The Fish I Catch Can Level Up-Chapter 240: First Day in Australia

The Fish I Catch Can Level Up-Chapter 240: First Day in Australia

The next day, Zhang Ruomei drove the two of them to the airport.
Although Noah had offered to be their guide, it was really just for legal seafood catching and buying and selling at the seafood market.
The two of them would definitely be sightseeing in Melbourne for a few days upon arrival, and they didn't want a big third wheel around.
Chu Mingcheng had exchanged a total of fifty thousand Australian dollars, which cost him nearly two hundred and forty thousand yuan, at an exchange rate of about 1:4.7.
If they stayed in luxury hotels and factored in sightseeing expenses, this fifty thousand Australian dollars probably wouldn't last long without some budgeting.
After all, the cost of living in Melbourne wasn't low—in some respects, it was comparable to Shanghai.
Of course, for a normal trip staying in budget hotels, fifty thousand Australian dollars would go a long way.
But Chu Mingcheng planned to earn back the money he spent, and for that, he'd need the help of a local like Noah.
For example, where to find abalone, where to find rock lobsters, and even help with renting a boat so he could go diving for Giant Tasmanian King Crabs.
The catching season for Giant Tasmanian King Crabs runs from November to September of the following year. His time in Australia fell right within the catching season.
Moreover, in summer, the waters where Giant Tasmanian King Crabs lived weren't as deep as in winter—only a hundred-odd meters, not exceeding one hundred and eighty.
With Chu Mingcheng's current physical condition, combined with the Effortless Swim ability, diving a hundred meters or so should not be a problem.
"Sigh, I'm so jealous of you two, getting to travel everywhere," Zhang Ruomei said with envy from the driver's seat, catching a glimpse of the two of them huddled together choosing a hotel in Melbourne in her rearview mirror.
"Being a freelancer is the best."
Jiang Luoluo teased in response, "If you really want to relax and travel, you can go anytime. You're just reluctant to spend the money!"
Faced with the teasing, Zhang Ruomei admitted it.
"I am reluctant! If I were like you two, without kids, I would have dragged my husband all over the world. But once you have kids, this life—tsk tsk tsk!"
She paused, then added more seriously, "If you two still want some freedom, I personally suggest you wait a bit longer. Luoluo is still young; another two years won't be too late. Don't be like me, giving in when my family pressured me."
Zhang Ruomei's words were from the heart. After hearing them, Jiang Luoluo shot Chu Mingcheng a glare.
She'd always been careful, but a certain man, for his own pleasure, sometimes completely disregarded the possibility of becoming a father next year.
Chu Mingcheng felt a little awkward. Sometimes, when he got carried away, he didn't use protection.
Now, after hearing Zhang Ruomei's words and thinking about his and Jiang Luoluo's future private world being constantly interrupted by a little third wheel, with most of their time spent taking care of said third wheel, he suddenly regretted his recklessness a few days ago.
Their relationship had progressed to intimacy for less than a year—they were still in the sweet honeymoon phase. It seemed he really needed to be more careful in the future.
Having silently made a plan, Chu Mingcheng immediately picked up his phone and started searching for suitable protection, planning to buy a case first.
Jiang Luoluo, seeing this, blushed instantly. Her small hand secretly crept to his waist and gave it a gentle pinch.
"What's gotten into you, buying so many?" she whispered. "And we're about to go to Australia. Are you just going to leave these to gather dust at the downstairs courier station?"
Chu Mingcheng slapped his forehead. "Oh, right, no one will be there to pick them up. I'll deal with it when we get back. I'll buy two cases then."
"Get lost!" Jiang Luoluo huffed, ignoring this man whose mind was full of nothing but colors.
A little over an hour later, they arrived at the airport. After saying goodbye to Zhang Ruomei, the two collected their tickets and went into the waiting lounge.
The flight from Xiamen to Melbourne would take about nine hours. They didn't have to wait long in the lounge before their flight was called. They checked their tickets and boarded.
They'd applied for a tourist visa, which was valid for one year with multiple entries, and each stay could not exceed three months.
Three months was more than enough time for the two of them—they might not even stay in Australia for the full three months.
When they arrived in Melbourne, the local time was ten at night, with a three-hour time difference.
Stepping out of the airport, both were wearing short sleeves. Although Melbourne had a large temperature range between day and night, it was now mid-April, and the nights were not cold, but rather quite cool.
"The air here is so nice!" It was too dark to see the distant scenery, but the greening here was very well done, and the air was indeed very fresh, just like in the mountains back home.
China's rapid development in recent years had taken a toll on the environment. Fortunately, environmental protection was now a priority, and it was believed that things would get better and better.
Chu Mingcheng pulled the luggage, with Jiang Luoluo following beside him.
The airport had a SkyBus that operated 24 hours, so there was no need to call a taxi.
They'd already planned their route back home, so they were familiar with what to do.
After stowing their luggage and boarding the bus, they found the driver had an Asian face.
Melbourne has a large Chinese population, accounting for around 15% of the city, with even higher concentrations in the CBD.
The driver wasn't very old, looking to be in his early thirties. Chu Mingcheng curiously asked in Chinese, "Friend, are you from China?"
Many people came to Melbourne for tourism, and working at the airport, the driver was used to seeing Asian faces and didn't react much when the two of them boarded.
It was only upon hearing his familiar mother tongue that a smile appeared on his face.
"Yes, I've been working here for two years. Are you two here for a trip?"
