Chapter 1574: Cautious

The fishing boats all began to move, converging on the target fishing boat, while the workers continued sorting the cargo that had not yet been sorted.

However, looking at the massive quantity, weighing it also took a great deal of time; Ye Yaodong felt that calculating shares based on each fishing boat's catch was no longer appropriate. After all, they were not selling to a fresh-fish collection boat but transporting it back themselves, so whether it was weighed or not really didn't matter.

He thought for a moment and decided it would be more suitable to allocate a certain percentage based on the total annual catch for the five boat captains to split; this would serve as a year-end bonus, with the fixed wages raised first.

Then, the chief mates and second mates would be paid directly on an annual salary basis, which could reference the total amount they received last year, raised slightly.

Thinking this way, he also contacted the other fishing boats to explain.

"Oh, I actually wanted to say this long ago; when the fresh-fish collection boat comes out to collect the goods, having to weigh everything is such a waste of time."

"Yes, and someone has to be assigned specifically to record it, wasting both time and manpower."

"Anyway, once brought ashore, every batch sold will have a cargo manifest record."

"Exactly, this is good; we won't have to weigh everything every time the collection boat comes to pick up the goods."

Listening to their lively discussion, Ye Yaodong said, "If everyone has no objections, that's good."

"No objections, absolutely no objections."

"You are the boss; your word is law."

"No objections; this saves even more trouble."

He added, "Alright, once we return, I'll explain the details to Old Liu. Calculate the accounts before May 1st first and pay you out; after the May Day holiday, we'll settle up at the end of the year."

"Good, good, good..."

"Have the workers prepare in advance now; move whatever cargo is in the hold out, and in a while, move it all onto Boat Number 5."

"Understood; Boat Number 2 has already been notified."

"The crew of Boat Number 3 is ready."

"Boat Number 4 is almost finished sorting and can start moving the cargo at any time."

"Boat Number 5 is also ready to receive; once all the cargo is gathered over here, should we set off immediately to return?"

Ye Yaodong replied, "Yes, and then pass on the situation that happened to my father; have him arrange as many people as possible, using a standard of forty people, adding ten people to each boat. The boat over there with you can delay dealing with the fresh-fish collection boat for now, but increase manpower on the other boats first."

"If it's impossible to arrange that many people temporarily, have him try his best anyway..."

Thinking that he would have to move the cargo one by one in a while, he decided to explain the other details in person after they met, as communicating via the equipment was inconvenient and not as good as speaking face-to-face.

The several boats moved over in the order they arrived, with the first to arrive moving the cargo first.

After Ye Yaodong brought his boat alongside, he climbed over to help direct the operation.

Several hundred tons of cargo, the quantity was simply too massive; moving it took a great deal of time. Dozens of workers moved the cargo until midnight before it was all neatly transferred.

He had also explained everything that needed to be said to the boat captains, gave the letter, and included instructions for his father to count Ah Guang and his few friends as well, calling them back to help him.

Taking advantage of the break during the cargo moving, he had just checked the mast; the incident during the day was indeed dangerous, but fortunately, sacrificing the cart to save the general was done in time.

"Boss, all the cargo has been moved."

"Let me check."

Ye Yaodong went into the freezing hold, the fresh-keeping hold, and the live hold to inspect them all.

"The hold is full of fish"; often, this is just an exaggerated expression, but here, it had become reality.

In just one day, the hold was full of fish.

This single boat was estimated to be worth no less than 200,000, a true mountain of gold and silver.

"Alright, there are no problems; then you can return immediately. When you come back, follow the same route. We will continue forward along the planned route; we can try to maintain contact along the way, and the same applies when you come over, so we can connect as early as possible then."

"Understood."

"Be careful on the way; the fresh-fish collection boat will probably return about four or five days later than you. You should meet them roughly on your way out here."

"Okay, understood, we will maintain contact at all times."

"Alright, then I'm heading back to my boat; you all get ready and set off."

Ye Yaodong waved his hand and returned to his own boat first.

Just as he came out, he would go back; he wasn't too worried about the fishing boat's return, as the routes were clearly marked.

He was only worried about the issues of time and personnel, hoping that this boat and the fresh-fish collection boat could coordinate well then, with the two boats transporting in rotation so the manpower issue could be resolved quickly.

