Chapter 290: The Net Explodes |
The sea breeze carrying a salty, damp scent blew across the deck. Zhang Chongshan's gaze was fixed tightly on the gradually tautening tow cable at the stern.
"Don't feel pressured. Just perform normally as long as the ship doesn't sink." Yuan Dajun patted Zhang Chongshan's shoulder, offering quiet reassurance.
"Captain, aren't you nervous?" Zhang Chongshan turned his head, somewhat surprised to see Yuan Dajun's composed expression.
"Why should I worry?" Yuan Dajun answered naturally, because he was only temporarily filling in as captain here.
Before departure, Guild Leader Qin had given him instructions: stay on this ship, observe Zhang Chongshan's performance, and don't act recklessly.
Because he had no need to be anxious.
Hearing this, Zhang Chongshan fell silent. He was different. He had been abruptly promoted to this highly visible position.
Suddenly thrust into this role, facing the gazes projected upon him, Zhang Chongshan bore immense pressure. He was afraid of making mistakes.
What if he didn't do well, or made an error? What then?
The cable plunged deep into the seawater, plowing a foamy V-shaped wake at the stern. The ship, aided by the wind, slowly advanced.
Time stretched in the waiting. The sounds filling his ears were the flapping of the fully-bellied sails and the noise of waves slapping against the hull.
Suddenly,
The tow cable at the stern began to sink!
The taut hemp rope emitted a nerve-grating creaking sound.
Someone cried out involuntarily, "We've caught something!"
Zhang Chongshan's movements halted. The color drained slightly from his face, his eyes filled with apprehension.
He wasn't sure if they had netted a school of fish, or something big.
If it was a giant Sea Beast...
The ship's speed noticeably became sluggish, as if pulled by an invisible hand.
The dragging sensation from behind grew heavier, more substantial.
"Row the oars! Put in more effort to steady the ship!" Yuan Dajun's voice came through.
Chanting sounds rose from the lower cabin.
The ship circled widely in place.
"Look and decide when we can haul in the net." Yuan Dajun patted Zhang Chongshan's shoulder.
Zhang Chongshan snapped back to attention. After waiting for another circle, he hurriedly shouted, "Haul the net! We can haul the net now!"
The ship's speed decreased. The large net began to be dragged upward.
On the sea surface, waves rose and fell.
Vast, dazzling patches of silvery, fragmented light churned up.
Glistening fish scales rolled and collided on the water's surface.
The school of fish was disturbed.
Zhang Chongshan's breath hitched, followed by an indescribable surge of wild joy.
A huge harvest on the very first net!
This was good news!
"Quick! Speed up hauling the net!"
Seeing the fish, the people pulling the net on the ship also gained energy. The group became excited, erupting in spirited shouts.
The winch drum moved. The Fishing Net slowly surfaced.
A massive school of fish leaped, rolled, their shimmering brilliance dazzling.
The winch drum turned, emitting creaking sounds.
The hemp rope tightened coil by coil, biting into the rollers. Everyone's eyes were fixed dead on that churning, silvery sea surface.
The edge of the Fishing Net broke the water first. Then, between the meshes, silver light exploded. Countless fish, trapped in the net, squeezed together, struggling, emerged from the sea!
"Splash, crash, splash."
Seawater poured from the net's gaps like a waterfall.
Thousands upon thousands of fish frantically jumped and thrashed within the net. Their bodies reflected glaring silvery-white and bluish-green hues under the sunlight.
A strong, fishy sea smell instantly spread across the entire deck.
"A bountiful harvest." Yuan Dajun's face lit up with joy. He laughed heartily and quickly stepped forward to help.
"My heavens..." a crew member exclaimed in shock, his mouth agape, nearly forgetting to pull the rope in his hand.
"Quick! Pull it up! Don't let the fish escape!" Zhang Chongshan's voice trembled with excitement.
Everyone snapped back to reality, speeding up, hauling the net upward.
The large net was slowly dragged onto the deck. On the deck, the fish wildly slapped their tails, producing crackling, splattering sounds.
"Quick, quick, quick! Sort them all, put them all in the fish hold."
