sbdcsierra Chapter 1618: Double Your Salary
Chapter 1618: Double Your Salary
Chapter 1618: Double Your Salary
"This is huge! Is it still a juvenile? It weighs almost 200 pounds!"
"If it grows up, who knows how big it will be?"
"I heard that the Japanese really like to eat this fish, especially the bluefin one. I wonder what's so special about it..."
Hearing this, Ye Yaodong laughed and said, "It's so big, and it's not even a juvenile fish. At first glance, I thought it was only a little over a meter long. This one is so big, it's practically a semi-adult fish. Pick out the big one and give it to the chef to process. We'll have sashimi for lunch, and then we'll make soup with some of it. Let the chef see how best to cook it. With such a big fish, we can try different ways of cooking it and see which one tastes best. Everyone can also have a taste."
"Oh, really? We're in for a treat!"
"Haha, I told you long ago, the boss is very generous, you can eat whatever you want on the ship, as much as you want."
"This fish is so expensive, probably costing thousands or even tens of thousands of yuan each, and you're just going to eat it like this?"
He continued, "At sea, we can't guarantee anything else, but what's there to worry about when we can't afford fish? Eat up, don't worry about me. There are still countless packages of cargo to go. There's still a lot of hard work ahead, so let's have a good meal today to get things going."
"Alright, everyone's in for a treat."
"I've never eaten such expensive fish in my life. How come those Japanese are so rich?"
This was the golden age for the Japanese; their salaries were in the thousands or tens of thousands a month, while in China they were only a few dozen or a few hundred...
"Let's see how much tuna we get after we collect it. When we get back, we'll give everyone a big red envelope to share in the good fortune!"
"Wow~"
"Ah! There are red envelopes too?"
"Holy crap, eating and taking things away? Damn, that's awesome!"
"Haha, there are even red envelopes?"
“Our boss is very generous. In the past, when he caught something rare, he would give out red envelopes to everyone if he was in a good mood. I’ve benefited from that once!”
"It wasn't just about giving out red envelopes. We even appeared in the newspapers with our boss and received government commendations. The government even gave us a 500 yuan bonus. Damn, that was awesome."
"Yes, I heard about it. Oh, I was so jealous back then. It's a pity I didn't get a share. I don't know if I'll ever have a chance in the future."
"Haha, that depends on fate..."
The atmosphere was lively, and everyone was chatting enthusiastically and excitedly.
Eating and taking things home at the same time, it was so satisfying.
Moreover, the salary is not low, and the key is that they get an extra month's salary at the end of the year, and they also get paid during the Chinese New Year. Now, there are also extra bonuses for catching big catches.
They never dared to imagine that such a good thing would happen to them; they had fallen into a lucky hole. The group of veterans, who didn't know anything about it, were extremely excited.
In the military, the monthly allowance is only a few dozen yuan, but here on the same ship, it's ten times more, and the benefits are even better.
One by one, they began to express their gratitude to the leaders, the Party, the organization, and the boss in their hearts.
Everyone quickly sorted the goods and bled them.
There was no special selection involved. Ye Yaodong said so, but no one would actually go out of their way to pick the biggest one to eat.
Such a big fish, it wasn't even completely dead when it came up. When they were killing it, its tail slapped against the processing table with a loud thud.
After processing the first bluefin tuna that was brought over, everyone carried it directly to the chef for preparation.
"If this half-grown fish is this big, an adult fish would probably be twice that size, around 4 meters long and weighing several hundred kilograms."
"definitely."
"I hope we can catch them some soon."
"Then you should pray more..."
As everyone chatted and processed the goods, as soon as a package was put down, someone would immediately put the fish collection bag back into the sea. Once the fish in the net flowed back into the fish collection bag at the bottom, another package would be hoisted up.
As usual, this package was first unloaded into the unloading area before being transported to the sorting station.
"Look, there are bluefin tuna again."
"That longfin tuna is so small..."
Bluefin tuna are very distinctive, with a dark blue or black back, a yellow or blue first dorsal fin, and a reddish-brown second dorsal fin.
