The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 235: Chapter 235: If You Want to Move Me, You Have to Add Money

All they knew was that the feed contained traditional Chinese medicine ingredients. There were no other special components, and certainly none of the banned substances they had previously suspected.

Their goal in going to such trouble was utterly despicable.

To be precise, they coveted the breeding technology of the Jinshan Bay Ornamental Fish Farm.

They didn’t rush to sell the small batch of fish they had imported.

They tried raising the fish with their own homemade feed, planning to pass off these incredibly vibrant ornamental fish as a breed they had developed themselves.

They would claim to the world that they were the ones who had cultivated them.

Although patent protection in this field was weak, it would allow them to gain a strategic advantage and showcase the Japanese spirit of craftsmanship—excelling at learning from others and relentless innovation.

After all, they’d done this sort of thing before!

When they fed the fish their homemade feed, the fish didn’t die, but they became listless.

Not only that, but the colors on some of the fish grew dull and unattractive.

In contrast, the fish raised on the specialized ornamental fish feed imported from Hua Country were full of life, darting about energetically.

They couldn’t understand why!

Just as they were preparing to invest more time and energy into their research, they discovered that many ornamental fish from Jinshan Bay had appeared on the Japanese market.

They often saw children on the streets, holding small fishbowls with a few brightly colored, adorable little fish inside.

Ornamental fish had become the most popular topic of conversation among young people and children.

They would excitedly talk about the fish they’d bought, which they absolutely adored.

Even the gifts elders gave to children shifted away from traditional presents to these small, living ones.

Kuno Hiroo and his company were purely in the import-export business; they completely disdained the shenanigans of people like Yamamoto Ichiro.

’If you’re going to make money, just make money. All that phony, pretentious stuff is just shameless!’

He understood the psychology of his countrymen very well.

Many Japanese people currently looked down on Hua Country and its industrial capabilities, but deep down, they absolutely respected its cultural and aesthetic sensibilities.

Much of Japanese culture had been borrowed from Hua Country, a fact they inwardly revered.

Therefore, when Kuno Hiroo launched his marketing campaign, his slogan directly stated: ”Mysterious Ornamental Fish from Hua Country.”

Seeing this, Yamamoto Ichiro knew that if he didn’t act fast, he would lose the market entirely.

So, he personally came to Hua Country to negotiate with Han Xiaorui.

Han Xiaorui could only say apologetically, ”Mr. Yamamoto, I’m very sorry! We cannot do business with you.”

”Just last week, we signed an exclusive agency contract with another client from Japan.”

”If you still wish to work with us, please contact us in two years. At that time, we will re-evaluate our options and select the most suitable agent.”

To secure the entire Japanese market, Kuno Hiroo had invested two million US dollars for the agency contract.

The contract was for a two-year period.

The contract also stipulated that the price of the ornamental fish would increase by 5% annually.

This was because Hua Country’s economy was developing rapidly, and the price of everything was going up.

Raw material prices were constantly rising, which would increase costs, and therefore the price of the ornamental fish had to increase as well.

Yamamoto Ichiro was deeply disappointed. When he then tried to purchase some feed, Han Xiaorui rejected him again.

He had obtained one batch of feed from his previous small order and another bag through a special channel.

But to this day, they still hadn’t figured out its secret, a fact that filled Yamamoto Ichiro with immense regret.

According to his market research, comparing the selling price of these ornamental fish in Japan to the quote he had once received from Han Xiaorui was enough to make him sick with regret.

The profit margins ranged from 400% to 700%.

Although the initial investment was substantial, the costs had been recouped within a single month.

It was an incredibly successful business case.

Within two years, Kuno Hiroo would be able to capture most of the Japanese market.

This product could generate a continuous stream of profit.

They were fish; eventually, they would die.

It was perfectly normal for a fish to die after a few months of being raised.

Once someone had experienced the joy of fishkeeping, they would naturally continue to buy more ornamental fish.

