The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 386: Chapter 386: Bumper Harvest of Farmed Seafood

Mr. Wang managed the entire police dog base, so he was well aware of the changes in the young police dogs.

Although the puppies had been in good condition on their previous food, ever since they started the new feed, their eyes were brighter, their movements were more agile, and they grew stronger.

During their physical exams, the increase in these metrics was very noticeable.

Their experts considered many factors, but ultimately attributed it to some special, unknown process at the ornamental fish farm where the feed came from.

Many people also didn’t understand the playful-looking training sessions between Han Xiaorui and the young police dogs.

But it was an indisputable fact that the dogs were improving at a visible rate.

When some things couldn’t be explained, people tended to chalk them up to something supernatural.

”Mr. Han, if you have any requests, please don’t hesitate to ask. We will do our best to accommodate you.”

Han Xiaorui thought for a moment, looking at the little dogs. ”Mr. Wang, I hope the police dogs that graduate from here will be treated well. If they retire, they must also be properly cared for.”

Mr. Wang nodded when he heard this. ”Mr. Han, rest assured. We have a comprehensive retirement plan for our police dogs.”

Han Xiaorui made her request. ”That’s good. When on a mission, police dogs are our comrades-in-arms, and we must treat them well. Also, if any dog dies in the line of duty, I want to be notified. We need to establish a cemetery for the police dogs that come from our program.”

”Even the dogs that live to old age, retire, and pass away should have their accomplishments inscribed on their epitaphs. They shouldn’t just vanish from this world like a clump of dirt, without a sound.”

Mr. Wang’s nose tingled hearing her words. ”Mr. Han, I understand how you feel. The dogs that graduate from our training program all have names, serial numbers, and files to record every meritorious deed. These are all covered by regulations.”

Hearing this, Han Xiaorui smiled and patted a puppy’s head. ”Since I’ve had a hand in raising them, I want to make sure they have no regrets in this life.”

Mr. Wang was filled with a deep respect. ”Mr. Han, rest assured. People who serve with merit, and police dogs too, are all heroes.”

”Yes. A nation without heroes is a nation without hope. A nation that doesn’t revere its heroes has no future.”

These words left a deep impression on everyone present.

Hua Country had managed to rise from a state of utter ruin, enduring immense hardship and blazing a trail forward, all by relying on heroes who led the people in their tireless struggle.

Although Hua Country currently lagged behind other nations, its people were independent and self-reliant, fighting for their own space and opportunities to survive.

She spent the morning working at the police dog base, had lunch there, and chatted with the staff.

After lunch, she went home.

She took a nap, and in the afternoon, she would either read or visit the seafood farming island.

On the island, Han Xiaorui ran into Zhang Guangnan.

”Well, Boss Zhang, what are you doing here?” Han Xiaorui asked in surprise. ”Are you here to see my farmed seafood?”

Zhang Guangnan nodded. ”Yes, it’s the fishing ban period. Every day, I can only buy seafood from the various docks. But it’s all from small fishing boats using hook and line—no nets, no traps—so the quantity is extremely small.”

”I stocked up on some valuable seafood in my cold storage beforehand, but there are still four months of the ban left. I’ll eventually run out, and seafood can’t be stored for too long anyway. I have to find an alternative.”

”I know you raise seafood here. I just saw your silver and golden pomfrets, and they look good, about a pound each. I’m planning to buy some to take back, have my chefs prepare them, and invite some connoisseurs over for a tasting.”

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”You called me yesterday, so I thought you’d wait a couple of days. I didn’t expect you to come so soon.”

”Alright, I’ll have my people pack up some of the various types of seafood that are ready for sale. These are samples, on the house. No charge.”

Zhang Guangnan didn’t stand on ceremony with Han Xiaorui. ”Thank you, Boss Han. I originally thought there’d be a huge difference between farmed and wild-caught, but after looking just now, the difference isn’t that big. I almost couldn’t tell.”

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”Even if you can’t tell the difference, you must be clear with your customers that it’s farmed. No deception. Besides, even though it’s farmed, the taste isn’t inferior.”

”Also, I’ve already sent samples to the quality inspection department for testing. I’ll call them later to check. Once the results are out, I’ll send you a copy so you can show it to your regular customers and put their minds at ease.”

Zhang Guangnan was surprised. ”You’ve already sent them for inspection? That’s very thoughtful. I was actually planning to do it myself. Since you’ve already done it, I won’t bother.”

”Anything people eat must be tested, of course. We can’t be careless,” Han Xiaorui insisted. ”Also, regarding the scale of our seafood farming, even if we expand, it won’t be by too much. Our main focus in the future will be on fish fry.”

Just then, Professor Li walked over, beaming. ”Xiao Han, the Big Yellow Fish fry from our independent research are growing well this year! We’re studying what they need during their growth cycle.”

”Also, the Yellowlip Fish juveniles are also growing exceptionally well. In another month, we’ll be ready to move them into the sea cages. I hope it goes smoothly this time.”

Hearing this, Zhang Guangnan grew excited. ”You can farm Big Yellow Fish and Yellowlip Fish too?”

”Yes, why not?” Professor Li replied. ”We’re researching it now. It won’t take more than a few years for the farming techniques to mature.”

Zhang Guangnan’s eyes lit up. ”That’s wonderful. Good seafood is getting scarcer. As living standards rise, the demand for seafood will only increase. Farmed seafood will be the best substitute during the fishing ban.”

”Our country’s marine policy has never been one of endless exploitation,” Professor Li said. ”No matter how vast the ocean is, the life within it is finite.”

”Aquaculture is the ultimate mainstream solution for meeting the public’s demand for seafood. From strictly enforcing the fishing ban to regulating deep-sea fishing, we are not expanding blindly. We are a country that is responsible toward the ocean.”

”Right now, we are also focusing our research on small yellow croakers, Yellow Croakers—basically, the whole croaker family—as well as other delicious seafood like pomfret.”

”Once we’ve cultivated good quality fry, we’ll promote them. People who live by the mountains live off the mountains, and those who live by the sea live off the sea. The market for farmed seafood is vast.”

And that was indeed the reality of the situation.

With the fishing ban in place, a purely wild-caught supply couldn’t be guaranteed, making a transition very necessary.

The next day, Han Xiaorui called Chen Yupeng and learned that the inspection report was ready.

Han Xiaorui had Wu Yao drive her to pick it up in person.

”Where’s my report?” Han Xiaorui asked in the main service hall, unable to find the inspection report submitted by Jinshan Bay Seafood Breeding Company.

Seeing her, a staff member asked, ”Which one are you looking for?”

Han Xiaorui replied, ”The one submitted by Jinshan Bay Seafood Breeding Company. I called and was told the report was ready for pickup.”

Hearing this, the staff member quickly stood up and said with a smile, ”That report is with our Director Wu. He specifically instructed us to invite you to his office when you arrived.”

Han Xiaorui was skeptical. ”What’s going on? Is there a problem with the inspection report?”