Chapter 7: A Fish Market Scuffle

Chapter 7: A Fish Market Scuffle

Xiong Zhaozhao had transferred spiritual energy to the sea cucumbers, so she wasn't worried they'd die anytime soon. She took out half the box of fish for retail sale, and with the auspicious parrot, even this remote spot saw several fish sold in no time.

Just as she was delighted, three young men approached their stall, pointing at the stacked boxes of sea cucumbers and said to Big Lin Zi, "Kid, load these sea cucumbers onto our truck; we're buying them."

Xiong Zhaozhao looked up and asked, "All of them? How much are you offering? If it's reasonable, I'll sell." Big Lin Zi tugged at her, signaling her to stop talking.

These three, one with bleached hair, another with tattooed arms, and the last wearing sunglasses under the sunset, finally made Xiong Zhaozhao realize something was amiss. The crowd quickly dispersed, and voices around them grew hushed.

Raised by the sea, she had heard countless tales of the shady dealings at the docks since childhood, but this was her first encounter. She knew better than anyone how difficult and arduous sea fishing could be; her father had lost his life to it, and these people were still exploiting and bullying the lowly fishermen and vendors.

These social scum deserved a lesson.

Pretending reluctance to speak further, she casually handed her phone to Yaoguang, who stood beside a box, letting him hold it in his beak.

She said, "Name your price."

The tattooed thug said, "New here, little girl? Brother buys sea cucumbers at a uniform price of 200 each; weigh them quickly."

Xiong Zhaozhao pushed Big Lin Zi back, stepping forward with an exceptionally polite demeanor. Gently, she said, "Big brother is joking, right? Did you not see clearly? These are wild sea cucumbers; we won't sell them for 200. In Chong Hai, they fetch over 1200 each. Today, I'm offering them at 1000 each, take it or leave it; otherwise, we're packing up."

As she spoke, the sunglasses-wearing thug, without a word, kicked over the box of fish, scattering them everywhere. "You think you can refuse? You're asking for it; I'll offer 50 now!"

Xiong Zhaozhao held back Big Lin Zi, speaking clearly, "That's too cheap; we won't sell. Are you trying to force a transaction?"

The bleached-haired thug scoffed, "Where did you two idiots come from? Didn't you hear that Brother Hu is doing you a favor by buying from you? Don't talk nonsense; if you do, I'll pay fifty cents per pound."

An old man selling kelp nearby whispered advice, "Young lady, don't provoke them." He gave her meaningful glances.

The sunglasses-wearing thug kicked a flying fish onto the old man's stall as a warning, causing him to retreat.

Xiong Zhaozhao frowned. "Big Lin Zi, call the police; someone's smashing and robbing us."

Big Lin Zi obediently pulled out his phone to call the police. The tattooed thug reached out to snatch it, cursing, "Where did you morons come from, calling the police?! I'll kill your whole family, believe me!" Xiong Zhaozhao immediately grabbed his arm, pretending to pull him away while taking the opportunity to inject icy-cold energy into his body. As a water spirit root cultivator, this was her most proficient move.

The tattooed thug felt a numbness in half his shoulder. "Damn, you dare hit me, bitch?" Then, he fell to the ground, feeling a chilling sensation throughout his bones, like needles piercing him, unbearable pain. Seeing their companions attacked, the bleached-haired and sunglasses-wearing thugs rushed forward. Xiong Zhaozhao brushed them aside, leaving all three sprawled before the stall.

She mentally asked Yaoguang: How's the angle? Clear?

Yaoguang: No problem.

The three rolled on the ground in agony, claiming they were in pain. This remote area was dry, with plenty of dust, which the trio stirred up as they writhed. Xiong Zhaozhao feigned helplessness and fear, looking around in panic. "What's happening? Are they trying to extort me? Big Lin Zi, when will the police arrive?"

Big Lin Zi was equally alarmed. "They said they'd be here soon. Is this some new trick? I've heard Brother Hu is powerful... I-I-I didn't even touch them..."

Xiong Zhaozhao thought Big Lin Zi was acting better, with more emotion. Her sun-protective suit, revealing only her eyes, hindered her performance.