The tail fin is shaped like a crescent moon, and there are one large and two small raised ridges on each side of the caudal peduncle.
Longfin tuna are relatively slender, and this one is not an adult fish, but a semi-adult fish. However, this one is half the size, only about one meter long, and weighs only forty or fifty kilograms.
Its first dorsal fin is dark yellow, its second dorsal fin is light yellow, its back is also dark blue, but its belly is silvery white.
The two types of tuna are easily distinguishable.
But with the bluefin tuna in front of them, who would even look at the longfin tuna? Everyone's attention was on the bluefin tuna, and they were counting the fish.
After processing, everything is sorted and placed properly before being moved to the freezer.
Spanish mackerel also needs to be bled, and the workers who process it are divided into different categories.
The sharp fish-splitting knife precisely cuts open the mackerel's gill covers. The "sizzling" sound of the blade cutting through the fish's belly mingles with the spurting of blood as it hooks out the internal organs. Then, mixed with the blood on the deck, the fish falls through the trapdoor into the bottom tank's raw material pool.
Then we'll have to use a spiral constrictor to kill them along with those small anchovies, and then steam, boil, and press them.
Now that his ship has a processing production line, even the internal organs are utilized, and not a single bit is wasted, turning waste into treasure.
Even now, fishmeal processing equipment is rudimentary, mostly semi-mechanized, and requires manual labor throughout the entire process.
During the fishmeal processing, the taste is indescribably delicious; the trimethylamine gas produced by protein hydrolysis can penetrate the bulkhead.
At sea, the smell dissipates quickly, but it can be a torment for the workers on deck, given the constant production.
That's why he prepared some medical masks before setting off, which could block the wind, cover his nose, and block some of the smell.
However, no one takes it seriously right now, and no one is wearing a mask. You'll know the irresistible smell of fishmeal processing once we start work.
If this were processed on land, it would travel for miles, and people would curse its ancestors hundreds of times.
Thinking of this, he added, "When you start processing fishmeal later, remember to wear masks, otherwise you'll have a hard time with the smell."
"Those masks that were issued? I don't know where I put them, I'll look for them later."
"Does it smell bad? The sea is so vast, the smell will dissipate in a while."
"Yeah, with such a strong sea breeze, there shouldn't be any smell. If there is, it will just be blown away."
Haha, I've given you a heads-up. They'll get what's coming to them soon enough.
Ye Yaodong was on the deck directing the operation, watching as packages of goods were hoisted up and then lowered down.
It wasn't until more than an hour later, when they were hoisting down to the last bag, that they counted it clearly. There were about 27 bags, and the last bag wasn't very full.
Ye Yaodong was extremely satisfied; this operation had dragged on for two hours.
The advantage of this ship compared to the Ocean Cruiser is that it has onboard processing facilities and a large storage capacity, while the catch volume is actually about the same.
The most important feature of these large fishing vessels is their storage capacity; a large storage capacity allows them to stay at sea for a longer period of time.
"Boss, I've counted them. There are 175 semi-adult bluefin tuna, 253 longfin tuna, and some triggerfish mixed in, more than 100 of them."
The worker who came to deliver the news was beaming with joy, grinning excitedly the whole time.
Ye Yaodong's eyes lit up. "Not bad."
"The bluefin tuna are all about one or two meters long, with the big ones weighing 200 jin (100 catties) and the small ones weighing over 100 jin (50 kg). The longfin tuna are smaller, weighing only 30 or 40 jin (15-20 kg), with the big ones weighing 50 or 60 jin (25-30 kg)."
He tried to calculate it in his mind, but couldn't quite figure it out. He planned to get a calculator and do it when he got into the cockpit.
"Where's the Spanish mackerel?"
"The mackerel weighs a little over 20 tons, and the anchovies weigh around 20 to 30 tons. They're just too small, so the quantity seems particularly large."
He could estimate that each net would yield around 100,000 jin (50,000 kg).
"This is a good result, considering it only took two hours."
He rushed in at the prime detection point, specifically targeting the tuna; it's normal that there weren't that many anchovies.
I estimate that the next few boats will have a lot of mackerel and anchovies, but fewer tuna.
