I am a local in North America

Chapter 44 Returning with a Full Load
There's no way to deal with this container in the short term.

Although it has been re-secured and buoyed, there is still a certain risk of it sinking. It will be easier to open it and thoroughly check the goods inside the container after it reaches the shore.

Brother Wang and Bob climbed back onto the King's Landing crab fishing boat, both with excited smiles on their faces.

Despite the cold weather, they were exhausted and covered in sweat. They were already wearing many clothes, and the waterproof outer garments were not breathable, so their underwear was already soaked with sweat.

When asked by Jerry Su, Bob didn't have much information to give, only that there were two cars covered with thick tarpaulins in the container, as well as some boxes piled in the corner that looked like car parts.

Gavin Jr. hurriedly pulled out his phone, pulled out several series of McLaren sports car pictures, and asked Bob to help identify them.

Bob just rolled his eyes and replied:

"I could only see a little bit, and it was very dark inside. All these cars basically looked the same, how could I tell them apart?"

Captain Jonathan was wrapped in a blanket, having not brushed his teeth or taken a bath for several days, and had an unpleasant odor that even he found somewhat repulsive.

So, maintaining a deliberate social distance, he forced a smile and said to Captain Su's father:

"Congratulations! There are two cars in the container? Even if a luxury sports car like a McLaren has been soaked in seawater, it should still be worth a lot of money."

The distribution had already been discussed beforehand, so Su's father wasn't worried that Captain Jonathan would change his mind again. After all, not all the king crabs had been caught and sold yet, and that was the real important profit, since the other party still needed his help.

However, worried that Captain Jonathan and his crew might harbor resentment, Old Man Su laughed and pretended to be calm, saying:
"It was corroded by seawater, which is more serious than ordinary flood-damaged cars. My dad bought a used Ferrari 488 and later did some minor repairs and modifications. It only cost him a little over $9. For that price, you can find a Rolls-Royce in average condition at a used car dealership."

“These flooded cars aren’t brand new; at most, we can sell some parts to subsidize the fuel costs of the crab fishing boats.”

"Let's get down to business now. The crab traps on the seabed haven't been retrieved yet. We've already wasted too much time."

"I've contacted the Coast Guard, and it'll probably take them about three hours to get here. You can rest on my boat for now, and we'll take care of the crabbing..."

Captain Jonathan nodded:
"Yeah, it's a real shame about those two cars. I can only say it's a good thing they didn't contain food or a speedboat with a full tank of gas."

"Even though we opened the container a few days ago, these two vehicles are of no help to us. So let's get the crab traps out as soon as possible."

"I wonder if the king crabs in other crab traps can make up for my shortfall of more than 12 tons."

This morning's catch was good, but that doesn't mean the remaining crab traps will all yield that many king crabs.

If some crab traps are set off off-target and not in the path of the king crab tide, the catch may be drastically reduced, failing to meet the expected target.

Therefore, when Su's father went to negotiate with Captain Jonathan and his crew, he didn't directly buy the 12-ton quota, but instead agreed to pay the corresponding fee based on how much they could get.

Only after the King's Landing crab fishing vessel had achieved its catch target for the voyage did they begin calculating Captain Jonathan's quota...

The rescue operation was delayed for too long due to an unexpected incident.

The crab fishing boat hadn't gone far. After spending a little time re-secured the container with cables and added a bunch of buoys to both ends of the container, Mr. Su went to steer the boat and continue retrieving the remaining crab traps.

During the rescue, they also took a break. Bob and Gavin were in high spirits, chatting as they worked. They'll probably have plenty to talk about for a long time after they get home.

Su Jierui was also busy continuing to sort things with his mother.

At that moment, glancing at Captain Jonathan, who was grinning from ear to ear, and silently counting the number of king crabs that had been brought into the hold, Su Jerry said:
"After we get the container ashore, we should be able to take apart quite a few parts. My car is too old and no longer suitable for me..."

The words are not finished yet.

Old Mrs. Zhuang instantly guessed what he was thinking, and glared at him, saying:

"Stop right there, don't think about it anymore! This idea will be very expensive."

"I think you've gotten carried away after winning the prize money in the competition. You want to be like your grandfather, right? Your grandfather is old and just wants to live a happy life. You still have a lot of expenses to make in the future!"

"Didn't they mention that repairing a car costs more than buying it? I haven't found a job, and I don't even have a girlfriend yet. What do I need a nice car for..."

Su Jierui blinked and asked, "If I drive a McLaren, do you still need to worry about me not finding a girlfriend?"

Grandma Zhuang curled her lip and said nonchalantly:

“Then I shouldn’t have given you this car. You only started dating me for a luxury car? Does that mean you like money or you? I don’t have high requirements for a daughter-in-law. I just need someone with a good personality and temper who can work with you to build a family and take good care of the children.”

Since graduation was approaching, and with some of her friends already having grandchildren, Su Jierui had been hearing her mother urging her to get married frequently, though she didn't know what the rush was for.

