Reborn in the Millennium: Building a Fortune from Fishing

Chapter 543 Public Security Issues
Generally speaking, the fish caught by rock fishing in nearshore waters are not very large; four or five pounds is considered a giant.

Moreover, grouper is extremely rare. A dozen or so people fished here for an entire tide and only caught five grouper, two of which were small grouper.

The main catches are rockfish, mudskipper, and black sea bream; these are the three types that most people catch.

After the tide receded, someone actually wanted to buy the conger eel, offering 500 yuan on the spot.

Qin Dahe thought for a moment and decided to sell them directly. He had eaten quite a lot of eel, so he would just try black sea bream and rock bream today. Anyway, he had enough to eat, and seafood wouldn't taste good if left until tomorrow.

The person who bought the eel paid and started packing up, and the others did the same.

They've been here for most of the day just to wait for this tide so they can finish fishing.

"The river is gone."

"You're not going to fish anymore?"

"That's enough. We've made a fortune today, so let's not ruin the fish," Uncle Qing chuckled.

The bait is used up, so if I want to fish again, I have to catch oysters and mussels. That's what I do when there aren't many fish biting.

Today he caught a green-spotted cat, two yellow-legged cats, and quite a few stone gobies; his harvest was already very good.

"Let's go eat first, aren't you hungry?" It was already 2 p.m., which meant that the fishermen present hadn't eaten for almost seven or eight hours.

Hearing this, Qin Dahe felt his stomach burning.

"Come on, I need to eat something first." He hurriedly packed his things.

The fishing box also contained the catch and ice, and it was incredibly heavy.

Carrying a lot of stuff while walking down the street, my legs felt a little weak; I was really hungry.

With difficulty, I carried the things to the side of the car, and then, holding onto the car door, went inside to get the food.

After searching for a while, he finally found a piece of chocolate. "Uncle Qing, do you want some?"

"Never mind, you eat it." Seeing Qin Dahe's eyes practically glowing with hunger, he felt too embarrassed to take food from his junior.

I was so focused on fishing today that I forgot to prepare any food. What a mistake!

Start the car and hurry up and find a place to eat.

After swallowing a piece of chocolate, Qin Dahe, who had regained some energy, immediately perked up.

"When should we come tomorrow?" Sea fishing is really fun; there are many kinds of fish, and the prices are high.

I only caught a little over ten pounds today, and I sold one sea eel for 500 yuan. I still have quite a few fish left.

"The tide will be at nine o'clock tomorrow, so let's set off early."

Uncle Qing was also starving, so he sped off to a noodle shop in the city and hurriedly ordered two bowls of noodles from the owner.

Then we ordered roast goose. The noodles with roast goose were very satisfying.

After finishing a bowl of noodles, the two felt a bit better. But the roast goose was really delicious, and it even came with a spicy dipping sauce, which was nothing like the Cantonese style.

There are far more people from other places than locals in Shenzhen, so it's normal for the cuisines to be different.

"Let me tell you, your uncle also likes this roast goose. We sometimes come here to eat when we work late at night."

"I still crave it after I finish eating." Qin Dahe also thought the roast goose was delicious, especially the spicy one.

A little bit of chili on top gives it a special aroma, so I just asked the owner for half of it to take home.

"Go back and put the fish away first, then I'll take you to the company to complete your onboarding process." It's not really a problem if the big boss's nephew doesn't show up; I'm just taking him for a look around.

After driving back to the residential area, the two did not go upstairs first, but instead used a water gun to wash their fishing gear.

Freshwater is fine, but seawater is extremely corrosive. You have to rinse it off and let it air dry after fishing.

Qin Dahe already has shelves in his garage, so Uncle Qing simply stored his fishing gear there too, since he'll be coming back to fish tomorrow morning.

Getting two days off for no reason is pretty great, he's definitely going to fish to his heart's content.

After rinsing the fishing gear, Qin Dahe took the seafood and roast goose for the two of them upstairs. The seafood needed to be stored in the refrigerator, otherwise it would easily spoil. They could get it back later.

My uncle's investment company is located in Nanshan. The scenery along the way is quite nice.

When we passed by Window of the World, Uncle Qing told him to go and have some fun when he had time.

Qin Dahe had already been to these places. No matter how prosperous they were, they couldn't compare to Shenzhen twenty years later, so he wouldn't find them special.

We'll wait for our family to come over and take them for a few walks, so the two little ones can broaden their horizons.

The two men in the car talked about fishing and topics that would have resulted in beheadings in ancient times. Eventually, they started talking about the development of Shenzhen.

"Let me tell you, ever since that fire, there's been a sudden surge in the number of people doing business here," Uncle Qing said meaningfully.

"Isn't that just in time?" Qin Dahe said with a smile.

With one of the four special economic zones abolished, the remaining three naturally received a significant share of resources.

As the former first special economic zone, the place with the largest number of overseas Chinese, it boasts an astonishing abundance of industries and resources.

It's not just Shenzhen; Zhuhai and Xiamen are the same, all of which have become incredibly wealthy due to the fire.

