Though the weather wasn’t particularly hot, sweat already beaded on Ryan’s forehead.
He rubbed his hands, stammering, “I… I’m sorry, I might not have performed well this time…”
“Didn’t perform well?”
Sules interrupted him, allowing no argument, “My understanding of ‘not performing well’ is casting a net and only catching half a net of fish, not catching only two fish in half an hour.”
Ryan grew more flustered, “No, Captain, listen to me. I just wasn’t used to it, being my first time at sea. Next time, next time I definitely won’t have this problem again!”
Sules still watched him expressionlessly, “Next time is next time’s business. We’re talking about this time now. You think about it, why exactly did this mistake happen this time.”
During the time she had looked down, she was actually pondering this very matter.
Adolph could pull up a fishing net full of fish by himself; this certainly had to do with his great strength and high level, but comparing it to Ryan not even being able to pull up an empty net was enough to prove certain things.
While Sules didn’t know much about a fisherman’s work, she at least knew that fishermen should choose the right net when casting.
And clearly, this net, which couldn’t even be dragged, wasn’t suitable for Ryan.
So why did he choose such a net, one that wasn’t suitable for him at all?
Evidently, it was to compete with Adolph.
Sules could accept mistakes due to being rusty from just going out to sea, as that was natural; she wasn’t an unreasonable person.
But she couldn’t accept mistakes caused by such meaningless competition.
This was why she was angry.
Ryan didn’t know all this.
He only thought Sules was angry because he hadn’t caught many fish.
He hung his head in shame, “I’m really sorry, I… Please give me another chance!”
Sules thought for a moment, then took a step back, “Alright, cast another net for me to see.”
Ryan bent down to pick up that net.
As his fingertips touched the net, he paused, then after a moment, stood up scratching his head, saying awkwardly, “Can I switch nets? This net isn’t really suitable for me.”
Hearing this, Sules’s expression finally brightened.
She nodded impatiently, “Go ahead. Next time, don’t choose a net that’s not suitable for you for some pointless reason.”
Only then did Ryan realize that Sules actually knew about this.
He bowed to her sheepishly, then ran off to get a fishing net.
Ryder chuckled dryly and followed Ryan, running off.
Seeing Sules’s expression turn from gloomy to clear, the few people around finally breathed a sigh of relief, though they still dared not speak.
Only Claire, who was close to Sules, dared to speak up, “Don’t be angry anymore. Ryan isn’t that unreliable. He must have just been momentarily possessed.”
Evidently, Claire immediately realized the reason for Sules’s anger after hearing her words.
Sules sighed, feeling somewhat frustrated, “I don’t want to be angry either, but he handled this so poorly. Lack of ability can be trained, but a weak mindset is truly prone to causing trouble.”
As soon as she spoke, the oppressive feeling finally vanished.
Everyone secretly let out a breath of relief.
Annabella was the boldest, a smile already on her face, “Captain, you were so amazing just now!”
Sules raised an eyebrow in confusion, “Hmm? How so?”
Annabella, “Your aura was so strong just now! We’re clearly the same age, both eighteen. How are you so powerful? Is this a captain’s unique ability?”
Of course not, Sules herself was already thirty-two, and had founded her own company, becoming a boss at a young age.
What she lacked least was the aura of a superior.
However, normally, she would deliberately restrain gestures inappropriate for her age, trying to make her words and actions match an eighteen-year-old girl.
But when she got angry, that aura naturally burst forth.
As soon as Annabella pointed it out, Sam and Claire nodded in unison.
Claire echoed, “Yes, Sules you really had quite an aura then. I didn’t even know you had that side to you.”
Sules gave an awkward laugh, explaining, “Maybe it’s because I was too angry, so I unconsciously seemed a bit more formidable.”
At this moment, Ryan and Ryder’s return resolved Sules’s predicament.
Ryan this time took his most familiar five-square-meter fishing net.
He adjusted his mindset, stood at the edge of the deck, and swung it vigorously into the air over the sea.
Because she had seen Adolph’s operation before, when she watched Ryan, Sules could still discern some techniques.
Firstly, it was clear that Ryan was exerting more effort, even though the net he was using was inherently lighter than Adolph’s.
Secondly, his throwing motion wasn’t as smooth as Adolph’s, and it didn’t unfold as evenly as his.
***
It was evident there was a gap in skill.
Sules sighed at the sight, and Ryan heard it.
His body stiffened, and he said with a mournful face, “I’m sorry, Captain, I know I’m not as good as Adolph, but…”
Sules cut him off directly, “Yes, you’re not as good as Adolph.”
Ryan froze again.
