Chapter 50 Someone Has Their Eyes on the Fish Farm!

“Your account... has paid 66,300.00 yuan, with a remaining balance of 11,400,788.55 yuan.”

At the farm, after Chu Lin completed the payment, he closed the tax app—this was, of course, the tax on the 10.2 million yuan he earned from selling pearls. To be honest, he didn’t quite understand how the tax was calculated; after entering the relevant details, it simply indicated this amount was to be deducted. But once the tax was paid, he felt at ease with his money.

He set his phone aside and walked out into the yard, where he saw Liu Fa carrying dog food and treats—the pet shop had delivered them. From now on, the new dogs would live with Da Huang and Er Huang in that room. With their arrival, the yard was far livelier; two fluffy white puppies already trailed behind Da Huang and Er Huang. The other border collies, German shepherds, and Afghan hounds were still exploring their new surroundings, curiosity in every step.

These were all large breeds; in a few months, they’d have real fighting strength and become the farm’s main security force. Guo Lin took several dog bowls and poured out food for the puppies. When dogs are first brought home, the owner should feed them personally—only this way will they grow attached.

Meanwhile, Liu Fa was busy preparing the room for Da Huang and Er Huang, making it ready for the new arrivals. He couldn’t help but marvel at the price of these dogs. Most people who buy guard dogs for farms just get mutts—who would splurge on breeds costing over ten thousand each? And to spend two hundred thousand on two beautiful dogs that were useless as guard dogs, just to pair with Da Huang and Er Huang? The sheer extravagance left him speechless.

But then he thought of his boss’s nearly two-million-yuan car, and the cost of the dogs seemed insignificant. Besides, these large breeds would be formidable guardians once grown. It was good fortune for him, too, that his boss was so well-off; at least his job was secure, and a raise of a few hundred yuan seemed likely.

By dusk, two middle-aged men, dripping with sweat, arrived. “Boss Chu, all the surveillance cameras are installed around the perimeter, just as you requested. They’re very well hidden. I’ll show you how to connect them to your computer in a moment!”

They were from the surveillance installation company, contacted by Liu Fa. Now, numerous cameras covered the outer areas of the farm, providing full surveillance. None were installed inside, due to Chu Lin’s secrets; internal security would be left to the dogs.

The surveillance system included a computer and a wall-mounted monitor, all set up in the prefab office. Chu Lin followed the technicians into the office and learned how to operate the system. The installers were a bit puzzled: in Pingjiang District, they had set up many surveillance systems for farms, but those usually focused on the interior. This client had almost all cameras outside, none within. It wasn’t less secure, though; in fact, it was more so, with an impenetrable network—any intruder would be spotted before even approaching.

Chu Lin quickly mastered the system. Watching the feed on the split screens, he thought it would be wise to hire a night watchman to monitor the cameras, as the farm’s assets were growing in value—be it the specially bred oysters, the gravid prawns, or the Neptune grouper fingerlings, all were worth a fortune. Soon, the farm would be upgrading again, introducing yet another rare animal. For now, no one was paying attention, but that could change; if someone took an interest, there was no telling what they might attempt, including sneaking in at night.

Relying on the dogs alone—apart from Da Huang and Er Huang—the others were still too young. The real question was how to find someone as trustworthy as Liu Fa for the job.

He turned to Liu Fa and asked, “Master Liu, do you know anyone reliable and diligent? I’d like to hire someone for the night shift, to watch the monitors. As you know, my farm uses special techniques—I can’t have anyone with dubious intentions here.”

Liu Fa pondered for a moment, then replied, “Boss Chu, I do know someone. I assure you he’s honest and hardworking—he used to work on construction sites as a laborer.”

“Very well, have him come for a trial,” Chu Lin said with a smile. Anyone willing to do hard labor on a construction site, even out of necessity, had to be earnest—after all, lots of people are desperate, but few are willing to endure that kind of toil.

He was willing to trust Liu Fa’s recommendation.

But Liu Fa hesitated, then confessed, “Boss Chu, actually, I’m talking about my own son. He’s mute and uneducated.”

This made Chu Lin’s eyes light up. Uneducated, mute—these were advantages in his eyes.

He thought for a moment and said, “Master Liu, have your son come for a trial. Since it’s an overnight shift, the salary will start at ten thousand a month, with bonuses. If he performs well, he can get a raise.”

Many bosses aren’t fond of hiring hearing- or speech-impaired workers due to communication difficulties and their sensitivity or inferiority complex. But as one employer proved online, treat such employees well and their loyalty and work ethic are unmatched. Most bosses only think about squeezing their workers.

Chu Village once had a deaf-mute man who endured discrimination for years. When he finally met a kind boss who offered him a job, he was so grateful that, in the end, he gave his life protecting his employer.