She pulled Big Lin Zi to stand far away from the three human bulldozers, waiting for the police.

The plump Boss Zhao arrived before the police. Seeing him, Xiong Zhaozhao recalled what he said when she sold the golden butterfly shells; now she understood his meaning. It seemed these thugs targeted valuable catches, and this fat boss was decent.

"Why did you come back? Was there a problem with the golden butterfly shells?"

Boss Zhao didn't understand what the three were doing, hurriedly saying, "No problem, no problem. Wild sea cucumbers are rare in Chong Hai. If you're selling them for 1000 each, I have a friend interested. That's why I returned; are they still available?"

Xiong Zhaozhao happily replied, "Yes, let's weigh them now."

"What are they doing?" Boss Zhao couldn't approach the stall. "Oh, they're rolling around trying to extort me. I've already called the police; we're waiting for them. If not, we would have left, and you wouldn't have been able to buy these sea cucumbers." Xiong Zhaozhao scooped out the sea cucumbers and placed them on the scale.

Boss Zhao's eyebrows twitched. Fresh sea cucumbers weighed down the scale; considering the size of the box, combined with the sea cucumbers and water, it could reach two hundred pounds. She lifted it effortlessly, as if carrying a tray of cotton...

This girl was not simple.

A total of 26 sea cucumbers weighed 396 pounds, making the total 396,000. They exchanged contact information, and Xiong Zhaozhao sent her bank account number to Boss Zhao.

After receiving the bank transfer confirmation, the police finally arrived, which took only about ten minutes.

Hearing about a robbery at the dock's fish market, many officers came, only to find the situation resolved upon arrival.

The team leader, a second-level police inspector, was about to question them when five or six rowdy youths turned up from the other side. These three human bulldozers hadn't just rolled around; they also called for backup, coincidentally colliding with the police. They had a blind spot when approaching, only noticing the uniforms up close. The police shouted, "What are you guys doing here?"

The social scum scattered skillfully, one even responding, "I came to buy groceries..." before fleeing hastily.

Xiong Zhaozhao stepped forward to explain, "We called the police. These three wanted to take my fish for free. When refused, they kicked over the catch and have been rolling on the ground for ten minutes, trying to extort me. Luckily, I was live-streaming, and it's all recorded." The three on the ground kept yelling that she was lying, that they were in excruciating pain after being beaten.

Xiong Zhaozhao handed her phone, held by Yaoguang, to Inspector Wang, the team leader. "See for yourself."

The live stream was still running, with seven hundred viewers watching...

There were numerous comments scrolling across the screen:

"Police uncle, those three gangsters are such bad actors!"

"I testify; they're scamming."

Xiong Zhaozhao informed her audience before closing the live stream, intending to extract the video for the police. She said she believed the police would help them seek justice.

In the end, because the three couldn't specify where they hurt, and with video evidence, the siblings went to give statements and then left.

They didn't return until nightfall after having dinner on the island. Only then did they fully realize today's substantial earnings; owning a trawler was within reach! Their balance was 420,000! Xiong Zhaozhao immediately sent her brother the maximum limit of a red envelope, 10,000 yuan. Throughout the journey, Big Lin Zi kept staring at his wallet balance, repeatedly asking if it was really that much. He had never possessed so much money before.

"You can buy whatever you want. If we earn more through live streaming, we'll share it with you." Big Lin Zi immediately waved his hands. "Enough! This is already plenty. Aren't we saving to buy a ship? Don't give me any more; I didn't do anything." Xiong Zhaozhao reached out to tousle her silly brother's hair. "Sister's giving you pocket money. Spoiled kids get pocket money; you'll always have it if you're obedient!"

Big Lin Zi's eyes moistened under the night sky. After Grandpa passed away, someone was voluntarily giving him pocket money again.

As for the three thugs, they continued to complain of pain at the police station, each pale and unable to stand due to the agony. The police eventually sent them to the hospital for thorough examinations, which, of course, revealed no issues. Suspecting they were avoiding detention, once the three days passed and the icy-cold energy dissipated, they were fine. The police became increasingly convinced they were faking exhaustion to avoid punishment, extending their detention period.