Before he could say anything, Sules continued, “Then why don’t you use other conditions, instead of stubbornly competing when you know you can’t win?”
Ryan stood frozen, frowning in confusion, not understanding what she meant.
At this moment, Adolph, who had been silently watching everything from the side, scoffed.
Seemingly tired of watching, he nonchalantly started walking back.
As he passed Sules, he mockingly said, “You certainly put a lot of thought into it, targeting me so early.”
Clearly, he understood what Sules meant.
He recalled her previous principle, “a fisherman can ask for help,” realizing it was aimed at him.
Sules shrugged, “That’s not targeting you; that’s prescribing the right medicine. As a captain, I always try my best to let my crew maximize their advantages.”
Adolph actually understood this, knowing that what Sules did was justifiable and didn’t harm his interests.
From his discerning perspective, having been a senior fisherman for many years, he had to admit that Sules’s arrangements for people were almost flawless.
He gazed meaningfully into the girl’s deep green eyes, as clear as emeralds, and softly said, “Sometimes, I really don’t think you’re just an eighteen-year-old girl.”
Sules lowered her gaze, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and replied in an equally soft voice, “Who knows?”
Their brief exchange lasted only half a minute, and no one noticed.
Ryan was still pondering what his captain’s words meant.
Claire, who understood Sules well enough, kindly reminded him, “If your own ability isn’t enough, you can find someone to help. Isn’t your brother a great resource? Why not use him?”
Sules turned and happened to hear this, smiling at Claire, “My Claire is indeed the smartest!”
Claire’s face flushed slightly, and she gave Sules a helpless glare.
Seeing the atmosphere was still good, Ryan bravely asked, “But my brother doesn’t fish, how can I make him help me? Besides, Adolph can also find people to help; I still don’t have an advantage.”
Sules was indeed in a good mood and didn’t mind explaining further, “Your brother just needs to learn to cast the net with you; he’ll naturally learn after a few tries. As for Adolph…”
She nudged her head, pointing towards Adolph’s lone wolf-like black silhouette, “Does that guy look like he’d ask for help?”
Ryan remained silent, then nodded vigorously, “Understood! Captain, don’t worry! I won’t disappoint your expectations!”
He now understood that Sules’s rule was meant for him, and he was naturally full of gratitude towards her.
Accustomed to employees pledging loyalty, Sules was unfazed by his words.
She merely offered an official smile, “Then I’ll be waiting to see.”
Over the next week, Sules and the others fished peacefully in Zone 1.
Mark also kept his word, frequently coming over to help them transport the caught seafood to the trading ship.
Due to Adolph’s presence, Sules quickly accumulated the one ton of fish required by the guild.
However, she didn’t send it immediately after gathering it.
Instead, she deliberately waited until the last day before asking Mark to help transport it.
The reason was simple: the sooner they sent it, the more the other party would assume they were making a lot of money, and it could potentially be used to make things difficult for them later.
Sometimes, showing weakness appropriately is the way to survive.
Time passed quickly, and it was soon May, entering summer.
Sules’s funds gradually accumulated to over twenty silver shells.
When Mark returned to shore earlier, Sules had given him the money owed to Moss to repay it.
Now, she had sixteen silver shells left.
This amount was far from the 88 silver shells needed for an upgrade, but Sules herself hadn’t planned on upgrading within a month.
Before, it was due to system tasks; now that the system hadn’t issued any, she was content to take things as they came.
Annabella’s warrior training showed no immediate results, still showing as Level Two in the system.
However, Sules wasn’t in a hurry; she knew that warrior upgrades required years of accumulation.
Sam remained as silent and sensible as ever, quietly following Claire and performing his duties as a sailor.
This was the most common type of employee Sules encountered in her previous life: not proactive, without novel ideas, but rarely making mistakes, always dependable.
Adolph remained lazy, holding a bottle of beer every day.
After completing his tasks, he would casually shrink into a corner of the ship and drink. He held his liquor well, and the alcohol content of this era’s beer wasn’t high.
So, despite Adolph drinking daily, Sules and the others never saw him drunk.
Sules had originally prepared a large barrel of beer on the ship, planning to restock in a few months.
However, after just a little over a month, the barrel was already almost empty, which showed how severe Adolph’s drinking problem was.
His level of drinking made Sules feel a little alarmed; she was very worried about his health.
It wasn’t about humanitarianism; it was just that if a Level Five fisherman ruined his body due to alcoholism, Sules, as his boss, absolutely did not want to see that.
However, his issues were psychological and couldn’t be resolved quickly.
What currently displeased Sules and she wanted to resolve soon were the problems with the Ryan and Ryder brothers.