Chapter Summaries

Ye Yuan told Zhang Wujin that the cub Niuniu had brought home was likely a Bali Tiger and decided to keep it under his private zoo permit. He refused Zhang Wujin’s requests for tiger bones, then returned to Fishing Bay Island with Niuniu and the cub.

• Ye Yuan explained how a tsunami had stranded him on an uninhabited island, where he found two adult tigers and their surviving cub.
• Ye Yuan and Zhang Wujin discussed whether the likely Bali Tigers could be kept, and Ye Yuan remembered that his private zoo permit allowed him to adopt wild animals.
• Zhang Wujin examined the adult tiger carcasses and asked Ye Yuan for bones and a tiger penis, but Ye Yuan refused and said he might give him something if he kept quiet.
• Zhang Wujin returned to Nanlin Island after confirming Ye Yuan was safe, while Ye Yuan took Niuniu and the cub home.
• The next morning, Ye Yuan found Niuniu and the tiger cub asleep in his bed, then joined his family for breakfast.

Ye Yuan visited Zhang Wujin’s newly built underwater villas and admired their glass rooms beneath the sea. Zhang Wujin asked him to help attract dolphins or sharks to the area, but Ye Yuan pointed out that sharks would scare away beachgoers.

• Ye Yuan drove his uncle home, then met Zhang Wujin at Pinghai Beach.
• Zhang Wujin led Ye Yuan through a beach cabin and underground tunnel to a glass-walled room beneath the sea.
• Zhang Wujin explained that he had ordered twenty underwater rooms made with specialized pressure-resistant glass.
• Zhang Wujin hinted that Ye Yuan should attract dolphins or sharks to make the villas more appealing to tourists.
• Ye Yuan warned that sharks would keep tourists from swimming, and Zhang Wujin realized he had overlooked that problem.

Ye Yuan helped Gong Hongzhuang arrange a tour guide job for his wife and agreed to lease him a guesthouse for his mother to run. After arranging repairs for the Yushui Hao, Ye Yuan brought the tiger carcasses back to the courtyard house and began processing them.

• Ye Yuan inspected construction at the Pinghai tourist area with Zhang Wujin, who said the underwater sightseeing tunnel would open in a little over a month.
• Ye Yuan called Zhang Wujin and secured a tour guide job for Gong Hongzhuang's wife in exchange for Gong Hongzhuang cooking specialty dishes.
• Gong Hongzhuang explained that his mother wanted to move to the island, and Ye Yuan agreed to lease him a guesthouse for her to run.
• Ye Yuan arranged for Ding Yi to take the damaged Yushui Hao to a shipyard for repairs.
• Ye Yuan locked up the Beast King and spent nearly two hours removing a tiger's skin and bones from the carcasses.

Ye Yuan’s father hurried him to Dragon Tomb Island after a sunken ship was found nearby. On the way, Ye Yuan learned about the island’s deadly reputation and a recent disappearance that his family attributed to the Dragon King.

• Ye Yuan finished processing both tiger carcasses and went to bed in the early morning.
• Father Ye called Ye Yuan and asked to borrow his boat to investigate a sunken ship near Dragon Tomb Island.
• Ye Yuan fed the Beast King, then met Father Ye and Second Uncle at the dock and boarded the boat with Wang Husheng.
• Father Ye told Ye Yuan the legend of a divine dragon whose death supposedly formed Dragon Tomb Island.
• Second Uncle described how a boat carrying four men sank without waves near the island, and how another boat and its crew vanished before all four bodies surfaced the next day.

Ye Yuan learned that Ye Zhuang had discovered a fishing boat wreck near Dragon Tomb Island, drawing fishermen and the Maritime Safety Administration to the area. While exploring underwater with his perception, Ye Yuan found that hidden reefs and deadly currents explained the sudden shipwrecks around the island.

• Ye Yuan questioned his second uncle about the unexplained sinking and learned that Ye Zhuang had found the wreck and organized villagers to salvage it.
• Ye Yuan's father and second uncle explained that news of the wreck had spread across Pinghai County and attracted the Maritime Safety Administration.
• The Water Controller arrived near Dragon Tomb Island, where Ye Yuan sensed a modern fishing boat wreck and several skeletons but chose not to salvage its valuable watch.
• Ye Yuan redirected his perception toward Dragon Tomb Island and discovered hidden reefs and dangerous underwater currents that could sink small fishing boats.

