Zhang Yuan's almost frenzied behavior terrified them. They were already filled with dread, having clearly heard his words. They were scared; if Zhang Yuan truly went mad and dragged them down with him, what then?
“Old Zhang, Old Zhang, don’t get agitated, don’t get agitated. Ah Hai must have been so hungry he spoke nonsense. Hurry and come apologize to Brother Zhang.” Qian Cheng rushed between the two, reaching out to block the still agitated and shouting Zhang Yuan.
“Damn it, I’ve tolerated you guys long enough. So arrogant, so short-sighted. Do you know why they gave me two million and you guys only fifty thousand? It’s because one of me is worth three of you water-logged goods, understand? I’d prefer it if I didn’t have to lift a finger, but if you dare point fingers again, I’ll drag you all down to the grave with me, damn it!”
“Yes, yes, it’s our fault. Please calm down, Old Zhang. Ah Hai, hurry and come apologize.”
The fearless are one thing, but those who don’t fear death are another. Seeing Zhang Yuan’s demeanor, Qian Cheng was genuinely scared. He didn’t want to die.
Zhang Cong, standing by, was also a little scared. He walked over, helped Sun Hai up, and whispered, “Just apologize. Otherwise, if this lunatic really causes trouble, we might end up feeding the fish here.”
“I… I’m sorry!”
Sun Hai apologized with extreme reluctance. As he turned to leave, Zhang Yuan called out to him.
“Wait, since everyone is here, let me make it clear. The competition is three days away. Since you don’t need me, I won’t pander to you to help fish. For the next few days, I’m only responsible for piloting the boat. I won’t concern myself with anything else. After the competition, you take your broad road, and I’ll take my single-plank bridge. As for how you explain this to your superiors back home, heh… that’s none of my business.”
After speaking, Zhang Yuan left without even glancing at the other three. He went out onto the deck to smoke. He didn’t regret his actions. When they’d stepped all over his face, how could he tolerate it? Worst case scenario, four lives lost on the boat; he figured he still came out ahead with two others.
Now that the rift was there, it likely couldn’t be mended. Since there were only three days left, Qian Cheng and the other two also decided to let it be and get through these days without further conflict. As long as they didn’t provoke him further, it should be fine.
While the Macau team was embroiled in internal conflict, Robert had been discharged from the hospital. He had been at the secret base for quite some time, but his inability to contact Arthur gave him a bad feeling.
“Jones, still no contact?”
“Boss, no contact. I think the phone is malfunctioning. It’s not the first time.”
“Damn it, if you knew this garbage phone was bad, why didn’t you tell me beforehand?”
Jones and Charlie cursed Robert in their minds. “Damn it, haven’t we told you before? You stingy old man said it was usable and didn’t need replacing. Now that it’s not working, you blame us? I hope you become impotent, f***!”
“How are the China team and the Japan team doing?”
“Boss, based on current data, the China team is still leading. Japan is also close behind. The Kangaroos even caught a giant marlin today, weighing over 860 pounds. However, our team is also performing well.”
“Uh? The phone doesn’t work, how do you know?”
“Boss, even if the phone is out, the monitoring system is fine. We can still see them.”
“Sigh, look at my brain.”
Robert was too nervous and had forgotten about the monitoring. Now he had occupied Charlie’s position, seemingly intending to stay put and watch.
“Jones, do you think we should go buy some blood pressure medication or heart pills?”
Jones looked at Robert, who was intently watching the monitor, and agreed with Charlie’s idea. He immediately said, “Buy some of everything.”
Their decision was indeed correct. Look at Robert; as he watched the China team’s video, his entire head seemed to be emitting smoke, and his face had turned a shade of liver-like red. “Shark, shark, sha… sha…”
Things didn’t go as planned. In the video, Li Haochen had just pulled a fish out of the sea – a perfect bluefin tuna. This stirred him up again, and Robert couldn’t suppress a mouthful of blood, which he spat out.
“Ah—Boss… Boss….”
Li Haochen had no idea that his fishing had landed a foreigner in the hospital. He was overjoyed. What else could it be but that he had caught another prime yellowfin tuna that could be auctioned, and it weighed a remarkable 682 pounds.
“The ice storage is full, what do we do now?”
Zhu Wenxuan, after processing Li Haochen’s yellowfin, said with excitement but also helplessness.
“It’s okay, we still have the livewell. Block the outlet, transfer ice from the ice storage, and lay a layer of blankets over it.”
“Will this method work?” Xu Qing asked curiously.
“Don’t worry, I’ve used this method many times, hehe!”
Since Li Haochen said so, Xu Qing and the others naturally believed him. He was the backbone of the team now, and they had unquestioning faith in his words.
It was already evening. Unknowingly, three days had passed in these foreign waters. Two more days until the results were revealed, which made them excited.
Although they didn’t know the results of other countries yet, with the ten large fish in the ice storage, Li Haochen was full of confidence. They would definitely be in the top three. As for the championship? That would depend on whether there were any surprising catches in the next two days.
Having spent four to five hours, his physical strength was greatly depleted. Li Haochen didn’t continue. He needed to rest well and replenish his energy.
He rested, but Xu Qing and the others were pumped up. The closer it got to the end, the more excited they became. The ten fish in the ice storage might truly touch the throne. They couldn’t waste the last two days. At this moment, the three of them decided to fish non-stop.
They didn’t just say it; they truly did it non-stop. Look at it, a day and a night had passed, and they were still high-spirited, showing no signs of fatigue.
Of course, seeing the three four-hundred-pound-plus fish in the livewell explained why their spirits were so high. With the arrival of these three fish, they were one hundred percent certain that they would at least make it to the top three.
While Tang Shengtian and the others were excited, they certainly didn’t forget Li Haochen’s important contribution. These fishing spots were all found by him. He was truly amazing; every fishing spot yielded great catches, making them suspect he was a direct disciple of some dragon-seeking geomancy master.
In reality, they were overthinking. He didn’t know any of those profound studies. He had only learned a few techniques for observing wind and currents to find fish from Dai Changrun, and even then, his skill was only half-baked. This abundant harvest was also a result of luck.
“Let’s go, we’re going back.”