Si Jinyan had only half a day to buy fresh ingredients, as Yun Shao was expecting dinner. Time was of the essence.
So, Si Jinyan went directly to the seaside, where fishing boats returned to shore.
"Hello, do you have these fish for sale here?"
Si Jinyan casually pulled over a villager and asked while looking at a list on his phone.
"A wealthy person, indeed. These expensive fish are rarely caught. You could try your luck by the sea, looking at the fishing boats that have just returned."
The kind villager pointed him in a specific direction. "Oh, by the way, one of our villagers, a university student who just returned home, caught a haul of expensive fish overnight."
"He sold them for this much."
The kind villager gestured four fingers at Si Jinyan, speaking with a proud and cheerful demeanor, as if he had caught them himself.
"Forty thousand?" Si Jinyan asked suspiciously.
"Four hundred thousand. A small, dilapidated boat, filled with expensive fish. That fellow must have had his ancestors' graves emitting auspicious fumes. Four hundred thousand, he's made it big."
The kind villager's beard twitched as he spoke, then he walked away.
"Four hundred thousand, a small, dilapidated boat, all expensive fish. Is it really just luck?"
Si Jinyan stroked his chin, pondering as he walked. A catch under such conditions sounded a bit unbelievable.
He decided to meet this lucky person the villager mentioned. If the individual had the capability, money was not an issue.
Li Mingyi was currently in high spirits, telling his mother not to worry about their future livelihood and even arranging for someone to rebuild their old house.
"Brother Yi, someone is looking for you," a child from next door suddenly shouted from atop the wall, holding a hundred-yuan bill.
"Who is it?"
Li Mingyi put down what he was doing and opened the gate.
"Are you Li Mingyi?" Si Jinyan appraised him.
"That's right, it's me. May I ask why you're looking for me?"
Li Mingyi frowned, looking at the unfamiliar face, wondering why this person was seeking him out.
"I heard you sold forty thousand yuan worth of fish today." Si Jinyan stated directly.
"Why do you ask?"
Li Mingyi immediately became vigilant.
"Heh... no need to be so guarded. I have no interest in your meager earnings. I only care if you can get the fish on my list."
"Money is not a problem."
"The problem is whether it can be done within six hours."
Seeing Li Mingyi's wariness, Si Jinyan smiled and directly showed him the list on his phone.
He was also trying his luck. Otherwise, as a second choice, he would have to spend a large sum to purchase from Haicheng.
However, it certainly wouldn't be as fresh as fish just brought ashore.
Li Mingyi, seeing that Si Jinyan was there to place an order, quickly perked up and frowned at the fish on the list.
Good heavens.
Rich people were indeed different, all these delicious and expensive fish.
However, for him, these were minor issues. With his fishing radar, there were no fish he couldn't catch.
At worst, he could go to deeper waters where the fish were larger and fatter.
"No problem, but the price will have to be at least five times higher."
Li Mingyi didn't set the price too outrageously high, considering it was freshly caught within a time limit. He quoted five times because Si Jinyan seemed wealthy.
He felt no burden whatsoever fleecing a rich person.
Moreover, under these conditions, he was probably the only one in the world who could fulfill such a request. This exclusive business justified the price.
"No problem, but you have to guarantee the fish are alive, wild, and tender. Don't try to fool me with fish you secretly bought."
Si Jinyan agreed readily, which immediately made Li Mingyi feel he had quoted too low.
Money? Was that a problem for Si Jinyan?
His salary was now tied to Tiangong Company. In addition to his official salary, he also received wages and benefits from Yun Shao.
Furthermore, this was an official matter, which could be expensed. He wasn't paying out of his own pocket.
Li Mingyi was a man of his word. Although he regretted his price internally, since he had accepted the order, he had to fulfill it.
"I am also a person of integrity. I guarantee they are all wild. If even one is not, you can come find me."
"I'm heading out to sea now. Could you give me your contact information? I'll call you when I return."
Seeing Li Mingyi's assurance, Si Jinyan didn't say much. However, he wondered why the other party didn't ask for a deposit.
Since Li Mingyi didn't mention it, Si Jinyan wouldn't bring it up.
After Si Jinyan left his phone number and departed, Li Mingyi suddenly slapped his head, looking regretful.
"Damn it, I forgot to ask for a deposit."
It was Li Mingyi's first time doing business, and he couldn't have thought of that immediately.
Oh well, even if the customer ran off, he could still sell them.
Li Mingyi felt foolish and close to tears. Shaking his head, he went out to prepare for his sea voyage.
Si Jinyan waited for over five hours, and then Li Mingyi called him.
Money exchanged hands for goods. Seeing Si Jinyan's generous payment, Li Mingyi was in a great mood, having earned another five hundred thousand yuan.
...
The fish were transported by private jet and soon arrived in Luoyang, delivered to Yang Hui.
Ten thousand yuan worth of fish, when divided, wasn't that much, especially since Yang Hui only used the finest parts of each fish. The rest wouldn't be wasted and would also be prepared for the four clan elders.
Martial artists had hearty appetites.
Marinated seafood, sashimi, spicy grilled fish – a dazzling array of seafood delicacies.
In the center, a large platter was arranged with slices of fish forming a dragon playing with a pearl, the scales lifelike.
These were the essence extracted from many precious fish, with each fish contributing only a single slice.
"This is for you to enjoy alone. I'll prepare the rest for the four clan elders. With so many people, it wouldn't be a waste of such good ingredients."
Yang Hui wiped the sweat from her brow, a look of happiness on her face as she sat beside Zhao Yunhai.
"You've worked hard."
Zhao Yunhai looked at the table and picked up his chopsticks, taking a small taste.
"Is it delicious?" Yang Hui looked at him expectantly.
"Mmm." Zhao Yunhai loved fish and couldn't stop eating.
Yang Hui smiled and served him food, not eating herself, but rather propping her chin on her hand and watching him eat.
"Try some of what you made."
Zhao Yunhai served her a piece of extremely fresh sashimi, dipped in a little wasabi. It tasted fresh, not fishy.
"I want this one too," Yang Hui pointed at the cleaned lobster and looked at him expectantly.
"Serve yourself," Zhao Yunhai said, gently tapping her head with a hint of exasperation.
"Si Jinyan told me earlier that these were caught from the sea by a remarkable person using some kind of net within five hours."
Yang Hui touched her head and picked up a piece of shrimp, eating it as she explained how the fish had been acquired.
"Five hours? That's incredible?"
A flicker of sharpness flashed in Zhao Yunhai's smiling eyes. He had tasted a bit of every dish, not wanting to disappoint her efforts.
Meanwhile, in the room next door, the four clan elders and Elder Qiu were having a gathering for dinner.
"Miss Yang's culinary skills are truly exceptional. We are fortunate to have such a feast today."
"It's a pity we can't drink alcohol."
"Drinking can lead to mistakes."
"Ah, yes, yes, yes."
And Si Jinyan, glancing at his phone, noticed that Yun Shao was inquiring about the situation with the little fishing prodigy.