Chapter 26
The bottom of the sea was frigid and shrouded in darkness. Even though many living creatures were emitting faint lights, Alex was completely unfamiliar with them. The dark and seemingly endless expanse made him feel a little frightened.
To calm himself, Alex took a deep breath and sat down on the seabed. He began to focus on spreading his divine senses in all directions, enhancing his awareness of the surroundings. With this practice, Alex could sense things around him clearly, even in the murky depths.
To sustain his underwater exploration, Alex slightly opened the ring chamber, allowing him to breathe oxygen without needing to resurface constantly. Gradually, he became more accustomed to the environment and continued his underwater expedition.
After adapting to the underwater pressure, Alex confidently stood up and started moving in one direction. He used his divine senses to scan the area for lobsters, easily detecting them hidden between rocks and crevices.
The most delightful part was that Alex didn't need to use his own hands to grab the lobsters in the narrow gaps. With the power of his divine sense, he could effortlessly transport the lobsters directly into the ring space.
As Alex continued his hunt, night fell, but he didn't need to resurface since the ring space provided him with a steady supply of oxygen. He kept searching and catching lobsters throughout the night, significantly increasing the number of lobsters in his storage space.
Alex's efficiency was exceptionally high due to his extraordinary abilities. However, he still maintained ethical practices by not disturbing the natural habitat of the animals and avoiding catching lobsters that were too small.
After completing his underwater expedition, Alex smoothly ascended to the surface. Rather than immediately swimming back to the shore, he took the time to carefully transfer the water he needed into the storage ring chamber. He was cautious not to cause any disruptive whirlpools like before when he had unintentionally created a potentially dangerous situation.
After successfully collecting the required water, Alex felt satisfied with his preparations. He planned to use this water to create a surrounding lake, turning the space into a self-contained island.
With all his tasks completed, Alex hurriedly made his way back to the beach to prepare for his return.
After arriving at the beach, Alex shivered a little due to the cold night wind. Despite having the ability to use divine sense to sense and space rings to provide oxygen, his body was not immune to the elements. The underwater search had been physically taxing, especially with the cold temperature and pressure at the seabed.
Alex decided to head to the washroom for a quick shower to warm up before changing into dry clothes. Afterward, he went to his car to check how many lobsters he had caught earlier.
To his surprise, Alex was taken aback by the large number of lobsters now stored in the static space. The unconventional method he had devised for catching lobsters had proven to be extremely efficient. However, he knew that this unique approach was only possible because of his extraordinary abilities, and it would be impossible for anyone else to replicate his success.
After making proper calculations, Alex drove back to the city center, eager to exchange the lobsters for money. As he entered the urban highway, he quickly headed towards the street food area where he had watched the butcher earlier.
Feeling more familiar with the place, Alex hoped to find a suitable buyer for the lobsters. However, he was unsure where to begin. Summoning his courage, he approached the butcher's stand and politely inquired, "Excuse me, sir, do you accept lobsters here?"
The butcher was slightly surprised by Alex's question and scrutinized him to determine if he was serious. After a moment, the butcher responded, "Yes, even though we have regular suppliers, we are open to business if the lobsters you're selling are of good quality and fresh."
Hearing this, Alex nodded, understanding the butcher's concern. He was also afraid that the other party might already have a regular supplier. In such a case, they might not be interested in a new trade.
With confidence, Alex reassured the butcher, "Don't worry, sir, the lobsters I sell are all live and fresh!"
The butcher nodded and replied, "Alright then, do you have any samples? Let me see."
Alex nodded in agreement, pretending to head back to his car, only to retrieve one lobster from the ring chamber. The butcher frowned slightly at Alex's odd behavior, but his attention quickly shifted to the lobster in Alex's hands.
Judging from the movement and the shell, the butcher was already convinced that the lobsters Alex brought were indeed of excellent quality. He then asked for permission to cut open one of the lobsters to inspect the flesh.
"May I cut it open to see the meat?" the butcher asked.
"Yes, please go ahead," Alex replied.
With great skill, the butcher quickly and neatly prepared the lobster, removing the shell to reveal the succulent meat. Seeing the perfectly cut lobster, the butcher nodded in approval.
"How about it, sir? Are my lobsters suitable?" Alex asked eagerly.
"Yes, if all the lobsters you have are like this, then they are more than suitable," the butcher confirmed.
