Chapter 7, The Art of Subjugation

However, since Gu Kun has already declined, he is too lazy to say more, otherwise it would appear that he has ulterior motives

Miss Gu, my husband actually means no harm and does not wish to contradict the captain. He is just worried that after traveling such a long distance to a poor country, the seafood will not sell for a good price, resulting in a loss.

"So where are we actually going this time?" Long Wu couldn't help but ask

After Liu Min took his leave, the group began to make preparations for departure

Before going abroad, Gu Kun did not mention anything and was somewhat mysterious. However, since he had advanced his salary, the employees felt it was inappropriate to ask too many questions

Everyone is a descendant of the Huaxia people; it is not a big deal to be momentarily biased or misled. If one recognizes their mistakes and is willing to correct them, there is still a chance for redemption

Long Wu is eager to prove himself worthy of this salary: "Captain, I have been listening to fish for seven or eight years, you can absolutely trust my skills"

However, if the boss is a bit unscrupulous and cannot stand to see the sailors idle, there will always be endless rust to scrape and paint to touch up; in any case, there will always be work to be found.

The other three individuals showed no reaction to these sights, while Gu Pan still felt a sense of novelty, enjoying the view from the observation point.

When not fishing at sea, it can indeed be quite boring. Gu Pan also hopes to chat more with the seniors to gain some experience.

Under the incentive of advance salary, Long Wu and Chen Li worked very actively. All supplies were quickly replenished, and Gu Kun spent nearly 2,000 yuan on procurement.

Gu Kun raised his hand to indicate that there was no need to say more: "Uncle Liu, can I not trust the person you introduced? One should not doubt those they employ, thank you."

So it is. Gu Pan is not concerned with politics, and simply treats it as a story, preparing to persuade her brother in a while

Gu Kun also knew that two years later, this couple would have a child. The reason they are working so hard right now is that they want to save some money first, as after Chen Li becomes pregnant, the entire family will have to rely solely on Long Wu to support them

The name Longli is not very good, as it sounds like a type of fish, so people usually do not call him by his name. Additionally, since he is the fifth in the family, they simply call him Longwu.

Gu Kun is at the helm, while Long and Chen are responsible for weighing anchor and handling the mooring lines

Liu Min's boat is 20 meters long and is equipped with 5 crew members

My husband was born in Saigon. When the American troops withdrew from Saigon in 1975, they escaped on a black boat to Lan Fang—so his family actually fled twice. Although they are indeed of Han descent, there is inevitably a bit of prejudice against people from the north.

Chen Li explained in a low and submissive voice

Half an hour after the ship set sail, the tasks such as steering and handling the ropes were nearly completed. Long Wu and Chen Li actively sought out Gu Kun for consultation.

Having hired the crew, Liu Min took Gu Kun to inspect the condition of the ship. As the group entered the cockpit, Liu Min pointed at the fuel gauge and said

After a group of people had lunch at the dock and rested for a while, Gu Kun ordered to set sail

Gu Kun then took the opportunity to respond to his sister: "Our Lanfang does not produce oil; it is all imported from Sarawak or Brunei, which is why it is expensive. The oil prices in Huaxia are originally 20% higher than ours, but after the cancellation of the dual exchange rate system in January, the renminbi depreciated by 40%, and the oil prices remained unchanged, making it cheaper than ours. Therefore, after we sell the seafood in Guangdong, we will fill up on cheaper oil on the way back."

With the addition of the Gu family siblings, there are a total of four individuals. Considering Gu Kun's skills, which can be equivalent to several, it should be sufficient

Chen Li found that Guan Pan was easy to talk to, so she struck up a conversation

A sound can be heard below four thousand orders

At sea, most of the time there is actually not much operation. It is only busy during port entry and exit, as well as during fishing operations. Usually, sailors only need to pay attention to the sea conditions.

In the previous life, Gu Kun had worked with Long Wu and Chen Li for two years, knowing that they were reliable. In that life, Gu Kun did not survive the previous storm disaster; after he lost the ship, he sought refuge with Liu Min to work, so these individuals were all his colleagues

As they were chatting, there were about two hours left until they set sail, when suddenly Gu Kun's shout came through the speaker, interrupting them

"It's nothing, I know you all mean well." Gu Pan, feeling indebted, readily agreed to take on the responsibility, and after finishing, she even licked her fingers.

The last time I returned to the port, there was still half a tank of fuel, about three tons. I cannot take advantage of you, even if it is 1800 dollars. If you want to fill it up, I still have a few barrels of stored fuel, I can add that for you as well

Gu Pan curiously asked: "Why do they tend to listen selectively and believe only certain things?"

