As a Fisherman, My Fish Can Level Up
Chapter 297 - Chapter 297 Chapter 252 A Slap Knockout

Chapter 297: Chapter 252: A Slap Knockout Chapter 297: Chapter 252: A Slap Knockout With all the fishing lines reeled in, the deck was crawling with Emperor Crabs.

Chu Mingcheng, holding scissors, released the crabs from the lines one by one, then tossed them into the live well.

Since Emperor Crabs are large in size, about five hundred pounds of them filled the live well to the brim.

If later the crab pots were pulled up, the crabs would probably have to be stacked.

Fortunately, their shells were hard enough, and considering the crabs inside the pots were smaller, there was no fear of crushing those below.

After all the crab pots had been hauled up and all the Emperor Crabs placed into the live well, the morning had passed.

Working alone indeed slowed things down, which is why it’s standard for a boat to take some crew when sailing out to sea; a division of labor naturally increases efficiency.

Chu Mingcheng didn’t immediately go to prepare lunch, but instead steered the boat towards the coral reef to collect the lobster pots.

The Australian lobster catch was mediocre; he threw back those that didn’t meet the size requirements, keeping only sixteen, weighing a total of seventy-three pounds.

The average weight here was about three to four pounds, mainly because there were three exceptionally large ones that each weighed just over ten pounds.

Such weight is considered quite large for Australian lobsters and might fetch a higher price.

The Tiger Crabs, however, were rather extraordinary, with the lobster pots nearly full to the entrance.

Chu Mingcheng was surprised to find so many Tiger Crabs here since he hadn’t noticed that many the previous night while diving.

After releasing the smaller ones back into the sea, there was still a weight of one hundred and fifty-six pounds left.

It was only because his lobster pots were relatively large that there was enough space to contain the Tiger Crabs.

Unfortunately, that was about as big as Tiger Crabs got, with the largest one weighing only two pounds.

Since Chu Mingcheng skipped lunch, he simply took the two-pound Tiger Crab into the kitchen with him.

However, he was surprised upon cracking open the crab shell.

Originally thinking it was a type of crab with little meat, he found most of the flesh was hidden inside the big head shell.

Seeing how much meat there was, Chu Mingcheng decided to just steam it in the pot.

After having his meal, he finally understood why Tiger Crabs could sell for one hundred thirty dollars per pound back home; the taste was indeed quite good, very fresh and sweet.

In the afternoon, Chu Mingcheng planned to continue catching more lobsters and Tiger Crabs.

Although the live well was already full with Emperor Crabs, there were still many unused foam boxes left, so there was room for more catch.

Just as he was preparing to deploy the crab pots again, the satellite phone rang.

Putting aside his work, Chu Mingcheng hurried to answer the phone, then Noah’s voice came through.

“Cheng, how’s the catch so far?”

“Not bad, caught quite a few Emperor Crabs, what’s up?”

“That’s really great to hear. All the Emperor Crabs over here are sold out, and a few merchants have placed orders. Could you come back first?”

“OK, I’ll head back now, meet me at the dock this evening.”

Hearing there was a shortage on the other end, Chu Mingcheng didn’t hesitate and agreed immediately.

He had not expected, with just a two-day delay caused by Jiang Luoluo, that Noah’s stock would have run out, which implied he had given up some profit.

But then again, if the prices were the same as elsewhere, there’d be no reason for customers to buy from him.

Chu Mingcheng tidied up the deck, packed and secured the crab pots, and then went to shower.

He took off his diving suit, which he had been wearing continuously, washed it clean, then set sail for home.

This time, he didn’t have time to catch more lobsters; that would have to wait until next time.

However, Chu Mingcheng specifically marked the coordinates of the sea area where the Moxiang Whale carcass was located, believing that the abundant food source would attract nearby Emperor Crabs.

In this way, he would be able to easily harvest a large number of Emperor Crabs in the following days without having to go farther away.

When he returned to the dock, the sun was almost setting.

Noah had been waiting there for a while, and he could hardly conceal his amazement at seeing even more Emperor Crabs than last time.

“Cheng, I’m really curious, how did you manage to catch so many Emperor Crabs in such a short time?”

“If I tell you this secret, you can’t go spreading it around,” Chu Mingcheng said with a mysterious air, whispering.

“I swear I won’t say a word,” Noah wasn’t a fool; it concerned his own interests, so how could he possibly talk about it?

“Actually, on my first trip out to sea while diving, I happened upon a Moxiang Whale. Moreover, it was a dead whale, its body horribly mangled from being nibbled on.”

“I was curious at the time and wanted to get closer to observe when surprisingly, the Moxiang Whale’s body began to sink. I was fortunate enough to witness a whale fall.”

Upon hearing that Chu Mingcheng had witnessed a whale fall, Noah called upon his God in astonishment and expressed disbelief.

“Cheng, you’re incredibly lucky, to have seen such a wondrous event. But how does this relate to the secret of quickly catching Emperor Crabs?”

Chu Mingcheng spread his hands, “Isn’t the Moxiang Whale’s carcass a god-sent feast for Emperor Crabs? I tried setting crab pots in the area of the whale fall, and just as I had thought, the carcass did attract a lot of Emperor Crabs, allowing me to have a big harvest.”

Noah had his moment of realization, then shook his head again, marveling at the stroke of luck.

Such an occurrence was entirely a coincidence and could not be replicated.

But given the current situation, that Chu Mingcheng could obtain a large amount of Emperor Crabs in a short period meant Noah started considering expanding the business to prevent sales from lagging behind the catch.

In the end, both parties settled the transaction for the goods.

