Poisonous

On the beach, beside the campfire.

They watched the group wolf down the red abalone Li Shiyun had already grilled.

Ye Yuan asked in surprise:

"This is supposed to be where red abalone comes from, isn't it? Why do you all look like you've never eaten it before?"

Ye Yuan's question left the young men rather embarrassed.

Jon put down a piece of abalone meat and said seriously:

"Ye! Do you know how expensive this stuff is?"

Ye Yuan smiled.

"Of course I do. But no matter how expensive it is, it shouldn't be a big deal to people like you who catch red abalone all the time, right?"

Jon looked at Ye Yuan and realized he was not mocking them. Only then did he say with a bitter smile:

"That damn catch quota has driven the price of red abalone to an unimaginable level."

"All the abalone we catch gets sold to those top-tier hotels. How could we bear to eat it ourselves?"

After hearing Jon's words, the young men fell silent. Bob, standing nearby, raised his hand and said:

"Yeah. Honestly, this is my first time eating red abalone too!"

Li Shiyun, who had remained silent until then, asked in disbelief:

"That can't be right, can it? I saw California Red Abalone being sold online not long ago. How come there isn't any where you live? That makes no sense."

Ye Yuan burst out laughing at Li Shiyun's words.

"What? Is what I said really that funny?"

Li Shiyun shot Ye Yuan a glare and asked coyly.

"Haha, my silly Shi Yun, you just heard it yourself. Even Bob, who has lived here since he was little, is eating red abalone for the first time."

"So how could you casually buy it on a website back in Huaxia?"