Jiang Hai sometimes appeared to be generous, but in reality, he could be quite stingy.
He never cared about small amounts of money. Back when he made 3,000 yuan a month, he wouldn't bother over 10 or 8 yuan. Now that he was wealthy, earning over a billion yuan a year, he similarly paid no attention to amounts like 3,000 or 5,000 yuan. However, that didn't mean he was indifferent to sums in the tens of millions.
A yacht worth over 10 million yuan was certainly luxurious, but to be honest, Jiang Hai felt a little uneasy about spending that much. Compared to a yacht in that price range, he found one priced around a million yuan to be quite decent.
Still, despite his thoughts, he didn't voice them and simply continued following the woman leading the way.
After passing by the shipyard that started with the letter "B," they reached the next section. There were only two brands here. One was a local American brand, Corona, originally established in Wellington, Illinois. It had started as a small shipyard, and back then, the company's interior decorating—fitting the ship interiors—was done inside an empty school gymnasium.
Founded in 1991, Corona had been around for just over twenty years and had gained some recognition. This shipyard specialized in selling small boats, more akin to speedboats than luxury yachts. Their largest model was only about ten meters long, and their pricing was quite affordable for the average American. A seven-meter boat that could hold eight people cost only $120,000, fully furnished and ready to sail after filling up the gas tank.
However, this level of craftsmanship didn't appeal to Jiang Hai.
Another brand in this section, starting with "Kalanchi," was an Italian manufacturer. While it was larger than Corona, it still wasn't particularly impressive in Jiang Hai's eyes.
Moving forward, they reached another shipyard starting with "D." But as Jiang Hai got closer, he was surprised. Seeing the row of yachts in front of him, he couldn't help but ask in confusion, "DH?"
"Yes," the guide responded. "These boats are made by the Double Happiness Shipyard in China. They sell quite well here. These are small yachts, with the largest one weighing 26 tons and nearly eight meters in length. It has a fresh water tank capacity of 2,000 liters and a fuel tank capacity of 4,000 liters. It's a solid choice with a very competitive price. The French Beneteau you saw earlier is about the same size and costs around $700,000, but this one is only $550,000—excellent value for money."
Seeing Jiang Hai's interest, the sales guide eagerly introduced the brand. But Jiang Hai only chuckled. To be honest, if possible, he preferred to support domestic products.
Anyone from China would recognize Double Happiness—famous for manufacturing table tennis balls. But could their expertise in making ping-pong balls really translate to yacht-building?
Jiang Hai was buying this boat mainly to acquire treasures, but that didn't mean he would simply abandon it afterward. He still needed to sail it back to Boston.
So, after taking a look, he walked away. The guide, observant of people's expressions, immediately realized that Jiang Hai was familiar with Double Happiness and didn't push the sale further.
Next to Double Happiness was another shipyard starting with "D," but the yachts here were noticeably different. These ships were beautiful—truly stunning. Compared to the ones around them, these yachts were like concept cars among ordinary vehicles. They immediately caught the eye.
Most of them were one-and-a-half stories high, meaning they had one deck level and an additional floor below. The entire design was sleek and streamlined, making them look like they could cut through the waves at high speed. Their postmodern aesthetics exuded a cool, futuristic vibe.
"This is Dela-Petta," the guide explained. "A shipyard with half a century of experience and outstanding craftsmanship. In terms of pure technology, this brand produces some of the best yachts available here. However, they also have the lowest cost-performance ratio. For example, this DP70, which weighs only 21.92 tons, is priced at $1.2 million—not exactly a bargain."
Hearing the price, Jiang Hai curled his lips and continued walking.
After D came E, then… well, there were only twenty-six letters, and soon, Jiang Hai had seen everything. Among the hundreds of yachts on display, only a few brands truly caught his eye.
Since Jiang Hai wasn't buying the yacht for leisure but for practical work, certain factors limited his choices.
The yacht couldn't be too large—he needed to be able to pilot it alone or with minimal help from Aphra and others. That immediately ruled out brands like Feidixing and Osuke, as their yachts were simply too big. On the other hand, ordinary small boats were out of the question—they were too tiny for his needs. And while some models were cost-effective, Jiang Hai wasn't interested in compromising quality for price.
With the sales guide's assistance, he eventually narrowed his choices to six models:
White Rabbit (Jinhua Shipyard)
Length: 18.7 meters
Width: 4.7 meters
Freshwater tank: 15,000 liters
Fuel tank: 94,500 liters
Well-designed interior, but the size wasn't ideal.
55m Yacht
Length: 16 meters
Three decks
Freshwater tank: 30,000 liters
Fuel tank: 125,000 liters
More endurance than the White Rabbit but slightly slower. It also had 17 rooms—far more than Jiang Hai needed.
LS120 (Zalaza Shipyard)
Weight: 35 tons
Length: ~10 meters
Supercar-like aesthetics, incredibly stylish.
Unfortunately, it was too small for practical use. Jiang Hai made a mental note to buy one later for his Boston estate.
Sunbird
Size: ~20 meters
Three decks, multiple rooms, easy to operate.
Could be handled by just two people—one to steer, the other to assist.
Designed for solo adventurers or small groups—fitting Jiang Hai's needs perfectly.
São Paulo 138 (Sunbird Shipyard)
Length: 12.6 meters
Three decks, eight rooms
Price: $2.45 million
Raphael (Sunbird Shipyard)
Length: 14 meters
Two decks, but more futuristic in design.
Fully enclosed, resembling a metallic fish.
Price: $5.35 million
Seeing Jiang Hai's interest, Jennifer, the sales guide, leaned in and whispered, "For your requirements, I can offer the Raphael at a minimum of $5.35 million, and the São Paulo 138 at $2.45 million."
Jiang Hai hesitated. Initially, he thought yacht pricing was mainly about size. But now, he realized there was a significant variation in cost even among similar-sized boats.
For yachts under 10 meters, prices rarely exceeded a million dollars, even for well-known brands.
For boats between 10 and 15 meters, prices varied widely—some were just over a million, while others exceeded two or even three million.
For yachts over 15 meters, prices skyrocketed. A 16-meter yacht sold for $4.78 million, while the White Rabbit (18.7 meters) cost $7.25 million.
But despite their size, those yachts at least justified their cost. The Raphael, however, was over $5 million, despite being much smaller.
If Jiang Hai had already received his billion-yuan earnings, he might have bought it without hesitation. But since his funds weren't in yet, he was reluctant to splurge.
Sensing his hesitation, Jennifer didn't push further. A multi-million-dollar purchase wasn't a small decision—even for the wealthy. She assumed Jiang Hai was likely a rich second-generation heir, around 30 years old—not reckless with money like a 17 or 18-year-old.
As for Aphra and the others, they remained silent.
A yacht worth millions was beyond their comprehension. They didn't understand why Jiang Hai wanted one, but they also knew better than to question his decision. To them, these were just big boats.
(To be continued...)