I am a local in North America

Chapter 39 The aftermath
"Everyone, that's roughly the situation."

"We're very close now. The best news is that, based on my observation, they're all in pretty good condition. At least they're still conscious and able to move around."

"Luckily, I looked into the distance at the time, otherwise everyone would have been busy collecting crab traps and the light snow falling from the sky would have obscured their vision, and we might not have noticed them."

"The ocean currents are a bit strong, and the waves are quite big. They might have disappeared from my sight in just a moment. Luckily, the containers are bright yellow. If they were blue or gray, I might not have noticed them..."

With the support arm installed, Su Jierui was standing on the deck, holding a camera to record new footage.

I feel that once the editing is finished and released, the second video after the comeback will also have a chance to get a lot of views.

With the distance between them and the five stranded people reduced to just a few dozen meters, Old Man Su was worried about scraping his own crab fishing boat, so he chose to slow down in advance and used the loudspeaker to instruct Brother Wang to prepare a sufficiently long cable.

"Cable?"

Bob's attention had been focused on the victims and the $10 rescue reward. He only realized what was happening after hearing this, and then laughed and said:
"Why use a cable? We can just use an inflatable dinghy to pick them up. The king crabs haven't been harvested yet. Could the boss be eyeing this container?"

"I don't know where the container came from or where it was going. Dragging it around would take a lot of time. My friend once found one that was full of sofas from Southeast Asia. They had been drifting on the sea for a long time and were covered with seaweed and barnacles. When he opened it, the sight inside disgusted him."

"Moreover, the port management made him pay for the container himself. In the end, he not only gained nothing, but also lost $1000 in garbage disposal fees because of his greed. We laughed at him when we were drinking..."

After Bob's reminder, everyone realized what was going on.

Uncle Feng shook his head and retorted:

"That's not quite right. Since the shipper is willing to use a container, the contents must be worth at least several thousand US dollars, right? Shipping costs are very high."

“Every year, many containers fall into the sea, but most of the valuable items are quite heavy, and some sink directly. Electronic products, for example, become worthless after being soaked in water.”

"But this container has such a shallow draft, could it be filled with wood? Maybe it's timber from Canada or Alaska. A container this big could be sold for some money back at the port..."

Apart from Old Lady Zhuang, everyone else is a man, and they are naturally interested in gambling and opening blind boxes.

Some people guessed that it was full of cell phones or computers, while others guessed that it contained lighter items such as basketballs, soccer balls, or life jackets.

Seeing that the five stranded people on the container seemed to be alright and even had the mood to laugh and cheer, the people on the King's Landing crab fishing boat were relieved.

Everyone was talking at once, discussing the matter.

Gavin Jr. also quietly mentioned the $10 reward, seemingly testing Bob and Uncle Feng's ideas in advance, clearly hoping to get a share of it.

Su Jierui, who had very sharp ears, was standing by the fence with his back to the crowd when he heard this, and his lips twitched.

Just then, Bob chuckled and nudged Uncle Feng beside him with his elbow, the sound not too loud, not too soft, just loud enough for the people around to hear:

"See that, Lao Feng? Little Gavin is already planning how to split the money! But speaking of which, according to the old rules, the brothers who helped find the bounty on the ship should all get a share, right?"

After hearing this, Uncle Feng just chuckled and shook his head without saying a word.

The professional crab fishermen who came to work in temporary teams were simply trying to earn a living.

Su Jerry felt it necessary to discuss this matter with his father. He couldn't worry about how to distribute the $10 reward for the moment; he clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention back to the present:
"Alright, everyone focus! We haven't saved the person yet!"

As the two drew closer, their distance reduced to only about twelve or thirteen meters, Su Jierui shouted:
Are you crew members of the Golden Crab?

The five people on the container nodded frantically, and a middle-aged white man shouted:

"Thank you! Our crab fishing boat encountered a storm! It hit this damn container, took on water, and sank!!!"

"..."

Su Jierui subconsciously looked at the container and found that one end of the corner had obvious dents and scratches, indicating a collision.

Before he could continue speaking, Uncle Feng shouted:

"Wait a moment! I'll paddle a rubber boat and tie the cable to the container. Look at the shape of the container, don't slip and fall into the sea. I'll pull you directly to our boat, and it'll be safer for you to walk on the deck!"

The stranded people on the container nodded repeatedly. They were lined up like they were squatting on the cusp of a triangular roof, with either side easily slipping into the sea.

Another burly white survivor answered at this moment:
"Okay! I have a sprained ankle, but I should be able to walk! There's another person with a fever who needs medication!"

A young man, his eyes red from crying, still wearing his waterproof suit, with frostbite marks on his hands and face, wiped away his tears as he said:
"I need water! A whole big bucket of water!!!"

