The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 390: Chapter 390: Facing a Predicament, the Government Steps In

Ye Feng was surprised. ’This Zhang Guangnan is full of ideas!’

”More than just ideas,” Han Xiaorui replied. ”I think he wants to establish something like a private club, the kind you see overseas, that caters specifically to the wealthy. Things like sea fishing, networking opportunities, and so on. In short, he’s a man of vision and action.”

Ye Feng nodded. ”Yeah, those business models are already well-established overseas. It was only a matter of time before they came here. But a club like that needs to be kept clean. He shouldn’t let it become a den of vice, or he’ll end up in serious trouble.”

”Zhang Guangnan is a decent guy. If he brings up the club with you, maybe you can give him some advice. Keep him from going down the wrong path. Once you start, it’s hard to turn back.”

Han Xiaorui paused for a moment. ”Alright. As his friend, I hope he stays on the straight and narrow.”

On Saturday, Ye Feng had to go on a business trip.

Han Xiaoqing, home from school for the weekend, came back to help with the kids.

Zhang Guangnan arrived at Jinshan Bay Pier with thirty of his friends.

Everyone was quite surprised to see the brand-new yacht.

Boss Li asked admiringly, ”Boss Zhang, did you buy this?”

Zhang Guangnan quickly waved his hands. ”I could never afford a yacht this luxurious! I’m just renting it. It belongs to a good friend of mine, the owner of the seafood farm.”

Boss Li was surprised. ”Since you’re friends, you should have her join us! Introduce us. If I ever need a yacht for something, I could rent it too.”

Zhang Guangnan smiled and looked up. He saw Han Xiaorui approaching, holding a small, floral parasol and wearing a long maternity dress. ”Here comes Boss Han,” he announced. ”She’s a lady, so let’s all of us rough types watch our mouths.”

All eyes turned to Han Xiaorui.

’This young wife is really beautiful!’

’Wonder what lucky bastard she’s married to!’

Han Xiaorui carried herself with graceful confidence. ”Boss Zhang, the captain and crew are already on board. The water, drinks, and snacks you requested are all prepared.”

Zhang Guangnan smiled. ”Thank you. We’ll spend some time out on the water first, and then go inspect the farm. Boss Han, would you like to join us?”

Han Xiaorui declined. ”I’ll sit this one out. You’re all men; you’ll have more fun on your own.”

Han Xiaorui greeted everyone and exchanged business cards before taking her leave.

’These are the kinds of connections that will bring investment to Jinshan Bay,’ she thought. ’They’ll attract more and more people here.’

’The effects won’t be immediate, but over time, it will build up.’

After Han Xiaorui had left, Boss Li asked, ”So what’s the story with this Boss Han? How can she afford a yacht like this? It’s foreign-made, must have cost one or two million US dollars.”

Boss Xu quickly nodded in agreement. ”Last week, I was at a banquet on a friend’s yacht. I don’t think it was as nice as this one, and that cost 1.15 million US dollars. This one is probably even more expensive.”

All eyes turned to Zhang Guangnan.

Zhang Guangnan explained with a smile, ”Boss Han owns three large fishing vessels. My seafood restaurant used to buy all its seafood from her. Every time her boats went out, they came back with a full haul.”

”Now I remember!” Boss Li exclaimed. ”I’d heard talk of a ’Sea Queen’ in Jinshan Bay. Is that her?” As someone who loved seafood, he heard a lot of gossip.

Boss Zhang nodded. ”That’s her. Her income from fishing alone is astronomical. On top of that, she’s a good person, beautiful, and married to Ye Feng. You might not know the name Ye Feng, but you must have heard of the Xu family, the returned overseas Chinese investors, right?”

”Of course we have,” Boss Li replied. ”They were some of the first to invest back in the country. Their hotels and factories are all key enterprises here in Shencheng. Is this Ye Feng the same Mr. Ye from the Xu Group?”

Zhang Guangnan nodded. ”Yes, that’s Mr. Ye. This yacht was a wedding gift to Mr. Ye and Boss Han from his maternal uncle and aunt. She’s pregnant now, and since the yacht would just be sitting at the pier, she rented it to me.”

”So in the future, if any of you bosses need a venue for business, you can rent this yacht. It’s impressive and makes a good statement. Let’s all get on board and see what a new yacht feels like. If you brought your own fishing gear, great. If not, I’ve rented some for you.”

”We brought our own, no need to rent,” someone called out. Once these bosses heard they were going sea fishing on a yacht, even those who didn’t own any gear had gone out and bought some for the occasion.

After all, they couldn’t just stand around and watch while everyone else was fishing.

Besides, a yacht was far more comfortable than a fishing boat, and the equipment was better.

As they boarded the yacht, they took a look around and found it even more comfortable than they had imagined.

Those who wanted to fish could take up spots along the sides.

Those who didn’t could sit inside the cabin, enjoy the ocean view, feel the sea breeze, and chat over tea.

Zhang Guangnan held up a camera. ”If anyone wants a picture, just let me know! I’ll be the photographer.”

Hearing this, the bosses agreed. Being on such a luxurious yacht, they definitely had to take a few photos to commemorate the occasion.

They began taking pictures in small groups, making quite a few new friends in the process.

Cries of excitement rang out every so often as someone caught a fish. Even if it was just a worthless bottom-dweller, for these men, the thrill was in the process of making the catch.

They fished in the morning. For lunch on the yacht, there was no hot food, just water and snacks for a light meal.

Afterward, they docked at the sea island where the pomfret were being farmed.

Fortunately, there was a deep-water spot where the yacht could moor.

Even though the fish were farmed, the area was very clean and scientifically managed. More importantly, the feed was clean, with no random hormones or additives.

After touring two of the sea islands, these gourmands realized the seafood farming process wasn’t nearly as bad as they had imagined.

They had a good time and were reassured by what they saw. That evening, they returned to the Fortune Seafood Restaurant to enjoy a meal made from the farmed seafood, and everyone found it delicious.

For one thing, it genuinely tasted great. The addition of the inspection reports also put their minds at ease.

For another, they had only eaten snacks and drunk some water for lunch, so they were famished. When you’re that hungry, anything tastes amazing, to say nothing of meticulously prepared seafood dishes.

The farmed seafood received their unanimous approval.

The price Zhang Guangnan offered Han Xiaorui was only twenty percent cheaper than that of wild-caught seafood.

After the weekend’s success, Zhang Guangnan made up his mind to lease the yacht on a long-term basis.

The partnership between Han Xiaorui and Zhang Guangnan was a win-win.

Every morning, Zhang Guangnan sent a truck to pick up the day’s supply of various seafood.

This included not just pomfret, but also Big Yellow Fish, small yellow croaker, grouper, and other mid- to high-end seafood.

In addition, he would also buy any high-quality, line-caught seafood.

With that, the seafood restaurant’s business finally started booming again.

Summer was a busy season for business, with many deals being discussed, and seafood dinners became a popular choice for entertaining clients.

As the restaurant’s business flourished, the reputation of Jinshan Bay’s farmed seafood grew along with it.

Their farms produced more than the Fortune Seafood Restaurant could use, so they began supplying the Xu Family Hotel as well.

But even that wasn’t enough to consume their entire stock of farmed seafood.

Just as Han Xiaorui was preparing to wholesale a portion of her stock to the city’s seafood market, a group of government officials arrived with a large delegation to tour the Jinshan Bay aquaculture operation. And they brought tremendous good news for Han Xiaorui.