- 12 hours ago
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00:00I helped my cousin run his fishing fleet. We had cleared $3 million in profit.
00:03But by the end of the season he handed me a check for just $50,000.
00:07He said the fleet was his, and that he was the one who had put up the capital.
00:10As for me, I was just the guy who threw nets into the water.
00:14I glanced down at the check in my hand.
00:16I didn't argue. I didn't make a scene.
00:18I just took the money in silence.
00:20And then went straight to lease a few of the most run-down nearly decommissioned boats in the entire harbor.
00:25Then came the next summer. His fleet was pulling in almost nothing.
00:28A few dead fish floated belly up in his live holds, barely moving with the water's slosh.
00:32The stench was brutal.
00:33Meanwhile, my boat was packed with massive prime deep-sea fish, all lively and thriving.
00:37The second he saw it, his face turned pale.
00:39I stood on my packed-out deck and took two slow steps back.
00:42Easy, Chris.
00:44Don't track whatever disgusting crap is stuck to your boots into my sanitized live holds.
00:48Word around the docks was that he spent that entire night on his knees in the mud, howling until sunrise.
00:53He could not figure out how my hole was bigger than his, or why my fish were in way better
00:57condition.
00:58The day he paid me off, I'd been down in the cabin logging the sonar readings from the run and
01:02tracking ammonia levels in the live holds.
01:04Then a brand new Rolls Royce pulled up by the dock.
01:07Hey, Leo. This year's numbers are in. I've already got your bonus check ready.
01:14I looked at the $50,000 in my hand and said nothing.
01:17But in my head, I was already doing the math.
01:19Three years. More than a thousand days and nights.
01:22I lived on those rocking boats.
01:23I ate there, slept there, and worked there.
01:25And I knew exactly what kind of season we just had.
01:27It was a monster year for premium deep-sea fish.
01:30Even after the insane diesel costs and the slip fees, the net profit was still close to 3 million.
01:34And he was giving me 50 grand.
01:35Listen, Leo. The profit this year was unbelievable. Damn near 3 million.
01:40Take the 50 grand, go back into town, and get yourself a decent ride.
01:44For the love of God, that junker you drive should have been scrubbed years ago.
01:49Let's be honest. Throwing out fishing nets isn't exactly a rare skill.
01:53You could tie a dog to a post on this dock, and it could do that job.
01:56You're still young. Take the money, go to New York, and find yourself something respectable.
02:01Stop wasting your life out at sea.
02:03But hearing all that, I felt absolutely nothing.
02:06Three years earlier, when Chris took over the fleet,
02:08he nearly ran the whole operation into the ground
02:10because he didn't understand offshore currents or live hold water conditions.
02:13I was the one who turned things around.
02:15I brought in a deep-sea radar mapping system I had developed on my own,
02:18along with a multi-stage filtration system which allowed us to locate fish schools with precision
02:23and keep the mortality rate of our catch to a minimum.
02:25I told him I'd provide the technology, and we'd split the profits 70-30.
02:29He said we were family, and that as the older cousin,
02:31he'd never let me get the short end of the stick.
02:33All right, Chris, I'll take the money.
02:35He probably didn't expect me to take it so easily.
02:37He paused for a moment, then said,
02:40Good man. Take the cash and go enjoy a proper vacation.
02:46Oh, and one more thing.
02:48The filter pump and hold number two's acting up.
02:50Get someone to fix it before you leave.
02:52I didn't even look at him again.
02:53I turned and walked straight into the cold late autumn wind off the North Atlantic
02:57because I knew exactly what was coming.
03:00Without my precise hold calibrations and route adjustments,
03:03his so-called well-equipped boats wouldn't be able to find the fish at all,
03:06and his live holds wouldn't be able to keep deep-sea fish alive.
03:09He was going to lose everything.
03:10I didn't go back home to town.
03:12I didn't want to run into anyone I knew,
03:14asking how much I'd made this season or how Chris had treated me.
03:16So I kept walking along the coastal road by the harbor,
03:20the air thick with the smell of salt and fish.
