Back to 1980: Farming the Sea and Expanding the Island

Lin Chuan's mind raced. After his mother poured more tea and left, he smiled and said, "Buyer Zhao, you're being too harsh. Our cooperative is all legitimate and proper. If you really want to check, I'm ready to cooperate."

"But the sea bass is definitely sold out. You can't expect me to conjure it up out of thin air, can you?"

Then, he changed the subject, revealing a hint of "difficulty," and said, "Actually, I also want to cooperate with you, since seafood companies have a wide range of channels, but our catch is really not good enough for you, and besides, we don't get the good fishing spots."

"Oh? What fishing spot?" Zhao Chenghu was pondering how to back down when he heard this, and his interest was piqued. He sat up straighter.

He doesn't just want these two thousand catties of fish. If he could have a continuous source of fish, he could monopolize a fish population that isn't on the regulated list, and the profits would be enormous.

Lin Chuan was secretly pleased to see that Zhao Chenghu's interest had been successfully piqued.

However, he still looked hesitant, deliberately keeping her in suspense, and spoke slowly.

"Acquiring agent Zhao guessed correctly; I have indeed grasped the behavioral habits of the spotted bass."

They also know where to fish, and these fishing spots are not all in one place.

"The area our fishing team is responsible for is only a small area," Lin Chuan said, gesturing lightly with his finger.

Zhao Chenghu's heart stirred, and he leaned forward again, secretly reviewing the fishing area divisions of each fishing team.

A moment later, his eyes lit up, and he tentatively asked, "Could it be that there are even more schools of spotted bass in the fishing area of ​​Yinyang Commune?"

Lin Chuan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and watched Zhao Chenghu continue to add bombshells. He nodded and smiled, "Acquiring Officer Zhao guessed right!"

According to my calculations, the entire school of spotted bass is estimated to be several thousand tons. Our area has shallow water and small boats, so if we could fish there, the harvest would definitely be substantial.

But the Yinyang Commune certainly won't let us in easily. So, this is a difficult situation.

After Lin Chuan finished speaking, not only Zhao Chenghu, but also Lin's father and the others gasped.

Thousands of tons of sea bass—if we caught them, even if the supply and marketing cooperative bought them at 90 cents a pound, that would be a huge sum of money, it's unimaginable.

Zhao Chenghu's pupils constricted, then he was overjoyed, and he hurriedly asked, "Is everything you said true?"

Lin Chuan nodded, feigning dissatisfaction, and said, "Of course it's true. I've been researching it for several years."

Besides, my grandfather and Grandpa Wang live in the courtyard. They've lived their whole lives along the Yangtze River. You might not believe me, but you can trust their experience from the older generation.

Zhao Chenghu immediately turned to look at Wang Hao. He was sure Wang Hao was familiar with this place, and he doubted that Wang Hao would dare to lie to him.

Wang Hao, being stared at by Zhao Chenghu, subconsciously nodded to confirm that the two elderly people, Lin and Wang, had indeed spent their entire lives making a living on the river.

Lin's father, Wang Pusheng, and Li Jianshe exchanged glances and silently lit their pipes.

For a moment, the room fell silent, leaving only a wisp of smoke drifting away.

Zhao Chenghu frowned, his eyes flickering. After a moment of contemplation, he looked at Lin Chuan and said decisively, "Brother Lin, as long as what you say is true, I will handle things at Yinyang Commune."

He paused, then smiled with narrowed eyes:

"However, I'm afraid your cooperative's boats won't be enough. How about using our seafood company's boats? Don't worry, the ones that come are all experienced craftsmen, absolutely reliable."

Lin Chuan glanced at Zhao Chenghu's squinting eyes, smiled, and didn't say anything.

Zhao Chenghu was quite shrewd; he wanted to gain something without sharing any of the benefits.

They make it sound nice to use their boats, but once the fish are caught, they'll sail away without leaving a trace.

In this era, it's not impossible, and Zhao Chenghu and his gang aren't exactly good people either.

As for the exposure of the salvage site, Lin Chuan didn't care. Anyway, there wouldn't be many days left to salvage it. It was just a short-term deal, and it would be over soon.

Zhao Chenghu looked at Lin Chuan for a while, knowing that his goal had failed, and then changed the subject with a smile, "Of course, it would be best if Brother Lin could get the boat himself, so that I wouldn't have to coordinate it."

But it's best if we use large boats for fishing; it's the easiest way, don't you think?

Seeing that the time was almost right, Lin Chuan was secretly pleased, but pretended to hesitate and said, "Mr. Zhao, if you can really handle it, that would be the best."

As for the boats, our production team's fishing boats are fine to use. Of course, it would be best if the seafood company could rent us a few.

"Rent?" Zhao Chenghu's eyes darted around as he began to consider the options. He said, "It's not impossible, but we'll need someone on the boat to watch over the fishing boats."

After feigning hesitation, Lin Chuan nodded and said, "No problem, but I will only pay for the boat rental fee, at the market price."

Zhao Chenghu's face lit up with joy. "Okay. We'll buy the fish we catch at the purchasing station's price, no problem, right?"

Lin Chuan pondered for a moment, then said seriously, "Okay, but it has to be settled on a daily basis, with payment made on the same day the catch is made."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chenghu's expression changed slightly, and he frowned, saying, "Daily settlement? That won't do! If the volume is large, I'll need to utilize a lot of my sales connections, and I can't come up with that much money all at once."

Lin Chuan shook his head and insisted, "Mr. Zhao, as you know, we fishermen work hard on the river, exposed to the wind and sun, and the risks are great."

Moreover, we provide manpower and rent fishing boats, and are responsible for the fishing.

We found this fishing spot ourselves, and the price we're offering you is already quite low and reasonable. Would you like to reconsider?

Zhao Chenghu leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixed on Lin Chuan, trying to see a hint of relaxation on his face.

The atmosphere inside the room became somewhat tense for a moment, with only the rising steam from the teacups still drifting gently away.

After a long pause, Zhao Chenghu finally relented and said, "Alright, daily payment it is. But let me make this clear: if this fishing spot isn't as good as you say, I won't let it go."

Lin Chuan was overjoyed, but his face immediately broke into a smile. He reached out and said, "Then it's settled, Zhao the acquisition officer."

You need to be quick; the latest you can go is the day after tomorrow. The boat and fishing license need to be secured. Hope we can work together smoothly!

Zhao Chenghu also reached out and shook hands with Lin Chuan. The two smiled at each other, each with their own thoughts.

Although Lin's father, Wang Pusheng, and the others standing to the side didn't quite understand the intricacies of the situation, they all secretly breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Lin Chuan seemed to have reached an agreement.

Wang Hao looked at the two of them with a complicated expression, feeling a mix of emotions. He was worried that the matter might not be reliable, but he was also secretly glad that he seemed to have temporarily escaped the awkward situation.

Next, Lin Chuan and Zhao Chenghu quickly discussed the details of the cooperation. This matter should be done sooner rather than later, as there were only a few days left, and they had to start working no later than the day after tomorrow.

After the two finished speaking, Zhao Chenghu left in a hurry. Although cross-regional salvage was a bit troublesome, it was just a hassle for them.

The difficulty lies in resolving this in a short period of time, which is beyond his ability to handle. He needs to go back and have his older brother, Zhao Dezhu, coordinate it.

As for renting a boat, that's simple. Zhao Chenghu plans to bring over a fishing boat first to test it out. If the catch is good, they can just bring their own fishing boat over.

Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on the two of them and creating a seemingly harmonious scene.