I am a local in North America

Chapter 46 Settling Accounts and Dividing the Money – A Happy Ending (5300-word long chapter!)
"The total value is around $200 million. Even if only 10% of the value remains after being submerged in water, it can theoretically still reach $20."

"Whether it's the McLaren P1 or the G63-6x6, they are both limited-edition luxury cars. If the chassis, transmission system, powertrain, and lightweight body hadn't been severely corroded by seawater, the parts alone could fetch at least tens of thousands of dollars."

"Actually, I found the workshop that modified this G63 on Facebook. They did mention that the owner was a wealthy Russian businessman who sent the car to the United States for lightweight modifications, and the video also mentioned that the total cost was around $17."

"It's unclear whether the cargo owner and insurance company will demand it, but according to the relevant practices of maritime salvage, even if they want it back, they would have to pay us a certain fee."

"Tens of thousands of dollars should be the minimum. There are many precedents for this online; I've already done my research..."

The person speaking is Su Jierui.

Around noon on the day they docked, he and his parents had already left the pier and were taking a nap at the hotel. They were now busy having lunch and talking about the container again.

Mr. Su held a pen in his hand, eating while calculating accounts, a hint of frustration from dealing with trivial matters showing between his brows.

"This is such a hassle. We don't have time to stay in the Aleutian Islands dealing with those two cars. If you want, you can handle it yourself. After all, you're the one who found the container, so the right to dispose of it should belong to you."

After a pause, Mr. Su continued, feigning casualness, to probe further:

"Speaking of which, if I wanted to get a new car, I would just sell our current 7-seater car and the trade-in wouldn't cost too much. Besides, you're all grown up now and rarely ride in my car anymore."

Grandma Zhuang saw through her husband's little scheme at a glance and said speechlessly:
"The money has just been deposited into your account, and you're already thinking about spending it. Wouldn't it be better to pay off the loan for the crab fishing boat ahead of schedule? Bank interest rates are getting higher and higher, and your monthly interest expenses are increasing."

“But I also think that the potential profits from that container should belong to Arui.”

"This money can be combined with your prize money and bounty to buy a house in a good neighborhood in Seattle. That would make life more convenient in the future, and the schools and educational resources there are indeed better..."

"……mom!"

Su Jierui was afraid of this kind of topic, so he quickly changed the subject, saying:
“I will fly back to Seattle early. I definitely won’t have time to stay here and deal with the container issue. I plan to find an experienced lawyer locally.”

"This morning, the dock manager gave me a lawyer's business card, saying that although there aren't many cases of finding lost containers, the dock deals with a number of damaged or lost containers every year. Some lawyers frequently handle similar cases, and I heard that their fees are reasonable and they are very experienced."

"Since those two vehicles still have some residual value, I think it's worth consulting a lawyer. Even if the cargo owner and insurance company pursue us, a lawyer can help us secure more reasonable compensation, so we don't suffer losses due to a lack of understanding of legal terms and negotiation skills..."

Su Jierui's thinking is very clear.

If no help is provided to bring the container back to shore, the cargo owner and insurance company will face total loss.

To encourage the recovery of valuable containers, the compensation offered to salvagers is usually quite high, often reaching 30% or even 50% of the value of the rescued property, depending on the negotiation process.

Su Jerry certainly wouldn't be polite about the reward he deserved.

His father had just paid $1000 in container storage fees that morning. In addition, the hoisting fees, extra fuel costs for the crab fishing boat, and labor costs brought the total expenses to nearly $2000. All of these should be included in the costs and recovered in subsequent negotiations.

Upon hearing that she needed to hire a lawyer, Grandma Zhuang's first instinct was to feel a pang of heartache, and she reminded her:

“I have a friend whose husband got into a fight with someone. He only met with a lawyer a few times, and the consultation and litigation cost him more than $2. Some lawyers’ fees are just too expensive.”

"Arui, why don't you ask first? Anyway, there's still some time left in the holiday, and you won't be too busy when you go back to school. You can deal with it slowly when you have time."

"So when are you planning to go home? If the weather is good, it should take us about seven or eight days to get home from here. Why don't you take our King's Fleet and come back with us?"