The second net was slowly lowered before the count was even announced.
He stood on the deck watching everyone work, just to get the data and to direct the net casting. At the same time, it also helped the captain develop his ability to work independently. You can't rely on him for everything; they've already started operations.
After counting the number of nets, he looked at the nearby sea through binoculars and discovered that fishing nets were being pulled in.
He planned to ask them about their findings in an hour.
"We've made a fortune. In the past, we would have thrown those small anchovies back into the sea. Now, even the small anchovies and their innards can be processed directly, without any waste."
"Well, go ahead and get busy."
Ye Yaodong originally planned to go straight to the wheelhouse, but then he thought that the captain was in control and was currently working, so there wouldn't be any problems. He just needed to chase after the detected school of fish.
He was thinking of going to check out the fishmeal processing situation, since it was his first time dealing with a fishing boat that processed fishmeal at sea.
As he was about to walk towards the lower deck, a worker saw him and immediately stopped him.
"Boss, would you like to inspect the fishmeal processing?"
"Correct."
"It stinks too much, don't go."
"That must smell really bad? I can't smell anything on the deck."
"The bottom hatch was tightly closed, so the stench hadn't wafted out much yet. I don't know what happened after that, but it stank horribly inside. Everyone wasn't wearing masks at first, so we had to hurry and look for them. It smelled even worse than before."
"It's okay, I'm wearing a mask."
He has to smell it sooner or later, so he can't possibly ignore it.
When Ye Yaodong pushed open the iron door of the lower deck, a wave of fumes mixed with the smell of burning and a strong fishy smell made him take a half step back.
Ugh, it smells awful.
As soon as he opened the bottom hatch, a rich aroma wafted out and reached everyone on deck.
The workers busy on the deck frowned, sniffed, and looked toward the source of the smell.
"Is this what fishmeal processing smells like? It's awful."
"No wonder they told us to wear masks."
"Luckily, I saw them putting on masks, so I put one on too. It can at least block out the cold wind."
"We can't pick them now, they stink..."
After Ye Yaodong went inside, he closed the cabin door first and then inspected the raw material area.
The pool was filled with fresh anchovies and a large amount of processed entrails mixed with blood, and bubbles were rising in the water, making it look rather disgusting.
If this were a horror movie, it would be filled with...
Just then, his rubber boots crushed a fish bladder that had swelled up like a ping-pong ball on the edge of the pool, the popping sound accompanied by a stench that splashed onto his trousers.
He quickly rubbed the soles of his shoes, thankfully he was wearing rain boots and rain pants, and hurried a few more steps toward the steaming area.
Old Wang, the stoker, was a skilled worker he had specially hired. He was operating the machine shirtless, with steam bubbles forming droplets on his back. Despite the cold weather, he was so hot when he first came in that he wanted to take off his coat.
"How's it going? Is the work alright?"
"Sure, why not? I'm used to it. Besides, it's the first day, everything is still clean, and the smell isn't strong yet."
This isn't considered small?
The workers nearby all had colons popping out of their heads.
Ye Yaodong nodded, glanced around, and then walked past the pressing area.
The smell here was so strong that he didn't linger and went straight to check the drying cylinders.
Some fish powder has already been baked out.
The cylinder twisted into an irregular oval shape due to the high temperature. Ye Yaodong grabbed a handful of freshly made fish powder, the residual heat still lingering on his fingertips, and carefully kneaded it in his hands.
The workers working beside the drying drums were also covered in sweat, shoveling fishmeal into their hands.
He wiped his brow and said, "This is the first batch of fish meal that just came out of the oven. I don't know much about the quality, boss, could you take a look? If you hadn't come over, I would have brought a basin of it up for you to see later."
"I heard that there's a huge difference between the quality and price of fishmeal. Poor quality fishmeal costs a few hundred yuan, while good quality fishmeal costs several thousand yuan. Can you take a look at our first batch of fishmeal and see if it's of good quality?"
The quality of fishmeal is mainly determined by its protein content. While protein content cannot be tested on a ship, he understands this.