A flurry of hands helped with sorting.
Laughter and cheers filled the ship.
The deafeningly loud sounds carried far.
Even people on the Island Reef could hear them.
"There are sounds from the ship."
"They seem to have caught something."
At the edge of the Island Reef, everyone craned their necks, eagerly watching.
Upstairs, Zou Jianghe watched the returning fishing boat in the distance, his expression complex.
Huang Tao said beside him, "Guild Leader, with their fishing boat returning, food prices in the residential complex will drop."
Zou Jianghe remained silent for a long moment, then said, "It's the Qin Alliance's food prices that will drop."
Huang Tao sighed softly. "I thought if they ate the meat, we could still drink the broth. But it seems now the Qin Alliance wants to serve the entire fish on their table."
"Zhang Bo is in frequent contact with them. He most likely wants to go over. Why don't you go?" Zou Jianghe suddenly asked.
Huang Tao smiled. "And what about you, Guild Leader? What are you still holding onto?"
"Me? What am I holding onto?" Zou Jianghe muttered to himself, as if asking himself.
He suddenly laughed. "I never said I was holding onto anything. If others in the Alliance want to leave, I've never stopped them. Everyone is free."
Zou Jianghe gave Huang Tao a deep look. "It's you whose thoughts aren't simple, though."
Zou Jianghe watched the fishing boat disappear across the sea surface through the node. He got up and went downstairs.
Arriving at the base of Building 8, the stairwell was now packed with people queuing. Many were heading for the fishing boat.
Some people saw Zou Jianghe but averted their gazes. This once infinitely glorious Alliance Guild Leader now stood alone to the side.
After the main crowd went up, Zou Jianghe went to the fifth floor.
"Well, what a rare guest. Please come in." Liu San walked over, smiling as he led Zou Jianghe to the side living room and poured him a cup of tea.
"Are Guild Leader Qin and Mr. Jia here?"
"Guild Leader Qin, I don't know." Liu San shook his head. "Mr. Jia should be busy right now. As you know, the fishing boat just returned. They're tallying the catch. With such a big matter, Mr. Jia is definitely over there."
"You're here for fish, right? You might have to wait a bit, until they finish over there." Liu San guessed Zou Jianghe's purpose.
"Yes, it's fine. I'll just wait here for them." Zou Jianghe sat down and waited quietly.
On the other side, at the ghost shipyard, on the fishing boat that had returned to the dock, buckets of fresh fish were being carried off the ship. Mixed in were a small number of seafood like octopus and sea shrimp.
After weighing, it was finally confirmed: the first net of the voyage yielded a net catch of three thousand, eight hundred, and forty-five *jin* of seafood.
Close to two tons!
The news swept through the shipyard. Everyone who heard it wore expressions of joy on their faces.
"Congratulations, Master." Jia Liangcai's footsteps were swift as he quickly walked into the wooden hut nearby to report the good news to Qin Ziwen.
Inside the room, Qin Ziwen had already heard the commotion outside.
"Two tons. That's roughly enough food for one to two thousand people for a day." Qin Ziwen estimated in his heart. Of course, this was just a rough figure.
Factors like increased appetites for manual laborers and considerations for seafood preparation methods had to be taken into account.
"You've worked hard. Based on this efficiency, about how many nets can be hauled in a day?" Qin Ziwen looked at Zhang Chongshan beside him.
"Working diligently, three to four nets should be possible, but the crew will be quite tired." Zhang Chongshan answered truthfully. "Casting the net, hauling it in, loading the fish—all are physical labor, very taxing. Also, rowing the oars, handling the sails, steering the rudder, none are easy. If it's three nets a day, the crew's condition should be maintainable."
Qin Ziwen pondered for a moment. "What if we split into two teams? One team works, the other acts as substitutes, rotating. It would be perfect for letting newcomers get familiar with the water and practice their skills. When new ships are launched later, we'll have people ready to step in immediately."
Zhang Chongshan thought carefully. "If there are substitute crew members, we could manage four nets a day, with the two teams alternating work."
"Alright, then let's go with that method." Qin Ziwen made the final decision.