Beachcombing: The beach is full of amazing seafood, but my wife won't let me get out of bed!

Wang Hai rubbed his temples, picked up the cup and took a big gulp of strong tea, then looked at Wu Sui with a wry smile.

"Ah Sui, I won't lie to you, this boat is a hot potato for the bureau right now."

"The leaders are urging us to deal with it every day, but the old fishermen in the county shake their heads like rattles when they hear it's that smuggling boat."

Wu Sui pulled up a chair and sat down, then casually took out a cigarette case, handed one to Wang Hai, and lit one for himself.

"Brother Wang, what exactly happened to this boat? I've only heard that there was an accident, but what were the specifics?"

Wang Hai lowered his voice and leaned closer.

"The original owner was called Hei San, and he specialized in smuggling and selling electrical appliances."

"The coast guard had their eyes on him the year before last. This guy is a tough one; he raced the coast guard patrol boat with this boat for half the night."

"He was finally caught after hitting a reef, and he's still inside."

Wang Hai exhaled a smoke ring and shook his head repeatedly.

"People from our area are very particular about good fortune when going out to sea."

"Who would dare take over a boat that's been involved in shady dealings and has been in a collision?"

Wu Sui paused, the fingers holding the cigarette between his fingers. He remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he began to make plans.

Hit a reef? As long as the keel isn't broken and the steel plates aren't cracked, repairs are no big deal.

As for the superstitions about unlucky ships and bad luck, those are just superstitions.

He tapped the table, getting straight to the point.

"Brother Wang, give me a straight price. What's your bottom line?"

Wang Hai held up five fingers and waved them in front of Wu Sui.

"Fifty thousand, just fifty thousand. The bureau wants to get rid of this trouble as soon as possible..."

He looked at the five-year-old's expression, paused for a moment, and then looked surprised.

"No, Ah Sui, you really want to buy it?"

fifty thousand?

Wu Sui almost burst out laughing.

A twelve-meter-long steel shell could fetch several thousand yuan just as scrap metal.

Moreover, this is a ship that can go out to sea to work.

This isn't buying a boat, it's practically getting it for free!

He suppressed his wildly beating heart, deliberately frowned, and pretended to be in a difficult position.

"Brother Wang, as you know, I need a boat to go out to sea now."

"Fifty thousand yuan is indeed not expensive, but this boat has such a bad reputation. If I sail it back to the village, my dad will definitely beat me with a broom. I can't stand the gossip."

When Wang Hai heard that he really wanted to buy it, he hesitated for a long time, but finally sighed and didn't try to persuade him anymore.

"Ah Sui, to tell you the truth, this ship has a really good foundation."

"That kid Hei San used all imported equipment on the ship in order to run fast."

"If you're worried about how to explain it to your family when you get back, just repaint it, change the name, and who'll know which ship it is?"

Wu Sui originally intended to push the price down further, but judging from this situation, it should be the lowest price already.

Fortunately, the older brother brought back cash in whole bills; he still had over 3000 yuan in his pocket.

I originally wanted to buy some things for my wife and daughter, but now I can only use the money to pay the deposit.

"Okay, I'll take this ship."

Wang Hai was stunned, staring at the banknotes on the table for a long time before he reacted.

He quickly opened the drawer, took out the inkpad and the transfer contract, fearing that Wu Sui might change his mind.

After paying the deposit and signing the contract, with payment due within seven days, Wu Sui stuffed the document stamped with the official red seal into his bag and strolled out of the Maritime Safety Administration building.

Lin Tao was snoring with his head tilted back when he was startled by the sound of the car door opening. He sat up straight and rubbed his eyes.

"Is it all done?"

"It's settled." Wu Sui nodded. "Buy that boat while you're at it."

Lin Tao had just taken out his lighter to light a cigarette when his hand trembled and the lighter fell directly onto the floor mat.

His eyes widened and his voice rose eight octaves.

"What the hell? You bought that smuggling boat?!"

"Yes, it's 50,000 yuan. I've paid the deposit and signed the contract."

Lin Tao was so anxious that he kept pounding the steering wheel, his face turning red.

"Sui, you're usually quite shrewd, why are you acting so foolishly now?"

"Those who make a living at sea are very particular about good fortune. That ship was involved in illicit activities; if the original owner went on it, it would be a cursed vessel!"

"I wouldn't even accept it if it were free, yet you spent 50,000 to buy it? Are you burning money?"

