Chapter 356 - 328: Cooperation
He followed Guo Xiaochun to the lagoon on the eastern side.
A lagoon is essentially an area of the sea partially separated from the main ocean by a barrier island, sandbar, or coral reef.
Lagoons can be classified as enclosed, semi-enclosed, or open, depending on their degree of separation.
The lagoon before them was one separated by a sandbar.
At high tide, seawater would pour in. After low tide, the lagoon would be cut off from the ocean.
It was currently the quietest time after low tide. The water’s surface was as smooth as a piece of pale blue nephrite, and the water was so clear you could see straight to the bottom.
Qin Ziwen saw two fishing boats moored on the water in the distance, with fishermen casting nets from their sterns.
Approaching the shore, he could see the bottom at a single glance through the pale blue water.
Beneath the surface, schools of silver mullet swam leisurely by, and clownfish with bright yellow stripes darted in and out of the coral.
In the crevices between the rocks, patterned moray eels hid themselves away.
On the sandy floor of the shallow sea, sea cucumbers, a common sight, wriggled slowly, and fist-sized cone snails crawled along the bottom.
Further out, a large bed of seagrass swayed with the currents. Looking out, he could spot at least four or five large groupers patrolling the bed.
Guo Xiaochun added from the side, "The water’s about a dozen meters at its deepest, and two or three meters in the shallows."
Qin Ziwen’s expression remained calm, but inside, his chest was churning like a rising tide.
He had heard from Guo Xiaochun that the resources here were abundant. Though he had prepared himself as much as possible, he was still astonished by the richness of the area.
He had only one thought right now. ’While there’s still time, I need to harvest this place for all it’s worth!’
"Yes, this place definitely needs to be developed. Make sure you all stay safe while you’re working," Qin Ziwen added.
Back at the landing point, several bonfires were burning on the sand in front of the wooden cabins.
Many of the workers had stopped for the day, sitting around the fires, talking and laughing.
Large metal barrels nearby held tonight’s meal.
Since arriving here, all they ate was seafood.
Wild seafood—a luxury in any modern city—was commonplace here, skewered on sticks and roasted over the open flames.
Even simply grilled, it was a fresh and tender delicacy.
"It’s fresh, all right, but it’s a bit too ’nourishing.’ I feel flushed all day long," a worker grinned, his face glowing red in the firelight.
"Hahaha, you should have brought your wife along."
"Nah, can’t do that. The conditions here are still too rough. I’ll take some abalone back for her after my day off tomorrow."
"Going back to eat abalone?"
The bonfire crackled as the group of men roared with laughter and started telling lewd jokes.
A male college student sitting nearby turned beet red. He lowered his head to eat his fish in silence, all while perking up his ears to eavesdrop.
"I remember Little Tong is still a virgin, isn’t he? Aren’t you dating anyone?" an older worker turned the topic to the college student.
Tong Bo coughed a couple of times, nearly choking on a fish bone.
"I am, I am seeing someone."
"You said that last time, too. How far along are you?"
Tong Bo’s face was burning, but he answered with a smile in his voice, "We’ve held hands."
Amidst the men’s roaring laughter, the ferry to pick them up arrived, cutting through the waves to dock at the shore.
Qin Ziwen boarded the boat, and some of the men who had been chatting by the bonfire followed him aboard.
Qin Ziwen found a seat toward the back. The college student from earlier happened to sit down next to him.
"P-President." Sitting next to Qin Ziwen, Tong Bo seemed a bit stiff.
Although there wasn’t much of an age difference between them, Tong Bo felt inexplicably nervous.
"Did you volunteer for the island development project?" Qin Ziwen asked gently.
"Yeah. I heard the compensation was good."
"It is," Qin Ziwen nodded. Jia Liangcai had presented him with a plan; because of the unpredictable nature of island development, the harsh conditions, and the likelihood that workers would eventually live on-site, the compensation was generous. The daily ration of seafood and meat was also high.
"How’s the island development going? Is it difficult? Dangerous?"
"It’s okay. A little tiring, but no major problems," Tong Bo said, shaking his head.
When the boat docked, a round-faced girl in a scarf was standing by the simple pier. She was rubbing her hands together, her breath fogging in the cold air.
As soon as she saw Tong Bo, she happily came over to meet him. They naturally joined hands and blended into the crowd.
"Bro!" Qin Ziwu’s large hand suddenly clapped him on the shoulder. "What are you staring at?"
"Oh, just wondering when you’re going to bring home a sister-in-law," Qin Ziwen said, disdainfully knocking his brother’s hand off his shoulder.
"Grown men shouldn’t be so touchy-feely with each other."
Qin Ziwu shot his brother a suspicious look. "Bro, you were never like this before! Don’t tell me you’re the one getting sentimental?"
"Get lost. How are your Fishman language lessons coming along?"
"It’s going well. Mogu says I’m a fast learner." Qin Ziwu sounded a little smug. It seemed he had a knack for studying; he just hadn’t applied himself in the past.
"Good. Learn the language quickly. I’ll have more responsibilities for you down the line."
"Ah, please don’t. I feel like my back’s about to give out as it is."
"You’re young. You can handle it."
...
The next morning, Qin Ziwen took Mogu with him to the underwater Fishman Tribe.
He had an idea that had sparked after yesterday’s hermit crab encounter. This part of the ocean was teeming with life. He’d already found an Extraordinary Tridacna on the seafloor before, so there was no reason other Extraordinary Creatures wouldn’t be here too.
In the Fishman Tribe, the Fishman Leader saw Qin Ziwen arrive with Mogu and asked, "Qin, are Lorne and the others causing trouble?"
Qin Ziwen got straight to the point. "They’re living quite well now. I came this time hoping to partner with your Fishman Tribe to hunt Extraordinary Creatures. There should be quite a few in these waters, right? I’m not talking about beings on the level of the Thousand-Eyed Death God. Weaker ones will do, even if they only have a tiny bit of Extraordinary Ability."
The Fishman Leader nodded slowly, looking thoughtful. "Qin, your kind, the Tuiyuan, have a need for these Extraordinary Creatures, don’t you? In the past, when other Tuiyuan descended, they sometimes also required our assistance in finding Extraordinary Sea Beasts."
"It’s a personal need for me," Qin Ziwen stated concisely. ’I’m still six slots short.’
"Let me think." The Fishman Leader pondered for a moment. "I know the locations of a few Sea Beasts. I can take you to them."
"Thank you, I appreciate it," Qin Ziwen said happily.
"Haha, we’re friends. No need to be so formal," the Fishman Leader said, then asked, "So, when should we set out? Right now?"
Qin Ziwen glanced at Mogu. "We can go now."
’With Mogu here, it shouldn’t be a problem.’
’A typical Extraordinary Sea Beast should be no match for it.’
’Even the Thousand-Eyed Snake was so thoroughly suppressed. The only thing that could probably overpower Mogu is the Ancestral Giant Snake, a fourth-tier creature on the Hunting Celestial List.’
’But the deep sea is vast. What are the chances of running into the Ancestral Giant Snake?’
The Fishman Leader led them out of the tribe, and they swam west.
About a dozen minutes later, an underwater mountain range rose up ahead.
...
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