Hearing this plea choked with tears, Su Jierui immediately responded, "Don't worry! Everything is ready! Just hang in there a little longer!"

Mr. Su rushed onto the deck and, after learning about the situation from the stranded men, urged Su Jerry to call the fisheries management department to report the good news. They then discussed specific rescue plans. After a brief discussion, everyone agreed that Uncle Feng's suggestion was the most prudent.

No sooner had the inflatable rubber boat been lowered than little Gavin raised his hand to volunteer, saying he would get off the boat, take the cable, and drag the container from a short distance to the crab fishing boat.

"Be careful, secure the cable and come back, be safe!"

Mr. Su was in the driver's seat and didn't know the reason yet; he was just giving his usual instructions.

Uncle Feng and Brother Wang smiled, understanding why Gavin was trying so hard to get a chance to perform.

Bob, always outspoken, winked at Gavin while tidying the cables and teased him:
"Go ahead! Do a good job, and you'll get your bounty!"

These words made both Brother Wang and Uncle Feng laugh.

Little Gavin blushed slightly after Bob saw through his thoughts, but still responded loudly:
"Don't worry! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"

Listening from the side, Mr. Su immediately understood seven or eight parts of the situation and decisively stated:

“I understand the rules. If there really is a bounty, everyone on the ship will get a share, distributed according to their contribution! But let me make it clear beforehand: my son was the first to discover them, so he should get more. Does anyone have any objections?”

Little Gavin didn't have many requests, and he was in a great mood after hearing them. Worried that he might be looked down upon because of this, he quickly nodded and explained:
"Of course! It's just that I'm saving up money to get married to my girlfriend next May. Who would have thought that renting a venue for a wedding would cost twenty or thirty thousand dollars?"

In just a minute or two, the distance between them and the container increased to seventeen or eighteen meters.

It was clear that the expressions of those stranded on the container were beginning to show panic.

As if some painful memories that had triggered their despair had been stirred up, they were instinctively a little frightened and hurriedly urged him to hurry up...

After a while.

After making the call to the fisheries management department, Su Jierui documented the entire rescue process.

Gavin and Bob worked together, braving the wind and waves, to paddle the rubber boat to the container and secure it with ropes.

As the winch of the Junlin slowly turned, the containers on the sea surface were steadily towed closer, eventually becoming almost parallel to the ship's side.

Several stranded passengers from the Golden Crab carefully bent over and, with the help of Su Jerry and Uncle Feng, climbed over the containers one after another.

After boarding the Junlin crab fishing boat, the first thing they did was to laugh excitedly, collapse or kneel on the ground, filled with the joy of surviving a disaster. Then they would drink the warm water that Grandma Zhuang had prepared for them and eat big mouthfuls of food.

After eating and drinking their fill, some people still had ingratiating smiles on their faces, asking around who had brought cigarettes, clearly a seasoned smoker.

An older survivor, clutching Mr. Su's hand tightly, repeatedly said in a choked voice:

"Thank you... thank you all... we thought we were going to die..."

After introducing himself, Jonathan Nicholson, the captain of the Golden Crab crab fishing boat who had chartered it, also said:

"Thank you so much! You saved our lives. I will definitely repay you when I get back to shore!"

"Could I use the satellite phone on your ship? My wife and family must be terribly worried!"

"I need to call them as soon as possible to put their minds at ease."

"In fact, the owner of the Golden Crab, along with your families, has raised a total of $10 in reward money. Recently, many ships have been looking for you, some of which have been sailing at sea for two or three days and have already returned to the dock, thinking that you have perished at sea."

Su Jerry replied with a smile:
“I’ve contacted the fisheries management department. They should have heard about your rescue. Is anyone feeling unwell?”

The victims looked at each other, all feeling a pang of regret over the reward money.

However, compared to the fact that they had narrowly escaped death, the amount of money seemed insignificant. While thanking them again, they all shook their heads, indicating that they were not seriously injured.

After a brief discussion.

Mr. Su rushed upstairs, went to the cockpit, turned on the radio, and announced on the public channel that he had successfully rescued the Golden Crab crew and found them!
Upon learning that the five crew members had been missing for over a week and were still alive with only minor injuries, the captains of the other fishing boats and rescue vessels were instantly in an uproar!

Driven by curiosity, they kept inquiring about the details and congratulated Mr. Su and the other rescued victims.

As for whether anyone feels bitter and regretful that they weren't the lucky one who had the chance to receive the high reward, that's hard to say.

Hearing others praise him as a hero who saved lives, Mr. Su was practically beaming with pride, and he enthusiastically described what had just happened to everyone.
(End of this chapter)