Han Xiaorui is not simple; she has actually discovered another detector!
Once could be a coincidence, but twice? Wang Liang felt there might be something fishy going on! Additionally, just yesterday, his cousin Zhang Lili had visited his home again, endlessly bad-mouthing Han Xiaorui and claiming that the Yang family’s money had all been snatched away by her.
Ever since he learned the inside story last time, Wang Liang knew that he couldn’t fully trust his cousin’s words. Sure enough, after he found a classmate to ask around, he realized the true situation. Reflecting on his rudeness last time—and how he had let personal emotions interfere—he knew it had been inappropriate. However, seeing that Han Xiaorui didn’t seem to be deliberately targeting him this time, Wang Liang breathed a sigh of relief.
But now, seeing Han Xiaorui chatting so congenially with Director Ye, he worried that she might be speaking ill of him, and he was also terrified that his true identity would be exposed. Everyone knew Director Ye was highly capable and had been transferred from above specifically to oversee work in this area; he had to be cautious. Having made a contribution shortly after arriving, and with Han Xiaorui specifically requesting to see Director Ye, in the leaders’ eyes, she had a strong grassroots foundation.
“Wang Liang, what are you eavesdropping on?” another colleague, Zhou Yang, couldn’t help but ask, peering inside as well.
Wang Liang shoved Zhou Yang. “Nothing, it’s just that I’m surprised; Director Ye is usually so serious, but now he’s laughing so happily. I’m just curious.”
Zhou Yang laughed. “That’s true. Whenever I’m in front of Director Ye, my legs feel like they’re cramping.”
“He has a powerful presence—he’s someone who has actually been on a battlefield,” Wang Liang said, showing an expression of admiration, while inwardly he was feeling incredibly panicked. Regardless, he didn’t dare be alone with Ye Feng now, fearing that his guilty conscience would cause him to act strangely and raise suspicions.
Zhou Yang was even more curious about the polite Han Xiaorui. “Wang Liang, that Comrade Han—a woman daring to go out to sea to fish—is she really that impressive?”
“Of course she’s impressive. That day, we watched her haul in hundreds of pounds of large yellow croaker with our own eyes,” Wang Liang remarked, sighing. He couldn’t earn that much money in a year of work. “In a while, we might even have to help her with the work.”
One has to say, Wang Liang hit the nail on the head!
The sea looked calm, but the small boat was like a leaf on the water, rising and falling. Han Xiaorui skillfully controlled the helm, trying to keep the boat as stable as possible. About two hours later, they arrived at the reef from last time.
“Are we here?” Ye Feng stood up, his body swaying slightly.
Han Xiaorui nodded and smiled. “We’re here. It’s right below, about twenty meters down. Wait for me for a moment; I need to put on my diving gear.”
When she was alone, she didn’t need a wetsuit or oxygen tank, but with outsiders present, she had to “put on a show.” Ye Feng and Zhou Yang went to the deck to change, and after checking their gear, they jumped into the sea.
Han Xiaorui led them around the seabed for a few minutes and gestured for them to dig with their hands. The silt on the seabed had buried the object. Ye Feng understood and began digging rapidly. Mud and sand clouded the water, and soon they couldn’t see each other clearly. Fortunately, the silt wasn’t deep; they reached it after digging about thirty centimeters.
They found a blue-clad, iron-skinned big guy that was three meters long and about as thick as a water barrel. Han Xiaorui went up to help, too. Ye Feng and Zhou Yang grabbed the ends, while Han Xiaorui grabbed the middle, and the three of them floated up together.
They quickly surfaced, and Wang Liang hurriedly threw a rope down from the boat, which they used to secure both ends. Han Xiaorui climbed onto the boat, and with Ye Feng and Zhou Yang lifting from below, the four of them worked together to get the object on board.
Han Xiaorui hurried to the cabin to change into clean clothes. It was quite cold now; if she didn’t change quickly, she would catch a cold. Ye Feng and Zhou Yang did the same.
