The dinner table went quiet and Qin Dahai's heavy breathing was audible in the silence. The others around the table had awkward looks on their faces.
"I'll make a call!" One of the other fish farm bosses stood up and took out his phone.
Very quickly, others followed his lead and took out their phones to call their contacts.
Just thinking of the news Qin Dahai received sent shivers down their spines. Someone bid on the entire Feng Tai Lake! The whole f**king lake!
Their calls connected one after another and soon, their expressions turned even more unsightly.
"Pa!" A phone fell dramatically to the ground and one of the bosses murmured in despair. "Someone took the whole lake? The whole lake?"
"What kind of person has this much power? Was there some industry giant involved?"
"Big Brother Qin, what will happen to my fish farm?" a middle-aged man asked with some panic.
"Dad!" Qin Zhiyu looked at his father's dark face and an anxious expression crossed his face.
"It's nothing!" Qin Dahai ground his teeth angrily and made another call.
"Big Brother Zhao, can you save the No. 9 farm beside Feng Tai Lake? Alright, good. By the way, Brother Zhao, can I ask who put forth the bid on Feng Tai Lake?"
"The Mayor approved? My god, eighteen million? Eighteen million? Okay, thank you so much. Brother Zhao, we'll have to get together for dinner sometime!"
"What happened, Brother Qin? Who did this?" one of the fish farm bosses asked hurriedly.
"I don't know." Qin Dahai sighed. "The Mayor approved the whole thing, and they spent eighteen million to secure the whole Feng Tai Lake."
"Eighteen million? Are they crazy?" another fish farm boss shouted in alarm.
Feng Tai Lake had six fish farms, and every year, all the farms were sold for around two million RMB each. The total price never exceeded thirteen or fourteen million, yet now someone actually spent an extra four or five million to secure the whole lake!
The various fish farm bosses sank down into their chairs. They weren't like Qin Dahai, equipped with many deep connections; even if Qin Dahai didn't hold onto his fish farm at the lake, he could still force other people out and take another farm, but if they couldn't win the bid, they would lose out for the entire year.
"Big Brother Qin, what will happen to my farm?" the middle-aged man asked again. It already cost him a couple hundred thousand for this farm; was all of that for naught?
"My hands are tied…" Qin Dahai looked at him and shook his head slightly. "Little brother, next year. When the bid starts next year, I'll get you one."
The middle-aged man almost vomited blood. Next year? Who the f*** knows what will happen next year? Could you be any less reliable?
But the middle-aged man could do nothing. His connections weren't as deep as Qin Dahai's, so he could only nod gloomily.
After hastily finishing their meals, the group drove down to the department. They wanted to see who had so much power that they could buy all of Feng Tai Lake!
At the same time, Chu Xian was driving to the department as well. When he arrived, the department was already filled with people, most waiting to see the results. Only a small number were sitting around casually, waiting for the permits for breeding fish when the results were officially published.
Chu Xian found a place to sit. He hadn't called Hong Chenghai to ask about the results and Hong Chenghai hadn't called him, so it looked like there were no problems.
"The results are out and will be displayed on the screen. Fish farm owners who have won their bids, please come forward to make your payment and retrieve the permit. If you cannot pay within three days, your permit will be passed to the next bidder."
A voice filled the hall and the big screen flashed. Serial numbers matched with names appeared prominently.
"Hua la!"
Everyone stood up. The people who were certain they had won the bid were already walking forward.
Chu Xian stood up as well and was walking to the center of the hall.
"Make way, make way!"
Just as he was nearing the desk, an anxious voice came from behind and pushed at him.
"En?" Chu Xian frowned but he didn't move. With his strength now, it was impossible to push him to the side without five or six strong men using all their strength.
When he turned his head, he smiled. The people pushing him weren't just random strangers - it was Qin Dahai and the others.
"Move, brat!" Qin Dahai recognized Chu Xian and shouted at him impatiently.
Chu Xian chuckled then looked up at a name on the screen before making way playfully. "Of course, I hope you got the bid, heehee!"
"Hmph." They snorted and squeezed by.
"What?!"
"Paradise Fish Farm, Chu Xian. It's actually Paradise Fish Farm's Chu Xian! He's the one who put the bid on the entire Feng Tai Lake."
"Father, it's that guy! His name is Chu Xian. Damn it! Damn it! He spent eighteen million to take the whole lake!"
