After the change of power, the Chen family's two trawlers, no longer able to operate, hurriedly headed to the dock.
"How about it?"
"The weather is changing rapidly, and the wind and waves are getting bigger and bigger."
"Can we go back?"
"It shouldn't be a big problem."
"Forget about the trawl net, let's go back first."
We drove quite a distance.
Suddenly someone shouted, "Old Fu is missing!"
"He went to set up the trawl net, hasn't he come back yet?"
"I thought he would come back after he finished."
"Quickly, look for it."
After the chaos of war, the boatmen found several members of the Chen family drinking tea in the cabin.
"Old Fu may have fallen into the sea."
"We have to go back and look for it."
"Old Fu is wearing a life jacket, we can definitely save him when we get back."
"Boss Chen..."
The boatmen were anxious, shouting all at once.
"Alright!"
The old man sitting in the middle of the Chen family slammed his teacup on the table and said, "With all this noise, who am I even listening to?"
The boatmen reluctantly shut their mouths.
The Chen family asked the boatmen to leave, and a few of them huddled together to discuss the matter quietly.
A moment later.
Let the boatmen in.
As the one who makes the decisions, everyone is watching Chen the eldest.
Boss Chen coughed and asked, "Hey, what's the weather like now?"
"The waves are getting bigger and bigger."
"Are there any signs that the waves are getting smaller?"
"It doesn't seem so, it's raining right now."
“We’ve already sailed quite a distance. Going back and forth will take at least half an hour. If the wind and waves get bigger, our trawler won’t be able to withstand it.”
"So, what you mean, Boss Chen, is..."
"Keep heading towards the dock!" Old Chen's dark, wrinkled face was terribly gloomy as he said, enunciating each word clearly, "If you accidentally fall into the sea, that's Old Fu's fate."
Upon hearing this...
Everyone's expression changed drastically, and the Chen family members' expressions were also not very good.
after all.
Someone died while they were out.
Fortunately, Old Fu was a recipient of the Five Guarantees (a government welfare program for the elderly, disabled, and orphans), so the matter could be settled with a little money.
The boatman who was on good terms with Old Fu asked incredulously, "Then...then Old Fu isn't going to save him?"
"He went to deal with the trawl nets for everyone's sake!"
"result……"
“Fu Yongning, it’s not that we don’t want to save him, it’s that we can’t.” Old Chen sighed, picked up a cigarette, lit it, took a deep drag, and continued, “There are so many people on the ship, everyone’s safety is also very important.”
"Such a huge responsibility rests on my shoulders; I have to be responsible for everyone!"
As the saying goes, when faced with two evils, choose the lesser one...
Fu Yongning shouted anxiously, "Brother Chen, I'm just a roughneck and don't understand these fancy words, but this person has to be saved no matter what."
"Yes, it's a rule passed down from generation to generation, and we can't just stand by and watch someone die."
"We're not far off yet, we should make it in time..."
Other boatmen joined in the chant.
"Are you trying to teach us how to do things?" The young man sitting next to him shouted with a displeased look. "After we went to sea, Old Fu started spreading alarmist rumors and saying such taboo things. I think the sudden change in the world was all because of Old Fu's mouth."
"Chen Baosheng, you can't say that...it's a matter of life and death!"
Chen Baosheng scoffed and said, "Old Fu is just a recipient of the Five Guarantees; what's a human life worth?"
Don't worry.
"We'll handle it however we need to when we get back."
Fu Yongning shouted, "What are you saying? Old Fu is the most senior person on the boat. When I first came to work for your family, you only had a small fishing boat. Now you have two trawlers. Isn't that a great deal..."
Chen Baosheng slammed his fist on the table: "Fu Yongning, are you saying that our Chen family is where it is today thanks to old man Fu and all of you?"
What do you mean?
"Trying to cause trouble?"
Fu Yongning was startled and stammered, "That's not what I meant."
Chen Baosheng wanted to say something more, but the eldest son, Chen, waved his hand and said, "Alright, we're all in the same boat, the most important thing is ** (likely referring to a specific person or situation).
"Have the Chen family been harsh on you all these years?"
No one spoke.
"Alright, I suggest a vote by raising hands."
"Everyone needs to think about themselves. We still need to go to sea and make money."
"Raise your hand if you agree with turning around to save the person."
As soon as he finished speaking, Fu Yongning raised his hand.
The other boatmen looked at each other, none of them were fools. They understood what Boss Chen meant. If they didn't listen to the Chen family, they wouldn't be allowed to work on the boat anymore.
These men in their thirties and forties all have families to support.
The town is small, and since they don't work on the Chen family's trawlers, it won't be easy for them to find jobs that pay that much money in the short term.
Someone pulled Fu Yongning.
Fu Yongning turned around and his face was extremely ugly.
Boss Chen nodded in satisfaction: "This wasn't decided by one person alone, it was decided by everyone together. So when we get back to Hong Kong, everyone knows what to say and what to do, right?"
"Fu Yongning, think about what you're saying."
"Don't be clueless."
Everyone look over there.
Fu Yongning slowly lowered his hand; he was all alone, and his voice carried little weight.
If he persists, he might end up following in Old Fu's footsteps.
Being watched by everyone sent a chill down his spine. If he dared to say anything out of line when he got back, not only would the Chen family not let it go, but the other boatmen would not let him off the hook either.
He's not Old Fu; he has a home and a yard, so he wouldn't dare to do anything reckless.
Boss Chen smiled with satisfaction: "Alright, then everyone go about your business."
As soon as everyone turned around, a terrified shout came through the walkie-talkie: "Boss Chen, something's happened! Something's happened! The ship seems to have hit a reef!"
"Check it immediately!" Boss Chen's expression changed drastically as he picked up the walkie-talkie: "What's going on?"
"This...this isn't because the wind and waves were too strong, and we lost our bearings."
"Water's taking in! Water's taking in! Captain, what do we do? Should we...?"
Old Chen shouted, "Drag!"
"The ship must be towed back to the dock!"
"But what if..."
"There's no 'what if'." Old Chen's face was terrifyingly ferocious as he looked at the boatmen: "What are you all standing there for? Get back to work!"
Everyone rushed outside.
This was truly a case of misfortunes never coming singly; everyone secretly groaned in despair.
Fu Yongning followed him out, wishing he could clap his hands and cheer, thinking to himself that this was retribution.
Everyone got busy and became a bit flustered.
The Chen family members were anxious and angry, cursing and swearing at everyone. Someone complained, "We've never done this before. Old Fu knows how to do it. We always asked him before."
Upon hearing this, Fu Yongning quickly lowered his head to hide the sneer on his face, inwardly cursing that he deserved it!
Don't underestimate Old Fu just because he's a boatman. He's the most senior and experienced. It's no exaggeration to say he's a jack-of-all-trades. He can do anything and do it very well. Many things on the ship have to go through him.
His sharp tongue easily offended people, and his tendency to meddle in others' business made him unpopular on the ship.
Chen Baosheng cursed, "All you know how to do is make excuses!"
"My Chen family's fleet can't operate without an old man?"
"If you can't do this job well, don't come work on the ship anymore."
The boatmen nodded and quickly assured him they could do it, no one daring to dawdle any longer. Soon, in the wind and waves, the two trawlers, one in front of the other, carried them toward the dock.
Standing on the boat, Fu Yongning couldn't help but look back, only to see Tao Tao amidst the terrifying waves. He felt a deep sense of sorrow, realizing how much he had let Old Fu down, and his heart was filled with extreme pain.
I silently apologized countless times, hoping that Old Fu's spirit in heaven could forgive him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com