Gu Kun readily pointed out the 3,000 tokens in person: "Alright, as agreed, each person will receive 500 tokens per month. Before we set sail, you all wait for me at the bank branch at the port. Once the money is deposited, you can board the ship"

I am a local from Lan Fang and have no prejudice against the mainland. I have heard that the mainland has become wealthy in recent years. My husband's family mainly enjoys listening to the propaganda from Taiwan—those media outlets, as you know, tend to focus on negative examples from the mainland

Chen Li, however, was more cautious than her husband and tugged at his sleeve, saying, "Ask a few less questions; the captain has his own arrangements."

Large maritime companies typically pay salaries on a monthly basis once the ship is boarded, with final payments settled upon arrival at port

Chen Li and Long Wu understood upon hearing this: it turns out the boss is going to Huaxia this time

Gu Kun was just about to respond when the cockpit door opened. It turned out that Gu Pan had grown tired of the sea view and had come down from the observation deck to escape the wind

However, Gu Kun politely declined, saying: "No need, this amount of oil is sufficient"

She held two freshly boiled mantis shrimp, had peeled the shells, and also prepared a spicy oil dipping sauce, inviting Gu Pan to enjoy them with a pleasing demeanor

However, it is now the first month of the lunar calendar, and only the two poorest crew members are willing to work overtime, while the others are resting at home

Captain, I see that the water depth here is already 40 meters. Should we first drop a buoy to check for fish?

After confirming that she could be hired, Chen Li, with a stern expression, pressed on: "Boss Gu, may I ask how long this sea trip will take? Can the wages be settled in advance?"

The 160-kilowatt main engine propels a vessel weighing over 200 tons, cutting a path through the emerald sea, heading straight north. The beach and coconut groves gradually recede, disappearing over the horizon.

... ...

The buoy he mentioned is a fish school detector, and its principle is based on sonar, although its accuracy is much lower than that of military-grade equipment

Now that we are at sea, it no longer matters

The mantis shrimp was casually caught by Long Wu just now

Chen Li hurriedly grabbed her husband: "What do you know! Perhaps the captain has his own clever plan."

Gu Pan naturally interrupted the three people's casual conversation in a carefree manner: "Brother, I wanted to ask you before I set out to sea, why didn't you let Uncle Liu help you fill up the oil?"

Chen Li, fearing that her husband might offend his boss, quickly pulled Gu Pan aside and subtly mediated the situation

They are clearly seeking work proactively due to the advance salary

A typical captain would feel gratified to see his subordinates so proactive and diligent, but Gu Kun was different: "No rush, I will personally scout for fish when the time comes, you just need to help me steer the ship."

A few minutes later, on the stern deck, Chen Li accompanied Gu Pan as they sat watching the sea

Gu Kun was quite surprised by what he heard and chuckled, saying: "It seems that you are completely unaware of the current situation in Huaxia. However, matters of decision-making are not for you to worry about; just follow my instructions and do as I say."

These two crew members are a couple; the man is named Long Li and the woman is named Chen Li, both around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. Their skin is rough, clearly a result of exposure to wind and sun.

In the 1990s, the trend of eating mantis shrimp had not yet gained popularity, and the tropical waters of Nanyang were filled with mantis shrimp

Due to poverty, in their previous lives, the two of them shared a certain sympathy with Gu Kun.

Chen Li sighed: "They are new immigrants. My father-in-law was a soldier under General Bai, known as the Little Zhuge, before the liberation. In 1950, he fled to Vietnam, where he was disarmed by the French army and sent to Phu Quoc Island in Saigon.

However, Gu Kun is the new ship owner. If he does not pay upfront, the other party would not dare to engage with him, for fear that he might default and run away.

Long Wu is quite straightforward and advised: "Captain, so you intend to go to Huaxia to sell seafood? I must say that the people there are very poor, they can't even afford tea eggs, so the precious seafood is bound to be unsold."

Gu Kun: "It's not a matter of trust; it's just that this time we are going out to the deep sea for a long duration. In the initial days, aside from the highly valuable fish, there is no need to catch anything else. Anyway, before we return to shore, the fish hold will be able to accommodate everything."

Gu Pan is certainly doing the easiest job, only responsible for lookout, just keeping an eye on the water diversion.

Liu Min was afraid that Gu Kun would be dissatisfied, so he helped to speak well of them: "Don't be fooled by their dark and thin appearance; they are quite strong when it comes to work and do not slack off..."

Liu Min was somewhat surprised, as the oil price he quoted was quite reasonable

Fish schools have been spotted, ready to get to work