Wu Mingwei led Li Haochen towards the deepest part of the farm. Only eight breeding ponds were located here, and they were smaller than the previous ones, each measuring about ten square meters.
"See if these are to your liking?"
Li Haochen picked up a few and examined them. They were only about the size of a fingernail. At this size, there would be at least a hundred of them to a jin. After a year of cultivation in the space, they would be ready for the table.
Earning more than ten times the investment in a single year was faster than a money-printing machine.
There were indeed smaller ones, as small as rice grains. A handful would contain hundreds or even thousands. However, that required certain breeding techniques and daily supervision. Thus, Li Haochen decided against them, opting for those the size of a fingernail.
"Mingwei, I'll take these, but this amount isn't enough."
"You don't think we only have one breeding factory, do you? Don't worry, we can supply ten times this amount if you need it, haha!"
"Alright, I'll trouble you then. Just deliver them in batches."
After leaving Wu's breeding factory, Li Haochen, who was about to depart, was warmly invited to his home as a guest. He had no choice but to go.
The Wu family truly lived up to their reputation as a renowned clan. Their large mansion occupied a vast area and was designed with antique charm, featuring small bridges, flowing water, and exquisite pavilions. Walking in felt like stepping into a historical scenic spot. Inside the house, it was even more opulent, dazzling the eyes with its grandeur. This was true extravagance.
Several people were already seated in the main hall. Li Haochen recognized one of them: Wu Mingwei's girlfriend, Zhao Yingxue. The four elderly individuals beside them were likely their respective parents.
Indeed, introductions confirmed they were the parents of both couples.
The four greeted Li Haochen with great enthusiasm, likely because he had saved their son and future son-in-law's lives. Unbeknownst to him, Wu Mingwei had already informed them about Li Haochen's large purchase of abalone fry. A person with a good disposition and substantial wealth was naturally worthy of their warm reception.
"Haochen, if it weren't for you at the time, Ah Wei would have..."
"Yes, we're so grateful, Haochen. We don't know how to repay you!"
"Uncle, Aunt, you're too kind. Perhaps it was fate, and it also shows that Ah Wei is a person of great fortune."
"Dad, Mom, it's in the past, no need to mention it. Aren't I alright? Haochen is here as a guest, why bring that up? Let's drink, drink, haha!"
"Right, right, no more talk, let's drink..."
With clinking glasses and flowing conversations.
The banquet left them feeling slightly tipsy. They had planned to set sail back, but now they would have to spend the night at the Wu family's residence.
The next morning, after breakfast at the Wu family's home, Wu Mingwei drove him to the pier. After paying the berthing fees, Li Haochen set sail.
"The abalone is sorted. Now for the sea cucumbers."
However, this couldn't be rushed. It was a long way to Lushun. Sailing there was out of the question – thousands of nautical miles. Moreover, in a few days, he had to accompany Murong Yanran to Yanjing, which was a crucial meeting with her parents. Everything else had to make way for it.
On the second day back in Binhai, Gu Xiaonian brought Li Haochen a pleasant surprise. The general's hats and barnacles collected had amounted to forty to fifty jin. They had also acquired over ten jin of goose neck barnacles, which were high-priced items. With the long coastline of his space, the demand for such valuable goods increased, making money feel like picking it up.
In the afternoon, Wu Mingwei personally delivered the first batch of abalone fry. There were only a dozen or so plastic crates, densely covered with fry along the edges. It wasn't just those with trypophobia who felt uneasy; Li Haochen himself felt a chill.
After handling the abalone fry, Li Haochen was about to check his fish traps, only to remember the dozens of traps he had placed in the Shenchuan River hadn't been dealt with yet.
He re-entered his space and retrieved the traps one by one for cleaning. The results were excellent. Just thirty-odd traps yielded over ten jin of lady crabs, several large green groupers, and a good number of sea bass and black bream. In terms of value, the harvest from these thirty-odd traps was at least three thousand yuan. It was no wonder so many fishermen risked fishing during the closed season; such returns were too tempting to resist.
After processing this batch of seafood, he took the traps out to release them in Butterfly Bay. When he returned home, a luxury car was parked in the yard.
He wouldn't forget this car; it belonged to Li Qianqian. The thought of her made Li Haochen feel rather displeased. Who did she think she was looking down on? Wait until he had trillions in assets; he'd spank her then, hmph!
He walked inside and saw Li Qianqian sitting gracefully on the sofa in the living room. Murong Yanran was not present, likely in her room.
Reluctantly, Li Haochen walked over and called out, "Aunt Qian~"
"Mm, come sit down."
Li Haochen's mouth twitched. The way she said it felt off. He was the owner of this villa, after all, but he dared not voice his thoughts.
"Aunt Qian, what is it?"
"Yanran mentioned taking you to Yanjing. I opposed this, but she was adamant, so I had to agree. Also, once you get there, you are not allowed to share a room, and you must abide by the rules. My family is not like Binhai here, so don't cause any embarrassment. Lastly, I must reiterate, you two are not in the same world. I hope you recognize the reality. The threshold I mentioned earlier is not something ordinary people can cross. Think carefully. If you leave now, I can bestow upon you wealth beyond your imagination."
"Aunt Qian, fortune turns. Do not bully the poor youth. A mere ten billion, what difficulty is there for me to cross this threshold?" Li Haochen retorted, feeling displeased.
"Tch, a mere ten billion? Don't think you're so capable just because you used Ling Hanfeng to set up a few shops and a dilapidated property development in Yuanshi. If Yanran hadn't mortgaged her hotel to lend you that money, could you have achieved this? Have some self-awareness. If it weren't for Yanran, you'd have at most a few dilapidated fishing boats and a ruined factory. And you boast, 'a mere ten billion.' What a colossal joke, autter absurdity, haha!"
Li Qianqian's sarcastic smile was particularly piercing. Li Haochen clenched his fists. He wasn't surprised she knew about Ling Hanfeng; for families like theirs, a little investigation would reveal it. What surprised him was Murong Yanran mortgaging her assets to lend him money. If he had known, he would never have agreed to it.
"Haochen, you're back? Alright, let's go eat."
At that moment, Murong Yanran, having changed her clothes, came downstairs. Her arrival changed the somewhat tense expressions of Li Qianqian and Li Haochen.
"Yanran, you go with Aunt Qian. I feel a bit unwell."
"Ah, are you okay?"
"It's nothing. Perhaps I caught a chill from the sea breeze. I'll just take some medicine and sleep it off. You two go ahead."
"Then... if you feel unwell, give me a call."
As Murong Yanran and the others left, Li Haochen clenched his fists again. "Just watch. I, Li Haochen, will surely become someone you look up to!"