Chapter Summaries

Lu Ao’s proposed trade for Feng Jinhao’s Coconut Crab juveniles fell through, so he arranged to buy Giant Grouper Fingerlings and source Coconut Crab juveniles through Old Xu. Old Xu returned with 310 juveniles for Lu Ao, including ten given as a gift.

• Feng Jinhao refused Lu Ao’s trade offer, and after more than a week without an answer, Lu Ao concluded the deal had fallen through.
• Old Xu offered Lu Ao 860-odd Giant Grouper Fingerlings, and they agreed on a price of five yuan fifty each for delivery the next afternoon.
• Lu Ao asked Old Xu to find Coconut Crab juveniles, and Old Xu located a breeder offering them for thirty yuan each.
• Lu Ao asked Old Xu to buy 300 Coconut Crab juveniles, and Old Xu drove overnight to purchase 310 for nine thousand yuan, with ten extra given by the breeder.

Lu Ao bought Giant Grouper fingerlings and arranged to purchase Sea Bass fry, then released the fingerlings into the Marine Ranch. He discussed difficulties finding a construction company for the island hotel with Song Zhou, who reassured him that money was not a concern.

• Lu Ao bought Giant Grouper fingerlings from Old Xu and agreed to buy a thousand Sea Bass fry after checking their quality.
• Lu Ao released the fingerlings into the Marine Ranch and asked the Orca to protect them, but the Orca refused to leave the area to play with Ada and the others.
• Lu Ao told Song Zhou that a construction company had backed away from their hotel project and appeared to want more money.
• Lu Ao said Weng Qian had suggested a global bidding process to attract more qualified construction companies.
• Song Zhou encouraged Lu Ao to proceed with the hotel plans and offered to help if he needed money.

Lu Ao discovered a school of large fish repeatedly stealing from his Marine Ranch and exhausting the Orca and Beluga. When the fish ignored his warnings, he attacked them, leaving several unconscious and the rest scattering.

• Lu Ao rushed to the Marine Ranch after hearing the Orca’s warning calls and found it and the Beluga chasing away fish thieves.
• The Orca told Lu Ao that a school of large fish had been stealing fish all afternoon, and Lu Ao eased the Orca’s and Beluga’s fatigue with life force.
• Lu Ao confronted the returning school and ordered the fish to leave his Marine Ranch.
• The fish ignored Lu Ao’s warnings and provoked him, so he charged at them and knocked two unconscious with his claws.
• Lu Ao pursued the fleeing school, taking down more fish and knocking three unconscious in a single breath.

Lu Ao caught three Giant Trevally, sold two to Weng Qian, and prepared the remaining fish for dinner with Song Zhou and Lin Qiyan. Song Zhou returned home as Lu Ao cooked, unaware that Lin Qiyan had been invited over.

• Lu Ao caught five fish, killed three, identified them as Giant Trevally, and offered them for sale in his Moments.
• Lu Ao arranged for a rideshare driver to deliver two live Giant Trevally to Weng Qian, who agreed to buy them for his hotels.
• Lu Ao prepared the remaining fish and invited Lin Qiyan over to help eat it, then messaged Song Zhou to avoid an encounter between them.
• Lu Ao cooked braised lamb ribs and prepared the Giant Trevally while waiting for Song Zhou to come home.
• Song Zhou returned, embraced Lu Ao in the kitchen, and asked where Lin Qiyan was.

Lu Ao prepared Giant Trevally sashimi, which he, Song Zhou, and Lin Qiyan enjoyed for dinner. The meal ended with Lin Qiyan envying the pair’s looks, apparent agelessness, and freedom to eat as much as they wanted.

• Lin Qiyan hid by the stove and filmed Lu Ao making sashimi while Song Zhou barely noticed him.
• Lu Ao served thick slices of Giant Trevally sashimi with soy sauce and wasabi.
• Lu Ao and Lin Qiyan praised the fish’s rich, fresh taste, and Lu Ao explained that Giant Trevally rarely appeared in their usual fishing grounds and was best eaten raw.
• Lin Qiyan filmed while eating only a few pieces, then envied Lu Ao and Song Zhou for staying handsome and unchanged while eating freely.
• Lu Ao finished the sashimi and several other dishes, stopping when he was seventy or eighty percent full.

After sharing meals and walking Chubby, Lu Ao told Song Zhou about a proposed fleet voyage around the Arctic and considered joining it. He invited Song Zhou to sail with him, and Song Zhou learned that Lu Ao wanted their first proper trip together to be a public one.

• Lu Ao and Song Zhou finished dinner, fed Chubby, and took him for a walk while Lin Qiyan went home.
• The next morning, Lu Ao and Song Zhou ate fish ball soup made from the Giant Trevally.
• Lu Ao wondered how Weng Qian was managing his two Giant Trevally and decided to ask him later.
• Lu Ao told Song Zhou that ship captains had invited him on a fleet voyage around the Northern Hemisphere via the Arctic.
• Lu Ao explained that the Marine Ranch could be watched by Lin Gongshang and others while they traveled, and said they could teleport back if needed.
• Song Zhou asked if he was going too, and Lu Ao said he wanted them to sail together and share photos of their trip.

