Reborn in the Millennium: Building a Fortune from Fishing

Chapter 541 Preparations
On the balcony, three men sat directly on the ground with an ashtray in the middle, creating a simple tea party.

As soon as I opened the balcony window, a gust of wind rushed in.

Shenzhen is much cooler at night, unlike inland areas where the temperature difference in summer rarely exceeds ten degrees Celsius.

"Dahe, tell me some suggestions you've given to QQ recently."

"what happened?"

“We’re going to be eliminated. We don’t have any backing in terms of capital, so we can’t keep up in this round no matter what.” My uncle shook his head and said with a smile, “The other party wants to take back the shares, but they also want you to join them. If they knew you were in Shenzhen, they would have come looking for you tonight.”

"Heh, they're dreaming." Qin Dahe took a smug deep drag on his cigarette.

I'm not worried about money anymore. With this fishing tackle company as my backing, I don't need to struggle in the business world at all.

He recounted all the suggestions he had made during this period, including those related to Baidu Tieba and QQ groups.

Many ideas can't be used immediately, such as video websites, which are just castles in the air if the internet speed isn't fast enough.

"They actually gave away such a great idea from Tieba." Aqing was a little speechless. What a brilliant idea! "If you had just told us, we could have supported a small internet company. Even if it failed, we could have made a profit."

"It's alright, Dahe has a lot on his mind." Uncle said easily as he stubbed out his cigarette.

"From now on, you'll be working at the investment company. Don't worry about QQ. Just remember to let me know if you have any ideas."

"Okay." He agreed without hesitation.

My uncle is the chairman of an investment company, which allows me to maximize profits.

The two nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this, and then began to explain the situation on QQ.

It turns out that this round of investment raised more than 200 million yuan, and they plan to develop game-related industries, with social networking as the core of their profit-making.

Just then, a Hong Kong tycoon was selling off 10% of his shares, which caught the eye of an investment giant whose investment company also had shares in the deal.

He might as well sell it directly, and in return, he could gain a real foothold in the investment industry.

At this time, the investment company welcomed some new shareholders. The eldest uncle only held 16%, while Uncle Qing and his group held even less.

It received a premium investment from a giant company and was supported by them, all in exchange for shares in QQ.

Qin Dahe was too lazy to pay attention to these things. He only knew that his uncle was the chairman of the board, so he just said whatever came to mind and didn't care about selling shares to Twelve.

Making money with QQ is possible, but when the BAT trio dominates the market, it's really not that great. You might as well buy Moutai instead.

"I'll pay you 5,000 yuan a month, and if your ideas work well, I'll give you a bonus."

"Okay," he agreed nonchalantly.

They'll take whatever benefits they're offered; they certainly won't take it for free.

"Haha, you rascal, why don't you just open a business in Shenzhen?" Uncle Qing joked.

The term "idea company" is not an exaggeration; it has been established before and has created successful marketing cases for many businesses.

In this crazy era, even a daring scrap collector can become a billionaire, let alone someone with brains.

After explaining his temporary post, the uncle went back to sleep, leaving the two fishermen to continue chatting.

Qin Dahe began asking about precautions for fishing in the open sea.

He had already gone to sea once, but only in the East China Sea, and only near the mouth of the Yangtze River.

"Next time we go out to sea, I'll take you to the Li family's fleet. But we're leaving in mid-September, and their boats are all under maintenance." Uncle Qing perked up when the topic of fishing came up.

He also quit his job to work full-time at an investment company, so he could take time to go out and have fun.

Forget about going to work; if you're tied down, how can you go out to sea?

“Your uncle approved two days off for me, so we can go rock fishing together for two days and you can get familiar with sea fishing.”

"Okay, what kinds of fish are there along this coast?" Qin Dahe asked, his eyes shining.

"There are mudskippers, yellowfin seabream, and rockfish. You can also catch grouper in Shenzhen Bay, but there are too many people there, so it's too difficult to catch rockfish."

"There are also rock formations on the coastline?"

"Yes, but you have to fish in the protruding areas; you can't catch fish in the inner bay." Uncle Qing began to explain the basics to him.

They slept at Qin Dahe's place that night, not worried about wasting time, and the two lit cigarettes and chatted again.

"For rock fishing, two 200-meter rolls of bait should be enough. You can get the bait from the fishing tackle shop later." Sea fishing rarely involves carrying a float, as you can't see the float at all.

"If you're going on a boat trip for five or six days, you'll need at least two thousand meters of water."

Qin Dahe clicked his tongue in amazement. At 80 cents per meter, the fishing line alone would cost 1,600 yuan.

