Back on the boat, Li Haochen immediately refilled the oxygen tank, took off his wetsuit, and placed the sea anemone into the live bait tank. He then carried the scallops and conches into the cabin and into the boundless sea within his space.
Although these conches were rare, their numbers were small. Taking them back to Murong Yanran's hotel for this reception would be like a drop in the ocean. It was more fitting to cultivate them as a source of income in his spatial sea, even if it took an immense amount of time.
He emerged and immediately pulled up all the traps. The catch wasn't large, but they were all good quality. Two coral trout, weighing two to three catties each? Three blue crabs, each weighing over a catty, and two white eels.
He found some water grass, tied up the blue crabs, and, along with the fish and eels, tossed them into the live bait tank.
Li Haochen, wrapped in a towel, went into the refrigerator, opened a bottle of chilled Sarsaparilla, and chugged it down in a few gulps. He was parched, and his throat still felt incredibly dry. However, he dared not drink too much. He ate a few more Snickers bars to replenish his energy.
Seeing the oxygen tank only filled by one grid, he decided not to wait idly. He re-entered his space and broke off a significant amount of mussels. For better enticement, he had to open them and extract the meat.
As Li Haochen opened the mussels, he kept an eye on the oxygen tank's filling progress. Half an hour later, the bait boxes in all eight crab traps were filled with mussel meat. Li Haochen didn't wait for the oxygen tank to be full; twenty minutes' worth was enough. He put on his wetsuit, gathered his gear and the crab traps, and submerged.
Underwater, Li Haochen had slightly miscalculated. Carrying these crab traps made it impossible to swim freely; he could only walk on the sandy bottom, and his flippers became an impediment.
Despite the difficult progress, he dared not take them off. The sand concealed too many dangers. If he accidentally cut his foot, the smell of blood would attract sharks, and that would be disastrous.
As he approached the hollow area, Li Haochen's heart began to pound. He feared they might have moved, making his efforts in vain.
Arriving not far from the location, Li Haochen adjusted his light to its dimmest setting. After placing the crab traps, he slowly moved closer. The dim light still revealed countless tentacles swaying. Li Haochen breathed a sigh of relief.
"Glad they're all here."
Li Haochen rejoiced and quickly retreated. He then used the crab traps to encircle the hollow area. Although it wasn't completely sealed, he trusted the effectiveness of the "divine bait." Even if he couldn't catch them all, he was confident he could catch the vast majority.
With everything in place, the rest was up to time. Li Haochen saw that the oxygen tank still had seven to eight minutes of supply. He crawled to a nearby spot and began to observe.
One minute, two minutes... Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound. It was likely the irresistible scent of the mussel meat starting to agitate these creatures.
As expected, several tentacles slowly probed the entrance of the crab traps. They seemed hesitant, but the extreme allure emanating from within made them eagerly crawl inside without hesitation.
"It's working."
Li Haochen clenched his fist, his heart surging with excitement. However, his oxygen supply had dropped to less than three minutes. His life was paramount. Forgetting his excitement and joy, he gripped the ropes tethering the crab traps and ascended rapidly.
With insufficient oxygen, Li Haochen had no time for gradual acclimatization. He shot upwards like an arrow. Halfway up, he ran out of oxygen and had to hold his breath.
The oxygen in the tank didn't guarantee usage for the full remaining minutes. It depended on the user's oxygen consumption, which was also related to individual physical fitness. Of course, breath-holding could also be improved through training. For most people, holding their breath for three to four minutes was not difficult, and some could even hold it for over ten minutes. The world record for underwater breath-holding was held by Stig Severinsen from Denmark, at 22 minutes and 22 seconds, a feat more impressive than the protagonist in "The Big Blue."
However, his record was achieved in a stationary state underwater. If he were swimming or engaging in other activities, he likely wouldn't be able to hold his breath for ten minutes.
When it came to underwater breath-holding, the Bajau people were the most remarkable, truly gods of the sea. Unlike Stig Severinsen, they could swim and fish underwater while holding their breath for over ten minutes. This incredible skill was attributed to their unusual physiology and, importantly, the perforation of their eardrums from childhood.
However, the average lifespan of this ethnic group was not long, and most lost their hearing by their thirties or forties. Thus, there was a trade-off.
As soon as he surfaced, Li Haochen gasped for several breaths. Forcing down the throbbing in his head, he climbed back onto the boat, quickly shed his wetsuit, dried himself, and rested under a blanket after rehydrating.
Not long after, he began to experience localized itching on his skin, like ants crawling on him, accompanied by a burning sensation.
Li Haochen knew these were symptoms of decompression sickness, though mild. He hadn't dived too deep, so he wasn't worried about danger, but the sensation made him extremely uncomfortable.
Fortunately, the feeling disappeared after about 20 minutes. Li Haochen sighed deeply, sat up, and rubbed his still slightly throbbing head. He walked to the medicine cabinet, took out a bottle of "Old Man's Perfume," dripped a bit onto his index finger, and rubbed it into his nostrils a few times. Taking a deep inhale, a cool sensation spread through his brain, instantly clearing his mind.
He then applied it to his temples, behind his ears, and on his neck. His entire head felt refreshingly cool, as if it had been iced.
With a clear head, Li Haochen recalled the scene from earlier, the entire hollow area filled with creatures. It was shocking. The dense mass of tentacles was enough to make anyone's hair stand on end. Someone with trypophobia would likely have fainted on the spot.
While they were communal, nocturnal marine creatures, they usually gathered in groups of ten or eight. Such an unusually large congregation was unheard of.
After two dives, his body felt completely depleted. Li Haochen's chest was pressed against his back. He had to eat two bowls of instant noodles and three sausages before he felt somewhat full.
He checked the time and felt it was about right. Filled with excitement, he walked out, put on gloves, untied one of the ropes, and attached it to the electric winch they had installed earlier. "It's time for you to shine, hehe!"
He pressed the power button, and the winch whirred to life, steadily pulling the crab traps upwards. Li Haochen, his expression brimming with anticipation, walked to the other side of the boat to wait. A minute later, as the crab traps emerged from the water, covered in dense tentacles, Li Haochen clenched his fist, pulled downwards with a jolt, and roared, "Yes!"
Half an hour later, all eight large crab traps were in the live bait tank. Looking at the lobsters within the traps, Li Haochen couldn't help but laugh heartily for three minutes. It was truly astounding. An entire reinforced company couldn't have been more, and their sizes were not small. Most weighed seven to eight taels, and many were over a catty. With so many lobsters, Murong Yanran's reception task was guaranteed to be a success.
Still excited, Li Haochen didn't forget the longline fishing he had set earlier. It had been a while, and it was time to retrieve it. Otherwise, if it was too late, the fish dying would be a minor issue; if it attracted other large predators, they would have plenty of fish head soup to eat for a long time.
He walked to the bow of the boat, untied the rope, and gave it a tentative tug. The vibrations transmitted through the rope filled Li Haochen with joy. He estimated the catch would not be disappointing.