I Can Fish Up Everything!

Chapter 160: Chapter 123: Zhao Suying: Son, Your Dad Went to the Internet Cafe Again

With his skills, he wasn’t short on offers. If things didn’t work out here, other factories would be fighting to hire him.

But with the economy in a slump these past couple of years, switching factories wouldn’t necessarily mean much better pay. That’s why Gu Dacheng had been so frustrated lately.

Now, learning how profitable the seafood shop was, Gu Dacheng’s mind started racing.

If worst came to worst, he could just open his own shop. Why should he stay at the factory and take crap from his boss?

Gu Nan explained how he had managed to save so much money. ”Plenty of people make a fortune, but plenty lose one, too. I just got lucky. I managed to source some rare but popular seafood, and I partnered with restaurants and hotels, so business has been pretty good.”

”Since your business is doing so well, I can finally relax. First, you should buy a car. Then, once you win that girl over, I’ll help you out with some money to buy a place in the city.”

Zhao Suying was ecstatic. Now she wouldn’t have to worry about her son’s marriage prospects at all.

With his kind of success, it wouldn’t be other girls picking and choosing him—he would be the one doing the choosing.

Even if things didn’t work out with the girl in the picture, it wouldn’t matter. He had plenty of other options.

”We can talk about the rest later. At my current income, it won’t be long before I can buy a house outright. Mom, why don’t you go start dinner? You’re not going to be stingy with that blue crab and lobster now, are you?”

”Stingy? Of course not! Thanks to my wonderful son, I get to try these foreign delicacies too.” Zhao Suying beamed as she carried the ingredients into the kitchen. ”Gu Dacheng, come in here and give me a hand.”

”Oh, okay... Coming, coming!”

Watching his parents bustling around in the kitchen, Gu Nan plopped down on the sofa, feeling perfectly content.

As an only child, he’d been more or less spoiled growing up. While he knew how to do chores, he’d slack off whenever he could—a habit his parents had enabled.

After a sumptuous dinner, Gu Nan finally got to taste his own lobster and blue crab.

In a word: amazing!

The satisfaction of devouring seafood was completely different from eating meat; it was a much deeper feeling of contentment.

After dinner, he slumped back onto the sofa in a lazy sprawl, picking his teeth with a toothpick. It was good to be home.

Gu Dacheng sat down beside him, striking the exact same pose.

Zhao Suying rolled her eyes at the sight of them and carried the dirty plates into the kitchen to clean up.

It was only because her son rarely came home; otherwise, she would have definitely started nagging them.

After a moment, Gu Dacheng nudged him with his shoulder. ”Son, what do you think? What if I opened a seafood shop here in town?”

The question stirred something in Gu Nan. As he unlocked more areas on his map, his variety of seafood was increasing. He estimated he’d need to open a new shop next year to separate the high-end products from the regular ones.

If his parents were interested, he wouldn’t need to hire employees. He could just have them manage one of the shops.

He could even hand the shop over to them to run completely. He’d just be the supplier.

Besides, he was their only son. Everything they had would eventually be his to inherit anyway. As long as his parents weren’t the type to swindle their own kid, there was no need to draw such clear lines.

’But why would Dad suddenly ask this?’

”Dad, why the sudden interest in opening a seafood shop? Are things at the factory not going well?”

”When you work for someone else, there’s always someone lording it over you. Your salary feels like a handout. The seafood business seems to be doing well. Even if I earn a little less, at least I’d be free.”

Gu Nan understood immediately. So things really weren’t going well at work.

He’d felt the same way, which was why he ended up opening a seafood shop in the first place.

But Gu Dacheng had endured all the unpleasantness because of the pressure to see his son get married, and because he was the family’s main source of income.

Now that his son was earning good money, what did he have left to worry about? The pressure was off!

”In that case, once the fishing season starts, you should go look for some connections. Try buying some stock from the fishermen and selling it at the town market first to get a feel for the industry. I’m planning to open another shop next year to separate the high-end and low-end seafood.”

”Dad, when the time comes, you and Mom can come help me run the new shop! Or I could just transfer one of the shops to you. We’re family, after all. What’s mine is mine, and what’s yours will be mine eventually anyway.”

Hearing that last part, Gu Dacheng’s eyes widened and he was about to retort.

But the words died on his lips. His son wasn’t wrong.

As for starting with a small stall in town, Gu Dacheng thought that was a good idea. Since he’d never run a business before, it was best to take it one step at a time.

But he’d still have to discuss the specifics with his wife tonight.

If he was really going to go run a shop for his son, he couldn’t just leave his wife behind at home, could he?

The typhoon was forecast to make landfall at five in the morning, but by midnight, the commotion outside was already intense.

Inside his room, Gu Nan could hear the intermittent HOWL of the wind.

But having grown up in a coastal region, he went through several typhoons every year. He was completely used to it. In fact, the HOWLING of the wind actually helped him sleep.

The next day, Gu Nan was jolted awake by the rattling of his window. He checked the time; it was only eight in the morning.

By now, the typhoon had made landfall and was battering the entirety of Bazhou City.

He wasn’t worried about his fishing boat; it had been securely tied up with the other vessels the day before. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so relaxed yesterday afternoon.

Gu Nan lay in bed and started reading the news about the typhoon’s aftermath.

Every typhoon left a mess in its wake. Most of Bazhou City could withstand them without issue, but some areas at the foot of the mountains always ran into trouble.

Even if people were evacuated, the old houses there might not be able to hold up.

While scrolling through short-form videos, Gu Nan saw that many major influencers were announcing they were already preparing relief supplies.

He wanted to do his part, too. He looked up a few charitable foundations online, but ultimately decided against it. ’Even if I donate, who knows where the money will actually end up.’

’If I’m in a better position in the future, it would be better to follow the example of these influencers.’

’Regardless of whether they’re just doing it for clout, at least they’re actually delivering the supplies.’

The typhoon began to pass around three in the afternoon, and Gu Nan prepared to head back to Yangjiang Port.

”Son, you’re not staying another night?” Zhao Suying asked, unable to hide her reluctance to see him go.

”I can’t. I have to open the shop tomorrow, so it’s not convenient to stay here,” Gu Nan said, shaking his head.

There was a lot to do back there. He had to check on his boat first; it was probably a complete mess and would need a good cleaning.