My fishing raft will ask for help.

Chapter 47 Zhou Miao's Change of Attitude

Before even reaching the fish raft dock, we could see Pang Yu's familiar figure already waiting eagerly on the shore.

With hundreds of kilograms of live lobsters and an even greater quantity of fresh catch, mostly from red snapper, the profits from this would be substantial, so he naturally wouldn't neglect it.

Clearly, Pang Yu, nominally a purchasing agent for a Japanese restaurant, is most likely also doing business as a seafood vendor.

But this should be allowed by Pang Hao, how much money can you earn just by working?

After unloading and weighing, Zhou Miao caught a total of thirteen red snapper today, weighing a total of fifty-six jin (approximately 22.5 catties).

Pang Yu weighed them one by one: "Brother, most of your red buds are under five jin (2.5 kg), so according to industry practice, you can only get sixty yuan per jin. If they're over ten jin, you can get an extra ten yuan."

"Okay, let's go with this price." Zhou Miao had no complaints about the price.

Since we're wholesaling to others, it's only right that we get the wholesale price.

In the end, this red envelope was sold for 3,360 yuan.

Regarding the wavy lobster, Pang Yu even gave him a rundown of the market price: "It sells for 170 yuan in Nanzhen right now, but only 130 yuan wholesale. However, we've known each other for a long time, so I'll give it to you for 135 yuan. What do you think?"

Zhou Miao raised an eyebrow: "It can't be any higher."

"Brother, there's nothing I can do about it. I actually bought them at the highest price." Pang Yu shook his head with a wry smile.

Compared to Pang Hao, Pang Yu seems more sincere; at least he didn't lie about the lobster market.

When Zhou Miao returned, she specifically texted Luo Hao to ask if the price was okay.

So, excluding the two lobsters reserved for Yu Muzhou, there were a total of 97.6 jin of lobsters.

Based on a unit price of 135, the income was 13,126 yuan.

As for Lu Xiaoxiao next to her, she only had fish to sell.

She caught seven red snapper in the morning, but only two rock bream and three brightly colored parrotfish in the afternoon, with a total income of nearly two thousand yuan.

Even after deducting the negligible cost of the bait, she still made a fortune.

Compared to the huge sum of money Zhou Miao brought with the lobster, it seemed rather insignificant.

Yu Muzhou did not participate in the transaction. He had his own plans for the fish he caught: either put them in his own freezer or share them with relatives and friends to enjoy.

However, before he left with the fish, Zhou Miao found a moment to whisper to Lu Xiaoxiao, "Brother Zhou, I have a question. How much does it cost to salvage a small boat in shallow water?"

Yu Muzhou found it a bit strange and didn't understand why he suddenly asked this question.

But he wasn't a very curious person, and he wouldn't ask unless Zhou Miao brought it up.

"There's no fixed price. It depends on the location, the complexity of the underwater conditions, the size of the boat, and the water depth. But salvaging a small boat in shallow water can cost anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars. And that doesn't include the cost of labor and equipment rental, which would be another several thousand dollars."

Zhou Miao quickly calculated in his mind that although the money from selling lobsters today seemed substantial, it probably wouldn't be enough to salvage the boat.

However, at this moment, money is not the most important thing.

The most urgent task is to inform the police about the shipwreck as soon as possible; perhaps they can find clues that Zhou Miao has missed.

Therefore, after Pang Yu drove away from the dock in his car loaded with seafood, Zhou Miao said to Lu Xiaoxiao, "Xiaoxiao, you go back and prepare dinner first. I have some other things to do here."

Lu Xiaoxiao, unsuspecting, packed up her fishing gear and left first, while he rode his tricycle to the town's police station.

At the police station, Zhou Miao gave a detailed account to the officers on duty of how he accidentally discovered the shipwreck while diving, as well as the impact marks on the hull and the reef, and provided the coordinates of the location.

His account immediately caught the attention of the police officers.

"The clues you provided are crucial," the police officer said seriously. "However, the situation at sea is complex, so you should be prepared."

Zhou Miao naturally understood the implication: finding the sunken ship might not guarantee finding the people, and everyone knew perfectly well what would happen to them in that situation.

The local police station quickly contacted the Coast Guard, since maritime accidents fall under their jurisdiction.

The coast guard quickly responded, asking Zhou Miao to leave his contact number and keep it accessible so they could contact him at any time.

However, Zhou Miao made a request: that they refrain from contacting Lu Xingyu's family until there was a definite outcome.

He wanted to use this time to help them prepare mentally.

What he was really worried about was Lu Xiaoxiao; he didn't care about Lu Xingyu's parents.

The police officers expressed their understanding, stating that they typically do not notify the families of missing persons without making significant discoveries or obtaining conclusive results.

Just when he thought he could finally relax and go home, the Coast Guard called again, demanding that Zhou Miao immediately cooperate with the police and go to the shipwreck location to assist in locating it.