The total weight of the Emperor Crabs was one thousand and seventy-three pounds, and with pricing based on size, they were sold for a total of sixty-one thousand Australian dollars.

The East Starfish weighed a total of two hundred and twelve pounds and sold for twenty Australian dollars per pound, bringing in four thousand two hundred forty Australian dollars.

The Australian lobster and the Tiger Crab together fetched three thousand seven hundred fifty Australian dollars.

After deducting costs such as fuel, Chu Mingcheng had successfully earned one hundred thousand Australian dollars.

It was clear that the Emperor Crab was the main earner due to its high price and the substantial quantities caught each time.

The other catches were just a drop in the bucket, merely offsetting costs, with not much profit made.

There was still about eight thousand five hundred pounds of Emperor Crab left, and based on the current situation, it was estimated that he could earn another four hundred sixty thousand Australian dollars.

Chu Mingcheng helped move the goods from the boat to Noah’s truck, and this scene was observed by a crab fisherman who had been stationed at the docks.

Seeing an Asian man moving Emperor Crabs off the boat, he immediately identified his target and then took out his phone to make a call.

Just as Chu Mingcheng was about to finish unloading the goods, he noticed a group of burly men approaching.

Seeing them headed straight for him, he knew they were coming for him because one of the rough-looking men, who had a full set of sideburns, had already started cursing.

“Yellow monkey, go back to your own country; the Emperor Crab is exclusive to Tasmania, and you have no right to touch it.”

Noah did not expect any trouble; they had always been stationed in Melbourne, not in the heartland of these Tasmanian crab fishermen.

But he immediately stepped in front of Chu Mingcheng, “Fuck, shut your foul mouth, you racist.”

“Perhaps you should go back to your mother’s womb for a redo, so you don’t pollute the air with your scum presence.”

“Shit, you damn robber, stealing our crabs with a yellow monkey,” the burly man didn’t speak any softer knowing Noah was a local.

Emboldened by his physical prowess, he immediately reached out to grab Noah by the collar.

Chu Mingcheng was quick to react and immediately pulled Noah back, avoiding the man’s hand.

To tell the truth, he was somewhat troubled by this situation.

Not because he was afraid, but because they had caught less than a ton of Emperor Crab so far, and he hadn’t earned enough money.

If things escalated, he was unsure if his external support could cover it; if it couldn’t, he might have to return the remaining share and go back to his country with his tail between his legs.

At most, the embassy might issue a few statements condemning the other party’s barbarism and overbearing attitude; Asians indeed don’t get much respect in the majority of countries unless they are exceptionally wealthy.

But now that these people were directly causing him trouble rather than bringing the fishery administration with them, he felt his external support should be reliable for the time being.

“Noah, use your phone to record what’s about to happen. If there’s a fight, it might serve as evidence of our legitimate self-defense. Also, don’t call the police yet.”

Noah didn’t try to act tough and retreated while secretly taking out his phone to record.

He wasn’t clear about Chu Mingcheng’s fighting ability, but he knew that Chu Mingcheng was strong and probably wouldn’t be at a disadvantage in a fight.

“The share of Emperor Crab is what I applied for at the fishery administration; if you have complaints, you can ask them,” Chu Mingcheng replied.

Being called a “yellow monkey”, Chu Mingcheng was indeed angry, but he knew he couldn’t vent his anger on them just yet, so he decided to bide his time and take revenge later at sea.

These crab fishermen would need to go out to sea to fish, and if it came to it, he could spend some time in Tasmania keeping watch.

So for now, he tried to seek a peaceful resolution. If it came to fighting, he had to ensure they struck the first blow.

Moreover, he felt that these crab fishermen were not entirely united; the loudmouth in the front was clearly being used as a pawn, while the others just stood behind and watched without a word.

“Fuck you; if I tell you to leave, you have to leave. Don’t bring up the fishery administration to me.”

Chu Mingcheng sneered coldly, and since the other party was clearly unreasonable, he was no longer inclined to be polite and immediately retorted.

“Was your mother poisoned by mercury when she had you, to give you such a stinking mouth?”

If the situation escalated, the worst outcome would be deportation, and if his external support could be upgraded to target them, he wondered if he could wipe out all of Australia’s Emperor Crabs.

“Shit, you’re gonna pay for this!” the burly man roared in anger.

But he was probably uneducated and had only a few curse words in his arsenal.

Little did he know that the other man would retort, and with even more offensive remarks, which instantly fueled his anger, prompting him to throw a punch.

Chu Mingcheng had the reflexes to dodge the punch entirely, but he didn’t.

He raised his left arm to block and slapped the man’s cheek with his right hand.

With a loud “slap,” the burly man’s body immediately stiffened, and then, to the shock of all, he fell straight to the ground with a thud.

“Oh shit, Els, call the police right now!” the others panicked.

Noah was terrified and immediately came to Chu Mingcheng’s side, asking, “Cheng, you didn’t kill him, did you?”

“How could I? He’s just passed out, maybe a slight concussion?”

Chu Mingcheng was still measured, as he hadn’t aimed for the temple, and although the man fell, his chest still moved with breaths, clearly indicating that the slap had only temporarily stunned him.

Noah instantly relaxed and stepped forward with his phone, “I suggest you guys take him to the hospital rather than calling the police. I’ve recorded everything that just happened. This was self-defense.”

In Melbourne, such behavior would not be considered excessive self-defense.

Unless Chu Mingcheng continued to attack the unconscious man, which would be unacceptable.

Because he didn’t panic when the man was knocked out, he had evidence on his side.

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