In the countryside, everyone knows that the minibuses from the city to the rural areas are few and far between, often requiring a wait of several hours for one to come. The small fishing village was relatively close to Donghai City, but it still took an hour for a bus to arrive. Looking at the time, there was still over half an hour to go, so Hailong sat on a large rock at the village entrance, bored. Perhaps because he had arrived early, there was no one else around.
While Hailong was idly thinking about the future of the Dragon King, an Audi A6 happened to pass by the village entrance. Just as it had passed Hailong, it suddenly braked and slowly reversed back, stopping right in front of him. The car window rolled down, revealing a middle-aged couple. The woman asked Hailong, "Little boy, how much are your crabs?"
Because Hailong was afraid the crabs would pinch him and escape from the fishing net, he had placed them in front of him. Since Hailong was sitting on the rock at the village entrance, people mistakenly thought he was selling crabs. Realizing this, Hailong smiled and said, "I'm sorry, Auntie. I just caught these crabs from the sea and was planning to take them home to eat. I'm not selling them."
Hearing that the crabs were freshly caught from the sea, the middle-aged woman smiled and said, "Little boy, you're not being honest. There are no crabs this big in the nearby sea. I can tell they're farmed. I only want to buy them because they're so big. What's your price?"
Hailong replied seriously, "These crabs are not farmed; they are truly wild. If you don't believe me, come down and take a look. We can tell the difference between wild and farmed crabs at a glance."
Seeing Hailong's serious expression and his confident words, the middle-aged couple began to doubt their initial judgment. Logically, it made sense that there were no wild crabs left in the nearby sea due to the excessive fishing in recent years. However, Hailong was right; wild crabs could be easily distinguished from farmed ones. Wild crabs have thick, strong claws, while farmed crabs have much smaller claws because they don't need to struggle for food.
The couple exchanged a glance and decided to get out of the car to take a closer look. Even if the crabs were farmed, such large ones were hard to find. A typical blue crab weighing a pound was already considered large, and these crabs were the first they had ever seen of this size. Even if they were farmed, the couple was still interested in buying them. After getting out of the car and examining the crabs, they noticed that the claws and legs were indeed very thick, confirming that they were wild crabs. They looked at each other in surprise and asked, "Little boy, where did you catch these crabs? There are no crabs this big in the Donghai Sea."
Hailong smiled and said, "You forgot about the Devil Sea. I caught them there." If the couple had heard this before seeing the crabs, they would have laughed at Hailong's claim. But after verifying the crabs' authenticity, they couldn't easily dismiss Hailong's statement. Although no one had successfully explored the Devil Sea in recent decades, the crabs were right there in front of them. The woman asked, "Is that true? How did you get in there?"
Hailong smiled and said, "I wouldn't dare go in. I just dived to the edge of the Devil Sea and happened to see these crabs looking for food. I caught them then." This explanation made the couple realize what had happened, and the woman became even more determined to buy the crabs. However, Hailong wasn't selling them. He didn't even have a scale. The woman could tell he wasn't a seller, but she was visiting her mother-in-law and was struggling to find a suitable gift. She had everything she needed—jewelry, designer clothes, and a Porsche Cayenne for transportation. Buying something to please her mother-in-law was always a challenge. She had heard that wild crabs from the Donghai Sea were delicious, and now she had found Hailong's large crabs. She was determined to buy them. She said to Hailong, "Little brother, I can see you're not selling crabs. I know you want to take them home for your mother, but look, I have a mother-in-law who always complains about wanting to eat crabs from the Donghai Sea. How about this: you sell me all these crabs, and then you can go back and catch more."
Hailong hadn't thought about making money from the crabs; he just wanted to take them home for his mother. It was getting late, and if he missed this bus, he wouldn't get home until night. So, he shook his head. Seeing this, the woman decided to use money to persuade him. She thought for a moment and said, "How about this: 300 yuan per crab, and I'll buy them all. What do you say?"
300 yuan per crab, 13 crabs would be 3,900 yuan. To be honest, Hailong had never seen 3,900 yuan before. The woman's offer stunned him. Seeing that Hailong was swayed by the money, she signaled her husband, who took out 39 hundred-yuan bills and counted them in front of Hailong. Hailong's eyes involuntarily followed the count, which was exactly 39 bills.
Finally, Hailong was swayed by the money and agreed to the woman's offer. He handed over the crabs and received 3,900 yuan. When he came to his senses, he found that the crabs in his hands had turned into 39 hundred-yuan bills.
