The small fishing boat was not slow. As soon as the plan was settled, the boat reached the Whale God and automatically pulled alongside, docking against its body.
"What kind of boat is this? So dark!" the old fisherman scrutinized the stationary Whale God, still unable to discern anything unusual.
The younger fisherman found a rudimentary ladder in the cabin and propped it against the Whale God, allowing us to climb down.
Yaoyao disdained this, adopting a sliding posture and zipping into the boat. She raised her hand, ready to strike.
"Wait!" I quickly interjected. This wasn't about being merciful; the crucial point was that I didn't know how to operate this kind of vessel. If she knocked them both out, how would I get back to land!
The two fishermen hadn't realized Yaoyao was about to attack. Naturally, with her small, beautiful, and adorable appearance, Yaoyao didn't seem like a bad person to ordinary folk.
I descended the ladder onto the deck and cupped my hands, saying, "Thank you both for your rescue. I have a further request. We are merchants, in a hurry to return to Lvshun to sign a contract. Our ship sank unexpectedly. I would like to ask you to immediately take me back to land. I will compensate you!"
After speaking, I directly took out my phone, "WeChat. You two discuss the amount, and I'll transfer it to you immediately."
Anything that could be solved with money should be solved with money, because money was the most worthless thing.
The father and son exchanged glances. The old fisherman seemed reluctant, frowning, "We were just about to cast our nets. We encountered a school of fish tonight. If it weren't for saving you, we would have already..."
"How much is a net of fish worth?" I asked.
"At least five to eight thousand," the younger fisherman replied, "plus our fuel costs..."
"Twenty thousand." I offered a price they couldn't refuse.
However, I underestimated human greed. The old fisherman's eyes darted, and he held up five fingers, "Fifty thousand, not a single cent less!"
"Aren't you extorting us!" Yaoyao frowned.
"Yeah, Dad, that's too much. Just ask for a little less. Or... brother, forty thousand, how about that?"
This father and son were putting on a show for me!
The old fisherman feigned dissatisfaction, snorted, and returned to the cabin to retrieve his fishing gear.
After I transferred forty thousand yuan to the younger fisherman, I said I needed to get something from the boat, using the opportunity to have Yaoyao and the fox spirit swap clothes inside the whale's mouth. Chen Ke had a hat, which I also put on the fox spirit.
Re-entering the fishing boat, the two fishermen noticed nothing amiss. They took the two of us, pushed away from the "sunken ship," and headed towards the shore.
After sailing about half a kilometer, I looked back. The Whale God had quietly departed with them, continuing its southward voyage. The younger fisherman also followed my gaze back and asked doubtfully, "Eh? Where's your boat?"
"It must have sunk," I said.
"Wasn't anyone else on board?" the younger fisherman asked, even with some concern.
"There were two crew members. I had them take a life raft to shore for help earlier, the hand-crank kind. They probably haven't reached land yet. I was in a hurry, which is why we asked for your help." I thought my explanation was quite perfect.
After sailing another kilometer or so, two high-speed speedboats suddenly appeared ahead, leaving long white wakes as they headed towards us.
"Little brother," I lowered my voice and said to the younger fisherman, "I suspect our ship sank because we were plotted against by our business rivals. Just as I was making up... just as I said, our crew members haven't reached shore yet, so how could rescue arrive? I suspect these two boats are from my business rivals. So, if they ask later, pretend I'm your elder brother, and she's your sister. We're a family of four, alright?"
"Haha, okay, okay. The business world is like a battlefield, I understand. It's too scheming. I'd rather fish!"
"That's right, that's right. Big brother, what's your name?" I asked.
"My name is Wang Haibo," the younger fisherman pointed to the old fisherman smoking in the cabin, "my dad's name is Wang Xiangdong."
I nodded, "Then I'll call... Wang Haitao. Hey, Kun Kun, you call yourself Wang Haichao."
"Got it," the fox spirit pulled down the brim of his hat and then quietly murmured, "Haichao, Haichao, Haichao..."
"My goodness, how did you know my younger brother and sister's names!" the younger fisherman exclaimed, "They really are named Haitao and Haichao! They both work out of town!"
"...Your family has good taste in names," I laughed.
As we talked, the two speedboats were already very close but didn't stop. Instead, they zipped past on either side of the fishing boat. I saw clearly, fifteen streams of purple energy, all on the speedboats. Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, suddenly, one of them drew a large white circle on the sea and turned back...