In China, perhaps 99% of people wouldn't recognize this character. But in Farewell Town, almost everyone knows it by heart. It's not an ordinary word, but a specially designed character that spells "Eddie" in seal script. According to local legend, this was the official font mandated by Eddie the First Emperor after unifying the Northern Arctic Archipelago.
The BE Fishery logo features this exact seal-script "Eddie" character, etched in brilliant bronze on a plaque hanging above the main gate. It's not just a sign—it's a symbol of trust and power. When townspeople see that character, they know: this is Little Eddie's place, the most reliable enterprise in the entire town.
The moment Eddie stepped onto the event stage, he felt invincible. Back straight, gaze fierce, he looked down at the bustling crowd of Farewell Town locals and couldn't help but declare to himself, "My era—has finally arrived."
He wasn't bluffing. Before coming here, Eddie worked in HR at a subsidiary of CNOOC. Performance management was his forte, and training sessions were his bread and butter. Public speaking? No problem. Even when the audience was a sea of blonde-haired, blue-eyed Canadians, and even though he was speaking in English, he felt no pressure.
Not that his English was flawless, but his message was simple and clear: "Hello everyone, I'm Little Eddie, grandson of Eddie. Today our fishery is hosting a special Easter event. Thank you for coming!"
The townspeople didn't really know what the event was about, but Easter events were always welcome. If there was an event, people would come. Especially with Creeper there, commanding the scene with his trademark authority. Under his direction, the first participant took the stage—a young girl.
The game was simple: wear a pointed hat, jump, and try to pop one of the balloon eggs overhead. Each balloon contained a slip of paper with a prize level written on it.
With a determined leap, the girl jabbed upward. Her hat's point pierced the inflated balloon with a satisfying pop. Shreds of colorful confetti fluttered down like spring petals, along with a crumpled slip of paper.
Creeper unfolded it and turned to Eddie, smiling. "This girl's lucky—first prize."
Eddie invited the girl on stage, mic in hand. "What's your name, young lady?"
"Janet, Eddie."
"Janet? Beautiful name. Do you know what the first prize is?"
"No idea, but I'm excited."
"Well then, let me tell you. Janet, the first prize—is one of my kisses!"
"Oh God, no way! Can I give it up?"
Eddie was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered. He knew when to drop the act. With a wave of his hand, a volunteer stepped forward with the real prize—a brand-new IPONE6.
Eddie held up the phone, the sleek box catching the light. "Are you really sure you don't want it?"
Janet squealed in delight. The IPONE6 had just been released. In Canada, it cost around 1,000 CAD. With the town's economic struggles, an average worker made about 2,000 CAD a month. Skilled fishermen made no more than 5,000. While many people used smartphones, few had the latest IPONE6.
Janet didn't hesitate. She ran up and kissed Eddie square on the cheek.
Caught off guard, Eddie blushed furiously. He was no playboy; the flirtation had been a joke. But Janet's soft, warm lips made the moment very real. The townsfolk roared with laughter.
Eddie's gift pile was generous. While there were only a few top-tier prizes, every balloon contained something. The least was a chocolate egg. Most held phone cards, fuel vouchers, or grocery coupons—practical gifts that made the event wildly popular.
People kept coming. The crowd only grew. Two hundred eggs were burst in no time.
Exhausted but satisfied, Eddie retreated to Hughes' Convenience Store. Coffee in one hand, phone in the other, he messaged his college group chat on QQ:
"Just ran an event, totally rocked it. Your boy Eddie's out here making China proud!"
"Rich bastard," Ma Jin chimed in. "How much did it cost?"
"Not much. About 4,000. In Canadian dollars."
"You jerk!" Class monitor Zhong Dajun replied. "Came here just to show off?"
"Hey wait, how much is 4,000 CAD in RMB?" asked Chen Lei.
"Exchange rate's about 4.94 today," replied Chen Jiannan, now working in a bank.
"So that's like 20k RMB?"
"Exactly." Eddie posted a smug emoji. Another wave of playful curses flooded the chat.
Zhong Dajun sent a gnashing-teeth emoji and announced, "Fine. Next class reunion is at your fishery. You pay for everyone's travel!"
Eddie: "Done deal! Just say when—I'll cover it all."
Back in college, their class had a good vibe. Sure, there were small cliques, occasional spats, but nothing serious. Compared to the office politics at CNOOC, their campus drama was child's play.
Eddie truly missed those carefree university days.
That evening came Easter's main event: fireworks.
It felt like Lantern Festival back in China. Despite Canada's focus on environmental protection, fireworks were encouraged on big holidays like this.
As night fell, kids began lighting small rockets. Local law required adult supervision for kids and restricted large fireworks to adults.
Eddie watched them with a smile, then bought a few spinning fireworks himself. Just before lighting one, he checked the packaging.
"Made in China."
He chuckled. Even halfway across the world, fate had a sense of humor.
The official fireworks display, funded by the local government, lasted just twenty minutes. Still, it was breathtaking. Looking out from a high point, one could see the skies above Canada's cities exploding in color, a sea of glittering stars and roaring flames. It was mesmerizing.
After Easter, the true spring began for this island deep in the Arctic Circle.
The next morning, Eddie jogged around the fishery until he saw a familiar vehicle barreling down the dirt road. It was Shark, in his beloved Ford F150 pickup.
This 6.2L high-performance truck cost 500,000 RMB in China, but only 40,000 CAD in Canada. A staggering price gap.
"We're heading out today. Need to drop some nets and see what the sea looks like," Shark said, hopping down.
Eddie replied, "Then I need to order some new fishing boats."
Shark waved him off. "No rush. Just use mine for now. We're only scouting."
His boat, the Alice, was a single-trawl vessel, the kind you'd see in fishing documentaries—19.8 meters long, 4.9 meters wide, with a draft of 2.2 meters. Empty, it displaced 50 tons; fully loaded, 200. Its diesel engine packed 385 horsepower.
Old, yes, but well-maintained. Shark treated it like family.
Eddie boarded, standing tall at the stern of the Alice, his eyes fixed on the horizon. A sudden surge of pride welled up inside.
"We sail!"
Naturally, he began taking selfies. This was his maiden voyage, after all—a moment to remember. And of course, to taunt his office-bound friends back home on social media.
For Eddie, this wasn't just a fishing trip.
It was the dawn of an empire.