The island residents craned their necks, their jaws agape in astonishment as they watched the Petrovna pass by with the behemoth on its deck.

Word was that the fish was nine feet long and weighed 452 pounds.

A halibut of this size had scarcely been seen in the last thirty years.

When the fishing boat docked at the pier, residents and tourists alike raised their phones and quickly swarmed it, forming an impenetrable crowd.

Whoever said foreigners were cold and distant, that they didn’t like to form crowds or rubberneck?

They deserved a slap in the face.

Feng Shan was trapped on the boat, with no chance to even get ashore.

Finally, the captains had to step in and persuade the island residents to clear the pier. After all, the pier was only so big, and an accident could easily happen with so many people crowded together.

However, Alvin promised the residents and tourists he would bring the massive halibut onto the pier for everyone to take pictures with, which finally calmed the commotion.

"Buddy, you’re the one who owns this fish. You should get the first picture, right here on the deck." Alvin produced a camera from somewhere.

Feng Shan chuckled, shaking his head. He called Nash and Wawa over to stand next to the giant halibut, and they took one picture after another.

Afterward, he declined to celebrate with the islanders and tourists, leaving the big fish in Alvin’s care for the time being. Of course, after the celebration, the fish was to be put into cold storage. Later, Tom would arrange for someone to pick it up and have it mounted as a specimen.

After leaving the sport fishing pier, the three of them headed back to the Merchant Fishing Pier, as a batch of crabbing boats was scheduled to return to port around this time.

While chatting on the fishing boat, Feng Shan had deliberately asked Alvin about the departure and return times for the crabbing boats.

They generally set out in the early morning and stayed at sea for about one to two weeks. Their return was timed with the tides, so most came back to the pier around 5:00 or 6:00 PM. The fishing vessels from the morning belonged to a single fishing fleet that would be at sea for one or two weeks.

For the sake of the Soul Power, Feng Shan decided to stay on Saint Paul Island for the time being.

Arriving at the Merchant Fishing Pier, they saw four crabbing boats that had just returned. They were docked, and crewmen were unloading box after box of iced Gray-eyed Snow Crabs from their holds.

After being caught, Gray-eyed Snow Crabs needed to be preserved with crushed ice. They could survive for about ten days, but the exact time of death varied.

The Soul Power of the crabs that died first would return to nature, but the ones that died later were a boon for Feng Shan. All in all, it was a gain for him. At the very least, he didn’t have to suffer out at sea; he could just sit back and wait for the Soul Power to come to him.

Once the crabbing boats finished unloading, another wave of Soul Power flowed into him. Although it wasn’t as much as he’d gotten from the fleet that morning, it was far more abundant than what he’d collected from the whitefish in Kivalina.

After absorbing the Soul Power, Feng Shan bought a box of snow crabs from a fisherman and took it back to the inn, asking Lady Margaret to cook it for them.

The Gray-eyed Snow Crabs were very similar in size to the Emperor Crabs he had eaten in Fairbanks. They were large, with the smallest ones weighing at least five and a half pounds.

Lady Margaret’s method for cooking the Gray-eyed Snow Crabs was simple: steaming.

This rustic cooking method was the best way to bring out the original, authentic flavor of the Gray-eyed Snow Crab.

As the Gray-eyed Snow Crabs were placed in the steamer, the scent of the ocean gradually began to fill the steamy air.

The best thing about eating freshly caught Gray-eyed Snow Crab was its freshness. The meat was tender and sweet, and from the moment it touched your tongue, it was as if the entire ocean was blossoming on your palate.

The tender crab meat was as delicate as silk. With a gentle bite, you could feel its rich juices bursting in your mouth.

A faint sweetness spread across the taste buds, with not a hint of fishiness—only pure, delicious flavor.

Feng Shan and the other two ate with incredible gusto. The last time, when Frank had treated them, he had been too embarrassed to really dig in.

In Fairbanks, Gray-eyed Snow Crab sold for 20 US Dollars a pound. In the interior of the United States, the retail price could even reach around 40 US Dollars a pound. But on Saint Paul Island, you could get it for just 10 US Dollars a pound.

Feng Shan had bought a whole box—30 pounds—for just over 300 US Dollars.

If this were in the interior, it would have cost at least 1,000 US Dollars.

For three grown men, once you removed the shells, there wasn’t all that much meat.

Because of this, Lady Margaret specially cooked a pot of crab pasta, which was just enough to fill Feng Shan up.

After dinner, sipping the mint tea Lady Margaret had brewed, the three men sat on the small balcony, admiring the Bering Sea at night.

The clouds in the night sky had dispersed, revealing a brilliant, starry expanse.

Countless stars twinkled with a mysterious light, like the most beautiful jewels in the universe.

Waves lapped against the shore with a low, rhythmic sound. On the distant horizon, faint lights occasionally flickered—passing ships navigating through the darkness.

The fresh aroma of the mint tea filled their mouths, making them feel refreshed and at ease.

The three men sat quietly on the small balcony, immersed in the beautiful night.

Just then, a familiar voice sounded from inside the inn. It seemed to be Alvin greeting Lady Margaret.

The next moment, Alvin came out onto the balcony, dragging his bad leg. Seeing Feng Shan, he smiled. "Buddy, that big halibut’s in the freezer. You can pick it up anytime."

"Have a seat. Lady Margaret’s mint tea is fantastic!" Feng Shan said with a smile, pointing to the empty chair in front of him.