Ye Yuan realized Dragon Tomb Island was protected by underwater currents and a reef maze that likely concealed a secret, but he decided to investigate after the shipwreck matter was resolved. Back aboard the Water Controller, he joined his father and the other fishermen as they discussed the maritime bureau’s slow response to the wreck.

• Ye Yuan examined Dragon Tomb Island and concluded that hidden reefs and currents left only one dangerous route to shore, suggesting human intervention and a concealed secret.
• Ye Yuan postponed investigating the island until the shipwreck matter was settled and returned to the bridge, where fishermen were chatting over the radio.
• Fishman Hao reported that the maritime vessel had lowered equipment into the water and that crew members were preparing to dive, then shared a video with the Pinghai Fishermen Group.
• Wang Husheng complained about the bureau’s slow work and claimed the Water Controller’s crew could dive to the wreck’s depth without trouble.
• Ye Yuan confirmed that diving more than thirty meters was manageable with proper equipment and suggested the bureau was waiting for orders.

After the maritime team called off the salvage, Ye Dongying and Second Uncle argued with Wang Aimin over the radio, and Ye Yuan joined in to defend his family. Ye Yuan and Wang Husheng took the Water Controller toward Wang Family Village’s Big Dragon Head, leaving the boats close together as Ye Yuan stepped away from the wheelhouse.

• Big Dragon Head’s Wang Aimin announced that the sunken vessel was only a modern fishing boat and accused Ye Family Village of misleading the spectators.
• Ye Dongying confronted Wang Aimin over his insults about Ye Zhuang, and Wang Aimin mocked him for losing hundreds of thousands of yuan.
• Second Uncle took the radio to defend Ye Dongying and Ye Family Village, but Wang Aimin silenced him with personal insults.
• Ye Yuan warned Wang Aimin to watch his mouth, then told Wang Husheng to take the Water Controller over to Big Dragon Head.
• Wang Husheng brought the Water Controller within about twenty meters of Big Dragon Head as onlooking fishing boats gathered to watch.
• Wang Aimin taunted Ye Yuan over the radio, but Ye Yuan had already left the wheelhouse and could not hear him.

Ye Yuan drove the Big Dragon Head away after secretly puncturing its hull, then learned that Wang Family Village merchants had nearly bankrupted Father Ye by exploiting his attempt to buy local fishermen’s seafood at fair prices. The story left Ye Yuan aware that his father had been deceived and his money was almost gone.

• Ye Yuan blasted the Big Dragon Head with the Water Cannon, and the crew struggled to fight back.
• Ye Yuan used Water Needles to puncture the Big Dragon Head’s hull, and Wang Aimin fled toward shore after discovering the leak.
• Wang Husheng taunted the retreating crew over the radio while other fishermen mocked them and warned Ye Yuan that Wang Family Village held grudges.
• Ye Yuan asked Father Ye how he had lost money, and his second uncle explained that Wang Family Village merchants had set him up.
• Father Ye admitted he had bought seafood at high prices, while the merchants flooded him with cheaply sourced seafood sold at inflated prices, nearly draining his funds.

After Wang Family Village seafood dealers repeatedly undercut Father Ye, he lost much of the capital Ye Yuan had provided and gave up on the seafood business. Ye Yuan proposed opening an antique shop in Blue Island for his father, who eagerly accepted the idea and discussed the trade.

• Wang Family Village seafood dealers sold seafood cheaply to Blue Island, leaving Father Ye unable to sell his stock and forcing him to sell most of it at a loss.
• Father Ye rejected Ye Yuan's suggestion to expand purchases and wage a price war, while Second Uncle argued that the villagers did not deserve the family's help.
• Ye Yuan reassured his angry father and proposed a different business that would give him something to do.
• Ye Yuan told Father Ye he could open an antique shop in Blue Island, sourcing antiques through his friend Zhao Chuan and selling carvings made from the family's lumber.
• Father Ye grew enthusiastic about the plan and cautioned Ye Yuan about the risks and tricks of the antique trade.

Ye Yuan learned why his father wanted to open an antique shop and asked about the mysterious third uncle. Father Ye and Second Uncle recounted how gambling debts, a traffic accident, and a desperate choice led to the third uncle being crippled.

• Ye Yuan and Father Ye agreed that Father Ye could open an antique shop and sell his handmade furniture for a commission.
• Ye Yuan asked about the man called Third Brother, and Father Ye explained that their youngest brother had left for Guangzhou to sell cassette tapes and later became addicted to gambling.
• Father Ye and Second Uncle said they had used their savings to settle the third uncle’s gambling debts after their father died.
• Second Uncle’s pregnant wife was hit by a fleeing driver while accompanying the third uncle to repay the debt, so Second Uncle spent the repayment money on her emergency surgery.
• The debt collectors seized the third uncle and, when Second Uncle could not pay, cut one of the third uncle’s Achilles tendons.

