Chapter 261: A Gift That Delivers Itself
The money from hunting saltwater crocodiles didn't come in as fast as catching king crabs, but it was still pretty good.
Whether it was king crabs or saltwater crocodiles, it was all about fleecing the Aussies. As long as there was profit to be made, Chu Mingcheng was satisfied.
But as more crocodile hunters joined the fray, the number of huntable saltwater crocodiles under four meters around Darwin dwindled. Noah's applications for crocodile hunts were rejected three times in a row.
Chu Mingcheng knew it was time to challenge the bigger ones.
Small, huntable saltwater crocodiles were already scarce, and with the influx of new hunters, securing a suitable target was becoming increasingly difficult.
"Noah, maybe we should start hunting large saltwater crocodiles over four meters."
"Cheng, I really don't think that's a good idea." Noah shook his head. He still had no desire to come face-to-face with a saltwater crocodile that looked like it could swallow him whole.
Chu Mingcheng knew him well by now and immediately proposed a new profit-sharing arrangement.
"Noah, you have a shotgun. If we find a large saltwater crocodile resting on the bank, you can just shoot it. In that case, you take eighty percent of the profit, and I'll take twenty."
"Of course, if I lure one out of the water and you help me take it down, then I get seventy percent and you get thirty." As expected, Noah was tempted.
If he encountered a saltwater crocodile resting on the bank, he could get eighty percent of the profit with a single shot. Only a fool would turn that down.
Besides, for crocodiles in the water, Chu Mingcheng would handle the luring and most of the danger, while Noah just had to provide backup from a safe distance.
Still, the second arrangement didn't quite sit right with him.
"Cheng, if I'm the one who takes it down, I think we should split it fifty-fifty. You can't handle a saltwater crocodile that size without me."
Chu Mingcheng shook his head. "I can handle any size saltwater crocodile. I'm only letting you in on this to speed up the process."
"I'll prove it to you with the next one. If I can't kill it, then we'll go fifty-fifty."
"The main reason I'm proposing this split is that I'm stopping crocodile hunts around July 15th. I have other things to do, so we only have thirty-seven days left."
"July 15th? Why so soon?" Noah was caught off guard. He'd been hoping to partner with Chu Mingcheng through the end of this year's hunting season.
"The fishing ban in Xiamen ends in August, so I'll be heading back a few days early. I have other plans for the ten or so days in between."
In those ten days, Chu Mingcheng planned to search for various aquatic species unique to Australia to increase his Aquatic Species Codex experience points.
If it weren't for the fishing ban back home, he wouldn't be bothering with saltwater crocodiles at all. Hunting them was too much trouble.
Taking down a single crocodile took half a day at most, but they wasted several days traveling.
Hearing Chu Mingcheng's explanation, Noah was disappointed but had to accept the proposal.
After all, he couldn't make this kind of money with anyone else.
"In that case, I'll go find our next target. I'll record a video and send it to you. You can use it to apply, and if it's approved, just come over."
Now that Noah had agreed, Chu Mingcheng made a new arrangement.
Previously, Noah had been the one running all the errands, which wasted considerable time.
This time, to save time and make more money, he'd have to do more of the legwork himself.
After preparing their food and drinks and checking all their crocodile-catching gear one last time, Chu Mingcheng set off for a known saltwater crocodile hotspot.
East of Darwin, there was a crocodile gathering area. Any random puddle there could be hiding one.
Near the smaller rivers, you could find plenty of suitable targets.
Driving from day into night, Chu Mingcheng finally arrived at his destination a little after eight in the evening.
He didn't get out that night, choosing to sleep in the vehicle and wait for morning.
The next morning, Chu Mingcheng woke up and was rendered speechless.
Before getting out, as was his habit, he observed his surroundings from inside the car.
That's when he saw a behemoth lying to his right, as large as the vehicle itself.
Including its tail, the creature was probably close to six meters long.
Chu Mingcheng poked his head out of the sunroof. When he spotted a river choked with water plants a bit farther to his right, he understood.
The wild grass here grew too tall. He hadn't noticed that he'd parked right next to a water source—a saltwater crocodile habitat.
No wonder he woke up to such a big "surprise."
The "surprise" was still asleep, completely motionless.
Chu Mingcheng immediately took out his phone, filmed it, and sent the video to Noah.
"Oh, shit, Cheng, don't tell me you're going to take on that thing?"
"As long as you hurry, I can take care of it on the spot." Chu Mingcheng replied.
He had a steel spear in the car, specially bought for hunting saltwater crocodiles. It could easily pierce their skin and drive deep into their bodies.
This crocodile was a gift that had delivered itself. Calling it a "surprise" was no exaggeration.
"I'm on my way!" Noah also saw that this was a golden opportunity. He immediately got out of bed and rushed to the City Council to apply for the hunting permit.
Chu Mingcheng had no intention of capturing a saltwater crocodile this size alive. That would be playing with his own life.