The sight of Gou Fugui returning while carrying a giant tuna was truly too shocking, instantly rousing the drowsy evacuees in the sports stadium.
"Whoa! Such a huge fish! That's impressive, young man!"
"Damn, this guy's stamina and swimming skills must be top-notch to catch such a big fish in this heavy storm!" And the key point is it's still alive, that's just awesome.
"Based on my ten years of sea fishing experience, this is an albacore tuna, not one of those big ones like bluefin or yellowfin. But this one's body length is almost a meter, weighing at least eighty jin!
However, tuna are usually found in deeper waters further out. How did this young man manage to catch such a big fish?"
"I don't care how he caught the fish. Right now, I just want to ask if he's selling it? I've eaten nothing but instant seafood noodles and compressed biscuits for two days straight! The meals sold in the stadium are bland and not fresh at all. I just want some fresh sashimi or grilled fish!!"
The young man who spoke last pretty much voiced the thoughts of many—fish is so delicious, who wouldn't want to eat it fresh?
Moreover, a few sharp-eyed people noticed the handsome long-haired guy also had a small backpack, and the key point was the backpack was still moving!
What that implied was simply too obvious!
So immediately, several impatient and well-heeled individuals quickly walked towards Gou Fugui. The fastest was the rich young man temporarily staying in the front row, right diagonally in front of Gou Fugui's single-person tent.
"Bro! You're awesome!" The rich young man started by calling him brother: "Let's cut the small talk. Three thousand yuan for the fish head, okay? Cash! Payment on the spot! If cash doesn't work for you, brother, I'll trade you with one of the rings on my hand!"
The rich young guy said this while extending both his hands, "Pick whichever one catches your eye! Your little brother here just wants a fresh meal right now. Have pity on me, brother!"
Thus, Gou Fugui was treated to the sight of a pair of hands that nearly blinded his Gou eyes—
On this brother's ten relatively slender fingers, he had somehow managed to wear twenty rings of different styles and materials. These rings ranged from gold, platinum, diamonds to rubies, sapphires, emeralds, pearls, etc., achieving a comprehensive collection of every style and material imaginable.
Although these rings looked different, they were all exquisitely crafted and ornate, obvious even to an ordinary person. In a word: expensive.
Gou Fugui looked at these hands, then raised his head to look at this rich young man. With the same sincerity the young man had shown in admiring his fishing skills, Gou Fugui sincerely praised: "Brother, you're a true talent."
This brother had done in advance what he, Gou Fugui, planned to do in the next apocalypse! And even added his own flair.
After all, he, at most, would only wear ten gold rings.
The rich young man chuckled twice: "You flatter me, you flatter me. I am but Jin Mantang, just from a family of farmers passed down through generations, with only modest assets."
Hearing this name, Gou Fugui couldn't help but raise his eyebrows again. Fugui (wealth) and Mantang (full hall)—he and this rich brother really had a bit of fate connecting them.
"Alright, brother, which ring on my hands has caught your eye? Take any one you want. I just want a fresh fish head."
Since the stadium sold communal meals, it naturally also allowed people to have food specially cooked. By taking fresh ingredients to the temporary cafeteria and paying a processing fee or sharing a bit of the fish meat, such a large fish head could at least allow Jin Mantang to eat well for two days.
Although the actual value of any one of the rings Jin Mantang wore far exceeded the big fish head he wanted, given the current severe weather conditions and the uncertain number of days they might still be stuck in the stadium, such a trade didn't seem too outrageous.
Gou Fugui took another look at that handful of rings and, with a perfectly clear conscience, selected the fiery red ruby ring.
When he picked that ring, he could clearly see a look of considerable pain flash across Jin Mantang's face. But the expression was only momentary. Without another word, Jin Mantang took off that ring and directly slipped it onto Gou Fugui's index finger.
"Alright, brother, this 'Flame of Fire' is yours now."
When he had bid for this ruby ring back in the day, he had spent a solid five hundred thousand in real gold and silver!
But so what if it was five hundred thousand? After experiencing the massive storm last night that even flattened his villa, Jin Mantang had become acutely aware that from now on, money was going to become worthless. Food and survival were what mattered most.
So when he fled, he didn't even bring his black card or much paper money. Instead, he used the fastest speed to put on all his rings and jewelry, and stuffed three gold bars inside his underwear.
He wanted to use these items to exchange for better supplies while they still held value.
He certainly knew trading a ring for a fish head now meant a huge loss, but being able to trade was better than not being able to.
He sincerely hoped there wouldn't come a time when a single gold bar couldn't even buy a piece of bread.
Jin Mantang's decisiveness made Gou Fugui look at him once more. He had high hopes that this Mantang brother could survive to the very end.
Gou Fugui didn't waste time either: "Come on, follow me to the cafeteria. Let's have the chef cut the fish head off for you."
Jin Mantang's heartache instantly vanished, his eyes fixed intently on the tuna's big head, his gaze as if looking at a lover in the throes of passion.
With Jin Mantang's successful transaction as the first, the several other wealthy individuals who had followed gained confidence. They quickly followed the beautiful Gou Fugui towards the cafeteria, simultaneously stating their prices and desired parts.
"Hey, young brother, how about I pay one thousand yuan for a piece of tuna belly? Not much, I just want two jin! My kid has been a bit under the weather these past two days. The cafeteria food isn't fresh enough, just want to give them some fish for nourishment."
