He tied up the four male consorts and leaned against a large rock, feeling somewhat tired. "Diving into the water a few times like this is quite tiring. It seems I've been too comfortable lately; I really need to train more."
However, looking at the one emperor and four consorts, plus a pile of scallops and conches, he felt it was all worth the exhaustion. Li Haochen's beaming smile was enough to tell how happy he was.
Li Haochen carried the conches and scallops into his spatial dimension, his mind focused on solidifying his foundation and achieving a powerful breakthrough through accumulated effort.
"Hehe, girl conches, breed quickly. Three litters a year, and I'll be counting on you in the future!"
Li Haochen looked at the thriving sea snails by the large rock in his space, clustered together with their families, and couldn't stop smiling.
"I wonder how the sand white and long-tailed snails are breeding. By normal estimates, their numbers should have increased several times over."
Li Haochen had always wanted to check on the sand white and long-tailed snails in the tidal flats, but the phenomenon of the spatial sea's ebb tide made it difficult for him. The tide only receded on the fifteenth day of the lunar month, and each time, it lasted for only an hour, no more, no less.
"Alas, it's like smearing honey on my nose. Without tools, even if the tide recedes, it's useless."
Emerging from the spatial dimension, Li Haochen grabbed the queen crab with one hand and two male crabs with the other. Their eyes met, and the crabs became restless, as if the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl were about to meet across the starry river. They puffed out bubbles from their mouths, making muffled sounds.
The queen crab was too large, and its struggles had considerable force. It led the two male concubines in a rebellion, causing Li Haochen to slip.
"Holy crap!"
"Ah...!"
To avoid crushing the three crabs in his hands, Li Haochen instinctively turned, his back hitting a rock. Fortunately, the rock was smooth. If it had been covered in barnacles and oysters, the sensation would have been absolutely exhilarating.
The three blue crabs in his hands opened and closed their small mouths, their bubble-puffing frequency significantly increasing, as if they were laughing at Li Haochen.
"Damn it, you dare laugh at me? I'll throw you into my space and imprison you for 24-hour service."
Angrily, Li Haochen grabbed the blue crabs and headed into his spatial dimension. It took him two trips to get all five large fellows into the space.
Perhaps sensing the seawater, the blue crabs blinked their large eyes, feigning pitifulness. Li Haochen picked them up, placed them in the water, and untangled the aquatic plants.
"Whoosh...!"
Less than two seconds after being released, they darted several meters away. The queen and her four concubines didn't forget to breach the surface, splashing water as if saying, "Kind sir, thank you!"
"Hehe, my four great concubines, you'd better work hard and breed diligently."
"Today's harvest is really good. Let's go, back to cook dinner. I'll go handle the paperwork in the afternoon." Saying this, Li Haochen flung the aquatic plants in his hands into the sea and turned to leave...
"Hmm... did I forget something?"
Li Haochen scratched his head, deep in thought.
"Pfft...!"
Li Haochen dove into the sea. The blue crabs, not yet far away, flinched in fright, trembled, and quickly swam toward the depths. Upon reaching the shore, Li Haochen held a few strands of aquatic plants in his hand.
"This... I can bring things into the spatial dimension now?"
With a face full of surprise, Li Haochen swiftly exited his spatial dimension and quickly went to the place where his items were stored. He grabbed the bucket and aquatic plants, muttering, "Don't disappoint me."
"Enter..."
Li Haochen closed his eyes, a little anxious, afraid of disappointment. But feeling the weight in his hands, he secretly let out a sigh of relief and then danced with excitement.
"Hahaha, that's great! This will save a lot of time and improve efficiency. My earning speed will increase by at least dozens of times."
Exiting the spatial dimension, Li Haochen placed all the items inside. Feeling lighthearted, he hummed a little tune and arrived at a treacherous section. After passing this point, he naturally retrieved his safety ropes, refusing to be a "tree planter."
Returning home, Li Haochen washed up and drove his electric tricycle straight to Bin University to meet the goddess.
"Yanran, are you done with class?"
"Yes, just finished. I'm at the entrance of the teaching building. Come pick me up." Murong Yanran held her books, quietly waiting for Li Haochen.
"Yanran, why haven't you left yet?"
"Shanshan, I'm waiting for someone," Murong Yanran said with a smile.
"Your sweetheart?"
Murong Yanran smiled enigmatically and nodded, her face beaming with joy.
"Oh, I have to see which young master has captured the heart of Bin University's top freshman."
"Reverse parking, please... Reverse parking, please..."
Just as Ruan Shanshan finished speaking, Li Haochen backed his three-wheeled vehicle next to Murong Yanran, revealing a smile. His snow-white teeth formed a stark visual contrast with his tanned skin.
"Yanran... oh, who is this beauty?"
Li Haochen was about to speak to Murong Yanran when he saw a petite and lovely girl standing next to her. He asked somewhat awkwardly.
"Hello, handsome. I'm Yanran's roommate, Ruan Shanshan. Please give me your guidance." Ruan Shanshan greeted him very proactively, sizing up Li Haochen from head to toe.
"Hello, my name is Li Haochen."
Seeing an extra person, Li Haochen felt it awkward to drive Murong Yanran away alone. He got on his bike and said to both girls, "Yanran, you two go ahead to Qinyuan first. I'll join you after I park the car."
Murong Yanran linked arms with Ruan Shanshan. "Let's go."
"Oh... I, this giant light bulb, shouldn't disturb your romantic rendezvous, hehe!"
"Let's go, light bulb."
...
"Haochen, over here."
Seeing Murong Yanran wave, Li Haochen quickly walked over. Fortunately, there weren't many people at this time, otherwise, countless "animals" would have used Rukawa Kaede's signature moves against Li Haochen.
"Have you ordered the dishes already?"
Seeing a table full of his favorite dishes, Li Haochen felt a warmth spread through him. He smiled faintly, sat naturally next to Murong Yanran, took the chopsticks she handed him, and began to eat with relish.
"Should I turn off my light bulb, hehe!"
"I like the light..." Li Haochen said, his mouth full of chicken leg, his words somewhat muffled.
"……?"
"Ring ring ring..."
"Hello, Manager Li... What? I can lower it a bit... *Beep beep*... Hello...!"
After finishing the call, Ruan Shanshan's face turned a little pale, and she sighed helplessly.
"Shanshan, what's wrong?"
"Alas, the company where I was doing my part-time job, which was going well, suddenly said I didn't need to come anymore."
"Don't fret about one employer, another will come along. Perhaps the next one will be better," Murong Yanran consoled her.
"I hope so. Uh... I'm fine. Why are you all looking at me like that?" Ruan Shanshan tried to act nonchalant, but a hint of disappointment in her eyes was undeniable.
Murong Yanran kicked Li Haochen under the table, giving him a knowing look. Li Haochen understood immediately and returned a reassuring gaze.
"Ahem, uh... Shanshan, how about you come help out at my shop in a few days?"
"What...?" Ruan Shanshan looked at Li Haochen, bewildered. "Your shop?"
Li Haochen seemed a little embarrassed and scratched his head. "I haven't finished getting the licenses and permits yet. It'll probably take a few more days."
"...?"