I chose one of four options at the start, and I chose the number one clan in Lingnan.

The remittance record was verified by three banks, and the remittance remarks stated that it was for compensation for the transportation loss and port delay of the Linhai No. 7.

Lin Fu did not close the piracy case files.

"Mitsui paid 360 million yuan in compensation and demanded that the Lin family withdraw their civil claim against the South Island Industrial Park."

They didn't request the withdrawal of the piracy case materials, seemingly understanding that criminal evidence can't be bought with money.

Lin Ting reviewed the settlement agreement and removed one of the confidentiality clauses.

"Compensation will only cover damage to goods and delays. The materials from Basong, Murakami, and the South Island Finance Department will be submitted to the local judicial authorities as usual."

Mitsui's plan to use a sum of money to cover up all the evidence backfired.

The revised text was sent back to Mitsui headquarters.

Kuroda Masanobu did not continue the dispute. The South Island Park account is under investigation, and Murakami has also been added to the local maritime authorities' list of those to be investigated.

If Mitsui refuses to pay compensation, Qihai Holdings will terminate services to the two old warehouses in Haiqing Port.

Seven days after the compensation was received, Lin's Logistics' resident team entered Haiqing Port.

Twenty dispatchers, twelve warehouse supervisors, and eight equipment engineers took over half of the operating area.

Chen Jianing opened the port area's data interface to the Lin family, and the first batch of equipment renovation plans also entered the approval process.

The Linhai No. 7 did not return empty.

Qihai Holdings procured rubber, industrial oils, and food processing equipment for Lin's overseas companies.

The twelve bonded gold boxes that had been declared were placed in a separate compartment, while the two boxes of US dollar cash were used as overseas crew salaries and emergency reserves, all of which were registered on the customs manifest.

The remaining payment was transferred to China via bank.

Holding the return cargo manifest, Wang Dehai smiled at the twenty-three crew members and said, "We loaded golden fruit on the way there, and we'll load gold and US dollars on the way back."

"Once this shipping route is operational, the boats from Wangjia Village won't have to rely on sand, gravel, and near-shore seafood for their livelihood anymore."

The six procurement vessels that subsequently arrived at Haiqing Port joined the Linhai No. 7 to form a return convoy.

Three seaplanes escorted the ship to the waters off the South Island, while the Chinese business escort team guarded the departure channel.

The Lin family's security overseas emergency response team returned to China in two batches, while Lin Fei and fifty core team members remained on the Linhai No. 7.

On the sixth day of their return journey, the fleet entered the Jiangnan Maritime Administration area.

Zheng Haifeng led two patrol boats to complete the certificate verification, and customs officers boarded the boats to inspect the bonded gold boxes, foreign exchange declaration forms, and purchased equipment.

After all the documents were approved, the seven ships were granted access to the South Deepwater Wharf.

The dock was already full of vehicles waiting to pick up the ship.

Most of the 127 boat owners from Wangjia Village came, and the families of the 24 crew members stood in the front row. Several elderly people tied the prepared red cloth to the gangway and ladder.

After the Linhai No. 7 docked, Wang Dehai was the first to disembark.

His wife clung to his arm, remaining silent for a long time. Wang Dehai patted her hand and then handed the crew safety records to the Lin family hall.

"Twenty-four men went out, and twenty-four men came back. No containers were missing, and the ship was undamaged."

Haiqing Port has provided long-term berths, so Wangjiacun can now operate on regular routes.

The cheers on the dock lasted for a long time.

The twelve bonded gold boxes were picked up by a bank armored vehicle, and two boxes of US dollar cash were put into the foreign exchange supervision warehouse.

The Lin family did not disclose the specific amount, but the news that the crew had exchanged the golden fruit for gold had already spread throughout the eighteen villages.

Tazhai held a three-day continuous feast starting that day.

The long tables in front of the ancestral hall stretched from the old agricultural warehouse to the village entrance, with people from the eighteen villages taking turns to sit at the tables according to their assigned areas.

Wangjia Village delivered sea fish, Golden Orchard brought out fresh fruit harvested that day, and all three hundred-plus chefs from the staff service center returned to help.

On the second day of the banquet, the four branches of the Lin family held a commendation meeting in the ancestral hall.

Lin Shouzhen put on his sacrificial robes and held a newly bound supplementary booklet of the family genealogy in his hand. The cover of the supplementary booklet had three characters written on it.

