HLM – Chapter 98 Buying a Fishing Boat

When they reached the city, Zhong Dabao asked, “By the way, Old Wang, why are we in the city?”

Wang Bo sighed. “We’ve been driving for two and a half hours, and you only now thought to ask? I’m planning to buy a boat—a medium-sized fishing boat. When the time comes, you and my dad can go out to sea together. It’ll be more comfortable, easier, and we can make a bit more money.”

“What? You’re buying a fishing boat? Damn, those things are crazy expensive—several million at least! Even the down payment would be over a million!” Zhong Dabao exclaimed.

With the treasure in his basement, Wang Bo no longer worried much about money. He replied casually, “It’s fine, I can afford a few million. Drive to Donghai Shipyard. I called them yesterday.”

Zhong Dabao suddenly slammed the brakes. Wang Bo, caught off guard, lurched forward and hit the dashboard, grimacing in pain. “Damn, what are you doing? Why the sudden stop?!”

“Why aren’t you wearing a seatbelt?”

“Does this car have a seatbelt? I would’ve worn it if I could!”

“Oh, right. It broke and I tore it out.”

Wang Bo: “…”

Zhong Dabao thought for a moment, then said, “Don’t change the subject. What I want to know is—Old Wang, are you seriously thinking of buying a big fishing boat?”

“Who’s changing the subject? And I’m not buying a big boat. Just a medium one, around 300 horsepower,” Wang Bo replied, rubbing his forehead.

The idea had come to him after going out to sea with his father the day before—he needed to get the family a proper fishing boat.

“Isn’t 300 horsepower considered a big boat? Are you getting a new one?”

Wang Bo nodded. Zhong Dabao looked at him like he was an idiot. “People say I’m dumb, but you’re dumber! Who buys a new fishing boat these days? Just get a second-hand one—it’s way cheaper!”

Wang Bo had considered getting a used boat, but without the right connections, he was worried about being ripped off. He’d rather spend a bit more and buy new.

“No worries,” Zhong Dabao said. “I’ve got connections—solid ones. We’ll definitely find you a good boat. Besides, if you’re buying a new one, you need approval from the city’s Fisheries and Maritime Department. Do you even know what paperwork you need?”

Before Wang Bo could answer, he started counting on his fingers:
“1. Provincial marine fishing boat purchase and sale approval form.
2. Application for purchase.
3. Copy of the fishing license.
4. Copy of the vessel ownership certificate.
5. Copy of the vessel inspection certificate. You got all that?”

Wang Bo stared at him blankly. Zhong Dabao grinned smugly. “Surprised, huh? Didn’t expect that, did you? Bet you feel like a dummy now!”

“I am surprised—surprised you could remember all that.”

Of course, Wang Bo knew what documents were required. But he didn’t need to worry about gathering them himself. With the shipyard industry struggling lately, as long as you were buying a boat worth over a million, they’d help handle all the paperwork.

Before Wang Bo could say more, the van started moving again without warning. Having just been leaning on the dashboard, he was flung back into his seat like a tossed loaf of bread. “Dabao! Damn it, can you let me live!?”

The van pulled up at the city pier. Although Haiqing didn’t have a top-tier harbor, it was a coastal city and had a small port. A variety of vessels were docked there.

On the way, Zhong Dabao called someone named Brother Jun and told him he wanted to buy a 300-horsepower fishing trawler. The man agreed and told them to drive over to take a look.

Soon after they parked, a Porsche Cayenne pulled up. A stocky middle-aged man got out.

He walked up and gave Zhong Dabao a hearty punch to the chest. “Dabao! You came to see Brother Jun today—leave everything to me! Good food, good drinks, and even good girls!”

Zhong Dabao chuckled. “Let’s talk about food later, Brother Jun. My buddy wants to buy a boat—300 horsepower trawler. You’ve got the most boats around, so help us find a good one.”

Brother Jun shook hands with Wang Bo and introduced himself, “I’m Song Zijun. Dabao and I have been through life-and-death together. I’ve got the boats you need—my four best 300-horsepower trawlers are here. Come take a look.”

Hearing the name Song Zijun, Wang Bo was quietly shocked. How did Zhong Dabao get connected with such a big shot?

Even though Wang Bo wasn’t from Haiqing proper, he’d heard the name. Song Zijun was one of the top executives at Donghai Shipyard, the biggest company in the area. He commanded the region’s largest fleet and even owned a ten-thousand-ton freighter.

Song Zijun showed them eight fishing boats—four with 300 horsepower, two with 280, and two with 320. All were about 80% new and in excellent condition.

There was no need to worry about being cheated—someone of Song Zijun’s wealth and status wouldn’t personally entertain them just for a few hundred thousand in profit.

Plus, Song had tact. Sensing Wang Bo’s concern, he gave a discreet signal to his driver once they boarded.

The driver quietly said to Wang Bo, “Brother Dabao once saved Brother Jun’s twin sons. So you can rest easy buying a boat from us.”

That explained why someone like Song Zijun was handling this personally. Wang Bo was still curious how Dabao had met the Song family’s young masters.

In the end, Wang Bo settled on a 30-meter-long, 5.2-meter-wide fishing boat. It had been in service for six years but looked very well maintained—almost like new. It weighed 75 tons, used dual 110-kilowatt engines, and came with complete paperwork.

After he made his choice, Song Zijun nodded and said calmly, “You’ve got a good eye. This really is a solid boat. 1.5 million yuan. It’s yours. I’ll take care of all the paperwork.”

That was a great price. A new 300-horsepower fishing boat would cost at least 2.5 million. Even a standard used one would go for 1.5 million. This one was so well-kept it could easily sell for 100,000 more.

Song Zijun asked how he planned to pay. If he needed a loan, he had connections at the bank.

Wang Bo shook his head. “Cash. I’ll put down 20% now. Once the paperwork is transferred, I’ll pay the balance.”

Hearing he was paying in full, Song Zijun showed a brief flicker of surprise. “Impressive. You’ve got some real financial muscle.”

Zhong Dabao immediately puffed up. “Of course! My buddy’s amazing—he’s the only one from our village who got into a top-tier national university!”

Wang Bo and Song Zijun both laughed. The latter said, “Now that’s impressive. I didn’t even finish middle school.”

Zhong Dabao added, “Me neither. I dropped out in middle school too.”

Even the driver laughed at that.

Lunch was on Song Zijun. He brought his wife and twin sons to a reservation at the Shangri-La, the fanciest five-star hotel in Haiqing.

It was during lunch that Wang Bo finally learned the full story: Song Zijun’s sons were in second grade. That summer, they’d gone swimming in the sea with a group of other kids. The water was cold, and both boys cramped up and began to drown. Luckily, Zhong Dabao had been fishing nearby. Without hesitation, he dove in and saved them—leading to today’s events.