03:22Tucked under my arm was my navigation log.
03:25To anyone else, it looked like a stack of worthless notes,
03:27but to me, it was three years of my life.
03:30Then my phone lit up.
03:31It was Chris, already showing off all over social media.
03:34His car, his house, even screenshots of his bank balance.
03:38And of course, the relatives flooded the comments, hyping him up.
03:41I shut off the screen without a word and headed toward Pier 9,
03:44at the far edge of the harbor.
03:46A few abandoned fishing boats had been sitting there for years,
03:49rusted through, reeking of old engine oil.
03:51The hulls were so worn down that even the drifters in town kept their distance.
03:54I stood on the algae-covered pier,
03:56staring at what everyone else saw as scrap metal.
03:58Then I crouched down,
04:00ran my hand along the anti-rust coating below the waterline,
04:02and took a closer look.
04:03That's when an idea surfaced.
04:05One I couldn't ignore.
04:07Didn't he say anyone could do this job?
04:08Then I'd show him what real high-tech fishing actually looks like.
04:11I turned around and walked straight toward the Port Authority office building.
04:14Good morning, Director Barnes. How are you today?
04:16I said,
04:17Oh, it's Leo.
04:18White-bearded director pushed up his glasses.
04:20Good heavens!
04:21Shouldn't you be out at sea with Chris's fleet by now?
04:24What are you doing here?
04:25I'd like to ask if those old rusty fishing boats at Pier 9 are available for rent now.
04:30Good grief!
04:31Those piles of junk should have been scrapped long ago.
04:34Their engines are falling apart.
04:36What do you want to rent that stuff for?
04:38Not even the town drunks would take them for free.
04:40Director, how much is the annual rent?
04:43I'll be honest with you.
04:45If you're dead set on renting them, it's $1,000 a year.
04:49Just a noginal fee.
04:50But I'll warn you first.
04:52If there's an accident, or you lose everything,
04:55Port Authority will not clean up your mess.
04:57I quickly did the math in my head.
04:59$50,000 was enough to rent these boats for five years,
05:02with money left over for initial live well purification equipment
05:05and the latest sonar chip supplies.
05:06I'll rent these boats for five years.
05:09Director, let's sign the contract right now.
05:11Leo, don't be foolish.
05:13Chris just made a fortune.
05:14You don't have to mess around with this.
05:16Please bring the contract.
05:18After signing and stamping the contract,
05:20I ran to the pier, filled with excitement.
05:22These abandoned boats occupied a large berth.
05:24Their decks were caked with thick rust and oil,
05:27like a heavy coat of paint,
05:28giving off a suffocating, pungent smell.
05:30When the townspeople heard I'd rented these run-down old boats,
05:33they all came to watch and gossip.
05:34Has Leo lost his mind?
05:35A pile of scrap metal,
05:36and he actually plans to go fishing with this stuff?
05:38I think he's completely obsessed.
05:40Chris just gave him a $50,000 bonus,
05:41and instead of saving for marriage,
05:43he's blowing it all on junk.
05:44What an idiot.
05:46Even Chris drove over in his Rolls Royce,
05:48looking utterly smug.
05:49He rolled down the window and laughed hysterically.
05:52Hey, Leo.
05:53Buddy, if you don't know how to spend that 50 grand,
05:56I'll take you to the clubs in Boston for a good time.
05:59Why hang to a pile of junk
06:00and make yourself look like a down-and-out bum?
06:02I ignored him.
06:03I put on oil-stained overalls,
06:05waded into waist-deep water in the cabin
06:07and cleaned out rotting debris.
06:09A stench hit me,
06:09but I didn't back down
06:10because I knew exactly what I was doing.
06:12That night,
06:13after all the onlookers had left,
06:14I opened the black waterproof case
06:16I'd brought back from the tech company that day.
06:18Inside were detection modules
06:20and high-pressure oxygen supply components.
06:22Custom equipment I'd spent countless days and nights
06:24secretly programming and modifying.
06:26This system was designed specifically
06:28to retrofit the live well tanks of old fishing boats.
