Chapter Fifty-Five: Gathering Crabs

Zhang Can shot a few glares at his younger sister, Zhang Hua, but she had never been afraid of him since childhood and was closest to their second brother. Not wanting to reveal too much personal emotion in front of Liu Xiaoqin—especially as there seemed to be an undercurrent of ambiguous feelings between them lately—Zhang Can decided simply to slip away.

The eastern side of Jin City bordered the sea, and the Zhi Hai area boasted several large amusement parks. Zhu Senlin picked the Neptune Amusement Park, which offered barbecues at night. He rented a stand and had Zhang Qiang and a few other workers prepare several large bags of spices and meat, determined to make a night of it.

He had chosen the beach over a nightclub or hotel, considering Zhang Can’s sister and fiancée, Liu Xiaoqin. Both girls were from the countryside—simple and unspoiled—so it would have been inappropriate to take them to those other places. The beach barbecue was more fitting; he used to bring his wife and children there, while nights out with the guys were reserved for the clubs.

When Zhang Can arrived at the beach, dusk had already fallen. The several-kilometer stretch of sand was thronged with people, mostly families, lending the scene a warm, comforting atmosphere.

From afar, Old Zhu waved enthusiastically. “Brother! Over here, brother!”

Zhang Can looked over. Zhu Senlin and Zhang Qiang, along with a couple of other workers, were tending the barbecue. Old Su and his niece, Su Xiu, sat chatting on a wooden bench but fell silent as soon as Zhang Can approached. Old Su wore a stern expression, while Su Xiu’s face was openly disdainful.

Zhang Can ignored them; before he could exact his revenge, he had no intention of provoking Old Su further, lest the man become wary.

Zhu Senlin, being rather rotund, had a hearty appetite and a genuine passion for food. Usually, a boss would never stoop to cook, but Zhu’s discerning palate and love of good food had, over time, honed his culinary skills. If it were any other matter, he’d never get his hands dirty, but when it came to eating, status meant little to him.

As Zhang Can approached, Zhu Senlin handed him a grilled fish with a cheerful grin. “Here, brother, try your elder brother’s handiwork. When it comes to appraising antiques, I can’t hold a candle to you, but when it comes to barbecue, I’m not boasting—if I’m not the best in the world, I’m certainly second!”

Laughing heartily, Zhang Can accepted the fish, pinching the little bamboo skewers spearing the two fork-tailed fish, and took a bite. Spicy, aromatic, and crisp—the flavor was remarkable for something grilled. The fish, though small—only five or six inches long—was tender, delicious, and nearly boneless, a rarity among such small fish.

“This is delicious, really delicious!”

As Zhang Can praised and ate, Old Su’s expression darkened further. Lately, Zhu Senlin had all but ignored him, showering Zhang Can with attention and generosity, which made Old Su burn with envy.

Zhu Senlin grilled another fish and ate it himself. Despite his clumsy, sausage-like fingers, he handled the fish with surprising dexterity. While Zhang Can was still halfway through his own, Old Zhu had already stripped his clean in a single, practiced motion, leaving nothing but the skeleton behind.

After finishing the fish, Zhu Senlin reached into his pocket and handed Zhang Can a check. “Brother, here’s three hundred and ninety thousand. That blue-and-white porcelain bowl you found on the way back to Jin City sold for seven hundred and eighty thousand. We split it down the middle—no need for words. And another thing…”

He paused before continuing, “Those four gold-threaded nanmu logs have arrived, and I’ve already paid off the two drivers. Several of our old clients took a look—they each offered one million three hundred seventy thousand per log. Looks like I’ll need to give you an additional payout when they sell. There’s still room for the price to go up.”

Originally, Zhu Senlin had told Zhang Can they would split the profits fifty-fifty after deducting expenses. But now he was handing over half before expenses, meaning anything spent after this would come out of his own pocket.

Zhu Senlin turned to Zhang Qiang and the others. “Thanks to Zhang Can, each of you will get a two thousand yuan bonus this month. It’s his achievement, but I want you to share in the reward.”

The workers were overjoyed. Two thousand yuan was a hefty bonus for them—their monthly salaries rarely exceeded three thousand. To get such a bonus in one go, and all thanks to Zhang Can, made them endlessly grateful. They realized now that perhaps they’d been too cold toward him before. Old Su hadn’t treated them particularly well, but Zhang Can, who now had the boss’s full support, was clearly a better ally. If they continued to oppose him, they’d be fools. The past few days had made things clear: Zhu Senlin’s favor wasn’t a whim—Zhang Can had genuinely made him a lot of money. Seeing Zhu Senlin hand out tens of thousands at a time was the kind of fantasy they’d only dreamed of.

“Manager Zhang, you really ought to treat us! Another forty thousand in the bag—deserving of your title as our Old Shizhai’s manager!” Zhang Qiang’s flattery was barely concealed.

