I am a local in North America

Chapter 38: They're all still alive!?

The Junlin crab fishing boat is sailing to the next trapping point, and the crane on the deck is also working to neatly arrange the retrieved crab traps.

A cage like this, made of high-strength, corrosion-resistant galvanized steel pipes, with a steel frame covered by high-strength nylon mesh, costs hundreds of dollars to make in the United States, where labor and materials are very expensive, and it will be kept for use next year.

Everyone else was busy and had no time to pay attention to the movements on the sea. Even Su's father, who was steering the boat, didn't look into the distance. He was busy focusing on the address displayed on the GPS navigation and looking for the buoys where the crab traps had been set yesterday. He was eager to retrieve the fourth set of traps.

The movement patterns of king crab populations are difficult to predict.

The first three sets of crab traps yielded a good harvest, but this does not mean that the other dozen or so sets of traps will also catch a large number of king crabs. Experience is certainly important, but luck is also the key to today's success or failure.

However, their total quota for this voyage is limited, and they have just caught more than 1500 king crabs.

In other words, the remaining 275 crab traps only need to catch about 3500 more king crabs, averaging about 13 crabs per trap, to basically meet the upper limit of the crab-catching quota for this King's Reign.

With the pressure suddenly relieved, Su's father was in a good mood. He even started humming Michael Jackson's "Dangerous" and had the time to communicate with other crab fishing boats nearby via radio to inquire about the current market price for king crabs upon arrival at the port.

At the dock, the market conditions are different; the price of king crab changes every day.

As the captain, Mr. Su naturally had to be responsible for himself and the crab fishermen. He was in a great mood and had already made plans to return to port early and secure the profits if the price was good today, instead of bringing in all the cages.

This is mainly due to concerns that as the fishing season is about to end, some buyers may leave the dock, leaving the remaining king crab buyers without competition, and thus taking the opportunity to drive down prices. This is also the experience of other crab fishing boat captains.

Mr. Su thought that at worst, he could make an extra trip afterward, which would only cost a little more fuel and take up a day. He just needed to retrieve the remaining crab traps and dump the king crabs from them directly into the sea.

If the purchase price of king crabs can be increased by just $0.5, his crab fishing boat can earn an extra $18000, which is a profitable deal no matter how you look at it...

At this moment.

Su Jierui hurriedly climbed the stairs to the second-floor driver's seat and yanked the door open.

Seeing his father reach the climax of his song, clenching his fists and twisting his waist in a dance-like manner while still singing, he immediately slapped his thigh and shouted:

"Hey! Dad! What time is it? Why are you still twisting your body like that?!"

Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Mr. Su immediately retorted:
"What's wrong? Back in my high school prom, I totally blew everyone away with my Michael Jackson dance moves..."

"..."

Although he didn't understand the lives middle-aged and elderly people had lived in the past, Su Jierui expressed his respect, waving his hands repeatedly to interrupt his father's rambling, and hurriedly said:

"Give me the binoculars! Look quickly at your 4 o'clock position! There seem to be people at sea, possibly crew members of the Golden Crab that have been wrecked!!!"

"!???"

On the second floor, you can see further and have a clearer view than on the deck.

Mr. Su turned his head slightly and immediately spotted the strange object floating in the sea. He quickly grabbed his binoculars and examined it closely. His expression was one of shock as he exclaimed:
"This is fucking unbelievable! 1, 2, 3... There are five people on the container! They've been gone for a week in this weather, and they're all still moving, still alive!?"

Hearing his father utter that classic "WTF!" was nothing new to Su Jierui. Based on his experience growing up, he knew that due to the high pressure and intensity of their work, very few of these boat captains and fishermen were not good at swearing.

His father used to be a little more mindful, but ever since his children grew up, he's completely let himself go.

While Su Jierui was still on the phone with fisheries management officials, he grabbed the binoculars and took a look.

The woman on the other end of the satellite phone had already heard Mr. Su's voice, and immediately raised her voice, saying with delight:

"Are they really crew members from the Golden Crab that were wrecked?! Are you sure? Their families are still waiting for news!!!"

