With a "bang" and a splash of water, Jiang Hai dove into the sea.
Sensing his presence, Dasha swam over in his territory.
The way Dasha shook his head and flicked his tail did look a little intimidating, but Jiang Hai knew very well that the shark was only trying to act cute.
It was hard to understand how a shark could look cute, but it certainly looked scary.
Pointing to the seabed, Jiang Hai grasped Dasha's dorsal fin with both hands. As Dasha swam his tail, he shot into the depths of the ocean at a speed far faster than Jiang Hai could swim. When they were nearing the bottom, Jiang Hai let go and landed smoothly on the seabed. The fine sand made him sink slightly as he stepped on it, causing some flounders nearby to flee when they sensed his presence.
Stabilizing himself, Jiang Hai made his way toward the coral reef.
The coral reef posed some dangers—stupid moray eels, even dumber sea snakes, venomous fish, sea anemones, and jellyfish. But Jiang Hai had a good understanding of these dangers and, being someone who valued his life, he wasn't about to take unnecessary risks.
The marine resources in his area were rich, with an abundance of fish, shellfish, lobsters, and crabs. He could never eat it all himself, but if he caught and sold them, it would be impossible to keep up with demand.
Thankfully, Jiang Hai had no intention of disturbing the coral reef. This area was a conservation zone, where he hoped to cultivate any future precious fish species. As for the open sea, that was where he planned to cultivate economic fish.
While thinking about the meal he would prepare tonight, Jiang Hai estimated the number of people to feed. Aphra and the others were likely to head back before dinner, so it would just be him, Darlene, Marian, Pra Walton, Selena Gomez, Qi Li, and her assistant.
He mentally counted: seven people. "In addition to steak, I'll grab some fish, abalone, sea cucumbers, and lobsters. Skip the crabs," he mused, reaching for the knife at his waist as he headed for the reef.
Abalone was relatively easy to breed, especially in clear water. It required plenty of seaweed and rich bait, along with clear, stable seawater, shores with reefs, and minimal pollution. With the right conditions, it could thrive. The temperature here in Boston, while not extreme, was conducive to abalone farming, not much different from Shandong Province in China, where it was farmed.
However, in Europe and the United States, people weren't particularly fond of abalone. In Australia, for example, the locals hardly ate it, even though it could be caught freely at some public beaches. Despite being abundant in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, abalone was rare in the Atlantic.
Still, Jiang Hai picked the largest abalones, knowing they could fetch hundreds of yuan per pound in China—far more expensive in restaurants. His choice wasn't just about the abalone—it was his way of subtly showing Qi Li that he was living a better life abroad than she might think.
With that thought in mind, Jiang Hai soon gathered nearly 20 abalones from the reef.
While abalones were abundant in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, it was no problem to catch hundreds or thousands in such a vast sea area. The Arctic Ocean, however, had none.
After catching the abalones, Jiang Hai swam deeper to catch lobsters.
As with abalone, the size of lobsters determined their value. Big lobsters were expensive, while smaller ones were worth little. Here in Boston, lobsters weighing more than two or three pounds were only around ten dollars per pound—sometimes even less. But Jiang Hai wasn't interested in ordinary lobsters. He sought out the largest ones, aiming to impress his guests.
Boston lobsters might not be as large as Australian lobsters, but their meat was far thicker and more flavorful.
He picked out two lobsters weighing more than ten pounds each—about twelve or thirteen pounds—and over a meter long. These were true ocean monsters. In this area, lobsters were plentiful, mostly wild, and some were even shrimp fry that Jiang Hai had released into the sea, enriched with his spiritual energy to ensure they thrived.
After collecting abalones and lobsters, Jiang Hai gathered some sea cucumbers from the seabed. Sea cucumbers were abundant, and he quickly picked more than a dozen large ones.
He signaled to Dasha, who was hovering above, and Dasha swam swiftly to the deeper part of the reef. Within moments, the previously calm reef was alive with movement. Dasha was chasing a large fish and steering it toward Jiang Hai. However, the fish wasn't swimming fast—Dasha was letting Jiang Hai catch it.
Though Jiang Hai wasn't afraid of water, catching a fish in the sea with his bare hands wasn't easy. But Dasha had no trouble, and when the fish came within reach, Jiang Hai intercepted it. Grabbing the gills and mouth, he secured the fish. It was a spotted grouper, native to tropical waters in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Known for its fierce temperament, it was popular in China but rare in the Atlantic.
The grouper Jiang Hai caught was about 80 centimeters long—no small fish.
He glanced at his watch, a Rolex diving watch with a maximum depth of 3900 meters. Although it wasn't as glamorous as his Patek Philippe, he preferred its sporty style. The watch cost $128,000—far cheaper than his other one, but still expensive.
Jiang Hai had no immediate plans to dive that deep, but he was aware that he could go as deep as 500 meters without issue. However, he knew the deep-sea creatures, like sperm whales or giant squids, could be far more dangerous.
After catching the fish, Jiang Hai checked the time—it was already past three in the afternoon.
The girls were likely unaware of the time, engrossed in their play. It was fine if they skipped lunch, but dinner needed preparation.
So, Jiang Hai returned to the surface, tossed his catch onto the boat, rinsed off with fresh water, started the engine, and headed toward the dock.
Once at the dock, Jiang Hai moved a motorcycle out of the way and, without saying a word to anyone, drove back home. With Darlene, Marian, and Mrs. Philemon's help, he began preparing dinner for the evening. (To be continued.)