The entire ocean is my fishing ground.

He grabbed the phone from the table and yelled.

"Old Wang, where's your blockade?! I told you to cut off all his styrofoam boxes, where did you cut them off to?!"

On the other end of the phone, the CEO of Tianhai Group stammered, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

"Mr. Li... Mr. Li, something's fishy about this. I can guarantee that not a single screw has been sold to any of the custom-made foam box factories in the entire province..."

"Screw your nonsense!"

Unable to bear it any longer, Li Jiande slammed his phone against the opposite mahogany wall, shattering the screen.

......

Jinlin Pavilion is a restaurant owned by the Li family.

Tonight, almost half of the prominent figures in the provincial capital have arrived, all waiting for the Li family's once-a-year Golden Scale Banquet.

Li Jiande rushed back to the restaurant, where the head steward was waiting anxiously at the entrance, pacing back and forth.

"Master, you're finally back."

The steward was covered in sweat.

"The kitchen...the kitchen is in complete chaos."

At this moment, the head chef of the Li family was pointing at several half-dead farmed groupers in the water tank, slamming his wok down with a loud bang.

"This is bullying! This is outrageous!"

The head chef's eyes were bloodshot as he roared at the group of cooks.

"Bringing this thing to the Golden Carp Banquet? This is going to ruin the Li family's reputation, which has been built up over a hundred years! Let me tell you, anyone who dares to touch this fish today, I'll be the first to fight them to the death!"

This is what Li Jiande saw when he rushed into the kitchen.

"Use...use something else instead."

His throat was incredibly dry.

The head chef turned around, saw him, and gave a cold laugh.

"Sir, our distinguished guest tonight has specifically requested wild yellow croaker and grouper. What would you like me to substitute? Beef or foie gras?"

Li Jiande couldn't utter a single word.

News soon came from the front hall.

A rather influential bank president, upon hearing that there were no live seafood options for tonight, remarked, "The Li family's banquets are getting worse every year," and left without a word.

Then, another high-ranking official in charge of urban construction also found an excuse and left with his men.

As he left, he patted the head steward on the shoulder and said with a smile.

"Old Zhang, tell your boss, Mr. Li, that I'll treat him to dinner at Dingfulou sometime when I'm free. I heard they have some new grouper that arrived today, and it's absolutely delicious."

The chief steward's face turned pale instantly.

Within two hours, eight tables at Jinlinge were canceled. The guests who had been smiling just moments before were leaving faster and faster than the last.

Li Jiande slumped in his office chair, listening to the constant unsubscription notifications on the phone, completely dejected.

"master......"

The head steward suggested in a low voice.

"How about... we think of another way? We can source some goods from other channels?"

Li Jiande gave a wry smile.

Other channels?

Now everyone in the province knows that the source of high-end live seafood has been seized by a young man named Lin Chen.

At this point, who would dare to have goods? Who would dare to sell goods to Li Jiande?

......

Huangni Village Wharf.

The sea breeze was salty and pungent, and a few yellow lights shone on the deck of the Pioneer.

Lin Chen sat on a small stool, slowly turning over the oysters on the grill in front of him.

The oysters sizzled as they were grilled, and the aroma of minced garlic wafted far and wide.

Zhou Dazhuang was fiddling with a new set of tools while discussing upgrade plans for the cold chain warehouse with Lin Chen.

Sun Heizi excitedly ran back from the shore, waving his phone in his hand.

His voice arrived before he did.

"Brother Chen, big news!"

"The Li family's Golden Pavilion got its tables overturned tonight. I heard several big shots left on the spot. That's so damn satisfying!"

As Sun Heizi spoke, he snatched a freshly grilled oyster from Lin Chen's hand, grimacing from the heat but unwilling to spit it out.

"Also, several purchasing agents who used to fawn over the Li family have been secretly calling Hengda Cold Chain to sound them out."

Lin Chen picked up a bottle of beer, took a sip, and his face remained expressionless.