06:30I meticulously rewired everything,
06:32keeping errors within millimeters,
06:34then installed sensors evenly
06:35in every corner of the cargo hold.
06:37This retrofit allowed no mistakes.
06:39For a full week,
06:39I worked day and night without rest.
06:41By day,
06:42I was a scavenger repairman,
06:43mending sails and tying ropes at the pier.
06:45By night,
06:46I was the craftsman
06:47transforming the old boats behind the scenes.
06:49A miracle came quietly
06:50on an early morning of the second week.
06:52The old engines that once spewed black smoke
06:54and rumbled noisily now ran smoothly,
06:56emitting a deep, powerful hum.
06:58The murky, stagnant water in the hold
07:00was completely replaced
07:01by a powerful filtration system.
07:03The water gradually cleared,
07:04perfectly simulating
07:05the deep-sea ecological environment.
07:07I struck while the iron was hot,
07:09inputting precise ocean current
07:10and sea condition data.
07:11In less than half a month,
07:12my ragged small fleet
07:13was completely renewed.
07:14The radar was sensitive and accurate,
07:16the cabins were clean and tidy,
07:17and all systems were fully calibrated.
07:19Just as I was about to hire
07:20a few sailors and set sail,
07:22my phone rang.
07:22It was Chris.
07:23Hey, Leo, still messing around
07:25with your pile of junk boats?
07:27Spit it out.
07:28I'll tell you something.
07:30I hired a few lazy guys in town
07:32for $40 a day to pull fishing nets.
07:34You keep tempering with your junk.
07:37I bet by Christmas I'll be generous
07:39and give you a few fat fish to try.
07:41Suit yourself, Chris.
07:42I hung up, my face as calm as the harbor water.
07:45Meanwhile, Chris was carousing in a bar,
07:47completely unaware of his fate.
07:48I walked into the cockpit
07:49and opened the final set
07:50of temperature control monitors.
07:52Watching the flashing data on the screen,
07:53I opened the logbook
07:54and carefully recorded
07:55the day's seawater temperature
07:56and planned fishing spots.
07:58By the time I finished
07:59the last data calibration,
08:00on was breaking.
08:01I walked home slowly
08:01through the early morning mist.
08:03The huge pressure hit hard now
08:04after impulsively renting these old boats.
08:06It spent all my savings,
08:08stayed up late every night,
08:09and repeatedly calibrated
08:10the retrofit system.
08:11This fleet was like a bottomless pit,
08:12draining my effort and money.
08:13I couldn't fail.
08:14I had to make a profit
08:15and prove myself to everyone.
08:16When I pushed open the door,
08:17the smell of bacon and coffee
08:18washed over me.
08:19My parents and my fiancé, Mia,
08:21were sitting at the table,
08:21waiting quietly for me.
08:23Honey, where were you all night?
08:24I've reheated the bacon twice.
08:26Some last-minute work
08:27on the boat kept me late.
08:28I replied softly,
08:30Go wash up and eat.
08:31You look exhausted.
08:33Are you worn out?
08:34It's fine.
08:35Just stayed up late.
08:36The atmosphere at the table
08:37was faintly tense.
08:38My mother poured me
08:39a cup of hot coffee.
08:40Leo, tell me the truth.
08:42How much did Chris
08:43really pay you this year?
08:44Those words stabbed my heart
08:45like a sharp thorn.
08:46My father and Mia
08:47put down their cutlery
08:48at the same time.
08:49Their eyes fixed on me.
08:50I set down my coffee cup,
08:51took out my phone,
08:51and opened the transfer record.
08:53It's all here, Mom.
08:55$50,000 total.
08:57Good heavens,
08:58only $50,000?
08:59Everyone in town says
09:00Chris made at least
09:01$3 million this year.
09:02Mom,
09:03seeing isn't always believing.
09:04Fishing profits are thin.
09:06Boat maintenance is expensive,
09:07and he has to replace
09:08a lot of new equipment next year.
09:10The fleet is his.
09:11All the risk and cost are on him,
09:13so he doesn't take home much.
09:14I'm just an ordinary sailor.
