Returning home, Li Haochen grabbed his fishing rod, fish basket, and net, and headed towards Butterfly Bay. He had promised Huang Haiyuan to bring him some fish, and he wouldn't go back on his word.
Upon reaching the entrance of Butterfly Bay, the gate was once again covered in dust. He had oiled the lock last time, and it was still fine, but the surveillance was out. A quick check revealed the wires had been gnawed by rats. "Damn it, tomorrow I'll cover the wires with steel plates, let's see how you bite then."
He grumbled as he walked, entering Butterfly Bay and inspecting the conch situation on the rocks within the bay. "Not bad, there are more than last time, just not very big."
Putting thoughts aside, he began fishing. For bait, of course, it was the mussel meat from his space. With divine bait in hand, how could the fish escape?
Today, he was using lures. He attached the bait, cast it with a sideways flick, and it flew about ten meters. He slowly reeled it in.
"Whoosh~"
Within seconds, the tip of the rod immediately bent into a large curve, the fishing line tightened and swayed left and right. The force was immense, definitely a big fish over ten catties. Li Haochen's spirits immediately lifted.
Bracing the rod against his belly, he simultaneously pulled the rod and cranked the reel. The quality of this Shimano was indeed good; the rod tip was almost forming a 'P' shape but remained incredibly sturdy.
A tug-of-war ensued, back and forth, neither giving ground. After more than ten minutes of battle, the big fish was outmatched, its strength gradually waning. Li Haochen could clearly feel the big fish tiring, though he knew he couldn't relax as the burst phase hadn't arrived yet.
As expected, just as he was pulling the fish near the shore, it thrashed about wildly. Li Haochen held firm, enduring for about a minute. Seeing that it couldn't shake off the hook, the big fish could only be at his mercy.
With the resistance lessened, Li Haochen reeled in the line quickly and effortlessly. In less than a minute, he had dragged the big fish out of the water, his excitement growing at the sight.
"Grouper, so satisfying."
He unhooked the fish and threw it into the fish basket. Li Haochen had no intention of giving this fish to Huang Haiyuan. A ten-catty fish was worth a thousand yuan, and he couldn't bear to part with it. It would be perfect for a multi-flavored dish at tonight's gathering.
Half an hour later, Li Haochen packed up his fishing gear. His mission was complete: two spotted groupers weighing seven to eight liang each, a sea bass weighing over three catties, and two black sea bream weighing over one catty. These fish were more than enough for a gift.
He took the large grouper into his space to keep it in the sea, while the other fish were delivered to Huang Haiyuan. Huang Haiyuan was extremely pleased upon seeing the fish, saying, "Why bring so much?" but his hands clutched them tightly.
After bidding farewell to Huang Haiyuan, Li Haochen took the large grouper to find Murong Yanran. Passing by Old Hu's Delight, he bought a bowl of sesame paste, her favorite, planning a small surprise for her.
Arriving at the hotel, he handed the fish to Liang Weiyu, the new team leader of the procurement department. He wasn't worried about any foul play, as he knew them all from before.
Carrying the sesame paste, he walked to Murong Yanran's office. Without knocking, he cautiously pushed the door open a crack to peek. Seeing her still engrossed in the documents on her desk, he gently pushed the wooden door open further and tiptoed inside.
Murong Yanran was too focused; Li Haochen circled behind her without her noticing at all.
Suddenly, he reached out and covered Murong Yanran's eyes, "Robbery."
"No money, want some flesh? Hee hee!"
"Uh...? How did you know I was here?"
"I smelled you."
"Your nose is really sharp, hahaha!"
Murong Yanran stood up, put her hands on her hips, and pouted, "Feeling itchy, are you?"
"Sesame paste from Old Hu's Delight, still warm."
Li Haochen, like a magician, produced the sesame paste from somewhere and dangled it before Murong Yanran's eyes.
"I'll let you off this time." Murong Yanran snatched the sesame paste, beaming with a brilliant smile.
Murong Yanran ate and laughed, her smile clearly showing her heart was filled with joy. Li Haochen, not idle, immediately reached out to massage Murong Yanran's shoulders.
"How is the hotel doing now? Is the Mu family still causing trouble?"
"There's still a lot of pressure. Why don't you catch a few thousand more catties of fish? Hahaha."
"..."
"Don't worry, the pressure has lessened considerably now, and the Mu family doesn't dare to make a big fuss. It seems many hotels have already terminated their cooperation with them and are no longer buying fish at inflated prices. We are now turning a profit."
Li Haochen knew what he needed to know and remained silent, content to be a listener and a masseuse.
A large bowl of sesame paste was quickly devoured. She leaned back in the recliner, enjoying Li Haochen's service.
Silence spoke volumes; one massaging, the other enjoying, the warmth of being surrounded by love evident.
The cozy moment of the two alone was soon interrupted by Liang Minfeng's call. They had arrived at the entrance, and Li Haochen didn't want to keep them waiting too long. Murong Yanran also ceased working and walked out of the office arm-in-arm with Li Haochen.
As they walked, many hotel employees stared dumbfounded. Many male employees saw their goddess boss being taken, their hearts shattering.
The two arrived at the entrance, where Chen He and over a dozen others stood by the doorway, quite a formidable group. Murong Yanran, as the host, naturally took the lead, guiding them to the large private room before going to make arrangements.
A few minutes later, Murong Yanran also returned to her seat and chatted and laughed with the girls next to her. Li Haochen, meanwhile, was deep in conversation with his three brothers, and of course, he didn't neglect Xiao Nian and the others. The atmosphere was lively and harmonious.
Before long, the waiters pushed in trays of fragrant delicacies. The entire large round table was filled, the aroma overflowing, the dishes enticing, making one's mouth water.
"Everyone, please don't be shy, eat your fill. This fish was caught by me this afternoon, it's very fresh."
As soon as Li Haochen finished speaking, Liang Minfeng grabbed his chopsticks and began to wolf down the food. He had been holding back for a long time, being controlled by Zhang Guifang regarding his diet for weight loss, which had tormented him. Seeing such a table full of delicious food, it was hard not to succumb to his appetite.
With delicious food, how could there be no fine wine? The men drank Maotai, and the women drank ice wine. The scene was lively, and the atmosphere was high.
"Cheers!"
"Cheers..."
After a few rounds of drinks, everyone was slightly tipsy. They could drink to their heart's content tonight, as Murong Yanran had already arranged rooms. The men were already slumped over, while Murong Yanran and the other women were only slightly tipsy and didn't continue. It wasn't good for women to get drunk.
Li Haochen's male companions were led away by their respective female partners, while Xiao Nian and the others were helped back to their rooms by staff. Tonight, some indescribable beautiful encounters were bound to happen.
Murong Yanran, supporting Li Haochen, entered the hotel's most luxurious presidential suite. With great effort, she managed to move him onto the bed, leaving her sweaty and tired.
Looking at Li Haochen, who reeked of alcohol, Murong Yanran felt like spanking him, but she couldn't bear to. Blushing, she stripped him down to his underwear, washed a hot towel, and helped wipe his body. She tucked him in, then went to take a bath.
Emerging, she snuggled up beside Li Haochen, nudged his nose, "Hmph, you stink. If you get drunk again, I won't sleep with you."