ALL NOVEL Chapter 068 – The Wealthy Cat
The Yaoguang headed full speed to Tsukiji Port in Japan. With some free time, Zhao Zhao edited the skiing videos that Yaoguang had filmed, cutting out all the ungraceful movements and parts where her hair obscured her face.
She had to admit that Yaoguang’s footage was much steadier than the drone’s. She nearly died of frustration exporting the livestream video; not only did it lag, but it often froze at the ugliest moments, making it unworthy of editing.
Her Sevier Mountain skiing video ended up using only Yaoguang’s footage, and although it wasn’t very long, she spent a lot of time editing it to match the music.
The background music was the theme from "Swordsman."
Soon, Gu Nan and Zhao Jingbian received a boastful package.
Unbeknownst to her, the choppy drone footage was already stirring up a frenzy online. Extreme skiing videos had been seen before, but people would watch, be amazed, and then move on.
This time was different. She was from China, and netizens were amazed to discover someone from their country could do this so well. After bowing to the master, they, like the livestream audience, wanted to send her to the national team. Playing at home was such a waste! Netizens are always this concerned.
Gu Nan and Old Zhao felt mixed emotions after watching.
Accompanied by the classic wuxia tune "Swordsman," a fairy-like girl in traditional Chinese attire leaped from the snow-capped mountain, her movements elegant and ethereal.
You could say it was a fantasy drama, especially with the post-production effects.
Gu Nan’s reaction was: “So ethereal? How annoying!”
Old Zhao’s reaction was: “Can she do all these moves? How annoying!”
Good friends, indeed.
Zhao Zhao was bombarded with messages from the two, especially from the perpetually busy Old Zhao, whose mental state had collapsed. He had been coaching at a speed skating club since graduation and hadn’t skied in a long time. Seeing this made him insanely jealous. Zhao Zhao wasn’t much better than him before, right? They both hadn’t skied for over a year, so how had she become so proficient?
Seeing their reactions, Zhao Zhao knew the video was a success. She also edited the "Swordsman" and sailfish hunting videos and uploaded them to Panda Video.
She didn’t know that these videos would trend for two days, doubling their account’s followers and sparking a wave of netizens tagging the national team.
Because they had arrived at Tsukiji.
Before docking, Zhao Zhao contacted a person in charge of a company called Kawano Fisheries, recommended by Gu Nan. If that didn’t work out, there was a backup.
Kawano, having heard they had a significant amount of tuna, was enthusiastic on the phone and promised to personally greet them at Tsukiji Port.
As soon as the ship docked, several men in suits rushed over. Shortly after, a middle-aged man with an assistant-like young woman joined them, making a group of seven or eight.
Zhao Zhao couldn’t help but comment to Yaoguang, “Look at the Japanese. They must really love tuna! It seems the company’s top executives have come to greet a fisher like me. Do you know what this proves?”
Yaoguang asked curiously, “What does it prove?”
“It proves that there really aren’t many bluefin tuna left in the Pacific. Our haul is a rare commodity.”
It was true that there weren’t many left in the Pacific. Yaoguang had noticed the sea floor on this journey and hadn’t found any bluefin tuna.
After exchanging pleasantries with the crew, Mr. Kawano, who surprisingly spoke Mandarin with a slight foreign accent, became very friendly with Xiong Haiming.
He didn’t mention the fish initially, instead offering to take them out for a welcoming dinner. His enthusiasm was almost overwhelming. Zhao Zhao, preferring straightforwardness, suggested bringing up two fish for him to check.
Xiong Haiming selected two large ones, and soon everyone at the dock gathered around. Zhao Zhao received three or four business cards from sizable companies.
Tuna sells really well in Japan.
Tsukiji has daily price charts for tuna. After agreeing on cooperation, they began unloading the fish and grading them. Professional appraisers analyzed and evaluated each one, assigning different prices based on grade. Twelve of the fish were rated A+ and suitable for auction. They signed a contract ensuring Kawano would handle the auction within five months, spacing them out to avoid flooding the market and lowering prices.
Eighty percent of the fish on the Yaoguang were taken by Kawano, and Zhao Zhao received a hefty sum. They stayed in a hotel arranged by Kawano, unable to refuse the hospitality, deciding to rest for a day before heading home.
Of course! Here’s the translated text:
Kawano could tell that Zhao Zhao appreciated straightforwardness, and not just politeness, which made him even more enthusiastic. He wanted to stay close to this savior from above. Gu Nan had said that this niece was exceptional at fishing, including bluefin tuna. Those premium bluefin could allow Kawano Fisheries to dominate Japan's sushi restaurants this winter.
