The fish caught in the net represent only a tiny fraction of the entire school of fish that passes by, but for the fishermen, it is a huge quantity.
Once Zhou Xuan had waited for the perfect moment, he immediately pushed on another sluice gate to retract the fishing net. The thick rope on the net was pulled back by the agitation of the steel disc.
Zhou Xuan quickly notified Uncle Yu. Upon hearing that Zhou Xuan had already hauled in the net, Yu Jinshan hurriedly handed the wheelhouse to Guan Lin, instructing him to slow down and stop the boat. He then rushed to the deck to wait for the fishing net to be retrieved.
At this moment, Fugui and his men turned on several large lights, illuminating the boat brightly.
The fishing net was very heavy; Yu Jinshan and the others could see that the difference between an empty net and a heavy net was obvious. Now, the ropes on the net were taut, and the winch on the steel disc made a creaking sound.
Yu Jinshan and Fu Gui were both very nervous. It seemed that they had won the lottery again. However, before the net was pulled up and before they saw it with their own eyes, no one could guarantee that there were fish in the net.
All the worry and tension vanished the moment the fishing net was hauled onto the deck. The fish inside were lively and jumping, piled up like mountains, even more than the catch from the afternoon's net.
Uncle Yu and Fugui were all dumbfounded.
At this point, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call Zhou Xuan a sea god or bodhisattva; his ability to identify fish by their appearance in the water was truly remarkable.
Judging from the amount caught in the afternoon's net, this haul yielded at least 30,000 jin (15,000 kg) of fish, significantly more than the previous haul. However, Uncle Yu didn't dare let Fugui and the others start loading fish again immediately, thinking they needed to be prepared, in case a few tiger sharks jumped out. Although those creatures are in dry water, their bites can be fatal.
Zhou Xuan smiled and remained silent. This net contained only sea fish, nothing else. Because there were no predators like tiger sharks chasing them, the sea fish swam much slower, resulting in a larger catch.
After a moment of stunned silence, Fu Gui and his companions became excited. This single catch would bring them several thousand yuan in bonuses. Fu Gui had made a fool of himself with Hu Yun when they first boarded the ship by ordering chicken for fast food, and at that time, Fu Gui thought Hu Yun was a decent guy. Looking back, it was true; because of Hu Yun's arrival, they had all made nearly 20,000 yuan in just one day.
In the off-season, 20,000 yuan can at least cover a quarter's income. In the first two years, the off-season lasted for half a year. During the peak season, the time affected by storms must be excluded. It would be good if there were at least three months of good fishing time in the remaining six months. On average, they could earn 60,000 yuan a year, which would be a good income.
Now, thanks to the newcomer Hu Yun, their daily earnings are equivalent to a third of their annual harvest. Thinking about it further, if every voyage yields similar results with Hu Yun, their annual income could reach an astonishing seven or eight hundred thousand yuan, with even more expected during peak seasons.
Just thinking about it is enough to make them dream. If this income could really be realized, it would be more than what those who are CEOs earn; in Fushou Village, it would be an income that would put them at ease.
The six people, including Captain Yu Ershu, didn't say much and worked together to load the fish. Although they were a little worried that ferocious fish like tiger sharks might jump out of the pile, Zhou Xuan didn't say anything. His calm expression clearly indicated that there were no tiger sharks in the pile of fish.
It was already past 1 a.m. when they were hauling in the net. The six men worked hard, but there were just too many fish in the net. Even after filling the remaining 300-plus baskets, there were still 5,000-6,000 kilograms of fish that couldn't be packed.
It seems that even 30,000 jin is far too little; this net probably caught more than 40,000 jin of fish.
Uncle Yu thought for a moment, then instructed, "Bring in the nets. There aren't enough fish to hold them all, so leave them on the deck and cover them with a tarpaulin. It's past five o'clock now, so let's head back at full speed before dawn. We should be back by the afternoon. It's winter now, so the fish are fine on the deck. We can't cast the nets anymore. This is the first time we've ever returned with such a full catch; we can't even hold all the fish. I've been fishing for so many years, my whole life, and I've never encountered anything like this before!"
Catching tens of thousands of catties of fish in one net is more than the harvest of a trip to the sea during the peak season. This is something Uncle Yu has never done before and has never experienced before. He cast the net three times and the harvest of fish is already overloaded. He has never done this before.
Moreover, both nets were thanks to Hu Yun. The first net was ordered by Uncle Yu himself, but they didn't even catch 300 jin of fish. That's the difference.
Yu Jinshan wasn't jealous of Zhou Xuan. To be honest, he felt lucky to have found this young man as soon as he arrived in Fushou Village. But thinking about it, it wasn't his achievement, but Zhao Chengguang's. It was Zhao Chengguang who found him.
However, Yu Jinshan was already thinking. He planned to discuss it with Yu Changhe when they got back, and then propose that Hu Yun be made the first mate on the ship, with a higher salary, so that they could keep this treasure. He was willing to consider any salary.
Just think about it, and you'll realize that with Hu Yun's abilities, even a multi-million dollar annual salary wouldn't be excessive. With his capabilities, he could earn even more money. With him around, the Yu family's four ships could be linked together for a sea voyage, allowing all four ships to reap the greatest rewards at once, thus earning even more.
If someone like Hu Yun were to become known to others, Yu Jinshan was almost certain that someone would offer him a salary perhaps even higher than he imagined to poach him.
