"You have the final say, boss," Kevin, the girl from yesterday, said excitedly, echoing Jiang Hai's words.
When Jiang Hai went below deck to gather everyone, these girls were incredibly bold. They didn't care whether Jiang Hai and his friends were good or bad people. Instead, they just sat down on the leather sofa of Jiang Hai's yacht, marveling at the smooth texture beneath them. They were thrilled, as they'd never been to such a luxurious place before.
As they curiously explored their surroundings, Jiang Hai had already called Darlene and the others up. Once everyone was on deck, they first went to wash their faces and brush their teeth, after which Darlene and Marian went to help Jiang Hai prepare breakfast.
Meanwhile, Bell, Azarina, and Harriman joined the others in the living room.
When Bell saw the girls, his eyes narrowed, and he greeted them with a smile.
Unfortunately, the girls weren't particularly interested in Bell. Only one of them smiled and nodded in return, a modest greeting, while the other three girls ignored him, whispering among themselves.
Soon, Jiang Hai and his friends emerged with a large pot of noodle soup.
This was the first dish Jiang Hai had learned to cook after arriving in the United States, aside from frying steak and making cheddar soup.
The soup was a well-known dish in the Boston area, traditionally called New England clam chowder. But in Boston, you could add almost anything to it. Even lobsters and crabs were welcome additions. This time, Jiang Hai chose to add large shrimp, as he preferred them over clams. There were also some chopped abalone, sea cucumber slices, and bits of clam meat. And of course, there were noodle dumplings in the mix, because just soda wouldn't fill anyone up.
Kevin and her friends had never tasted anything like this before. After trying the soup, they couldn't help but give Jiang Hai a thumbs up. It was truly delicious, after all, the ingredients used in the soup came from Jiang Hai's own manor.
"We're full and ready to set off. Tell us, where are we going?" As the meal came to an end, Kevin's companions were mindful to clean up after themselves. They carried their bowls into the kitchen while Jiang Hai turned to Kevin.
"It depends on what you're looking to catch. If you want tuna, we head east. If you're after lobsters, we go southeast," Kevin explained, pulling out her phone and zooming in on the screen as she talked to Jiang Hai.
It was clear she knew the area well. She explained that different types of fish were found in different waters.
For example, barracudas were found in the northeast, and tuna in the east, where the water was deeper and more abundant with tuna. Not just any tuna, but bluefin and yellowfin as well. However, there was a catch: selling these fish would be a bit tricky. Although fish collectors existed in Puerto Rico, the prices were lower. If you wanted a better price, you'd have to take them back to Miami, where they would sell for about 20% more.
Jiang Hai wasn't bothered by this. His main goal wasn't the money. If he caught something special, he could always freeze it, though it would lower the price a bit. He wasn't concerned about the small change—there were enough bluefin tuna in his fishing grounds, and he was here more for the fun of it.
After confirming they were aiming for tuna, Jiang Hai started the engine. Bell headed to shore to untie the rope, quickly returning to the boat. They then made their way east, just as Kevin had suggested.
As the boat moved forward, the fog over the sea dissipated completely. The warm sunlight shone down on the water, causing the temperature on the surface to rise rapidly.
By 8:30 in the morning, the temperature had already reached 20°C. Seeing this, Kevin and the others could no longer sit still inside. They stripped off their coats and pants in front of Darlene, Marian, Azawier, Harriman, and Bell, revealing their bikini swimsuits underneath.
"Uh, are you going for a swim? The boat is still moving," Darlene said, reminding them.
"We're not swimming. Although it's hot outside, the sea water is still cold. We're going fishing. We just took off our clothes because it would be troublesome if we fell into the sea or got scratched," Kevin replied, laughing.
"Fishing? Alright, I'll go tell Jiang," Darlene said, stunned for a moment before running to the captain's cabin to inform Jiang Hai.
Intrigued by their mention of fishing, Jiang Hai was also eager to join in. After setting the coordinates and letting the boat steer itself, he walked out of the hold with his fishing gear.
Though Jiang Hai had never fished for tuna before, experienced sailors like Edward Anderson had prepared everything for him: five or six rods, each fitted with thick fishing lines, and baits that would attract tuna. However, the boat wasn't moving fast enough to use all the rods, so Jiang Hai could only use a hand rod to fish.
Uncertain about the fishing process, Jiang Hai walked out, carrying a fishing rod.
"Hey, boss, what are you doing?" Kevin and the others, who had already climbed onto the platform, asked in surprise.
"Uh, didn't you say you were going fishing? I thought I'd join in on the fun," Jiang Hai replied, a bit embarrassed.
"The boat hasn't stopped yet. How are you going to catch anything with that rod? Are you trying to fish for seaweed? We're just catching bait. Look at what we're using." Kevin laughed as she opened her bag and pulled out several thick fishing lines, each with at least 50 or 60 pounds of tension. These lines were not typical for sea fishing. Attached to the lines were large hooks, silk threads, and lead blocks. Jiang Hai was confused. What kind of bait was this?
Seeing the confusion on his face, Kevin explained, "This is how we fish. We catch smaller fish with these, and then use them as bait to catch bigger fish."
Jiang Hai's confusion deepened, but the girls weren't bothered. They just tied one end of the line to a fixed point on the floating platform, threw it into the sea, and let it be.
Jiang Hai, still holding his rod, was at a loss for what to do.
But soon, he was no longer embarrassed. As he was about to retract his fishing rod, one of the girls following Kevin suddenly laughed and shouted, pulling a fishing line back.
To everyone's surprise, a small fish about 20 cm long was reeled in.
Jiang Hai couldn't believe it—despite its size, the fish was unmistakably a tuna, though not a rare kind. It was still wiggling on the platform.
"Wow, it's really a fish. You're amazing! Are we going to eat this for lunch?" Darlene and Marian ran down to join them, eyes wide with excitement.
"Of course not," Kevin laughed. "This is a Little Butt Ny tuna. See how it has tire-like patterns on its sides? It's too small to eat. This type of tuna doesn't grow large, and the meat's tough, tasting like a cooked tire. We'll use this as bait for bigger fish."
Hearing this, Darlene seemed intrigued. The girls eagerly took out four fishing lines and invited her to join them. After receiving the lines, Darlene and Marian settled on the floating platform, fixing their lines and pulling them from time to time, all while chatting with the others.
Since they were all roughly the same age, they had plenty of common ground. Meanwhile, Jiang Hai, seeing they were really catching fish, felt a little embarrassed. He smiled awkwardly and went back to the hold to focus on driving the boat. With Azarina keeping an eye on the girls, nothing would go wrong.
Jiang Hai also made a mental note. Fishing like this seemed fun. After these girls left the boat, he'd have to try it out himself. The idea of catching fish without a rod or bait was exciting. Just the thought of it made him smile. (To be continued.)