"I guess not..."

Eager to get home as soon as possible to buy the beaver ranch, Su Jerry certainly didn't want to waste any time, and quickly shook his head upon hearing this:

"I think I'll take a plane. I just checked the tickets, and there's a flight tomorrow morning that's perfect, but it involves a layover in Alaska."

"Furthermore, I have some other things to do. The 'Living Alone in the Wilderness' program team introduced me to people from TikTok, and we may need to discuss cooperation later, specifically inviting me to join the TikTok platform."

“I want to go home early so I can get some rest. Here’s what I’ll do: this afternoon I’ll contact a lawyer and have them help me communicate with the shipping company, the cargo owner, and the insurance company for that container…”

There aren't many restaurants near the Dutch docks, and the variety of dishes available is limited. Su Jerry is eating Mexican food.

Meat-filled wraps paired with beef tripe soup, plus a side of roasted pork, make for a delicious treat that's nice to have occasionally.

Having been starving for a long time in the wild, Su Jerry ate very quickly.

He sat at the table for a while until his parents finished eating, then he invited Old John, Little Wang, and Bob to go to the hospital to visit Captain Jonathan and the others.

Captain Jonathan was only weak due to dehydration and fatigue, and his physical condition was not serious. After resting in the hospital for a day, he had recovered most of his energy.

When he and Hank met Su's father and Su Jerry, they were incredibly enthusiastic and their gratitude was overflowing.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the crew members from both ships gathered in the hospital's rest area, where Mr. Su took out his ledger and began to calculate the accounts.

The accounts for the Golden Crab ship are easy to calculate. It's simply a matter of deducting the quota rental fee from the $33 earned from selling 27500 pounds of king crabs, at a price of $3.8 per pound, leaving a total of $10.45.

Then, of the remaining $22.55, $4.51 was given to Captain Jonathan and his crew as agreed, and the remaining $18 was the gross profit of the King's Landing.

This figure is higher than what Su Jerry had previously calculated, the difference being that he calculated it at $11.5 per pound, while the landed selling price reached $12 per pound.

It's worth mentioning that during the conversation, a patient at a neighboring table mentioned "urine test." Captain Jonathan and Hank's expressions stiffened slightly, as if a bad memory had been triggered. They looked very unnatural, and their eyes darted around.

Su Jierui seemed to understand something. Considering their dire situation of being without water at sea for several days, they probably learned a trick from Bear Grylls, the host of "Man vs. Wild," and tried drinking urine to survive.

The vast ocean is full of water, but unfortunately, the salt content of seawater is too high, which not only fails to quench thirst but also leads to a faster death.

It's just about surviving, there's not much else to say.

We should be very grateful for such a good result.

After contacting the bank to transfer the money, Su's father immediately transferred the money to Captain Jonathan. Then, the crew of the King's Landing moved to a coffee shop to continue their calculations.

After deducting a host of miscellaneous expenses, including shipboard costs, fuel costs, docking fees, and labor costs, Su Jierui, under the eager gazes of the others, placed his pen on the small round table, cleared his throat, and summarized:
“Looking at the records on the bill, last time we sold more than 2 tons of king crab, and the total income was $7.22. Today we sold another $78.84, but after deducting the fees paid to Captain Jonathan, we only have $63.88 left.”

"The gross profit from last time plus the gross profit from this time totals $70.6. After deducting various expenses and equipment depreciation costs, the total is $19.8. It's all clearly recorded in the ledger."

"So, the final net profit is $50.8. According to the profit-sharing agreement, and considering the basic salary of $200 per person per day during this period, you will each receive... $24600..."

"In addition, there is a bounty of $8000 per person, plus a $2000 bonus from my dad, which means each of you will receive $34600, just as my dad calculated before."

Uncle Feng's mouth stretched into a wide grin, and so did Bob and the others; they were all incredibly excited and high-fived each other in celebration.

Mr. Su added with a smile:
"I haven't received the reward money yet. I'll go ask the fisheries management department about how to collect it later."