"This money can't be saved. Going to the continental shelf, you're often at a depth of one or two hundred meters. A roll of water is usually three or five hundred meters deep. It takes four or five days, and sometimes it's not enough, so you have to buy more at a high price."

"Uncle Qing, could you make a list for me later? I'll go buy it directly."

"Row."

Taking a deep drag on his cigarette, Qin Dahe happily thought that he must bring back some big fish tomorrow to cook for his aunt.

Just then, Xiaoliu returned. Seeing him sitting on the balcony, she came over and chatted with him.

"I just met up with a friend in Huaqiangbei. Electronic products in Shenzhen are cheaper than I expected."

"You handle it. Everything is up to you." He waved his hand.

I really don't understand electronics, especially chips and drivers. Leave the professional stuff to the professionals.

"Dahe, what's going on here?" Uncle Qing asked curiously.

"Xiao Liu needs to purchase a batch of parts for making underwater cameras for fishing."

"Impressive! You even use these for fishing." Uncle Qing gave a thumbs up; his brother's nephew was indeed a resourceful person.

"Haha, it's mainly used for experimenting with bait. Selling it would be too expensive and not worth it."

"When the market is good again, I'll help you find suppliers, and we can definitely reduce costs."

Qin Dahe nodded to show his appreciation, but in reality, there was no need to find any suppliers.

With the development of technology, the iteration speed of various electronic products is astonishing. A few years later, MP3 players can be sold for tens of dollars each.

All we have to do is wait. The main reason for setting up underwater cameras now is for bait.

After chatting for a while, it was already past nine o'clock. The group took showers and went straight to bed.

The next morning, Xiao Liu drove his Crown out the door; he was about to get down to business.

After having breakfast at his uncle's house, Qin Dahe and Uncle Qing went down to the garage to pack their things.

"Well, this stuff is pretty good."

"I've caught a 200-pound fish before," Qin Dahe chuckled, starting to get his gear.

Following Uncle Qing's instructions, I brought two lure rods and twenty sets of number four and five hooks as leaders, but without any sinkers.

He had tied the hooks to the front of the hooks back in his hometown, specifically for sea fishing.

"what is this?"

"A fishing box, it can be used as a stool and also keeps things warm. The upper part can hold some simple fishing gear." As he spoke, he took one and handed it over.

Four fishing boxes were delivered by express. Uncle Qing will definitely give one away, and he can give one away to other friends if he makes any.

"Can it keep you warm?" Uncle Qing's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

"Yes, it keeps the heat in good condition. Here, take this."

"Haha, sea fishing really needs equipment like this. Sometimes the fish you catch in the morning go bad by the afternoon." He happily put the fishing box in the trunk of his car.

Sea fish are the most perishable, so having an insulated box is much better, and it can also be used as a retractable stool.

Qin Dahe, with his keen eye, noticed that the trunk of the BMW was piled with various fishing gear.

"What about this?" Uncle Qing asked, pointing to the metal box in the corner.

"This is a folding boat. I'm thinking of using it as a lure fishing boat so I can go fishing along the coast sometime." "..." That's incredibly daring.

They put their things directly into the trunk and then set off.

As soon as I stepped out of the residential area, the sunlight shone directly on the windshield, making it quite dazzling.

The car then drove to the city center and stopped in front of an outdoor equipment store.

"Go pick out two sets of sun-protective clothing first, otherwise you'll get sunburned. I'll wait in the car." If you're not there, you'll get a ticket.

"it is good."

After getting off the bus, Qin Dahe looked up and saw a sign that read MAMMUT.

Mammoth? I think that's what it was.

Once inside, a quick touch revealed the high-quality material.

It's sweat-wicking and breathable, made of the kind of lightweight fabric used in branded sportswear.

I chose two sets of well-fitting sun-protective clothing and also picked up a tool belt.

The belt has some buckles and a cloth cover, which can be used to store small tools.

"how much is it?"

"2700," the waiter said expressionlessly.

"Pay."

That's really expensive.

I thought Shenzhen was a cheap place, but I spent several thousand on a sun-protective shirt and a tool belt. I brought 15,000 with me today, and I still need to buy fishing gear.

After reluctantly paying the bill, I carried the clothes back to my car.

"Do you think it's expensive?" Uncle Qing joked.

"kind of."

"Let me tell you, everything else is passable, but if your sun protection clothing is poor, you'll get half-dead from the sun while fishing, and you won't feel comfortable either."

"Spending money is fine, as long as I can catch fish," Qin Dahe said excitedly.

Money can never be enough to buy fishing gear; once we have the means, we'll get a big yacht. Sun protection clothing is nothing compared to that.

Uncle Qing smiled and nodded, then stepped on the gas and drove to a large shop in the suburbs. There was also a large warehouse next to it, and many people were coming and going.

