Unconsciously, the sun had climbed directly overhead.
Even under the blazing sun, it couldn't overshadow Li Haochen's joy. Having caught two significant fish that morning, he felt he already had a 30% chance of winning the competition.
There were still two days left, and he couldn't afford to slack off.
After reeling in another grouper weighing over two pounds, Li Haochen checked the leader line and hook. They showed slight wear, so for safety, he replaced them with new ones.
He attached the bait, cast the line, and then hurried inside to get his self-heating meal box.
This self-heating meal box was an excellent invention, perfectly suited for outdoor adventurers or those who worked in the wild for extended periods.
Just like Li Haochen's current situation, where every second counted, who had time to cook? This was when the self-heating meal box truly shone—convenient, fast, and no need to wash dishes. It was great, the only downside being the potential danger of toxic gases released from the heating element.
Li Haochen poured water onto the heating pack inside the larger box. It quickly generated a significant amount of heat. He then placed the rice and dish packets into the smaller box, covered it, and waited ten minutes.
During the ten minutes it took for the rice to cook, Li Haochen managed to hook a money eel weighing fifteen to sixteen pounds. This was a valuable catch; fish of this size could fetch 150 to 200 per pound and were not commonly found.
Money eels were fierce. Li Haochen dared not throw it directly into the live-well, or he'd be crying if it bit his prized Red Sea Bream.
He placed it into a fine-mesh fish bag before daring to put it in the live-well.
With another good catch, his mood soared. By then, his meal was ready. After re-baiting the hook and casting the line, he began to eat with gusto. Even though the taste wasn't particularly great, his good mood made everything delicious.
After finishing his meal, the fishing rod remained still. After waiting another ten minutes with no response, he figured there were no more fish in the vicinity.
Li Haochen propped up his fishing rod, went into the cabin, raised the anchor, and started the engine to change fishing spots.
On the way, he encountered several other fishing boats participating in the same competition. Some were preparing to leave, while others were steadfastly staying put. He even saw one boat pulling up a fish, and the triumphant grin on the angler's face was clearly visible even from dozens of meters away.
Seeing Li Haochen drive past, the angler provocatively waved the fish he had caught, which was merely palm-sized. Li Haochen couldn't fathom where the man found the courage to show off so ostentatiously.
After driving for about half an hour, he encountered other competing fishing boats every mile or two. Unable to find a good spot, Li Haochen had to keep going further. He drove for over two hours straight.
Using the fish-finding methods he learned from Dai Changrun, Li Haochen was very satisfied with the spot he chose to anchor. The currents, wind direction, and other factors were all excellent, and there were no other boats within several nautical miles.
The fishing rod didn't need to be reassembled; he hadn't taken it apart earlier. He just needed to lower it and attach the bait to start fishing.
He tested the depth and realized he had traveled so far that it was now 200 meters deep.
After some thought, he decided to stay. Although he didn't have a crane, Li Haochen had a special method for moving large fish into the ice chest.
This depth meant the possibility of encountering exceptionally large fish, so Li Haochen switched to a heavier line setup.
After attaching the bait and casting the line, he waited for it to reach the desired depth, then slightly loosened the drag, put on gloves, and braced himself, prepared for anything.
After waiting for two or three minutes with no action, Li Haochen quickly ran inside to prepare another self-heating meal. He also slipped into the ice chest and retrieved all the Snickers bars and Red Bulls from his space. With the final two days approaching, he needed to engage in a 48-hour battle, or the hundred million would go to waste.
By the time he came out, the rod had developed a significant bend, and the fishing line was vibrating rapidly, zipping back and forth.
Judging by the pulling force, human intervention was unnecessary; the "Hidden Dragon" would handle it.
Ten minutes later, a large fish over 60 centimeters long, with a brownish-green body and several small orange-red spots on its sides, and five irregular diagonal stripes on its body, emerged. It was undoubtedly a grouper.
This one must have weighed around 40 pounds, a truly excellent catch. The deep sea was indeed richer in resources than the shallow waters.
However, it was a shame. Perhaps due to the rapid ascent, even though Li Haochen quickly released the air from its swim bladder, he couldn't save it. It would have to be sold as iced fish, which would fetch a lower price.
After tossing the grouper into the ice chest, Li Haochen re-baited the hook and cast the line again. He started eating his meal. Honestly, instant noodles tasted better than this self-heating meal, but rice was still rice, and at least it filled his stomach and kept hunger at bay for a while.
While he was eating, he got another bite. However, the tension on the fishing line wasn't very strong, suggesting a fish of about four or five pounds. Eating was more important, so he ignored it and let the electric reel do its work.
Halfway through his meal, the fish surfaced. He peeked out and exclaimed, "A Red Sea Bream!" Li Haochen quickly dropped his meal box, grabbed the landing net, and rushed to rescue it.
Li Haochen quickly used a steel needle to deflate its swim bladder and then used his hand to push back its extruded stomach. He worriedly muttered to himself, "Brother, don't you dare die, hurry up and get up..."
"Slap-slap."
About ten to twenty seconds later, the sound of two fish tails slapping against the deck made Li Haochen breathe a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it was saved. This was a valuable catch, fetching over a thousand Hong Kong dollars per catty, and would have been worth half the price if it had died.
After placing the Red Sea Bream into the live-well, Li Haochen, to save time, wolfed down the remaining half of his meal in just a few bites. He ate so quickly that he started choking. He looked miserable, tears even streaming from his eyes as he repeatedly slapped his chest.
After about ten slaps, it finally went down. He was saved.
After gulping down some warm water and resting for a few minutes, he resumed fishing.
Suddenly!
"Whizzzzz!"
The fishing rod bent sharply, and the fishing line vibrated at high speed. Water droplets adhering to it scattered, emitting a grating sound.
"A big one, hahaha!"
Li Haochen was extremely excited. This time, he could wrestle with it manually.
This unknown large fish was incredibly fierce. If he didn't loosen the drag a bit more, the hook would likely break.
As soon as he loosened the drag, the fish immediately began to thrash rapidly, the reel spinning at high speed. Within seconds, it had taken over a hundred meters of line.
Li Haochen found the right moment and quickly transferred the fishing rod into his hands. The moment the rod handle pressed against his abdomen, the fish suddenly changed direction, almost sending Li Haochen tumbling.
As he regained his balance, the fish had already taken nearly 500 meters of line. Fortunately, the reel had over a thousand meters of line, so there was ample room.
Seizing an opportunity, Li Haochen sharply yanked the fishing rod with his left hand while gripping the handle tightly with his right to prevent further line release.
The fish, hundreds of meters away, was hooked more deeply by Li Haochen's sudden pull. Especially the huge barb caused it immense pain, which also caused its adrenaline to surge, its eyes turning red.
A frenzied resistance began!