My uncle and his family have their own guesses about the specific reasons, and they've discussed them quite a bit in private, but they've kept it a secret from the public.

As long as they get the benefits, that's fine. According to Uncle Qing, a large number of startups are approaching them every month seeking investment.

There is also a large amount of capital seeking to acquire shares in investment companies at a premium.

It's not just about money; these investors will also provide corresponding resources, making it a great time to showcase their talents.

After hearing all that, Qin Dahe understood that they wanted him to stay.

Not only the eldest uncle, but all these shareholders also want to develop their businesses in Shenzhen.

His track record is impressive; a navigation website and a QQ account increased the valuation of the investment company several dozen times.

They're still negotiating the transfer of QQ shares, and I heard the price won't be less than 90 million.

But his heart wasn't in that field. He went to the company and told his uncle the truth. He wrote down his ideas for subsequent projects.

The BMW entered the underground parking garage of a large shopping mall and then took the elevator to the fifteenth floor.

Upon entering, you'll find yourself in a typical office building, bustling with people coming and going.

The investment company occupied a quarter of the corner, which is not small in Shenzhen, a place where land is extremely valuable.

The receptionist was a pretty young woman, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and a short skirt; she was very fashionable.

"Xiao Qing, this is my eldest brother's nephew. Please register him and issue him an access card."

"Okay, Mr. Qing." The young woman glanced at him in surprise. The boss's nephew was quite handsome, except for his darker complexion.

"General Manager Qing?" Qin Dahe asked curiously. Uncle Qing's surname should be Li, right?
"Hehe, there are already four Mr. Lis on this floor, I'm too lazy to call one of them." Uncle Qing waved his hand, letting the matter drop.

These days, even selling tea eggs is considered having a boss, and renting an office building means having a bunch of "general managers" and "general managers." In Shenzhen, you could smash several "General Manager Li"s with a single brick, but he'd rather not be called that.

After registering, the receptionist took the form and went out to process the access card.

"Come on, let me show you around."

There weren't many people inside; the corridor was empty. Uncle Qing explained why.

The marketing department is rarely in the office; they are almost always out on field trips, occasionally bringing back data to summarize and discuss with their investment department.

These individuals are responsible for conducting background investigations and risk assessments of the project, and are led by another shareholder.

There were people in the legal and finance departments, with the legal department being the busiest. When I passed by, the three of them were busy printing documents. Uncle Qing went up to greet them, but was kicked out.

“Every investment requires reviewing a large number of documents and writing contracts ourselves. This is the busiest department in the company,” he said sheepishly.

These scoundrels have visibly aged since joining the company, and no one can criticize them. "Your uncle and I are in charge of the investment department, which is also the core department of the company. If you come in, our work will be much easier."

As they spoke, the two entered a large office, where there were four or five people.

My uncle was talking to someone when he saw the two of them and greeted them.

"Come and sit down, everyone. This is my nephew, Qin Dahe. He provided the suggestions for the navigation website and QQ." The uncle directly took credit for it.

He certainly deserves some credit, but knowing how to make money and carry it out takes time and effort; that's just putting on an pedestal.

"Hello everyone, just call me Xiao Qin." He politely offered cigarettes to everyone, the soft Zhonghua brand he brought this time was a last-minute purchase.

The large office was filled with smoke, and everyone there was a heavy smoker. He even lit a cigarette for his uncle before starting to smoke himself.

"Don't rush into hiring, Dahe. Help me take a look at this batch of proposals and see what's useful." My uncle smiled and handed me a form.

"My opinion is for reference only," he said modestly before taking the form.

Everyone is quite curious about him. President Ye had mentioned this nephew a long time ago, and two projects directly propelled the company to new heights.

Like Qing Zong, his complexion was slightly bronze-black, probably from sun exposure.

His demeanor is calm yet capable, giving the impression that he is someone who can get things done.

Qin Dahe has always had this image: short hair, smart attire, and a decisive and efficient demeanor. When it comes to business matters, he always resolves them as quickly as possible.

Of course, when he went fishing, he changed his attitude completely, even becoming more boisterous than the average young man.

"Music has potential, but we need to add ringback tone services." After looking at the rest, I wasn't sure if the others would be useful, so I didn't comment on them.

He recognized the name of the music website; it must have made money before and wouldn't be losing money in the short term.

"Callback ringback service?"

"It's just a paid ringtone. It already exists overseas, and it will definitely be promoted in China in the future. I'll write you a report on the details later." That's all nonsense.

There's no such thing as a report. His suggestions are all about killing without taking responsibility, guaranteeing profits but not industry background checks.

If I remember correctly, the ringback tone service will take off in the next couple of years, so it's not too late to start investing in music websites now.

After he finished speaking, he watched his uncle and the others discuss, occasionally sharing some more mature experiences from twenty years later.

For example, when everyone wanted to invest heavily in a portal website, Qin Dahe suggested that it was a sunset industry, and that even the fact that the three major websites had gone public could not hide this truth.

Portal websites are all about hype and lots of content, but their built-in forums and blogs get more traffic than the main site, so there's practically no room for profit.

