Landlord in the Arctic

Once the Fish and Game Department’s crabbing ban is officially announced, it will undoubtedly be a devastating blow to the entire crabbing industry.

The crabbing business has now formed a vast industry chain.

It involves numerous boat owners, crew members, distributors, and related processing companies.

And this ban is like a bombshell, enough to instantly throw the entire industry chain into chaos.

Currently, some clear signs have already appeared on the market.

Quite a few boat owners have already gotten the news through private connections and have begun selling off their crabbing boats within their circles.

They are eager to liquidate their assets to avoid even greater losses during the ban.

Meanwhile, the market prices for snow crab and Emperor Crab are also climbing, like a harbinger of the coming storm.

Alvin predicted that by the beginning of next year, crab prices would very likely reach an all-time high.

At this thought, Alvin paused and looked directly at Feng Mountain, speaking seriously.

"Boss, Old Hom of the Hurricane Fleet wants to sell his boats at a low price. He’s asking if you’re interested. He’s in a hurry to sell, so there should be a lot of room for negotiation on the price."

’Hurricane Fleet?’

Feng Mountain frowned slightly as information about the fleet immediately surfaced in his mind.

On Saint Paul Island, the Hurricane Fleet was a well-known crabbing fleet, owning more than ten crabbing boats of various sizes.

He had heard that the Hurricane Fleet’s catch this year was pretty good.

He had even chatted with Old Hom at a bar on the island before.

Back then, Old Hom had been full of confidence, extremely optimistic about the future of the crabbing industry.

He even said he was preparing to get another bank loan to buy a fishing boat as large as the River Beach.

He wanted to further expand his fleet and go all out.

’How could the situation take such a nosedive in the blink of an eye? Now he’s actually selling his boats?’

"The bank suddenly called in his loan." As if guessing the doubt in his boss’s mind, Alvin lowered his head slightly, then glanced up at him sheepishly and explained, "Old Hom asked me to see if you’re interested in acquiring the Hurricane Fleet. The price is negotiable."

"What the hell would I do with those junkers?" Feng Mountain’s irritation flared up the moment he heard that, and he couldn’t help but raise his voice. "The ban is starting next year! I don’t even know what to do with the River Beach, so how could I have the mind to acquire another fleet?"

As he spoke, he raised the beer in his hand and took a large swig, trying to calm his emotions.

If the Fish and Game Department really did issue a ban on sea crab fishing, the consequences would be unimaginable.

For the River Beach, the impact wouldn’t be as fatal, relatively speaking.

After all, the boat was empowered by the Fire Totem. Even if they stopped crabbing and switched to catching other fish, it wouldn’t go bankrupt.

The problem was, his income would plummet—it would be cut by more than half, at least.

’How am I supposed to pay back the tens of millions I owe Wells Fargo Bank?’

Moreover, the manpower and resources required to catch other types of fish would multiply.

Deep-sea operations weren’t suitable either.

The River Beach’s hold capacity was only 500 tons. It was nothing compared to deep-sea fishing vessels whose capacities were in the thousands, or even tens of thousands, of tons.

A deep-sea fishing vessel could stay out at sea for a long time on a single trip, thanks to its huge hold capacity.

They could bring in a massive catch all at once.

The River Beach, on the other hand, had the Fire Totem’s assistance, which greatly increased its fishing efficiency. It could fill its hold in just a few days, but that also meant it had to travel back and forth between land and sea frequently.

In that case, fuel consumption would become a major problem.

After all, fuel was much more expensive than the fish these days, which would undoubtedly squeeze his profit margins even further.

Thinking about these thorny issues, Feng Mountain felt a dull ache begin to throb in his head.

The cash flow from the River Beach was crucial for the development of the Crown Territory.

Without the stable financial support of the River Beach, all of the Crown Territory’s construction and development plans would be severely affected. Many ongoing projects might be forced to be put on hold.

For example, the plan to renovate the camp’s shipping containers required a huge injection of cash.

Just as Feng Mountain was filled with anxiety, Alvin suddenly glanced quickly from side to side.

Making sure no one was eavesdropping, he then lowered his voice and spoke mysteriously.

"Boss, even though crabbing will be banned in the Alaskan region of the Bering Sea, Russia has no such ban."

He paused, licked his lips, and continued.

"The Western Bering Sea and the Western Kamchatka Sea also have sea crabs and blue Emperor Crabs. In the past, when we had no other choice, we’d sometimes sneak into Russian fishing grounds to catch crabs. But we were timid back then, only daring to pull a few pots before running for it. We never dared to stay there for long, afraid of being spotted by Russian patrol boats."

Alvin gestured with his hands as he spoke, his eyes revealing a hint of nervousness and anticipation, as if waiting for Feng Mountain’s reaction.

"What if we get caught by a Russian patrol boat?" Feng Mountain narrowed his eyes, a hint of caution in his gaze.

’After all, fishing illegally in another country’s waters is no laughing matter. If you get caught, the consequences could be quite severe.’

But Alvin seemed completely unconcerned, waving his hand nonchalantly with a relaxed expression on his face.

"It’s fine. If that happens, we’ll just say we lost our way and accidentally entered their waters. The guys on the Russian patrol boats all know what’s really going on; they won’t make a big deal out of it. Just give them a few cartons of cigarettes and a couple cases of booze, and the problem will basically be solved."

"Besides, Russian crabbing boats often ’get lost’ and enter Alaskan waters too. It’s a situation everyone is well aware of, and both sides just turn a blind eye."