This morning, after breakfast, Li Haochen rode his bike to Huang Haibo's stainless steel shop. He was about to embark on his grand plan for cultivating sea fish in his special space.
Upon seeing Li Haochen arrive, Huang Haibo was delighted. Every visit from Li Haochen brought him business, and the previous few projects had earned him a substantial amount of money. In Huang Haibo's eyes, Li Haochen was a veritable god of wealth.
"Haochen, no wonder I saw magpies at my door this morning; it turns out it's you. Do you have some business for your Uncle Bo? Heh heh!"
"Oh, Uncle Bo, you're quite the seer. I do need you to make a batch of something. You have to give me a discount, hahahaha!"
A batch? The moment Huang Haibo heard those words, his eyes lit up as if they were fitted with 100-watt light bulbs.
"Don't worry, your Uncle Bo will definitely give you the most favorable price."
Indeed, Huang Haibo had been very satisfied with both the quality and price of the few projects he had undertaken for Li Haochen. This was the primary reason why Li Haochen sought him out for any work.
Li Haochen didn't engage in further pleasantries and got straight to the point, outlining his requirements.
The task was relatively simple: five-meter-long stainless steel pipes, sharpened at one end, with small hooks welded on the sides. However, the sheer quantity Li Haochen needed was astonishing, which both surprised and excited Huang Haibo. This volume surpassed even the previous project of enclosing Butterfly Bay.
According to Li Haochen, they would need at least two thousand pipes initially, with continuous increases expected later. As for the final number, Li Haochen admitted it was hard to determine, estimating anywhere from tens of thousands to potentially hundreds of thousands.
This was a daunting prospect. A five-meter-long stainless steel pipe with a 40mm diameter was not cheap, costing at least two hundred yuan. If it were truly hundreds of thousands of pipes, that would amount to tens of millions, perhaps even hundreds of millions.
Li Haochen's projects were always enigmatic. Take the previous Butterfly Bay project, for instance. Huang Haibo had been extremely curious, pondering it for a long time before figuring out it was a super-large fishing cage. Who could have imagined such a thing?
Although he wasn't entirely optimistic about Butterfly Bay, who could say for sure that it wouldn't turn a profit? No one would mindlessly throw tens of millions into a project they knew was a losing venture. Everyone was intelligent enough to know there had to be something worth Li Haochen's investment.
Huang Haibo couldn't be bothered to guess. Li Haochen was the boss, and his word was final. He just needed to do as he was told.
After discussing for a while, they settled on the price and signed the contract. Then, Li Haochen rode his bike to the next destination: a fishing tackle shop.
He spent a considerable amount of time selecting a 12-strand nylon net with 3-centimeter mesh in a blue-green color.
According to the shop owner, it could last at least five years submerged in the sea. Whether this was true or not, Huang Haibo had recommended it, so it shouldn't be a rip-off.
The quantity Li Haochen required was staggering, but also peculiar. He didn't need entire large pieces but rather had them cut into specific lengths and widths according to his requirements.
In reality, Li Haochen wasn't being eccentric. He had his reasons, which were difficult to express. He wished he could bring them in all at once, but due to the space's limitations, this was the only way.
Additionally, Li Haochen ordered a batch of double-eared buoys with a diameter of 50 centimeters, each with a buoyancy of nearly 70 kg. These would be perfect for suspending the nets.
By the time he finished these two tasks, it was already past noon. Since he was alone, Li Haochen didn't feel like going back to cook and decided to grab a bite at a street stall.
Perhaps due to recent city beautification efforts, he searched for a long time but couldn't find any mobile vendors. He resigned himself to finding a small restaurant.
After eating his fill, as Li Haochen was paying and leaving, he received a call from Huang Haibo. The first batch of 200 pipes was ready. It had only been three hours; how could it be so fast?
It was fast, of course, because Huang Haibo had called back his two apprentices to help. With clear division of labor—one cutting, one welding—they worked swiftly.
Li Haochen bought a pack of cigarettes and immediately rushed to Butterfly Bay. Half an hour later, he arrived, and Huang Haibo's pickup truck was already waiting.
He walked over, greeted them, and after handing out cigarettes, he unlocked the gate, allowing them to move the pipes under the canopy behind it.
Just as the steel pipes were delivered, the surrounding nets were also being prepared and brought over. Li Haochen had intended to go in and plant some coconut seedlings, but since this was happening, he had to wait to receive them.
Within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the net delivery arrived. The two delivery workers were efficient, carrying a roll each without waiting for Li Haochen's instructions.
"Brothers, thank you for your hard work!"
Li Haochen gave each of them a pack of cigarettes and even helped them carry the nets. The two deliverymen were surprised that Li Haochen not only gave them cigarettes but also lent a hand with the nets.
They were happy to have such a boss, but they politely urged Li Haochen to stop and let them handle it.
"It's fine, this way it's faster."
Indeed, with Li Haochen's help, more than half of the truckload of nets was unloaded in half an hour, completely filling the area behind the gate. Li Haochen had to scramble over them like climbing a mountain.
Initially, they were supposed to return for the larger buoys and ropes, but Li Haochen, seeing that there was very little space left inside, asked them to make another trip tomorrow.
After locking the gate, Li Haochen looked at the pile of unassuming items and laughed. This was to be his important work for the foreseeable future.
Li Haochen was full of vigor and immediately got to work. He entered his space first, changed into his diving suit, and swam to the area where he had previously placed coral polyps and aquatic plants.
The area had become much livelier, with many fish now visible. The coral and aquatic plants were also growing well.
After marking the spot, Li Haochen came out and began installing the stainless steel pipes.
The sharpened end was very sharp, and the sea mud at the bottom was not hard. Stepping on the welded triangular plate, the entire steel pipe quickly plunged downwards. Once the triangular plate was level with the sea mud, it was done. With a depth of 50 centimeters and the stabilizing effect of the triangular plate, the steel pipe was very firm.
Li Haochen went in and out countless times. More than three hours passed, and all 200 steel pipes were finally inserted into this sea area, forming 20 rectangular enclosures, each 200 square meters in size. Laid out in a row, they looked quite neat, resembling terraced houses from a distance.
The surrounding nets had yet to be installed, so their final appearance was not yet evident.
It was still quite early when he emerged. Outside, only a little over an hour had passed. After some thought, he decided to call the fishing tackle shop and ask them to deliver the ropes and buoys. He also asked Huang Haibo to deliver 400 straight pipes and a batch of cross clamps.
Half an hour later, both parties arrived. After some busy work, everything was moved behind the gate. Li Haochen then continued to take these straight steel pipes and cross clamps into the sea within his space to continue the assembly. This process was much slower than inserting the pipes.
It took an hour to assemble just one rectangular frame. Looking at the steel pipe rectangle before him, he felt a sense of accomplishment. Once the surrounding nets were installed, cultivation could begin.