Zhao Zhao was quite interested in the high-end hot spring hotel. Comparing it to her own Cloud Haven, she found Cloud Haven’s service lacking. Look at their staff: as soon as you opened the door and called, they’d immediately come, and they were all pretty young girls, ready to meet any request.
Cloud Haven not only lacked service staff in the corridors, but the cleaning was done by middle-aged women. A clear loss.
She soaked in the hot spring for a while and was then notified by a kimono-clad young girl at the door that she had a visitor.
Who could it be? Kawano? Unlikely. She had just sent him away. Was he back already?
Zhao Zhao took Da Linzi to the reception tea room. Shortly after, a waiter led in an old man and a young man she didn’t recognize.
The old man, who looked quite elderly, introduced himself first, saying he was the president of Shimizu Sushi, and the young man was his grandson, who spoke Mandarin.
Wow, a big shot. Even someone like her, who didn’t enjoy sushi, had heard of it. There was even a branch in Kyoto.
The old man was quite articulate. Despite her dislike for Japanese people, Zhao Zhao had to admit that when it came to business, their attitude was impeccable. In summary, he hoped to collaborate with them next time, assuring that price wouldn’t be an issue. He passionately talked about his love for sushi and his expectations for Shimizu Sushi, coming across as sincere and earnest.
Not putting all eggs in one basket, having more buyers was beneficial for Zhao Zhao. She agreed readily. Finding her here was also their skill, wasn’t it?
The grandfather and grandson politely left a gift and then took their leave. Zhao Zhao tried to decline but couldn’t. They insisted it was a Japanese souvenir, not valuable, and must be kept as a memento.
Back in her room, she opened it and found it was indeed a Japanese specialty.
A set of Japanese-style ceramic cats, covered with a glass dome, each with different expressions, beautifully crafted and adorable. For Da Linzi, there was a new sports watch from Seiko, quite expensive. Checking the official website, it was around 50,000 RMB.
Da Linzi, hearing how expensive it was, was unsure whether to accept it. He normally didn’t wear a watch, and the only accessory he had was the shark pearl given by Zhao Zhao.
Zhao Zhao put it on him, saying, “It’s just a tool to check the time. Don’t mind the price. It’s free, so wear it.”
Seeing the watch’s price, Zhao Zhao inspected the cats more closely. Opening the cover, she discovered that the bells on the cats were made of gold, and some cats wore pearl necklaces and earrings, which were also real. The lanterns they held were made of crystal.
They are quite wealthy.
This was quite a substantial gesture, a point well made. Zhao Zhao informed Kawano that if Shimizu Sushi was interested, they’d have priority.
The next day they set off, and Kawano came to see them off, bringing a bunch of Japanese sake, saying it was traditional craftsmanship from an old brand, a gift for her to try. Zhao Zhao had deeply experienced the enthusiasm of Japanese merchants over the past two days.
Onboard, they couldn’t ignore the fat seal lying on the deck. Why was it still here?
Da Linzi fed it over ten kilos of fish every day, and all it needed to do was open its mouth. After three days, it showed no signs of leaving. Zhao Zhao wanted to release it back into the sea, but Da Linzi had become attached to it and fed it for another two days.
Aunt Fan suggested it might be about to give birth, so no one dared to throw it overboard, and they continued caring for it.
Zhao Zhao decided to release it into the outer sea where the white dolphins stayed, where the environment should now be good, and the algae should have grown.
It would be illegal to bring it back home.
After being away for nearly two months, they were finally heading home. The crew was overjoyed, and Zhao Zhao herself was looking forward to returning.
The crew missed their families. This trip back meant a prosperous new year. Hearing their discussions, Zhao Zhao picked up a calculator and spent the morning calculating the trip’s earnings. Excluding the few fish awaiting auction, each crew member could get a pre-tax amount of 167,300 RMB.
Announcing the earnings during a meal in the dining area, the place erupted in cheers. Beside her, Xiong Haiming choked up, holding a bun.
“Uncle, what’s wrong? Life is getting better. You could rebuild your house, maybe make it bigger and use a few rooms for Aunt to run a guesthouse.”
Zhao Zhao knew his house was an old, dilapidated one.
Xiong Haiming said, “I’m just so happy. I never thought my income would reach the taxable level. On your ship, I’ve never earned this much. I’ll build a two-story house using your design. When we dock, I’ll sign up with the village.”
Such awareness is admirable.