Boat Number 5 moved slowly, cutting through the dark surges of the waves alone; the fully loaded fish cargo made the waterline half a meter lower than usual, and the hull rose and fell slowly with the long swells.

The anti-collision lights on the mast flashed regularly in the night, red light piercing Seeing Ye Mu, while the wake at the stern shimmered with phosphorescence under the moonlight before being quickly smoothed out by the surging waves.

The roar of the engines gradually faded away, and the distance between them and their several boats gradually increased.

Ye Yaodong turned and said to everyone, "Alright, the boat has left; let's continue moving toward our destination. Those who want to eat a late-night snack should eat, and those who want to rest should rest."

The workers all nodded in response and then went back to doing whatever they needed to do; most went to find something to eat first, as they had been busy all day and moved cargo all night, so they were all tired.

He then looked at Old Xiao and Chen Shi, who were still standing beside him, "You two go eat something and sleep; I'll keep watch tonight."

"That works; then I'll take over the shift in the morning," Chen Shi said.

Ye Yaodong nodded.

During night navigation, a slight carelessness could lead to hitting a reef, going off course, or encountering a smuggling boat; tonight, he would take the watch first, and once they reached the destination and operations were stable, the two of them could take turns.

Returning to the bridge, he issued instructions to the other fishing boats, "The fishing boats continue moving toward the designated destination."

"Received."

The instrument panel in the bridge glowed with a dim green fluorescence; on the radar screen, the triangular marker representing Boat Number 5 was moving northwest bit by bit.

After checking it, he adjusted the range to 12 nautical miles to monitor nearby vessels, reefs, and floating objects.

Generally, those flashing with green dots are small fishing boats; none are visible nearby, while red dots represent large cargo ships or suspicious vessels, which require maintaining a distance of more than 3 nautical miles.

If the signal is flashing, it represents a reef or a buoy, requiring an immediate course correction.

After adjusting the radar, he brought up the electronic chart, input the preset route, and set the safety depth contour to above 20 meters.

After finishing these tasks, he had the fishing boats proceed automatically along the designated route.

There was originally a manual steering mode, and the automatic steering mode was also available for selection.

The manual steering mode is for when rough weather requires manual control; generally, once the route is set, it operates on autopilot.

At this moment, Chen Shi brought him up a late-night snack: seafood porridge.

There is basically something to eat on the boat at any time of day; after all, when busy, they don't distinguish between noon and night, nor do they care if it's mealtime.

"Brother Dong, eat some of this late-night snack first. Do you need anything else?"

"No need. Just bring up a thermos of hot water for me."

"Okay."

Ye Yaodong needed to brew a cup of strong tea to stay alert and awake at night.

The seafood porridge was loaded with ingredients: shrimp, crab, octopus tentacles, tender fish fillets, and green vegetables; it was so fresh it could make your tongue fall off.

After finishing a large bowl, he let out a satisfied burp, patted his belly, and felt extremely content.

Four other triangular markers kept flashing on the radar screen; these were companion signals, indicating partner vessels.

Several ships were moving forward steadily and slowly.

However, in the second half of the night, the two workers on duty took turns calling out in amazement, "Look at the water below!"

Ye Yaodong leaned over to look and saw a school of glowing lanternfish forming a massive silver vortex in the water layer more than twenty meters deep.

The bioluminescence they emitted from their bellies flickered blue-green, like stars on the ocean floor still twinkling in the daytime.

Occasionally, an individual attempting to break away from the group was instantly snatched up by a deep-sea hairtail lurking in the darkness, moving like lightning.

Just then, a dense cluster of red dots suddenly appeared on the sonar screen.

"Brother Dong, there's something down there!"

"Prepare the fish-finding lights!" Ye Yaodong decided immediately.

The instant the powerful beam of light shot into the seawater, a miraculous scene appeared.

Thousands of transparent small squid were attracted by the light; their fist-sized bodies, like strings of crystal lanterns, floated up and down with the currents.

Inside these transparent bodies, one could even clearly see their beating hearts and flowing blue blood.

"Wow, it's a school of small squid..."

"Haha, they're quite beautiful. They're all transparent underwater, moving up and down, looking quite nice."

