At noon, Li Wei returned to Point. He did not go back to the farm directly but headed to the fishing boat dock.
Yesterday, when Buck was inspecting the Sea Monster, he found that many parts on the boat needed repair and replacement, so he needed to deliver them as soon as possible.
As Li Wei slowly drove the F150 pickup truck into the fishing boat dock, he saw Buck's figure in the distance through the car window.
Besides Buck, there were two other people standing beside him.
They were also acquaintances of the original owner, all crew members of the Sea Monster. The older one was named Jack Jones, 31 years old this year; the other was named Jim White, 22 years old this year.
Logically, the Sea Monster should have one more crew member. Looking at the current situation, the other person must have found a new job.
Buck also saw Li Wei's pickup truck at this time, threw away the cigarette butt in his hand, and greeted Jack and Jim beside him, walking towards Li Wei together.
"Hi, Li Wei."
"Hi, Jessica."
"..."
After Li Wei got out of the car, he warmly bumped shoulders with the three, and then said to Buck:
"Buck, all the parts you need are in the truck bed."
Jim heard this, quickly walked forward, lifted the tarp, and said with a look of joy:
"Great, with these parts, our work progress can also speed up a lot."
Buck also walked forward at this time, picked up the parts and looked at them, then instructed Jim:
"Jim, go find old Willis and borrow a handcart."
"OK, Boss Buck, I'll go now."
Jim responded and quickly ran towards the dock office.
Not long after, he came running back pushing the cart.
With the help of the small cart, it didn't take long for the four of them to transport all the parts onto the boat.
When Li Wei arrived on the Sea Monster, he found that the Sea Monster was completely clean and tidy at this time. He didn't need to think to know it was the work of Buck and the other two.
Li Wei immediately said he would treat the three of them to drinks tonight.
Jack and Jim were naturally very happy to hear this.
Jessica on the side also joined in the fun.
But before she could be happy for long, Buck's voice sounded in the girl's ear.
"Jessica, I'll take you home first later."
"I..."
Hearing her older brother's words, Jessica subconsciously wanted to object, but suddenly thought of something, and finally could only nod in agreement, looking completely dejected like a frost-bitten eggplant.
Only then did Li Wei remember that you need to be 21 years old to drink alcohol in Eagle Country. Of course, no one will bother you if you drink privately, but places like bars are definitely prohibited, which he also found quite speechless.
You need to be 21 to drink alcohol, but only 18 to buy a gun. The influence of the alcohol association is, after all, not as great as that of the rifle association.
Seeing this, Li Wei changed his words:
"Alright, let's change places tonight. How about Old Barton's restaurant?"
"Boss, you're treating, you decide."
"Boss, you must try his grilled ribs tonight, I'm already drooling just thinking about it."
"...."
After confirming they would go to Old Barton's restaurant tonight, Buck and the others started to get busy. All the parts that needed to be replaced on the Sea Monster were replaced, and the areas that needed repair were repaired one by one.
Everything was proceeding in an orderly manner.
...
Time flew by, and the sun was about to set.
Li Wei and his group washed the grease off their hands and drove to Old Barton's restaurant.
The restaurant is not far from the fishing boat dock and is very popular with the town residents because of its delicious and affordable food.
As soon as Li Wei and his group walked into the restaurant, they immediately attracted a lot of attention.
When everyone saw that it was Li Wei, they all curiously looked at this University of Southern California high achiever. Then they thought that he was about to become a millionaire, and couldn't help but lament the different fates of people, wondering why they didn't have a millionaire father.
Some people who were familiar with Li Wei greeted him one after another, and Li Wei also responded warmly.
At this moment, a young man suddenly said:
"Hi, Li Wei, I heard you plan to stay. I wonder if the Sea Monster is hiring crew members?"
As the young man's voice fell, the restaurant instantly became silent, followed by a burst of lively discussion.
"Leon, are you drunk? Li Wei is a high achiever from the University of Southern California, how could he possibly stay in a small place like Point?"
"That's right, Leon, you must be drunk."
"..."
The crowd's discussion did not subside because of this, but rather showed a tendency to intensify, making the already noisy Old Barton's restaurant even more boisterous.
Buck's face was not looking good at this time, because he had only told Jack and Jim about this. Now that the news had spread, he didn't need to think to know it had leaked from their mouths.
At this time, Jack and Jim were also full of regret.
When they first heard the news, they mentioned it to a few close friends, but they didn't expect them to be so talkative, spreading it out in just over half a day.
They couldn't help but curse the other party hundreds of times in their hearts.
Li Wei didn't care about this at all. Since he decided to stay in Point, he was bound to become the focus of discussion among the townspeople.
He could even imagine what these people would say:
"Did you hear? Li Wei, Li Wei Anderson, that high achiever from a prestigious university, dropped out of school and came back to be a fisherman. Did his brain get squeezed by a door?"
Seeing the discussion gradually subside, Li Wei finally spoke:
"Everyone, quiet down. Since everyone is so curious, I'll take this opportunity to say something.
I do plan to stay in Point and become a professional fisherman. I hope you all will take care of me in the future. As for Leon's question just now, I can only say I'm sorry, the Sea Monster is not hiring crew members for now. Tonight, everyone gets a beer on me."
"Wow! Let's welcome Li Wei to this big family."
"..."
A burst of cheers erupted in the restaurant, and everyone no longer dwelled on Li Wei staying in Point.
However, Li Wei knew this was only temporary. For a long time in the future, he would be the focus of everyone's discussion.
After everyone's beer was served, they all raised their beer glasses and said:
"To Captain Li Wei!"
"To Captain Li Wei!"
"..."
It was unclear who started it, but the others also started calling Li Wei Captain.
This made him, who had lived two lives, feel very awkward.
The title "Captain" was really a bit embarrassing.
Li Wei suppressed the urge to run away and raised his glass in a gesture, imitating the others.
After doing this, the restaurant erupted in another round of cheers.
Li Wei and the others then found a corner to sit down.
Not long after ordering, plates of delicious-looking food were brought to the table by the waiter.
The few people who had been busy all afternoon no longer cared about their image and all ate heartily.
Li Wei speared a piece of grilled brisket and put it in his mouth. It was soft, tender, and juicy, and the taste was also quite amazing.
It really lived up to being one of the most popular restaurants in town.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they sat at the table chatting.
Li Wei briefly told Buck and the others about his plans for the future.
Hearing that Li Wei was preparing to get a boat operator's license, everyone expressed their support.
Jack volunteered to take care of this matter, guaranteeing that he could get the boat operator's license within a week.
Li Wei had no objection to this and nodded in agreement.
Getting a boat operator's license in Eagle Country is very simple. You just need to register at a qualified driving school, attend offline courses, and pass the written and water tests to get the license.
After entrusting this matter to Jack, everyone began to discuss the specific work ahead.
Boat repair and maintenance, how much fishing quota to apply for, fishing licenses, fuel, bait reservations...
And what everyone was most concerned about: wages.
There are many ways for fishermen in Eagle Country to earn income.
The two main ones are: one is calculated by the day; the other is profit sharing.
In the first method, both parties agree on a daily wage for going out to sea and pay according to the number of days spent at sea.
In the second method, the crew members have a very small base salary, and the more the fishing boat earns from going out to sea, the higher their share of income will be, and vice versa.
The Sea Monster used to primarily use the second method.
This is also the choice of most fishermen.
Taking such a big risk to go fishing is for the sake of earning more money. If you only get a fixed salary, you might as well go saw wood at a lumber mill.
Eagle Country also follows a principle here.
"The bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish."
...
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