While continuing to observe through binoculars, Su Jierui replied:
"We're turning and heading at full speed to get there as quickly as possible! Even if it's not the Golden Crab, it must be someone from another ship that's been wrecked. After all, who would go out to sea in a container ship?"

Old Su's father had already swerved the steering wheel, and the fishing boat drew a huge arc.

At this moment, Su Jerry remembered the key question and quickly added:

"Wait a moment, it should only take a few minutes!" "...By the way, if the rescue delays things, will it affect my crab fishing boat's ability to dock and sell king crabs? A single boatload could be worth $50, I need to find out."

"We've caught a lot of king crabs, and we still have more than a dozen cages to collect. It's snowing at sea, and the waves are getting a little bigger nearby..."

It wasn't that Su Jierui wasn't in a hurry, it's just that it would take time to sail there, so it would be safer to say a few more words and ask more questions.

"Of course!"

The staff member on the other end answered decisively:
"According to regulations, vessels participating in maritime rescues are definitely eligible for special exemptions! I will immediately register you to ensure your quota is not affected. According to the revised documents, your Junlin's quota for this season is 17.28 tons, right?"

"Yes, thank you so much. Now we don't have any worries. I'll call you again later," Su Jierui said.

"Please wait a moment before hanging up! I need your assistance in monitoring the condition of the stranded people so that I can coordinate rescue efforts... Oh no, judging from the pictures I have here, the crane on your King's Landing is too high, and with the snow falling, it might affect helicopter operations..."

The middle-aged woman on the other end of the satellite phone added rapidly:
"It may take some time to send a ship over, or you could come back earlier, depending on the condition of those who are stranded!"

"Please prepare warm blankets, clothing, and food in advance, and make sure they receive timely treatment."

"As for your losses... the owners of the Golden Line and their families have offered a $10 reward! This money is currently held in our department, and if it is confirmed that the person on that crab fishing boat is the one who will receive the reward!"

"...I know we'll put our work aside and prioritize saving them! They must have drifted along with the ocean currents and ended up near my family's crab fishing boat."

"That's what Su Jerry replied."

After hanging up the phone, a weight was lifted from my heart. Now that I had received assurances from the fisheries management department, I could not only contribute to the rescue but also protect the interests of the fleet. This was undoubtedly the best outcome.

After briefly relaying the contents of the call to his father, Mr. Su was relieved.

"Dad, shall I go and get everyone ready with the relief supplies, and then film the process?"

"Alright! We don't need you here, I'll steer the boat."

Su Jierui quickly ran downstairs to retrieve the gimbal camera placed near the sorting station.

He had just turned on his camera when he heard Old Man Su turn on the boat's loudspeaker. After a slightly jarring noise, a calm yet delighted voice came through:
"Everyone! Stop what you're doing! Look at the sea! My son might have spotted the survivors from the Golden Crab! There are five crew members in total. If they are confirmed to be from that ship, then they are all still alive!"

"!!!"

"...My God! No wonder it suddenly swerved; I almost fell!"

Gavin was a devout believer who was engaged in high-risk work on the dangerous sea. He needed certain beliefs to give him invisible strength, so he immediately began to make the sign of the cross with his hands over his chest.

Uncle Feng and Brother Wang hurriedly came to the deck and looked into the distance. The conspicuous yellow object on the sea made them tremble!
"Don't just stand there, everyone!"

Su Jerry had already run over and was giving instructions:
"Uncle Feng, go get the thermal blankets and first-aid kit! Brother Wang, check the inflatable boat! Mom, go prepare some water and food!"

Once everyone recovered, they immediately began to follow Su Jierui's instructions and got busy with their own tasks.

For a while, no one had time to collect the other crab traps. Everyone was trying to make a living at sea, and no one knew if they would be the next unlucky one. Helping others had long been a consensus among sailors and fishermen.

far away.

On the yellow shipping container drifting with the current.

The container is tilted, with about one-third of it submerged in seawater. From certain angles, it looks like a small pyramid.

The crew on the King's Landing crab fishing boat were excited, and the white men on the containers were even more frenzied!

Seeing the fishing boats in the distance turn and head towards them, the crew members were so excited that they danced and cried out, knowing they were about to be saved!
……

(End of this chapter)