09:15$50,000 is already great.
09:17I slowly spoke the lines
09:18I'd prepared.
09:19My father smoked his pipe silently,
09:21saying nothing.
09:21Mia hesitated to speak,
09:22and my mother looked
09:23utterly disbelieving.
09:24Every word felt like
09:25betraying three years
09:26of my patience and hard work,
09:27but I couldn't tell my family
09:28I'd already cut ties with Chris,
09:30let alone that I'd rented
09:30the worst old boats in the port.
09:32I didn't want them
09:32to worry with me.
09:33My mother was about
09:34to argue further
09:35when my father cut her off.
09:36Stop talking.
09:37Eat first.
09:39Our son knows what he's doing.
09:41That night I lay in bed
09:43and Mia held me tightly
09:44from behind.
09:45Leo, look at me.
09:46You've been strange these days.
09:48I'm sure you're hiding
09:49something from me.
09:50Don't overthink.
09:51What secret could I have?
09:53Probably the cold sea wind
09:54last night kept me awake.
09:56Really?
09:57Of course.
09:57Go to sleep.
09:57I'll take you shopping
09:58in town tomorrow.
10:00Mia fell quiet,
10:02but I stayed awake all night.
10:03Staring at the mottled old ceiling,
10:05my heart only cared about
10:06the old boats
10:06quietly transforming at the pier.
10:08They were my hope
10:09and my only way out.
10:10The next few days
10:10were the town's Christmas
10:11the quietest
10:12and liveliest time of the year.
10:14Every household
10:14counted the year's harvest
10:15and bought holiday supplies.
10:17I deliberately acted normal.
10:19By day,
10:19I shopped for Christmas gifts
10:20with my parents and Mia,
10:22pretending everything was fine.
10:23But deep down,
10:24I was ready.
10:25Three days after
10:25the full fleet retrofit
10:26was completed,
10:27the water quality test report
10:28from an authoritative lab
10:29along with the radar
10:30and seawater ecological simulation
10:32data I'd collected
10:33all came back.
10:34Excellent, Mr. Leo.
10:35Your LiveWell water test
10:36results are perfect.
10:38Ammonia, nitrogen
10:38and nitrate levels
10:39all meet standards,
10:41dissolved oxygen
10:41is far above industry norms,
10:43and the in-tank ecosystem
10:44is fully ready
10:45for fishing operations.
10:46I was picking out
10:46a Christmas tree with Mia
10:47when I got the call.
10:48In my excitement,
10:49I almost knocked over
10:50a nearby shelf.
10:51I stepped to the corner
10:52and spoke in a low voice.
10:54Perfect.
10:56How precise is
10:57the underwater terrain detector?
10:58Unmatched.
10:59Seabed mapping
11:00and fish tracking
11:01are crystal clear,
11:02equal to professional
11:03ocean research vessels.
11:04Your boat reprobate
11:05is a miracle.
11:06Well done.
11:07Thank you all.
11:09I hung up
11:10and the boulder
11:11on my heart
11:11crashed down.
11:12The core technology
11:13was flawless
11:14and the endless wealth
11:15beneath these waters
11:16would soon be mine.
11:17All that was left
11:17was the final step,
11:18setting sail to catch
11:19large quantities
11:20of high-quality
11:21deep-sea seafood.
11:22During this time,
11:22Chris called twice more.
11:24In the first call,
11:24he lectured me
11:25condescendingly
11:26about how to spend
11:26the bonus.
11:27Listen, Leo.
11:28Don't waste it.
11:29Use the money
11:30to fix the house
11:30and save
11:31for your wedding
11:31with Mia.
11:32Luck like this
11:33doesn't come every year.
11:34His tone was fake
11:35and arrogant
11:35like a privileged elder
11:36lecturing a younger person.
11:37I only replied calmly,
11:39I know, Chris.
11:40The second call
11:41came the day
11:41before Christmas Eve.
11:44Leo,
11:45tomorrow at noon,
11:46the golden anchor scent thing.
11:47I've booked
11:48the whole place.
