After waking up, Li Haochen cooked breakfast and then rode his electric scooter to the wet market. Not knowing how many days he would be at sea, he bought a good amount of meat and vegetables. He got two catties each of beef and pork, a cattie of roasted pork, and a salted chicken. He also bought a carton of eggs, a jar of spicy fermented bean curd, and vegetables that could last longer like winter melon, string beans, and bitter gourd.
Passing by the stall selling clams and snails, he bought a few catties. These snails were inexpensive and a favorite food of many sea fish, making them excellent bait for fishing.
With his electric scooter laden with bags, he headed towards the pier. Fortunately, it wasn't rush hour yet, so the roads were clear. Twenty minutes later, he arrived at the pier, where many people were already busy unloading supplies. They, too, were likely participating in the sea fishing competition.
The haul was substantial, requiring two trips to load everything into the ship's cabin. As he came down, he encountered the security guard from last time. After offering him a cigarette, he asked him to help fill the water tank.
Of course, there was a charge, and it wasn't cheap. Thirty yuan for 500 liters of tap water. He sighed, resigned to his fate. He had no other place to get water nearby unless he transported it himself.
Although he had installed a desalination device, Li Haochen found the water tasted terrible. It was only suitable for showering and flushing toilets.
Returning home, he found Murong Yanran had changed into a solemn and proper outfit, as had Xie Baolian. As the Party Secretary's wife, she was also expected to attend today's celebration.
Before leaving, Xie Baolian and Murong Yanran lectured Li Haochen again, telling him not to take risks and to come back if the weather turned bad. These were all words of care, which Li Haochen listened to attentively, filled with love.
Li Haochen didn't expect to rank in the top eight. He was going out to sea to help Murong Yanran. Although his strength was limited, it was still of some help. He had only signed up to participate and enjoy the experience.
He hadn't felt it when delivering supplies that morning, but now, the pier was a sea of people, with flags waving everywhere. The entire pier was adorned with various colorful flags, fluttering in the wind, creating a spectacular sight.
In the area designated for berths, a large open space had been set up with a stage over three hundred square meters. Rows upon rows of plastic chairs were neatly arranged below, densely packed. By rough estimation, there were at least 3,000 chairs. Only one representative from each boat was required to attend, but even so, it was quite a spectacle.
This competition was based on boats. Larger boats had an advantage; more people meant a larger catch and a higher chance of winning the championship. Of course, it wasn't guaranteed that more people would win; luck also played a part. A good stroke of luck might land a prize bluefin tuna, which could equal the catch of an entire boat.
Li Haochen found a seat in the front row, in the middle, his intention being to get a clear view of his wife's elegance.
Before he knew it, the surrounding seats were filled with representatives of the contestants, and the main stage was occupied by important figures attending the ceremony. Despite being the sole sponsor, Murong Yanran was seated in the second tier among the many influential people.
Given the high caliber of the dignitaries present today, including the vice governors in charge of maritime affairs and tourism, the entire leadership of Binhai City was in attendance. Such a grand occasion was truly impressive, highlighting the provincial government's emphasis on this event.
Below the stage, in addition to the contestants' representatives, were cameras from the provincial and local television stations, as well as major media outlets. Security personnel were patrolling the perimeter, with several special police riot control vehicles stationed around, and armed special police officers maintaining a formidable presence, inspiring awe and respect.
On stage, the two vice governors delivered speeches first, followed by Ling Hanfeng, and finally Murong Yanran. The speeches at such events were typically quite formal and followed a similar structure, lulling many in the audience to sleep. The speeches collectively lasted nearly an hour.
The next segment was the most solemn part of the sea fishing competition's opening ceremony: the worship of Mazu.
Although it wasn't Mazu's birthday, such a grand maritime event necessitated a ritualistic offering to pray for smooth sailing and safety.
Presided over by a highly respected elder dressed in ceremonial robes, the altar was adorned with sacrificial offerings of meat, poultry, fish, and fruits. Incense was lit, and prayers were offered.
"Dong!"
Following this, another young priest struck a large gong forcefully and shouted, "Burn incense and pray!"
Since the dignitaries were unable to participate in this ritual, Murong Yanran was designated to light the incense, praying for the smooth progression of the entire event.
All participants in the competition then proceeded orderly to the altar. In such solemn occasions, no one would dare to disrupt the protocol.
Due to limited space, those who had completed their offerings returned to their boats to make way for others to participate.
With over ten thousand participants in the competition, and including the tourists, there were at least forty to fifty thousand people, making the scene incredibly awe-inspiring.
Due to the sheer number of people, the incense-lighting and offering ceremony continued until three in the afternoon. Once all participants returned to their boats, they underwent inspection before being allowed to set sail.
This process was extremely stringent, leaving no room for cheating. Batch after batch of fishing boats successfully passed the inspection and then sailed out to sea in a grand procession.
Li Haochen was in the last batch. The inspection officers were wide-eyed with surprise when they saw he was the only person on board heading out to sea.
After passing the inspection, as he was about to set sail, he realized he had forgotten his fishing rods. Feeling like an idiot, he had to ride his electric scooter back home to retrieve them. Arriving at the pier, he parked and went into a fishing tackle shop to buy some Antarctic shrimp and two lure rods. He also bought two large 10-liter bottles of Yibao purified water from a convenience store.
Inside the pier, it was already deserted, with only his boat standing alone.
He gave a wry smile and parked his electric scooter in the car shed next to the security office, which charged five yuan per day.
With all his supplies, he walked over and encountered a film crew from the municipal television station. They wouldn't miss capturing the departure of the last boat. When they learned that Li Haochen was going out alone, the television audience erupted in laughter.
The scene of Li Haochen and his Starry Sky setting sail against the sunset was also captured, his solitary figure on the boat becoming even more poignant.
The sunset painted the sea in hues of red. The Starry Sky rode the waves, and the bustling world behind gradually disappeared from view. He didn't see a single boat along the way, likely having all headed to the outer sea in search of big fish.
Li Haochen, meanwhile, maintained an economical cruising speed, leisurely following the satellite route. After about an hour, the sun finally dipped below the horizon, and night fell. Li Haochen then stopped.
He cast anchor, checked that the lights above were functioning normally, and then began preparing dinner. It was simple: sliced roasted pork, some shrimp paste, and peanut oil. He put them in to steam while cooking rice, and stir-fried some green beans.