Chapter 161 - 156: Lottery Draw, Preparing the Fish of the Old Pond

Chapter 161: Chapter 156: Lottery Draw, Preparing the Fish of the Old Pond

"I just got back, so of course I have to familiarize myself with the family business. I offered to go with you, but Dad insisted on waiting so we could all go together."

Chen Li grumbled to Chen Yuan.

"Dad misses you."

’He knew his dad was definitely waiting for his sister to get home,’ Chen Yuan thought. ’Mom was probably still awake, too. If she didn’t have to be up early for work, she would have been there for sure.’

"Your sister said Wang Tao’s company bought a stake?"

As Chen Jun drove the three-wheeler toward the fishpond, he asked Chen Yuan.

"They’re interested in more than just the fishing ground; they’re also interested in the plan to develop a leisure tourism project in Yu City Village. That’s why I opted for joint financing and construction. Don’t worry, I hold the majority stake, so I’m the one in control."

’He would have brought it up even if his sister hadn’t. Having investors served as a good cover; it would explain all the project expenses.’

"That’s good."

Chen Jun relaxed. Less than two minutes later, they arrived at the fishpond.

"Boss Chen!"

As soon as Chen Yuan got out of the car, he ran into an acquaintance—the owner who bought his fish. This was the same man who’d collected the fish from his previous venture at the Chong City Fishing Ground. The restaurant owner had also offered some well-meaning advice about the carnival, so Chen Yuan had given him permission to buy fish directly from the pond.

The man had taken full advantage of his proximity, raking it in over the past few days.

"Whoa, you even got a fish truck."

Chen Yuan accepted the cigarette the restaurant owner offered him, his eyes widening in surprise at the fish truck parked by the pond.

He’d been preoccupied and hadn’t been managing the wrap-up of the night fishing events. So, while he knew the restaurant owner was buying fish from the pond, he had no idea the man had brought a dedicated truck.

"Haha, I borrowed it from a friend. If it weren’t for your carnival, Boss Chen, a restaurant owner like me would never get the chance to mess around with a truck like this."

The restaurant owner offered a cigarette to Chen Jun as well, then pulled out a lighter, flicked it on, and held the flame out for Chen Yuan.

"My fish truck brings them in in the morning, and your fish truck hauls them out at night. Feels like you’re the one making all the money in the end."

Chen Yuan leaned in to light his cigarette.

’The restaurant owner must have been making a killing,’ Chen Yuan figured. ’He can certainly afford the small gesture of lighting my cigarette.’

"Haha, it’s all thanks to your support, Boss Chen. I was actually hoping to invite you and your family to my restaurant. Give your big brother here a chance to thank you properly."

The restaurant owner had been wanting to express his thanks for a while, but Boss Chen had been quite busy. Now, with only one day of the carnival left, he finally extended the invitation.

"I appreciate the thought, really. But the Old Pond is having its grand opening right after the carnival, so I’m going to be swamped. I’ll definitely stop by your place when I get a chance."

Chen Yuan declined; he genuinely couldn’t find the time.

The restaurant owner had just heard some anglers talking about it, so he made a mental note.

"So, my friend, how do you end up moving all this fish?"

A potential idea for the Old Pond event had just popped into Chen Yuan’s head, prompting him to question the restaurant owner.

"I’ve got a few restaurants of my own, but they can’t possibly handle this volume. In the beginning, I was contacting other restaurant owners or just hauling them to the market myself. Your fish are in great condition, Boss Chen, so I was making a nice profit on the price difference."

"Then you let me drive right up to the pond, Boss Chen. Being so close, I was able to buy thousands of pounds a day. There was no way I could handle that much myself, so I had to start working with fish wholesalers. This truck is actually theirs."

"The price I get is a bit lower, but the volume is huge, so the total profit still adds up to a decent amount. Plus, it’s a lot less work for me."

The restaurant owner glanced around, then leaned in closer to Chen Yuan with a sly grin.

’It’s not like I’m hiding anything. This isn’t some big trade secret.’

’Besides, Boss Chen runs a fishing ground. It’s not like he’s going to switch careers and become a fish wholesaler, right?’

"Can you handle big fish?"

Chen Yuan wasn’t concerned with how the restaurant owner moved his inventory; he just wanted to know if the man could handle large fish.

"That depends on how big they are, and what species."

The restaurant owner remained noncommittal.

Some fish get more valuable the bigger they are, but others become harder to sell.

"Daqing. They start around ten pounds and go all the way up to a hundred and twenty. I’ve got them in pretty much every ten-pound weight class."

"Are you sure about that, Boss Chen?"

The restaurant owner gasped, his voice turning sharp with excitement.

Quite a few people around the pond looked over, surprised by the outburst and wondering what the two were discussing.

"If I’m saying it, you can be sure I have them."

Chen Yuan replied with a placid smile.

"No, that’s not what I mean. I mean, are you really selling Daqing, Boss Chen? Even the ones over a hundred pounds?"

The restaurant owner seemed agitated.

"Just tell me—can you handle them or not?"

Chen Yuan’s tone was firm.

Just as the restaurant owner was about to answer, someone shouted from over by the pond.