As a Fisherman, My Fish Can Level Up
Chapter 587 - 360: Stepping onto_2

Chapter 587: Chapter 360: Stepping onto_2

A ship with a solar power system is truly powerful, the heating is always on inside the cabin, yet it barely consumes any fuel.

They had saved on diesel all the way from South Africa to Antarctica and hadn’t refueled even once, and now they still had one-third of their fuel left.

That meant the sailboat could support a circumnavigation. If it were a yacht with unlimited range,

the cost of fuel for a trip around the world could probably buy you an apartment in the center of Hang City.

Chu Mingcheng began preparing dinner after setting the frozen fish aside to soften.

By this time, Jiang Luoluo had finished her bath and walked into the kitchen in her loungewear, "Ah Cheng, do you need any help?"

"No need, go sit in the living room for a while. I’ll take care of tonight," Chu Mingcheng waved his hand, letting his wife rest as she had been with him through the hardships of the journey.

"Then thank you!" Jiang Luoluo put her hands behind her back, tiptoed up, and gave him a light kiss on his face, teasing him.

Chu Mingcheng pursed his lips and pointed out, "You kissed the wrong spot, try again!"

Jiang Luoluo gave him an annoyed look but still obliged, leaning in to deliver the kiss.

The couple’s occasional affectionate moments helped maintain a harmonious relationship.

Even when they were older and not suited to such things anymore, they should still banter from time to time and be childishly stubborn when everyone was relatively free.

That way, the pleasant atmosphere of the family could always be preserved. Chu Mingcheng and Jiang Luoluo had both grown up in such an environment and naturally learned their parents’ way of interacting.

After a little while, the Dogtooth Fish had softened.

Chu Mingcheng didn’t slice it as usual, into individual pieces.

Instead, he neatly separated the flesh on both sides, the belly, and the bones into different categories.

The fish was about eighty centimeters long and weighed more than thirty pounds.

For Chu Mingcheng, who fished regularly, this was just a small fish, but once it was placed on the dining table, its size became apparent.

One meal wouldn’t be enough to finish this fish, it would last for several.

Chu Mingcheng wrapped a large chunk of fish flesh in cling film and stored it in the fridge.

He cut another chunk into four big slices and the rest into small pieces for the hot pot later.

He fried the bones and belly in oil to make a soup.

The kitchen was bustling with activity, and in the end, the fish was served in three styles: pan-fried, deep-fried, and steamed, covering basically all the top ways to enjoy premium fish.

Jiang Luoluo, upon hearing Chu Mingcheng’s call, came into the kitchen and nodded in satisfaction after seeing the tomato and egg stir-fry and the vegetable salad on the table.

People can’t eat meat all the time, at least at sea, it gets unbearably monotonous.

Vegetables and fruits are perfect to mix things up, ensuring the stomach isn’t overwhelmed.

Of course, the snowy white flesh of the Dogtooth Fish opened up her appetite as well.

She first tried the deep-fried one, her eyes lit up as she bit into the crispy flour coating, revealing the tender and juicy fish inside.

"This fish has a great texture, I didn’t expect the deep-fried to be so delicious. It’s even better than the Pacific Cod you caught before!"

Chu Mingcheng laughed, "Humans are smart creatures. If something tastes really bad or doesn’t have any special features, it wouldn’t be sold for such a high price."

"Like Antarctic Shrimp, for instance, they taste average and there are plenty of them, so they’re quite cheap!"

Jiang Luoluo was silent for a moment, then nodded, "Listening to you is like hearing a thoughtful discourse."

Chu Mingcheng: "..."

The two of them chatted and laughed, enjoying the delicacy of the day.

The flesh of the Dogtooth Fish had completely conquered their stomachs, prompting them to consider fishing more during their time in Antarctica and possibly air-shipping some home when moving to the next station.

Mainly because Antarctic air shipments were for research purposes, they were not an option for them.

Ordinary visitors wanting to go to Antarctica had to first head to Argentina and then take an icebreaker ship there.

Ice layers surrounded Antarctica, and Chu Mingcheng would have found it difficult to reach the continent aboard the Hei Yao at any other time.

It was only now, because of climate warming and summer season, that they could make the trip.

The plan was to fish more, but not right now.

After drifting at sea for so long, they were longing for land.

