"Sugoi..."
At this moment, a man in his fifties, wearing a dark blue Japanese short-sleeved chef's uniform, his face filled with excitement, jogged towards the round, plump yellowfin tuna.
He kept muttering the syllables "Sugoi," and his expression while stroking the tuna was as if he were caressing a peerless beauty.
However, he did not indulge himself too much, as he still had a task to complete.
He reached out his hand, and a young man who looked like his apprentice immediately understood. He then handed him a rather good-looking, moderately sized tool case.
The man took out a long, slender, and uniformly thick stainless steel rod from it, inserted it into the fish's fin, pulled it out, and pressed down the push rod at the top. Immediately, a ten-centimeter-long, bright red, thin strip of flesh was exposed.
He picked it up and examined it with extreme seriousness and care. After more than ten seconds, he squeezed the fish meat with his hand and took a small piece to taste.
"Yoshi... Yoshi! It's been many years since I encountered such good tuna."
Judging by his contented expression, he was very satisfied with the quality of the yellowfin's flesh.
The appraisal team leader, Kiyoshi, who was waiting, impatiently urged, "Mr. Fujii, what's the verdict?"
"Liu-kun, this fish is excellent. If I were to set a price, I would give you this much."
Fujii held up two fingers and smiled, his mind already racing on how to acquire the fish.
Liu Wei naturally did not consider prices like 200 or 20,000; they were too unrealistic. Thus, the only possibility left was 2,000.
Despite his extensive experience, the price of 2,000 per jin (500g) still shocked him. This single fish was worth nearly 900,000, which was quite remarkable. Of course, this was an estimated price in HKD, and the conversion to RMB was not as high.
Liu Wei hurried onto the stage. After much discussion, the price given by Fujii was unanimously approved.
Soon, the large screen flashed, and the total price of 1,360,000 made the audience's breathing quicken. Over a million in just three days? This was millions, not hundreds of yuan. How many people could not earn this much in their entire lives?
Those who were initially wavering were instantly overwhelmed by this massive blow. If not now, then when to buy a boat?
"Hey, wife, quickly sell the house and the parking spot. I need the money, hurry..."
"Are you tired of working? You haven't returned to the company for so long. This month's bonus..."
"Bonus my foot, you're fired!"
The formerly bustling and crowded Fisherman's Wharf had now seen half of its crowd depart. No one had expected this, but the reason could be discerned from the noisy clamor.
Li Haochen had not expected it either. He was worried now. So many people, because he caught two big ones and sold them for over a million, were now selling their houses and cars to buy boats and go fishing. If they didn't make money in the end... he would probably be hunted down by Li Haochen for revenge.
"I should quickly claim my prize and hide for a year or two."
On the stage, the faces of the heads of the four major families were not looking good. They were all involved in the betting of this competition, with Li Ban Cheng and others handling the operations. Not only did they not make money, but each family had to contribute billions? This was unacceptable.
The heads of the three families then looked at Li Ban Cheng, their meaning clear: Didn't you say it was a sure win? Are you trying to treat us like suckers?
Li Ban Cheng had no words to express his bitterness. He had no idea such a monstrous talent would appear.
Although he was the head of the four major families, he dared not confront the other three. He quickly said to them, "Don't worry, I will give you an explanation!"
Watching the four dejected men, Huo Ying felt inwardly delighted. When people are happy, they must vent, otherwise, it would be stifling and bad for them. Often, eating and spending money were the best ways to vent.
Clearly, eating was not suitable for Huo Ying, so the only option was to spend money.
"Congratulations to contestant 127 for winning this year's charity competition. I also thank you for your outstanding contribution to this event. This year has raised the highest amount of charity funds in history. I have decided to donate another 10 million yuan in my personal capacity for charitable causes."
Huo Ying's additional donation received a standing ovation from the entire venue. However, the faces of the four major families were not as pleased. If the old man Huo donated ten million, could they stay out of it? This guy was quite cunning, clearly signaling that they should also contribute, but in such an occasion, they had to contribute even if they didn't want to.
"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mr. Li and his family for their generosity. This charity fishing competition has now concluded. We will see you next year."
The competition ended, and the audience, including the celebrities, began to leave. Li Haochen wanted to leave too, but he had invested in himself, so he had to wait for the relevant personnel to handle the handover. In fact, he didn't need to spend any money, because Fujii from that small country had already reached a deal with him, wanting to buy all his catch for 1.45 million, which was slightly higher than the donation amount, allowing him to make a profit of ninety thousand. That was quite good.
On the stage, Huo Ziyan, looking flustered, ran up to Huo Ying, who was about to leave, and whispered a few words.
Huo Ying's eyes suddenly sharpened, and he looked at Li Haochen with great shock. After a few moments of thought, he walked over, supported by Huo Ziyan.
"Little friend Li, congratulations, congratulations."
"Elder Huo, hello."
"Little friend, your approach was a bit too harsh."
Li Haochen was startled, then he realized and smiled, "Elder Huo, if one is not bold in youth, it's a wasted life, hahaha!"
"I admire your spirit, little friend, but sometimes it's not appropriate, like now."
Huo Ying's words made Li Haochen's expression turn serious, and he asked respectfully, "Elder Huo, is it about the betting?"
"11 billion, even I am tempted. What do you think?"
Li Haochen's greatest fear had come to pass. This was Hong Kong and Macau, where gangs were rampant. Daring to challenge them in their territory? That would be like a birthday star tired of living.
He sighed and said, "I was impulsive at the time, and indeed lacked consideration. Elder Huo, what should I do next?"
Li Haochen wasn't afraid. At worst, he could hide in his space for three to five years. Could they search for him all over the world for several years? He was afraid of implicating Murong Yanran and the others, and of implicating his villagers back home. It was also because his own foundation was unstable. If he had hundreds of billions or trillions in assets, would he still fear them?
"Be wise and discerning to protect yourself."
"Understood!"
Huo Ying was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected Li Haochen to give up so decisively. This was over a hundred billion, which even he would have to consider.
"Grandpa, are we just going to give up like this?"
Huo Ziyan pouted. She was also unwilling to accept this. She had bet a hundred million! A hundred billion! How many designer bags could that buy...
"Hmph, you little girl, I'll deal with you later. You know this market was manipulated by them, yet you dared to get involved. Alright, call team one and team two. You take little friend Li home first."
"Elder Huo, thank you for your trouble!"