"Of course." Alvin pulled out a chair and sat down. He seemed a bit chilled by the sea breeze and hunched his neck, whereas Feng Shan and his companions didn’t seem to mind the temperature at all. "You guys are from the North, right? What’s the temperature there now?"

"The North" was a general term for the Far North Region. Being close to the Arctic Circle, it was the largest and least populated area in Alaska. Thanks to the hit TV show *Game of Thrones* from a few years back, southerners jokingly called the Far North Region "the North," and the people who lived there "Northern People."

"I think it was minus 25 degrees when we left. Near the Ice Sea, it got down to minus 30," Feng Shan said with a smile as he picked up the teapot and poured Alvin a cup of mint tea.

"Jesus Christ, that’s freezing," Alvin exclaimed. He planned to finish his tea and leave.

But Feng Shan wasn’t about to give him that chance.

Because after careful consideration, he intended to get a piece of the fishing industry on Saint Paul Island.

Of course, this decision was also prompted by the abundant Soul Power he had acquired today.

Just after he had obtained that large amount of Soul Power in the afternoon, a forgotten fragment of an ancestral dream had surfaced in his mind.

It depicted a time more than a decade after the Ancestor founded the Houtu Tribe. Under the protection of the tribe’s Fire Seed, their fertility had become extremely strong. The resulting population growth strained their resources, so the Ancestor decided to begin expanding outward and establish subsidiary tribes.

Unlike how the Ancestor’s own tribe had been driven out long ago, establishing subsidiary tribes was a relatively gentle method.

The Ancestor would infuse a Fire Seed into a new totem, allowing a splinter group of clansmen to establish a new tribe. This not only protected the new tribe’s safety but also allowed the Ancestor to maintain tight control over it through the Fire Seed connection.

In this way, the tribe’s Fire Seed acted like an invisible bond, tightly linking the old and new tribes.

Over time, the subsidiary tribes gradually developed and grew, then split off, grew again, and split off again, forming a spiderweb-like network of tribes.

This network of tribes supported the main tribe, and they faced crises together, achieving tribal expansion and creating a wider living space for their people.

Most importantly, the Totem Fire of a subsidiary tribe could also absorb Soul Power from its surroundings.

And Feng Shan’s plan was to establish a subsidiary tribe on a fishing boat. This way, he could not only collect a continuous stream of Soul Power but also earn a ton of Franklins through commercial fishing.

Alvin, sitting right in front of him, was an excellent candidate.

He had experienced the highs and lows of life but had never lost his passion for living or his hope for the future. He still possessed an indomitable spirit.

Feng Shan understood Alvin’s value and believed that with the help of a Totem Fire, he would become his most profitable aide.

"Alvin, I’m very interested in what you were saying this afternoon on the boat about commercial fishing," Feng Shan said, his eyes filled with sincerity.

Alvin froze for a moment and sighed inwardly.

’He’d seen this expression countless times. Everyone knew the value of commercial fishing and dove in headfirst like moths to a flame, only to end up battered, bruised, and completely wiped out.’ 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

’Commercial fishing was like a seductive trap. It seemed to promise huge profits, but it concealed countless risks.’

’The fools drawn in by wealth and a spirit of adventure would pour huge amounts of money into it with great passion, but they underestimated the unforgiving and unpredictable nature of the sea.’

’Waves could capsize a boat in an instant, and a storm could reduce all their efforts to nothing.’

’Then there was the uncertainty of the catch, market fluctuations, and all sorts of other unforeseen factors that made commercial fishing a gambler’s challenge.’

"Buddy, are you serious?"

"Of course." Feng Shan leaned back in his chair, his tone relaxed. "Can you tell me about the commercial fishing situation on Saint Paul Island?"

Alvin picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"The area around the Bering Sea in Alaska is the main habitat for snow crabs, and Saint Paul is one of the hubs. Last year alone, the snow crab catch was valued at 160 million US dollars, and that’s not even including other fisheries like halibut and cod."

"However, according to a recent report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Gray-eyed Snow Crab population is rapidly declining. You can see it in this year’s fishing quotas. Last year, the total snow crab quota was 30,185 tons, with 4,557 tons of that being Gray-eyed Snow Crabs. But this year, the quota for Gray-eyed Snow Crabs is only 3,450 tons—a drop of over 1,000 tons."

"It’s very likely the snow crab quota will continue to decrease in the future. If you ask me, it’s too late to get into commercial fishing now."

But Feng Shan waved his hand dismissively.

"No, you’re misunderstanding me. I’m not just interested in catching Gray-eyed Snow Crabs. I’m thinking about flounder, cod, pollock, salmon... all kinds of seafood."

Alvin looked at Feng Shan with a puzzled expression.

’Is this Northerner crazy?’

’Crabbing and fishing are two completely different things. He wants to get into this business without even having a boat sorted out.’

After a moment’s thought, Alvin still gave him a kind warning.

"Buddy, you might not know much about crabbing boats. A standard 100-foot (33-meter) crabbing boat costs two million US dollars. Even a secondhand one will run you 500,000 US dollars at a minimum. Any boat smaller than that can’t operate in the Bering Sea."

"A better, larger 200-foot (66-meter) crabbing boat would cost at least 5 million US dollars, but of course, it would come with better equipment."

Feng Shan hadn’t thought much about the price of the boats. In his mind, having a boat meant you could catch snow crabs, and the bigger the boat, the more you could catch.

"And the profits?"

’So I said all that, and you didn’t hear a word.’

’All you’re thinking about is making money.’

Alvin rolled his eyes and gave up trying to dissuade him. "I once made 1.5 million US dollars in two months, after paying for salaries and boat expenses."

...