He fetched the tools. It was Ye Yuan's first time opening shells, and with a nervous heart, he picked the smallest one to start with. When he opened it, there was nothing inside.
The second one was the same. Not until the third did he find a black pearl the size of a fingernail, oval in shape. The moment Ye Yuan saw the black pearl, his heart raced, but when he noticed its shape, he felt somewhat disappointed.
If a pearl was not round, it was basically worthless.
The fourth shell yielded a decent pearl. It was white, but quite large. The fifth contained nothing.
He looked at the last two butterfly clams at his feet.
These two were also the largest, each around fifty centimeters in diameter. He casually picked one up and opened it.
When the pearl inside appeared before Ye Yuan's eyes, even he nearly choked on his own saliva. An enormous black pearl, as large as a table-tennis ball and dark all over, lay quietly revealed before him.
Does this even count as a pearl? Ordinary black pearls are worth tens of thousands, even over a hundred thousand. How much would one this big be worth? Ye Yuan wondered.
He picked up the last butterfly clam. "Let's see what this one can bring me."
After opening it, he found four fingernail-sized black pearls wrapped in the clam meat. Ye Yuan carefully removed them.
Although these four were smaller, their color and roundness were both top-notch.
He tidied up the tools and laid all the shellfish meat out to dry. Then he looked at the various pearls scattered on the ground.
He took out his phone, photographed every pearl, and sent the pictures to Eldest Brother Zhao Chuan. Zhao Chuan's family ran a jewelry company, so he would definitely know their value.
Less than a minute later, Ye Yuan's phone rang.
"Do you still have the pearls in those pictures?" Before Ye Yuan could speak, Zhao Chuan impatiently asked.
"I still have them. I wanted to ask how much these pearls are worth. What do you think? They're pretty good, right?"
Ye Yuan answered in a joking tone.
"Fourth Brother, are you planning to sell these things, or are you just asking about their price?" Zhao Chuan asked in an unprecedentedly serious tone.
After thinking for a moment, Ye Yuan said, "Sell them. I need money right now. How much do you think I can get for these?"
Zhao Chuan fell silent for a moment, seemingly considering something. After quite a while, he finally said, "The others are easy enough, but I really can't give you a price for that largest black pearl. Two days before my old man's birthday, our company will commission an auction house to hold an auction. I'll add your black pearl to it, and that way it can fetch a good price."
After giving it some thought, Ye Yuan agreed. He and Zhao Chuan arranged to leave for Shangjing four days later.
Before hanging up, Eldest Brother Zhao Chuan reminded Ye Yuan to be careful on the way and make sure to keep the pearls safe.
The four days passed quickly. During those days, Ye Yuan spent every day in the sea, bringing back plenty of seafood. He sold some premium catches to classmates in the group chat and earned twenty thousand yuan in cash.
He converted the fish with lower economic value into points.
After his continued efforts during this period, his points finally surpassed five thousand. The moment his accumulated points reached five thousand, the system issued another reward.
"Congratulations, Host. Your points have reached 5,000. Water-type creature affinity +5." Host: Ye Yuan Points: 5,130 Title: Intern Fisherman (Water-type creature affinity +6)
Right after the notification ended, another prompt sounded.
"Primary Fishery Space can be unlocked (cost: 3,000 points). Unlock?"
After a brief moment of consideration, Ye Yuan selected—
"Yes." Host: Ye Yuan Points: 2,130 Title: Intern Fisherman (Water-type creature affinity +6) Fishery Space (Primary): Accelerates the growth of creatures in the current fishery. Points can be used to alter creature appearances.
Ye Yuan floated within the space, sensing its changes.
The reef beneath him began to develop soil at a visible speed.
A pool spanning dozens of square meters appeared beside the original stone monument. With the pool's emergence, the entire space gained a trace of vitality.
Looking into the sea again, Ye Yuan saw that some of the fish he had originally caught and brought in had grown larger. The two Red Mint Angelfish had also reached ten centimeters in size.
After learning that he could use points to alter fish appearances, Ye Yuan immediately used an ornamental fish for an experiment. He used the space to lock the fish in place, preventing it from moving in the water, then altered the patterns on its body according to his own ideas. Before long, the fish had changed into the pattern he wanted.
Seeing this change, Ye Yuan could no longer suppress his laughter, and the sound echoed through the Fishery Space.
"My money-making speed is probably going to be impossible to slow down."
He then altered the two Red Mint Angelfish as well.
He discovered that the first ornamental fish had only been slightly modified, costing him twenty points. The two Red Mint Angelfish, however, had undergone greater changes and cost fifty points each.
Each altered Red Mint Angelfish now bore the character "Longevity" on its body, one in seal script and the other in clerical script. The markings were made very faint, only visible upon close inspection.
After so many days of researching the Fishery Space, Ye Yuan had experimented with electricity, diesel, gasoline, and natural gas. Although these energy sources could be exchanged for points, compared to sea fish, the value of the points gained from them was not worthwhile.
He still had over two thousand points, but he needed to use them sparingly.
By the time he stood outside Shangjing Airport, it was already the following afternoon.
Ye Yuan carried a one-shoulder sports bag on his back and held a black cloth bag in his hand. Inside the bag was a fish tank containing the Red Mint Angelfish he had brought as a gift for Zhao Chuan's father. He had produced it in the restroom after getting off the plane; the other ornamental fish were still in the Fishery Space.
Ye Yuan told his parents that he was going to Shangjing to attend his classmate's father's birthday banquet. His parents readily agreed and even told him to have fun in Shangjing for a few more days.
A dark blue Lamborghini stopped in front of Ye Yuan. The door opened, and Eldest Brother Zhao Chuan stepped out. Before Ye Yuan could say anything, Zhao Chuan pulled him into a hug.
Zhao Chuan had been somewhat chubby in college, but now he looked well-proportioned, with all his excess weight gone.
He patted Ye Yuan on the shoulder and said, "Not bad, kid. You're much sturdier than you were in school. You brought the stuff, right?"
"Yeah, it's here." As he spoke, Ye Yuan gestured with his chin toward the shoulder bag on his body.
"Good. Get in. You'll stay at my place these next few days. Second Brother will arrive tonight. Call Third Brother later and tell him to come straight to my place. The four of us can have a proper reunion these next few days."
Of the four dormmates, Zhao Chuan was the oldest.
Second Brother's home was in the western province. His family owned a coal mine, and he was a typical rich second-generation playboy. His name was Zhang Wujin. According to his father, the name meant he hoped the family's coal supply would be inexhaustible.
Third Brother Deng Kai's father was an ordinary employee at a state-owned enterprise, while his mother ran a flower shop in Shangjing. Although their circumstances were average, they were still much better off than Ye Yuan's family had once been.
Zhao Chuan's family lived in an upscale residential complex divided into eastern and western sections. The eastern section consisted of high-rise commercial apartments, while the western section was a villa district.
Zhao Chuan drove up and stopped in front of a villa. Its yard even had a private swimming pool, and the villa itself was built in a simple European style.
Only after entering the villa did Ye Yuan learn that Zhao Chuan did not live with his parents. This villa had been a gift from his old man after Zhao Chuan graduated. His old man now lived a semi-retired life, while Zhao Chuan handled much of the company's business.
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