mijobooks Chapter 1 Revisiting the Small Fishing Village
Chapter 1 Revisiting the Small Fishing Village
Lin Chen stood on the old dock of Huangni Village, gazing at the sea not far away, his lips tightly pressed together, his heart filled with turmoil.
Three months ago, he was the purchasing manager of Pengcheng Ocean Trading Company, managing more than a dozen people, earning a monthly salary of over ten thousand yuan, and living in an apartment with a balcony.
Who would have thought that a maritime accident where he took the blame for his company would cost him his job, wipe out his savings, and lead to him being blacklisted by several major companies in the industry? In the end, he could only drag a worn-out suitcase and slink back to the small fishing village he vowed never to return to.
Huangni Village, nestled in a corner of the southeastern coast of China, is backed by mountains and faces the sea. For generations, the villagers have made a living by fishing. This is Lin Chen's root, but also the cage he desperately wanted to escape when he was young.
My father, Lin Jianguo, was an honest and simple old fisherman who spent his whole life tending to a small fishing boat, enduring wind and sun, earning his money through hard work.
His mother, Liu Guilan, was in poor health and had to take medicine all year round. The family was already struggling financially, and his return made them the laughingstock of the whole village.
"Hey, isn't this Lin Chen, the golden phoenix that flew out of our village? What brings you back from the big city?"
A sharp voice came from behind. It was Widow Zhang from the village entrance. She always acted arrogantly in the village because her husband was the village's fishing tyrant.
Lin Chen turned around, gave her a cold glance, and said nothing.
"Why aren't you saying anything? I heard you couldn't make it in the city? Well, no big city is as good as our little fishing village. At least we have food to eat here. Unlike in the city, if you fall down, there's no one to help you up."
Widow Zhang stood with her hands on her hips, her face filled with undisguised mockery. Several villagers sitting idly around her joined in the laughter, their eyes full of sarcasm.
"Zhang Cuihua, stop gossiping!"
Lin Jianguo came out of the house carrying a fishing net. Seeing this scene, he turned red with anger, threw the net on the ground, and stood protectively in front of Lin Chen. "So what if my son is back? Who gives you the right to criticize me?"
"Old Lin, I was just saying it casually, what's the rush?"
Widow Zhang curled her lips and said, "Besides, we're all neighbors. We're just showing concern for your son. But you, you raised a good son who went out to make a living for a few years and ended up coming back with a slinky back, without even bringing back a wife. You raised him for nothing."
After saying that, she swayed away, leaving the father and son embarrassed.
Looking at his father's hunched back, Lin Chen felt a sharp pain in his heart, as if being pricked by needles.
He knew that although his father didn't say it, he was more heartbroken than anyone else.
Lin Chen walked to his father's side and whispered, "Dad, I'm sorry, I've disappointed you."
"Don't talk nonsense."
Lin Jianguo patted him on the shoulder, his voice hoarse, "It's good that you're back. There's food at home, you won't go hungry."
Mother Liu Guilan brought out a steaming bowl of seafood noodles from the house, forcing a smile as she said, "Chenchen, eat quickly. This is noodles made for you from the blue crabs your father caught this morning."
Lin Chen took the bowl, looked at the plump swimming crabs inside, and choked up.
This mouthful of noodles is full of savory aroma, but you can't taste any flavor at all; all you feel is bitterness and resentment.
He worked hard in Shenzhen for five years, rising from a menial intern to a purchasing manager. Only he knows how tough it was.
He scrimped and saved, thinking that once he had enough money, he would bring his parents to the city and give them a better life, but in the end, all of that was in vain.
The maritime accident was clearly caused by the company's senior management choosing substandard containers to save costs, resulting in the goods falling into the water and causing heavy losses. However, in the end, all the responsibility was pushed onto him, the purchasing manager, who was accused of taking kickbacks and choosing inferior products during the procurement process.
He was speechless, because he had indeed signed the purchase contract for that batch of containers, and he was simply doing what the company required.
After being fired, he went to the company boss to demand an explanation, but was dragged out by security guards who even threatened to make it impossible for him to stay in Shenzhen.
After his ex-girlfriend learned of his troubles, she broke up with him without saying a word and immediately started dating a department manager at his company.
The fickleness of human relationships and the coldness of the world were vividly displayed at this moment.
After finishing his noodles, Lin Chen said goodbye to his parents and told them he wanted to go for a walk, then headed towards the beach alone.