Watching the Audi A6 disappear from his sight, Hailong realized he had easily earned 3,900 yuan. In 2001, 3,900 yuan was equal to Hailong's annual tuition. He couldn't help but marvel at how easy it was to make money. Looking at the direction the car had gone, he realized it was heading to the rich neighborhood in Donghai City. No wonder they had so much money; they lived in the rich area. Money wasn't an issue for them; what mattered was their quality of life. If something could improve their quality of life, they wouldn't hesitate to spend whatever it cost.
Hailong had a vague feeling that he had discovered something, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. However, he realized a major problem: the crabs were gone, and the bus to the city was due in less than half an hour. If he wanted to catch this bus, Hailong had to quickly return to the abandoned shipyard, control the Dragon King, and catch more crabs. If he was too slow, he would miss the bus.
So, Hailong ran back to the abandoned shipyard and immediately transferred his consciousness to the Dragon King's body. He controlled the Dragon King to enter the Devil Sea again. The crabs, being naturally aggressive, didn't heed the warning when the Dragon King entered their territory. Instead, they swam around recklessly, which angered a group of nearby crabs. Dozens of crabs, waving their large claws, swam towards the Dragon King. Hailong was waiting for this moment. The sea was the crabs' home, and there were countless crabs hiding in the sand. Hailong didn't dare control the Dragon King to catch crabs from the sand; he could only lure them to the surface and stun them with electricity before catching them in the net. Once they fell into the sand, Hailong wouldn't dare control the Dragon King to retrieve them, as the crabs' claws could easily tear the Dragon King's skin.
Seeing the crabs within three meters, Hailong immediately controlled the Dragon King to release a 600-volt electric shock, instantly stunning the crabs. They flipped over and sank to the bottom. Hailong controlled the Dragon King to spread the net and caught over ten crabs, then returned to the abandoned shipyard. After returning, Hailong immediately transferred his consciousness back to his body and ran to the village entrance with the net of crabs, hoping to catch the bus. He thought, "I must catch the bus; otherwise, my mother will worry if I come home too late. I don't have a phone, so she won't be able to reach me."
Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, when Hailong reached the village entrance, he saw the bus's tail disappearing around the corner. He sighed, placed the crabs in front of him, and sat on the large rock, disappointed. He was late again, and he hoped his mother wouldn't worry too much. As he sighed and recovered from the physical strain of running, he suddenly noticed another sports car, a Land Rover, parked in front of him. A man who looked like a successful person rolled down the window and asked, "Little brother, how much are your crabs?"
Hailong sighed and said, "Brother, I'm not selling these crabs. A couple in an Audi A6 just bought all my crabs, and I had to go back to the sea to catch more. Now I've missed the bus to the city. These crabs are for my mother to eat, so I'm not selling them."
Hailong's words didn't drive the man away; instead, they piqued his interest. He asked, "Was it a middle-aged couple in an Audi A6?"
Hailong nodded, and the man smiled, "Old Zhang's wife finally found a gift her mother-in-law likes. Little brother, you can't treat me differently just because you sold them to them. These crabs look top-notch. Give me a price, and I'll buy them all."
Hailong was embarrassed. He really didn't want to sell them. "If I sell them to you, when will I get home?" Hailong shook his head. The man realized he couldn't easily persuade Hailong, so he got out of the Land Rover and decided to have a proper chat with him. Hailong thought the man would leave, but instead, he squatted in front of Hailong and started chatting, determined to buy the crabs.
However, as soon as the man spoke, Hailong realized he was a government official, and a high-ranking one at that. His official tone and hand gestures were unmistakable. Unable to tolerate his rambling, Hailong reluctantly said, "I'll sell them to you. 300 yuan per crab, just like the couple paid."
The man laughed and said, "No problem." He quickly took out 3,900 yuan and bought the 13 crabs, then drove away. Watching the Land Rover disappear in the distance, Hailong returned to the abandoned shipyard and controlled the Dragon King to catch another 13 crabs. He didn't want to catch more, but 13 was the maximum the Dragon King could carry.
Checking the time, Hailong saw that the bus to the city would arrive in about 20 minutes. He was determined not to sell these crabs, no matter what. He had to catch the bus and go home to cook crabs for his mother.
It was probably rush hour, and one luxury car after another passed by Hailong, making his heart race. He was afraid someone would ask about the crabs and he would sell them again. But the more he feared, the more it happened. About a third of the passing luxury cars stopped to ask about the crabs. Fortunately, Hailong maintained his resolve and firmly said, "I'm not selling. I'm taking them home to eat."