In other words, the proportion of people engaged in online cultural activities is relatively large now, which makes it easier for everyone to read the news.

With the widespread adoption of the internet, these portal websites simply cannot compete with functional websites.

The fact that Sohu went public in 00 and is still losing money speaks volumes.

As he spoke, he began to write and draw on the blackboard, like a lecturer, and began to describe the next big trend.

Although my uncle's shareholding is not large, he can still maximize his profits, so there's no need to hide anything.

The focus was on two sectors: vertical social networking and gaming. Music wasn't mentioned much at the moment, but it's something that can make a lot of money by seizing the opportunity presented by ringback tones.

"You were really good at giving Pony the idea to create a forum; now she's really making a name for herself." Thinking about this, Uncle felt a little depressed.

QQ has such a high level of execution. As soon as Qin Dahe made the suggestion, they immediately produced an experimental version.

Using social media to drive traffic has proven quite effective, attracting a large amount of niche traffic.

"Who knew you guys would quit?" He chuckled and started talking about the game again.

Uncle Qing and the others didn't look too good either. Baidu Tieba has a lot of traffic; you could support a company with it, and they just handed it over like that.

Investment companies are not short of money right now. They will sell their QQ shares soon and their accounts will even be overflowing with funds. What they lack are projects.

"I go to internet cafes a lot, and every time I go in, the largest crowd is always people playing games. I'm sure there's potential in gaming in the future."

"Single-player games?" my uncle asked, frowning. In the last two years, Counter-Strike and Warcraft have been quite popular, especially overseas.

The current internet is essentially a copy of foreign experiences, such as portal websites, early blogs, and now many companies are betting on single-player games.

"A pirated floppy disk costs a few dollars, who would buy the genuine version?" Qin Dahe curled his lip and started talking about online games.

He's been playing Legend of Mir for years and has a deep understanding of it; he's made a fortune off of it.

Even if they quit the game for many years and get older, there are still countless private servers waiting for this group of middle-aged people. Selling nostalgia can always accurately target these idiots.

After the meeting, the father and son chatted idly in the office.

That's enough bragging; there's no point in continuing.

Qin Dahe stated directly that he would not stay in Shenzhen for long, and would only come to visit for one or two months at most each year.

"When I get home, I'll set up a dedicated line so I can access the internet every day. I can send you any suggestions directly to my email."

"Alright then." Although it was a pity, his nephew had always been like this, so he didn't say anything more. "How was the fishing trip today?"

"The catch was alright. I brought back two black sea bream, one mudskipper, and some rock bream." Qin Dahe immediately perked up when talking about fishing. "I also sold an eel. I've made quite a few friends by the sea."

"Hehe, it's good to have more fun, just don't bring random people along, especially pretty women."

"No, I can't do that."

"I'm not talking about that, but be careful if someone asks for your help. The security in the suburbs of Shenzhen isn't that good," my uncle warned.

Having lived in Shenzhen for so many years, he has witnessed many serious public security problems.

For example, cases like the Six Witches case and the beheading case, while gunshots are rare, knives are quite common.

Especially in recent years, with the popularity of the "Young and Dangerous" DVDs, the joint defense team has frequently gone out to arrest people.

"I know that there are border guards and customs at places where you can fish, so there shouldn't be any problems." Including the place where I fished today, coast guard boats come by from time to time to prevent anyone from smuggling goods ashore.

"That's true. They're cracking down on smuggling very strictly now." The uncle nodded. His nephew was a strong, healthy adult man; as long as he was careful, there shouldn't be any major problems.

Then the uncle called the finance department over, because the valuation of the fishing gear company was not yet finalized, and Qin Dahe needed to provide some data himself.

This report is not only for my own reading, but also for the people of Fuchuan, so it needs to be done professionally.

Once the valuation is finalized, we can begin negotiations with Liu Cixin's side.

Qin Dahe only needs to set a bottom line; he can do whatever he wants with the rest.

What he wants is technology, to develop bighead carp fishing rods; the joint venture status doesn't add any benefit to the sales of silver carp and bighead carp bait.

The main source of profit right now is still silver carp and bighead carp bait.

"Is there a general valuation range?" Qin Dahe asked curiously.

The data you sent last time was quite detailed.

"Seventeen million, or even a little higher, the exact amount will depend on the accounting firm's analysis," the finance department manager said politely.

Valuing real businesses is quite complicated, and they are uncertain about it; a joint report from an institution is needed.

"Thank you."

Seventeen million is a fair figure. If fishing for silver carp and bighead carp weren't so easily affected by temperature, one could easily earn over three million this year.

It's pretty much settled now. Apart from silver carp and bighead carp bait, other fishing gear is selling well, and we've ordered another batch of fishing boxes.

We sold about 900 out of 1,000 fishing boxes, which is an amazing sales performance.

The Diaoyutai platform is selling poorly. The first batch of inventory has just been cleared out, the second batch has been shipped out, and the rest will be produced next year.

The factory should be completed in November, and the next production should begin in the spring of the following year. By then, the shareholding issue should be settled.

(End of this chapter)