C6 Blue Lobster

As Cao Jiang leapt into the sea, onlookers on the shore were left in sheer disbelief.

"Wow, does this guy not even bother with a boat?"

"He must be dazzled by the beauty. It's tough for young folks to keep their cool, but let's hope he doesn't risk his life over it."

"This guy's ego is inflated beyond belief. Ma'am, don't wait around for him. You'd better start thinking of a plan B. I know someone in the next village who often catches big lobsters. I can introduce you."

A sleazy man ogled Xia Hee, snickering lewdly.

Xia Hee gave him a brief glance and then disinterestedly crossed her arms, gazing out at the sea, concerned about Cao Jiang's rashness and the danger it posed.

The crowd lingered, many stealing glances at Xia Hee, captivated by her rare beauty and grace. The spectacle drew even more villagers, primarily attracted by Xia Hee, especially after children ran through the village shouting, "Come see the beautiful woman! There's a stunning lady by the harbor!"

Numerous young people skipped meals just to catch a glimpse of her.

Meanwhile, Cao Jiang was growing anxious in the water. Minutes had passed since his dive, surrounded only by small fish and shrimp, with no sign of any valuable seafood.

He decided to swim deeper.

Plunging into the ocean's abyss, Cao Jiang's watch began to beep, signaling he had reached the pressure limit and that the oxygen layer was on the verge of collapse.

Luckily, he had reached the seabed. The intense light from his watch illuminated the ocean floor, revealing corals and various sea plants. As the light swept over an area, Cao Jiang paused, pushed aside some seaweed, and uncovered a few massive lobsters with striking blue shells.

"Holy smokes! Blue lobsters!"

Elated, Cao Jiang swiftly cast his fishing net, capturing all the large blue lobsters.

These blue lobsters, known for their exquisite taste and rarity, were a culinary treasure—one in two million—and virtually unavailable in restaurants. No amount of money could guarantee a taste, making them an exceptional choice for entertaining distinguished guests.

Having only a blue lobster wasn't enough. Cao Jiang checked his watch; fifteen minutes remained. He took a quick tour around the ocean floor, snagging some peacock abalone and peony shrimp. As he was about to head back to shore, he noticed something clinging to a distant rock. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was densely packed with goose-neck barnacles.

Cao Jiang's jaw dropped in astonishment. Goose-neck barnacles were a luxury, once fetching prices as high as ten thousand yuan per kilogram. He estimated these barnacles weighed at least several dozen kilograms. Was he about to strike it rich again?

Time was running short, with only three minutes to spare. In a rush, Cao Jiang gathered several kilograms of barnacles and, clutching his fishing net, swam rapidly toward the shore.

Meanwhile, the beach was in turmoil. Xia Hee's brow was furrowed as she kept her gaze fixed on the ocean, her hands sweaty with tension. If anything happened to Cao Jiang, she feared she might never forgive herself. His life was at stake.

The villagers murmured among themselves, "That boy from the Cao family might have encountered a shark. He's been under for so long without surfacing. He's either drowned or become shark bait."

"Who's to blame? Only his own recklessness. Now, it seems he's paid with his life."

Cao Shunhua was beside himself with worry, pacing back and forth. He approached Xia Hee and pleaded, "My dear, our grandson hasn't come up for so long. We should send more people to look for him."

Xia Hee glanced at her watch, replying with urgency, "I've already sent a boat out to search, but there's been no sign of him yet."

At that moment, the sea water began to bubble, and suddenly a head popped up. Cao Jiang emerged, a sack slung over his back, dripping with seawater as he made his way onto the beach.

Xia Hee finally let out a sigh of relief, supporting her head with her hand.

The onlookers buzzed with excitement, "He actually made it back! The kid's got some luck!"

"Look at that, oh my! What did he bring back? He spent all that time underwater and only brought up a small bag of stuff. My son could have caught more than that. With such meager skills, what kind of seafood can he expect to catch?"

The sleazy man earlier had scoffed, "I've been saying, there's no point in waiting for this lady boss. Better to check out the seasoned water ghost next door. What valuable thing could this kid possibly catch? It's laughable."

Cao Jiang gave the group a dismissive glance, walked up to Xia Hee, and dropped his fishing net onto the ground.

Xia Hee looked at him with fury in her eyes and scolded, "You can't be this reckless again. Did you even consider what would happen to your grandfather if you had gone down there and not been able to come back up?"

Cao Jiang replied with a smile, "I never take risks without being sure of myself. I just want to know, does what I said earlier still stand?"

Xia Hee, taken aback, asked, "What did you say?"

Realizing she couldn't recall, Cao Jiang decided not to tease her further. He reached out, spread the fishing net on the ground, and revealed its contents. The chatter around them fell silent, and Xia Hee was left speechless.

Every item pulled from the net was of high value, particularly the blue lobsters, which were a size the villagers had never seen before.

The villagers were familiar with the goose-neck barnacle, though. Someone had once come to the village with a picture, offering to buy them for 500 yuan each. Cao Jiang's net contained at least a hundred of these barnacles, amounting to seafood worth tens of thousands!

Xia Hee, both shocked and delighted by the seafood sprawled on the ground, offered with a beaming smile, "I'll buy all this seafood from you. How does 100,000 yuan sound?"

"100,000 yuan!"

The villagers around them gasped in amazement, looking at Cao Jiang with eyes full of envy. They might not make that much in a whole year of fishing, and here this young man had made it in just half an hour.

Cao Jiang shook his head and responded, "President Xia, I lost my parents early on. For years, it was just my grandfather and me. You've always been kind, consistently offering a good price for the fish I caught. Thanks to you, my grandfather and I made it through our toughest times. This seafood is just a small way of helping out. I can't accept your money."

"I can't just accept your things without any reason. I'll give you my card later," Xia Hee insisted on compensating Cao Jiang. Realizing he couldn't change her mind, Cao Jiang relented, "Okay, I'll accept only half the price. I absolutely won't take more than that."

Xia Hee made the transfer immediately. Within a minute, a voice from the system echoed in Cao Jiang's mind: "The value of the treasure hunt is 100,000 yuan. Congratulations, you've earned 10 Luck Value points."

Every little bit counts, and with the ocean floor teeming with treasures, Cao Jiang was in no rush. Noticing a handbag discarded on the ground, he quickly picked it up and offered, "This is for you."

From it, he retrieved a small box and opened it to reveal a delicate golden phoenix hairpin, adorned with gems and shining in the sunset's glow, both intricate and majestic.

"It's so beautiful," Xia Hee exclaimed, unable to resist taking the hairpin in her hands, admiring it fondly. She usually never accepted gifts, regardless of their value or allure, well aware of the implications of accepting favors. Yet, she found herself unable to refuse Cao Jiang's present, feeling that owing him a gift in return was a small price to pay.

"Would you put it on for me?"

Handing the hairpin back to him, Xia Hee turned away. Cao Jiang gazed at her graceful silhouette, a sweet scent wafting to his nostrils as strands of her hair brushed his face, stirring a dreamlike sensation within him.