Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 170
Robin looked at the compass while steering the boat. It had been his third time visiting the island, and he was not yet completely accustomed to navigating to the location. Hence, he relied on the compass to guide him. The endless sea always looked identical, and a compass was a good equipment for navigation.
The three men chatted while the boat moved across the surface of the water. As they reached the area, they found Karlos and Brandon already collecting their lobsters.
The two older men glanced at them before returning to their work, not sparing even a second for greetings. Time was money, and they wanted to maximize their efficiency.
Bastos clicked his tongue slightly. He was jealous that he couldn't catch lobsters and earn more money.
"Our traps are still not done?" he impatiently asked Escudero and Robin.
Robin shook his head, while Escudero simply shrugged.
"You should have helped us instead of asking," Escudero added.
They were still not used to this job, and fishing was not easy. Even making traps was not their expertise. Fortunately, Robin's father, Antonio, knew how to make traps, and he taught Escudero and Robin how to make them.
Naturally, Bastos was not present when that happened. He always disappeared after getting his share of the money.
"Just like I said, I have something to do," he explained.
"That's your excuse almost every time. You disappear once you receive your share," Escudero rolled his eyes.
It was no secret that Bastos had been visiting the red-light district. The story had spread throughout their entire neighborhood. His father and brother had reprimanded him, but Bastos didn't listen. He insisted that visiting the red-light district wasn't that bad.
"Honestly, I don't even know why Robin hired you. You're practically useless and don't know how to be a fisherman," Escudero said bluntly.
"Because we are friends," Bastos scoffed and turned away.
As for Robin, he wore a bitter smile while listening to their bickering. He was indeed friends with Bastos, and that made things complicated.
Bastos was recognized as the leader of their age group. It might not seem believable, but Bastos was resourceful. His mind was quick when it came to spotting opportunities. He was the one who taught their friends how to make money by "guarding" boats, and they earned a few hundred pesos every day, a decent amount for teenagers like them. He probably inherited his business sense from his father, as Bastos came from a family of rice sellers whose business was doing well.
And now, Bastos had proven that he could sense opportunities by convincing Robin and Escudero to follow Karlos's boat to harvest abalones and lobsters. Aside from being disrespectful, Bastos knew what he was doing.
If he focused his talent on something respectable, such as starting a business, people's opinions might change. They might even praise him.
Unfortunately, Bastos succumbed to his carnal desires. His dream was to sleep with every prostitute in the red-light district. Yes, he was very foolish.
While Karlos and Brandon were catching lobsters, Bastos and the others were not idle. They still needed to make use of their time.
Since the sun was going to rise in about an hour and a half, the three young men fished using rods. Each of them held a bamboo rod, waiting for fish to take the bait. The water around the island was too shallow for net trawling, as the net would get caught on rocks and reefs.
The net they had was for midwater trawling. It was not strong enough to handle rocks and reefs and would easily tear. In the end, they resorted to the most primitive way of catching fish, using fishing rods.
"I caught a red snapper," Robin said.
"Not bad, mine is pampano," Escudero replied.
"How about you, Bastos?"
"Bullet tuna." He raised his catch.
Bullet tuna was a small species of tuna, and it wasn't as expensive as larger ones like yellowfin or bluefin, but it was still decent enough to sell or eat.
By the time the sun rose, they had filled their container with fish. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. They could have caught more through net trawling, but their location wasn't suitable. Net trawling also took a lot of time, sometimes even half a day, depending on the situation. They didn't have that kind of time since their goal for today was to harvest abalones.
They were the first to dock on the beach, followed by Karlos's boat. The two groups arrived almost at the same time.
They scanned their surroundings, making sure there were no sea snakes.
Once they reached the rocky reef, the water level was at their chests, cold and slightly numbing.
Karlos and Brandon casually entered the water, bags tied around their waists. The three young men watched them catch abalones.
They were fast and efficient, with no wasted movement. They dived, chipped the abalones off the rocks, and placed them in their bags. After months of experience, Karlos and Brandon had found the most efficient way to harvest abalones.
Once they reached their limit, they resurfaced for air, then dove again.
As much as Bastos wanted to deny it, Robin was right. Karlos and Brandon were far more experienced in harvesting abalones.
"So they attach a bag to their waist. We should do that tomorrow. It's too awkward to use a bucket. It sometimes falls over, and our catch goes back into the water," Escudero said while observing them. Robin nodded in agreement.
"Alright, let's start too," Bastos finally said.
The three men entered the water. It was cold, but they had no choice. They needed to earn money.
The two groups kept their distance, each staying within their own area.
After two days of harvesting abalones, Bastos and the others noticed that the abalones on the reef didn't seem to decrease at all, no matter how much they collected. It was as if a new batch appeared every night.
'No wonder Karlos and Brandon keep coming back. This place is a miracle. We hit the jackpot,' Bastos grinned. He had heard of many mystical places in the world, such as the miraculous garden in the mountain range of Dal Bhat country. Perhaps this island had a unique trait as well.
His thoughts returned to work when he realized he had the smallest catch, falling behind the others. He didn't care much about the amount since he only earned 5% of the profit anyway. Still, it would be embarrassing if he didn't contribute at all. Besides, Escudero loved making fun of him whenever he slacked off, which annoyed him greatly.
He needed this job to make money.
[Thank you for reading this novel.]