However, in Haibin City and the East China Sea region, the Yu family's financial and material resources are probably the greatest in the fishing industry. No one else can compete with the Yu family, so Yu Jinshan is still confident.
Hu Yun seems to be a down-to-earth and honest person, not particularly greedy. As long as I sincerely want to keep him, there shouldn't be any major problems.
Yu Jinshan held a high position in the heart of Yu Changhe, the head of the Yu family. However, Yu Jinshan did not want to enjoy life and regarded fishing as his lifelong career. Therefore, no matter what Yu Changhe said, he refused to listen to his arrangements to enjoy life at home and insisted on going to sea, saying that he would continue to work until he could no longer do so.
Therefore, Yu Jinshan was confident that he could persuade Yu Changhe to agree. The reason why Yu Changhe was able to develop the Yu family's business to such a great extent was because he had vision, courage, and the courage to use people. Talented people like Hu Yun were exactly what the fishing industry needed. If they did not retain him, it would be the biggest loss in the history of the Yu family's fishing industry.
Because everyone was too tired, Yu Jinshan let everyone rest and sleep, while he and Guan Lin took turns returning at full speed, the first time they had returned in such a short time.
Zhou Xuan pulled Fu Gui back into the cabin and prepared some food for him. Since it was the return trip, they wouldn't have to work for the next few days, and they would also receive a large sum of cash on the return journey. With money, they could live a carefree life.
Fu Gui also knew that Hu Yun would definitely be given an important position after returning. On this ship, he and Hu Yun should have the best relationship, as he was the first to meet him. Fortunately, he had treated Hu Yun well from the beginning, and he would definitely receive more care from him in the future.
"Brother Hu, let me tell you, I can't sleep. Anyway, I won seven or eight thousand on the ship this time, and there's bound to be a big bonus when we get back. Just wait, your brother Fugui is treating, I'll take you to the best place on the beach to have a blast."
When Fu Gui said this, his tone was very strange. Zhou Xuan immediately thought of the time when Fu Gui said he wanted to eat fast food after boarding the ship, and his face immediately turned red.
Volume 1, Chapter 446: The Yu Family
Chapter 446 The Yu Family
After working for seven or eight hours straight, everyone on the ship was exhausted, but the prospect of receiving a huge bonus made them feel no fatigue at all.
Fu Gui continued chatting and eating with Zhou Xuan. Anyway, there was no need to work after the boat returned to shore. This time, they would rest for at least three days. Fu Bao and the others, along with Lao Jiang, also came over to chat and joke around. During the meal, they also tried to probe Zhou Xuan and get him to talk about something.
Zhou Xuan knew all along, but no matter what, he wouldn't reveal his superpowers, so he made up some excuses and casually glossed over the matter.
Whenever the topic even remotely touched upon the issue of identifying fish schools by observing seawater, Zhou Xuan would simply smile and change the subject. Fu Bao and the others, of course, understood that he didn't want to discuss it, so they stopped asking. Conversely, they wouldn't ask either; if they did, everyone would know this skill, and what advantage would he have? This skill was something that Fu Bao and the others all greatly envied.
However, their tone of voice was much more polite to Zhou Xuan at this moment, and there was even a hint of flattery in their tone. It was impossible not to be snobbish. That's human nature. Strength speaks for itself. If you are strong, people will respect you. If you are weak, you can only flatter them.
These people weren't blind or stupid. Even Yu Qiang could see things clearly. At first, he was impolite to Zhou Xuan, but now he was extremely respectful. Zhou Xuan's future was beyond his imagination and control. Just the fact that he was preparing to find a school of fish to catch fish was an ability that they could only dream of.
Just think about it, over 60,000 kilograms of sea fish and twelve tiger sharks—that's an enormous number for their boat, and also an insurmountable hurdle. It's clear that they could never achieve that number on their own, not even during peak season. It's impossible to catch such a large quantity on a single voyage.
Only Guan Lin didn't see any of this because he was in the cockpit the whole time. Otherwise, if he had seen the whole thing, his jealousy would have been even greater.
Yu Jinshan was also very excited and took over from Guan Lin to drive the boat. Guan Lin went to sleep as soon as he got out, he was too tired. Zhou Xuan and Fu Gui and the other six chatted and ate and eventually fell asleep on the carpet. The boat arrived at the shore around 10 pm the next day.
Yu Jinshan had already called Zhao Chengguang and asked him to find about ten workers to move the goods, and also asked him to find a water tanker truck for transporting live seafood.
Zhao Chengguang didn't know what was going on, and Yu Jinshan hadn't explained it clearly to him over the phone, only telling him to follow his instructions, saying there would be fish.
Although Zhao Chengguang was very puzzled, he still did as instructed. After all, Uncle Yu was a steady and pragmatic person who would not talk nonsense. It was just strange that he had only gone out to sea in the early hours of the day before yesterday. Including the two days of going out to sea and returning, there were only a few hours at most in between. How could he have caught fish so quickly?
But when they arrived at the harbor, Zhao Chengguang was stunned when he boarded the ship.
The ship was loaded with over 500 full crates of sea fish, and there were also 5,000 to 6,000 catties of loose fish without baskets piled on the deck. Moreover, Uncle Yu excitedly took him to the live fish tank to watch, where twelve three-meter-long tiger sharks were rolling around in the water.