Chapter 208: Chapter 202: Setting Off (Part 2)

Furthermore, in recent years, overfishing has led to a steady decline in the crab population.

Once, the crabbing boats of Saint Paul Island dotted the sea like stars, numbering over 200.

Now, however, less than half remain. The sharp decline was a lamentable sight.

This cruel reality cast a heavy cloud of pressure over every Crab Fisherman, forcing them to work twice as hard to find the increasingly scarce crabs in the vast ocean.

The success of the River Beach was like a massive stone dropped into a calm lake, sending ripples spreading in every direction.

Its brilliant record made more captains aware of the potential profits of crabbing, and their eyes glinted with a mixture of envy, jealousy, and resentment.

However, the captains could only wonder to themselves why they weren’t so lucky, or perhaps if they were missing some key piece of technology.

Some began to speculate that the River Beach had some kind of unknown detection equipment on board.

After all, it was a fishing boat built by the villainous Russians.

In people’s minds, the Russians had always excelled at making deadly weapons, and this prejudice filled them with suspicion toward the River Beach.

Because of this, someone reported the River Beach to the Fish and Game Department, claiming it was using illegal detection equipment.

The Fish and Game Department sent an investigator to conduct a full inspection of the River Beach, leaving no stone unturned, from its equipment to its instruments.

This included checking the operational status of all its gear, verifying instrument parameters, and reviewing nautical logs, surveillance footage, and other data.

After a long and meticulous investigation, the results were in: the River Beach was not using any illegal equipment. However, from the video footage, the investigators did discover the malicious actions of the Pirate and several other crabbing boats.

Although federal law had no explicit provisions for enforcing against such behavior, the investigators "accidentally" leaked the information, which could be seen as making amends for the false accusations against the River Beach.

Seeing that the reports were useless, some captains turned their attention to the River Beach and its captain instead.

Since federal law didn’t penalize poaching another boat’s catch, they decided to just brazenly tail the River Beach.

Wherever the River Beach dropped its Crab Traps, they would drop theirs.

If you’re going to eat the crab meat, you can’t stop us from having a sip of the broth.

And so, half an hour after the River Beach departed, the crabbing boats moored at the Merchant Fishing Pier began to leave port one after another.

For a moment, the pier was a hive of activity. The roar of engines filled the air as the boats cut through the water, speeding off in pursuit of the River Beach.

In the wheelhouse of the River Beach.

Alvin noticed a serious problem on the radar navigation system.

Following their course were more than a dozen crabbing boats, shadowing them like a persistent ghost.

Even when he changed course, the other crabbing boats stuck right behind them, like a pack of hungry wolves stalking their prey.

’What are these crabbing boats trying to do?’

Of course, Alvin knew. He’d done the same thing himself in the past, so he was well aware of their intentions, but there was nothing he could do about it.

This tailing was a very serious problem for their crabbing operation.

First, with so many crabbing boats dropping traps in the same area, the competition would be fierce. A potentially abundant swarm of crabs would quickly scatter due to the excessive number of Crab Traps, causing the River Beach’s haul to plummet.

Second, with so many boats crowded together, the risk of collisions and other accidents was high, which could not only damage the vessels but also endanger the lives of the crew.

This copycat behavior also undermined the principle of fair competition in the crabbing industry.

Alvin immediately reported the thorny issue to Feng Mountain, even suggesting they cancel the trip and head straight back to Saint Paul Island.

The River Beach had ample funds and could afford the delay. If the first trip didn’t work out, they could try a second, and if that failed, a third. After a few attempts, the other crabbing boats would give up, knowing the risks. After all, the Emperor Crab season only lasted two weeks; every day of delay was a day of losses for them.

Alvin’s idea wasn’t without merit. Given the River Beach’s resources, they could indeed employ such a war of attrition.

After hearing him out, Feng Mountain just smiled and shook his head.

His smile was full of confidence and composure, as if everything was under his control.

