Chapter Eleven: New Function Activated

He retrieved the tools. This was Ye Yuan's first time opening oysters, and he did so with a sense of apprehension. He started with the smallest one. Upon opening it, there was nothing inside.

The second one yielded the same result. It wasn't until the third one that he found a black pearl, about the size of a fingernail and oval-shaped. When Ye Yuan first saw the black pearl, his heart raced, but he felt a little disappointed when he noticed its shape.

Pearls that aren't round are generally worthless.

The fourth oyster contained a decent pearl, though it was white. It was, however, quite large. The fifth oyster was empty.

He looked at the last two oysters at his feet.

These were also the largest, with diameters of about 50cm. He casually picked one up and opened it.

When the pearl inside appeared before Ye Yuan's eyes, even he almost choked on his own saliva. A massive black pearl, the size of a billiard ball and entirely black, lay quietly revealed.

"What kind of pearl is this? Ordinary black pearls are worth tens of thousands, even over a hundred thousand. How much would a black pearl this size be worth?" Ye Yuan thought to himself.

He picked up the last oyster. "Let's see what this one brings me."

Upon opening it, four thumb-sized black pearls were nestled within the oyster meat. Ye Yuan carefully took out the pearls.

Although these four were smaller, their luster and roundness were top-notch.

He tidied up his tools and began to dry the oyster meat. Looking at the pearls of various sizes on the ground.

He took out his phone and took pictures of each pearl, sending them to his boss, Zhao Chuan. Zhao Chuan's family owned a jewelry company, and he would surely know the value of these pearls.

Less than a minute later, Ye Yuan's phone rang.

"Are the pearls in your pictures still with you?" Zhao Chuan asked impatiently before Ye Yuan could even speak.

"Yes, I wanted to ask you about the value of these pearls. How are they, pretty good, right?"

Ye Yuan replied with a joking tone.

"I say, fourth brother, are you planning to sell these, or are you just asking for a price consultation?" Zhao Chuan asked, his tone more serious than Ye Yuan had ever heard.

Ye Yuan thought for a moment before saying, "I'll sell them. I need money right now. What kind of price do you think these things can fetch?"

There was a slight pause on Zhao Chuan's end, as if he were contemplating something. After a while, he spoke, "The others are fine, but I'm not sure about the price for that largest black pearl. Two days before my grandfather's birthday, our company will be holding an auction through an auction house. I'll include your black pearl in it, and it should fetch a good price."

Ye Yuan considered it and agreed. They arranged to depart for Shangjing in four days.

Before hanging up, Zhao Chuan reminded Ye Yuan to be careful on the road and to keep the pearls safely stored.

Four days passed quickly. During these days, Ye Yuan spent all his time in the sea, catching a lot of seafood daily. He sold some of the premium catches to classmates in his group chat, earning 20,000 yuan in cash.

The fish with lower economic value were exchanged for points.

After continuous effort during this period, his points finally broke through 5000. When the accumulated points reached 5000, the system awarded him a bonus.

"Congratulations to the host for reaching 5000 points. Reward: Affinity with Aquatic Creatures +5."

Host: Ye Yuan

Points: 5130

Title: Intern Fisherman (Affinity with Aquatic Creatures +6)

Immediately after the prompt ended, another notification sound chimed.

"Can unlock Beginner Fishery Space (Cost: 3000 points). Do you want to unlock it?"

Ye Yuan thought for a moment and clicked.

"Yes."

Host: Ye Yuan

Points: 2130

Title: Intern Fisherman (Affinity with Aquatic Creatures +6)

Fishery Space (Beginner): Accelerates the growth of creatures in the fishery. Can change creature appearance through points.

Ye Yuan floated in the space, feeling the changes.

The reef beneath him began to show land at a visible rate.

A pool covering tens of square meters appeared next to the original stone tablet, and the entire space gained a touch of vitality with the pool's appearance.

Looking at the sea, some of the fish Ye Yuan had brought in had grown larger. The two Red Mint Angelfish were now about 10cm in size.

Learning that he could use points to change the appearance of fish, Ye Yuan decided to experiment with a decorative fish. He used the space to lock onto the fish, preventing it from moving in the water, and then mentally altered its patterns according to his ideas. Soon, the fish transformed into the pattern he desired.

Seeing this transformation, Ye Yuan couldn't suppress his laughter, his voice echoing through the Fishery Space.

"With this earning speed, I don't think I can slow down even if I wanted to."

He then proceeded to modify the two "Red Mint Angelfish."

He noted that changing the first decorative fish slightly cost him 20 points. The subsequent two "Red Mint Angelfish" underwent more significant changes, each costing 50 points.

Looking at the modified "Red Mint Angelfish," each fish bore a Chinese character "壽" (shòu - longevity), rendered in two different calligraphy styles: seal script and clerical script. The characters were somewhat blurred, only becoming clear upon closer inspection.

After many days of researching the Fishery Space, Ye Yuan conducted experiments using electricity, diesel, gasoline, and natural gas. Although these energy sources could be exchanged for points, their cost-effectiveness was not as high compared to the points gained from the sea fish.

I currently have over 2000 points. But I still need to be economical with them.

Standing in front of the Shangjing airport, it was already the afternoon of the second day.

Ye Yuan had a single-strap sports bag on his back and was holding a black cloth bag in his hand. Inside the black cloth bag, in a fish tank, was the Red Mint Angelfish he was giving to Zhao Chuan's father. Ye Yuan had prepared this in the restroom after getting off the plane. The other ornamental fish were still in the Fishery Space.

Ye Yuan had told his parents he was going to Shangjing to attend a classmate's father's birthday banquet. His parents readily agreed and even told Ye Yuan to stay and play in Shangjing for a few extra days.

A dark blue Lamborghini stopped in front of Ye Yuan. The car door opened, and the eldest, Zhao Chuan, got out. Before Ye Yuan could speak, Zhao Chuan gave him a hug.

Zhao Chuan, who had been a bit chubby in school, now looked well-proportioned, all the extra weight gone.

Patting Ye Yuan on the shoulder, he said, "Good job, kid. You've gotten much stronger since school. You brought that thing, right?"

"Yeah, it's here," Ye Yuan said, nodding towards the single-strap bag on his body.

"Great, get in the car. You'll be staying with me these few days. The second oldest is arriving tonight, and I'll call the third oldest soon to tell him to come straight to my place. Let's have a good reunion these few days."

Of the four roommates, Zhao Chuan was the oldest.

The second oldest, Zhang Wujin, was from West Province, and his family owned a coal mine. He was a typical rich second-generation playboy. His father's words were that he hoped his family's coal would be endless.

The third oldest, Deng Kai, had a father who was an ordinary state-owned enterprise employee, and his mother ran a flower shop in Shangjing. Although their conditions were average, they were still much better off than Ye Yuan's family had been.

Zhao Chuan's family lived in a high-end residential complex. This complex was divided into east and west sections. The east section consisted of high-rise apartment buildings, while the west section was a villa area.

Zhao Chuan drove and stopped in front of a villa. The villa had a private swimming pool in the yard. The overall style of the villa was simple European.

Upon entering the villa, Ye Yuan realized that Zhao Chuan didn't live with his parents. This villa was a gift from Zhao Chuan's grandfather after he graduated. Now, his grandfather was living a semi-retired life, and Zhao Chuan was responsible for many of the company's affairs.