Ye Yuan learned how his Third Uncle disappeared after a bitter family dispute, then set out at night to explore Dragon Tomb Island. He reached the island and began cutting through its dense, untouched vegetation.

• Father Ye explained that Third Uncle blamed Second Uncle for the loss of his unborn child, argued with him at the hospital, and left Pinghai County; Second Uncle had searched for him without success.
• Father Ye said rumors spread that Second Uncle had refused to help Third Uncle, and Ye Yuan realized his father and Second Uncle still missed their younger brother.
• After lunch, Ye Yuan worked on carpentry, then swam out at night and met up with Tiger, Great White, and Little Shark.
• Ye Yuan rode Tiger toward Dragon Tomb Island, avoided the Maritime Safety Administration ships, and landed alone on the island's southern coast.
• Ye Yuan hacked through the reefs and thick vegetation toward the island's central mountain, finding an uninhabited wilderness filled with old trees and wildflowers.

Ye Yuan discovered a man-made tunnel beneath a dragon-head-shaped cliff on Dragon Tomb Island and became convinced the island concealed ancient secrets. After triggering a trap, he escaped a rolling stone ball by vanishing at the last moment.

• Ye Yuan examined the cliff and found a deep crevice in its center.
• Ye Yuan secured a rope, descended into the crevice, and entered an upward-sloping cave.
• Ye Yuan noticed chisel marks on the cave walls and suspected the reefs around Dragon Tomb Island had been built by people.
• Ye Yuan triggered a mechanism, causing a huge stone ball to roll toward him through the narrow tunnel.
• As the stone ball reached him, Ye Yuan vanished.

Trapped inside the cave on Dragon Tomb Island, Ye Yuan carefully navigated its mechanisms and found a hidden tomb. He discovered a Flesh Lingzhi, moved it into his space, and refused the system’s offer to exchange it for points.

• Ye Yuan found that a massive stone ball had blocked the cave entrance and decided to continue exploring rather than give up.
• Ye Yuan used his perception to spot square stones that could trigger traps and cautiously made his way to the cave’s end.
• Ye Yuan forced open two stone doors and found a karst cave containing a pool, a stone coffin, and numerous burial goods.
• Ye Yuan discovered a strange stump bearing a red, patterned tumor and dug it out to plant near the lake in his space.
• The system identified the plant as a Flesh Lingzhi and offered 100,000 points, but Ye Yuan declined the exchange.

Ye Yuan discovered that the strange growth in the tomb was legendary Flesh Lingzhi, then escaped the sealed chamber through an underwater tunnel. After returning to Fishing Bay Island, he learned that Father Ye wanted him to go to Blue Island to look for storefronts for an antique shop.

• Ye Yuan identified the fleshy tumor as Flesh Lingzhi and collected the burial objects around the coffin.
• Ye Yuan inspected the coffin, left its ornaments untouched, and found no exit from the cave until he discovered an underwater passage beneath the pool.
• Ye Yuan swam through the tunnel and emerged on the northern shore of Dragon Tomb Island.
• Ye Yuan returned to Fishing Bay Island with his animal companions and planned to revisit Dragon Tomb Island for its remaining secrets.
• Father Ye appeared in Ye Yuan's courtyard and asked him to go to Blue Island to look at storefronts for an antique shop.

Ye Yuan accompanied his father to Mingwu Street to look for a shop, where they ran into Wang Xuehong and several antique dealers. Wang Xuehong offered to help them find a suitable storefront, and the group settled into the tea room to talk.

• Ye Yuan went with Father Ye to Mingwu Street, an antique street whose fame had grown after a staged Tang sancai appraisal scandal.
• Father Ye eagerly browsed the shops until he and Ye Yuan entered a large ancient-coin shop.
• Wang Xuehong spotted Ye Yuan and introduced him and Father Ye to Boss Li and Boss Zhang.
• Ye Yuan said that he and Father Ye were looking for a shop for Father Ye to take over, and Wang Xuehong offered to help negotiate.
• Boss Li invited the group to the tea room, where the men compared their ages and established their seniority.

Ye Yuan and Father Ye visited Boss Mi’s shop to discuss taking it over along with its inventory. Ye Yuan remained wary of the proposed three-day wait to count the stock, recognizing the risk Wang Xuehong had warned him about.

