"Five hundred dollars and a certificate. Su Wei, although it's not a lot of money, you've received a certificate of appreciation."
Su Wei took the check, feeling the slightly rough texture of the paper with his fingertips.
Although five hundred yuan is a small amount, it is a good gesture.
This can be seen as recognition of his support for scientific research.
Just then, a wooden door on the side of the hall was pushed open.
A man came out, wearing a dark green tactical vest over a plaid shirt, with thick black-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, and carrying a tape measure in his hand.
He is Daniel, a biological researcher stationed at the site.
Daniel strode over to the cart, circled the large fish twice, and even reached out to touch the thickness of its gills, disregarding the filth.
"This fish must have incredibly dense bones to have been able to live near Kodiak Island for thirteen years. Its diet is very valuable for research."
Daniel looked up at Su Wei, his tone somewhat hurried.
"I'm Daniel, in charge of biological sample collection this season. Young man, what are you planning to do with this fish?"
Su Wei looked at the researcher's badge hanging on the other person's chest.
"I originally planned to sell it to Laurent's restaurant, or Old Charlie's place might also buy it."
Daniel shook his head and took a ballpoint pen out of his pocket, scribbling on his palm.
"Don't sell it to those guys who only know how to make fish fillets. I need the complete skeleton, and its otoliths. The institute is willing to offer 20% above market price, and we'll handle the subsequent transportation and processing."
He quickly did the mental calculation.
"The current agreed purchase price for Pacific Ocean halibut is $12 per pound. Two hundred and fifty pounds, plus a 20% premium, I'll give you $3,600."
"Adding the five hundred dollars research reward from earlier, that's a total of four thousand one hundred US dollars. Cash, check, or direct bank transfer are both fine, and you don't need to go through the trouble of pushing it into the cold storage."
Aruk listened with his mouth slightly agape, calculating how much money he had earned from collecting a basket of crabs after all his hard work.
Su Wei considered it in his mind. If he sold it to Laurent, the price would be about the same, but he would need to handle the internal organs and packaging himself, and the losses and labor costs would be considerable.
Moreover, agreeing to the research institute's request added another entry to the Fish and Game Department's files.
For a hunter who wants to establish a long-term presence on Kodiak Island, this kind of invisible network is more valuable than a few hundred dollars.
"No problem, Mr. Daniel. A check will do."
Su Wei extended his hand and shook hands with the other person.
Daniel was very excited; he immediately took out his notebook and began recording the various physiological indicators of the fish.
Sarah reprinted two legal acquisition certificates behind the counter and handed them to Su Wei.
"Sign it, and the deal is done. Su Wei, I must say, your luck and judgment are truly impressive."
Su Wei took the pen and signed his name in the signature column, his handwriting neat and strong.
Aruk helped Daniel push the cart to the weighing room next door, and as they walked, he boasted to the people there about how Su Wei had managed to get the fish up with just a few pulls and tugs.
Old Kash leaned against the counter, took an unlit cigarette out of his pocket, and smelled it.
Watching Su Wei handle these matters with composure, his opinion of this old friend's son rose even higher.
" Aruk, we'll split the money as before."
Su Wei folded the signed check and handed it to Aruk was walking back.
Aruk waved his hand, hid it behind his back, and his expression was more serious than usual.
"Stop fooling around, Su Wei. You're the one who found the spot and pulled the fish up yourself. I was just the one who grabbed the net. Besides, if you hadn't pulled me back, I'd probably be feeding those black cod by now."
"Besides, I've already received a lot today. I'm very satisfied. This money belongs to you."
He pointed to the certificate of gratitude in Su Wei's hand.
"This five hundred dollars and the extra twenty percent are what you earned through your own abilities. I'll just take my normal share of the black cod."
Old Kash nodded, his voice steady.
" Aruk is right, Su Wei. At sea, whoever's rod moves gets the fish. That's the rule."
Seeing this, Su Wei didn't insist any further. He knew the temperament of the father and son; being too polite would only make them feel looked down upon.
By the time the three men walked out of the Fish and Game Department's hall, it was completely dark.
The St. Paul Harbor in the distance was brightly lit, and the roar of heavy cranes carried far into the night.
Tiny snowflakes landed on Su Wei's shoulder. He touched the certificate of gratitude in his pocket, but his mind was on the $100,000 that Laurent had mentioned.
Spending $100,000 to capture a specific brown bear carries significantly increased risks during this season.
But without this money, his dream of owning a manor might not have come true for several years.
While that might be a bit of an exaggeration, making money is clearly an urgent matter.
Now that winter is approaching, many of the things he wants to do are becoming increasingly difficult to accomplish.
For example, he wanted to try birch syrup.
Or perhaps a hunting guide?
Moreover, he wants to become a hunting guide.
He needs to familiarize himself with his surroundings first.
Going hunting alone is a very necessary choice.
Otherwise, how could a hunting guide be unable to hunt alone?
Who would willingly risk their life against such an irresponsible hunter?
Are we praying for those billionaires who have too much money to spend?
" Su Wei... wait."
Sarah's voice came from behind.
She strode out of the automatic sensor door, and the windproof curtain snapped shut behind her.
She was holding a yellow folder, which stood out starkly under the dim streetlights.
Su Wei stopped and turned around.
"What's wrong, Sarah?"
Sarah walked up to him and brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"I just looked through your professional file and almost forgot something important."
She opened the folder and pointed to one of the pages.
"Regarding the brown bear you hunted with Black and the others at Pillar Mountain last time, although you received the commission and share, your hunter points haven't been registered with the guild yet."
She looked at Su Wei's face.
"That old man Black never bothers with these trivial matters, but as a professional hunter, your rank determines your quota and privileges."
"You're still at LV1. If you want to take on higher-level missions, like private commissions, you need to level up."
Sarah waved the documents in her hand, shrugged, and smiled.
"So, you forgot you should have registered your points."
Chapter 147 Points Registration! Professional Hunter Level 2!
Sarah spread the yellow folder out on the counter and ran her fingertips across the printed forms one by one.
As she moved, a series of data appeared before Su Wei's eyes.
"Based on the hunting report submitted by Black and the guild's subsequent review, the points calculation has been completed."
Sarah picked up the stamp and pressed it firmly against the bottom of the form, leaving a clear guild emblem on the paper with the red ink.
"First, there's the adult female brown bear you killed alone at close range. You independently discovered and completed the hunt, and the prey weighed over 400 kilograms with a high degree of fur integrity. The base score is five points, plus a five-point bonus for independent hunting, making that ten points in total."
She looked up and tapped the next line with her finger.
"Then there's the moose you helped Black and his team hunt. Although Black was the main shooter, you participated in the tracking and follow-up. The guild recognizes this as effective assistance, awarding you two points."
Aruk stood nearby, his eyes wide open, hissing as he inhaled deeply.
Sarah ignored the noise around her, slid her finger to the last line, and raised her voice slightly.
"Finally, there's the King of the Island on the other side of Pillar Mountain; you are clearly the main attacker."
Sarah pushed up her glasses and looked at Su Wei's face.
"Given the target's danger and rarity, the guild's judging committee has granted special approval. As the core attacker, you have earned twelve points."
"Ten plus two plus twelve equals twenty-four points."
The sound of keyboard typing echoed in the hall.
Su Wei watched as the progress bar on the screen filled up instantly and then jumped.
A line of green text popped up.
[Hunter Rank: LV1 (6/30) → LV2 (30/60)]
[Permission Changes: Medium-sized commercial commission acceptance permission unlocked; Cross-regional hunting application eligibility unlocked...]