’The River Beach is protected by the Totem Wooden Statue, and the Crab Traps are enhanced by the Breathing Technique. Those other boats have nothing. Tailing me is just a death wish.’

"Ignore them. Stick to the designated fishing plan."

With Feng Mountain’s order given, the River Beach ignored the boats tailing it and continued toward its designated fishing area.

Seeing that his boss was unconcerned by these freeloading crabbing boats, Alvin could only push the River Beach’s engines harder. The roar from the engine room was like a furious bellow, driving the massive vessel straight into the waves.

The sea surged and swelled, waves constantly slamming against the hull. The River Beach was like a great sea beast, forging ahead through the tumultuous waters.

Once the River Beach officially left the shallows and entered the deep sea, the waves grew even more ferocious.

Massive waves crashed down one after another, as if trying to swallow the River Beach whole.

Seawater sprayed from the crests of the waves, forming a white mist that shrouded the entire vessel.

But to the crew, this was nothing out of the ordinary.

Having toiled on these turbulent seas for many years, the rocking of the boat felt as steady as solid ground to them.

Each crew member remained focused on their work, completely unfazed by the harsh environment outside.

They skillfully inspected their fishing gear, making full preparations for the upcoming catch, while bantering with each other to ease the tension.

Young Master Xu and Su Ziweng, on the other hand, were pale-faced, clutching the railings for dear life. Their bodies swayed with the rocking of the ship, and their stomachs churned violently.

Young Master Xu fought back the urge to vomit, his voice trembling. "This is a little too exciting."

Su Ziweng had his eyes squeezed shut, biting his lip as he tried to calm himself, his mind racing with complaints.

’This is so fucking different from a normal trip out to sea.’

’I’ve never seen waves seven or eight meters high before!’

’I really want to puke.’

...

「After five hours of sailing in the Evil Sea.」

However, the waves showed no signs of weakening. Instead, they grew even more ferocious and violent, like a thoroughly enraged beast.

The surging tides crashed against the hull of the River Beach with the force of a landslide, relentlessly and fiercely, creating a deafening roar.

Each impact from the waves made the hull tremble violently. Amid this endless, raging sea, the River Beach was like a tiny leaf, tossed about on the surging billows.

At the same time, the River Beach received a warning from the meteorological department.

A cold front and high winds from the Chukchi Sea were expected to enter the Bering Sea within the next three hours, with gusts reaching force 8 to 9 on the Beaufort scale. The meteorological department advised all vessels at sea to take precautions and return to port as soon as possible to avoid the impending storm.

After receiving the warning message, Alvin looked at the crabbing boats tailing the River Beach on his radar screen.

A complex emotion flickered in his eyes—a hint of schadenfreude mixed with a trace of concern.

Then, the corners of his mouth slowly turned up into a slightly mocking smile.

’Those crabbing boats hoping to get a piece of the River Beach’s pie were about to have some bad luck. This approaching cold front and storm might create some problems for the River Beach, but for those smaller-tonnage boats, it could be a disaster.’

A surge of smugness welled up inside Alvin, as if he could already picture the pathetic state of those poor bastards.

"It seems even Jesus Christ doesn’t want these scoundrels to succeed."

At the same time, he turned and walked over to Feng Mountain to report the current situation.

’He was already calculating how to use this bad weather to shake off these nuisances so the River Beach could proceed with its crabbing operation smoothly.’

「On the other side of the shipping lane.」

Aboard the dozen or so crabbing boats forming the poaching fleet, the radio channels had erupted into chaos.

A cacophony of voices intertwined, chaotic and noisy, as a fierce debate raged.

The anxious shouts of captains and the panicked discussions of crewmen rose and fell across the channels.

All the crabbing boats had received the same warning message, and now none of the captains could make up their minds.

The captains faced a difficult choice.

Should they continue to follow the River Beach, braving the huge risks of the approaching storm, or should they heed the meteorological department’s advice and immediately return to port to ensure the safety of their boats and crews?

They were all thousand-year-old foxes who had struggled in the Bering Sea for years; every captain knew the power of a storm like this.

...