• Boss Zhang told Father Ye that Boss Mi was transferring his shop and offered to arrange a visit.
• Ye Yuan asked to inspect the shop that day, and Boss Zhang called Boss Mi to set up the meeting.
• Wang Xuehong warned Ye Yuan not to accept the shop unless they could inspect the warehouse inventory that day, cautioning that Boss Mi might add extra stock.
• Boss Mi explained that he would transfer the shop only if Ye Yuan also took its inventory, then proposed counting the goods in three days.
• Ye Yuan glanced at Wang Xuehong, suspecting that Boss Mi’s delayed inventory count could be a trick.

Ye Yuan rejected Boss Mi’s inflated offer to take over his antique store and left Mingwu Street with Father Ye. A store employee secretly gave him a lead on another storefront, and Ye Yuan called its owner while waiting for Wang Xuehong.

• Boss Mi quoted about seven million for his store and stock, but Ye Yuan said he wanted only the storefront and at most one hundred thousand worth of goods.
• Ye Yuan and Father Ye walked away when Boss Mi lowered his offer to five hundred thousand worth of goods, and Boss Li told Boss Mi that Wang Xuehong’s presence showed the buyers were not novices.
• A young employee slipped Ye Yuan a note advertising a storefront for rent, and Ye Yuan left with Father Ye and Wang Xuehong’s companions.
• Wang Xuehong called Ye Yuan and Father Ye to meet him for a meal at Wave Seafood Restaurant, saying he had something to discuss.
• While waiting for Wang Xuehong, Ye Yuan called the number on the note and learned that the owner had a storefront to rent on Mingwu Street.

Ye Yuan met Zhao Yunzhi, the owner of Boss Mi's storefront, to discuss renting it for his father's shop. Zhao Yunzhi revealed that the unusually low rent had been tied to his older sister's past relationship with Mi Zhiqiang, and the details remained unresolved.

• Ye Yuan called the storefront owner and arranged to meet him at Wave Seafood Restaurant.
• Ye Yuan told Wang Xuehong that the owner of Boss Mi's storefront was coming, and Wang Xuehong doubted the meeting would help because Mi Zhiqiang still held the lease.
• Zhao Yunzhi arrived, recognized Wang Xuehong, and confirmed that Ye Yuan had invited him to discuss renting the storefront.
• Ye Yuan asked whether they could negotiate while Mi Zhiqiang's lease still had a year and a half remaining.
• Zhao Yunzhi explained that Mi Zhiqiang had been classmates with Zhao Yunzhi's older sister, which had led Zhao Yunzhi to set the rent unusually low.

Ye Yuan agreed to rent Zhao Yunzhi's storefront after learning how Boss Mi had stalled over the lease and planned to profit from transferring it. Zhao Yunzhi promised to clear the shop by the evening after tomorrow, but Boss Mi called Ye Yuan as they were finishing dinner.

• Zhao Yunzhi explained that he had agreed to let Boss Mi keep the storefront while they both searched for a new tenant, despite knowing the Mi family was taking advantage of him.
• Zhao Yunzhi told Ye Yuan that he had paid a clerk to contact prospective tenants, and named an annual rent of 550,000 yuan for Ye Yuan.
• Ye Yuan agreed to rent the storefront, and Zhao Yunzhi said they would sign the contract after the Mi family cleared it out.
• Zhao Yunzhi called Uncle Mi and demanded that the shop be emptied by the evening after tomorrow, threatening to reclaim it himself if the family refused.
• Ye Yuan asked about paying a deposit, but Zhao Yunzhi said he trusted him because Wang Xuehong vouched for him.
• Boss Mi called Ye Yuan while the group was chatting at dinner.

Ye Yuan turned down Boss Mi’s shop offer after finding a better option, then returned to Fishing Bay Island and settled into his routine with his pets. After two days of rest, Yu Hongbo asked when the crew could head out to sea.

• Ye Yuan told Boss Mi he had nearly agreed to rent a cheaper shop that did not require him to take over inventory, then ended the call.
• Zhao Yunzhi toasted Wang Xuehong and Ye Yuan’s family before leaving, and Wang Xuehong and Father Ye reminisced about their younger days.
• Ye Yuan drove his father back to the villa, returned alone to Fishing Bay Island, and slept from late afternoon until the next morning.
• Ye Yuan found the Beast King asleep beside him, then took Big Yellow, Tank, and Duke to jog along the beach, making Big Yellow exercise to help it lose weight.
• The crew members’ families gradually left the island over the next two days, and Yu Hongbo visited Ye Yuan to ask when they could head out to sea.