The fish didn't just swim.
They responded.
MergeCore showed data in real-time:
MergeSalmon Tier 2 responding to merged wave rhythm.
Heart rate synced.
Fat storage accelerating.
Meat gain: +3% overnight.
Kai didn't smile.
He was already opening the next file.
"Add shrimp. Prawns. Lobsters. Oysters. All high-end species."
"Confirmed. Saltwater MergePonds will be initiated. Do you want tiered merges on all stock?"
"Yes. And bring the caviar online. I want black-grade by end of week."
Across the aquaculture sector, labs scrambled to figure out what was happening. Kai's seafood, sold under anonymous branding on MergeMart, was dominating high-end chef forums.
"Best salmon I've ever tasted."
"Caviar without afterbite. Clean. Punchy. Addictive."
"Is this… artificial? Because I'd replace wild stock today."
MergeCore notified:
"Tier 3 MergeSturgeon line prepared. MergeCaviar extracted: 32 kg."
"Quality: Class A+++ – Rare. Flavor: Ocean Umami + Clean Fat."
"Shelf Life: 6 months without chemical preservation."
Kai nodded. "Send 10kg to high-bid buyers. Auction the rest."
"Already done."
Elsewhere…
In a penthouse overlooking Manhattan, a billion-dollar seafood conglomerate called an emergency meeting.
"This MergeFarm is now our top threat."
"He's beating wild, free-range, and organic in every metric."
"We have to outbid everyone and lock down supply."
But it was already too late.
Kai expanded the MergeAquaculture complex.
New merges activated:
MergeShrimp Tier 2 – Cleaned vein auto-separation during cooking
MergeLobster Tier 3 – Double meat density, no shell odor
MergeOyster Tier 2 – Aphrodisiac value: +38%
MergeSeaweed Tier 2 – Flavor enhancement gene cross-linked to taste buds
Everything fed the land again — the runoff water nourished his lettuce beds and grew stronger corn.
MergeAquaculture wasn't just seafood.
It was an ecosystem loop.
He didn't visit city offices.
He didn't take meetings.
He just merged.
Profit Summary
MergeSalmon Luxury Batches: +$2,800,000
MergeCaviar Auctions: +$4,500,000
MergeShrimp & Lobster Launch: +$3,400,000
MergeSeaweed BioFlavor Contracts: +$800,000
Expenses:
Saltwater MergeZones: –$3,700,000
MergeStock + Oxygen Infrastructure: –$1,600,000
Caviar Harvesting + Processing: –$1,200,000
Net Profit: $4,000,000
Kai's Total Net Worth: $812,743,000