"And that container, although the two vehicles inside are valuable, the cargo owner and the insurance company may not necessarily relinquish ownership of it. If the process doesn't go smoothly, my son might spend a lot of time only to receive a small amount of compensation, in addition to expenses such as lawyer consultation fees."

"So let's arrange it like this: I'll give you $35000 directly, and I'll make up the difference. The extra part will be my personal subsidy. I'll handle the collection of the bounty. This year's crab fishing season is over. Thank you all for your hard work, how does that sound?"

Bob nodded repeatedly, then lowered his voice and asked, "Can I pay in cash? The taxes are just too high; I'd like to 'optimize' some of them when filling out the tax return."

Gavin really liked the two cars in the container, but he knew he wouldn't get them no matter what, so he reluctantly nodded and said, "I want cash too."

Mr. Su was both amused and exasperated.

"In the US, who wouldn't love unregulated cash? It's a pity the acquirer is transferring the money directly to me, and I don't have any cash to give you. Just send me your bank account number, and I'll transfer it to you right now. Everyone can rest assured..."

After spending some time dealing with Bob and Uncle Feng's matters, Su Jierui then helped his parents calculate their family's total income.

After distributing all the money, they found that, including the bounty money they hadn't yet received, they still had a gross profit of about $47.5.

This made Su's father want to burst into laughter, but he was worried that it would be too ostentatious, so he held it back and could only digest the overwhelming joy in his heart through his constantly upturned lips and shining eyes.

Grandma Zhuang continued doing the calculations, frowning, her fingertips unconsciously tapping the calculator as she said:

"As promised, the remaining reward money will go to my son. After Lao Feng, Xiao Wang, and the other three have divided it among themselves, the total will be $6, with a gross profit of $41.5."

"Of this $41.5, approximately $3 will be deducted for interest expenses."

"Adding in Alaska income tax, federal income tax, and other federal taxes, I roughly calculated that after deductions, I would have to pay at least $110,000 to $220,000 in taxes. The net profit I would have left would be around $270,000."

"Luckily, we partnered with Captain Jonathan and his team, which earned us a lot of extra profits. Otherwise, we wouldn't have had the spare money to pay off the loan early. The banks have been acting like crazy lately, and the loan interest rate has already risen to over 6%!"

"Sigh, you earn a lot here, but the taxes and expenses are like a bottomless pit! I really don't know why so many people from all over the world want to immigrate to the United States. Sometimes I understand why some people choose to emigrate and leave the United States completely. There are more and more tents on the streets. I don't know where the money that the government takes from us middle class goes. It's different from the 1980s and 1990s..."

Listen to my mom grumbling with a hint of resentment.

Through his own experience, Su Jierui can also understand that the overall environment has been declining in recent years. People may have made a lot of money, but their quality of life has continued to decline.

He felt that now that he was capable, he should take on more responsibility for his family, so he stopped typing on his laptop, looked up at his mother, and tentatively asked:

"Or you could just keep the $6 reward and use it to pay off your loan, Mom?"

Grandma Zhuang waved her hand without hesitation and said:

"No need for that. I just feel that I didn't make as much money as I expected. Taxes and interest are two huge burdens that are making it hard to breathe."

“You’re not the only child in the family, so it’s better to be fair and clear about things. I’ll treat everyone equally, and what’s rightfully theirs will be theirs. Anyway, your dad and I have already saved up some money for our retirement. If we’re frugal or move to a country with a lower cost of living, we’ll have enough to live on for the rest of our lives.”

"No, I need to call my tax advisor right away and ask how I can save as much money as possible. Every little bit helps..."

Compared to Mrs. Zhuang's meticulous calculations, Mr. Su seemed much calmer.

He leaned back in his chair and did a simple estimate of the income from the other two fishing boats this year. The more he calculated, the more satisfied he became, clearly extremely pleased with his harvest this time.

Su Jierui didn't stay with them any longer. He made a phone call to his lawyer and arranged to meet him at the coffee shop.

Dealing with a shipping container is a very easy small business for a professional lawyer.

After meeting and talking for a while, the two parties agreed on a total compensation of $4000. The middle-aged lawyer, named Layton Verick, would help him communicate with the transportation and insurance companies to try to obtain a higher compensation.