With so many varieties available, customers could pick and choose as they pleased.

This natural cycle of replacement would create an endless stream of profit.

Yamamoto Ichiro was unwilling to give up. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this fish farm held a secret.

The level of breeding and cultivation for these ornamental fish was incredibly high—far beyond what he believed Hua Country should be capable of, based on his understanding.

After mulling it over, Yamamoto Ichiro once again summoned Luo Guang, a man who had handled many things for him in the past.

”Luosang, this time I want the feed formula. And I want the technical data from the Jinshan Bay Ornamental Fish Farm.”

”If you can get them for me, I will give you fifty thousand dollars. Are you willing to take the job?”

Luo Guang’s heart skipped a beat. He knew instantly that this was a big job.

Last time it was 50,000 RMB; this time it was fifty thousand US dollars straight up.

’Since the other party is so desperate, it proves the items are not only important but also much harder to get,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, the last job wouldn’t have been such a hassle.’

Lin Yongfu stealing the feed last time must have already put them on high alert.

Making another move now would be very dangerous.

But, as they say, fortune favors the bold. And what truly moves a person is, of course, money.

’If he’s offering fifty thousand US dollars,’ he schemed, ’then he probably wouldn’t refuse a hundred thousand.’

”Mr. Yamamoto, as you know, stealing the feed last time already put the Jinshan Bay Farm on alert. The items you want this time are even more classified. Besides the owner, no one knows the details.”

”Getting the formula will require considerable manpower and resources, and I would have to take on a huge risk. Fifty thousand US dollars is a lot of money, but I could end up in prison. For that, I’m afraid I can’t do the job for you.”

Yamamoto Ichiro was taken aback. ’This greedy Hua Country person,’ he thought.

’The risk is too high,’ ’I can’t do it’—all just excuses.

He just wants more money.

”Eighty thousand US dollars.”

Luo Guang’s heart thumped. ’He raised the offer by thirty thousand US dollars without even blinking,’ he thought. ’Looks like my plan to ask for a hundred thousand was a bit too low.’

”Mr. Yamamoto, the Jinshan Bay Ornamental Fish Farm has become a well-known local foreign trade supplier. It’s a key enterprise that has the government’s attention. I recently heard they’ve received many new orders, and in half a month, they’re going to Yue Province to attend a trade fair. I imagine they’ll have more and more foreign clients in the future.”

Yamamoto Ichiro’s expression darkened when he heard this.

’If I don’t stop them, by the time the Jinshan Bay Ornamental Fish Farm has clients all over the world, it will be too late,’ he thought. ’Even if we manage to figure out the feed and breeding methods by then, we won’t be able to seize the market.’

’Gaining a reputation without any real benefit, doing all that work for no profit—that’s not how I do business.’

”Get me the feed formula within half a month. One hundred thousand US dollars.”

Luo Guang had studied in Japan, so he knew the typical Japanese playbook.

’They’ve set their sights on the Jinshan Bay Farm’s breeding technology,’ he mused. ’They want to claim it as their own, register patents, run a PR campaign, and suddenly, it will be a ”Japanese” innovation.’

’If they’re not careful, Hua Country might even end up having to pay them patent fees to export its own product.’

’But none of that had anything to do with him. He just wanted to get paid.’

”Two hundred thousand US dollars, and I’ll get you the feed formula within half a month. For an extra fifty thousand, I’ll get you the breeding techniques as well.”

”That’s two hundred fifty thousand US dollars in total. Give me a hundred and fifty thousand up front as a deposit. The rest you’ll pay upon delivery.”

Yamamoto Ichiro’s expression was grim. ”Luosang, you’re too greedy.”

Luo Guang shook his head. ”No. After a job like this, I won’t be able to stay in the country. I’ll need to go abroad and lie low for a while.”

”I’m giving up too much. The money has to be enough to persuade me. If you want my help, you have to pay up.”