The Top Fishing
Chapter 505 - 231: Price Negotiation_2

Chapter 505: Chapter 231: Price Negotiation_2

"Eh, if it’s just symbolically bringing back a few dozen pounds of fish, it’s not that much trouble. With the right handling, you don’t need to pay any fees. Just provide proof of origin, and you can check it with your plane luggage. Then, after you enter the country, if you’re not too unlucky, you won’t need to spend a single cent more,"

"Not too unlucky?"

"Right, customs might still do a spot check. If they don’t find anything, you’re OK. If they do, it’s just a matter of paying a small entry tariff based on the weight. With a proof of origin, it’s not illegal; at worst, it’s a small misstep because you weren’t clear on the process the first time."

"So, if I do as you say, how can I maximize my benefits?"

"The easiest way is definitely to sell it to a company that specializes in Bluefin Tuna. Sign the contract, take the money, and then it’s none of your business!"

The second method is to sell the fish privately to another buyer who would handle the following procedures, but this one is a bit borderline. It’s illegal in the United States, and you’d be in a lot of trouble if it’s found out!"

Lin Yang hesitated after hearing Zhang Lin’s response when Captain Harry strode over with a dozen beers.

"Both of these options aren’t good enough; I have a new choice!" Captain Harry began.

"Hm? What choice? Do tell," Lin Yang perked up with newfound interest.

"Just now, a friend from the fishery company called me with a new partnership proposal. I think it’s more sincere than the regular options. You might want to consider it!

First, you sell the fish to the fishery company, and they take care of all the paperwork.

Second, the company offers a minimum guaranteed price to obtain the rights to co-sell this fish.

The company will then organize a small, industry-only auction. Half of the auction price, after deducting necessary expenses, goes to you, and the other half to the fishery company."

If it exceeds the guaranteed price, you’ll be paid according to the auction price; if it doesn’t reach the guaranteed price, you’ll be paid at that guaranteed rate!"

This kind of world record-breaking fish doesn’t have a set price; it all depends on how much the buyer is willing to pay. Letting a fishery company with more customer resources handle it might yield more profits than if we try to handle the fish ourselves!"

Of course, you need to weigh this decision yourself. They asked me to persuade you; if you agree to this plan, they’ll give me a commission, about 1% of the total transaction value."

Foreigners are great in many ways, transparent about money matters and quite blunt. However, Lin Yang didn’t mind Captain Harry’s straightforwardness; it’s always better to be clear upfront than to have secret calculations behind one’s back.

Hearing this proposal, Yue’er, who had been quiet, tugged at the hem of Lin Yang’s clothes and looked up to ask, "Captain Harry, what minimum price can the other party guarantee?"

Captain Harry glanced at Lin Yang and replied, "280 US dollars per pound, based on the full weight of the fish!"

Full weight is the weight when the fish is landed, also considered the gross weight, as standard procedure requires the fish to be processed post-catch, including but not limited to cutting off the head and tail and gutting.

After standard processing, only the complete midsection is left. Many places make their offers based on the weight after processing, which can differ significantly.

Yue’er shook her head and pointed to an English-language forum post on her phone, saying, "That shouldn’t be the highest price, right? I’ve seen people on the black market section of the World Fishing Association forum willing to pay 370 US dollars per pound, covering all costs."

At the mention of the black market from Yue’er’s mouth, Captain Harry’s brow furrowed slightly.

The black market is not an illegal market, it’s simply called so because it deals with a variety of items; it’s also known as a flea market and is a place for regular fishermen to conduct various trades.

US dollars compared to the fishery company’s 280 US dollars is almost a third higher; that’s not a small amount.

Seeing that Yue’er had found an offer far above the earlier price, Captain Harry knew his offer was unlikely to sway them, hence the subtle expression.

Lin Yang exchanged glances with Yue’er and said to Captain Harry, "Let’s do this: the fish will take several days to depurate anyway, so I’ll think it over and give you a definitive answer before tomorrow morning."

"Ok!"

Having given the captain a reply, the discussion about this matter was temporarily paused.

Lin Yang and his companions stayed at Captain Harry’s place for a while longer, then drove back to their accommodation.

During the drive, Zhang Lin repeatedly seemed to want to say something. Once the car was parked at their residence, Lin Yang purposely waited for Zhang Lin in the living room.

"Out with it, you’ve seemed hesitant to speak the whole trip; what’s up?"

"Actually, I think the auction is a good idea. Even if we have to split the profits, the final price is definitely going to be higher than the minimum. This fish broke a world record; who knows how many wealthy people are eyeing it!

If we could hype it up using the contacts in the tuna trade circle, we could definitely auction it for a sky-high price. The only thing we need to be careful of is to get a trustworthy high-profile lawyer to check contracts and the whole process so that we don’t get cheated.""

"What then?"

"That’s it, really. The remaining income after taxes is yours, which seems to be around 20% here in the United States!"

"Got it, I’m aware of that, but there’s no need to rush. How does that saying go on the internet? ’Let the bullets fly for a moment.’" Lin Yang nodded, acknowledging Zhang Lin’s opinion.