The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 188: Chapter 188: An Opportunity for a Study Tour to Japan and South Korea

”I meant what I said. They all came from scallops I pulled from the sea, so they’re nothing to me. Don’t feel like you owe me anything,” Han Xiaorui said with a smile. ”Ye Feng is doing much better now. He’ll probably come see me tomorrow afternoon. It’s the weekend, so you should bring your wife and daughter over too.”

Chen Yupeng nodded. ”Sure, that sounds great. I’ve been wanting to bring my daughter over to play! She’s a little over one, full of energy, and loves playing with older kids.”

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”I have two of my own, plus my best friend’s son. She’ll have plenty of older kids to play with; the little one is sure to love it.”

”Also, I’m setting up a kindergarten. The building is already renovated, and we’ve put a slide and a bunch of other play equipment in the yard.”

”Once they’ve had enough fun at my house, they can go play there! It’s a bigger space, so it’s even more fun. We’ve childproofed all the corners and edges, so there’s no need to worry about them getting bumped or scraped.”

Chen Yupeng was taken aback. ”Comrade Xiao Han, you really started a kindergarten just for your two daughters?”

Han Xiaorui nodded. ”I did. My two daughters’ language development is currently at the level of a child who’s just over two years old. They probably wouldn’t be able to keep up in a regular kindergarten.”

”Plus, they need special intervention programs. That’s why my kindergarten is a joint project with the Child Behavioral Development Department at the Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital. We’re going to set up a research group there.”

”It costs a lot of money and takes a lot of effort, but I think it’s incredibly meaningful. Not only will it benefit my two daughters and Wenjun, but the research findings will also serve as a valuable reference for other children with similar conditions.”

”Right now, our country is focused on economic development, so research in this area lags behind, and the funding is low. But if a child misses out during these few critical years, it can affect them for the rest of their life.”

Driving with one hand, Chen Yupeng gave Han Xiaorui a thumbs-up. ”Mr. Han, you’re truly incredible!”

Han Xiaorui just smiled. ”I wouldn’t say incredible. It was just a convergence of circumstances. When you have the ability, you should do more.”

They chatted and laughed for the rest of the drive, eventually arriving at the Marine Biology Research Institute.

After getting out of the car and taking a look at her surroundings, Han Xiaorui paused. ”I thought the institute would be in the city proper.”

Chen Yupeng chuckled. ”Some institutes are located downtown, but that wouldn’t be very practical for a marine biology institute, would it?”

”After all, many of the animals are marine life; they need seawater to survive. Building it by the coast makes the research much more convenient.”

”As marine resources continue to dwindle, if we don’t start protecting them, their complete depletion is only a matter of time.”

”That’s why our country is preparing to implement a mandatory fishing moratorium. You can still fish year-round this year, but starting next year, trawling won’t be allowed during the spawning season.”

”At the same time, we’re heavily promoting the development of aquaculture. In a little while, my department is organizing a trip for relevant personnel to inspect seafood farming in places like Japan and South Korea, as well as Europe and America. If you’re interested, I’ll see if I can get you a spot!”

Han Xiaorui paused at his words, blinking. ”Is aquaculture technology in Japan and South Korea really more advanced than ours?”

Chen Yupeng sighed. ”As much as I dislike their country, objectively speaking, Japan’s modern aquaculture technology is indeed more advanced than ours.”

”Some wild seafood species have been listed as protected, making them illegal to catch. They’re on the verge of extinction precisely because they’re delicious and highly profitable. The only way to meet demand is through aquaculture.”

Han Xiaorui nodded in agreement. ”That makes sense. Even though wild-caught seafood tastes better, you can produce much larger quantities with farming, and it’s easier to manage.”

”Big Yellow Fish fetch a high price, and they’re getting rarer and rarer! If we could farm them, the economic returns would be incredible.”

Chen Yupeng agreed. ”The institute is currently researching many profitable types of seafood, like grouper, sea bream, and Big Yellow Fish.”

”It’s a good thing you came to look around today. If the people here get to know you, you might have opportunities to collaborate in the future.”

”Thank you, Chen Yupeng.” Han Xiaorui was grateful for all the help he’d provided.

Through Chen Yupeng’s introductions, she met several more highly-respected professors and exchanged phone numbers with them.

Han Xiaorui saw Professor Wang and Professor Li placing the little dolphin in a tank. She walked over and crouched by the edge.

The little dolphin swam over, its beak breaking the surface.

Han Xiaorui stroked its head. ”Be good and rest up here. No mischief!”

The little dolphin chirped twice. It had just started to wag its tail when it abruptly stopped, having likely aggravated its injury. It was in pain again.

Han Xiaorui sent another pulse of her Water Ability into it, hoping the little thing would get a bit smarter and recover more quickly.

”Professor Wang, about how long will it take for the little dolphin to recover?”

Professor Wang thought for a moment before answering, ”At least a week. I’ll call you when it’s fully recovered.”

Han Xiaorui nodded. ”Thank you, Professor Wang. I may not have any other special skills, but I do have a fishing boat. If you ever need help with anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Professor Wang’s eyes lit up at her offer. They had a fishing boat of their own, but it wasn’t very large and couldn’t travel too far out.

”The next time you come across any wild Yellowlip Fish, would you be willing to sell a couple to us? They don’t have to be too big—we can’t afford the huge ones. But if they’re too small, we’re afraid they’ll be hard to raise. Something around three or four pounds would be perfect!”

Han Xiaorui laughed and waved her hand dismissively. ”It’s just a couple of fish. Consider it my donation to support our country’s marine biology research.”

”From now on, just give me a list of any fish you need! If I come across them, I’ll do my best to set them aside for you. And don’t even mention money!”

Han Xiaorui understood the importance of building relationships. She was a long-time fisher and planned to get into aquaculture in the future.

Forging a connection with the Marine Biology Research Institute would be a huge boon for her future endeavors.

A small investment now could pay huge dividends down the line.

Even if no opportunities for collaboration ever came up, Han Xiaorui wouldn’t consider it a loss to donate a few fish from the sea to the institute.

It’s like the saying, ’When you drink from the well, remember who dug it.’ Since she made her living from the ocean, she felt it was even more important for her to contribute.

Professor Wang’s eyes lit up again upon hearing her generous offer, and he politely demurred, ”Oh, we couldn’t possibly.”

”What’s there to be embarrassed about?” Han Xiaorui laughed. ”You’re all working for the better use of our marine resources too.”

After exchanging a few more pleasantries with the two professors, Han Xiaorui left with Chen Yupeng.

Chen Yupeng treated Han Xiaorui to a meal. ”About that research trip to Japan and South Korea, let me know soon if you’re interested.”

Han Xiaorui thought for a moment. ”Go ahead and put my name down. I’ll go with you guys and check it out.”

”I don’t have any trouble selling my seafood right now, but we’re in the process of securing the contracts to start our own farm. Plus, I’ve also opened an ornamental fish hatchery. I want to see if I can export ornamental fish!”