There are several simple inspection methods to judge quality.
The first test is to rub the fishmeal between your fingers; it should feel smooth and free of granules. The second test is to smell it; it should have a slightly burnt aroma. The third test is to sprinkle it directly into seawater; it should sink slowly. Good fishmeal should meet all three criteria.
Otherwise, feeding livestock with inferior fishmeal can easily cause livestock diseases, such as chicken plague.
He kneaded it with his fingers and found it had no grainy texture. He also smelled it and found that, unlike the stench from when he had just walked by, this finished product had a slightly burnt aroma.
He already had a good idea of what was going on when the worker asked him questions.
"The quality is good. Let me show you how to judge it."
He simply taught the worker the three methods of judgment: fishmeal production, the worker in charge of the drying drum must first know how to distinguish them.
"Understood. Next time a batch comes out, I'll make my own assessment first."
"Get me a small bucketful first."
"it is good."
Ye Yaodong quickly carried half a bucket of fish meal out of the bottom compartment; the smell inside was simply suffocating.
Once he was on the deck, he took off his mask, took a few deep breaths, and finally felt better.
The moment the bottom hatch closes, it blocks out some of the odor, which is why production has just started. Later on, it will be impossible to block it completely, and the odor will become stronger and stronger, especially since there is also an exhaust pipe.
"Boss, is this processed fishmeal you're carrying? You've already produced it so quickly?"
"Just a little."
Do pig and chicken farms all feed their animals this feed?
"Seems to be……"
Ye Yaodong poured half a bucket of fishmeal into the sea and then observed whether it sank.
This sinks down slowly, little by little, until it fills the top layer. It doesn't sink all at once, or it hangs suspended without sinking.
Some small fish in the upper layer of the water were also attracted by the fish meal and gradually surfaced to eat it.
His confidence grew, and he figured his fish meal price wouldn't be bad either.
It is mainly made from fresh anchovies and some small miscellaneous fish, with only a portion of the internal organs, which are also beneficial to livestock.
Sometimes, the price of fishmeal can be affected by the presence of unground fish teeth and bones. Some unscrupulous manufacturers may even add sawdust or fishmeal made from rotten fish, which are all inferior fishmeal.
His is considered high-quality; it's probably good enough to be exported.
Thinking about it this way, he felt a surge of excitement. Should he start another fishmeal company? One that specializes in exporting fishmeal for the domestic market?
We'll find an opportunity to transport the goods back in a few days, and then I'll ask Manager Yan to help us recruit some people who understand foreign trade.
After the New Year, we did recruit a few managers. When we went to Shanghai, Director Zhang from the shipyard introduced a few to us, but they were unwilling to come to Zhoushan and only wanted to stay in Shanghai.
He was quite disappointed at the time, but now he's wondering if he could open a sales branch in Shanghai.
But at sea right now, it's just a thought.
Why pour this into the sea?
He explained, "Let's see how the fishmeal quality is. It looks pretty good so far. Let's keep it up."
"Then it can fetch a good price?"
"It should be possible. We'll take it back for testing in a couple of days on our return trip and see how much it can sell for per ton."
He roughly knew that it would take about four or five tons of small fish to produce one ton of fishmeal, while it would take about three or four tons of slightly larger miscellaneous fish to produce one ton of fishmeal.
On average, about 4 tons can produce one ton.
This net, with its twenty-odd tons of anchovies and some other fish, should yield around six or seven tons.
If it's three or four thousand yuan a ton, then all those miscellaneous goods and offal processed products can sell for around 2 yuan.
What the hell!
Ye Yaodong thought about it and felt a little excited.
Fish meal business is good; it's perfect for him to run on a boat.
It will not pollute the land environment, nor will it affect residents.
Ye Yaodong casually handed the bucket to a worker and told him to put it away, then went up to the cockpit himself.
After working on the deck for several hours, he was a little tired, so he went back to the bridge to rest and ask about the fishing situation of the other fishing boats.
The captain hadn't seen him on deck for a while, but seeing him finally come aboard, he felt a little relieved.
It was my first time independently operating such a large vessel to lower the net, and I was always a little nervous.