So the next day, Chu Mingcheng raised the sails and quickly headed towards the Antarctic continent.

Huaxia has four research stations in Antarctica; from Chu Mingcheng’s current position, the closest is Zhongshan Station.

Of course, since they were on a self-guided tour, they needed to plan their own itinerary for Antarctica.

Traveling in Antarctica is actually quite troublesome, often hindered by the weather, which prevents journeys from occurring.

Most people choose to join a tour group for their visit, which, though restricting, spares them the worry of planning.

Of course, to visit Antarctica, one must be prepared to spend at least fifty thousand per person.

Chu Mingcheng had been lucky over the past few days, not encountering any extremely severe weather.

Approaching Antarctica, the icebergs became more prevalent. For the safety of the sailboat, Chu Mingcheng went to the deck to scout for a suitable docking spot with a drone and directed Jiang Luoluo in the steering room to navigate the vessel.

This allowed them to choose the safest route at any time and avoid colliding with icebergs, which could lead to sinking.

A monohull sailboat isn’t easily capsized, but compared to a catamaran, it’s more vulnerable to collisions.

If a collision occurred and it sank, that would be it, unlike a catamaran which might still have half of it floating and a chance for repairs.

As the sailboat drew closer to land, Chu Mingcheng saw a patch of greenery, a lawn on the continent of Antarctica.

In a world that was mostly white, this touch of green brought a sense of vitality.

He even spotted an exceedingly cute seal on the ice, with snow-white fur and a chubby body, ultimately captivating with its big doe eyes.

No matter how proud a girl might be of her big doe eyes, she’d have to concede defeat when compared to the seal baby’s.

Finding a docking spot for the boat wasn’t easy, as most areas were covered with ice, making them inaccessible.

And even if they managed to get in, extreme weather could trap them, making it impossible to leave.

As a result, it took Chu Mingcheng an entire day to find a suitable place.

"It wasn’t easy, but at last we’re standing on the land of Antarctica!" exclaimed Jiang Luoluo as she stepped onto the continent, savoring the feeling of solid ground beneath her feet.

As for Chu Mingcheng, he turned his attention to the grassland.

He had thought it was a lawn before stepping onto its soft surface, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was a thick layer of moss, with frozen soil underneath.

The killer whales hadn’t followed them; they roamed outside the ice, in a relatively safe location.

The whales weren’t entirely without risk in Antarctica, as there were Japanese whaling ships in the vicinity.

Mostly they hunted baleen whales, especially small baleen whales, but killer whales were also a target for them.

As for the dog and the sea otter, they were wrapped up in specially crafted thick clothing and followed off the ship.

Chu Mingcheng unloaded two folding bikes from the ship and, along with Jiang Luoluo, started meandering around.

There are no accommodations in Antarctica, so they had to return to the ship to sleep at night.

Thus, Chu Mingcheng planned to cycle along the continent towards its "little tail," where Huaxia Great Wall Station was located.

North of the station lay Argentina, that is, the continent of South America, which leads into the Atlantic Ocean.

The day’s temperature was a relatively high negative twenty-three degrees Celsius.

Chu Mingcheng and Jiang Luoluo cycled around aimlessly, making sure to remember their path to avoid getting lost and being unable to return.

Just then, several skuas flew over their heads, emitting their unpleasant cries.

During their first encounter with native Antarctic wildlife, Jiang Luoluo felt a flicker of excitement and quickly stopped to snap a photo with her phone, capturing the backsides of the birds.

"Ah Cheng, what kind of seabirds are these?"

"Well, you won’t like them."

"Why is that?"

"Let’s follow their direction and see, we might come across something interesting."

"Okay, let’s hurry over!"

Jiang Luoluo, unaware of the notorious reputation of the skuas, excitedly rode her bike to catch up.

Most places on the Antarctic continent are quite suitable for biking, and where it’s not possible to ride, Chu Mingcheng simply carried the lightweight bikes over.

After an hour and a half of following the direction in which the skuas had disappeared, they stumbled upon a colony of penguins.

For Chu Mingcheng, this was no surprise.

Following the skuas would lead to either their own breeding grounds or those of the penguins.

However, it was summer and not the breeding season for penguins.

But the skuas did not limit themselves to eating young penguins; occasionally, they preyed on adult ones as well.