Chu Mingcheng had no idea what was going through Jiang Luoluo's mind. Right now, he was just miserable.

It wasn't only that he was soaked to the bone, the wind chilling him to the core. It was the fact that the Aquatic Species Codex's temporary ability—Effortless Swim—had been revoked.

His physical attributes had returned to normal, leaving him with a profound sense of emptiness, a deep craving to feel that power again. The exhilarating freedom he'd experienced in the water was now just a distant memory.

He checked his Aquatic Species Codex. His experience points had reached 27.

[Aquatic Species Codex (Level 0)]

[Current Experience: (27/50)]

[Unlocked Capture Tools: Hand, Fishing Gear]

[Max Aquatic Species Level: 50]

[Unlocked Species: 1. Mantis Shrimp, 2. Crucian Carp, 3. Dace, 4. Common Carp, 5. Odontobutis obscura (Padihu), 6. Horn Snail, 7. Bream, 8. Sipunculus (Sea Worm, Sand Worm),9. ‘Mian’ fish 10. Moray Eel, 11. Mud Crab, 12. Sea Bass, 13. Tiger Goby, 14. Topmouth Culter, 15. Black Carp, 16. Silver and Bighead Carp, 17. Soft-shelled Turtle, 18. Northern Snakehead, 19. Amur Catfish, 20. Light-lipped (Spotted Creek Chub) Fish, 21. Australian Mackerel, 22. Dotted Grouper, 23. Blackhead Seabream, 24. Mullet, 25. Mussel, 26. Tripletail, 27. Rock (Scorpion) Fish]

[Special Abilities: None]

Until now, Chu Mingcheng hadn't been particularly motivated to collect new species; he'd been pretty laid-back about the whole thing. Earning over a thousand yuan a day, sometimes even hitting ten thousand, had made him content with his current life, dulling his drive to level up his Codex.

But having tasted the wonder of swimming freely underwater, the enhancement to his physical body—he couldn't just let it go.

He only needed to catch twenty-three more species to level up. That wasn't hard.

At the very least, with the "Effortless Swim" ability, if he ever had the misfortune of being shipwrecked, he could survive in the open sea. His chances would be very high.

He was about to buy a boat, and getting a fishing boat license was much faster than getting a car license. In a month at most, he could be out on the water. He had to unlock that ability before then.

Given the unexpected rescue, Chu Mingcheng didn't head to Huang Town. Instead, he went home to change.

The moment they arrived at his back door, Jiang Luoluo eagerly hopped out of the car.

"Quick, open the door! I want to see Mimi."

"Just be careful. Mimi's temper has improved a lot, but she's pregnant now and might still be wary of strangers."

Chu Mingcheng opened the door and grabbed a dried mackerel from the fridge. "Try approaching her with this. If it doesn't work, don't try to touch her for now."

"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm!" Jiang Luoluo had already spotted Mimi resting in her den. She took the dried fish and immediately went over, dangling it temptingly. "Mimi, want some fishy?"

By the time Chu Mingcheng had showered and come back downstairs, he found Mimi gnawing on the fish, and Jiang Luoluo was successfully petting her.

Since they were going camping that afternoon, he packed a pot and the charcoal grill he had bought, which was finally getting some use. After loading everything into the car, the two set off again.

Chu Mingcheng stopped by Zhao Jun's house and borrowed a small, fine-meshed, discarded net. He cut out a square meter of it to take with them; it was for making a trap to catch some river shrimp.

That's right—the place he was taking her camping was the same mountain where Yao Xin had taken him to fish for Spotted Creek Chub. He planned to set a trap in a narrow part of the stream below the pool. Any fish or shrimp swimming downstream would fall right into it.

After buying barbecue seasonings, lamb, and some vegetables, he drove straight toward Huang Town. He had to see the boat today. He had called and made an appointment with the shipyard the night before.

It was almost eleven by the time they arrived. Chu Mingcheng had called on the way to explain the delay. He had promised to be there before ten, and being nearly an hour late, he felt he owed them an explanation.

They went to the nearest shipyard first. It wasn't very large, and the owner himself greeted them. This shipyard specialized in small to medium-sized fishing boats and workboats. They only had three models of fishing boats: 6.8 meters, 8.8 meters, and 10.08 meters.

These lengths classified them as Category III and IV boats. Category III boats were restricted to within twenty nautical miles of the shore, while Category IV boats couldn't go beyond ten nautical miles, essentially limiting them to the waters around the island.

Most fishing enthusiasts and professional anglers bought Category III boats. They usually went out for day trips, at most staying overnight. For longer trips, they would rent a spot on a larger charter.

As for boats over sixteen meters, this shipyard only offered them as "custom orders." Anyone in the know would realize this small shipyard couldn't produce them. "Custom" just meant they were acting as a middleman, buying from someone else and selling at a markup.

Chu Mingcheng looked at the 8.8-meter and 10.08-meter models. They looked almost identical, the only difference being their size. The base price to get them on the water was 125,000 yuan and 158,000 yuan, respectively. Of course, there was room for negotiation, and the owner strongly recommended financing. The shipyard would handle all the paperwork, which was a relief.

But as he delved into the details of the propellers and other configurations, Chu Mingcheng noticed a problem. The price varied dramatically depending on the configuration.

If he wanted to buy a 10.08-meter boat for 158,000 yuan, the outboard motor it came with was only a single 150-horsepower engine. The owner claimed it could reach a top speed of twenty-five knots, but Chu Mingcheng doubted it, and the fuel consumption would be high, with a range of only eighty nautical miles.

To get a well-equipped boat, the price would soar into the hundreds of thousands. The thought made him reconsider buying one at all.

Still, he had made appointments with three shipyards, so he had to see them all.

The second place was a large shipyard that built cargo ships. A salesperson showed them around. When he learned of Chu Mingcheng's requirements, he focused on introducing their ten-meter fishing boats. Despite being a large shipyard, they only had two models of small fishing boats.

However, they looked more refined. After asking about the configuration, Chu Mingcheng found that the overall price was cheaper than at the smaller shipyard. But a slightly better configuration, with a cockpit, full equipment, and twin 150-horsepower engines, would cost at least five or six hundred thousand yuan. The price could even go up to over a million, and these were all domestically produced boats.

Jiang Luoluo was flabbergasted. No wonder they said owning a luxury car was nothing; owning a luxury yacht was the mark of true wealth.

With new boats being too expensive, Chu Mingcheng asked about used ones. But there were no Category III fishing boats in the hundred-thousand-yuan range. There were Category IV boats, but he had no use for those. He might as well buy a twenty-thousand-yuan small boat if he was just going to stay around the island.

Thoroughly discouraged, Chu Mingcheng perfunctorily visited the third shipyard and then left Huang Town with his tail between his legs.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Jiang Luoluo didn't know how to comfort him. She had learned about his budget that morning. If it were just a matter of a few tens of thousands, she would have been willing to lend it to him. But a gap of several hundred thousand was too much to bridge.