My Manor

Bluefin tuna, a type of tuna, is not only the most expensive but also one of the most prized varieties. It is sometimes referred to as blackfin tuna or simply bluefin tuna.

Although it is not as notorious as the yellow croaker, its price ranks at the top among fish.

This species belongs to the group of global migratory fish. It is known for being delicious, rare, and, most importantly, having an extremely high fishing cost. It is primarily found in the Pacific and Atlantic waters of the northern hemisphere. In addition to its rarity, the bluefin tuna holds the title of the fastest swimming fish. When hunting, it can reach speeds of up to 88 kilometers per hour, covering 24 meters in just one second. At this speed, no boat, not even a fishing vessel, can keep up.

This remarkable speed makes the tuna difficult to catch. Yet, despite this, the bluefin tuna population is steadily declining. There are two main reasons for this: First, bluefin tuna cannot be farmed. Due to their migratory nature, they need to swim and eat constantly, making artificial breeding nearly impossible. This is why Jiang Hai never attempted to farm them.

Second, bluefin tuna is highly sought after for its value, and as a result, it is caught in large quantities.

The meat of bluefin tuna is prized for its quality, often referred to as the "premium beef" of the sea. It is considered one of the best ingredients for making sashimi, a high-end delicacy around the world. More than 80% of the world's bluefin tuna is consumed in island nations, where it is a staple food. Unlike in China, where sashimi and sushi are occasional treats, in these countries, they can be eaten as a regular meal.

At one point, Jiang Hai considered farming bluefin tuna because, like beef, it is priced based on the part of the fish. The cheapest part sells for over 50 US dollars per kilogram, while the more expensive cuts can fetch over 200 US dollars per kilogram. Naturally, the entire fish is divided into different parts, including the belly, the middle belly, the red body, and the cheeks, with the belly being the most expensive.

These details came from Jiang Hai's research online, as despite his wealth, he had never tasted bluefin tuna. The best way to prepare it is raw, as sushi or sashimi, but Jiang Hai doesn't eat raw food. Thus, he had never tried it, not because he couldn't afford it, but simply because he wasn't interested.

However, when he saw a group of bluefin tuna in his fishery, Jiang Hai was stunned.

He didn't recall having these fish in his fishery. In fact, his conflict with the sharks earlier had been because of these bluefin tuna. Dasha, his shark, knew about tuna. While its IQ wasn't as high as that of more intelligent mammals like Xiaobai and Xiaohuang, it had the cognitive ability of a five-year-old child. This intelligence allowed Dasha to recognize the value of bluefin tuna, even if it couldn't distinguish between bluefin and yellowfin tuna.

At the time, a group of hammerhead sharks had been chasing after the tuna, but Dasha had intervened to stop them. When the tuna entered Jiang Hai's fishing grounds, they were immediately drawn to the rich spiritual energy there. After more than a day, it seemed the tuna were here to stay.

Initially, Jiang Hai considered driving them away, as these tuna could threaten his fry. But upon noticing that the tuna were more likely to eat small squids and octopuses rather than the fry, he hesitated. The tuna were all adults, with the largest measuring over three meters and the smallest just over two meters. If they decided to stay and potentially lay eggs, it could be beneficial for Jiang Hai.

After a moment of contemplation, Jiang Hai chose not to chase them away. Like the parrotfish, he allowed the bluefin tuna to remain. To help ensure they stayed, he released a bit of spiritual energy, knowing they would likely be drawn to it. After calming the tuna, Jiang Hai remembered his original task—getting some abalone for dinner. With a talented chef at home, it would be a shame not to make use of the bountiful ingredients available.

After gathering enough abalone, Jiang Hai surfaced, climbed back onto his boat, greeted Dasha, and returned to his manor. Upon arriving at the villa, Xiaoya smiled upon seeing the huge abalone Jiang Hai had brought back. It was evident that Jiang Hai's place was a veritable haven for food, with everything anyone could desire.

That evening, Jiang Hai enjoyed his long-awaited meal of abalone and shark fin, sending photos to his friends, which drove Fuyuan, Xu Wei, and the others crazy. They were irritated—abalone and shark fin were considered a waste of precious resources.

The following days found Jiang Hai living in great comfort. Each morning, after his routine of running, boxing, and breakfast, he would go out to gather the ingredients for that day's meal. While his location wasn't as rich in variety as China's, he still had an abundance of game and seafood available—lobsters, abalone, sea fish, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, crabs, prawns, beef, mutton, wild boar, poultry, and more. As long as he could imagine it, it was likely available in his territory.

Of course, there were some rarities he couldn't obtain, such as bear paws or monkey heads, but for the most part, he had everything he needed. Xiaoya's cooking skills had reached their peak, and the days spent enjoying these meals were some of the happiest Jiang Hai had known since coming to this place.

During this time, Xiaoya's health began to improve. Though she was still sensitive to light, there was a noticeable flush of color returning to her face, especially at night. Bernice, ever concerned for her sister, was deeply relieved by this small but significant improvement.

Although Xiaoya herself didn't know when Jiang Hai had treated her illness, the fact that she was improving was the best news. Life with Jiang Hai in the manor felt more at ease each day.

Ten days passed, and one day Jiang Hai received a call from the old man.

He informed Jiang Hai that the dolphin had been secured. After confirming his address, five massive trailers appeared at Jiang Hai's manor the next morning. As Jiang Hai walked out to greet them, the old man jumped from the front truck and enthusiastically embraced him.

"Hey, brother, I've got what you asked for," the old man said, patting Jiang Hai on the shoulder.

"Thanks for your help. Let's head to the beach," Jiang Hai replied with a smile, leading the trucks toward the beach. The old man couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of Jiang Hai's manor and the abundance of livestock.

The old man remarked, "Wow, the environment here is great, so many cows, and the manor is beautiful. I also heard that your Winthrop project is developing—how's it going?"

"It's fine. I'm not in Winthrop, so I don't have much news," Jiang Hai replied with a chuckle, fully aware that the old man's curiosity about the development of Winthrop wasn't just idle chatter.

Despite his wealth, Jiang Hai wasn't eager to share too much about his business plans. The old man, though curious, understood that this was not the right moment to press further.

The two chatted for a bit longer, until they arrived at the beach. The five trailers were positioned, and workers began unloading the dolphins. Although dolphins are mammals and need to breathe oxygen, they cannot be exposed to the air for long. To safely get them into the sea, a custom slide was built to allow the dolphins to slide back into the water on their own. This slide, made from scrap metal and wooden boards, was 30 meters long, just enough to bring the dolphins into the four-meter-deep water where they could swim freely.

With everything prepared, the trailers aligned, and the ropes were untied, ready to release the dolphins into their new home.