Beachcombing: The beach is full of amazing seafood, but my wife won't let me get out of bed!

Wu Gang was squatting by the national highway at the entrance of the village, with cigarette butts scattered at his feet. When he saw Wu Sui come out, he quickly went to greet him.

"Second brother, why are you taking so long to come out? The car has already gone twice."

"I talked to Xiaoxue about something. Let's go to town and catch the bus."

The two brothers arrived in town and boarded a minibus to the county.

The bus was packed with people. Wu Gang helped Wu Sui squeeze into the back row and sit down, his hand intentionally or unintentionally protecting Wu Sui's pocket.

He had a bank card in there, but even though the money was in the card, he still felt uneasy.

"Second brother, how much does this 17-meter-long boat cost? Are we really going to buy a new one?" Wu Gang asked in a low voice.

"Buy a new one. Second-hand boats have many problems. We'll be going out to sea frequently in the future, and we can't afford to be anchored at sea."

Looking at the scenery rushing past the window, Wu Sui said, "Don't worry about the money. Let's figure out the market situation first."

After a bumpy ride of more than an hour, the two got off the bus at the gate of the county shipyard.

This shipyard is located by the bay and is quite large.

Wu Gang looked at the imposing iron gate and felt a little intimidated, so he rubbed his hands together.

"Second brother, this place looks pretty secure, how do we get in?"

Wu Sui didn't reply and went straight to the window of the guard room.

Inside sat an old man in blue overalls, drinking tea and reading a newspaper from an enamel mug.

Wu Sui knocked on the glass.

The old man didn't even lift his eyelids, and waved his hand.

"Who are you looking for? No outsiders allowed."

Wu Sui took a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, slipped it through the crack in the window, and pushed it to the old man's side.

"Sir, I have something to ask you."

The old man caught a glimpse of the red color out of the corner of his eye and paused.

He put down the enamel mug, pushed the newspaper aside, and casually swept the pack of Zhonghua cigarettes into the drawer, a smile immediately spreading across his face.

"Young man, what are you asking about? There's nothing in this factory that I, Lao Liang, don't know."

"Grandpa, my brother and I want to buy a boat, about 17 meters long. Do you have any in stock at the factory?" Wu Sui handed him a cigarette.

Grandpa Liang took the light, took a deep breath, and exhaled a puff of smoke.

"In stock? What are you thinking, young man?"

"The seafood market is booming right now, and wealthy people from all around are coming to order boats. The shipyards are working non-stop and can't keep up with the demand."

"To be honest, the order backlog is so long that it's booked until next spring."

"If you really want to buy, you need to hurry to the office building to find Manager Liu, pay the deposit, and get a number. If you're even a day late, you'll have to wait an extra month or two."

Upon hearing this, Wu Gang became anxious.

"What? The schedule goes until next spring? Are we supposed to starve for the next six months?"

Wu Sui patted his older brother on the shoulder, signaling him not to rush.

"Thanks, sir. Which office is Manager Liu in?"

"Turn left after entering, it's the last room on the second floor," Grandpa Liang pointed in the direction.

The two brothers entered the office building and found Manager Liu's office.

The door was open, and a chubby middle-aged man was sitting behind his desk, making a phone call.

Wu Sui knocked on the door.

Manager Liu hung up the phone and looked the two of them up and down.

Wu Gang was wearing a faded old T-shirt, and Wu Sui was dressed in ordinary clothes, looking like an ordinary fisherman.

"Buy a boat?" Manager Liu leaned back in his chair, twirling the ballpoint pen in his hand.

"Yes, over 17 meters." Wu Sui pulled out a chair and sat down with an air of authority.

"There are no ships available right now. If you want to order one, you need to pay a deposit of 20,000 yuan, and the ship will be delivered next March," Manager Liu said dismissively.

"March next year is too late. Manager Liu, we were introduced by General Manager Wang, could you perhaps make an exception?"

Manager Liu looked at Wu Sui with a puzzled expression: "General Manager Wang? Wang Yongfa?"

"Yes, yes, it's Brother Wang. He said you're a generous person and a good friend of his, so he'll definitely be able to help us think of a solution."

Manager Liu raised his hand and pointed at him, his attitude immediately changing.

"You kid, since you were introduced by Boss Wang, I won't lie to you, the order book is indeed full right now."

"Can I pay more?"

Manager Liu re-examined the young man in front of him, his tone teasing.

"Wow, young man, you've got quite the nerve. A 17-meter boat, with a wooden frame and iron lining, costs around 160,000 yuan, while an all-steel one starts at 220,000 yuan. Which one are you planning to buy?"

Wu Gang, listening nearby, kept clicking his tongue in disbelief.

Two hundred and twenty thousand!

That's enough to build a two-story villa in the village!

"Are there any better materials?" Wu Sui didn't even hesitate. "17.5 meters, and the width needs to be sufficient."

Manager Liu sat up straight.

"Yes, we do have fiberglass, but it's quite expensive."

"But you're lucky."

"A businessman from the city ordered a 17.5-meter boat, which was originally scheduled for delivery at the end of next month, but he decided not to take it."

"The hull is almost finished welding; all that's left is to install the equipment and interior."

"If you want it, a deposit of 100,000 is required, and the full amount is 280,000. We guarantee you can drive it away by the end of next month."

"Two hundred and eighty thousand?!" Wu Gang exclaimed in surprise. "Didn't you just say two hundred and twenty thousand?"

Manager Liu curled his lip.

"Brother, that's just the starting price. If you want to go fishing at sea, you'll need an engine, and a net-hauling machine, won't you?"

"This 280,000 yuan comes with a Weichai engine and a domestically produced winch, which is considered a mid-range configuration."

Wu Sui waved his hand.

"Manager Liu, could you show me a configuration list? What good stuff can be fitted on a ship these days?"

Manager Liu opened the drawer, took out a form, and handed it over.

"They're all here, you can choose for yourselves."

Wu Sui took the form; he could roughly understand what was on it.

"Manager Liu, can you give me the real answer? What's the maximum horsepower this Weichai engine can produce?"

"A 6160 engine, 250 horsepower, that's the maximum. Any bigger and this 17-meter boat can't handle it."

"Okay, this is it, I need two units." Wu Sui made the decision immediately.

Manager Liu was stunned.

"Two engines? Dude, two engines consume a lot of fuel, and the cost will skyrocket."

"When operating at sea, having two aircraft ensures safety. If one fails, there's a backup, so you won't be caught off guard."

Wu Sui continued looking at the table.

"Don't give me a cheap domestic brand for this net-hauling machine. Give me a hydraulic one with strong pulling force, so it won't be too difficult to pull up when we get to the sea."

"We need radar too; we can't go out to sea at night like blind men."

Every time Wu Sui pointed out something different, Wu Gang's heart would tremble.

He leaned close to Wu Sui's ear, his voice trembling.

"Second brother, are you crazy? How much does this cost? Can't we just buy a wooden one with iron lining and make do?"

"Brother, the sea is rough, and wooden boats are not durable. This fiberglass boat is sturdy and has good equipment, so we can catch fish more efficiently," Wu Sui reassured him.

Manager Liu was standing next to him, typing away on a calculator.

The more he calculated, the wider his smile became.

"Brother, you know your stuff. All of what you ordered is top-of-the-line."

"I'll give you a fair price..."

Manager Liu pressed the equals sign.

"Three hundred and sixty-five thousand, rounded down, three hundred and sixty thousand!"

Wu Gang felt his vision go black, his legs went weak, and he almost couldn't stand up.