HLM – Chapter 100 The Fishing Boat Arrives

Wang Bo didn’t object to blind dates in principle—he just knew they were unreliable. He was all the way in New Zealand; it wasn’t like he could just bring a girl back if he happened to like her.

Besides, he already had someone in mind. To him, Eva seemed quite good—especially when the bespectacled teacher was with the children. In Wang Bo’s eyes, she embodied four words: virtuous wife, loving mother.

Only three days had passed since his deal with Song Zijun. That afternoon, under a gloomy sky, Wang Bo received a phone call and then took his parents into town.

On the way, Father Bo grumbled, “What surprise are you planning, acting all mysterious like this? What’s going on?”

Mother Bo asked with concern, “Did you meet a girl?”

Zhong Dabao grinned, about to laugh, but Wang Bo shot him a glare to silence him—he didn’t want his plan to be ruined before it even began.

The town sat by the sea, and a pier extended into the water. Various fishing boats, large and small, were moored nearby. The largest ones were around thirty meters long, with faded, patchy paint jobs—clearly veteran vessels weathered by countless storms.

It was midday—the warmest part of a winter’s day. Local fishermen were tidying up their boats.

When Father and Mother Bo arrived at the pier, they greeted familiar faces. Though they weren’t from the same village, most were fellow fishermen who had gone to sea together and thus all knew one another.

Upon seeing Wang Bo, someone joked with a laugh, “Sister-in-law Wang, is this your eldest nephew? I heard he went abroad—was it to Africa? He’s so tanned!”

Though the town was coastal, not many people went abroad to work. So whenever someone did, word spread quickly and became mealtime gossip.

Wang Bo could only smile wryly. New Zealand’s sun was intense—he really had tanned quite a bit.

Father and Mother Bo had easygoing temperaments and chatted jovially with everyone. Just then, a large, nearly new fishing boat slowly approached, its outline becoming clearer as it neared.

As a fisherman’s son, Wang Bo had a unique affection for the sea and fishing boats. To him, a sturdy vessel was one of humanity’s most reliable tools—part of why he had decided to buy one for his family.

To fishermen, land was the root of home, and boats were a livelihood. That was the simplest, most honest belief they held.

The boat’s hull was painted a deep blue, and as it docked, four large white characters came into view on the side: Donghai Xuanfeng (East Sea Whirlwind). The characters were bold and precise, giving the vessel a commanding presence.

The surrounding fishermen began murmuring, wondering whose boat it was. The town pier was typically used only for local fishing boats; larger ones docked at the county’s port. A stranger’s vessel arriving here was rare and thus drew much curiosity.

Father and Mother Bo watched with interest. Mother Bo remarked to Wang Bo, “If your father had gone on long voyages when he was younger, he might’ve earned enough to buy a fishing boat by now. Not like now—left you nothing.”

As the fishing boat docked, Song Zijun’s driver stepped off, carrying a briefcase.

Seeing Wang Bo and Zhong Dabao, he waved from a distance and walked over with a big smile, shaking hands as he greeted them, “Brother Wang, Brother Dabao, you’ve been waiting long!”

Wang Bo replied with a hint of mock annoyance, “We just got here, actually. Oh—these are my parents. I bought this boat for my dad. He’s been going out on a tiny sampan—I just couldn’t let that go on.”

Father and Mother Bo stood frozen, stunned. The nearby onlookers were also dumbfounded. With Wang Bo’s explanation, it was immediately clear who the boat belonged to.

The driver shook hands with the two elders and said warmly, “Ah, Uncle, Auntie—what a good son you have! Not many young folks these days can pay in full for a 300-horsepower fishing boat. Impressive!”

Father Bo stared wide-eyed at his son. “You bought this boat?”

Wang Bo shrugged. “Yup. Just got it. Brother Jun really came through—so fast with the transfer of ownership.”

The driver laughed, “We finalized the paperwork that very day. Gave it a quick repaint yesterday too. Looks a lot nicer now, doesn’t it?”

Indeed, the boat looked much sharper—not just a fresh coat of paint, but also some polishing and refinishing in key areas. From the front, it could easily be mistaken for brand new.

Once the ownership papers were confirmed to be in order, Wang Bo transferred the remaining payment to the account Song Zijun had given him. With that, the driver and the helmsman left.

Then Wang Bo took his parents aboard the Donghai Xuanfeng and said to his father, “Dad, this is our boat. You’ve got a license to pilot small fishing boats, right? Shouldn’t be a problem handling this one.”

In Wang Bo’s fishing village, most men of Father Bo’s generation had gone to sea when they were young. Many had obtained boating licenses, and some had even worked as third or second officers on long-distance ships.

But after settling down and starting families, most gave up those risky ventures and returned to their hometowns. It meant less income but also less danger, and they could be close to home.

That was why Mother Bo had lamented earlier—if Father Bo had kept sailing far seas in his youth, they could’ve easily afforded a fishing boat by now.

News that Wang Bo had bought a fishing boat outright quickly spread around the pier. Fishermen who had been busy setting nets put down their work and came aboard to take a look.

Moments ago, they had joked with Father and Mother Bo casually. Now, stepping onto the vessel, their tone became respectful. Someone even offered Wang Bo a cigarette and began asking about the boat’s specs and price.

For ordinary fishermen like Father and Mother Bo, this was the first time they’d ever been the center of such attention. To own a big fishing boat of their own was an enormous point of pride.

After all, a fishing boat wasn’t like a car—it didn’t just cost a couple million yuan upfront. You also needed to afford tens of thousands more for insurance, fuel, maintenance, nets, and so on. Owning one was a clear sign of affluence.

Especially since Wang Bo had paid in full—that was a truly jaw-dropping feat.

Father and Mother Bo stayed aboard all afternoon, familiarizing themselves with the vessel from the cockpit to the rear cabin, hosting a stream of visiting neighbors and friends.

By evening, the three of them returned home happily. But the second they sat down, the parental interrogation began.

“Bo,” said Mama and Father Bo together, “where did you get all that money? You already sent us 200,000 yuan before—and now you’ve spent another 1.5 million on this boat. That’s 1.7 million total!”

Wang Bo replied, “It’s a long story, but I promise you, every bit of this money is clean and legitimate. You don’t have to worry.”

The two elders clicked their tongues and nodded. They knew their son’s character better than anyone, but still—they were uneasy. Their son had suddenly gotten rich overnight, and it was hard to digest.

Ah, the hearts of parents!

Still, there was one immediate benefit to buying the boat: news of it spread quickly through the village, and everyone began looking at their family with newfound respect. Even Aunt Qiu, who was trying to set him up with blind dates, had grown much more cautious now…