11:49I'm treating all Chinry
11:50and Ajipa clients
11:51from Boston.
11:52We have to celebrate properly.
11:53I could almost picture
11:54his smug face.
11:55He wanted to use this feast
11:56to show off his harvest,
11:57fake generosity,
11:58and make me look inferior
11:59and grateful
12:00in front of everyone.
12:02No, Chris.
12:03Say hello to everyone for me.
12:05I have family matters to handle.
12:06Don't be a spoil posh.
12:07Come early to help host
12:09and dress nicely.
12:10He hung up
12:11right after saying that.
12:12I sneered at my phone.
12:13If he insisted
12:14on putting on this farce,
12:15I'd play along.
12:15I wanted to see
12:16how long his luck would last.
12:17At noon on Christmas Eve,
12:18I brought my parents
12:19and Mia to the appointment
12:20on time.
12:21The luxury private room
12:22at the golden anchor restaurant
12:23had five large round tables.
12:25Chris, his parents,
12:26and several big seafood
12:27distributors from Boston
12:28were talking and laughing loudly,
12:29showing off.
12:30He stood up immediately
12:31when he saw us walk in.
12:32Look,
12:33the Leo family is here.
12:34Come sit.
12:35Make yourselves at home.
12:38He raised his voice
12:39on purpose,
12:40his eyes sweeping
12:40contemptuously
12:41over my parents'
12:42plain old clothes.
12:43His wife, Chloe,
12:44sat quietly beside him.
12:45Let me introduce everyone.
12:46This is my cousin Leo,
12:48who's been helping
12:49with fishing net chores
12:50on my boat,
12:51Chris announced loudly,
12:52showing off.
12:53Everyone's eyes
12:54locked onto us at once.
12:55My parents' faces
12:56darkened instantly.
12:57Mia squeezed my arm tightly,
12:58trembling slightly,
12:59but I smiled calmly.
13:02Nice to meet you, Chloe.
13:03I'm Leo.
13:04My calmness surprised Chris.
13:06He'd wanted to see me embarrassed,
13:07but he failed.
13:08The whole feast turned
13:09into Chris's one-man show.
13:10He rambled on
13:11about the booming
13:11deep-sea seafood market,
13:13bragging that big New York clients
13:14had pre-ordered all his catch,
13:16all while lifting himself up
13:17and putting me down.
13:18Leo is hard-working.
13:19He's been out at sea
13:20with me for three years,
13:22sun and wind,
13:23never complaining.
13:24I gave him a $50,000 bonus
13:26recently to share my luck.
13:28Am I loyal or what?
13:30Of course.
13:31You're so generous, Chris.
13:34Truly a big businessman.
13:36You don't forget your own brother
13:38when you're eating well.
13:41Leo's not too bright,
13:42but he's hard-working.
13:44Lucky Chris looks after him.
13:46Someone at the table
13:47mentioned the rumor
13:47that I'd rented
13:48the unwanted junk boats
13:49at Pier 9.
13:50My parents and Mia
13:50looked shocked.
13:51Leo, is this true?
13:53Why didn't you ever tell us?
13:54My father asked hurriedly.
13:56Mia held my hand tightly,
13:58eyes full of anxiety.
14:00Have you lost your mind?
14:01That $50,000 was supposed
14:03to fix Grandpa's
14:04drafty old house.
14:06Chris burst out laughing,
14:08mocking fiercely.
14:08If your junk fleet
14:10goes bankrupt,
14:11come to me.
14:12I'll take you in
14:13and out of kindness.
14:14I'll give you a few
14:15more fish next time.
14:16I gritted my teeth.
14:17Everyone ganged up,
14:18painting me as a pitiful beggar.
14:20Parents were angry
14:20and ashamed.
14:21Their faces flushed.
14:22Mia's eyes turned red immediately.
14:24I stood up slowly
14:25and raised my glass.
14:26Chris, thank you
14:27for your care.
14:29I tilted my head back
14:30and drank the whiskey
14:31in one gulp.
14:32Noisy room went silent instantly.
14:33Chris smiled triumphantly,
14:35thinking I'd finally bowed.
