Marvel Salted Fish Kryptonian

October and November in the Bering Sea are undeniably wintery. Polar storms sweep in from the Arctic, mixing with the seawater, force the crab boat crews to work in temperatures around freezing. Sometimes, there's even a light snowfall.

Frequent winds exceeding 26 kilometers per hour whip up waves up to ten meters high. Crab boats are small boats, so naturally, they can't be very stable. Simply standing steady in such a working environment is a challenge.

Not to mention the frequent large waves that hit the boats, potentially sweeping unwary crew members overboard. Fortunately, crabbing boats aren't warships, so if someone falls overboard, they'll still be rescued. But in these harsh sea conditions, rescue efforts are incredibly difficult.

It can be said that the first and biggest hurdle to getting on a crabbing boat is to avoid getting seasick. Or rather, to avoid getting seasick as much as possible...

If you get seasick, just vomit and don't do your homework.

Therefore, the bad sea conditions, horrible working hours, and the difficult-to-deal-with king crabs are the reasons why Alaska's crab boats are short of workers every year.

As for Henry, he originally thought, wouldn’t it be better if he didn’t work so hard every day and had more rest time?

But after actually experiencing the working environment, I can answer this question myself without asking anyone.

Icebreaking was a constant task, and the seas were so bad. To get a good night's sleep on a boat like this would require enough skill to nap on a roller coaster.

So everyone on the crab boat would definitely agree to fill the boat quickly and return to port quickly.

Only when you're full will you protest about not getting enough sleep. Get done early and go home early!

At this time, an experienced captain is very important. In addition to controlling the boat to ride the wind and waves and avoid being overturned by the waves, he also needs to accurately judge where the king crabs can be caught.

Because king crab migration patterns are irregular and do not show up on fishing radar or sonar, the success of a catch depends heavily on the captain's experience, intuition, and luck.

If you are unlucky, the time you spend at sea will be longer and the risks will increase accordingly. If the captain is brave enough, you can return to the port with a full cargo hold in about five days.

The Pole had told Henry before that a trip would take about two weeks, a result only a poor captain could achieve.

Most people can't last more than two weeks. After more than a week, even if the cabin is not full, they will choose to return to the port to rest.

After all, this kind of high-intensity work is a life-threatening endeavor, fueled by adrenaline. If you overdo it, not only will someone die on board, but the entire ship will be lost, which would be disastrous.

In these few short days, Henry's performance has made the veterans extremely satisfied.

In a high-intensity working environment like this, the most feared thing is encountering bad teammates, and there is no extra time for workplace bullying.

Henry's rookie status couldn't be erased, as there were so many things on the ship he didn't know, and he loved asking questions. But once he'd asked once, and done something once, he almost never made the same mistake again.

I say almost because when working with others, there are bound to be some misunderstandings. But no one complained, because Henry would quickly correct himself if he was called out.

Who wouldn't be happy with such a worry-free crew? A "little green" like him gets paid the least of everyone else. He's so jealous he doesn't even know where to begin.

This speed of learning and efficiency in doing things give him the opportunity to do things beyond the basics.

It could be said that Henry had touched every tool on the crab boat, inside and out, except for the rudder. No one had any objections. And this had only been less than five days.

New book, please read, collect, and recommend, thank you~~

Chapter 14 Accident

Complex sea conditions are the main cause of accidents on crab boats.

Even if everyone is extremely alert and careful, sometimes a small wave can cause an accident.

Even with an experienced captain like Old George at the helm, who could handle big waves and pay attention to small ones, sometimes accidents came so suddenly that people were caught off guard.

At this time, everyone has to look after each other and be ready to support their companions on the ship at any time.

The Western world's custom at sea has never been one of "mind your own business and mind your own business." Rather, it's the vast ocean, and apart from each other, there's only each other. If we don't help each other, who else can help us?

So it is important to help each other and get along with each other.

Henry works in such an environment. Although he still tries his best to hide the fact that he has super strength and various super abilities, he can't help but be infected by the working atmosphere and lend a hand when others need it.

In this situation where everyone was busy, not many people paid attention to whether the strength and speed used by Henry exceeded the upper limit of normal people. Anyway, as long as he didn't do it too exaggeratedly, he could still get through it.

The closest he ever came to revealing his super powers was when a wave hit from the side, giving Annie No. 21 a slight jolt.

At that time, everyone was working on hoisting the crab pots. The one that was lifted out of the water was full, and everyone was excited.

Because the captain had found the crab cluster, he was able to fill several baskets in a row, and no one was dissatisfied. The sooner the cabin was full, the sooner the boat could return to port and get paid.

Just as the crab cage was higher than the side of the ship, a young crew member who had just gotten rid of the title of Little Green this year was pulling the tow rope of the crab cage that moved horizontally, preparing to pull the fully loaded iron cage back to the deck.

This sudden jerk shifted the crab cage's center of gravity, snapping one of its supporting ropes. Not only did it return to the surface, it also began to swing outward.

