When those people left, they strongly insisted on taking the bluefin tuna with them—so much so that they were willing to pay for it.
Bluefin tuna are large, heavy deep-sea fish that cannot be found in coastal waters. Catching one requires a sufficiently large boat and special hooks.
At this time, bluefin tuna were not yet subject to overfishing, so wild ones were large and plentiful in the sea. However, they were rarely seen in the domestic market.
The fact that the orca brought a bluefin tuna over made it clear that it was a gift for them.
Song Wei felt the weight of happiness.
“We can’t fit anything else. There’s really no room left.”
Of course, they couldn’t bear to leave behind such a massive bluefin tuna. They devised a way to tie a rope around its tail. Song Wei held the rope, and with the buoyancy of the water, it wasn’t too heavy to manage—especially with the orcas helping.
In the end, the tuna and their boat were both pushed back by the orcas.
“Head the other way,” Song Wei directed, pointing toward another route.
Song Jing immediately understood—she was pointing toward a beach within the military zone.
Given their eye-catching haul, docking at the fishermen’s port would likely draw too much unwanted attention. For safety’s sake, heading to the military zone was a better option.
The orcas seemed to understand Song Wei’s instructions. Letting out joyful calls, they helped guide the fully loaded fishing boat in the new direction.
Although their boat wasn’t large, the buoyancy of the sea and the orcas’ playful pushes made it easy to maneuver.
The orcas entertained themselves along the way. One moment, they played by spinning a sea turtle on their snouts like a frisbee before flinging it away. Another moment, an unlucky dolphin got slapped out of the water, and then they amused themselves by blowing water rings to tease jellyfish.
While the orcas had a great time, the unlucky marine animals likely cursed their misfortune.
Song Wei captured it all on film. One roll of film was quickly used up, and she replaced it with another.
When they finally reached the military beach, the orcas, mindful of their size, avoided getting too close to avoid stranding themselves. Instead, several of them worked together. Some stirred the water while others gave the fishing boat a strong push, creating waves that carried the boat directly to the shore.
For the final stretch, Song Wei jumped into the water and dragged the boat ashore.
The three of them then worked together to haul the bluefin tuna onto land.
From the sea, the orcas let out long, mournful calls as if saying goodbye.
Song Wei waved back. “Goodbye! It was wonderful to meet you!”
Today’s adventure had been full of surprises.
The orcas swam off into the last rays of the setting sun, and the three of them stood on the beach, watching them leave.
Once the orcas were gone, Song Jing hurried back to the military base to call for help.
Meanwhile, Lin Zhen and Song Wei stayed behind to guard their boat full of treasures and the massive bluefin tuna, fiddling with the camera as they waited.
It didn’t take long for people to arrive.
The first sound Song Wei heard was the excited barking of two wolf pups.
“Sister Song!”
Heidan had come as well.
It wasn’t clear what Song Jing had said to the others, but quite a crowd had gathered.
“So many fish! And such a big one!”
Heidan was thrilled, alternating between looking at the fish on the boat and the gigantic tuna, his excitement evident.
The others were soldiers Song Jing had called over to help. None of them had expected such an abundant haul today.
“Wow, even these lobsters are huge!”
Using baskets, the soldiers began transporting the sardines to the military cafeteria. As the sardines were removed, the lobsters they’d caught on the island were revealed, along with the abalones.
The atmosphere was as lively and festive as a New Year celebration.
The bluefin tuna didn’t require Song Wei’s help to move. Several young soldiers enthusiastically carried it away.
The military cafeteria was buzzing that evening.
However, while the cafeteria could handle the large quantities of sardines and lobsters, the abalones and bluefin tuna were a different story.
These delicacies were too valuable. With their high prices and specialized preparation methods, they weren’t suited for the average soldier’s meal and would likely go to waste in the cafeteria.
The sardines weighed a total of 520 pounds and were sold at a rate of 0.3 yuan per pound, earning them 156 yuan.
The military cafeteria only took ten of the large lobsters. Despite their size, lobsters weren’t particularly filling due to their hard shells, and most soldiers preferred more practical, affordable meals. The lobsters, weighing 23 pounds in total, were sold for 3 yuan per pound, earning them 69 yuan.
The abalones were truly expensive. The ones they had collected were large and sold individually rather than by weight, with larger ones priced at over 30 yuan each.
At this time, abalone was rare and highly prized due to its high nutritional value and the fact that it was entirely wild-caught, with no artificial farming. Few people could afford to eat it.
As for the bluefin tuna and the abalones, the military didn’t purchase them. However, Song Jing immediately thought of a solution.
“I know a place that will definitely buy them,” he said.
“You mean the Friendship Hotel?”
The Friendship Hotel catered specifically to foreign guests, particularly businesspeople visiting the country.
To generate foreign exchange revenue, the country needed to do business with these wealthy individuals, who were more than willing to indulge in high-quality delicacies.
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