Chapter 738: The Second Boat Sails Home (Extra Chapter for Alliance Leader Shi Yi)

Both of them were dumbfounded. It had taken them a whole day to finish off that one boat, and now, just after they came over to confirm, he'd tossed them another bomb!

"For real?"

"And they even got you a boat directly?"

"You're kidding, right?"

One thunderclap after another—was he trying to blow them to death?!

Ye Yaodong smiled and nodded. "Of course it's real, but I don't know when we'll go pick up the boat—we'll have to wait for notice. I don't know when they'll process it either. We'll see then. If they notify me, I'll give you a heads-up. You guys want to buy a boat, right?"

"Well, it'd be great if we could buy another one too. That way we can split it up—one boat per person."

Ye Father quickly chimed in, "If they can notify you, give your big brother and second brother a heads-up too, see what they say. The boat at home is too old."

"Sure."

He hadn't thought of it yesterday. Now, as the conversation flowed and he heard they also wanted to buy a boat, it occurred to him that when they notified him to go pick up the boat, he could let them go take a look at the border defense station too.

However, if big brother and second brother bought another boat, they probably wouldn't be able to pool with him. Thinking of this, Ye Yaodong couldn't help feeling a bit of a headache.

Forget it, he'd wait until the boat was brought back to discuss it. Thinking about it now would just add to his worries for nothing.

Who knew how many the border defense station would process, or whether they could even buy one?

If they could all buy one, then Ah Zheng and Xiao Xiao would have to find their own spots.

But after Ye Father finished speaking, he felt something wasn't quite right. He hesitated and said, "You say, if we brazenly buy their boat, after they're released, will they come to rob us or take revenge?"

Ye Yaodong said irritably, "Smuggling and attacking border defense vessels, assaulting police officers—wouldn't they be in for at least 20 years? Might even rot in jail for life, or get a bullet. How would they even know who?"

"Oh, that's true too."

"Oh, right!"

Speaking of jail, Ye Yaodong suddenly thought of his second cousin. He'd been set up by his eldest cousin back then, and sentenced to a year and a half. He was arrested at the end of last year, so it's been almost a year and a half now.

"Isn't second cousin getting out soon?"

Ye Father was caught off guard by his jump in topic—one moment they were talking about something else, the next he was asking about his second cousin. He paused, then said, "He is getting out soon. He was arrested in December of the year before last. It's the end of April now, so there's just over a month left. Why are you suddenly asking about him?"

"Nothing. Talking about jail just reminded me of them. Just asking in passing."

"Sigh, a person really shouldn't do bad things or take crooked paths. Working honestly and steadily is the way." Ye Father looked at him with a pointed remark, then immediately stopped himself.

"It's good that your second cousin is getting out too. That way your uncle will have a son by his side. Your eldest cousin still has to serve over eight more years. By the time he gets out, your uncle will be old already. Sigh…"

As he spoke, he grew somewhat emotional.

"I saw him some time ago, his hair had already turned white. A 60-year-old looks almost like someone else's 70-year-old. His back is already bent…"

Ye Yaodong rolled his eyes inwardly. He'd brought up a wrong topic himself. He shouldn't have asked.

He exchanged glances with Ah Zheng and Xiao Xiao, and the three of them immediately changed the subject.

"The border defense station still has one of my boats. Don't spread the word for now. Anyway, once I bring it back, everyone will know naturally. Otherwise people will think I have connections, and one by one they'll come begging me to get them a boat or whatever. I can't do anything about that. This is just face someone gave me."

"Got it."

"Laozi's not helping you spread the word, just giving you face!" Ah Zheng complained.

"Pfft, go out and ask around. Who doesn't know me now? I still need you to give me face?"

"Right, Salted Fish Dong, Dried Fish Dong…"

Damn it!

That sounds awful!

Ye Yaodong shot Ah Zheng a sidelong glance, giving him a look to figure it out himself.

"You've finished your meal too. Go pick up the boat first. We're heading back to sleep. When you have news, let us know."

"Okay."

Ye Yaodong stood up with them, and took the opportunity to tell them that if they didn't have enough money, they could let him know.

The two of them had actually saved quite a bit over the past year, and they both shook their heads, saying they had enough.

After seeing them off at the door, he also said to Ah Qing that he was going to go bring the boat back first.

"The news was already out yesterday. Bringing the boat back today doesn't matter. Leave it beached on shore for a day or two. We'll see if there's time for maintenance. If not, we'll just have to take it straight out."

Lin Lin Xiuqing agreed, "Bringing it back and parking it at our own doorstep looks more reassuring. I'm home at the door every day anyway, so I can see it. The boat's been out there so many days, can't even see it—makes me uneasy."

"Mm, bring me a set of work clothes. I'll shower when I get back."

After saying that, he told his father, "Dad doesn't need to go. It's late at night, better not drag one more person along. I'll just ride my bicycle there. I'll carry the bicycle onto the boat and bring it back together."