14:36But this toast
14:37wasn't for him.
14:38It was for the past
14:38he disrespected
14:39and trampled on.
14:40From this moment on,
14:41all favors were canceled.
14:42When the feast ended,
14:43we left silently.
14:44Not a word was spoken
14:45the whole way.
14:46My father was quiet,
14:47my mother full of worry,
14:49and Mia linked her arm
14:50through mine,
14:50staying by my side.
14:52I stopped at our front door.
14:53Dad, Mom,
14:54I'm sorry for putting
14:55you through this.
14:56Son, holding up a fleet
14:57alone is too hard.
14:58If it's too much,
14:59don't push yourself.
14:59Don't take other people's
15:01gossip to heart.
15:03Whatever you decide,
15:04we'll always support you.
15:07Please trust me
15:08one more time.
15:09I won't let you down.
15:11I'll win back a hundredfold
15:12the dignity
15:13and money I lost today.
15:14My parents looked at me,
15:16their worry softening.
15:17After they went inside,
15:18my phone vibrated.
15:19It was a real-time alert
15:20from the underwater cameras
15:21I'd installed in the cabins.
15:23I opened the monitor.
15:24Clear water circulated steadily.
15:26Oxygen pumps ran smoothly.
15:28Artificial seaweed swayed gently.
15:30And countless
15:30high-quality fingerlings
15:31the size of coins
15:32swam lively,
15:33foraging for food.
15:34Watching the scene,
15:35a burning fighting spirit
15:36ignited in my heart.
15:37For the next few months,
15:38I kept pretending as usual.
15:40No one knew
15:40that under the calm
15:41sea undercurrents
15:42were already surging.
15:43I waited quietly
15:44for the chance
15:44to slap everyone
15:45who looked down on me.
15:46Summer arrived as scheduled.
15:47The weather service
15:48issued a double warning
15:49for a super storm
15:50and extreme ocean heat.
15:51Deep sea fish
15:52fear high temperatures
15:52and can't stand
15:53sudden changes
15:54in water pressure.
15:55I knew
15:55the final showdown
15:56had finally come.
15:57I turned off the TV
15:58and calmly told my parents,
16:00Dad, Mom,
16:02I'm moving to live
16:03on the boats tomorrow.
16:05I won't come home
16:06often anymore.
16:07I got up quietly
16:08before dawn,
16:09put on waterproof boots
16:10and left alone.
16:11Standing at the yard gate,
16:12I whispered to myself,
16:13trust me one last time,
16:14I will succeed
16:15and I'll never let my family
16:16be looked down on again.
16:17At pier nine,
16:18I pulled up the first
16:19test fishing net,
16:20full to the brim.
16:21Even with the rare
16:22ocean heat wave,
16:23my deck was piled high
16:23with lively top-grade
16:25deep sea seafood.
16:26I checked the filtration system
16:27and water dissolved
16:28oxygen data one by one.
16:30All indicators were perfect.
16:31I started the water
16:32circulation booster pump
16:33and strong water flowed
16:34non-stop,
16:35filling the entire cabin
16:36with life.
16:37From this moment on,
16:38my fate would no longer
16:39be defined by others.
16:40I didn't announce
16:41my successful catch.
16:42Before the final showdown,
16:43I had to be flawless.
16:45I stared at the radar monitor,
16:46planning my route
16:47by precisely calculated coordinates.
16:49Once I reached
16:50the designated waters
16:51to cast nets,
16:52my fishing efficiency
16:53would crush Chris's
16:54blind, rough operation.
16:55Chris had always bragged
16:56about his prime fishing spots
16:57but never upgraded
16:58his preservation
16:59and breeding equipment.
17:00His old refrigeration units
17:01ran overloaded year-round
17:03and ammonia nitrogen
17:04in the cabins
17:04was severely over the limit.
17:06In hot weather,
17:07a layer of stinky murky foam
17:08always floated on his live wells,
17:10like spoiled porridge.