"Dongzi, you're finally up here! Where did you go? I didn't see anyone on deck."
"I went to the warehouse to take a look at the fishmeal production line."
"What do you think? This is the first time I've ever heard of production and processing being done on a ship."
"That's good. The fishmeal produced is of excellent quality. It should fetch a good price when we get back."
"This net should be quite profitable, right?"
"Give me the calculator."
Ye Yaodong took the calculator, pressed the mute button, and started typing furiously. His eyes widened as he stared at the screen filled with zeros, almost forgetting how to count them all.
"Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, millions..."
"boss?"
Ye Yaodong quickly covered the calculator to prevent him from seeing it!
He didn't count mackerel or the estimated fishmeal; he only counted tuna.
Those 100-plus bluefin tuna alone are expected to sell for over 280 million!
Albacore tuna are specifically made into canned fish. Although they are smaller and cost several times less than bluefin tuna, there are more than 200 of them, which is worth more than 20 yuan.
Compared to these two types of fish, the triggerfish is not worth much. It's not even worth as much as the large mackerel that are caught. If he doesn't even consider those, the tuna alone is worth more than 300 million!
This haul has made us rich! It's worth more than all the fish we caught last year!
fuck!
Previously, a whole boatload of fresh produce was only worth a few hundred thousand yuan!
That was the cargo accumulated from several boats over the course of a day, but this was just one net, and it was hauled in in just two hours.
Only large shipments bring surprises. He stared at the calculator, mouth agape, unsure what to say.
"boss?"
He quickly snapped out of his daze, wiped the smile off his face, and turned off the button.
"Hehehe..." The captain didn't mind him covering it up, and just looked on with a smile, "Looks like this net has made quite a bit of money."
Ye Yaodong patted him on the shoulder with a smile, "Your salary will be doubled this month!"
The captain's eyes lit up, and he excitedly shouted into the microphone on the control panel, "The boss said everyone's wages will be doubled this month!"
The workers on deck immediately cheered.
They only mentioned giving out red envelopes, but they didn't mention doubling the salary. This is much bigger than a red envelope!
Seeing the cheers on deck, the captain added with a smile, "An extra month's salary as a bonus!"
Ye Yaodong sat down happily. "Have the other fishing boats reported their catch yet?"
"Yes, their harvest is similar to ours, except they have less tuna and less mackerel, but more pomfret, yellow croaker, shrimp, crab, and the like. The total tonnage is about the same."
How many tuna are there?
"The other seven boats together contain about seventy or eighty bluefin tuna and more than 120 longfin tuna."
"Not bad, that's good."
Ye Yaodong picked up the calculator again, pressed the mute button, and quietly did another calculation for himself.
Damn, that's worth over a million!
He was overjoyed; this wave of fish brought him 500 million, which was half of what he earned last year.
However, the output value of the processing plant this year is certainly not the same as before.
My goodness, it's only in the deep sea that we have a chance. The fish we encountered today were only half-grown, not even fully grown.
However, this scale is already quite impressive. Generally, a school of bluefin tuna will have more than 50 fish at the same time, so this scale of several hundred fish is considered a large school.
Got rich.
"Notify the other fishing boats that their wages will also be doubled this month."
The captain laughed and said, "You'd make everyone happier if you told us."
"It's not much different. Anyway, I only notified the captains of each ship. I don't know how the workers reacted."
Despite saying that, Ye Yaodong still stood up and picked up the walkie-talkie.
"Calling, calling, the other seven fishing boats please respond."
"receive."
"Properly handle the caught tuna, ensuring not a single one is lost. Everyone on the ship will have their base salary doubled this month!"
"Ah, really? Got it!"
"Received, notify all crew members immediately!"
"This is so exciting, pass the word down."
The boat captains were all pleasantly surprised, and then they became excited.
Ye Yaodong was also very happy. "Yes, pass the notice down so everyone can have a good laugh. Let's keep working hard."
"receive."
P.S.: I'm dragging my feet, and I won't be able to finish updating until the early hours of the morning. I didn't check the backend while I was writing, so replies won't be timely.