"Not only are they beautiful, they're delicious too. It's just the right season for eating small squid; here's another huge school."

"Should we prepare to lower the net, Boss?" the worker on duty shouted loudly at him.

"Wait a moment. Let's detect and clarify things first."

Ye Yaodong also saw the small squid exposed under the strong light, their transparent bodies bouncing duang-duang in the sea; seeing this, he felt some joy as well.

All day today had been one school of fish after another, and a huge one at that; all were good catches.

He traced his finger over the nautical chart: the water depth here was 320 meters, the seabed was a mix of sand and mud, and the current speed was moderate.

He looked up at the black-footed albatross circling in the sky; the gathering of seabirds indicated fish activity in the mid-to-upper layers.

"Should we lower the net?" another worker asked anxiously.

The two workers on duty at night were veterans; they only had two months of fishing experience, and seeing a school of fish excited them more than anyone else, making them happier than seeing their own mothers.

"No rush, wait a bit longer. First, drop a buoy to observe the current direction, and I'll check the sonar again."

Ye Yaodong did not answer immediately but carefully observed the sea surface and the instruments.

Several floating transparent Portuguese man o' war were drifting with the waves, their pale blue floats trailing venomous tentacles several meters long.

Don't think they have already left the Kuroshio current branch; actually, they haven't. That entire branch covers a vast sea area.

And today, from dawn to dusk, they had been trawling continuously, circling around the fish schools nearby, moving at only three knots per hour, still circling the surroundings; where could they possibly have gone?

Moreover, they had been stopping the ship all night to transfer cargo, delaying them by several hours. Originally, they were expected to reach the destination in three days, but now it would take an extra day; they might not even arrive by tomorrow night, probably not until the day after.

The green light spots on the sonar screen, which should have been displaying the fish school, were strangely distorting, as if stirred by some force.

He furrowed his brows tightly; what on earth was going on?

At this moment, the radar also issued an abnormal alarm: two nautical miles to the northeast, the sea surface that should have been empty suddenly appeared with a patch of blurry echoes, appearing and disappearing intermittently.

The depth sounder also jumped; the water depth plummeted from 180 meters to 70 meters, then bounced back to 150 meters a moment later.

Looking at this, the seabed either had a terrain issue with hidden reefs, or a big creature had passed through.

The workers had waited a long time without receiving orders and, not wanting to miss such a huge school of fish, asked again.

"Boss? Should we lower the net? There really are so many squid."

"Something's wrong. Don't lower the net yet. Chase first... Ah, damn..."

Suddenly, an unexpected change occurred: the currents became turbulent. The Kuroshio branch, which should have been flowing north, was now forming a vortex-like counter-current beneath the ship, and the cable of the fish-finding light was pulled into a taut arc.

Squid naturally possess a strong phototaxis; at this moment, due to the searchlights, they gathered in greater and greater numbers, already floating up to the surface.

Some workers, feeling an itch in their hearts, had already grabbed hand nets, scooped up a net full during the night, and were extremely excited.

A net bag completely full of squid required two people to lift together.

Ye Yaodong also saw their actions; although he was also eyeing this school of squid with desire, unfortunately, it was too dangerous.

"Stop fishing immediately. The currents have suddenly changed; it's too dangerous. Turn off the lights. The fishing boats must leave this area at full speed."

After issuing the order, he also gave instructions to the other fishing boats.

He didn't know if the other fishing boats had encountered the squid school, but the sudden change in currents affected the entire sea area.

There was a sudden change in the morning, and now another one; this place is no longer suitable for staying. They must leave as soon as possible.

When the lights went out, the fishing boats quickly sped away from their previous position. The garbled code on the sonar screen suddenly disappeared, and everything returned to normal.

Fortunately, he was cautious and didn't rush to lower the net just because he saw a fish school. Otherwise, if he had lowered it halfway and suddenly encountered a massive change in currents, his net would have been ruined, and he might have even encountered other sudden disasters.

The risks at sea are no joke. Besides natural disasters and human errors, there are various risks associated with the terrain and geography of sea areas.

Furthermore, in this era, there are no marked no-fishing zones, and dangerous areas lack standards; everything must rely on experience. In the vast ocean, he is not omnipotent.

