The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 224: Chapter 224: The Risk is Too Great, You Have to Pay More

Lin Yongfu froze. His heart skipped a beat, and he became wary.

’That much money is certainly tempting!’

’But this money would definitely not be easy to earn!’

”Brother Luo, putting this much money on the table must mean it’s for something big. I’m not sure I can help.”

Luo Guang smiled and pulled another thick wad of bills from his bag. ”This is the deposit.”

Seeing the extra money, even if he couldn’t do the job, Lin Yongfu wanted to know what Luo Guang wanted from him.

Luo Guang saw that Lin Yongfu had taken the bait, so he finally dared to ask, ”What do you think of the Jinshan Bay Ornamental Fish Farm?”

Lin Yongfu’s expression turned ugly. It was precisely because of the Jinshan Bay Ornamental Fish Farm that he’d ended up in his current predicament.

’This person in front of me either has a grudge against Han Xiaorui and Yang Jianguo, or he’s after the fish at the ornamental fish farm.’

”Stop testing the waters. You managed to find me, so you must know my situation. Just say what you want.”

Luo Guang smiled. ”Brother Lin, you’re a straightforward man. I want the feed formula from the ornamental fish farm.”

Hearing this, Lin Yongfu shook his head. ”The feed formula is impossible to get. From what I understand, Yang Jianguo buys the ingredients himself and then mixes the feed alone.”

”It’s the ornamental fish farm’s biggest secret and asset. The only way is to kidnap Yang Jianguo and force him to talk. But I’d advise against it.”

”There’s a major crackdown on crime right now, and law enforcement in Shencheng is very strict. Besides, Yang Jianguo is tall and a good fighter. A kidnapping attempt on him might not even succeed.”

”And even if you did kidnap Yang Jianguo, if he refuses to give you the correct formula, there’s nothing you can do. All in all, you should just give up. The formula is very hard to get.”

Luo Guang thought it over carefully and nodded. ”Brother Lin has a point. Since we can’t get the feed formula, could you get me a bag of the feed?”

This time, Lin Yongfu didn’t refuse immediately.

Luo Guang smiled. ”Director Lin, as long as you can get this feed, I’ll give you two more wads of cash this thick.”

Lin Yongfu estimated that one wad of cash was at least two thousand yuan. Four wads would be eight thousand.

’The risk is too great. The money’s not enough. He has to add more!’

”Ten thousand. A six-thousand-yuan deposit, and another four thousand upon completion.”

Luo Guang was taken aback for a moment, then he immediately pulled another wad of bills from his bag. ”Alright. A total deposit of six thousand. Here’s my number. Call me when you get the fish feed.”

Lin Yongfu took it and looked at Luo Guang. ”Okay, but this can’t be rushed.”

Luo Guang thought for a moment. ”Half a month. That’s the deadline someone else gave me. It can’t be delayed for too long.”

Lin Yongfu hesitated, then nodded. ”I’ll do my best. I don’t want them to notice anything, and I assume you don’t want to arouse suspicion either.”

’The person who could produce so much money at once... the mastermind behind this must be incredibly wealthy.’

After Luo Guang left, Lin Yongfu hid the money and began to ponder how to get his hands on the ornamental fish feed.

Han Xiaorui was very happy today. Although the orders from nearby Japan were few, it was a case of ”when one door closes, another opens.” The orders from Europe and America were large and numerous.

’It’s strange. Yamamoto Ichiro seemed so eager to buy back then, but his order was very small.’

’Maybe this is what they mean in business when they say things are unpredictable.’

’Then again, maybe the customer felt it was risky and decided to test the waters with a small order.’

In any case, the Jinshan Bay Ornamental Fish Farm had now become a ”little expert” at generating foreign exchange, attracting the attention of the local government.

The foreign currency earned from the orders was high-quality, and the business was more cost-effective than exporting clothing, hats, and shoes.

Returning home in the afternoon, Han Xiaoqing poured her sister, who was resting on a recliner, a glass of honey water to help with the alcohol. ”You’ve worked hard, Sis.”