"Little brother! Two thousand for the fish tail, okay? My old father caught a chill, his health isn't good. If he doesn't get some nutritious food soon, he won't hold up. As his child, I can't just watch my father suffer! Just want the tail to make some soup! Alright?"
"Handsome! I didn't bring cash, but can I trade you a few jin of fish meat for this gold necklace around my neck? I paid nearly ten thousand for this necklace back then! Is five jin of your fish meat okay?"
As Gou Fugui carried the tuna deeper inside, more and more people caught up, wanting to buy fish meat from him. In the end, there were even people who wanted Gou Fugui's fish meat for free, their reasoning being that such a big fish was more than he could eat alone anyway.
Gou Fugui shot the middle-aged couple who said this a very sarcastic look, then completely ignored them and walked on.
But this middle-aged couple seemed oblivious to the look, still swiftly following Gou Fugui and his group into the cafeteria.
The head chef in the stadium cafeteria had already received news from his apprentice that someone had caught a big tuna. He was quite pleased himself and had been sharpening his knife for several minutes already.
The gymnasium safe zone actually had a considerable stockpile of various food supplies. However, because it was unclear how long this torrential rain would last, and the number of people seeking refuge in the gymnasium safe zone exceeded initial expectations, the daily food rations were strictly controlled.
Everyone could definitely eat their fill, but expecting lavish feasts with big fish and meat was absolutely out of the question. So, having this chance to prepare an extra meal was something the head chef was quite looking forward to.
When Gou Fugui heaved the tuna he had caught onto the cutting board, the fish gave a couple of unwilling flicks of its tail.
Truth be told, Gou Fugui catching this fish was partly due to the fish's own bad luck—it was a tuna that had been swept ashore and into the streets by the tsunami and storm. Clearly unfamiliar with the complex diversity of human urban terrain, while Gou Fugui was half-wading, half-diving to scoop up crabs and shellfish, this tuna had just struggled free from a bush it was stuck in, only to slam headfirst into a parked sedan.
The loud commotion drew Gou Fugui's attention. Then, while the fish was still dazed, the humanoid sea otter Fugui, having activated his sea otter bloodline, went over and gave the tuna a solid whack with a brick.
When that brick landed precisely on the tuna's head, Sea Otter Fugui's third innate skill, "Hammering Master," was triggered. With the damage bonus, the tuna was down for the count.
It wasn't dead, but it was left gasping and unable to struggle any further.
"Whoa! Young man, you killed this fish with a brick! Look at that perfectly square dent on its head."
The head chef first happily ran his hands over the tuna from head to tail, then praised Gou Fugui's brick-handling technique.
As he spoke, he expertly located the spot just below the fish's head to make the cut, but Gou Fugui spoke up, "Master, cut about ten centimeters lower."
After all, this fish head was exchanged for a ruby ring; it should come with a bit more meat.
Hearing this, Jin Mantang beamed with joy and patted Fugui's shoulder with his hand, which could still blind people with its sparkle even missing one ring. "Good brother!"
Jin Mantang thus received a sizable fish head, weighing no less than twenty pounds.
After that, Gou Fugui sold the fish tail and a section of belly meat to the two buyers who had elderly and children in their families. He didn't plan to sell the remaining fish meat piecemeal.
"Master, please cut the best belly and flank meat for me. You can sell all the remaining meat to the cafeteria. Leaving it to the cafeteria to handle means more people can get an extra meal. As for payment, just give what you think is fair, as long as it's not for free."
The master chef cutting the fish had originally intended to buy the fish too. Hearing Gou Fugui so readily agree to sell without haggling over the price, he immediately felt more favorable towards this young man with a ponytail.
"You're straightforward, kid. We won't cheat you either. We definitely can't buy it at market price now, and giving you money would feel like taking advantage."
"How about this: we'll trade you three apples, four coconuts, and two pineapples for it. Fruits are in high demand now too."
Gou Fugui agreed directly without any bargaining at all.
Just as the master chef said, money was becoming somewhat less useful now; bartering was fairer.
So, in the end, Gou Fugui got a large platter of masterfully prepared tuna sashimi from the chef. The remaining tuna meat, along with that platter of sashimi, was taken back to his tent.
He could come to the cafeteria to collect the fruits anytime.
The couple who had followed him hoping to get something for nothing were very displeased to see him sell all the fish to the cafeteria. The middle-aged woman even edged closer to Gou Fugui and reached out to grab some of the sashimi.
However, her hand was caught midway by another slender yet powerful hand. The middle-aged woman immediately started shrieking:
"What are you doing?! What are you doing grabbing me? A big man like you trying to harass me?! Someone, come quick, look, someone's harassing me here!"
Xie Tianlang looked at the auntie who was expertly making a scene and slinging mud at him, and then at the uncle beside her who was even more expertly rolling up his sleeves to hit him. With a casual flick, he sent the auntie stumbling into the uncle. His slightly narrowed eyes were full of mockery:
"Auntie, don't try to scam me."
"By my standards, it'd have to be at least someone like him."
The beauty Fugui, whom Xie Tianlang pointed at with a lifted chin, shot him a glance and walked off with his fish and meat.
He certainly didn't want one like a wolf.
