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

"How many?!"

The four bosses shouted it out in unison.

Eighteen pounds and seven ounces!

These bosses aren't exactly unsophisticated; they've seen all sorts of top-quality seafood.

But I've never seen a wild yellow croaker weighing 18.7 jin (9.8 catties).

Having confirmed the quality of the goods, the boss, who had been angry just moments before, fell silent.

Just moments ago, they were united in their hatred of Lin Tao, but now they were sizing each other up, and the atmosphere was somewhat awkward.

Nobody is short of money, and everyone wants to have this fish.

But Lin Tao really handled this matter very poorly.

The four of them were considered prominent figures in the city, and they often collaborated in business, seeing each other frequently.

If it's for a fish, they'd tear each other apart and argue over it.

The winner offended three other competitors.

The loser not only loses the fish but also loses face.

This is tantamount to putting the four of them on a hot plate.

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat awkward and oppressive.

Boss Huang touched his bald chin, rolled his eyes twice, and broke the silence first.

"Boss Lin." Boss Huang turned to look at Lin Tao, his tone no longer as fiery as before, but instead carrying a hint of probing.

"This fish is truly top-quality. Brother, my trip today was definitely worthwhile."

Lin Tao quickly smiled apologetically, "I'm glad Boss Huang is satisfied, I'm glad he is satisfied."

Boss Huang waved his hand: "The goods are good, but what you did today was really dishonest."

He pointed to the other three.

"You've brought us all this way together just to see us fight over this fish?"

Boss Wang sneered, "Boss Lin wants us to bleed more money, huh? Alright, what's the plan? Just say it."

Lin Tao was sweating profusely from those two sentences and kept waving his hands in explanation.

"Gentlemen, it's a misunderstanding, a huge misunderstanding!"

"Even if you gave me the guts, I wouldn't dare to make fun of these bosses."

"To be honest with you all, this fish isn't mine. I'm just a middleman who connected us."

The bespectacled shop owner waved his hand: "Alright, Liu Yitiaoyu, let's all make an offer. Xiao Lin can easily sell this good stuff for a high price."

The business owners looked at each other and stopped worrying about Lin Tao's problem.

"Hey handsome guys, how about you name your price? Don't get worked up, everyone."

"Hahaha...who doesn't know that you, Old Huang, have a huge business?"

"Alright, I'll pay whatever you see. Name your price."

That's what they say, but someone spoke first.

The group looked at each other, then focused their attention on Lin Tao.

Lin Tao was under immense pressure, being watched by four powerful figures.

He did have some ulterior motives last night; he wanted to take advantage of the competition among these big bosses to raise the price and show off in front of Wu Sui.

However, he overestimated his ability to control the situation and underestimated the relationships between the bosses.

He simply can't handle this situation now.

Lin Tao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and turned to look at Wu Sui, who had been standing silently to the side.

"Um... gentlemen, the real boss is right here." Lin Tao pointed at Wu Sui, having betrayed him after all.

"This fish was caught by Ah Sui yesterday when he went out to sea. How much to sell it for is up to him."

The four big bosses all turned their heads at the same time and looked at Wu Sui.

They saw the young man as soon as they entered the room; he was wearing ordinary short-sleeved shirts and trousers.

They simply regarded him as one of Lin Tao's underlings and didn't give him a second glance.

Who would have thought that such a large, top-quality yellow croaker was obtained by this unassuming young man?

Despite being stared at by four wealthy businessmen worth tens of millions, Wu Sui showed no sign of panic.

He knew all too well what these people were thinking.

I want to buy it, but I don't want to ruin the relationship.

Wu Sui stepped forward and casually closed the lid of the foam box, blocking out the dazzling golden light.

"Bosses," Wu Sui said calmly, neither servile nor arrogant.

"I did catch this fish yesterday when I went out to sea."

"Brother Tao meant well and wanted to help me get a good price. He was really inconsiderate in handling things today, so I apologize to everyone on his behalf."

The four bosses exchanged glances. Boss Wang looked Wu Sui up and down before speaking.

"Young man, enough with the small talk. All four of us want this fish. Since you're the owner, name your price."

Boss Huang chimed in, "Yes, name your price. As long as it's reasonable, we won't hesitate."

Wu Sui smiled but did not offer a price directly.

He looked at the four of them and smiled.

"Since none of the four bosses want to ruin their relationship over this fish, I have an idea: let's try a different approach."

"These bosses are all prominent figures in the city. We see each other all the time. It's not good to hear that they're arguing so fiercely over a fish."

Wu Sui spoke calmly, inviting the bosses to sit in the front hall and have tea.

He continued speaking only after everyone was seated.

"Let's skip the open bidding today and try a more refined approach."

Boss Huang touched his bald head and became interested.

"Young man, what's the elegant way to play? Explain it to me."

Boss Wang leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, looking at Wu Sui.

Everyone was clearly curious to know what solution Wu Sui would propose.

Wu Sui looked at the group and explained with a smile.

"Blind bidding".

The moment those two words were uttered, everyone was momentarily stunned.

They have participated in auctions before; the Fisheries Association holds them every year.

But what does this sealed bid mean?

Lin Tao stood behind Wu Sui, also looking completely bewildered.

"Ah Sui, what's a sealed bid?"

Wu Sui pointed at Lin Tao.

"Brother Tao, go get four sheets of white paper and four pens."

After giving his instructions, Wu Sui turned to the four bosses and began to explain the rules in detail.

"It's very simple."

"Brother Tao will distribute paper and pens to the four of you in a bit."

"Everyone find a quiet corner and write down the highest price you can offer on a piece of paper."

"The starting price for this fish is 38. Any bids below this price will be void."

Wu Sui leaned forward slightly, her smile radiating sincerity.

"You only have one chance to bid."

"After you finish writing, fold the paper and hand it to me."

"Whoever offers the highest bid will get this 18.7-pound wild yellow croaker."

Wu Sui smiled and leaned back in his chair.

"A decision is final, and there's no going back."

"For those who didn't manage to buy anything, consider this a friendly visit for tea and to make friends."

"The buyer took the goods and left."

"We don't need to tear each other apart in public, and we won't hurt our relationship."

"What do the four bosses think? Is this approach feasible?"

Upon hearing this, Boss Huang excitedly slapped his thigh.

"Great! That's a good idea!"

He pointed at Wu Sui, then turned to look at the other three.

"This young man is a sensible person, and he's straightforward in his dealings!"

"We are four grown men, we can't just start cursing in front of the younger generation over a fish."

"Let's have a closed-door bidding process. Nobody can blame anyone else; it all comes down to how much money you're willing to spend!"

Boss Wang nodded in agreement.

"Alright, we'll do as you say, young man."