One must be cautious when caution is required; one cannot lose one's head just because one sees a catch.

There is an old saying: "Better to miss a full hold of fish than to gamble when the Dragon King stirs the waves."

The two workers below were still discussing how regrettable it was.

Meanwhile, the other boats were asking, saying their radar had just detected a blind spot and the depth sounder showed significant fluctuations.

Everyone was exchanging heated accounts of the situation they had just encountered.

"The area around here really is as complicated as Ah Dong said; we definitely should have left earlier."

"It was quite calm last night; who would have thought that entering this sea area would be so dangerous."

Ye Yaodong said, "If we don't cast the net, we won't feel the danger. I just encountered a huge school of squid; luckily, we didn't cast the net. I wanted to probe the area first. If we had cast the net, the boat would have lost at least one fishing net at the very least; in a serious case, the consequences would be unbearable..."

"We also detected a school of fish just now. We were originally thinking of being a bit more careful, but then we received your order to leave immediately."

He instructed, "The deep sea is too dangerous. Everyone must prioritize safety. No matter what, we must probe clearly before deciding whether to cast the net."

"Understood. We are being very careful. We must follow your orders, report back, and then decide whether to cast the net."

"Until we reach our destination, we will not cast the net. Regardless of whether we encounter a school of fish, we will leave this sea area tonight first."

"Received!"

This wave of emotional turmoil left him unable to calm down; he drank several mouthfuls of tea before suppressing his feelings.

It was not until dawn, with no further incidents occurring, that he felt at ease.

He estimated he would have to sail for another half morning to completely leave the Black Current tributary and enter calm waters.

When the sun finally emerged from the clouds and Jin Guang poured down, Chen Shi came over to take the shift.

"Brother Dong."

Ye Yaodong stretched widely. "You've arrived just in time."

"I heard you encountered a huge school of squid last night. They said the light shone on them, and they all floated to the surface..."

"We didn't cast the net. It wasn't appropriate; it was too dangerous. The sonar showed chaos, and the radar detected a blind spot in the sea. I'd rather not earn this money than not be careful."

"That's right. Safety first. After all, this isn't our destination."

"Hmm, I leave it to you. I'm going to eat something and then sleep."

"Okay."

Ye Yaodong walked out of the cockpit, twisting his neck and waist. Staying up all night felt more exhausting than working a whole day.

He took a few deep breaths. The rising sun was golden yellow, and countless tiny specks of light immediately floated up on the sea surface, like a layer of scattered gold, extremely beautiful.

Even after seeing it countless times, he still thought it was beautiful.

Some of the workers had already come on shift, finished eating, and were chatting about last night's events while tasting the small squid from last night.

Ye Yaodong hadn't served his rice yet, so he casually grabbed one to taste. "Mmm~ fresh, sweet, and full of roe. Delicious."

"Haha, we specifically picked them. The ones with roe taste better."

"If we cook seafood porridge today, put a few in."

"Definitely."

"Brother Dong, I heard you are extremely cautious..."

"If I weren't cautious, wouldn't that be irresponsible? Safety first. Money or no money, it must be built on a foundation of safety."

While serving his rice, Ye Yaodong chatted and explained to them, "Night is much more dangerous than day. One reason is the light; visibility is poor at night. Another reason is fatigue; mental exhaustion makes mistakes very easy."

"Putting weather aside, there are several typical causes of accidents at sea. The first is radar blind spots, which happened last night. The second is failing to update nautical charts in time. The third is accidentally entering prohibited navigation zones. Some terrains are dangerous; running aground is the most common occurrence."

The current nautical charts don't mark these areas. The sea isn't land; how could he remember every single place? He could only be as careful as possible.

The safest option is to operate in waters he is familiar with.

Therefore, until we reach our destination, we will not cast the net. After all, from the Black Current sea area to near DYD, there are indeed several prohibited navigation zones, and areas involving military zones.

Everyone listened to him while laughing and joking.

After saying this, Ye Yaodong smiled again. "Cherish the free time today well. Starting tomorrow, you won't have any free time."

"Haha, the busier we are, the more money you can make."

"That's right. Haha. Earn a bit more, and I'll give everyone a big red envelope at the end of the year."