So Chu Lin didn’t mind giving Liu Fa’s son a chance. At the very least, he fully trusted Master Liu.

Hearing his boss’s words, Liu Fa’s face lit up with joy. “Thank you, Boss Chu, thank you!”

Chu Lin added, “But let me be clear: if he doesn’t meet my standards, I’ll have to let him go.”

“I understand, I understand!” Liu Fa nodded eagerly. He had confidence in his son, who was an honest lad—because he couldn’t speak, he was often bullied, and his wages were frequently docked. Liu Fa had seen it himself: his son did more work but earned over a thousand less than others.

But he also knew his son’s limitations made finding work hard—so he had to take what he could get. He’d long wanted to ask Boss Chu for a job for his son; Boss Chu was a good man, and he wanted his son to work for him.

That day, Liu Fa went home in unusually high spirits, hurrying off as soon as his shift ended. He couldn’t wait to share the good news with his son.

Soon, Liu Fa drove his small truck back to a parking lot in the old part of town. The family rented their shabby place because the rent was cheap and it had parking. He parked and hummed a tune as he returned to their cramped rented room.

“What’s got you so happy today?” Chen Lan asked, curious.

“Where’s our son? Isn’t he home yet?” Master Liu smiled.

“He’s probably been dragged off by the foreman again for unpaid labor,” Chen Lan sighed, her face clouded with worry. She truly didn’t know what would become of her son.

“From now on, he won’t work for those bloodsuckers,” Liu Fa said, then shared the good news. “Boss Chu is giving our son a chance—he’ll be working at the farm for ten thousand a month, plus bonuses, with raises in the future.”

“Really?” Chen Lan was elated.

She’d heard her husband speak of Boss Chu often, knew the farm was large and that he treated his employees well—a rare good boss. But ten thousand a month! She’d never dared dream of such a wage. Her son worked himself half to death for the heartless foreman and still couldn’t earn that much.

“Old Liu, you’ve finally done something big for our son,” Chen Lan couldn’t help but praise her husband.

Liu Fa reminded her, “Be sure to tell our son he must do his best for Boss Chu—no tricks or laziness.”

“You know what your son’s like,” Chen Lan sighed. “If he were capable of scheming, he wouldn’t have been bullied for so long. But he must earn that ten thousand—he should work hard and cherish the opportunity.”

Before long, a young man, strong as an ox, walked in and greeted them with gestures.

“That’s enough about that for now,” Chen Lan said, pulling her son over. “Your father has found you a job—ten thousand a month. Tomorrow, you’ll go see the boss with your dad.”

Liu Xiao was stunned. He couldn’t hide his joy. When had he ever earned ten thousand a month? Even hauling bricks all day, he barely made five thousand. He hurriedly gestured his thanks, his hands moving rapidly.

A moment later, Chen Lan grew annoyed. “Are you stupid? Why do you keep helping that foreman for free? Don’t you know he docks your wages every month?”

Liu Fa sighed. “Forget it. We promised, so we’ll see it through. Finish the work, then come with me.”

The next day, after breakfast, Liu Fa headed to the farm and told Chu Lin about his son.

“It’s nothing,” Chu Lin said with a smile. In fact, he appreciated this trait. Those who drop their commitments for better offers aren’t the kind he wants.

“Thank you, Boss Chu, thank you!” Liu Fa expressed his gratitude, then focused on loading the prawns and oysters onto the truck, delivering them to the Supreme warehouse with practiced ease.

What Liu Fa didn’t know was that, as he got into his truck, two men were already watching him.

“Boss Zhong, is that him?” a shifty-looking man asked.

Zhong nodded. “That’s him. Ah Pao, follow him, find out where his farm is, then wait for an opportunity. You’ll get fifty thousand if it works out.”

If Chu Lin had been there, he would have recognized this man as the notorious seafood supplier Zhong Lei.

Previously, Zhong Lei had tried to supply Supreme, but was rejected. He couldn’t understand how the small seafood shop owner who had once relied on him was now supplying Supreme, and with such delicious shrimp—he had no idea how they were bred. Worse, the man even mocked him back then.

He had bribed someone at Supreme to obtain a batch of live shrimp and tried to breed them artificially, but after half a month, he realized the young shrimp grew no faster or larger than ordinary ones. They also lacked that exquisite flavor—it was a failure. He couldn’t understand why. With the experts he’d hired, mistakes like that shouldn’t happen.

Recently, the supplier had provided Supreme with those remarkable oysters, which made Zhong Lei green with envy. If he could produce such products, he’d be rich.

He couldn’t take it anymore. Since the shrimp from Supreme couldn’t be bred successfully, the supplier must have broodstock. So he sent someone to follow Liu Fa to his farm and steal some.

He refused to believe he couldn’t breed them himself.