“Are you done changing?” Han Xiaorui asked. It would be awkward if Ye Feng and the others hadn’t finished yet.
Buttoning his clothes, Ye Feng replied, “Just a second.”
About two minutes later, Ye Feng had finished. “All good!”
Han Xiaorui steered the boat to the other side of the reef, preparing to fish for giant grouper. She quickly hooked the bait, switched to a heavy-duty fishing line and rod meant for big fish, and put on her gloves.
Wiping his head with a towel, Ye Feng asked in surprise, “We aren’t heading back yet?”
Han Xiaorui didn’t turn around. “It’s rare to come this far. Wait for me for half an hour. I just have a feeling my luck will be very good today, and I’ll be able to catch a big fish.”
Ye Feng was skeptical. “Fine, half an hour then. I’m not at ease until we send this thing back. If someone comes looking for it, we might be in danger.”
Han Xiaorui nodded. “Okay, I understand.”
The baited hook descended rapidly; there were quite a few giant groupers down there. Just be patient and fish!
Wang Liang stood nearby. “With the huge commotion you guys just made underwater, it’s impossible to catch fish now.” He said this out loud, but inwardly he was pleading for those people to come quickly—if they didn’t, the detector would be fished away again!
Han Xiaorui laughed. “I’m just trying; maybe we’ll catch something.” She loved the “slap-in-the-face” moments; they were very entertaining.
Down below, the fat giant groupers smelled the enticing aroma and involuntarily swam out from the reef. As Han Xiaorui’s body gradually recovered, her water-based powers continued to strengthen. The bait she created had become significantly more alluring. For a fish as cunning as a giant grouper, ordinary bait would rarely work, but under the influence of Han Xiaorui’s bait, they had no defense.
In less than five minutes, a massive giant grouper pushed aside the others and bit down on the food. The moment it tasted the delicious bait, Han Xiaorui felt it, and the line reacted.
Wang Liang was stunned. “Fish on?”
Zhou Yang also leaned over to look. “Wow, that’s not a small fish! At least fifty pounds.”
Ye Feng didn’t know much about fishing, but he trusted Han Xiaorui’s good luck. Han Xiaorui smiled. “Thanks for the good omen!”
After tiring the fish out for a while, Han Xiaorui began to reel it in slowly. When the fish surfaced, everyone was dumbfounded.
“My goodness, a giant grouper! This must be one hundred and fifty pounds.” After saying this, Zhou Yang hurried over to help, holding a landing net. This net was one Han Xiaorui had specially commissioned others to reinforce; it was strong enough to secure this large grouper, which they then pulled up.
Ye Feng came over to help drag it onto the boat and into the live-well. A single giant grouper occupied the entire live-well; it was in good condition and still alive.
Han Xiaorui took the hook out of the grouper’s mouth, hooked on fresh bait, and cast it back into the sea.
Wang Liang squatted by the live-well, his eyes somewhat blank. “This is unscientific!”
Zhou Yang laughed. “I think Comrade Han, as my grandfather used to say, is blessed by Mazu—she’s a natural at making a living from the sea. In our village, there’s an uncle who is a master fisherman. While others catch nothing, he fills the boat; when they catch some, he not only fills the boat but piles fish on the deck too. It’s like this every time, every year. If you just call it experience, would you believe it? Is this scientific?”
If you can’t explain it, then don’t think about it—at least it’s not harming anyone!
Hearing their conversation, Han Xiaorui just offered a wry smile. What’s the use of suspicion? There’s no evidence! She lived her life freely, doing as she pleased. This vast ocean was simply her place to “restock inventory.”
This time it was even faster; in less than three minutes, she had another fish on. Han Xiaorui didn’t want to delay Ye Feng’s mission, so she quickly used her water-based powers to control it. The giant grouper was very docile and quickly surfaced.