Chinese people tend to gather where there are already people. At first, only one or two luxury cars stopped, and the people got out to talk to Hailong. Soon, over ten luxury cars were parked on the side of the road, and a crowd had gathered around Hailong, all wanting to buy the crabs. The crabs looked so delicious, and they were all locals who knew the difference between wild and farmed crabs. It was August, the best time for crabs, and wild crabs were at their most delicious. Seeing such high-quality crabs, they couldn't let them go.
But Hailong was determined not to sell. He said to the crowd, "Brothers and sisters, please let me go. I've already sold two batches. I can't sell these. I need to take them home for my mother, and the bus is coming soon. If I sell them to you, I won't have time to catch more and catch the bus."
Hearing that he could catch more, someone asked, "Little brother, you mean you can catch more of these crabs?"
Hailong nodded, "Yes, I can catch a lot of these crabs every day." The crowd said in unison, "What's your phone number? We'll find you tomorrow to buy crabs."
Hailong, startled, said weakly, "I don't have a phone."
The crowd shouted in unison, "Then sell us the crabs."
Hailong, frightened, said, "I'm not selling."
The crowd continued, "Then give us your phone number."
Hailong, cornered, said weakly, "I promise I'll come tomorrow. I'll start selling in the morning and continue until this time. Will that work?"
Seeing the crowd's skeptical looks, Hailong quickly added, "Think about it. With so many of you wanting to buy, why wouldn't I sell to you? I'll catch a lot of crabs tomorrow and wait for you here. I promise everyone will get some, okay?"
Hearing this, the crowd finally agreed and told Hailong, "You must come tomorrow." They then slowly dispersed. The bus to the city arrived just then, and Hailong quickly got on with the crabs and went home.
Hailong hadn't realized how much money he could make from selling crabs. What he didn't know was that the profit margin for crabs was actually very low. Crab fishermen had to hire labor, and since there were no crabs left in Donghai, they had to go to the Korean waters to catch them. The price of crabs kept rising because of the long distance to Korea and the fishing fees. After accounting for labor and fuel costs, the profit was minimal. But Hailong had no costs; he only needed to feed the Dragon King. Therefore, each crab he caught was pure profit, and he made 7,800 yuan from just two sales.
When Hailong got home, it was already 6:00 PM. His mother had already prepared dinner but was waiting for him. Seeing her slightly angry face, Hailong smiled sheepishly and acted cute. His mother couldn't stay angry at her son and laughed, telling him to eat quickly. Hailong then took out the crabs for his mother to see, which surprised her. She asked, "Son, where did you get these crabs?"
Hailong smiled and said, "I went back to the village to visit old friends. We were bored, so we went out to fish, and we caught these crabs. We split them, and I got this many, so I brought them home." Hailong didn't tell his mother the truth because the Devil Sea was too dangerous. If he told her he caught the crabs there, she wouldn't let him go again. So, he told a small lie.
His mother asked curiously, "There are still so many crabs in the Donghai Sea?"
Hailong sighed, "Maybe we got lucky. We found a place where crabs are abundant, not far from the village. We turned a corner and found it. Maybe people thought there were no fish in the nearby sea, so no one set nets there, which is why we got lucky."
His mother nodded and said, "I'll cook the crabs for you." She then took the crabs to the kitchen. Seeing that his mother believed him, Hailong breathed a sigh of relief. He was determined to make sure his mother could eat seafood every day.
By the time Hailong got home, it was already 6:00 PM. After dinner and a chat with his mother, it was 9:00 PM, and Hailong went to bed. He was probably exhausted from controlling two bodies, and he fell asleep as soon as he lay down. He had a dream where his mother could eat delicious crabs every day, and the family lived happily in a big house.
What Hailong didn't know was that the rich neighborhood was in chaos. A successful person's wife had invited a group of friends to her courtyard for a party. In the middle of the table was a plate of the 13 large crabs Hailong had sold. Each crab weighed over two pounds, and they were all locals who knew blue crabs well. At first, they didn't believe the crabs were from the Devil Sea, but upon closer inspection, the thick claws and legs were unmistakable. In Donghai, such crabs could only come from the Devil Sea. However, there were only 13 crabs, and 20 people had come to the party. Only a few got to taste the crabs, and they all praised their deliciousness and asked where they could buy them. Those who didn't get to taste the crabs gathered around, also asking where to buy them. Some who had seen Hailong sell crabs but didn't buy any or couldn't buy any decided to drive to the village early the next morning to wait for Hailong. Otherwise, they would feel embarrassed not having tasted the crabs from the Devil Sea, which everyone was talking about.
Women, especially housewives, are like that. They have nothing to do all day except play mahjong and get upset over trivial matters. A small issue can make them angry for weeks, let alone being looked down upon by their friends.