HLM – Chapter 957 Miss Tao Tao

Wang Bo wasn’t short of money now. His mother’s gesture moved him deeply, and he had the financial ability to handle it.

Eva knew this, so she didn’t refuse. She hugged Mother Bo and kissed her on the forehead to show her thanks.

The Mercedes owner, having quoted a price, watched their reactions. Seeing that Wang Bo showed no change in expression upon hearing the 200,000 offer, he realized he couldn’t buy this fish.

He had seen all sorts of people in the business world. From the moment he arrived, he had noticed Wang Bo. People who had been in power for a long time carried a certain aura; those used to giving orders had their own presence. Ordinary people might not notice, but he could clearly see it.

After hearing his mother, Wang Bo remembered something. He dragged out the second-largest fish and said, “Da Bao, send this fish to Brother Song.”

Brother Song, of course, was Song Zijun, a big shot in Linhai City’s seafood and marine transport industry.

There’s a belief that offering big fish during the New Year brings wealth. With Song Zijun’s level of business, he would certainly follow the custom. However, as a seafood magnate, he probably offered whales or similarly massive fish. Wang Bo sending a fish via Zhong Dabao was more about networking; if Song Zijun helped him out a little, Zhong Daba’s life would be carefree.

Zhong Dabao nodded. “Alright. Brother Song usually takes care of us. Last time when the fishing boat had problems, he got someone to fix it without charging. I’ll deliver the fish to him!”

With two of the four fish gone, the others grew a little anxious.

At that moment, a van arrived. Someone said, “Hey, it’s the Linhai Life Channel news van! I knew this would make the news today.”

Wang Bo hadn’t expected the news crew to show up so quickly, seemingly having caught wind of the event somehow.

He then said to the Mercedes owner, “Bro, there are still two fish left. Pick one quickly. This fish is going on the news—more people will probably want to buy it.”

The Mercedes owner smiled. “Alright, I’ll take the bigger one of the two. How about 100,000?”

The price was acceptable. Wang Bo grabbed the tail and put the fish in a large bag. “I’ll deliver it to you.”

The smallest remaining fish attracted even more attention. The first bidder, Zheng Gongcheng, shouted, “Alright, alright, one thousand—what’s so great? Anyway, with your price, I’ll take this fish…”

“I’ll bid 1,200! This fish is mine!”

“Damn, I’ll do 1,500—but what’s with the ‘great’? Is this thing currency now?”

A beautiful female reporter approached with her cameraman. “Excuse me, whose fish is this? We’d like to interview you. Is that okay?”

Father Bo chuckled. “Oh, this is Tao Tao! Sure, I’m happy to be interviewed.”

Mother Bo pulled him aside, nudged Zhong Dabao forward, and said, “You’re not going. Let Dabao do it. Young people handle these things.”

Father Bo protested. “Why can’t I do it? It’s not heavy work—why make Dabao go?”

Wang Bo chuckled secretly and explained to Eva, “My mom’s feeling a little jealous. This female host is very famous in our city. She works for the Life Channel, very close to the people—kind of like a goddess to the public.”

He carried a fish to the back of the Mercedes. It was large, just fitting in the trunk. The owner used Father Bo’s bank card to transfer the money via mobile banking—funds arrived immediately.

The last fish nearly sparked a bidding frenzy. By the time Wang Bo looked back, the price had reached 18,000 New Zealand dollars, equivalent to 87,000 RMB.

Eva thought aloud, “If you did a tuna import business in China, the profit margin should be huge.”

Wang Bo shook his head. “It’s not what you think. This is just perfect timing. The New Year is approaching, which is why the price is so high. Normally, it would only sell for about a fifth of this price.”

Zhong Dabao was being interviewed, stumbling over his words and blushing. Wang Bo passed by and teased, “Hey, brother, are you drunk?”

He knew why—apparently, the female host was Zhong Daba’s goddess. Being this close to her made him shy. Normally, his mind and mouth weren’t quick; add shyness, and he stumbled over his words.

The female host, Su Tao Tao, was tall and beautiful. While she couldn’t compete with some internet celebrities in terms of sex appeal, her charm lay in her approachable “girl next door” aura. This made her widely recognized and liked by people from all walks of life.

Su Tao Tao understood why Zhong Dabao was shy. Hearing Wang Bo’s tease, she frowned slightly and defended him: “Sir, we’re filming a program. Please show some respect. Also, what you said might make Mr. Zhong more nervous, which isn’t good.”

Seeing his goddess defend him, Zhong Dabao was thrilled but remained loyal. “Tao… Tao Tao, he… he’s right. Me and his dad are brothers…”

“What?” Su Tao Tao was shocked.

Zhong Dabao panicked and corrected himself, “No, he’s brothers with my dad… damn it! Sorry for swearing, I can’t explain this well. Wang Bo, you say it!”

Wang Bo couldn’t help laughing. “I’m his brother, but now he and my father are in the seafood business together.”

Su Tao Tao signaled the cameraman to pause. She smiled: “Mr. Zhong, you’re interesting. You’re too nervous. Let’s chat casually to calm you down.”

Zhong Dabao admitted honestly: “Yes, I’m very nervous. I even dreamed about talking to you like this. Didn’t expect it would really happen.”

Wang Bo felt embarrassed. His brother truly had a screw loose.

Noticing his own nerves, Zhong Daba’s face turned red. “I didn’t mean anything. I just really like your program. Anyway… you should interview my buddy instead.”

The more he spoke, the more frustrated he became. “I’ve been clumsy since I was a kid. People say I’m absent-minded. I’m not—just low EQ.”

Su Tao Tao straightened his windblown clothes and smiled. “You’re not low EQ—you just get nervous easily. It’s okay. Do you often go out to sea? I rarely have, and I can’t swim.”

Zhong Dabao patted his chest. “I’m an expert. I go out every few days. The biggest ship in our town belongs to my buddy’s family. I’m the first mate! If you want to go, I’ll take you. Can’t swim? Don’t worry, I’ll save you if you fall in!”

Wang Bo couldn’t respond—some people are just naturally bad at small talk.

Su Tao Tao was amused. She joked, “And what would I do at sea? I don’t really know how to fish or prepare fish.”

Zhong Dabao beat his chest like a drum. “I can teach you! That’s nothing at all!”

Wang Bo returned. His dad asked, “What’s Dabao up to?”

“Oh, chasing girls.”

His dad laughed. “What a joke! That kid chase girls? And it’s Tao Tao?”

“Trying too?” Mother Bo said, and their laughter immediately stopped.