"What?" The people around them started looking around curiously when they heard the shout, and all of them were stunned when they saw that all six fish farms had been won by one person. When they saw the eighteen million price tag attached, they didn't know how to react.
"Eighteen million? This… this… is insane. If anything goes wrong, he'll lose everything!"
"Sigh. Feng Tai lake isn't small, but for eighteen million… It's obviously not worth it. If he couldn't pay this much, the city probably wouldn't bear to give the whole lake to one person."
"Paradise Fish Farm. Where do I know that name from? Isn't that one of the ornamental fish magnates? I thought he only sold Arowana - what's he doing with fish farming?"
"With Dragon Tourism Resort displaying the Arowana from Ornamental Fish in Paradise, it's no surprise he could get the whole lake with such a well-connected background and so much money."
Qin Dahai's face darkened. He never imagined it was that kid who got the entire Feng Tai Lake. He was still fine with the fish farm he secured near the lake, but the other people were all finished.
"How did it go? Did you get the bid?" Chu Xian looked at them with mockery as they passed him on the way out.
"You… very good!" One of the fish farm bosses who mocked Chu Xian yesterday squeezed these words out through gritted teeth.
"I've always been good." Chu Xian repeated what he had said yesterday and smiled. (1)
"Aren't you afraid of choking after swallowing so much?" Qin Dahai glared coldly.
Chu Xian shook his head. He didn't want to argue meaninglessly here, so he walked to the door nearby. He showed his ID and entered the office.
"Big Brother Qin, are we just going to let that arrogant kid take over our fish farms?" one of the fish farm bosses said unwillingly.
A piercing look flashed in Qin Dahai's eyes and the muscles on his face twitched. "He wants to take over our fish farms so easily? Ha! I'll let him know the feeling of coming for wool and going home shorn!" (2)
After leaving the department, Chu Xian looked up at the sunny sky and felt amazing. After a moment, he took out his phone and called Hong Chenghai.
"Big Brother Hong, thank you so much for your help!"
"Haha, you're too polite, Xiao Xian. Your price was a little high this time! It would've been fine if you submitted a lower one!" Hong Chenghai replied.
"Taking six fish farms all at once must've given you some trouble, so my price couldn't be lower than this. Big Brother Hong, we need to eat together sometime!"
"Haha, of course. Xiao Xian, can you get some of that dried fish for me?"
"No problem. How about we have dinner tomorrow and I'll bring some for you?"
After the call, Chu Xian drove to the fish market and bought a couple kilos of nice meaty fish to make some dried fish.
Press, season, pickle. In less than an hour, he finished making the dried fish.
"David also needs some dried fish. I'll wait a bit then I can make him 500 kilos in a couple of days so I don't have to make the fish that often!"
Chu Xian thought to himself then thought about his fish farm. He needed to take over Feng Tai Lake in two months and he needed to put in some baby fish for appearance's sake. He also needed ten or so workers. Moreover, when he went out to sea, he also needed workers for a large fishing boat, and that included a pilot, cook etc. etc. which was approximately another ten or so workers.
And he needed to actually get a boat as well. After some thought, there were still many things he had to get done.
"En. I should set up a company. It'll be easier to manage in the future, especially when I step out into other realms of business." Chu Xian decided.
The next morning, Chu Xian went to the Industry and Commerce Bureau and unexpectedly met Lin Huazhong. Jin Sen introduced them and Chu Xian gave him a couple of goldfish in the past. They could be considered friends and even chatted on WeChat occasionally.
"Xiao Xian, it's just been a couple of days yet your business is growing bigger and bigger!" Lin Huazhong said sincerely in the office.
He never thought that young man who sold ornamental fish could become an ornamental fish magnate, and after spending a huge amount on fish farms, he was even starting up his own company. He was surprised again when he noticed that Chu Xian's company goals contained catering and hotels.
"Hehe. I'm just busying myself with small things; I didn't know that you worked here!" Chu Xian smiled.
"Ay, I have no choice! Father put me here after I graduated, and I have no freedom. Xiao Xian, leave me your company stuff and let's go have lunch. I'll call Jin Sen, Ge Wenqing and the others. We haven't gotten together in a while, and now it's a good chance to hang out and have you pay for us. We all heard you hit the jackpot recently."