“Sit, come sit. Have a beer. Let Zhang Qiang and the others show their skills—if they do well, we’ll do this often. I’ll bring my wife and kids; you bring your sister and fiancée. Barbecuing on the beach—what could be better? Hey, brother, didn’t I say you should bring your sister and her friend along?”

Zhang Can shook his head. “Old Zhu, let’s leave them out this time. They just arrived, and after that ordeal at the black market, they’re exhausted and frightened. I told them to rest at home. Next time.”

“Oh…” Zhu Senlin sounded disappointed—not for any particular reason, except for all the barbecue he’d prepared. How would they finish it all? But since Zhang Can insisted, he couldn’t press the matter.

Zhang Qiang and the others hurried to keep the barbecue going. Old Su, feeling defeated in his rivalry with Zhang Can, was dispirited and drained. He couldn’t tell if Zhang Can’s luck was simply extraordinary or if his skills were truly that good, but he had to admit he was impressed.

Only Su Xiu continued to give Zhang Can the cold shoulder. She was unaware of the real dealings between him and Zhu Senlin, didn’t know Zhang Can’s true abilities, and still believed her uncle’s position at Old Shizhai was unassailable. There was no way Zhu Senlin would ever dismiss her uncle—after all, who else could look after the shop?

The night deepened, and the beach was bathed in bright lights, though the sea beyond remained pitch black. Zhang Can had lived in Jin City for several years but had never come here to relax at night. Life had always been tense and constrained, leaving him no mood for such leisure.

Now, gazing out at the sea—even in darkness, unable to see the waves—he breathed in the salt-laden air. Suddenly exhilarated, he turned to Old Zhu. “Old Zhu, let’s take a walk along the shore.”

Zhu Senlin shook his head, smiling. “You go ahead. Young people have the energy—I don’t. I’m here to eat; food is the gods’ delight, after all. You stroll for a bit, then come back for more barbecue. Ah, what a pity your sister and her friend and my wife and kids couldn’t join us. They’d have loved it.”

Grinning, Zhang Can waved and set off. Zhang Qiang and the others kept busy at the barbecue. Old Su, sulking, clearly wouldn’t join him, and Su Xiu certainly wouldn’t either. So he went alone.

As Zhang Can strolled toward the water, the sand grew damper and softer. A dozen meters on, only a few steps from the sea, the sand was so saturated that each footprint immediately filled with water as soon as he lifted his foot.

Others were out wandering as well. Barefoot children ran and laughed, and Zhang Can, caught up in the mood, kicked off his shoes, rolled up his trousers, left his footwear on dry sand, and stepped into the tidal zone, savoring the sensation of the sea.

“Brother! Brother, come over here—there are so many crabs!”

A child’s voice rang out. Zhang Can turned to see a boy of about six or seven waving at his older brother some seven or eight meters away.

The elder brother, around ten, ran over at the call. Zhang Can, curious, approached as well. As he drew near, he saw hundreds of small crabs gathered in the half-water, half-sand shallows. Each was no bigger than a coin, so there was no danger of being pinched.

The two boys, excited, bent down and scooped up handfuls. Normally, if they caught one or two, they might have put them in a jar, but there were so many now that the novelty wore off; they simply watched, fascinated, as the crabs moved. Even as they disturbed the crowd, the crabs did not scatter.

Zhang Can found this even stranger. Facing danger, animals usually flee—it’s instinct. Why didn’t these crabs run?

His curiosity piqued, Zhang Can activated his Yin-Yang Vision. In the darkness of night, the world was already cast in shades of black and white, but with the streetlights along the beach, it wasn’t completely dark. The light near the water’s edge was dimmer, though.

Through his vision, Zhang Can saw that thousands of crabs were spiraling inward in the water, forming concentric circles that contracted toward the center. The entire formation spanned five or six meters in diameter, with the two boys only at the edge of the swarm.

At the very center was a blank space the size of a bowl—no crabs whatsoever. In that empty spot lay a black, egg-sized, round stone.

Zhang Can was puzzled. His Yin-Yang Vision could normally analyze the age, origin, and molecular structure of any object, but he couldn’t see through this round stone. It was the only thing he’d ever encountered that resisted his sight.

As the boys called out, more children gathered. Zhang Can stepped into the mass of crabs; no matter how he moved, the crabs didn’t flee, only shuffling aside before returning to their positions.

A dozen boys shouted as they grabbed at the crabs. Zhang Can didn’t hesitate—he strode to the center of the swarm and reached for the round stone.

Thanks to his special vision, Zhang Can knew where to look. Anyone else would have only seen the strange gathering of crabs and noticed nothing unusual. The stone lay about a foot underwater, half-buried in sand. Even in daylight, let alone at night, it would have gone unnoticed.

Strangely, as soon as Zhang Can picked up the egg-sized stone, hundreds upon hundreds of crabs suddenly scattered in wild disarray, burrowing into the water and vanishing without a trace in just ten seconds.