"Buzz~"
A whistling sound cut through the air, jolting Li Haochen to attention. His fishing rod bent sharply, the line vibrating at high speed as the unseen creature thrashed wildly. Judging by the rod's curve and the line's tension, Li Haochen knew this fish had to be well over fifty jin.
Despite the fierce struggle from the deep-sea leviathan, it couldn't budge the reinforced Submerging Dragon rod. The electric reel whirred smoothly, steadily retrieving the line – a primary reason Li Haochen dared to bet a hundred million.
After more than ten minutes, a crimson shape began to materialize on the surface.
Li Haochen readied his steel needle and large landing net. Soon, a large fish with a pink underside and weakly flapping pectoral fins was hauled out of the water.
"Rubyfish?"
Seeing the meter-long, giant rubyfish, Li Haochen couldn't help but exclaim with delight.
This fish, known as the crimson-tailed diamondfish or longtail bream, was a rare and excellent catch. Its vibrant color and delicious flesh made it perfect for sashimi or pan-searing. It held a high status and considerable price in the Land of the Rising Sun, fetching two to three hundred, but in Hong Kong and Macau, it would likely go for four hundred Hong Kong dollars.
The fish was long, about a meter, with a round body. Li Haochen had exerted considerable effort to reel it in, and it felt heavier than fifty jin.
However, by the time it was landed, its tongue and stomach had been forced out, and it had perished. This did not, however, detract from its value.
Li Haochen used a small knife to bleed the fish before placing it in the ice hold for preservation.
The first catch being such a spectacular opener brought an irrepressible smile to Li Haochen's face. His sleepiness had vanished, replaced by a burning fighting spirit.
He changed the bait and eagerly cast the line again. These rubyfish weren't solitary creatures; there might be more below. If he could land ten or so, then a net worth of tens of billions would be within easy reach.
Of course, this was merely Li Haochen's wishful thinking. The second catch was a mere five or six jin snapper, but it was still a decent fish, fetching over a hundred per jin, bringing in nearly a thousand.
With the spatial divine bait and the Submerging Dragon rod, Li Haochen's rate of bites and successful catches was remarkably fast, with a catch almost every ten minutes. Some were expensive, while others were common.
However, after two hours, the bites dwindled. After waiting for about half an hour with no activity, Li Haochen decided to pack up and sleep.
Checking the time, it was already 4 AM. Without bothering to wash, he simply washed his hands and feet, changed his outerwear, and collapsed into bed.
He was woken by his alarm the next day. His sleep time was insufficient, but it was a necessary sacrifice for the competition. To quickly wake himself up, Li Haochen poured a large basin of water and plunged his entire head into it. The icy water instantly brought him to his senses.
After freshening up, Li Haochen had breakfast—a convenient and quick self-heating meal pack, though the taste was rather mediocre.
After eating, he went out onto the deck to prepare for fishing, only to find the temperature surprisingly cool. He hurried back inside to grab a jacket before venturing out again.
The fishing rod had not been dismantled last night and was ready for use. He baited it, cast it, and waited.
After more than ten minutes, there was no movement. A few more minutes passed with no activity, so Li Haochen decided to change fishing spots.
He reeled in the line and went to lift the anchor to start the engine.
Li Haochen didn't head for deeper waters; instead, he sailed back. He wouldn't dare take this small boat further out, and without a crane, what use would it be to catch a thousand-jin fish in deeper waters if he couldn't haul it in?
Applying the few fish-finding techniques he'd learned from Dai Changrun, he sailed for about half an hour before finally finding a spot that suited him.
The bait had been prepared in advance, and the fishing rod hadn't been dismantled last night, so he could start fishing as soon as he anchored.
The water depth here was moderate, less than 80 meters. After baiting the hook and casting, he reeled in slightly and waited for results.
"Swoosh~"
In less than thirty seconds, the fishing line was sharply tugged, wriggling left and right. However, the rod's bend was not significant, indicating a pull of only four or five jin.
With a smaller pull, the electric reel's retrieval speed increased considerably. At a depth of seventy to eighty meters, it took only a minute or two to reel in.
Soon, the fish's true form was revealed. It was a decent snapper, weighing over four jin – quite large for its kind.
He tossed it into the live bait tank and quickly changed the bait to continue.
"Swoosh~"
This time, the bite was even faster. The moment the bait reached the set depth, there was a significant bend, and the pull was much stronger than before, likely around ten jin.
Indeed, after five or six minutes, an eight to nine jin snapper was reeled in.
Catching snapper one after another, Li Haochen was convinced a large school was lurking below. These fish were gregarious, and their numbers were undoubtedly substantial, which excited him greatly.
After half an hour, Li Haochen had caught five snapper—an excellent result, and the bites were still frequent.
See, another two to three jin snapper had taken the bait, making Li Haochen grin.
Feeling a sudden urge to urinate, he baited the hook and cast it before rushing inside to use the restroom. When he emerged two minutes later, he was stunned.
"Whoa, a big one."
The fishing line was humming tautly, and the rod was bent as much as it had been for the rubyfish.
Li Haochen was overjoyed. The whizzing sound of the line cutting through the water was like heavenly music to him – the sound of money.