that for you right now.”

”Thank you for your trouble, Uncle Liu,” Han Xiaorui said with a smile, feeling a thrill of excitement. She was about to have a big boat.

After leaving Village Chief Liu’s house, Han Xiaorui and Yang Zhigang returned to Yang Jianguo’s home.

”Uncle Yang, tomorrow, please ask the mechanic and safety officer from your boat to come help me check out the boat. I won’t let them work for free; I’ll pay them.”

Yang Zhigang waved his hand dismissively. ”No need. I’ve already spoken to them. They’ll come tomorrow. Don’t worry, they’ll inspect it thoroughly.”

Han Xiaorui thought for another moment. ”In a bit, I’ll also call Mr. Chen from the city shipyard and have him send someone to inspect it. With two groups of people, I think we should be covered.”

Yang Zhigang nodded, thinking it was good for Han Xiaorui to be cautious. ”After all, it’s something that costs over two hundred thousand. Of course you have to be careful.”

Wu Cuicui brewed tea for everyone, happy for Han Xiaorui. ”Xiao Rui, now that you’re buying a big sea boat, how do you plan to go to sea? Are you going to hire male deckhands?”

Han Xiaorui thought for a moment and shook her head. ”Hiring male deckhands... men are stronger, but it would be inconvenient. So I’m planning to hire female deckhands. When the time comes, Uncle Yang, our two boats can go out to sea together and look out for each other.”

Hearing Han Xiaorui’s words, Yang Zhigang breathed a sigh of relief. ”Xiao Rui, that’s what I was thinking, too. I’m usually out there alone on my boat. It’s fine as long as nothing goes wrong, but if something happens, there’s no one to help. Out on the vast ocean, you’re truly helpless.”

”Now that you’ll have a sea boat, hiring female deckhands is a good idea. If they work a bit slower or have less strength, you can just hire more people. With our two boats staying close, we won’t have to worry about being targeted.”

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”Yes, Uncle Yang. It’s just that Pingping and An’an’s grandmother might cause trouble again.”

Yang Zhigang waved his hand dismissively again. ”Don’t worry about her. We’ll have two boats. You’ll do your fishing, and I’ll do mine. Besides, we’ll have so many crew members.”

”Anyway, she doesn’t have time right now. Zhang Lili and that bastard got into another fight. Zhang Xiufang went to the city to take care of Zhang Lili.”

Han Xiaorui nodded. ”Thank you, Uncle Yang. Once I buy the boat, I’ll get it properly maintained first, then I’ll hire a crew. In our village, there are several women who want to work on a boat. If I offer higher wages, I should be able to recruit quite a few.”

Yang Zhigang nodded. ”That won’t be a problem. Your Brother Jianguo and I will help you round up some crew. You don’t have to worry about that. But it would be best if you bought a few things and paid a visit to Grandma Chen San’s house.”

In Jinshan Bay, Yang Zhigang had much more influence than Han Xiaorui, so she was relieved to have his help with the arrangements.

Looking at Yang Zhigang, who already had some white in his hair, Han Xiaorui felt a sense of pity and a pang of sympathy.

Yang Jianming had cheated again while his wife was pregnant. If Zhang Lili found out, she would definitely cause a huge scene.

Han Xiaorui had no love for Zhang Lili or Yang Jianming. She only felt sorry for the unborn child, and for Yang Zhigang, who was like an old workhorse, about to clean up Yang Jianming’s mess yet again.

That evening, Han Xiaorui made the call, and Chen Yupeng immediately said he would personally bring two skilled technicians to help.

Han Xiaorui prepared red envelopes, each with one hundred yuan inside, and also bought a few cartons of cigarettes.

The next day, Han Xiaorui arrived at the pier.

Wu Guangfu, who had once been so energetic and high-spirited, was now slightly stooped, with large bags under his eyes and a poor complexion.

For one, he was reluctant to part with his big boat; for another, he was worried sick about his son, who was in custody.

When Wu Guangfu saw Yang Zhigang, he finally hung his head. ”Sigh, Yang Zhigang, I lost to you in fishing, and even my son is a good-for-nothing who can’t compare to yours.”

Yang Zhigang cursed inwardly. ’My son is a scoundrel too, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He’s no better than Wu Guangfu’s son.’

But these were not words to be spoken on an occasion like this.

”Old Wu, I never intended to compete with you. I know you’re a capable man. You’ve just hit a rough patch, and this too shall pass.”

”I know what kind of man you are. It was always me who was envious and jealous of you.” Wu Guangfu nodded. He had come to terms with it. Selling the boat would let him pay off his loans and also pay compensation for his son, saving him from jail time.

Yang Zhigang patted his shoulder. ”Go show Xiao Rui the boat.”

Master Liu and the safety officer Yang Zhigang had brought arrived.

Chen Yupeng also arrived with two technicians, and they all boarded the boat together.

The four of them inspected the entire boat from top to bottom, inside and out.

Wu Guangfu took excellent care of the boat. Whether it was cleanliness, maintenance, or repairs, everything was done promptly.

The four men discussed for a while before giving their verdict: there was nothing wrong with the boat.

Han Xiaorui gave each of them a red envelope and a carton of cigarettes to express her thanks.

Han Xiaorui started the negotiation. ”270,000 is a bit high! How about 250,000?”

Wu Guangfu was a little unhappy to hear this, but haggling was normal when buying things. ”This boat is in really excellent condition. 265,000. I’ll knock 5,000 off for you.”

”I’m only doing this out of respect for your former father-in-law. Besides, I’ve heard you’re an amazing fisherwoman. In your hands, this boat can achieve its full potential and won’t go to waste.”

”If you want it, we can sign the contract today. After you pay the deposit, we’ll transfer the ownership, and you can pay me the remaining balance as soon as possible.”

Han Xiaorui saw that someone else was waiting to see the boat, so she didn’t want to dawdle. She nodded. ”Alright, that price is fine!”

Wu Guangfu nodded. ”Let’s sign the contract. You can go get the money!”

Things went smoothly. After signing the contract, Han Xiaorui gave Wu Guangfu a 100,000 yuan deposit, and then they went to the marine vessel management department to transfer the ownership.

The time Ye Feng had insisted on convincing Han Xiaorui to attend the maritime department’s award ceremony now paid off.

The people at the maritime department recognized Han Xiaorui and immediately said they would prioritize her paperwork. She could come back to pick up the certificate tomorrow.

Yang Zhigang had some people sail the boat to Jinshan Bay Pier and dock it in the berth next to his own boat, immediately causing a huge sensation at the pier.