The entire ocean is my fishing ground.

Chapter 14 You Don't Understand My Horizons!

The next day, Lin Chen did not rush to go out to sea.

Today's information has been updated (4/4)

[Intelligence 1 (Warning): Zhao Defa, the village contractor, harbors resentment towards the host because his brother-in-law Zhang Meng's business has suffered setbacks. Today, while chatting with several villagers at the village store, he will spread unfavorable remarks about the host, attempting to isolate him from the village.]

[Intelligence 2 (Resource): In the nearshore No. 1 beach area, a batch of shrimp, weighing approximately ten pounds, has been stranded due to tidal erosion.]

[Intelligence 3 (Daily Life): ...]

[Intelligence 4 (Daily Life): ...]

Zhao Defa.

Lin Chen recognized the name; he was Zhang Meng's brother-in-law. He used his connections in the village to contract small projects and kept a few idle people under his wing, giving him some influence in the village.

Zhang Meng used violence, Zhang Tiejun used channels, and now Zhao Defa wants to take action through public opinion.

Lin Chen glanced at it and then didn't take it seriously anymore.

To him, this kind of backbiting is no different from children fighting.

He took a small bucket and a net and went to beach number one, as indicated by intelligence.

The number of shrimp was small, but they were quite large and very lively.

He scooped it up without much effort; it weighed about ten pounds.

He planned to take half of the shrimp to town to sell and earn some pocket money, and save the other half to cook a pot of shrimp porridge for his parents that evening.

Just as the system had warned, news of Lin Chen using a speedboat to bypass the dock and deliver goods directly spread throughout the small village of Huangni within a day.

At the village entrance, a few idle villagers gathered at the small shop.

"Have you heard? That kid from the Lin family got a speedboat from somewhere yesterday and brought the fish directly from the sea to town."

"I heard about it. That speedboat, white and very beautiful. It disappeared in a flash, much faster than our old boat."

A younger fisherman looked on with envy.

"This kid's got some brains. That way, even if Zhang Meng wanted to corner him, he wouldn't be able to."

"Brain? I think he had thoughts he shouldn't have had."

A sarcastic voice broke in; it was Zhao Defa, the village's contractor.

"Lin Chen's 'direct supply from the source' scheme is just a way of looking down on our village's dock. He thinks our place is too small to be worthy of his expensive fish?"

Zhao Defa successfully drew everyone's attention.

"Brother Defa, you can't say that. Zhang Meng is in charge of the dock now, and everyone knows what kind of person he is. Lin Chen has no choice but to avoid him."

Someone offered a quiet defense.

"no way?"

Zhao Defa sneered.

"I think he's just selfish. He gets all the benefits, using his speedboat to sell the best fish in the city and making a fortune. And what about us?"

"What about the rest of us fish? Aren't we still going to have to sell them to Zhang Tiejun at a low price, begging him for the best?"

"Lin Chen may be living a life of glory, but what about the rest of the village? They're still just as poor."

The expressions on the faces of the villagers who had been envious of Lin Chen began to change.

A hint of hesitation flickered in their eyes.

Yes, Lin Chen is impressive; he can bypass Zhang Meng and sell fish at high prices.

But what does this have to do with them?

Their fish could only be sold to Zhang Tiejun.

Zhao Defa continued to embellish the story.

"If he's really capable and truly considers us villagers as his own, he should stand up and lead everyone in fighting against Zhang Tiejun."

"Instead of doing what we're doing now, secretly making money and treating us all like fools."

Some people thought Zhao Defa made sense; Lin Chen was indeed only thinking of himself.

Some people think that people earn money through their own abilities, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Many more people are unsure which side to stand on.

These rumors quickly reached Lin Jianguo's ears.

In the evening, he returned home, looked at Lin Chen, and hesitated to speak.

"Dad, just say what you have to say."

Lin Chen spoke up.

Lin Jianguo sighed.

"Chenchen, Dad knows you're not a selfish person. But there are many people in the village who talk a lot, and Zhao Defa has a sharp tongue. I'm afraid... afraid they'll misunderstand you."

Lin Chen put down what he was holding and smiled.

"Dad, don't worry. People can say whatever they want. I don't care."

"But I'm not really ignoring them. Let me be frank with you, the reason I'm doing it myself now isn't because I want to take all the benefits for myself."

"It's because I haven't established a solid foundation yet. Once my channels are fully established and I have more funds, I will naturally find a way to help those in the village who are willing to work with me."

"Now is not the time. I don't even have a proper fishing boat. How can I fight Zhang Tiejun? Am I supposed to lead everyone to starve?"

Lin Jianguo suddenly realized that his son was no longer the child who needed his protection.

He had his own ideas and a long-term vision.

"Okay...okay. Dad understands."

Lin Jianguo nodded heavily.

"Go for it. Don't worry about what others say, your family will always support you."

Lin Chen felt a warmth in his heart upon receiving his father's understanding.

That evening, he returned to his room, locked the door, and turned to a new page in his somewhat old notebook.

He didn't write immediately, but pondered quietly for a long time.

Although he said he didn't care about Zhao Defa's provocation today, it did serve as a wake-up call for him.

To completely bring down Zhang Tiejun, he alone is not enough; he must unite all available forces in the village.

He wrote down his plan on a piece of paper.

First, there's the matter of accumulating capital. He needs to continue utilizing intelligence to quickly amass his first fortune. The goal is clear: to buy a steel-hulled fishing boat with a carrying capacity exceeding five tons. While speedboats are agile, their carrying capacity and ability to withstand rough seas are limited, making them unsuitable for his future plans.

With a boat, the second step was to expand the fishing area. He could go to more distant waters to catch more valuable and larger schools of fish, taking his income to the next level.

The third step is to build a team. When the time is right, he will recruit trustworthy people like Sun Heizi to form his core strength.

The final and most crucial step is win-win cooperation. Once his distribution channels are stable, he will use a cooperative model to purchase high-quality catches from other villagers, using his own direct sea transport channels to help everyone make money, fundamentally breaking Zhang Tiejun's monopoly.

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door.

"Chenchen, Mom made you a bowl of porridge. Drink it while it's hot."

Mother Liu Guilan came in carrying a bowl of shrimp porridge.

Lin Chen took the bowl and scooped up a spoonful.

"Mom, why aren't you asleep yet?"

"I can't sleep."

Liu Guilan sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her son with eyes full of love.

"Chenchen, don't take what the villagers said today to heart. Mom knows you did the right thing. Our family used to be poor and looked down upon, but now that you're capable, they're jealous."

Why bother with people like that?

"Just focus on doing your own thing. No matter what others say, Mom believes in you and supports you."

He nodded emphatically.

"Mom, I understand."