I Can Fish Up Everything!

’She’s getting so defensive!’

’Seeing her act like a little kitten guarding its food is just too funny!’

With quick reflexes, Zhao Jiajia whipped out her phone and, with a *CLICK*, snapped a picture of Yi Chen’s rare expression.

The resulting photo, however, caught a look of utter shock on her face, which was somehow even cuter and more adorable than her previous attempt to feign composure.

Yi Chen knew she was just kidding, but even so, she didn’t want to play along by pretending she didn’t care.

She just hadn’t expected Zhao Jiajia to play so dirty and launch a sneak attack.

"Delete that photo!" she exclaimed, immediately lunging for the phone.

"No way! I’m making this my wallpaper!" Zhao Jiajia dodged with a twist of her waist and ran upstairs.

Gu Nan, who had been talking with Zhao Jie, had just reached the door to the private room when Zhao Jiajia suddenly darted inside, leaving him momentarily stunned.

Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned to see Yi Chen walking over slowly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"What was that about?"

"I have no idea."

"Okay, then."

The group entered the private room. When Zhao Jiajia saw Yi Chen secretly glaring at her, a victorious smile spread across her face.

However, she and Zhao Jie quickly left the room, leaving just Yi Chen and Gu Nan behind. They couldn’t be third wheels, after all!

Well-made Japanese cuisine was actually quite good. It was all about showcasing the natural, original flavors of the ingredients.

Gu Nan had eaten deep-fried Black-striped Small Stripes Buri at his own shop before—Yi Chen had made it—but here, it was grilled, giving it a unique flavor.

The other fish from his shop that followed were also excellent. Finally, he paid a hefty price to sample his own Indian Marlin.

The texture was truly excellent. It was richer in oil than salmon belly, and incredibly smooth on the palate.

’As expected, the fish from my own shop is just the best. None of the other dishes can even compare.’

However, his attention was fixed on another dish: the Pool Fish King sashimi.

This top-grade sashimi, sold only in high-end Japanese restaurants and hotels, tasted every bit as good as his own marlin after being dipped in wasabi and soy sauce. Gu Nan finally understood why this fish was so popular.

"What do you think?" Zhao Jie asked, offering him a cigarette.

Gu Nan knew what he was referring to. He nodded. "It’s excellent. I can tell you have very high standards for your ingredients."

’He’d barely ever eaten Japanese food, so how could he really offer a proper critique?’

’Maybe after trying a few other Japanese places in the future, he’d be able to make a comparison.’

However, Gu Nan had his own agenda. He changed the subject. "Boss Zhao, is the Pool Fish King you serve here farmed?"

Zhao Jie shook his head. "I wouldn’t dare stock the farmed variety. And with the domestic fishing ban currently in effect, I can only import it from Australia. Why? Is there a problem with the fish?"

"Australia? What a coincidence. I recently got in touch with a major supplier in Australia who also has Pool Fish King. I imported some hake from them before and found it was preserved perfectly; the quality was no worse than what I get from East Africa."

"When my shipment arrives, you should come take a look if you’re interested, Boss Zhao."

’Gu Nan hadn’t expected such a coincidence—that Boss Zhao’s Pool Fish King also came from Australia.’

’But in terms of quality, the ones produced by the game were bound to be far superior.’

’Forgetting everything else, on freshness alone, no other seafood importer could compete with him.’

’Even with air freight, there’s still a delay between when the fish is caught, shipped, and when it finally arrives.’

’But my stock arrives overnight at most. It’s hardly any different from a fresh catch straight from the sea. What other company could possibly match that quality?’

Zhao Jie’s face lit up. "Boss Gu, you’re really well-connected! I’ll definitely come by to take a look. As long as the price is right, I’ll absolutely source from you!"

The new dishes he’d created using fish from Gu Nan’s shop were a big hit with his customers, earning almost universally positive reviews. The main reason was simple: the fish was exceptionally fresh.

"Alright, then it’s settled."

The restaurant was getting busy, so Gu Nan didn’t want to disturb them for too long. Once their business was concluded, he left with Yi Chen to go car shopping.

He wasn’t in a rush to buy something so expensive. After all, over two hundred thousand was not a small sum.

Domestic sedans in the two-hundred-thousand-plus price range were generally mid- to full-size, with plenty of space.

In addition to sedans, Gu Nan also had Yi Chen look at a few pickup trucks with him. It was another type of vehicle he was considering, since he would definitely need one for work later on.

After looking around for a while, he put on an eager-to-buy act for the salespeople, exchanged WeChat contacts, and then called a ride-hailing car to go home.

On the way back, Yi Chen finally voiced her confusion. "Boss, I thought you were buying a car?"

"I am. Of course I’m buying a car. But the discounts they offered were just average. You have to shop around for a major purchase. People are picky and haggle endlessly over small things; it makes no sense to be impulsive with a big-ticket item, right?"

’That made sense,’ Yi Chen thought. ’Gu Nan said he was going to buy a car, but he never said he was going to buy it right away.’

’Besides, the salesperson would be eager to make the sale, so they’d probably try their best to get him a better discount to lure him back and close the deal.’

’Then again, Gu Nan had already said he’d be paying in full, so without financing, the discount might not be as great as one would hope.’

After dropping Yi Chen off at her home, he was about to head back to his rented apartment when his mom suddenly called.

’Gu Nan’s heart sank. ’Don’t tell me it’s about a blind date again...’’

He answered the phone and breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t about a blind date.

"Son, are you coming home today?"

"What’s wrong?"

’A typhoon was coming, but his mother wouldn’t just call out of the blue to ask if he was coming home. Something must be up.’

"Your father got angry and went to an internet cafe to play cards, and now he won’t come home. If your shop is closed today, come back and talk some sense into him. He’s a grown man! Still going to an internet cafe!"

"Huh?" Gu Nan was completely baffled. ’What’s gotten into Dad? Hasn’t he stayed away from internet cafes for years?’