As the sun sets, it dyes the sea a golden-red hue. Waves surge onto the beach one after another, then slowly recede, leaving behind a carpet of seashells and seaweed.
Lin Chen walked aimlessly along the coastline. The sand under his feet was soft, but it made him feel uncomfortable.
Several elderly people who were gathering seafood walked past him, whispering among themselves: "What a pity about the Lin family's son. He was the most promising man in the village, but now he's ended up like this."
"Yes, I heard he made a lot of money in the city, but he lost it all and was even blocked. He'll probably have to stay in the village and fish from now on."
"Fishing is not that easy. There are fewer and fewer fish in the sea now, and you can't earn much money in a day. He is used to living in the city, and I'm afraid he can't endure this hardship."
These words were like needles, piercing Lin Chen's heart one by one.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, causing his eyes to redden with pain.
Is this all there is to his life?
Like the sand on the beach, it can be trampled on by people and washed by waves, never to see the light of day again.
He walked to a secluded rocky area, found a flat rock to sit on, looked at the sea in front of him, and felt a deep sense of despair.
He took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and as the smoke swirled around him, his eyes grew increasingly unfocused.
Just then, a completely emotionless electronic voice suddenly rang in his mind:
[Strong emotional fluctuations detected in the host, meeting the binding conditions. The Ocean Domination System is activating!]
[Environmental scanning in progress... Scan complete, 99.99% match!]
[Binding to host: Lin Chen...]
[Binding successful! Congratulations, host, you have obtained the Ocean Domination System!]
Lin Chen was startled and dropped the cigarette in his hand. He looked around warily, but apart from the sound of the waves crashing and the sea breeze, there was no one in the reef area.
"Who? Who's talking?" he shouted, his voice echoing through the empty rocky area.
Is it a hallucination? Or is it because of too much stress lately, causing auditory hallucinations?
Just as he was filled with doubt and uncertainty, a semi-transparent pale blue light screen suddenly appeared before his eyes, hovering about half a meter in front of him, with clearly visible text on it:
The Ocean Domination System is now available. Current level: Level 1.
[Three exclusive marine intelligence reports are updated daily, covering resource, opportunity, and early warning categories.]
[Current intelligence has been updated (3/3)]
[Intelligence 1 (Resource): 80 meters southwest of the host's current location, in a trench at the bottom of a reef, four wild abalone are hidden due to today's tidal changes. One of them, exceeding 15 centimeters in diameter, is of superior quality and is considered the king of abalone.]
[Intelligence 2 (Resource): From 2:00 AM to 4:00 AM tomorrow, due to the spring tide, a school of black sea bream will gather in the No. 3 sea area west of the village, about 150 meters from the shore, near the reef crevices in waters 4 meters deep, to feed. The estimated number is over 200, with each individual weighing more than half a kilogram.]
[Intelligence 3 (Opportunity): A small fishing boat from the Republican era is sunken on the seabed near the abandoned cold storage at the end of the village. The boat contains a batch of ceramic artifacts with some collectible value and can be salvaged.]
The text on the light screen is concise and clear, and it also includes an accurate location map and even indicates the best time and method to obtain it.
Lin Chen was completely stunned. He rubbed his eyes hard and pinched his thigh. The excruciating pain proved that this was not a dream!
System? Ocean Domination System?
As a young man who has read countless online novels, he was no stranger to this term, but he never expected that something that only existed in novels would actually happen to him!
He stared at the light screen for a long time, his finger unable to resist reaching out to touch it, but it passed right through him. The light screen remained steadily suspended there, emitting a faint blue glow, mysterious and alluring.
"Is this true?"
Lin Chen muttered to himself, his heart pounding uncontrollably, "Did I really get the system?"
A huge surprise overwhelmed him, making him instantly forget all his troubles.
If this system is real, then wouldn't this ocean become his exclusive treasure trove?
Anyway, the worst outcome is nothing more than this, so why not give it a try!
A look of wild joy flashed in Lin Chen's eyes. He first turned his gaze to the wild abalone in Intelligence 1.
Wild abalone, especially the king abalone with a diameter of over 15 centimeters, is a top-grade product in the seafood market. According to the current market price, it would cost at least a thousand yuan per kilogram. These four abalone, especially the king abalone, are definitely worth a lot!
Thinking of this, Lin Chen immediately stood up and headed towards the reefs in the southwest direction, following the location map on the light screen.