"No rush."

He looked at the dark sea.

"Let the bullets fly a little longer."

Then, he looked at Zhou Dazhuang.

"Pass down the word: from this moment on, the Li family will not be allowed to take a single live shrimp from us in any of their businesses."

"Okay, Brother Chen."

Zhou Dazhuang nodded.

......

At night, a black Maybach was parked quietly on the road not far from the dock.

The car lights were off.

Tang Zhen sat in the back row, clutching the intelligence his secretary had just delivered, his back covered in cold sweat.

There are two pieces of intelligence: one is that Dingfulou has been brought back to life, and the other is that all the guests at Jinlinge have left.

Tang Zhen suddenly felt a wave of fear.

He had previously considered betting on both sides, but now he realized that his little bit of cleverness was a joke in front of Lin Chen.

Will Li Jiande's fate be Tang Zhen's tomorrow?

No, we can't wait any longer.

Tang Zhen flung open the car door and yelled at the driver, "To Huangni Village, right now!"

......

It's 11 p.m.

The last guest also left, and Jinlin Pavilion fell completely silent.

Looking at the empty hall, Li Jiande suddenly aged ten years.

He knew he had lost.

"Prepare the car."

He gritted his teeth and squeezed out two words.

"Go to the safe in my study and take that box of wild ginseng and the two million cash check with you."

At Huangni Village Wharf, the sea breeze howls.

The searchlights on the Pioneer illuminated the sea in front of the ship.

Lin Chen was still sitting on that bamboo chair, as if he was waiting for someone.

A Mercedes and a Maybach stopped at the dock entrance at almost the same time.

Tang Zhen didn't get out of the car. He rolled down the window and stared intently at the Mercedes from the shadows.

The car door opened, and Li Jiande got out.

He carried a heavy sandalwood box in his hand, his feet sinking into the wet sand.

At this moment, he was hunched over, and every step he took was very difficult.

He walked to the bow of the ship and looked up at the young figure on the deck.

Sun Heizi stepped forward, blocking the gangway entrance, and let out a cold snort.

Li Jiande's body stiffened.

Under the watchful gaze of the Maybach not far away, and with his driver looking on in astonishment, he bent down.

He held the wooden box and the check high above his head with both hands.

"Mr. Lin... Mr. Lin."

His voice trembled violently in the wind.

"I was wrong."

"I shouldn't have been so blinded by greed and joined forces with Tianhai Group to carry out this blockade."

"Please, Mr. Lin... have mercy and give the Li family a way out."

On the deck, Lin Chen didn't move an inch.

He glanced sideways at what Li Jiande was holding, his tone cold.

"If you want to get more stock, that's fine."

Li Jiande suddenly looked up, a glimmer of hope appearing in his eyes.

"But the price will be increased by 50% on top of the original price."

Li Jiande's face twitched.

"In addition, we will sign a ten-year exclusive supply agreement. Longji Fresh will be the only supplier for your Li family."

After Lin Chen finished speaking, a contract was thrown off the deck and floated down to Li Jiande's feet.

Li Jiande was trembling all over. He stared intently at the contract, his teeth grinding together.

Once the agreement is signed, the Li family will become Lin Chen's vassal.

If they don't sign, the Li family will be completely unable to survive in the provincial capital's catering industry after tonight.

Li Jiande picked up the contract with trembling hands, took out a pen from his pocket, and wrote his name where he was supposed to sign.

Inside the Maybach, hidden in the shadows, Tang Zhen witnessed it all firsthand.

He felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight up to the top of his head.

Li Jiande knelt down.

All those thoughts of checks and balances and gamesmanship in Tang Zhen's mind were crushed to dust at this moment.

He had only one idea.

Tomorrow morning—no, right now—he was going to deliver everything the Marriott Hotel could and couldn't give to Lin Chen.

He wanted Lin Chen to know that he, Tang Zhen, was willing to be an obedient and useful dog.