Lu Ao agreed to join Lu Ao's fleet trip with Song Zhou after the Dragon Boat Festival, while Weng Qian thanked him for helping the hotel win recognition from a skeptical shareholder. As the Dragon Boat Festival approached, Lu Ao agreed to buy pork from Lin Gongshang and asked what fish the group had been catching.

• Lu Ao and Song Zhou agreed to travel together after Lu Ao settled the fleet's plans and arranged his work.
• Weng Qian told Lu Ao that elders had praised the Giant Trevally and that a formerly critical shareholder had recognized his work sourcing food for the hotel.
• Lu Ao agreed to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival with Song Zhou as a couple.
• Lin Gongshang invited Lu Ao to buy pork from the pig he, Lin Guixiao, and Tan Junhao planned to slaughter.
• Lu Ao asked Lin Gongshang to set aside twenty jin of pork and two racks of ribs, then asked what fish they had been catching.

Lu Ao decided to set drift nets farther offshore to find fish for the Dragon Boat Festival, and Lin Qiyan joined him after delivering zongzi. They left the nets in the water overnight and planned to retrieve them the next morning.

• Lu Ao asked Lin Gongshang about unusual fish, then decided to set nets farther offshore; Lin Gongshang declined to join him.
• Lin Qiyan delivered a basket of zongzi to Lu Ao, who returned goose eggs and cured meat.
• Lin Qiyan offered to help Lu Ao fish, and Lu Ao invited him to come along.
• After lunch, Lu Ao and Lin Qiyan went offshore and set drift nets that they would retrieve the following morning.

After Lin Qiyan raised the idea of adoption, Lu Ao asked Song Zhou what he thought about raising a child. Song Zhou revealed that dragon eggs still lay buried in the sea, leading Lu Ao to wonder whether his rebirth had been arranged so he could help raise the next generation of Dragons.

• Lu Ao and Lin Qiyan agreed to haul in the nets early the next morning, and Lin Qiyan asked whether Lu Ao and Song Zhou planned to raise a child.
• Lin Qiyan said he would like to adopt a child but did not meet the requirements, and Lu Ao kept thinking about adoption that night.
• Lu Ao asked Song Zhou whether he had considered adopting, and Song Zhou said nonhumans had adopted children before.
• Song Zhou told Lu Ao that dragon eggs were still buried in the sea and could hatch into new kin for him.
• Lu Ao wondered whether the Dragon Clan had arranged his rebirth so he could help raise the dragon eggs, and Song Zhou considered the idea possible.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou discussed what they would do if they found and hatched a Dragon Egg, then Lu Ao went fishing with Lin Qiyan. They caught a male Anglerfish, which Lin Qiyan first found disgusting before deciding it could suit the Dragon Boat Festival.

• Song Zhou told Lu Ao that his awakening from the Dragon might have been a coincidence and promised to investigate at the agency.
• Lu Ao said he could accept having a child, and Song Zhou explained that the agency had branches that raised nonhuman children collectively.
• Lu Ao left to meet Lin Qiyan, who hoped they would catch an unusual fish for his Dragon Boat Festival raffle prizes.
• Lu Ao and Lin Qiyan hauled up a male Anglerfish, and Lu Ao said he planned to take it home to eat.
• Lin Qiyan recoiled after learning about male Anglerfish reproduction, then decided the fish might make a fitting Festival of Health meal.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou prepared for their Arctic honeymoon fleet trip while enjoying a quiet Dragon Boat Festival together. They left the chapter sharing a meal of Anglerfish hot pot and Spirit Wine.

• Lu Ao told Song Zhou that the fleet planned to leave on June 8th, and he explained how they would arrange care for the Marine Ranch and their animals.
• Song Zhou arranged to handle his work remotely for two hours each day so he could spend the trip with Lu Ao.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou watched the Dragon Boat Festival races in the county seat, then went to town for barbecue and a movie.
• Lu Ao cooked the Anglerfish in congee hot pot, and he and Song Zhou ate it with Spirit Wine.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou joined the first Qianyong City fleet voyage, spending several relaxed days at sea. When the fleet spotted Killer Crabs near an unnamed island, they headed over to help catch them.

• Lu Ao and Song Zhou met the fleet at Qianming Waters on June 8 and set out with seventeen boats.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou took turns steering, relaxed at sea, and occasionally caught fish and shrimp.
• Lu Ao found the fleet clustered together on the map and heard a captain call for help catching Killer Crabs.
• Lu Ao agreed to join the hunt, and Song Zhou prepared diving suits for them.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou approached the boats near the unnamed island, where the others said they had spotted another Killer Crab.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou dived into a deep-sea canyon to search for Killer Crabs. They caught a Stonefish but found only crab tracks before their air supply made them turn back.

