Chapter 12: Striking It Rich! Connections and Relationships!

[Neptune Grouper: Quality 1!]
[The Neptune Grouper is a deep-sea ornamental fish, impossible to catch in shallow waters; one must descend to a depth of 250 meters to glimpse its silhouette. The cost of harvesting it is immense, making it highly valuable. This particular Neptune Grouper originates from the Atlantis map, possesses remarkable adaptability, and boasts a special attribute: Ornamental Value +1!]

Upon reading this note, Chu Lin immediately understood why this fish was so captivating, so stunningly beautiful.
It was, after all, a true ornamental fish, with an extra ornamental attribute.
However, he knew little about ornamental fish; back when he ran a seafood shop, he only kept a few inexpensive goldfish, caught during a game in the park with a former girlfriend.
He quickly exited the game, took out his phone, and searched for the Neptune Grouper online.
When he saw its price, his eyes gleamed with the light of money.
The Neptune Grouper was an exceptionally expensive ornamental fish, rarely seen on the market, and its ornamental value could fetch up to forty or fifty thousand for a supreme specimen.
Undoubtedly, the Neptune Groupers refreshed in the Atlantis map, each with Ornamental Value +1, were the best of the best.
Crucially, this time, the Atlantis map upgrade reward had refreshed a dense cluster of Neptune Groupers—there seemed to be over a hundred at a glance.
Chu Lin felt his pupils morph into the shape of currency signs.
He had another idea and entered the game to count the Neptune Groupers refreshed in the Atlantis map.
Sure enough, there were more than a hundred—all told, one hundred and six.
Now, this was true fortune!
Even if each sold for only forty thousand, one hundred and six would bring in 4.24 million.
However, he remembered that selling ornamental fish was not as simple as selling prawns; it required proper certificates and registration.
He quickly exited the game and searched online, soon gaining a clear understanding.
There was no need for a special business license for long-term ornamental fish sales; one could simply sell them as farmed products, provided the original farm certificates were in order. But he would need to go to the Fisheries Bureau to add the ornamental fish category to his documents.
That was essential.
In the future, who knew what new ornamental fish might be refreshed as upgrade rewards?
Handling the paperwork in advance was wise.
Of course, if he planned to run a store and sell to the public, it would be different—he’d need to register with the Commerce Bureau and obtain the relevant business license.
Even with farmed sales, he would still need to register the ornamental fish.
Here lay a problem: he had no proof of origin.
In such cases, two outcomes were possible.
Either he would fail to obtain the paperwork,
Or, if his connections were good, he could simply provide an explanation and get it done.
In a society built on relationships, as long as the connections were in place and the issue was minor, no one would make things difficult.
He recalled having dined with Wang Yu, the deputy director of the Jiangping Fisheries Bureau; perhaps this connection would serve him well.

