Chapter 55

Ye Yuan drank quite a bit of alcohol today, feeling a bit dizzy. He returned to his bedroom, took out a "black stone," and began to cultivate. As he practiced his technique, the dizziness gradually subsided. Just as he completed one cycle, his phone rang.

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Upon seeing the caller, it was Xu Hang.

"What's up, calling so late?"

"Tomorrow noon, Lantao Base."

"Okay."

After saying this, Xu Hang hung up the phone.

Ye Yuan was already accustomed to Xu Hang's straightforward style of speaking, where he wouldn't say three words if two would suffice.

......

Ye Yuan arrived at the naval base. Led by Xu Hang, he entered a conference room. Along the way, Ye Yuan asked Xu Hang what was going on, but Xu Hang only replied,

"You'll know in a bit."

Several military personnel were seated in the conference room, each with a high rank. They greeted Ye Yuan warmly upon his arrival.

One of the middle-aged officers said to Ye Yuan,

"Xu Hang mentioned that you solved the resettlement issue for several of our soldiers?"

Ye Yuan politely replied, "It's nothing much. I was just looking to switch to a larger fishing boat and needed some help. Since Xu Hang is a good friend, it was just a matter of convenience, nothing to talk about much."

"Do you have any specific requirements for the fishing boat?" the middle-aged man continued.

Ye Yuan was slightly taken aback. Could they really be using a military shipyard to build a fishing boat for him?

Ye Yuan didn't dare to think so, but since the other party asked, he couldn't avoid answering. After some thought, he said, "Strong wind resistance, large storage capacity, and advanced equipment." Ye Yuan didn't know what the other party meant, so he didn't specify too many details, just giving a general direction.

"What about the price? Any requirements?" the middle-aged officer continued to ask.

"Of course, the cheaper the better."

"If the quality of the boat is better than you expected, but the price is higher than the market rate, could you accept it?"

Ye Yuan thought for a moment, unsure how to answer this question.

The middle-aged man, seeing Ye Yuan's hesitation, said straightforwardly, "We happen to have a warship that is about to be decommissioned. It can be modified into a fishing boat. Although we can't leave all the equipment on the ship, we won't remove the civilian equipment. We can also modify it into any type of fishing boat according to your requirements."

"Usually, such decommissioned warships are modified and sold to large oceanic companies. This is an opportunity that Xu Hang has secured for you, but it's up to you." After saying this, the middle-aged officer smiled at Ye Yuan.

Ye Yuan never thought he would have the chance to fish with a modified warship. How could he not be pleased?

"No problem, of course, I'm willing. I just wonder about the price?" Ye Yuan still had to ask about the price, as he had no concept of such a fishing boat.

"The price depends on how you want it modified. We have some previous modification plans here for you to look at," said a man with glasses standing next to the middle-aged officer.

After the introduction, Ye Yuan learned that this man was an engineer from the military shipyard responsible for modifying decommissioned ships.

Ye Yuan politely took a few blueprints and noticed that one of them was for a large trawler.

Fishing boats come in many types, such as trawlers, purse seiners, longliners, gillnetters, and shrimp trawlers. If further categorized, there are even more types. Just for catching tuna, there are several varieties.

The type Ye Yuan currently used was a trawler, which he found the most suitable.

He decided to stick with a trawler. The modified trawler was a highly modernized fishing boat.

The storage capacity was an impressive 2000 tons, though it couldn't compare to the 10,000-ton class fishing boats.

However, Ye Yuan didn't plan to get such a large fishing boat. He didn't have the time to spend so long at sea, as such boats could potentially stay out for years without returning to shore.

After deciding on a trawler, the military gave a quote.

The total cost for modifying and delivering the boat was 26 million yuan.

The modified trawler was 55 meters long, 10 meters wide, with a total tonnage of 2040 tons, a fresh fish refrigeration capacity of 1500 tons, and a freezing capacity of 1350 cubic meters.

The refrigeration equipment included 5 73.5K compressors, 18 cold seawater storage rooms, and the ability to freeze 80 tons per day. Additionally, a large live water tank was modified according to Ye Yuan's needs.

The modified trawler not only had an advanced main engine and high speed but also featured advanced auxiliary equipment, such as winches, net haulers, power cranes, and cranes.

The bridge was equipped with 3 radars, a satellite navigation system, a gyrocompass, an automatic navigation and distance meter, as well as single-sideband and high-frequency communication devices. It also had a helicopter platform.

Of course, the helicopter would need to be purchased by Ye Yuan.

If Ye Yuan was willing, they could help him contact a civilian helicopter.

Xu Hang interjected, "If you have the money, buy a helicopter. Half of the people can fly it, so you don't need to hire a separate pilot."

After saying this, Xu Hang didn't say more.

Ye Yuan also inquired about the price of a civilian helicopter. The engineer told him that if they helped with the procurement, 2 million yuan would be enough.

They would handle the subsequent matters.

Ye Yuan roughly calculated the cost. Purchasing such a fishing boat would cost 28 million yuan. He currently had about 29 million yuan in his account, meaning he would have little money left after buying the boat.

Of course, Ye Yuan wouldn't give up such a good opportunity. Two months ago, he was still a worker earning 6000 yuan a month.

Ye Yuan believed that as long as there were fish in the sea, he wouldn't run out of money.

Both parties signed the purchase agreement. Ye Yuan directly transferred 15 million yuan to the designated account, and the military shipyard began the modification, which would take about 50 days. The fishing moratorium usually lasts two months, so it would be ready just in time for the end of the moratorium, without delaying Ye Yuan's fishing.

The remaining balance would be paid upon delivery.

After discussing these matters, it was already noon. Ye Yuan thought about leaving, but Xu Hang stopped him, insisting on introducing him to the soldiers.

The two of them went to the barracks and led Ye Yuan to a room where several soldiers were chatting.

Seeing Xu Hang enter, everyone immediately stood up and saluted, shouting loudly,

"Salute, Instructor!"

Xu Hang returned the salute and said, "Sit down. I'll introduce you to your future boss, Ye Yuan."

The soldiers all looked at Ye Yuan.

Ye Yuan looked at the soldiers, each one impressive and formidable.

After a moment of thought, he said, "We don't know each other well, so I won't say much. I believe Xu Hang has already told you about my situation. Fishing is tough, so you need to be mentally prepared."

"Not afraid of hardship."

The soldiers answered in unison.

Ye Yuan smiled slightly, the loud response almost hurting his ears.

They were indeed all big-voiced.

"Alright, that's good. It's the fishing moratorium now, so there's nothing to do. You've been in the military for some time, so go home and rest. Come to Pinghai County in 50 days."