17:11For the past three years,
17:12countless nights,
17:13I'd secretly put
17:14purification chemicals
17:15and added oxygen equipment
17:16to his boats,
17:17saving him tens of thousands
17:18in supply costs
17:19and preventing mass fish deaths.
17:21But he never noticed,
17:22taking my work for granted,
17:23thinking the sea would keep giving
17:24as long as he filled
17:25the fuel tank.
17:26Now, cruel reality
17:27was about to hit him hard.
17:28Chris's call came as expected.
17:30He just docked.
17:31Hey, Leo,
17:31hiding inside with the AC?
17:33Why aren't you at the pier
17:34looking at your pile of junk?
17:35I'm at the pier.
17:38This damn weather is weird.
17:39The water's murky
17:40and lots of dead fish
17:41are floating.
17:42Come help at my burk
17:43at six tonight.
17:44Clean up the dead fish fast
17:45so other boat owners
17:46don't laugh.
17:47This is terrible luck.
17:50His tone was full
17:51of unquestionable orders.
17:52My knuckles whitened
17:53around the phone
17:53but I spoke calmly.
17:55Okay, Chris,
17:55I'll be there on time.
17:57In the evening,
17:58Mia came to the boat
17:59with iced tea.
17:59Seeing me ready to go,
18:00she was full of worry.
18:01The weather's weirdly hot
18:03and stuffy,
18:03not a breath of wind.
18:04Even the town dogs
18:05are panting.
18:06Are your breeding tanks
18:07really okay?
18:08If the fish suffocate,
18:09all your months of work
18:10will be wasted.
18:11Don't sleep too beat
18:12at night.
18:13Check the oxygen
18:13equipment often.
18:14Don't worry.
18:15The mini ocean
18:16circulation system
18:17I built
18:18is rock solid.
18:19Even if a volcano erupts,
18:21the water temperature
18:22in the tank
18:22stays constant.
18:24Leo,
18:24look me in the eyes.
18:26You're definitely
18:27hiding something from me.
18:29Don't overthink.
18:30Tomorrow,
18:30I'll show you
18:31a real miracle.
18:32I didn't tell her
18:33a devastating breeding
18:34disaster was about
18:35to fully break out
18:36on Chris's fleet.
18:37It wasn't that
18:38I didn't trust Mia.
18:39It was just that
18:39this disaster was too cruel
18:41and I didn't want her
18:42to carry the heavy
18:42psychological burden.
18:44It would take all
18:44consequences and choices
18:45alone.
18:46Late at night,
18:47my father drove to the pier
18:47in his old pickup truck,
18:49bringing a high-powered
18:49diesel generator.
18:51Father and son stood
18:52on the hot,
18:52oppressive deck,
18:53silent.
18:54After a long while,
18:55my father spoke.
18:56Son,
18:57I saw this kind of
18:58abnormal extreme weather
19:00ten years ago.
19:01The red tide storm
19:03back then
19:04destroyed half the port.
19:07This is $2,000 in cash
19:09your mom and I saved.
19:10Take it.
19:12If the water environment
19:13gets worse
19:14and you need
19:14black market oxygen
19:15purification chemicals
19:17urgently,
19:17you'll have money
19:18for emergencies.
19:19I can't take your money.
19:22I'm not going to
19:23take your money.
19:24Take it, son.
19:24The sea is ruthless.
19:26You're out there alone
19:27working hard.
19:27We can't rest easy.
19:29I squeezed the check tightly,
19:30my knuckles white,
19:31and finally took it.
19:33I secretly swore
19:34that when the autumn
19:34harvest came,
19:35I'd pay them back double
19:36and give my parents
19:37a stable, wealthy life.
19:38That night,
19:39I lay on the cockpit bed,
19:40awake all night.
19:42At 2 a.m.,
19:43I got up to check
19:43air humidity and pressure.
19:4595% humidity,
19:46extremely low pressure.
19:47I walked onto
19:48the rusty iron plank walkway
19:49to the barbed wire
19:50separating the two berths.
19:51On the other side
19:52of the fence sat
19:53Chris's million-dollar
19:54luxury fishing boat,
19:55a thick, sticky layer
19:56of harmful substances
19:57coated his live wells,
19:58glistening with a disgusting
19:59yellow-green oil
20:00under the dim light.
