A meter-long lobster was worth around a hundred thousand, and the longer it was, the more expensive.
Li Yang knew this as well. Zhang Dazhi's offer was very fair; he had even added a little extra.
However, Li Yang naturally wanted a higher price. He said directly, "How about two hundred thousand? Let's make it an even number."
Hearing this, Zhang Dazhi couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated. 'Who rounds up like that?' he thought. 'That's an extra twenty thousand right there.'
However, he didn't haggle. Instead, he nodded directly and said, "Alright. I'll consider it the price of making a friend. Two hundred thousand it is!"
'Li Yang managed to catch a lobster this big, so he might have more finds in the future. It's definitely worth getting on his good side.'
Once the price was settled, the transaction was swift. Two hundred thousand was quickly transferred to Li Yang's account, and Zhang Dazhi got the giant lobster he had been dreaming of.
"Brother Li Yang, I need to get this lobster back right away. I'll treat you to dinner tomorrow."
Zhang Dazhi said with a smile, having learned Li Yang's name during their chat.
His main concern now was getting this lobster back to his restaurant and into a tank. He couldn't let it die.
"No need," Li Yang said with a small smile. "But since I'm selling you this lobster, I need you to keep it confidential, Boss Zhang."
In truth, Li Yang knew the news would probably leak eventually, but he didn't want it to become common knowledge that he was the one who had caught such a massive lobster.
Of course, Zhang Dazhi agreed. "Brother Li Yang, don't you worry. We won't leak any of your information."
After exchanging a few more words, Zhang Dazhi hurried away with the giant lobster.
A smile touched Li Yang's lips as he watched him leave.
'Two hundred thousand in the bank!'
'It's the first step on a long journey,' he thought. 'And I'm already starting to see results.'
'Time to head back and cultivate!'
Wasting no time, Li Yang headed straight home.
The longer he cultivated, the deeper he could dive, and the more things he would be able to find.
Take lobsters, for instance. Many of the largest ones lived at a depth of thirty meters, which was still beyond Li Yang's current ability.
...
「The next day arrived quickly.」
That morning, inside the "First Lobster House," Lin Qiang was all smiles as he greeted one classmate after another.
'I'll post some pictures in the group chat for Li Yang to see.'
He took out his phone and snapped a few pictures, specifically for Li Yang's benefit.
"Wow, Lin Qiang, so this is your family's famous centerpiece!"
"This lobster is huge!"
"How much do you think it would sell for?"
A few classmates crowded around the Lin family's giant lobster, clucking in admiration.
A smug look on his face, Lin Qiang said, "It would sell for at least a hundred thousand, but its value can't be measured in money. It's a perfect example of 'pricey but unavailable'—that's our lobster."
He boasted to his classmates.
Just then, a portly, middle-aged man walked over.
Seeing Lin Kunming, Lin Qiang quickly called out, "Dad."
Lin Kunming's expression was clearly dark, but upon seeing Lin Qiang and his classmates, he forced a smile. "Qiang, make sure you take good care of your friends."
With that, he hurried out.
A puzzled expression on his face, Lin Qiang asked the man beside him, "Uncle Zhao, what's wrong with my dad?"
The manager, Uncle Zhao, said, "I don't know where they got it, but the Spicy Lobster House bought a giant lobster today. It's a full meter long. They're promoting it now, and they're planning events for lunch and dinner..."
He quickly summarized the situation.
"What? A meter-long lobster? How's that possible?" Lin Qiang's expression changed as he heard Uncle Zhao's words.
He wasn't an idiot. He knew his family's restaurant only had an edge over Zhang Dazhi's because of their centerpiece lobster!
'But now the Spicy Lobster House has its own centerpiece, and it's even bigger than ours?'
In that moment, Lin Qiang realized the gravity of the situation.
"A meter-long lobster?"
"Bigger than the one at Lin Qiang's family's place?"
The classmates around Lin Qiang had also overheard the news. Looks of interest appeared on some of their faces; they wanted to go take a look.
After they finished eating, the classmates all left. A good number of them headed over to the "Spicy Lobster House" to check out the commotion.
And the "Spicy Lobster House" was certainly bustling. It was surrounded by a crowd of people, because today, all bills at the Spicy Lobster House were 50% off!
The goal, of course, was to promote the meter-long lobster and build up its fame.
The title "Home of the Biggest Lobster in Coastal City" would bring enormous benefits once it got out.
People often only remember first place, not second.
After his classmates left, Lin Qiang thought for a moment and then headed over to the "Spicy Lobster House" himself to check out the situation.
To his embarrassment, he saw several of his classmates there.
Lin Kunming was there as well.
"Dad." Lin Qiang walked over to Lin Kunming's side.
Lin Kunming looked grim. He glanced at the smiling Zhang Dazhi, but his eyes were mostly fixed on the behemoth lobster in the tank.
"Haha, Boss Lin, what brings you to my humble shop today?" Zhang Dazhi said with a laugh as he walked over to Lin Kunming.
"Boss Lin, your restaurant is called the First Lobster House, but the biggest lobster in Coastal City is now in my shop. Your restaurant's name doesn't quite fit reality anymore, does it?" he added with a small smile.
At his words, Lin Kunming's expression darkened. "Zhang Dazhi, what I name my shop is none of your business."
Seeing Lin Kunming's foul expression, the smile on Zhang Dazhi's face only grew wider.
He didn't say much more before turning to greet other guests. He had invited many people over today, including lots of short-video bloggers and influencers, to publicize his restaurant and build its reputation in the battle to be the number one lobster house in Coastal City.
'Damn it, where did that Zhang Dazhi get this lobster? How did I not hear a single thing about it?' Lin Kunming thought, his face grim.
Usually, if someone caught a lobster this big, they would spread the word and let a few restaurants compete to drive the price up.
But he hadn't received any news. It was as if this behemoth had just materialized in Zhang Dazhi's shop.
Recalling how overjoyed Zhang Dazhi had looked the previous night, Lin Kunming thought to himself, 'Could he have bought it back then?'
Seeing his father's grim expression, Lin Qiang asked, "Dad, what do we do now?"
Lin Kunming snapped out of it. He looked at his son and said, "First, go find out how Zhang Dazhi got his hands on this lobster."
"Okay, Dad. I'll get right on it," Lin Qiang said hurriedly.
"You investigate?" Lin Kunming frowned. "You're going to stay put. Your summer internship is at the restaurant. Don't cause me any trouble."
"Dad, I've never caused you any trouble."
Lin Qiang was instantly defensive. "I'm not an idiot. I'm not going to do anything to mess things up for you."
Lin Kunming nodded. He knew his son well. He had always been obedient growing up and, aside from his average grades, didn't have many bad habits.
He was quite satisfied with his son.