Chapter 400: Agreement with the Killer Whale

A Qing hurried to go move it.

One fish basket of mantis shrimp is about fifty catties.

The killer whale goes "kakaka" and eats it all, which is worth several thousand dollars.

A Qing said, "Brother, you really keep the killer whale as a pet; this one fish basket is worth several thousand, we can't afford to keep it."

After eating two fish baskets of mantis shrimp, the killer whale lets out a thin, sharp cry.

Wu An could hear the joy in the cry, and the killer whale swam circles around the fishing boat.

Lao Fu Tou was about to start the fishing boat.

Wu An hurriedly said, "Hu Zi, don't follow."

"Let's go quickly."

"The fishing boat is about to start."

The engine's noise and vibration will harm the killer whale and can also cause physical injury.

Hu Zi came over.

He leaned on the window sill and waved at the killer whale in the sea.

The next moment, the killer whale suddenly surged up, its large head bumping into his palm.

Wu An froze.

A Qing beside him stared dumbfounded.

Mei Wu was smoking, also dumbfounded, not noticing the cigarette falling from his mouth.

"Bang."

The killer whale fell into the sea with a huge bang, water splashing, the resulting waves making the fishing boat rock violently.

Wu An pulled his hand back.

He felt it; his palm was slightly damp.

Seeing the killer whale about to leave, he shouted, "I'll be back here at noon tomorrow; if you want to eat, come find me here."

A Qing shouted, "Brother, I'm impressed you actually made a date with Hu Zi..."

"It'd be weird if he could understand."

"Even if he could understand, how could he possibly show up on time here? He doesn't have a phone or watch to tell time."

"Having him lead us to find fish schools would be more reliable."

Wu An shook his head: "No need."

"If Hu Zi has time, he'll definitely bring (us)."

"He doesn't mean that, so we don't need to mention it."

He truly treats Hu Zi as a friend; after all this time at sea, Hu Zi has genuinely helped him several times, but he has nothing to repay with.

All he can do is send some food, and he feels a bit embarrassed about it.

Others are enough as friends.

We can't be clueless either.

Watching the killer whale reappear in the distance, Wu An nonchalantly waved his hand: "Just now Hu Zi bumped his head into my palm."

"He's probably thanking me."

"Too bad we didn't capture it."

"Hahaha."

A Qing envied: "Obviously I'm the one who fed him."

Mei Wu rubbed his hands and said, "Next time if there's a chance, let me try too."

Wu An smiled, thinking that even if he gave them a chance, they wouldn't seize it; he felt A Qing was right earlier, Hu Zi had fixed on him.

Without wasting time with the two, taking advantage of the calm seas, he hurried to cook.

They sailed like that for nearly two hours.

The sky had just darkened.

Everyone had eaten and drunk their fill.

Wu An glanced at the system; he had been monitoring the luck value buff on the fishing boat, noticing it was depleting quickly, and guessed it might be because the sea area the boat was in had good resources.

He made a quick decision.

He shouted, "Old Fu, let's work nearby."

Lao Fu Tou nodded.

At first following Wu An, he would often give advice based on experience, not to show off, but because he felt that with the high wages and commission Wu An gave him, he had to demonstrate the worth of that pay.

But nowadays he generally just listens to Wu An.

Wu An, as if aided by divine help at sea, might truly have the guidance of Goddess Mazu in the unseen; regardless, the directions or positions he chooses yield good catches.

In the face of Wu An's intuition, his experience can't be said to be useless; it just has no place to be applied.

"Deploy the adhesive net."

Wu An shouted.

A Qing and Mei Wu, who had been sitting smoking, quickly stood up, took out the adhesive net, and after the boat speed dropped, began to deploy it in an orderly manner.

This time they prepared plenty of adhesive net—each piece a hundred meters, ten sets total, making a kilometer, which can easily consume a hundred luck points.

The adhesive net was deployed quickly.

After deploying the adhesive net, the sky had also turned dark.

The lights were turned on.

Lao Fu Tou drifted a bit farther, then also lowered the longline.

Wait until the latter half of the night to bring in the Longline Fishing.

After bringing in the Longline Fishing, then bring in the Adhesive Net.

If the catch is still decent, we'll definitely have to work until dawn.

On an evening near September, the sea feels very pleasant; the wind brushes the skin, neither hot nor dry. A Qing fetched a case of ice‑chilled beer and said, "Brother, want some beer?"

Wu An nodded, "Alright, then more blanched Mantis Shrimp."

Mei Wu said, "I bought a lot of braised vegetables; let's skip the Mantis Shrimp, okay?"

Wu An shook his head; "A Wu Ge, we're both adults, there's no choosing."

"We want everything."

"I'll handle the Mantis Shrimp."

Never think that blanching is just boiling in water; that would be a huge mistake.

Blanching looks simple, but it has its tricks.

Heat the wok.

Add scallions and ginger inside.

Then use white wine to remove the fishy smell and enhance aroma.

Add clear water.

When the water boils, drop in the Mantis Shrimp.

Wait until the Mantis Shrimp is served.

Wu An called out, "Lao Fu, stop checking, have a drink."

Lao Fu Tou can't stay idle.

He wanders around the ship, looking left and right.

Lao Fu Tou responded with a sound, sat down and said, "After we eat, you should hurry and get some sleep."

"I don't get tired steering the boat."

"I'll keep watch."

Wu An nodded; "Alright, thanks for the effort, here, start eating."

Late at night on the sea, a few people sit around, eating braised vegetables and Mantis Shrimp, drinking beer, and it has its own flavor.

A gulp of beer goes down, then a pair of chopsticks of Mantis Shrimp, dipped in sauce, shoved into the mouth, tasting fresh and sweet.

"Really good."

"Mostly because it's fresh."

"Indeed."

"These Mantis Shrimp were hopping around before they hit the pot."

"Come on, come on, I'm on a bottle."

"Lao Fu, I'm not drinking with you…"

"Hahaha."

After all, we're on the sea; everyone moderates their intake, no one overdrinks. After eating their fill and drinking enough, they curl up in the ship's canopy to sleep, and soon snoring sounds rise and fall.

Lao Fu Tou tidied up, looked into the canopy, saw everyone sleeping in a tangled heap, tore a thin blanket and covered a few people's bellies.

The sea wind at late night is still a bit chilly; blowing like this can easily cause a cold.

Lao Fu Tou originally planned to stay in the canopy, but after a while he slipped out and went onto the Deck.

Why?

Because the snoring of three young men in the canopy sounded like a competition, each louder than the last.

He really couldn't stand it.

He sits leaning against the side of the boat, looks up at the star‑filled sky, pulls out a cigarette and lights it.

Time drifts slowly while we wait.

1 a. m.

The phone alarm went off; Wu An got up, called out "Lao Fu," Lao Fu responded, then a muffled hum followed; Wu An hurried out of the canopy to see.

Lao Fu Tou, leaning on the boat's side, was shivering.

Wu An rushed over to support him and asked, "Lao Fu, what's wrong?"

"Nothing… nothing, I just stood up suddenly and gave a little twitch," Lao Fu Tou forced a wry smile, waited for Wu An to rub him, then said, "A An, thanks."

"I'm much better now."

"Sigh, people get old."

"Enough, your body is fine; anyone who sits for half a day and suddenly gets up will cramp."

Seeing A Qing and Mei Wu also get up, he said, "Let's go bring in the Longline Fishing."