Meanwhile, the young crew member had the worst luck, as his arm somehow got tangled in the tow rope. The crab pot was swung outward, and either he was thrown out of the boat or his arm was torn off.

At this critical moment, Henry grabbed the crab pot that was about to be thrown out, and put his feet on the side of the boat, pretending to be struggling to support it.

The young man's loud cry certainly attracted everyone's attention, and everyone rushed to rescue him immediately.

Although the young man's arms were not torn off or thrown into the sea, he was pulled down to the deck by the rope. At this time, someone quickly untied his arms and pulled him aside.

Seeing that the young ones were being taken care of, the other old birds were faced with a choice: to abandon this crab pot or try to save it.

If they wanted to give up, they would just cut the ropes and let the crab pot fall into the sea. But if they wanted to save it, it would depend on whether Henry could hold on.

Just as they were about to cut the rope and tell Henry to let go, the Kryptonian who was doing the modeling didn't think much about it and said with difficulty, through gritted teeth, "Can you connect the broken rope?"

"Little Green, hold on!" The old birds immediately started the rescue operation.

Someone quickly hung a spare rope on the crane, and someone else stood on the side of the ship, with two people behind him holding their feet, ready to connect the broken rope.

For these veterans, using knots is almost instinctive. In a matter of seconds, they can reconnect the broken rope with just the right length and shout, "Henry, let go!"

The Kryptonian, not wanting to draw too much attention, obediently let go. The rope, instantly attached, tautly straightened again, but the crab pot was finally securely held, albeit slightly tilted.

Several people pulled the traction rope and worked together to pull the crab pot onto the deck, then controlled the crane to lower it. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief until the crab pot landed safely on the ground.

Henry continued to pretend, pretending that his arms were sore and he was exhausted, leaning against the side of the boat and panting.

As for my hands, I was wearing gloves anyway. If I didn't tell you whether I was injured or not, no one else would be able to tell.

The young man whose arm was entangled in the rope was sitting on the edge of the cabin, still in shock. He was still hurt from being tangled and pulled.

Although his arm could still bend and move, the feeling of muscle strain told him that what had just happened was not fake.

Several veterans went to comfort the two men, while others checked on the newly-hanging crab pots. Even Old George, the helmsman, came out.

He had seen everything that had just happened, but before he could step in to give orders, the situation was resolved by the crew on deck.

Old George checked on the two men separately. He first checked on the frightened young man, making sure that his injuries were not serious, and then went to Henry.

Henry's condition had already been checked by the veterans, so when Old George came over, he didn't ask any more questions. He just patted Henry on the shoulder and said, "Well done! If it weren't for you, that kid would have survived but would have lost his arm."

No one asked how Henry managed to hold on to one corner of the crab pot. After all, it was only one of the four ropes that broke, temporarily throwing him off balance. It wasn't like Henry had to support the entire weight of the crab pot, including the catch, all by himself.

Even if there were other people standing nearby, they might be able to withstand the sudden outburst like Henry did.

In a crabbing boat, a dangerous working environment, miracles were rare, but they did happen. Old George and the other veterans had experienced this kind of escape before, so they didn't think much of it.

After making sure everyone was alright, Old George ordered, "Replace the broken line with a new one. Everyone, work harder and catch all the king crabs at this spot, then we'll return to port. As for you two guys, I'll give you ten minutes to rest, okay?"

Before the two people being questioned could reply, an old sailor asked, "Captain, are you leaving so early this time?"

"The cabin is already 80% full of king crabs. We've just caught a few cages, and as long as we pack them all up, I think the harvest will be almost done. Go back early and get some rest. You won't be short of rewards."

"Okay, you're the boss, you have the final say."

Henry clapped his hands and said, "I'm fine, it's okay, no need to rest." The other person didn't say anything, and it seemed that he had not recovered from the shock yet.

Old George didn't let Henry go any further. Instead, he said to the boy who had just rescued someone, "I'll let you rest for ten minutes, that's all. Go into the cabin and get some whiskey. Have one for yourself and one for that kid. He's getting scared."

"Okay, boss." Henry didn't object and went into the cabin obediently.

The other veterans didn't say anything about the two rookies getting extra time off, but continued with their crabbing. If they wanted to return to port early, it would depend on everyone's hard work; they didn't have the time for intrigue.

New book, please read, collect, and recommend, thank you~~

Chapter 15 Harvest

The young man who took the steel cup of whiskey with shaking hands was a mutant whose appearance was different from that of ordinary people.

He has shark-like gills on his face that allow him to breathe underwater, a skill that comes in handy when it comes to finding king crabs.

But this mutant ability wasn't without its drawbacks. First, he suffered from the same hypothermia that ordinary people would experience in the Bering Sea. While it was fine underwater, it could be serious if he didn't dry himself quickly upon surfacing.

And after going to sea, how to board the ship in the dangerous sea conditions will take a lot of time.