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”It’s not hard work. Constantly facing new challenges makes life exciting.”

”By the way, you start school the day after tomorrow. After we’re done with the guests tomorrow, I’ll take you to the mall to buy some clothes in the afternoon.”

Han Xiaoqing quickly shook her head. ”Sis, I have clothes to wear. I can just wear the ones you left in your closet.”

Han Xiaorui didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She pinched Han Xiaoqing’s cheek. ”Those clothes are for someone much thinner. Can you even fit into them now?”

Han Xiaoqing was well-nourished now. Although you couldn’t call her plump and sleek, she wasn’t as skinny as she used to be.

You couldn’t get rosy cheeks like hers from eating corn buns all day.

Han Xiaoqing explained, ”I took them to a tailor to have them altered. They fit.”

Han Xiaorui was skeptical, but Han Xiaoqing pulled her over to have a look. And surprisingly, some of the altered clothes looked quite good.

”You can take the ones you think are wearable. But I’m still buying you the new clothes you need.”

Han Xiaoqing shook her head repeatedly. ”I already bought some. I bought them myself.”

Han Xiaorui opened Han Xiaoqing’s other luggage bag and was again at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. ”Two tracksuits?”

’And they’re blue, of all colors. Shouldn’t she have at least bought red?’

”Yeah, what’s wrong with tracksuits?” Han Xiaoqing said, full of confidence. ”Sis, I’m going to school, not a beauty pageant.”

”Beauty pageant” was a term that had recently come over from abroad, which she’d seen in a magazine.

Han Xiaorui shook her head and chuckled. ”Even if you’re buying tracksuits, at least buy some nice-looking ones!”

Han Xiaoqing nodded. ”These are very nice-looking. Wu Jiao, Wu Yao, and I bought them together at the market. They’re loose and comfortable. With these and the jackets made from your old clothes, I have enough to wear.”

”Sis, I know the clothes you’d buy me would be prettier and more expensive. But I should be a little more modest when I go to school. If I dress too well, it won’t be easy to get along with my roommates. What if someone pursues me because they think I’m rich from the way I dress, instead of pursuing me for who I am?”

”Well...” Han Xiaorui scratched the tip of her nose. ”Alright, you can decide for yourself.”

She gave Han Xiaoqing two hundred yuan every month. This was her spending money, not for household expenses.

’Han Xiaoqing is grown up now and has her own ideas, so I should let her make her own arrangements.’

For example, Han Xiaoqing really liked those little white sneakers with laces and had bought three pairs.

She had also prepared underwear, socks, and toiletries.

”Okay, I’ll listen to you. If you need anything, don’t worry about the cost. I have money,” Han Xiaorui said with a smile.

Just then, Liang Xiaoyu and the boat hands started arriving one after another. Liang Xiaoyu was clutching a bag.

”Xiao Rui, was your inspection trip to Japan fruitful?”

Han Xiaorui nodded and smiled. ”Of course. It broadened my perspective on seafood farming. Xiaoqing, make some tea. Everyone, don’t just stand there, please have a seat.”

As the captains, Chen Yishui and Wu Mengyue looked a little embarrassed. ”Xiao Rui, while you were away, we went out to sea for one trip. We were out there for four days and four nights. We came back with a full hold, but it was all cheap fish, so we didn’t make much money.”

Wu Mengyue chimed in, ”Yeah, we feel like we’ve let the boat owner down.”

Han Xiaorui smiled and waved her hand dismissively. ”Oh, is that all? I was wondering what was wrong. When it comes to the sea, who can say for sure?”

”Sometimes the catch is big, and sometimes it’s small. Sometimes you catch expensive fish, and sometimes you catch cheap ones. Don’t overthink it, and definitely don’t get discouraged.”

Hearing Han Xiaorui say this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They had been genuinely worried the owner would think they weren’t working hard or being serious.

In fact, their most recent trip to sea had been their most arduous and diligent one yet.

But the haul had been disappointing.