Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 31
Roman Alejandro sipped his champagne while looking far into the calm, sparkling sea that stretched endlessly. A blonde woman in a bikini was sitting next to him, slightly rubbing her breasts against Roman's shoulder with a teasing smile that Roman barely acknowledged.
'I don't understand why Dad sent me to this place to handle the business when I could be attending business galas in Maynila.'
Roman came from a wealthy family. His grandfather was a well-known businessman who started from nothing, a true rags-to-riches story admired in elite circles. Their family might not be the richest in the country, but they were definitely in the top ten, with influence spanning industries like real estate, hotels, and fast food. Their family's total worth was a billion, not in pesos, but in dollars. A bonafide billionaire.
Right now, Roman was confused about why his father had sent him to the province when most of their business operations were in the capital. He had heard that their family originated from this province, but he felt nothing when he first stepped into the place. No nostalgia, no connection, not even curiosity.
This province meant nothing to him. Even the infrastructure in the region's major cities paled in comparison to Maynila, where towering buildings and better opportunities thrived.
The name of this region was Timog-Kanluran, the southwestern part of the South Major Island. Yeah, it might sound confusing if you're not from around here or aren't familiar with the geography.
To make it easier, just call it Timog-Kanluran like everyone else here does. This was the region or province where Roman's grandparents were born before migrating to Maynila and starting their business.
Even though Timog-Kanluran was where his family came from, Roman felt nothing for the place, not even the faintest whisper of sentiment. No attachment whatsoever, just a sense of being stranded in a backwater area.
"Babe, what are you thinking?"
The blonde woman next to him cuddled closer, a slight pout in her voice, hoping for a sweet reply. She was actually an actress and Roman's current girlfriend, known more for her sexy curves. As for how long he was going to date her, that depended on when he got bored or when someone hotter caught his eye.
"Nothing, I'm just thinking about business."
Roman glanced at the actress with mild disinterest, then returned his gaze to the sea. The entire yacht was his, a luxury vessel equipped with a private suite, bar, and jacuzzi. At the moment, only Roman and his girlfriend were using it, aside from the crew, who were staying out of sight as instructed.
"Is that a bangka?"
Roman narrowed his eyes as he saw a small bangka approaching from the eastern side of the horizon. Bangkas had outriggers, so Roman easily recognized it from a distance. As it got closer, Roman spotted a fisherman waving at them with a smile.
"Ma'am, Sir, are you interested in Leopard Coral Groupers and Yellowfin Tuna? I just caught them fresh from the deep sea about an hour ago. The groupers are even alive and still moving in the container." Karlos raised his voice.
"Leopard Coral Grouper?"
That caught Roman's attention. He knew Leopard Coral Grouper was an expensive fish and hard to come by, which explained its high price, especially in upscale restaurants in the capital. Furthermore, this fish only grew up to around 27 inches. They were delicious, though.
The crew members aboard the yacht stepped out when they noticed the bangka getting closer. They frowned, ready to confront the fisherman, but Roman signaled them to let the bangka approach. He was intrigued.
'Woah, I know it's big, but I didn't expect it to be this big up close. This is like a floating mansion.' Karlos was stunned as he looked at the yacht. The ones at the pier were nothing compared to this. This yacht was on a whole other level.
'This is probably 50 meters long at least.'
Karlos was speechless as he got closer, forcing himself to stay professional.
"You said you have Leopard Coral Groupers. Let me see them." Roman raised his voice.
"Here." Karlos saw a man with black hair and blue eyes standing next to a sexy blonde woman in a bikini, wearing sunglasses with a bored expression.
Karlos stood up, opened the container, and showed it to the rich-looking man. From afar, Roman saw the spotted pattern of the grouper and recognized its species, it was indeed Leopard Coral Grouper.
The blonde woman looked confused as she watched Roman and Karlos, but she remained silent as Roman confirmed the fisherman wasn't lying. The groupers were of high quality.
"They're definitely Leopard Coral Groupers, and they're alive and appear to be in excellent condition. You also have Yellowfin Tuna. What's in the other containers?" Roman asked, raising a brow.
"They're crabs and prawns," Karlos answered, pointing to the other containers.
"Are you sure they're fresh?"
"Absolutely. You can ask your crew to inspect them if you want confirmation."
"Alright. How much?"
"The groupers are 7,500 pesos. The Yellowfin Tuna is 6,500 pesos, and the crabs and prawns are 4,000 pesos. 18,000 pesos if you want to buy all of them. That's my best price, sir."
"Alfred, give this fisherman 18,000 pesos. We have important foreigner guests visiting the hotel later. Use these ingredients to prepare dishes for them."
"Yes, sir." One of the crew members stepped up to pay. Karlos moved to the other side of the yacht to deliver all his catch and kept a polite smile the entire time.
The crew inspected Karlos' seafood and confirmed it was fresh, except for one recently dead crab, which they noted but still accepted. They paid the full 18,000 pesos without haggling.
Karlos thanked the crew members with a small nod of appreciation before leaving. He was satisfied with the transaction. If he had sold his catch at the fish port, he would have earned maybe 15,000 pesos at most and only if he found a good buyer.
"Rich people are really something. They didn't even bat an eye at 18,000 pesos like it was pocket change."
Once Karlos was gone, Alfred informed Roman that the payment was completed and all the seafood was safely stored in the yacht's cold storage.
"Is everything fresh, just like he said?"
"Yes, sir. The Yellowfin Tuna was perfectly bled. No signs of spoilage at all."
"You have to bleed tuna?"
"That's right, sir. It improves the taste of the meat and extends its shelf life, especially if it's for sashimi."
"Let's return to the hotel then."
The crew heard their boss and the yacht began cruising through the sea.
"Is there a problem?" Roman turned to the blonde woman, who had been quiet and seemed distracted.
"Roman, didn't you feel like that fisherman looked like you? I almost thought you guys were twins, especially the eyes and hair."
"Huh? What are you talking about? Sure, that guy has black hair, but he doesn't look like me. If there's someone who looks like me, that would be my older twin brother. I feel like I have a doppelgänger whenever we're together."
Yes, Roman had a twin brother.
"Perhaps you're right," the woman muttered, though she continued looking in the direction the bangka had disappeared.
"I only have two brothers, my older twin brother and my younger brother. That fisherman doesn't look like either of us... Unless Dad cheated and had a child with another woman. But that's probably impossible. Dad's so loyal to Mom that he doesn't even flirt with other women."
Roman shrugged and quickly dismissed the thought. There was no reason to think about a fisherman he'd never see again.
As for Karlos, he didn't notice any resemblance to the rich man. Maybe he was just too focused on the money he'd earned that day to notice anything else.
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[Author's Note: My other novel, Behind The Spotlight, has reached 100 chapters! As a celebration, I'm offering a 50% discount on my Patr eon for the first 10 subscribers. If you're interested, check it out before the promo ends!]