These difficulties limit the role he can actually play.

So during the actual voyage, everyone still relied on the experience of Captain George to track the king crabs. He would only be sent out if there was really no crab swarm found for a long time.

During these five days, the young mutant went into the sea no more than twice.

Perhaps due to his mutant abilities, his build and strength were even weaker than those of the average Caucasian. Therefore, this young mutant was in an awkward position within the crab catchers, somewhere between useful and ineffective.

As for whether there is discrimination against mutants on crab boats, Old George also said that given the current labor shortage, anyone with hands will be welcomed, regardless of whether they are mutants or not.

Don't eat everyone on the boat as a snack when you're hungry. Otherwise, I really won't care.

As I said, when everyone is in the same boat, there won’t be so many discrimination issues.

Unless someone gets on the boat and acts recklessly, if he is accidentally thrown into the sea by big waves, he can only blame his bad luck.

An unexpected shock made the young mutant hold the whiskey cup for more than 20 minutes before he recovered and rejoined the crab fishing operation.

No one blamed him for taking the extra rest. After all, he had just escaped death, and if it were someone else, there was no way they could recover quickly.

Henry, however, drank a glass of whiskey and returned to work. After five days of intense work, everyone had developed a certain level of tacit understanding.

Sometimes, even without shouting, just a glance would tell them where to go. The efficiency of this crabbing trip was largely due to the fact that this "little green" played a role beyond imagination.

Although it was insignificant at the time, everyone thought back on it and felt that his cooperation was just right. This saved a lot of time and improved efficiency.

So on the morning of the sixth day, Anne 21 returned to the harbor safely. We hadn't caught all the king crabs at the last point because the boat was full, so we had to return even if we didn't want to.

There are dedicated berths for unloading, and once the king crab season begins, fishing companies have personnel stationed at the docks 24 hours a day, waiting to purchase the crabs.

Larger fishing ports often have dedicated fish markets and auction venues, with auctions held daily, just like for bluefin tuna.

But for a small place like theirs, they usually bid directly on the dock.

The crew members don't have to sit idle after arriving at the port. They have to move the king crabs from the cabin, pack them into boxes and weigh them.

At this time, Old George would argue and negotiate prices with several fishing companies that were accustomed to it.

They can usually estimate the quality and price by looking at the first few baskets of king crabs. They then purchase the entire boatload, leaving the winning fishing company to remain at the dock awaiting the final weighing results.

As soon as the results come out, the fishing company will immediately issue a check and hand it to the ship owner or captain.

Then, when all operations are completed and the crab boat is driven to the berth for rest, it is time for the crew to settle their wages.

Most crew members receive a fixed salary that is negotiated before they board the ship, and a small number of veterans can get some commission based on the proportion of their harvest.

If the captain and the ship owner are not the same person, the captain will also receive a guaranteed commission or a commission.

This is of course to motivate these veterans. After all, most of the time, the success of a ship depends on the performance of these veterans.

As the newest recruit, Henry was the last to receive his check. Seeing the satisfied smiles on the faces of those in front of him, it was clear that Old George was not a stingy boss.

It was the young mutant who was also snapping the check with his fingers and shouting that he would treat everyone to a drink at the bar.

When Henry received the check, he was shocked by the number on it and asked, "Boss, did you write the wrong number?"

Old George, of course, knew what he had written. He said, "Son, you deserve it. I saw the broken end of the rope; it's the effects of aging. I should have noticed this when I checked the equipment beforehand."

"So, not only did you help me clean up the mess, you also helped that guy save his arm. The extra money I gave you is less than what the insurance company would have asked me to pay after I messed up. So take it with confidence."

"What! I have a chance to get the insurance money?" the young mutant said excitedly.

Then he was hit by a veteran nearby who asked him, "Do you want the insurance money or the arm?"

Knowing what he had to give in exchange, the young mutant held his injured arm with one hand and said hesitantly, "My hand is healed. It's fine."

Henry shook the check in his hand contentedly and said, "Thanks, boss."

Although no one told him how much they had taken, Henry used his superpowers to know the amount on everyone's check. In fact, he was still the lowest level and took the same amount as the young mutant.

But as a green, this number is considered excessive. So there is nothing to complain about.

With money in their pockets, the men naturally discussed where to go to have fun. Some of the men who had families in town planned to sleep with him for three days and three nights after returning home.

Old George would go crazy before leaving to avoid regrets if he really couldn't come back. But now that he had returned to the port safely and received his money, he just wanted to go home, so he didn't hang out with those young people.

But he saw that Henry didn't leave, as if he was waiting for him. Only then did Old George remember the situation of this kid.

So I walked up to you and said, "You don't have a car. Come with me, I'll get someone to take you back to Old John's bar. If you need to cash a check, I can also take you to the bank."

"Boss, I just wonder if there's another chance to get on board again? I want to make money."

Although crabbing was considered a dangerous and hard job by Old John and others, it was nothing to Henry.