"Yeah, with my girlfriend," Chu Mingcheng let Jiang Luoluo find a seat first, then chatted with the man for a few sentences.
Abroad, the Chinese community was quite united. After learning which hotel they were staying at, the driver immediately said he'd remind them when their stop came.
Back home, buses stop at every station, which makes people subconsciously pay attention to the stops.
But it wasn't like that in Melbourne—if no one on the bus was getting off, the driver would skip the stop, so a moment's inattention could mean missing it.
Now that they'd met someone from their hometown, and with the driver's proactive reminder, Chu Mingcheng and Jiang Luoluo didn't need to stay focused all the time and could relax and enjoy the scenery along the way.
It was their first time in a foreign country, and they found the architecture and environment here fresh and curious.
When the bus was about to depart, Chu Mingcheng stopped bothering the driver and sat down next to Jiang Luoluo, then started to complain.
"The bus fare here is so expensive. The ticket is valid for two hours of unlimited rides on SkyBus. But for regular city buses, it's 2.4 Australian dollars per person for two hours using myki. After two hours, you pay another 2.4, but that lets you ride the bus all day, anywhere you want."
Jiang Luoluo was a bit surprised after hearing this. "So, if we go sightseeing, a day's bus fare would be 9.6 Australian dollars, which is over forty yuan?"
Chu Mingcheng nodded. "That's right. So I'm thinking about whether we should rent a car. It would also be convenient for carrying things we buy."
A Chinese driver's license could be used to drive and rent a car in Melbourne, which was more convenient than going to the United States.
The bus traveled for nearly two hours before the driver stopped and reminded Chu Mingcheng and the others that their stop had arrived.
The two thanked the driver and got off with their luggage.
After watching the bus slowly drive away, they walked toward the hotel sixty or seventy meters to their left.
This area seemed rather remote, and the hotel was built halfway up a mountain, where the temperature was much lower and colder than at the airport.
Jiang Luoluo immediately put on the thin jacket she was carrying. Chu Mingcheng, with his strong constitution, was not very afraid of the cold now.
This was a mountaintop hotel. Besides the standard suites, they also had a room type called a two-person detached cottage.
When Chu Mingcheng was looking for hotels, he'd taken a liking to this place at first glance.
One reason was that the bus passed by here after leaving the airport. Another was that the environment was nice and quiet at night, and the price wasn't too high.
The downside was that the hotel wasn't in town or by the sea, so daily shopping was not very convenient.
But the two of them weren't planning to go out for a walk this late at night, and they'd be leaving after one night anyway.
After completing the check-in procedures, a staff member led them to the cottage.
They walked directly out of the hotel and came to the back, where they saw many small buildings.
These buildings were not tall, only two stories, but they looked very much like the detached villas of a rich, handsome male lead in a Korean drama.
"The environment here is so nice. It would be great if we could have a small villa like this in Xiamen," Jiang Luoluo sighed, looking at the houses by the light of the street lamps.
"If you like this kind of house, then we can buy a piece of land and build one ourselves!"
Although land was hard to buy in China, it could be done if you threw enough money at it.
However, compared to the capitalism of foreign countries, where money could do anything, in China, you still had to rely on connections and personal relationships, which was indeed much more troublesome.
"Never mind, the transportation is not convenient," But in the end, Jiang Luoluo still refused. To pursue this kind of natural environment meant that life would not be very convenient.
Unless it was for retirement, there was no need for it.
Soon, the two of them arrived at the cottage where they'd be staying for the night.
There was a large yard in front of the cottage, with excellent landscaping and a small pond. They wondered if there were any fish inside.
Stepping into the house, the interior decoration was not luxurious, but of a simple style, with a kitchen and a living room.
There was a room on the first floor and a large bedroom on the second, as well as a balcony where you could drink tea and chat. The layout didn't feel like a hotel at all, but rather gave a sense of home.
Jiang Luoluo was a bit tired from the long flight. Seeing the large bathtub in the bathroom, she immediately said she wanted to take a bath.
Chu Mingcheng didn't say anything, but opened a cabinet. When he saw some important items inside, a meaningful smile appeared on his face.
Tonight, there'd be fish splashing in the water…
…..
The next day, Chu Mingcheng, with his arms around the still-sleeping Jiang Luoluo, woke up first.
He checked the time—it was already past nine in the morning.
By this time, it was only a little after six back home. His biological clock was still on China time and hadn't adjusted yet.
Chu Mingcheng patted Jiang Luoluo. "Luoluo, time to get up. Let's go have breakfast."
"Mmm... I'm so tired, I want to sleep more..." Jiang Luoluo mumbled, snuggling closer to him instead.
Chu Mingcheng chuckled and rolled over. In the next moment, Jiang Luoluo's eyes shot open in terror. "I'll get up right now, don't you dare mess around!"
"It's so early in the morning, and I'm full of fire!" Chu Mingcheng deliberately teased her.
"If you're full of fire, then have something cold later to cool down! Please let me go." Jiang Luoluo pushed against his chest with both hands, a placating smile on her face, and even deliberately blinked a few times to act cute.
"Aiya, my wife is so cute, of course I'm going to... bully you!"
"What the— Chu Mingcheng, you have no shame! I even acted cute!"
"Haha..."
After some playful banter, Chu Mingcheng ultimately didn't bully her.
They were going into the city today. If he did bully her, they'd probably have to stay here another day.
Afterward, the two quickly got up, washed up, and went to the hotel restaurant.

Chapter 240: First Day in Australia