The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 186: Chapter 186: Asserting Dominance at the Docks

In the end, Han Xiaorui decided to call Chen Yupeng at the maritime department.

However, Chen Yupeng wasn’t at work yet, and he didn’t have a phone at home.

At 8:20, Han Xiaorui called Chen Yupeng again.

When Chen Yupeng answered Han Xiaorui’s call, he thought he had misheard. ”Comrade Xiao Han, you’re not joking with me, are you?”

Han Xiaorui rolled her eyes. ’It’s not like I have nothing better to do. Who has time for jokes?’

”My boat just arrived at the dock, and I haven’t slept all night. Do you really think I need to be playing this kind of joke on you first thing in the morning? I have over a dozen crew members on my boat, and they all saw it, just like me.”

”Hundreds of dolphins brought an injured young dolphin calf to me, asking me to take it back for treatment. I promised the mother dolphin that if the little dolphin could be saved, I would bring it back.”

”I want you to help me find some reliable marine life rescue personnel. I just don’t want them to take this little dolphin and then never release it back into the ocean.”

”After all, we’re people who make our living on the sea. We have great respect for the intelligent creatures of the ocean. Since I promised the mother dolphin, I have to see it through.”

Chen Yupeng laughed sheepishly. ”Alright, this matter falls under my purview anyway. I’ll find an expert for you and come over personally in a little while.”

”Okay, please be as quick as you can,” Han Xiaorui added. ”Chen Yupeng, I have to ask you for a favor. No matter what, you have to make sure the dolphin is returned to me. I promised its mother I would bring her baby back.”

”Huh?” Chen Yupeng was taken aback for a moment. Since Han Xiaorui was asking him so earnestly, he replied, ”Alright. I can guarantee that.”

After hanging up, Han Xiaorui returned to the fishing boat. ”Sister Shui, Sister-in-law Xiao Yu, the marine life experts will be here in a bit. I’m going to take a shower, change my clothes, and get ready to meet them. As for the catch, you two settle the accounts with Boss Xiao Zhang. I don’t have time to go handle the bank transfer today. He can take the fish, as long as he sends the payment by the end of the day.”

”Got it!” Chen Yishui agreed. ”I promise not a single fish will be miscounted. And I’m sure Boss Xiao Zhang wouldn’t dare burn his bridges by being untrustworthy.”

Han Xiaorui nodded. ”He wouldn’t dare!”

Han Xiaorui often received calls from other hotels hoping to partner with her, but she always refused. ’Plenty of people out there are dying to work with me!’

It was always Zhang Guangnan who worried about her being dissatisfied and refusing to work with him, not the other way around.

Han Xiaorui went home and found the door locked.

She took the key from her bag, opened the door, and closed it behind her.

She took a quick shower and changed into a white, printed, short-sleeved blouse and light-blue, wide-leg pants that looked almost like a skirt at a glance.

(Image from the internet, AI-processed. To be removed if there is any copyright infringement.)

Expecting to do a lot of walking, Han Xiaorui put on a pair of white sneakers with laces.

She blew her hair dry and neatly arranged her large, wavy curls.

She made herself a cup of malted milk, ate a few small pastries, and had two hard-boiled eggs.

It was already 9:30. Han Xiaorui figured Chen Yupeng and his people should have arrived by now.

Wearing her backpack and holding an umbrella, she walked to the dock.

Zhang Guangnan, dressed in a white shirt and slacks, was talking with Chen Yishui. His two assistants, Xiao Zhao and Xiao Liu, were counting the catch with Liang Xiaoyu and Sister Lan.

Han Xiaorui’s crew carried the fish out of the hold, while laborers Zhang Guangnan had hired at the dock took the weighed seafood and loaded it onto the truck.

A large crowd had gathered around the two boats—wholesalers, buyers, other fishermen, and some who were just there for the spectacle.

”My god, seventy-two crates of silver pomfret just now! They must have run into a huge school. What’s this? Why is it covered with gauze?”

As more and more fish were brought out, the crowd’s amazement grew.

”Yeah, why won’t they let us see?” The onlookers, green with envy, surged forward, jostling for a better view.

Someone with quick hands suddenly ripped the gauze off one of the crates, revealing a glittering golden sheen.

”Good heavens, Big Yellow Fish!” a middle-aged man in his forties exclaimed, reaching out to touch them.

Sister Lan smacked the man’s hand away. ”What do you think you’re doing, touching things? You can look, but you can’t touch!”

The man’s hand stung. He snapped back to his senses and chuckled sheepishly. ”Right, right. Just like broads—you can look, but you can’t touch!”

Chen Yishui, who had been talking with Zhang Guangnan, heard the comment. She strode over, grabbed the man, and executed a perfect shoulder throw, slamming the foul-mouthed jerk to the ground.

”If you want to grope women, go home and grope your mother or your wife! How dare you harass my crew in front of me? I’ll break you!”

Chen Yishui’s audacious move instantly silenced the entire dock.

The man was completely dazed and dizzy from the fall. ”You... you injured me! I’m calling the police!”

Sister Lan rushed over and kicked the man. ”You think you’re the only one who knows how to call the police? Go ahead! I’ll file a report on you for sexual harassment!”

Several other female crew members rushed over with fish gaffs, surrounding the foul-mouthed man and landing a few kicks of their own.

Staring at the menacing, sharp points of the gaffs, the man nearly wet himself. ”I... I just fell down by accident! That’s what happened, okay?”

The sleazy, cunning man pushed his way through the crowd and scurried away with his tail between his legs, like a beaten dog.

Being an all-female crew, the women were often the subject of gossip around the dock, especially since their consistent success—returning with a full haul every time—stoked even more jealousy.

Some people would make snide remarks and nasty comments.

The crewwomen all knew this was happening. As long as it wasn’t said to their faces, they would just let it slide.

But if someone dared to say it to their faces, they would never back down.

Chen Yishui’s immediate, physical response was also a way of asserting their dominance and setting a precedent.

Han Xiaorui, who had witnessed the entire exchange, walked over. Her expression was serious as she said to Chen Yishui, ”Captain Chen, for bravely defending our crew, you get a five hundred RMB bonus. All other crew members, for showing solidarity, will each receive a two hundred RMB bonus as encouragement.”

”For any of my crew members, if you bravely stand up to slander and insults from outsiders and present a united front, you will be rewarded. When someone tries to bully you, teach them a lesson right then and there. As long as you don’t kill them, I’ll cover the medical bills if they get hurt. If it goes to court, I’ll pay for the lawyers.”

Han Xiaorui’s words deeply moved the crewwomen. A bittersweet feeling washed over them, and one by one, their eyes began to well up.

Instead of trying to smooth things over for the sake of peace, their boss had stood up for them against their bullies.

It wasn’t the bonus money that mattered to them; it was the fact that Han Xiaorui had their backs.

This was especially true in an industry like commercial and sport fishing, which was so dominated by men.

As women, they had to work far harder than their male counterparts to do well as crew members.

But even then, they often didn’t receive the same pay.

On top of that, they sometimes had to endure verbal harassment from male crewmen, who would tell all sorts of vulgar, dirty jokes.

Chen Yishui was grateful. ”Boss, thank you!”

”Thank you, Boss!”

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”Don’t thank me. You’re my employees. When people bully you, of course I’m going to have your backs.”

”Anyway, I’m making it clear right here, right now: anyone who bullies my crew is picking a fight with me, Han Xiaorui! Don’t think you can dismiss me just because I’m a woman. You cross me, and you won’t like the consequences!”