Although he didn't understand why he had to go along and why it was in such a rush, Zhou Miao knew that cooperating was necessary.

He hurriedly sent Lu Xiaoxiao a text message: "Something came up, don't wait for me for dinner."

In less than an hour, he had arrived at the daytime fishing spot; the speed of the speedboat was far superior to that of Yu Muzhou's fishing boat.

There were only five people on the speedboat: besides him, there were two coast guards and two professional divers.

After learning from Zhou Miao the location of the impacted reef and the sunken ship, they went into the water to confirm it and tried to find other clues.

This unusual situation reminded Zhou Miao of the time he was suddenly asked to leave the bank last time.

He understood that there must be things he didn't know, but he could only cooperate.

However, today's evidence sampling is advantageous to Lu Xingyu, at least it can preliminarily rule out his involvement in the smuggling case.

By the time the divers finished their survey, collected samples, and the speedboat returned to shore, it was already past 9 p.m.

When Zhou Miao got home, he felt a deep weariness that permeated his very bones, the kind of exhaustion that comes from excessive mental and emotional exertion.

Standing at the door of his rented room, he took a deep breath and rallied his spirits before opening the door.

The cool air from the living room air conditioner swept over him, instantly washing away the sticky heat and bringing a sense of comfort.

To his surprise, there were two dishes on the table.

My gaze shifted to the sofa, where Lu Xiaoxiao was curled up, seemingly asleep.

Zhou Miao was slightly taken aback. This scene inexplicably gave him the feeling of a newlywed wife waiting for her husband to return home late, which he found a little funny.

He tiptoed to the sofa, squatted down, and carefully examined Lu Xiaoxiao.

After going out to sea with him for several days in a row, exposed to the wind and sun, her skin didn't change much.

Her exposed skin was still fair and delicate, looking so smooth and flawless that it was clearly a gifted individual!

During the day, Lu Xiaoxiao seems normal. She works hard at fishing and is very diligent in her daily life. Whenever they go out, she is like his little follower.

But her defensive posture while sleeping now tells Zhou Miao that she is actually filled with fear and anxiety.

But that makes sense. How could a girl who has already graduated from university be so naive about her brother's disappearance?

She simply hid all her worries and fears, masking them with outward efforts and normalcy.

He recalled the times he had occasionally stumbled upon Lu Xingyu talking on the phone with his sister; the voice on the other end was always crisp, cheerful, and full of energy, completely different from the quiet and reserved girl in front of him.

He knew the reason perfectly well, and that made him feel even more sorry for her.

Perhaps it's from being stared at for a long time, or perhaps it's because sensitive people remain alert even in their sleep.

Equally exhausted, Lu Xiaoxiao's eyelashes trembled a few times under his gaze, and she slowly opened her eyes instinctively.

She was startled when she vaguely saw the figure squatting in front of her, but then realized it was Zhou Miao.

She quickly sat up, rubbing her sleepy eyes, her voice soft and sweet from just waking up: "Brother Miao, when did you get back? Why are you staring at me?"

A slightly indulgent smile unconsciously appeared on Zhou Miao's face as she teased, "It's nothing, I'm just a little curious about what a sleeping kitten looks like."

His unconscious change today stirred up a strange feeling in Lu Xiaoxiao's heart.

During this period, she was already sensitive and particularly perceptive of changes in the emotions of those around her.

During the day on the boat, she vaguely felt that Zhou Miao's gaze towards her seemed somewhat different, but she was too engrossed in fishing to think about it in detail at the time.

At this moment, this feeling became especially clear, confusing her so much that she even ignored the teasing in his words.

"Brother Miao." She frowned slightly, looking at him with a questioning gaze, "What's wrong with you today? You seem a little different."

Zhou Miao paused for a moment after being asked the question, then smiled and said with a touch of emotion, "Nothing special. I'm just suddenly very envious of your brother for having such a good sister like you."

Lu Xiaoxiao's face flushed slightly from his praise, feeling a little embarrassed, but her doubts remained.

Looking at his slightly tired yet unusually gentle face, she persisted, "But you've been acting a little strange today. Is something wrong?"

She hesitated, her voice lowering, carrying a hint of barely perceptible worry.

"It's really nothing." Zhou Miao avoided her overly probing gaze, stood up, pointed to the dining table, and changed the subject. "I'm starving after all this work. Let's heat up the food and fill our stomachs."

"You haven't had dinner? Let me heat it up for you!" Lu Xiaoxiao was a little surprised; she thought Zhou Miao would eat out that night.

However, she still made extra food, worried that he would be hungry at night if he ate dinner in a hurry, but it actually came in handy.

"No need, no need." Zhou Miao pressed her shoulder, preventing her from carrying the dishes. "I can do it myself. You've had a long day, go back to your room and rest!"

As he spoke, he gently pushed her toward the bedroom.

Lu Xiaoxiao couldn't refuse him, so she had no choice but to obediently walk to her room.