The captain of the fishing vessel "New Fortune" was dissatisfied as he contemplated the possibility of more tangled fishing nets.
He had no idea if more traps would be cleared, so he hesitated until finally giving his crew orders to start the power system and set sail again.
As the ship moved away, little did they know that they were being watched by Bawang, who was less than a kilometer away in the sea.
Bawang had been winding a fishing net when he saw the "New Fortune" sailing away. He turned to Liu Yong for instructions, asking whether he should wind more fishing nets around the ship.
Watching the scene from a third-party Vision, Liu Yong saw the "New Fortune" and the Overlord in the sea. After careful consideration, he let them go for the time being.
The "New Fortune" had been caught in fishing nets twice, delaying their arrival in Huahai City for almost a week.
The purpose of entangling their vessel was to slow down their journey, which had already been achieved. There was no need to entangle the ship for the third time, as doing so would be disastrous.
Qiu Yang and Hu Shijun, two employees of the Risheng Group, discussed the company's recent growth and the need for more ships. Qiu Yang suggested expanding into other transportation areas since the company had already secured significant crude oil transportation business.
Hu Shijun agreed, stating they needed to purchase more ships beyond oil tankers.
They eventually agreed to purchase four more ships, including a 50,000-ton car bulk carrier, a 50,000-ton timber bulk carrier, and two 100,000-ton ore bulk carriers, totaling 300,000 tons.
Qiu Yang suggested they report to the boss about their decision, but Hu Shijun reminded him that Liu Yong was away and wanted to avoid being bothered by such a small matter.
Qiu Yang was impressed by Liu Yong's attitude, considering that purchasing such a large ship could cost hundreds of millions. He praised the boss's awesomeness for letting them make their own decisions.
Huang Guang was fully engrossed in his work in the Shipping Management Department's spacious office. Suddenly, the peaceful atmosphere was disrupted by some commotion, and he glanced up at the clock in bewilderment.
To his surprise, it was already noon.
As per their schedule, they finished work at 12:00 pm and resumed it again at 1:00 pm, with an hour of lunchtime in between.
Huang Guang neatly organized his desk and prepared to take his lunch break when he heard some chatter nearby.
"Wow, the company is really making some big moves!"
"Yeah, there are four gigantic ships, all in all, adding up to a whopping 300,000 tons."
"It's certainly impressive, but this is no big deal in our line of work. Just last month, our boss purchased ships worth over 3 billion in a single go."
The veteran employees appeared unfazed, while the newcomers were amazed. Spending a billion or two on ships was considered an excellent source of pride.
Huang Guang felt proud, knowing he had decided to join Universal. He was now guaranteed a better future and prospects than his previous stint with the small company.
One of the new employees, Zhang Xu, caught his attention.
Zhang Xu was different from the typical fresh hires, with a Ph.D. and higher education. He was also among the first Ph.D. returnees hired by Universal.
Zhang Xu had been working under Huang Guang for several days now and was taken aback by the company's tremendous financial might, which allowed it to purchase several large ships in one go.
"Boss Huang, it's unbelievable how rich the company is!" exclaimed Zhang Xu.
"Yes," Huang Guang agreed with a nod, "but you need to work hard to climb the ranks and become a supervisor or manager. The development opportunities here are immense."
"I understand, and I will work hard," promised Zhang Xu with conviction.
The visually impaired are not immune to the company's growth potential, and its forecasted expansion is generating a lot of excitement amongst its employees.
"We're going to see a lot of opportunities, and all we have to do is work hard," echoed a voice in the crowded elevator.
At the Risheng Ocean Shipping Group, Luo Maoyuan, the company's CEO, was in a meeting with a subordinate who had just shared some negative news.
"Boss, Yanguo Petroleum Group has given Universal Company 30 million barrels of crude oil transportation business. According to our information, they have signed a formal contract."
Luo Maoyuan was displeased. "Humph!" he snorted heavily, his facial expression not looking good.
He understood that the increase in Universal Company's crude oil transportation business meant that Risheng's percentage of the market share had decreased, something he had not foreseen nor wanted to see.
As the subordinate continued to report, Luo Maoyuan's frustration grew when he learned that Universal Company was planning to purchase four more large ships, including two 100,000-ton ore bulk carriers, a 50,000-ton timber bulk carrier, and a 50,000-ton bulk carrier car.
Luo Maoyuan knew that Universal Company's recent purchases would stimulate his company's automobile, ore, timber, and other transportation businesses, and he wasn't pleased.
After listening to the report, Luo Maoyuan inquired about a matter he had ordered his subordinate to handle. "How is the matter I ordered you?" he asked.
"Boss, according to your instructions, we have been making relevant preparations, and the target has also been selected. There are two in total," the subordinate replied.
"One of the targets is a 20,000-ton coal carrier owned by Global Corporation, and the other is a 30,000-ton iron ore carrier," the subordinate continued.
Luo Maoyuan asked about the whereabouts of the two ships, and his subordinate informed him that the 20,000-ton coal carrier would be leaving the port the next day, and the 30,000-ton iron ore bulk carrier had already left Australia and was en route.
Luo Maoyuan thought momentarily and said, "Just the coal bulk cargo ship, yes, that's it, start with this ship."
"Okay, boss, let's arrange and prepare right away," the subordinate replied before leaving the room.
Luo Maoyuan's face was gloomy as he contemplated tackling Universal Company's increasing market share.
He knew he had to take action, and he was ready to make a move.
.......................
