The Nansha Islands, located in the southernmost part of the South China Sea, could be reached directly by boat from Qiongzhou, passing the Xisha Islands along the way.

Chu Mingcheng returned to his seat and pulled out his phone. A quick search revealed that a single fishing spot in the Xisha Islands cost five to six thousand yuan.

Factoring in chum, bait, and other expenses, the total would likely reach around eight thousand per person. Of course, that price typically covered a three-night, four-day trip, with return on the fifth day.

A trip to the Nansha Islands was a far more demanding endeavor. The one-way voyage alone took three days and three nights, making a round trip a full week. As a result, most fishing expeditions lasted twenty days, sometimes even stretching to a month—and the cost, naturally, was much higher.

Compared to the Xisha Islands, a trip to Nansha was far more complicated. You had to go with a tour group, and the cost ran somewhere between twenty and thirty thousand yuan. Information online was scarce; Chu Mingcheng would have to inquire locally for the specifics.

"What are you looking at?" Zhang Wei asked, leaning over curiously.

"I was in the restroom and saw a new meter-long grouper on the display stand. The waitress said they bought it from an angler who just got back from Nansha. Since I'm heading to Qiongzhou anyway, I figured I'd check out the prices for chartering a fishing spot."

They were in a private room, so the commotion at the display stand hadn’t reached them—they had no idea what was going on outside. It was only because Chu Mingcheng had gone to the restroom that he happened to catch sight of the grouper.

"Holy crap, a meter-long grouper?"

Zhang Wei and Chen Yang couldn’t sit still any longer. They sprang to their feet and rushed out to see the massive fish.

It was a long while before they returned, well after the dishes had been served. Their faces were still etched with awe.

"I've never seen a fish that big in my entire life," Zhang Wei said.

"Well, you have now," Chen Yang added.

Chu Mingcheng laughed. "Exactly. Since I’m going all the way to Qiongzhou, it’d be a shame not to charter a boat and try some deep-sea fishing. Who knows? I might land a meter-long grouper myself—that’d be a huge catch."

"I just asked," Chen Yang said in awe. "That grouper weighs ninety-two jin 【TN: A jin is approximately 0.5 kg, so about 46 kg total】. They paid fifty thousand yuan for it."

Zhang Wei suddenly started teasing him. "Ah Cheng, I believe in you. Just catch ten of those a month, and you’ll be raking in tens of millions a year. Give it ten years, and you’ll be the next billionaire."

Chu Mingcheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Just eat your food. The dishes have been sitting here forever. Ten a month? A billionaire? Where would I even find that many giant groupers? If I could make a million a year, I'd probably be smiling in my sleep."

With his current abilities, bolstered by his ever-improving Codex, an annual income of a million yuan wasn't out of the question. After all, he had several months of fishing moratorium where he had virtually no income.

The three of them laughed and chatted as they enjoyed their dinner. The wild goose had been simmered into a rich soup with nourishing Chinese herbs, and it tasted fantastic. As for the tomahawk steak and lobster, they were delicious, but the main appeal was the sheer satisfaction of each hearty bite.

It was still early after dinner, so the trio decided to find something else to do.

Zhang Wei suggested hitting up a nightclub. The thought of Chu Mingcheng leaving so soon left him feeling a bit empty—a void he figured could be filled with the company of a few ladies.

Chen Yang proposed a massage. He'd been feeling tired from work lately and wanted to properly relax.

Chu Mingcheng mulled it over for a moment, then asked, "This massage you're talking about... it's not the 'regional' kind, is it?"

【TN: "Regional massage" (or "special regional massage") is a euphemistic reference to erotic or illicit services—typically implying sexual favors disguised as massage therapy. 】

Chen Yang: "???"

In the end, the three of them settled for a foot soak and a comfortable massage before heading their separate ways.

…

The next day, Chu Mingcheng took Mimi to the vet for another check-up. Then he went to a pet store for an external parasite treatment and a bath before finally bringing her to his parents' house.

If Mimi hadn't been pregnant, he would have shipped her to Jiang Luoluo to look after for a while. But now, it was best to avoid the stress of travel. He would let her have her kittens and raise them at home. After the New Year, when he set off for Xiamen again, he could drive and take them all with him.

"Mom, I’ve already dewormed and bathed Mimi. She’s got three babies in her belly, so I won’t be taking her with me."

Upon returning home, Chu Mingcheng set up the automatic feeder and cat bed in his room and placed a fresh litter box in the adjacent bathroom. He spent some time comforting Mimi, helping her adjust to the new environment as quickly as possible.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of her," An Xiuwen nodded. Sometimes, being home alone was quite boring; having Mimi around would be nice company.

Chu Mingcheng spent the entire day at home, keeping his mother company and cuddling Mimi on his lap.

At three in the afternoon, Chu Yongxin came home early to cook dinner for his wife and son. Chu Mingcheng dutifully went to help him in the kitchen.

"Your mom said you're leaving the day after tomorrow?"

"Yeah. It's almost November, and the New Year is less than two months away. I want to go over and get familiar with the place first."

Chu Mingcheng would never tell his parents about his freediving and spearfishing plans, lest they worry.

“It’s good to get familiar with the place first.” Chu Yongxin had no objections to his son’s decision. But in one second, his tone shifted completely.

He sidled up to Chu Mingcheng, his face a mask of curiosity and gossip. "Son, how are things going with that girl, Luoluo? Are you heading over early because of her?"

Chu Mingcheng was speechless. He pointed to his own face and said earnestly, "Dad, look at me. I inherited all the best features from you and Mom. Am I handsome or not?"

"You're about eighty percent as handsome as me. What's your point?"

"…" Faced with his father's narcissism, Chu Mingcheng was at a loss. "With a face like this, wouldn't I lose face if I'm too proactive? We have to learn to be reserved. I'm going there to advance my career, not to simp for a girl."

"What does a career have to do with getting a wife?" Chu Yongxin was momentarily confused.

“Dad, you don’t get it. It’s 2022. A guy’s gotta protect himself—he can’t be the one making the first move. You’ve gotta let the girl come to you willingly. That way, no one can call me a simp.”

Chu Yongxin was rendered speechless. He patted his son's shoulder with a grave expression, wiping his wet hand on it in the process. "Son, I think I finally understand why, with a face as handsome as yours, you still don't have a girlfriend."

"You need to understand one thing: first come, first served. When you meet an exceptional girl, you’ve gotta lock it down fast. If her parents object—well, just make them grandparents first."

"Once you have her, she's truly yours. Understand?"

Chu Mingcheng glanced at the damp spot on his shoulder, his mouth twitching.

“Dad, what if you had a daughter—and found out some guy was doing exactly what you just said?”

“He’d dare!“ Thwack!

Old Chu grabbed a cleaver and lopped the head off a grouper.

Well, he’d certainly mastered the art of double standards.

With that topic laid to rest, the two of them quickly broke down the grouper, preparing it into four different dishes.

Midway through dinner, He Zheng’s message pinged on Chu Mingcheng’s phone, inviting him to fish for large yellow croaker at sea that night.

Surprise flickered across his face. He’d assumed he’d been forgotten, but it seemed the trip had merely been postponed.

In reality, He Zheng had spent the past two days chartering his boat to other anglers, using the time to observe the fishing conditions. The bite had been strong during the day, which was why he was now inviting Chu Mingcheng out for a night session. One more person meant a little extra profit for him.