• Lu Ao and Song Zhou joined Xu Jian'an's group and dived into the canyon to look for Killer Crabs.
• Lu Ao examined several varieties of Seaweed as he and Song Zhou swam deeper into the dark water.
• Lu Ao spotted a Stonefish hiding in the silt and caught it with his fish basket, while Song Zhou warned him about its venomous spines.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou continued searching for Killer Crabs but found only their tracks in the seafloor silt.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou spent more than an hour underwater, limiting how much longer they could search with their air tanks.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou caught a Stonefish while searching the seafloor for Killer Crabs, then shared a relaxed lunch of Stonefish tofu soup. After resting, they prepared to dive again with the other captains, who were determined to catch the elusive crabs before their lights ran out.

• Lu Ao and Song Zhou surfaced with a keepnet full of Stonefish, disappointing the divers who had hoped they caught Killer Crabs.
• Lu Ao agreed to make Stonefish tofu soup with help from another captain, and he and Song Zhou shared the meal with the fleet.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou talked about enjoying their vacation and hoped they could take another trip after their Marine Ranch was on track.
• The other boats' divers searched through the afternoon but found only traces of Killer Crabs on the seafloor.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou rested for two hours, then prepared to dive again after a neighboring captain urged them to join the search before the flashlights ran out.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou searched the seafloor for Killer Crabs, then followed tracks into an underwater cave and discovered a huge cluster of them. Lu Ao approached a large crab as it raised its legs to attack.

• Lu Ao and Song Zhou searched the seabed but surfaced when their air ran out without finding any Killer Crabs.
• Song Zhou suggested that the crabs might be hiding in the canyons, and Lu Ao agreed to focus on searching them.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou avoided the other divers and found an underwater cave beyond a narrow opening.
• Song Zhou spotted Killer Crab tracks in the silt, and the pair followed them into another cave.
• Lu Ao discovered a massive cluster of Killer Crabs and swam toward a large one as it tried to attack him.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou caught four large Killer Crabs in an underwater cave and shared three with the captains. Back aboard, Lu Ao rested while Song Zhou prepared the remaining crab for several dishes.

• Lu Ao and Song Zhou tied up four Killer Crabs in the cave, then stopped catching them and swam out.
• The captains saw the crabs in Lu Ao and Song Zhou's basket, and Lu Ao told them about the dangerous underwater cave.
• Lu Ao offered the captains three Killer Crabs and pointed them toward the cave.
• Song Zhou helped Lu Ao change out of his diving suit, then agreed to prepare the crab while Lu Ao rested.
• Lu Ao asked for grilled, steamed, and stir-fried crab, and Song Zhou carried it inside to cut into pieces.

Song Zhou prepared garlic-grilled Killer Crab for Lu Ao, who delighted in the meal and suggested they catch another fish for soup. After dinner, Lu Ao fell asleep on deck while Song Zhou watched over him, and the fleet went diving to catch more crabs.

• Song Zhou grilled Killer Crab legs with garlic sauce, and Lu Ao praised their fresh, satisfying flavor.
• Lu Ao compared eating the generous crab meat to enjoying a handful of sunflower seed kernels as a child.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou ate steamed crab and discussed catching another fish to make soup.
• Lu Ao fell asleep on a deck chair, and Song Zhou covered him with clothing and read beside him.
• The other people in the fleet began diving to catch Killer Crabs for themselves.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou waited until the other captains were asleep, then sailed away to explore a deeper stretch of sea. They reached an underwater cave and entered it, leaving its interior still unexplored.

• Lu Ao and Song Zhou decided to keep the underwater cave near the Killer Crab grounds secret because it was too dangerous for the other captains.
• After the final group returned with two Killer Crabs and everyone went to sleep, Lu Ao and Song Zhou sailed away from the fleet.
• Lu Ao transformed into Dragon Form and carried Song Zhou underwater, catching a Humphead Wrasse as they descended.
• At a depth of 207 meters, Lu Ao and Song Zhou searched for Stonefish but found another underwater cave instead.
• Lu Ao agreed to explore the cave with Song Zhou, and they entered chambers coated with thick silt.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou explored a vast underwater cave and found unusual eyeless fish, but no human traces. After leaving the cave, Lu Ao discovered a large gold nugget buried in the seabed silt.

• Lu Ao and Song Zhou walked through the dry, winding sections of the underwater cave and later emerged into a flooded passage.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou discussed the eyeless fish they had seen, then continued swimming toward the place where they had caught Stonefish.
• Lu Ao spotted a faint reflection on the seabed, searched unsuccessfully, and noticed it again from a different angle.
• Lu Ao stirred through the silt with his Dragon Claw and pulled out a heavy, unusually soft object.
• Song Zhou shone his flashlight on the object, and Lu Ao recognized it as a large gold nugget.

Lu Ao discovered a cache of enormous natural gold nuggets while diving and eagerly brought them to the surface to sell. He continued searching for hours, leaving Song Zhou on deck to guard the growing pile.

• Lu Ao found two large gold nuggets in the seabed silt and brought them back to Song Zhou.
• Song Zhou explained that they could discreetly sell the gold through an established process for nonhumans, and Lu Ao eagerly agreed.
• Lu Ao returned underwater and surfaced with another massive nugget, telling Song Zhou to guard the gold while he searched again.
• Lu Ao repeatedly dived and resurfaced for five hours, bringing up gold nuggets ranging from soccer-ball size to larger than a sofa.