Jiang Ye returned to the base with the sack, clicked on the Galactic Mall, and selected the fish-luring lamp spheres.
He increased the quantity to five and purchased them!
Five large white lamp spheres popped out of the trading bay. Jiang Ye then packed them all into the sack.
Carrying a sack of lamp spheres, he rushed out of the base and ran forward at full speed.
The crabs were still numerous, seemingly occupying the entire world.
Jiang Ye walked to the edge of the dock and threw a lamp sphere into the water.
Without looking, he boarded the ship!
He entered the captain's cabin, turned on the comms, and stared at the screen.
Countless red dots converged into the dock, like water gushing towards a small drain when a bathtub plug is pulled.
At the center of the converging red dots was the lamp sphere thrown into the dock.
Jiang Ye waited for five minutes, and the number of Queen Crabs near the lamp sphere reached its peak.
He clicked on the screen and cast the net!
The fishing net shot out, descending from the sky and quickly ensnaring large piles of Queen Crabs.
The crane let out a sharp screech, operating at full power, pulling upwards with all its might.
This catch was even larger than the last one; it was impossible to estimate the sheer number of crabs caught!
Many crabs extended their claws, attempting to sever the fishing net lines.
But the net lines held strong, incredibly resilient, resisting the repeated snapping of the crab claws and remaining intact.
Jiang Ye clicked on the screen, pushed the fishing net into the trading bay, and scanned it.
Estimated value: 192,000 yuan.
He decisively sold it!
His personal assets increased to 5,071,800 yuan.
After many days, his account balance finally returned to the five million mark.
Jiang Ye was greatly encouraged. He untied the sack at his feet and took out another fish-luring lamp sphere.
He opened the captain's cabin door, rushed onto the deck, and threw it with all his might!
Splash! The lamp sphere fell into the sea.
Its light shot up into the sky, illuminating a large expanse of the sea surface.
There were already many Queen Crabs in the dock. When the light appeared, both the Queen Crabs on land and those in the sea moved towards the lamp sphere, a scene akin to moths flying into a flame.
Jiang Ye returned to the captain's cabin, gazing at the gathering swarm of crabs in the dock outside the window, lost in thought.
Why do so many creatures instinctively approach light?
What does this yearning for light contain?
After thinking for a few minutes, Jiang Ye suddenly slapped his forehead.
It was time to cast the net!
He clicked on the screen and decisively cast the net.
After being a fishing boat captain for so long, Jiang Ye had become quite skilled at casting and retrieving nets, rarely missing a catch.
The blue crabs vying for the lamp sphere were instantly caught in the net.
Only a few crabs on the periphery fled in terror, disappearing into the water.
The entire net full of blue crabs was pulled up, pushed into the trading bay, and sold.
This catch also contained a considerable number of crabs, selling for 183,000 yuan!
For the next twenty minutes, Jiang Ye continuously repeated this operation: throwing a fish-luring lamp sphere into the dock's seawater, waiting a few minutes, then retrieving the net and selling.
After using all five lamp spheres, Jiang Ye's account balance had surged to 5,855,000 yuan.
He had run out of lamp spheres and needed to restock.
He pushed open the captain's cabin door and disembarked to return to the base.
In the moonlight, he could see the crabs on the beach.
The blue crab shells emitted a faint glow, possessing a metallic sheen. Thousands of wet crabs, like landing tanks, moved intermittently in groups, advancing inland.
By the time Jiang Ye returned to the base, ten blue crabs had latched onto his cotton pants, nearly pulling them off.
He used his shovel to knock the crabs off, shaking them into the trading bay and selling them.
A new message arrived in the chat channel, and Jiang Ye clicked to view it.
Cao County Citizen: I see many people in the channel talking about a crab infestation. I don't live by the sea, do you live by the coast?
Jiang Ye: I'm catching crabs like crazy. I'll send you some to try later.
Cao County Citizen: Great! Wait for me to collect the money from my hired workers, then I'll transfer it to you.
Closing the chat window with Cao County Citizen, he opened the next private message.
Real Estate Agent: Landlord, I've arrived at your base. It's really nice. I'll transfer the final payment to you now.
Jiang Ye: Okay, just message me if you need anything. I'll come to see you when I have time these days.
Real Estate Agent: Okay, thank you! You're welcome!
After chatting with these two, Jiang Ye hesitated slightly and then opened Isabella's private message.
Jiang Ye: I have a crab infestation here, Queen Crabs everywhere. Do you want me to mail you a few?
Isabella: Sure! They're delicious, with lots of roe. The market price is over two hundred each. If it's convenient, please send me some.
Jiang Ye was stunned. He typed, "What the heck? Market price is two hundred? I'm only selling them for fifty yuan each in the trading bay."
Isabella: There are taxes, packaging fees, quality inspection fees, transportation fees, and labor costs. It's normal for them to be more expensive.
Jiang Ye: Can I give you the crabs directly, and you sell them for me in the market, then we split it fifty-fifty?
Isabella: Sounds good, but doing so would be considered food smuggling. If the amount reaches over a million, we'll be singing "Iron Window Tears" in jail.
Jiang Ye: Alright, wait two minutes, I'll mail you the crabs.
He picked up his shovel and sack, then opened the base door.
*Clatter*
With a sound, a large group of crabs immediately surged in, advancing aggressively.
Jiang Ye silently calculated the number. Once it reached around fifty, he immediately closed the base door.
Trapped like a turtle in a jar!
Using his shovel, he quickly scooped up the crabs one by one, tossing them into the sack like a chef stir-frying ingredients.
Soon, all the Queen Crabs that had crawled into the base were in the sack.
Jiang Ye tied the mouth of the sack and transmitted it to Isabella.
Isabella: So many! Thank you! I'm so touched that you thought of sending me this!
Jiang Ye replied with two smiley face emojis and closed the private chat interface.
He opened the Galactic Mall and continued to purchase lamp spheres.
He bought ten at once, packed them into two empty sacks, and dragged them out of the base with great effort.
He crossed layers of crab swarms and arrived on the fishing boat's deck.
On this short journey, dozens of crabs had latched onto Jiang Ye's legs and the sacks. These crabs were as clingy as mosquitoes on a summer night.
With the lamp spheres, he continued his work.
Each lamp sphere thrown into the dock would, within five minutes, attract a mountain-like pile of blue crabs, their countless slender claws waving, resembling wind-blown grass hills under the moonlight.
Jiang Ye stood leisurely in the captain's cabin, timing his net casts and retrievals.
He continued this work until five in the morning!
He had lost count of how many nets of crabs he had caught, how many lamp spheres he had thrown into the seawater.
Even more so, he had lost count of how many times he had grabbed his shovel to knock off the Queen Crabs clinging to his pant legs.
Jiang Ye swayed from exhaustion, his eyelids drooping, forcing himself to stand in the captain's cabin.
Occasionally, he would go to the bathroom to splash water on his face. Looking in the mirror after washing, his dark circles were as big as a panda's.
He remembered staying up all night in internet cafes, battling with his friends, and only feeling slightly tired. Now, simply clicking on the screen for a whole night made him feel extremely sleepy. Jiang Ye deeply felt that he was getting old, his energy far from what it used to be.
However, this all-nighter was worth it.
Jiang Ye's personal assets had astonishingly skyrocketed to 10,815,000 yuan!
He had earned over five million in one night, and he was less than 1.2 million away from upgrading his base.