The seabed was covered in black reefs, and on the reefs lay plump starfish, varying in color, with pink being the most common, along with yellow and blue.
Jiang Ye reached out and touched a pink starfish on a rock.
"Hello, Patrick."
The starfish wasn't stuck tightly to the rock; it moved when touched. Jiang Ye picked it up and placed it before his mask to observe.
The pink color was much like strawberry ice cream, with many small spines and protrusions visible.
Flipping it over to the side that had been on the rock, it was a tender yellow, with hundreds of half-centimeter-long little feet.
There was a small hole in the center, and he wasn't sure if it was a mouth or an anus, or perhaps both.
Jiang Ye bent down, picked up ten starfish in succession, put them into a sack, and pulled the rope upwards, returning to the fishing boat.
He headed straight for the trading bay and dumped all the starfish in.
A moment later, the scan results came out:
[Item: Phosphor Starfish]
[Item Description: A rare species of starfish that can be used to produce phosphate fertilizer. It breeds seven times a year and feeds on sea cucumbers, plants, corals, and other organisms. It has no brain or circulatory system, using seawater as a substitute and maintaining life through a specialized water vascular system. It has a docile nature and offers no resistance.]
[Estimated Value: 1000 Yuan]
Jiang Ye was disappointed. He had thought this thing would be worth something, but he hadn't expected ten of them to be worth only a thousand yuan, a mere hundred yuan each. It wasn't worth collecting at all. Da Feng Novel Network.
He didn't sell them. Instead, he took the ten starfish out, placed them in an empty pot in a corner of the cargo hold, and poured in some seawater to keep them temporarily.
Although these things weren't valuable, they were quite cute. He'd take them back for the girls to play with.
He clicked on the screen and started the fishing boat.
At 1:30 PM, the fishing boat returned to the dock and docked steadily.
Jiang Ye found two glass jars, filled them with seawater, and put two pink starfish inside.
Carrying the jars, he disembarked and headed straight for the express center.
The construction site in the distance was still kicking up dust, and the sound of heavy machinery construction was like an earthquake. Many houses had already been built and were being painted.
Jiang Ye entered the building and saw Isabelle lying on the sofa with a face mask on. She dressed very casually at home, in a white silk pajama set, her long legs resting on the armrest of the sofa, her feet bare.
"Here are two Patricks for you," Jiang Ye said, holding up the jars. "Where should I put them?"
"Patrick?" Isabelle's tone was confused.
Jiang Ye suddenly thought of something. "Do you know Patrick?"
Isabelle shook her head.
Jiang Ye sighed. "It seems the cartoon SpongeBob has been lost to time."
"Aren't these pink starfish? Thank you, they're very cute. Please put them on the windowsill. I can't get up while I'm wearing my mask," Isabelle said.
Jiang Ye placed the jars on the windowsill. The starfish struggled restlessly inside, and the water in the jars was illuminated by the sunlight.
"Can you wait a moment? I'll prepare lunch after I finish my mask. I just got back from delivering packages and haven't eaten yet," Isabelle said.
"No problem. I have some more starfish to give to others. You finish your mask first," Jiang Ye said, turning to leave.
"Are they for men or women?"
Jiang Ye paused, then looked back at her. "Huh?"
"Those starfish you have, are you giving them to men or women?"
"Women," Jiang Ye said frankly.
"Girlfriends?"
"No, business partners. You could say confidantes," Jiang Ye said after thinking.
"Am I your confidante?" Isabelle suddenly asked.
"Of course."
She fell silent and lay on the sofa, wearing her mask.
Jiang Ye went out, walked back to the dock, boarded the ship, entered the cargo hold, and took out the pot containing the other eight starfish.
Returning to the base vehicle, Jiang Ye opened the chat channel and sent a message to Cao County Citizen:
Jiang Ye: I caught some small pets while diving, pink starfish. Want a few to play with?
Cao County Citizen: Sure, sure!
Jiang Ye grabbed two starfish, put them in glass jars, added some seawater, and transmitted them.
Cao County Citizen: Oh! They're so pretty! This thing is called a starfish in English, but it's actually an echinoderm, and they are often hermaphroditic. Thank you!
Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow. This was the first time he had heard of this. Cao County Citizen, as expected of someone with a high education, always came out with strange knowledge.
After chatting with Cao County Citizen for a couple of sentences, he closed their private chat window.
Jiang Ye then messaged Long-Legged Te Bai to ask if she wanted starfish.
Long-Legged Te Bai: Yes, yes, yes!
Jiang Ye sent her two.
Long-Legged Te Bai: So cute! I really like them. I'll raise it well! Brother Jiang, you're so nice to think of giving me little starfish to play with.
Jiang Ye: Hey, it was just a casual thing.
Closing the private chat window with Long-Legged Te Bai, Jiang Ye opened the chat window for Li Nannan.
Li Nannan was a military officer with tight schedules and many tasks, so he didn't ask if she wanted them and directly sent her two starfish.
Unexpectedly, less than ten seconds after sending them, the trading bay flashed, and the starfish were sent back.
One starfish was intact, while the other had a missing corner, with faint teeth marks, as if it had been bitten off.
Li Nannan: Don't want it, tastes bad.
Jiang Ye almost spat blood.
"Military officers are different!"
"They just bite into it! They just eat it directly!"
"Who bites off a starfish leg in one go? Don't they usually open them to eat the roe? Does eating it raw really not taste fishy?"
Jiang Ye picked up the limping starfish and examined it with pity. The starfish's ventral feet were still moving. He wondered if it would hurt to have a leg bitten off.
Since it had already been bitten once, he might as well eat the rest.
Jiang Ye pried open the starfish, revealing the brown roe inside, and took a bite.
It really did taste bad.
He opened the window and threw it out directly.
Several wild wolves immediately crowded around to snatch it. They all bit down, tearing the starfish into three pieces with a crunch, and carrying them off in their mouths.
The three wolves held them for a few seconds, squinted at each other, then spat out the starfish and ran off.
"Well, even dogs won't eat it."
*Knock, knock, knock!* The base door was knocked.
Jiang Ye immediately got up to open the door.
Outside the door was Xu Yan, impeccably dressed in a suit, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, exuding the aura of a high-ranking female executive.
"Hello, Ms. Xu," Jiang Ye said, stepping aside and gesturing for her to enter.
"I won't come in. I wanted to ask you something," Xu Yan said. "About what we discussed earlier, how is the progress on you introducing workers to me?"
"Oh, look at my memory. I've been too busy these past few days, I forgot," Jiang Ye said, slapping his forehead.
"Then please introduce them as soon as possible. I'm short of people for many projects now," Xu Yan said. "It's still as we discussed: for every person you introduce to me who is willing to work for a month, I'll give you 100,000 yuan. For those willing to work for three months, I'll give you 500,000 yuan."
Jiang Ye nodded. "Okay, I'll ask around to see if anyone is willing. You can watch too, so if there are any issues, you can answer them on the spot."
Xu Yan nodded and boarded the base vehicle, her high heels making a clicking sound.
Jiang Ye sat down in front of the base panel, opened the chat channel, and entered the public channel.
The channel was lively, with many people chatting casually. Everyone seemed to be quite idle.
After a moment of thought, he typed a message.
Jiang Ye: Good news, White Ant Real Estate is recruiting workers on our planet! The benefits are incredible, with a monthly salary of 100,000 yuan, including food and accommodation. Accommodation is in a single room on the space station, measuring 30 square meters. Meals consist of three dishes and one soup with staple food, three meals a day. As for the labor contract, you can sign for one month or three months. Those interested, please private message me quickly. Slots are limited!