"In one ear and out the other," Su Jierui continued.
“My dad mentioned it. He said he likes watching car repair videos. I’ve accumulated quite a few fans, so I could do a few follow-up videos on car repair and maybe earn back some of the money I made from repairs.” “Besides, I can look online for used cars of the same model that have been damaged and are being auctioned. That way, I can use the parts from the flood-damaged cars to assemble the two cars into one. It’s more cost-effective than selling the flood-damaged cars directly. It shouldn’t cost much.”

"My YouTube account is always filled with videos of fishing, crabbing, and shrimping. My subscriber growth is much slower than those professional repairmen, and there are also bloggers who build their own houses. That's a very competitive field; they can make a lot of money from subscribers and ads..."

If it were just for enjoyment and showing off, Mrs. Zhuang would definitely not be happy, but when it comes to her son's income and future, she has to think it over carefully.

Busy sorting king crabs, occasionally tossing aside the smaller ones that weren't big enough, Mrs. Zhuang said to Su Jierui:
"Don't think too much about it. What if they've been in the sea for a long time and are completely rusted? Let's see after we get ashore before making a decision. Maybe the insurance company has already paid out and wants to take the two cars back, so they'll just give us a compensation payment to settle the matter."

Su Jierui had indeed set his sights on the McLaren. Seeing that his mother's tone had softened, he knew that he had achieved half of his goal, so he stopped pressing the issue and gave her a heads-up: he would wait until they got ashore and he had asked about the situation before making a decision.

The process of sorting king crabs was very tedious. The mother and son chatted idly and took turns resting occasionally.

About two or three hours later, the three sets of crab traps were retrieved and brought a total of more than 1600 king crabs. Almost every trap was packed with thirty or forty king crabs.

Even the experienced Captain Jonathan, despite his weakened state, came specifically to praise Su's father, saying that he had chosen the perfect spot to set the cages.

now.

Just as they spotted the Coast Guard's rescue boats on the sea, Mr. Su's satellite phone rang.

After a brief chat, he hung up the phone, rubbed his shoulders, and said:

"The fisheries management department told me that all of this year's quota has been used up, and crab fishing boats that did not apply in advance will not be able to dock and sell their catch anymore."

"This trip was really tough, but the harvest this crab season should be very bountiful."

"The news of Captain Jonathan and his crew's rescue has spread. I heard that reporters even went to the dock specifically to interview them. It's a pity that we haven't finished harvesting the king crabs yet, so we can't go back together. I've never been in a newspaper before..."

I could hear the melancholy and regret in my father's voice.

Su Jierui pointed to his gimbal camera and said with a smile:
"Even if they take the Coast Guard boat back first, there might not be any reporters waiting for us at the dock. At least I've filmed the rescue, and when I edit it and post it online, many people will see it..."

Once the Coast Guard rescue ship approached, Captain Jonathan and his crew were first picked up from the King's Landing crab boat and transferred to the rescue ship by a small boat.

There were also people from the Coast Guard standing on the deck waving and greeting Su Jierui and his team, praising them with "Well done!"

Immediately afterwards, Mr. Su also set sail to continue searching for the next set of buoys.

Time passed by, and crab traps were pulled ashore one after another. By the time the 17th trap was pulled up, according to Su Jerry's statistics, the required number of traps had been met.

With 17 crab traps, totaling 255 traps, they worked from 6 a.m. until after 6 p.m., without a break for almost a moment. Everyone on the boat was exhausted, but they still had to continue working.

The remaining crab traps were simpler. To prevent running out of crabs, we would occasionally select a few larger king crabs to keep, and then dump the rest back into the sea. We would simply load the crab traps onto the boat and stack them neatly.

After everything was finished and the crab traps on the deck were secured, it was already past 9 p.m.

Su Jierui was exhausted. He quickly took a shower, changed his clothes, and then started eating and drinking.

The Junlin crab fishing boat finally returned to port, towing the yellow container at its stern. It slowed down slightly and headed towards the Dutch port in the Aleutian Islands.

As night deepened, the waves of the Bering Sea seemed to have calmed down somewhat, and the bow of the ship cleaved through the seawater, splashing up white spray.

Su Jierui sat in the ship's dining room, picking at his heated fast food while reviewing footage he had shot that day on his laptop: the thrilling rescue, the discovery of the sports car from the container, and the subsequent fishing.

"This content is definitely going to be a hit!"

He thought to himself, "Just the maritime rescue and container handling alone could make two or three videos, so I won't have to worry about anything for a while..."

After checking the autopilot route, Su's father handed over the task of driving the crab fishing boat to Xiao Wang. He then sat down next to Su Jierui and handed him a glass of warm milk.

"You did well today."

After pausing for a moment, Mr. Su continued:
"You deserve at least half the credit for being able to rescue Captain Jonathan and the others."

"I don't know if the bounty is taxable. After deducting the portion that goes to Lao Feng and the others, I'll give you the rest. I've already earned more profit than expected from this voyage. Since we're no longer giving you living expenses, you should learn to live independently and manage your assets."

"Also, I heard from your mother that you've got your eye on that water-damaged sports car? You're such a good son, because I've got my eye on it too, but I don't dare tell your mother."

"But if there's any dispute over the car, or if the repair costs are a bottomless pit, then you'd better give up the idea as soon as possible."

(End of this chapter)