Alex felt relieved and thrilled at the positive feedback. "Great! So, how many lobsters would you like, and what's the price per pound?"
"The more, the better. If the size and quality are the same as before, then the price is $25 per pound," the butcher suggested.
Alex nodded, acknowledging that the offered price was indeed reasonable. However, considering the challenges he faced in the sea, Alex couldn't help but haggle the price with the butcher for a few seconds. After some negotiation, they settled on a price of $30 per pound.
"Okay, sir. Where do I put all the lobsters?" Alex asked.
"Just put them in the back warehouse. You can access it from here, go there, and then you'll find the place," the butcher directed.
"Got it," Alex replied, and he drove the pickup truck to the location indicated by the butcher.
Upon arriving, Alex called out to the other party, who came to the back of the restaurant to complete the transaction. Alex then opened the tailgate of the pickup truck for the other party to inspect.
Upon seeing the lobsters, the other party was a little surprised because Alex had simply placed the lobsters without any water or means to preserve their freshness. Despite this, the lobsters still looked remarkably fresh, even fresher than any lobster the butcher had ever seen.
Curious, the butcher looked at Alex with an odd expression. Nevertheless, he quickly dismissed his doubts and immediately instructed his staff to move the lobsters to ensure they remained in good condition.
After the lobsters were moved, Alex and the butcher proceeded with the transaction smoothly. The lobsters were weighed, and it was found that Alex had caught more than 2,000 pounds of lobsters. With this, he earned a sales income of $100,000.
Satisfied with the successful trade, Alex bid farewell to the butcher and headed home with a sense of accomplishment. He knew that his unique abilities and careful planning had enabled him to achieve substantial financial gain.
Alex, happy with the money he earned, bid farewell to the butcher and headed straight home. He was tired from all the walking and was eager to see his family.
Upon arriving home, he noticed that his wife and children seemed a bit anxious, though they didn't say anything. Touched by their concern, Alex headed to the kitchen to prepare a delicious lobster meal for them.
After some time in the kitchen, Alex finished cooking and excitedly called his son to come and eat. However, there was no response to his call. Confused, Alex went to the living room and was shocked to find his son hiding from him.
"What's wrong, Lilith? Why didn't you come when Father called? And why are you hiding?" Alex asked curiously, concerned for his daughter.
"No, I don't want to drink that weird thing anymore! Mother, help me!" Lilith started babbling without answering Alex's question.
Alex, seeing his son's reaction, was slightly surprised and confused about why Lilith was behaving this way. "What's wrong, Lilith? Are you sick?" he asked with doubt.
"Ah, no, no, Mother, help me. I don't want to taste that bitter thing again!" Lilith continued to ramble on.
After a moment of confusion, Alex finally realized what his child was afraid of. "Lilith, don't worry. I didn't make you drink any herbs this time. Dad just cooked some big prawns," Alex explained.
But Lilith still strongly refused, "Oh no, no, I don't want to!"
Despite Alex's efforts to coax him, his daughter continued to resist and became even more adamant in his refusal. Seeing this, Alex eventually gave in. It seemed like persuading Lilith in this state wouldn't be successful.
Alex hurried to the kitchen, thinking of a way to resolve the situation. After a while, he emerged with his mouth full, hoping to set an example for Lilith.
However, Lilith remained curious but not tempted, maintaining her fear of her father. Alex, seeing this, smiled wryly. "It seems this child's dislike will last for quite some time."
Just then, Lily arrived home, observing her husband's behavior with a puzzled expression. "Is someone this big still making a mess while eating?" she wondered aloud. Then she noticed something unusual in Alex's hand. "Where did you get this from? Why can't you stop being extravagant!"
"Ah, calm down Lily," Alex reassured her, "I caught these from the beach. If you don't believe me, I still have beach sand, coral, and other beach stuff that I brought home!"
Relieved to hear his explanation, Lily still found it a little odd that her husband had coral reefs and beach sand. Nonetheless, knowing he was safe, Alex persuaded his wife to try his cooking.
Lily was also curious about the taste of the lobster, so she took a piece from the bowl in Alex's hand. The moment she tasted it, Lily's eyes opened wide in surprise, clearly impressed by the flavor.
Meanwhile, Lilith, with her active imagination, shook her head in mock pity for her mother, who had fallen into her father's "trap."