The Snow Queen's hull groaned with one final catch as winter slowly began to release its grip on the Yukon. Cracks formed in the permafrost along the shoreline. The locals called it "the whisper of the thaw"—a time when frozen silence gave way to the creak of shifting earth and melting ice.
But out at sea, Evan wasn't done yet.
"We've got maybe two weeks before the melt turns the ice into soup," Holt muttered, eyeing the horizon. "Then the traps'll be useless."
"Then we fish harder," Evan said, a grin tugging at his wind-chapped face.
Over the next ten days, the Snow Queen and Blue Runner pulled in their last runs of crab and began transitioning to net fishing—trawling for halibut, cod, and anything else that moved through the icy waters.
Holt, ever the jokester, named their final crab "King Sebastian the Red," a massive brute with claws like vices. They kept it in a crate on the deck as a mascot. Jesse swore it tried to pinch him every time he walked past.
"You're imagining it," Holt said, sipping his coffee.
"Then why did it wink at me?"
"Because you owe him rent, probably."
Evan worked alongside the crew every day, sleeves rolled up, boots soaked, learning every detail of the operations. The system quietly gathered data in the background, helping optimize their net positions, detect fish concentrations, and avoid overfished areas. It never gave too much just enough to edge ahead of the competition without tipping anyone off.
On the last day of the season, they pulled into port with both holds full another 15 tons of crab and 5 tons of mixed fish. The numbers made Evan stop and stare at his tablet.
Season Final TotalsCrab: 37.4 tonsFish: 9.3 tonsGross Revenue: $412,500Fuel, Maintenance & Fees: $24,000Crew Salaries: $92,000Equipment Upgrades: $15,000Final Net Profit: $281,500
That didn't include his system's mineral scans or the passive income from a few smart trades he'd made in the background. It was time for a proper net worth check.
Evan's Net Worth (as of post-fishing season)
Assets:
Cash on Hand (Post-Tax Inheritance): $22.8 million
Fishing Revenue (Season): +$281,500
Farm Property (Kluane foothills): Appraised at ~$2.5 million
Snow Queen (Crab boat): Estimated value $950,000
Blue Runner (Trawler): Estimated value $800,000
Equipment, Vehicles, & Tools: ~$400,000
System-Tagged Mineral Deposits (Claimed): Valuation Pending
Stock Investments (System-boosted): +$670,000 since launch
Liabilities:
Taxes Paid: Inheritance + Federal/Prov. ~$20 million (already paid)
Operating Costs Outstanding: $0
Employee Bonuses Pending: $30,000 (End-of-season)
Net Worth Estimate:
💰 ~$28.2 million
Evan scrolled through the summary, then glanced out over the harbor. The boats were docked, the crew celebrating with beers and bowls of hot stew in a nearby pub. The town was quieter now, but more hopeful. Word had spread fast—"the Carver boy" was back, and he wasn't just sitting on his inheritance. He was working the waters like a man possessed.
Inside, Evan sat with Mason, Jesse, and Holt over a shared meal of halibut chowder and stale crackers.
"You know," Mason said, "when you showed up with that city haircut and those shiny boots, I figured you'd last a week."
"Five days, tops," Jesse chimed in.
"And now?" Evan asked, sipping from his mug.
"You're still shiny," Holt grunted. "But you've got grit."
Evan smiled, then stood and raised his glass. "To the Snow Queen and the Blue Runner. To cold seas, heavy nets, and good friends."
"To the thaw!" the crew cheered.
Outside, the mountains loomed high and silent. But beneath their roots, the system pulsed with new energy mineral lines lighting up like veins of gold.
Spring was coming.
And so was the next phase of Evan's rise.