The man had shown considerable support for his farm at the dinner table.
He could make a phone call to ask; otherwise, he’d have to find another way.
So, he took out his phone and dialed Wang Yu.
Wang Yu’s voice came promptly: “Mr. Chu, I didn’t expect your call. Is there something you need?”
Chu Lin explained at once: “Director Wang, I’m planning to add an ornamental fish project to my farm, and I’ve acquired a batch of Neptune Groupers—over a hundred. I need to register them with your bureau.”
“That’s excellent news! Diversifying your farm is a good path, and if you succeed, it could be a great promotional tool for our district. I’ll notify the staff.” Wang Yu agreed immediately, asking no further questions.
After all, the management of ornamental fish isn’t especially strict; many people keep them without any registration whatsoever.
Still, Wang Yu added, “Mr. Chu, Neptune Groupers are expensive ornamental fish, so you’ll need to conduct quarantine and immunization, and obtain a certificate before coming to the bureau. By the way, Nana Ornamental Fish Disease Control Center in our district has the necessary qualifications; you can get the quarantine certificate there.”
Chu Lin hung up with a broad smile.
It seemed Deputy Director Wang had real confidence in his shrimp farm, agreeing so readily.
This saved him a lot of trouble.
As for vaccinating the ornamental fish, since Wang Yu had mentioned it, he would certainly follow through.
Vaccinating fish—many people probably hadn’t heard of it before; it was a rare sight.
But it was true: there were machines specifically designed for fish vaccination nowadays.
For private farms, the regulations weren’t strict; for example, who had ever vaccinated fish in a home pond?
Even in the ornamental fish sector, the rules were often ignored by ordinary breeders.
Nonetheless, if the fish were expensive or non-native, immunization was mandatory; otherwise, selling them would be troublesome.
Chu Lin looked up how to obtain a quarantine certificate; ornamental fish quarantine differed from normal pet quarantine.
There were two situations for ornamental fish: one was farm quarantine, which only required vaccination and a certificate from a qualified hospital.
For cross-regional sales, a certificate from the quarantine bureau was needed; for export, the procedure was even more complicated.
Naturally, this applied only to bulk sales; for a single ornamental fish, except for strict import/export controls, no one cared about domestic transportation or carrying them by car.
He checked the cost of immunization certificates for expensive ornamental fish: in Min City, a professional veterinarian charged one hundred yuan; add the vaccine price, quarantine medication, and fifty for the certificate.
All in all, it came to five hundred yuan per fish.
And it was calculated per fish.
That meant, for his hundred-plus Neptune Groupers, the process would cost over fifty thousand yuan.
Heavens!
It seemed pet hospitals weren’t the only ones profiting—ornamental fish clinics were just as lucrative.
He was certain the actual cost was minimal; it was a ruthless cut of profit.
But if you had a fish worth forty thousand, would you hesitate to pay five hundred for the certificate?

Chu Lin certainly chose to pay, and immediately searched for the Nana Ornamental Fish Disease Control Center mentioned by Director Wang, then hailed a car to go there.
Since Director Wang had specifically mentioned this hospital, he didn’t think it was just a casual suggestion; there must be meaning behind it.
No one would foolishly go elsewhere at such a time.
Besides, he had too many fish to carry to the hospital, so he could only request an onsite visit, which would surely cost extra.
Nana Ornamental Fish Disease Control Center was the only ornamental fish hospital in Jiangping District, quite spacious, located right next to the Fisheries Bureau—a wise choice of location.
Inside, others were registering for quarantine; judging by their attire, they were all breeders, since Jiangping District was vigorously promoting aquaculture.
“This hospital picked the perfect spot, right next to the Fisheries Bureau.”
“Makes it convenient for us to handle our quarantine paperwork.”
“You may not know, but I heard this center was founded by the wife of a deputy director at the Fisheries Bureau, and her family has strong connections.”
Hearing this, Chu Lin suddenly understood.
So, what was called support and care actually had other motives behind it.
Thus, when handling such matters, if a certain official suggests a place and you deliberately avoid it, or even think that place isn’t classy enough and try to demonstrate sincerity by choosing somewhere fancier, you’re simply an utter fool.
Chu Lin quickly completed the paperwork, requesting a veterinarian for onsite quarantine.
To his surprise, no sooner had he finished than a middle-aged woman in a white coat personally greeted him.
“Mr. Chu, hello, I’m Liu Na, the director here. Thank you for trusting our hospital.” Liu Na smiled warmly and shook his hand.
Chu Lin realized she must be Wang Yu’s wife; clearly Wang Yu had already notified the hospital.
As for her words about trusting the hospital, it was pure nonsense.
It was all because of her husband.
But anyone with sense would never say this aloud.
He quickly replied, “Director Liu, your hospital’s reputation is excellent and reassuring. That’s why I chose you; I’ll certainly return in the future.”
The necessary tacit understanding must be mutual.
With such rapport, the relationship could continue; without it, there’d be no next time.
Chu Lin knew he had to nurture this.
If the game map could refresh ornamental fish once, it would surely do so again; he would need this connection.
“Mr. Chu, you flatter us,” Liu Na said with a radiant smile. “Let me personally arrange for a specialist veterinarian to conduct your fish quarantine this afternoon!”
“Thank you, Director Liu,” Chu Lin responded, his face full of sincere gratitude.