Wu Sui rolled down the car window and let the wind blow through.

"Brother Tao, I'm not afraid of being poor, why would I be afraid of bad luck?"

"Besides, I'm going to the sea to make money, I only believe in the God of Wealth... Alright, let's hurry up and go, let's go take a look at the yard."

Lin Tao gritted his teeth in anger, but unable to persuade him otherwise, he could only start the car, muttering curses under his breath.

As the car drove all the way to the dock compound, Lin Tao kept muttering to himself.

The seal on the gate had been torn off, and the yard was empty except for the boat, which sat quietly in its berth.

The two got out of the car and boarded the boat via the gangplank.

Lin Tao looked disgusted, refusing to even touch the gunwale, his hands in his pockets, standing on the deck looking around.

"This lousy boat has been submerged in water for months, and the paint is peeling off like this. You really lost a fortune by paying 50,000 yuan."

Wu Sui ignored him and went straight to the engine room at the stern of the ship.

He grabbed the handles of the canopy with both hands, lifted it up forcefully, and his eyes lit up instantly.

"Brother Tao, come and take a look."

Lin Tao pinched his nose and leaned closer, glancing into the cabin. He was stunned.

The cabin wasn't rusty as I had imagined.

Two diesel engines lay side by side inside, their blue paint still glossy, and the oil pipes and wiring were neatly arranged without a trace of oil leakage.

"Selene..." Lin Tao couldn't help but swear, peering intently into the hatch.

"Twin engines? And imported Volvo high-horsepower diesel engines?!"

These days, most fishing boats in town use single-engine domestic diesel engines; those equipped with twin imported engines are extremely rare.

These two machines have enough horsepower to make this boat run at the speed of a speedboat at sea.

Wu Sui smiled, turned around and walked to the center of the deck, opening the hatch in the lower deck.

The lower deck is spacious, with thick white insulation on all four walls, and a refrigeration compressor is prominently installed in one corner.

"A cryogenic chamber?!" Lin Tao gasped.

Ordinary fishing boats have live water tanks or ice tanks, and they have to bring their own ice when they go out to sea.

This boat even has its own refrigeration system, which means it can stay at sea for a longer period of time without worrying about the catch spoiling.

This is a feature only found on large ships!

Wu Sui dusted off his hands and led Lin Tao into the driver's seat.

In addition to the standard instrument panel, the control panel in the driver's cab features a black screen embedded in the center, surrounded by a row of complex buttons.

Lin Tao's hand trembled as he touched the screen.

"Radar navigation? These smugglers are really going all out."

When Lin Tao visited the yard last time, he only glanced at it from afar on the shore and knew it was a good boat, but he never expected that the interior renovations would be so luxurious.

Wu Sui leaned against the dashboard and lit a cigarette.

"Brother Tao, you're an expert too. Can you calculate how much this setup would cost if we ordered it from a shipyard ourselves?"

Lin Tao swallowed hard and started counting on his fingers.

"A twelve-meter steel shell would cost at least 100,000 yuan... The main problem is the engines, two imported Volvo diesel engines, which would definitely cost at least 150,000 yuan, plus the refrigeration compartment, radar navigation, and the complete set of hydraulic net-lifting machines outside..."

He looked up at Wu Sui, his face full of disbelief.

"This boat, fully equipped, would cost at least four or five hundred thousand, and you got it for only fifty thousand?"

Wu Sui shrugged.

"So, whatever you call a haunted ship, as long as the price is right, I'm willing to sail any ghost ship."

Lin Tao was completely convinced and gave a thumbs up.

"Ah Sui, I'm truly impressed by your audacity. You deserve to be rich!"

Wu Sui was not blinded by joy.

Although this ship has top-of-the-line features, its appearance is too eye-catching.

If a smuggling vessel isn't properly disguised, it will definitely cause trouble once it sets sail.

He took out his phone, found the number of Manager Li from the county shipyard, and dialed it.

"Manager Li, my name is Wu Sui... I have a 12-meter boat that needs repairs. It's located near the dock in our town. Could you take it back to your factory for refurbishment tonight...?"

After hanging up the phone, Wu Sui stood on the deck, looking at the distant sea with a slight frown.

The boat was there, but problems arose.

The lease on that steel ship hasn't expired yet, so it definitely can't be left idle.

The newly purchased boat will be ready to go to sea soon after it's been refurbished.

With only him, his elder brother, and Chen Yang, two boats are not enough to turn around.

We absolutely have to hire someone.