A semi-trailer truck was parked at the entrance of the warehouse, where netting was being installed.

Qin Dahe was slightly surprised to see that the half-hanging fishing net was a bit outrageous.

"This is a large purse seine, used by those offshore fishing boats. Come on, I'll take you to buy fishing gear."

After getting off the bus, I went straight to the store.

This was the first time Qin Dahe had ever seen such a large fishing tackle shop. It was filled with all kinds of fishing reels and rods, almost all of which were imported.

He even saw the Shimano suit he himself was using.

"These are all imported goods, but the prices are much cheaper in Shenzhen. This Shimano set is only 13,000 yuan."

"It's really cheap." The same equipment would cost at least 20,000 yuan in Shanghai.

After they came in, they were followed by a staff member. Even a small wheel cost several thousand yuan to buy; the items were very valuable.

Qin Dahe already has enough fishing rods and reels for rock fishing, so he came here mainly to buy accessories.

Fishing line, wire gloves, lure pliers, spinners, etc.

Actually, when lure fishing, he doesn't like using jigs or soft baits; he prefers live baits.

However, sea fishing is different from freshwater fishing; loaches die within minutes of being put into the sea.

As for other live marine baits, they are all more expensive than the last.

Live shrimp and white octopus cost tens of yuan per kilogram, but they all die after two hours of fishing at the beach, so it's better to just buy them and eat them directly.

"Want to try beach long-distance throwing?" Uncle Qing asked.

"About how far?" Qin Dahe's heart skipped a beat when he heard this. He usually only fished fifty or sixty meters at most when lure fishing, and he had never tried long-distance casting on the beach.

"You can catch big fish at a depth of over 100 meters or even 200 meters, but it's tiring."

"Go for it." Throwing it over a hundred meters is simply terrifying.

He's not a professional lure angler; he just occasionally catches some good catches like mandarin fish and mandarin fish for fun. Unfortunately, the Yuxi River doesn't have enough resources, so he's never had a big catch.

Hearing that long-distance casting from the beach could reach over 100 meters, I was immediately intrigued.

"Hehe, here's a set for you as a greeting gift." With that, Uncle Qing took a set for himself.

"For long-distance casting on the beach, a shallow spool is used, and the fishing rod also needs to be a bit longer."

While explaining, the two took a bunch of things to the bar to pay.

"18,500, 5% off if you're a member."

Qin Dahe had wanted to pay the bill, but when he heard the price, he immediately lost his temper, realizing he hadn't brought enough money with him.

A cash-based society is a hassle. If you go to a big shopping mall, you have to carry a bag full of cash. No wonder there are so many robberies these days.

Uncle Qing told him to wait there while he went to the car to get the money. What kind of good person would carry tens of thousands of yuan in their pocket?

"I'll pay 10,000 first, and my uncle will pay the rest later," he said quickly as he saw the person leave.

How could anyone really ask someone to pay over ten thousand? That's too much.

I'll have to reciprocate later. Uncle Qing may have taken care of me, but I can't accept it all without question.

Even with the influence of his maternal uncle, he couldn't shamelessly enjoy these benefits.

The main issue is the high cost of reels and fishing rods. Beach casting requires high-level skills and is a niche hobby in China, so the equipment prices are naturally high.

When Uncle Qing returned, he learned that he had already paid 10,000 yuan, but he didn't say much.

It's already 9:30, and the newly bought wheels still need to be put online; there's no time to waste.

I stepped on the gas again and arrived at Yantian Wharf. I came here to buy bait.

I got some sandworms and small sword shrimp, and also bought a shrimp brick. These cost over a hundred yuan. It was my first time rock fishing, so I was definitely going to spend a lot.

Shrimp bricks are used for baiting. Today, in addition to long-distance casting, we also have rock fishing.

The owner also gave us ice cubes, and Uncle Qing, a regular customer, happily accepted them and put them in his fishing box.

"I must say, this thing is really useful. It can help keep the fish fresh after you catch them." Uncle Qing looked at the fishing box with great interest.

Anglers always look forward to new equipment, even if it inevitably ends up gathering dust.

"It's alright, it's just a little tiring to carry."

It contained fishing line and other accessories, as well as ice and other bait, weighing over ten kilograms.

"We'll go over to the greenhouse later and harvest some more oysters or mussels, that should be enough."

"Row."

As the car passed Yantian Wharf, we could see people fishing at sea.

However, boats come and go frequently here, so you don't even need to fish to know there aren't many fish by the sea.

Further ahead is Dameisha, where the artificial beach is quite beautiful.

　I'm currently at the hospital taking care of a patient, so updates will be less frequent these past few days. Please forgive me.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)