Reborn 1996: My Golden Seafood Empire

Chen Yuanhang awakens to find himself back in 1996, the owner of a failing dried seafood shop on Yide Road. Burdened by three months of unpaid rent and a warehouse full of stagnant inventory, he faces the mockery of his neighbor, Liang Kun, who eagerly awaits his downfall. Having been swindled into bankruptcy in his previous life, Chen is now reborn with the "Five Senses Appraisal" ability. He can identify sulfur-treated scallops by their texture alone and determine the origin of bird's nests with a single touch. While others see worthless, discolored stock as trash, he recognizes future treasures aged to perfection. When rivals attempt to ruin his reputation with inferior goods, he turns the tables with a public appraisal demonstration that destroys their credibility forever. Realizing that remaining a simple stall owner leaves him vulnerable to manipulation, Chen takes decisive action to reshape his destiny. Armed with cash, he travels directly to fishing villages, bypassing exploitative middlemen to sign exclusive agreements with fishermen and secure upstream sources. Simultaneously, he builds his own downstream distribution network, expanding step by step from Pearl River Delta restaurants to Yangtze River Delta gift markets and eventually across the nation. In an industry still dominated by bulk sales, he pioneers standardized grading, independent packaging, and branding under the "Yuanhang" name. From a humble Yide Road stall, he constructs a vertically integrated empire with proprietary factories and nationwide reach, turning fish maw, sea cucumbers, scallops, and dried shrimp into highly profitable assets. By the time China joins the WTO, his containers are already loaded for overseas export. Against this "Seafood Scholar," even established tycoons and century-old brands are forced to yield.