If the cargo owner and insurance company choose to relinquish the container, then lawyer Leighton Verick will also help with the ownership transfer procedures.

When Su Jerry finished his work and saw his parents again, he heard that Old Jackson, the owner of the Golden Crab, had just come to express his gratitude and had brought the $10 reward in cash.

……

Looking back on the past few days.

Su Jierui's parents were worried because the bad weather prevented them from going out to sea to catch king crabs. They were concerned that this year's fishing season might result in huge losses, and they might even lose all of last year's profits.

In just three or four days, things took an unexpected turn for the better, and everyone made a fortune. They also rescued five people in distress at sea. The news was featured on the websites, newspapers, and television stations of several international media outlets, becoming a minor hot topic.

After receiving their generous wages, Bob and Gavin, to express their gratitude and also with a little ulterior motive—to continue working with Sue's father next year—made a special trip to buy some local specialties from the Aleutian Islands.

The handicrafts made from volcanic rock, totem poles carved from driftwood, and other items are all quite exquisite and beautiful.

One of the items is a stone sculpture of a human figure from Easter Island, while the totem pole is carved with images of marine life such as whales and salmon, symbolizing "harvest" and "protection," making it suitable as a decoration for the home.

Bob, a seasoned crab fisherman who had been out at sea for many years, certainly understood just how kind and honest Mr. and Mrs. Su were.

This time, Su's father and his team neither deducted the rental fee for their own fishing quota from the market price nor calculated the depreciation cost of the Junlin crab fishing boat, which meant they gave these employees an extra sum of money. Everyone remembers this favor.

Compared to some captains who are stingy and want to charge "room fees" for crab fishing boats every night, they certainly seem generous.

Uncle Feng and Brother Wang were not idle either. They went out with $2000 in cash red envelopes and bought some small gifts such as jewelry and toys for their wives and children. They did not return to the crab fishing boat until evening with large bags of things.

Because the Aleutian Islands are located very far north, the daylight hours are relatively short in winter. By 6 p.m. on the day the fishing season income was calculated, it was already pitch black.

Su's father found Su Jerry, who was engrossed in working on his laptop screen, and asked him:
"Son, are you busy editing YouTube videos again?"

"Hmm, I went to see my lawyer this afternoon, which took up a little time. While the news about rescuing Captain Jonathan and his crew is still going strong, I need to quickly edit out the new video. Maybe I can ride the wave of online buzz and attract media coverage and reposts of my video. This is a golden opportunity to drive traffic and will be very helpful in attracting new followers..."

Being a content creator on YouTube is quite lucrative. If you manage an account with a high level of fan engagement well, it's essentially a relatively stable job.

In the past, Su Jierui was not famous and could only help out on his parents' fishing boat to gather material and earn some living expenses.

He was overjoyed to have such a rare and excellent marketing opportunity and was trying to seize this windfall.

In the long run, this matter is likely to be more important than the $6 bounty he received.

Mr. Su sat down beside him, looked at the footage being edited, and suddenly said:
"The Bering Sea is famous not only for its fishing grounds and king crabs, but also for its numerous hot spring resorts. I wanted to go last year, but I never had the chance. Tonight, your mother and I are going to soak in the hot springs. They say it can relieve fatigue and dispel cold. Would you like to relax for a while too?"

"???"

Su Jierui wasn't interested. He rolled his eyes slightly at his dad and said speechlessly:

"You two have your own private time, why should I join in? Go ahead and have fun. I'm still busy for a while. I need to pack my luggage before going to bed. I'm going to the airport at 8 a.m. tomorrow and won't get home until about 4 or 5 p.m."

There are three children in the family. In the early years, I did nothing else but focus on my children.

Having finally raised Su Jierui and his sisters, Su's father genuinely hoped to start a new life that truly belonged to him.

Hearing this, he didn't try to persuade him further, patted his son on the shoulder, and said with a smile:
"Okay, you go ahead with your work. Your mom and I are going to the hot springs and we probably won't be back until later. Call us if you need anything, but we might not be able to answer right away..."

……

(End of this chapter)