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

Upon hearing this, the manager quickly invited the two into the VIP room.

"Please wait a moment, I'll go and fetch Mr. Feng right away."

A few minutes later, General Manager Feng pushed open the door and came in.

"Lin Tao, it's been a long time."

Mr. Feng was a middle-aged man in his forties, chubby, and looked very kind, with a smile on his face.

"Mr. Feng, it's been a while since you've bought seafood. Do you look down on my little purchasing station?"

"Hahaha...you kid, I've been busy with my daughter's engagement lately, I don't have time."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, General Manager Feng invited them to sit down and personally brewed a pot of tea.

"So, what brings you here today? Did you manage to get your hands on some good stuff?"

Mr. Feng is a shrewd person; he knew that Lin Tao had brought people with him and was definitely not there for idle chatter.

Without wasting any words, Wu Sui took out the cloth bag, placed it on the coffee table, and slowly untied it.

Mr. Feng, who had been smiling, suddenly leaned forward when he saw the contents of the cloth bag.

"Oyster pearls?"

He quickly took out a white velvet plate and a magnifying glass from the drawer.

"Brother Wu, would you mind if I took a closer look?"

"Please go ahead."

Mr. Feng poured the beads into a velvet dish, picked up a magnifying glass, and examined them one by one.

He looked at them very slowly, dividing the beads into several piles as he looked.

The VIP room was very quiet; the only sound was the beading of Mr. Feng's fingers.

It took more than ten minutes before Mr. Feng put down the magnifying glass and rubbed his eyes.

"Brother Wu, this batch of goods of yours is of good quality."

He pointed to several piles of beads that had been separated from the velvet tray.

"When it comes to pearls, the most important factors are size, roundness, and luster."

"Most of your beads are very regular in shape and have a bright luster."

He picked out the three beads that were the most vibrant in color, the largest in size, and the roundest in shape.

"These three are top-quality stones; they would be excellent for making pendants or setting in rings."

Mr. Feng picked up his teacup, took a sip, and pondered for a moment.

"I'll buy these three at 3000 each."

Lin Tao, listening nearby, kept swallowing hard.

Three for 9000 yuan? That's money coming in too fast.

Mr. Feng pointed to the remaining large pile.

"The remaining ones vary in quality; some have slight flaws, and others are a bit dark in color."

"I just calculated it, and it ranges from several hundred to two thousand."

He took the calculator, added up the prices one by one, and finally pushed the calculator in front of Wu Sui.

"A total of 31 pieces, priced at 49800 yuan."

General Manager Feng looked up at Wu Sui.

"Brother Wu, let me round it up to 50000 yuan, how about that?"

Wu Sui was somewhat disappointed. He had thought he could sell it for around 100,000 yuan, but it only fetched half the price.

But thinking about it, it's only 2000 now, unlike later years when jewelry prices were driven up very high.

This price is really outrageous.

He nodded readily: "Mr. Feng is so straightforward, then we'll do as you say."

General Manager Feng laughed heartily: "Good, I like dealing with straightforward people like Brother Wu."

He called the finance department and transferred 50,000 yuan directly to Wu Sui's card.

Seeing the transfer notification on her phone, Wu Sui felt much more at ease.

With the money from selling the dragonfish, one-third of the remaining payment for the boat has been settled.

"Brother Wu, if you ever come across anything good in the future, whether it's pearls or top-quality seafood, think of me first. I'll definitely offer you a price you'll be satisfied with."

"Definitely, definitely."

The two left the jewelry store; the sun was almost setting.

Lin Tao opened the car door and joked, "Let's go, Boss Wu. You've made so much money today, you have to treat me to a good meal when we get back to town, right?"

Wu Sui got into the car and handed him a cigarette: "Brother Tao thinks highly of me, so I have to eat this meal."

Lin Tao smiled, raised his hand and tapped him, then drove towards the town.

"Brother Tao, you have a lot of connections, can you help me find out something?"

"What's wrong?" Lin Tao asked, puzzled.

"I'd like to rent a boat in town, or buy a reliable secondhand one. Do you have any connections?"

"You want to rent a boat? Doesn't your village have boats?"

Wu Sui sighed: "Don't even mention it. I had a bit of an unpleasant encounter with someone at the dock this morning, so I guess we won't be able to rent any boats from the village."

Lin Tao didn't take it seriously. They were all just trying to make a living at sea, and those with good tempers were just bullied.

He only cares about not losing out in a conflict; he's too lazy to ask any other questions.

"Renting a boat isn't difficult; there are plenty of idle boats at the town's docks."

"However, the secondhand ship market is fraught with pitfalls, and it's easy to get ripped off."

He stroked his chin and thought for a moment.

"If you really need it urgently, I do think of a way."

Wu Sui's eyes lit up: "What kind of connection?"

Lin Tao smiled and waved his hand: "It's not a secret. Do you know the Maritime Bureau's compound at the real dock?"

"I heard there's a boat that's been moored there, probably because it's unwanted."

"It's a pure steel boat, but it's a bit small and can't trawle. If you want it, I can ask around for you."

Wu Sui looked somewhat embarrassed when he heard the name of the Maritime Safety Administration.

He bought this courtyard, and no one except his family knew about it.

If someone were to say now that they've already bought that courtyard, it would sound a bit pretentious.

But if we don't tell him, Lin Tao will feel uneasy about it later.

Lin Tao gripped the steering wheel, still talking non-stop.

"Ah Sui, let me tell you, that boat may not be big, but it's definitely a good thing."

"It's made of pure steel, much sturdier than a wooden boat."

"It's been sitting in that dilapidated yard of the Maritime Bureau for half a year, exposed to the wind and sun. I reckon if you go and negotiate, you can get it for very little money."

He glanced at Wu Sui and saw that Wu Sui's expression was strange, so he assumed that Wu Sui was worried about money.

"Don't worry, the Maritime Safety Administration is eager for someone to help clean up the scrap metal."

"If you find it too much trouble, I'll have someone put in a good word for you and I guarantee I'll get you a rock-bottom price."

Wu Sui, with a cigarette between his fingers, touched his nose.

It would be too unfair of me to keep Lin Tao's kindness a secret.

He coughed twice and flicked the cigarette butt out the window.

"Brother Tao, actually... there's no need to bother others."

"What do you mean?" Lin Tao was taken aback. "You don't want it? Let me tell you, it's not easy to find a ready-made steel ship these days."

"It's not that I don't want it," Wu Sui interrupted him, unusually a little embarrassed.

"What I mean is, don't bother anyone else. I just bought that yard a few days ago."

"squeak……!"

A screeching sound of brakes rang out suddenly, and the Santana left two long black tracks on the national highway before coming to a stop in the middle of the road.

Caught off guard, Wu Sui nearly hit his forehead on the windshield.

"Holy crap, Brother Tao, slow down!"

Lin Tao didn't even bother to apologize. He suddenly turned his head, his eyes wide like copper bells, and stared at Wu Sui.

"What did you just say? What did you buy?"

"That old compound of the Maritime Safety Administration," Wu Sui rubbed his forehead, looking at him helplessly, "the one you were just talking about."