Records of Meritorious Officials.

Two hundred security personnel participating in overseas escort missions stood in the courtyard of the ancestral hall.

Lin Fei and Lin Dabiao stood at the head of the team, followed by the seaplane positioning team, the crew rescue team, the container protection team, and the perimeter security team.

Lin Ting sat in a grand chair, with two hundred bonus documents on the table.

"This bonus won't buy your lives or silence. You rescued twenty-four crew members and preserved the Lin family's first overseas cargo route. The money you're entitled to will be distributed by the clan."

Lin Fu opened the projected file.

"Each of the two hundred people who participated in the rescue of the nameless island will be awarded one million yuan. The Lin family will pay the taxes on their behalf, and the individual amount received will remain unchanged."

Injured personnel will receive separate medical and rehabilitation subsidies, and their families will be included in the Lin's long-term medical insurance list.

Uncontrollable murmurs rippled through the courtyard.

Two hundred people, one million yuan each, totaling two hundred million yuan.

Many young security guards were selected for the Zhongtang team while their families were still burdened with mortgages and medical expenses for their elderly parents.

This bonus was enough to help with their family's financial burden and also provided them with long-term security within the Lin family's business system.

After receiving the documents, a 21-year-old team member first handed over his mother's medical bill to Yitang.

He did not take all the prize money; he only applied to keep 300,000 yuan, and transferred the rest of the funds to Lin's internal housing and education accounts.

Lin Shouzhen opened the register of meritorious officials.

"Lin Fei, the chief commander of the rescue operation on the nameless island, is responsible for personnel dispatch, crew rescue, and evidence preservation. He is awarded the highest merit."

"Lin Dabiao, responsible for overseas security team building, equipment registration, and domestic defense deployment, is awarded a major merit."

The names that followed were read aloud one by one by the four halls.

Each person's task, the rescued crew members, and the evidence obtained are all written in the appendix, without replacing them with their positions or omitting ordinary team members.

The final section of the Record of Meritorious Officials was stamped with the seals of Taigong and Sitang.

Lin Ting handed the appendix to Lin Shouzheng.

"In the future, if the Lin family's overseas shipping routes encounter risks, whoever saves the clansmen and whoever protects the property will be recorded according to this set of rules. Merits will be recorded in the family genealogy, bonuses will be deposited into personal accounts, and family members will be taken care of by the clan."

Two hundred security personnel pressed their fingerprints.

The welfare records of Zhongtang Hall have been updated in sync with the hall, and overseas mission allowances, disability benefits, children's education assistance and family medical care have been written into the formal system, no longer relying on temporary approvals.

After the commendation meeting, Lin Fei did not attend the evening banquet.

He went to the Zhongtang training base.

During the operation on the nameless island, he successfully boarded the ship, seized weapons, and transferred personnel without sustaining any external injuries.

After returning to China, the physical fitness test results remained the same for the three tests.

The weighted sprint could not be improved, and the grip strength test was also stuck at 987 kilograms.

After continuing to increase the amount of training, he developed strain in his wrists and shoulders.

Lin Dabiao placed the test report on the table.

"The doctor has advised you to stop training for seven days. The current nutrition and training programs have reached their limits, and continuing to increase the load will only injure your joints. Zhongtang has other teammates; you don't need to always be at the forefront."

Lin Fei flexed his wrists.

"Overseas shipping routes have been established, and Mitsui and local private soldiers are keeping an eye on the port."

The next fleet will be larger, and if I remain at the current level, I won't be able to protect my crew when faced with better-equipped opponents.

Lin Ting walked into the training room and took the solid steel ball from his hand.

"Starting today, stop the extra weight training. The training plan will be reviewed by the medical team. No one is allowed to push their body to the limit until a new plan is developed."

Lin Fei accepted the order but left the test report on the table.

Lin Ting turned to the last page.

The development of core capabilities has reached the upper limit of the existing plan.

At night, the banquet ended, and the list of meritorious officials in the ancestral hall was officially entered into the archives.

Lin Ting sat alone in the armchair, a notification appearing in his field of vision.

With the establishment of overseas industrial bases, clan assets have entered a new level.

[Two hundred core clan members have reached maximum loyalty, and the loyalty of one hundred thousand registered clan members has exceeded the upper limit.]

The First Clan System of All Time has been upgraded to Level 4.

[Level 4 Black Technology Treasure Chest Open.]