Back to 1980: Farming the Sea and Expanding the Island

Lin Chuan smiled but did not respond.

Looking up at the squinting acquisition agent in front of him, whose small eyes were almost identical to those of Sun Honglei in later generations, he was a perfect example of a smiling tiger.

He felt the man looked familiar from the first meeting, but out of respect for Wang Hao, he let him into the main room.

Lin Chuan now remembered who this person was. In later years, he was a well-known local tycoon, but he became famous for appearing on legal programs.

The steam from the tea on the octagonal table in the main room rose gently. Lin's father and the others listened with furrowed brows, their expressions somewhat puzzled.

They weren't very clear about the fish habits that Zhao Chenghu was talking about, and they didn't want to interrupt rashly, so Lin Chuan handled everything.

Zhao Chenghu gently stroked the rim of the vat with his fingertips, his gaze sweeping over the group. Seeing that no one spoke, he said with a half-smile, "Chief Lin, you're being too modest."

Since that's the case, I'll be frank: our aquatic products company knows the fish situation in the Yangtze River better than anyone else.

Sea bass are delicate creatures, and we've done our research on them. If you don't understand their habits and feeding patterns, how can you expect to have a full catch every time?

Lin Chuan smiled and replied, "Mr. Zhao, you really overestimate me. I'm just a high school student; how could I possibly know as much as your seafood company?"

Lin Chuan knew that Zhao Chenghu was up to no good, so he simply stated it directly, his face showing regret.

"Mr. Zhao, you must be here to buy sea bass, it's just a pity we met so late."

We didn't expect the sea bass to be so popular these days; they sold out as soon as they were brought ashore. We should have saved some.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chenghu's Adam's apple bobbed, realizing that Lin Chuan was making excuses, and the smile in his tone immediately faded.

Leaning back in his chair, he stared at Lin Chuan and said firmly, "Mr. Lin is joking. Since that's the case, I won't beat around the bush with you."

Whether Lin Ji's branch clerk was lucky or skilled, my purpose in coming here was simple.

"My hope is that all the perch caught by the forest ranger will be sold to me in the future." Before coming, he had asked Wang Hao about everything and knew what was happening in the village.

With their seafood company involved, there wouldn't be so much trouble. Lin Chuan definitely knows the ins and outs of this. He thought it was a sure thing, but Lin Chuan actually refused.

Lin's father and the others frowned even more as they looked at Zhao Chenghu. This didn't sound like someone who was deliberately trying to do business.

Lin Chuan smiled and said, "Mr. Zhao, I would be delighted if you came to my door to buy fish, but the key is that you need to have fish."

As for the future, who can say for sure? We're not Jiang Shen's favorite son; he can't just decide to make money off us.

"Mouse, don't you think so?" Lin Chuan said, chuckling as he looked at Wang Hao.

Wang Hao sat to the side, feeling extremely uncomfortable. His eyes darted back and forth between Lin Chuan and Zhao Chenghu. He stammered and nodded reluctantly.

He was inwardly groaning. On one side were the island's natives, from whom he depended for his livelihood; on the other side were his cronies in the company, who could easily deal with a nobody like him with a single word.

When Zhao Chenghu approached him, he knew it was no good.

Zhao Chenghu and his gang are powerful and ruthless. He only wanted to make a little money through small-scale operations and avoid getting involved in such things as much as possible. He never expected to be dragged into this mess, and he was extremely helpless.

Looking at Wang Hao's appearance, Lin Chuan sighed inwardly and cursed inwardly: This kid is really unreliable. His nickname is indeed accurate.

You brought a smiling tiger, fine, but at least say a few words to cooperate and get rid of him.

Zhao Chenghu glanced coldly at Wang Hao, then suddenly leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, and said impatiently:

"To be honest with you, whether it's for official or private reasons..."

Our aquatic products company is responsible for the management of fisheries along the Yangtze River. Although the free market is now open, everything still has to be done according to the rules.

With your so-called cooperative, if the registration and net specifications for this scale of salvage are not compliant, it would be considered speculation and profiteering at best.

Also, although spotted sea bass wasn't a fish species subject to centralized procurement, that was because we didn't know that before. Who knows, maybe one day it will become a fish species subject to centralized procurement, don't you think, Mr. Lin?

Upon hearing this, Lin's father's face instantly darkened. "What do you mean?" He was now certain that this acquisition agent named Zhao Chenghu clearly had ill intentions.

Wang Pusheng and Li Jianshe glanced at Wang Hao, then looked at Zhao Chenghu with unfriendly expressions.

Zhao Chenghu's heart skipped a beat, realizing he had gone too far. Remembering he was still on the island, he quickly narrowed his eyes and chuckled awkwardly, "What could I possibly mean? I just hope we can cooperate and make money together."

"If we're going to cooperate, then let's cooperate. Why all this empty talk? Who are you trying to scare? Do you think Jiangxin Village is easy to frighten?" Lin's father said, staring at Zhao Chenghu.

"No, no, it's all for making money. Harmony brings wealth."

Wang Hao, watching from the sidelines, quickly tried to smooth things over. He was afraid that a conflict would break out between the two sides; the people of Jiangxin Village were not easy to deal with, and those who fished in the river were not exactly ruthless.

If they really fight, he'll definitely be in deep trouble.

Lin's father snorted, and seeing that Zhao Chenghu had restrained himself, he stopped talking.

For a moment, the atmosphere became awkward.

At this moment, Lin's mother heard the noise and came in to add tea, which eased the slightly oppressive atmosphere.

Lin Chuan remained outwardly calm and composed, but his mind was racing. He didn't take Zhao Chenghu's threats to heart.

The so-called salvage registration and net specification approval are just to fool fishermen who don't understand the policies. He has the production team's backing, so he's not afraid at all.

The inclusion of spotted sea bass in the list of fish subject to unified procurement is a joke, as the policy will be completely changed in two years.

Even if he manages to get the spotted sea bass into the state-purchased fish category next year, it won't stop him from making money this year.

However, there is one thing that Zhao Chenghu can definitely block them from doing: sales channels.

Currently, only government agencies or enterprises have the capacity to purchase sea bass in large quantities.

It's not realistic to sell on a large scale in other towns, and the local market in the commune is already saturated.

He originally planned to visit each of the businesses in town, one by one, since each business had many employees and he could talk to each one and eat several hundred kilograms of food.

However, if Zhao Chenghu deliberately causes trouble, they will definitely be in trouble.

After listening to what Zhao Chenghu said, I had an idea. Although Zhao Chenghu was seeking personal gain, he was fully capable of utilizing the resources of the aquatic products company.

For example, coordinating cross-regional fishing, sales channels, and the sale of fishing boats are things that Linchuan completely lacks.

The best fishing area for spotted sea bass is near Wanghai Island, which is also the fishing area of ​​Yinyang Commune. They have their own port, which is also the second largest dock in this area.

In the future, due to its geographical location, it will become the largest port in the area, with a considerable cargo throughput.

If Zhao Chenghu could win over the fishing team of Yinyang Commune and let him take a diesel boat for a fishing trip, even if he sold the catch to the supply and marketing station at a low price, it would be absolutely worth it.

After all, the nets hauled by diesel boats are far superior to those pulled by their small wooden boats.