"Then be careful later. Remember to bring a flashlight."

"Got it."

Ye Yaodong quickly put on the clothes and pants Ah Qing had brought him. After grabbing the flashlight, he also put on a headlamp for good measure, pushed his bicycle, took the ridiculously huge car key, and hurried out.

Ye Mother saw him heading out late at night when it was already dark, pushing his bicycle, and quickly called out to him.

"Where are you going?"

"Got something to do."

He hopped on the bicycle and took off. Anyway, once it was beached on the sand tomorrow, everyone would know. No need to say anything now.

Saved him from his mother chattering away, sharing the news all over the place late at night, grinning so wide her mouth couldn't close, too excited to sleep.

The moon wasn't very bright tonight, making the road especially dim. The wind blew the shadows of the roadside trees, flickering and swaying, looking a bit scary.

Luckily, besides the headlamp, Ye Yaodong had also brought a flashlight. He turned both on and tossed them into the basket in front of the bicycle, keeping his attention on the ground, not looking around, silently chanting in his heart: not midnight yet… not midnight yet…

Walking alone at night, on a road with not a single light and not a single person in sight, was still pretty scary.

Usually he had company, except for that one time he rushed to town to buy paint.

That time he'd just done something big, his heart was still racing, his head was hot, he didn't think about this and that.

He rode and rode, until he saw the village and some scattered lights, then he felt a bit more at ease, and pedaled even faster.

Once he entered the town's area, the road was better, and he rode faster and more smoothly.

"Sigh~ This is worse than sailing out at sea. When will they ever install streetlights on the road, fix the roads…"

He muttered a couple of lines as he rode, heading straight for the dock.

There were indeed two streetlights erected a few meters apart at the edge of the dock, but only two.

When fishing boats returned at night, they lined up neatly on the dock, row after row, packed shoulder to shoulder—quite a sight and very orderly, though they rocked unsteadily as the waves washed against them.

He rode toward the familiar spot, holding a flashlight in one hand, sweeping the beam across the sea surface as he searched.

His red-white-black fishing boat stood out quite conspicuously among the crowd of blue and green boats. He had barely ridden halfway when the flashlight beam caught that tri-colored boat.

It had been soaking for several days, and it looked like the colors had faded a bit more compared to when he first came over. Still, only a little above the waterline had smeared off, and the mark he had made had smeared off too. But the color at the bottom hadn't faded too badly—it could still cover up the Luzhoudao markings.

He couldn't help but feel grateful that the people had used black paint for their markings; black paint covers better than any other color.

After finding his boat, he stopped and picked a fishing boat that was in a convenient position to board from and relatively close to his own. He carried his bicycle across them one by one, climbing over three boats before finally reaching his own.

What a hassle!

If he had come during the day, he wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble.

"I'm exhausted, damn it!"

He gripped the crank handle of the diesel engine, caught his breath a couple of times, then inserted the handle into the corresponding slot, and started the machine with a rhythm—slow at first, then faster.

This crank handle isn't universal across all machines. Engines of different horsepower take different crank handles, and even engines with the same horsepower from different manufacturers can have different handles.

The people from Luzhoudao had been far too confident, thinking no one would dare touch their boats, and since it was on a deserted island, they had just left the crank handles on the boats. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gotten such a bargain.

After the diesel engine started, he casually tossed the crank handle aside and slowly reversed the boat.

He also switched on the flashlight and held it in his hand, while his other hand controlled the direction, slowly steering the boat toward the open sea and away from the dock.

Only then did he head toward their Bai Sha Village.

In just two short years, he had gone from nothing to something—from a small wooden boat, he had quickly upgraded to an iron-hulled boat for offshore fishing, escaping the scarcity of nearshore resources.

As soon as he had accumulated enough capital, he put in an order for another large 24-meter boat, fully equipped, costing over ten thousand.

He just hadn't expected that before this big boat even arrived, before he could celebrate, the second trawler and the third boat had also fallen into his hands one after another.

Not to mention the villagers' eyes would pop out—he himself hadn't expected it either. The accident and the surprise had come so suddenly, and yet he had seized them perfectly.

He had thought this one iron-hulled boat would serve as a gradual transition until the big boat was delivered.

Now, he had once again become the center of attention in the village, and for a long time to come, he would be the talk of the town.

Luckily, the loose ends had basically been cleaned up. The third boat was again thanks to Director Chen speaking up and having the border defense station hold it back. Everyone could only envy him—where would they find the nerve to question the origins of his fishing boats?

Once all three boats are in hand, he'll have to make the rounds around the village for a few days~

Everything seemed so smooth and easy, going with the wind and the current!

Damn! Holy shit, his brain must have been smeared with shit in his past life, to have slacked off until death.

Ye Yaodong really wanted to punch himself—at the very least, he should have earned the money first before slacking off.