20:01The toxins had spread
20:02completely, irreversibly.
20:04I turned and left silently,
20:05not starting my boats,
20:06let alone helping him.
20:07Disaster was already destined.
20:09Nothing could reverse it.
20:10Meanwhile,
20:11at my pier,
20:11the retrofitted fleet
20:12lay quiet,
20:13oxygen equipment running smoothly,
20:15the water in the tanks
20:15was crystal clear
20:16and fish survived peacefully.
20:18I squatted on the deck,
20:19my heart full of excitement.
20:20The next berth came
20:21the sounds of fish
20:22struggling desperately,
20:23splashing one after another,
20:24the wail of dying life.
20:25One by one,
20:26fish surfaced,
20:27foaming at the mouth
20:28and flipped over dead.
20:29At dawn,
20:30the stench of rot
20:30covered the whole town.
20:31The port descended
20:32into chaos instantly.
20:33I stood on the bow
20:34watching coldly.
20:35In less than 20 minutes,
20:36a harsh screech of brakes
20:37cut through the pier's quiet.
20:39Chris stumbled out
20:39of his Rolls Royce,
20:40looked at the dense,
20:41dead fish
20:42and murky,
20:42polluted water
20:43and screamed in collapse.
20:44He heard the sound
20:45of my oxygen equipment
20:46running and staggered toward me.
20:48My God!
20:49Leo,
20:49these are your boats?
20:50Impossible!
20:51Absolutely impossible!
20:52Why are all your fish
20:54alive and well?
20:55You should ask yourself.
20:56Please, Leo,
20:57I know I was wrong.
20:58I'll pay you any amount.
21:00Fix my water quality.
21:01I'll give you $20,000 a month.
21:03I'll do anything you say.
21:04Just then,
21:05several refrigerated trucks
21:06marked premium ocean seafood
21:08slowly drove into my berth.
21:10I turned and ignored the begging,
21:12collapsed Chris,
21:13walked down into the cabin
21:14and picked up a three-pound
21:15top-grade deep-sea red fish.
21:17On the shore,
21:18Mr. Sterling,
21:19the purchasing director
21:19of a Michelin-starred restaurant
21:21who'd come all the way
21:21from New York,
21:22looked shocked.
21:25Incredible!
21:26Perfect condition,
21:27deep-sea red fish,
21:28Captain Leo.
21:29The quality of this seafood
21:30is flawless.
21:31I handed the catch to Sterling,
21:33turned back to the hysterical,
21:34miserable Chris
21:35and spoke coldly,
21:36no malice,
21:36but every word sharp.
21:38Chris,
21:38step back two paces.
21:40Don't bring your sewage
21:41and mud onto my clean deck.
21:43Also,
21:43forget your request.
21:45All my catch is already
21:46under exclusive supply contracts.
21:48Save your money
21:49to pay the huge breach
21:49of contract fees.
21:51With that,
21:51I turned and directed the crew
21:53to load the first batch of seafood.
21:55Crate after crate
21:55of top-grade deep-sea catch
21:56was carried onto
21:57the refrigerated trucks in order.
21:59Sterling checked the weights,
22:00smiling broadly.
22:02Perfect, Captain.
22:03I'll buy this entire shipment
22:05at the highest market price,
22:07and I'll pre-book
22:08all your next season's
22:09fishing quota too.
22:10He shook my hand voluntarily
22:12and transferred the money
22:13on the spot.
22:14The first payment of $1 million
22:15hit my account instantly.
22:16The flashing numbers
22:17on my phone screen
22:18were my first complete victory
22:19in my solo comeback.
22:20On the other side of the fence,
22:21Chris collapsed
22:22on the rotting planks,
22:23watching the wealth-filled trucks
22:24drive away slowly.
22:25His phone rang frantically.
22:27Partners called one after another,
22:28demanding orders,
22:29yelling at him
22:29for breach of contract
22:30and demanding
22:31triple the contract penalty.
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