The morning brought in five large porcupinefish and other good catches like groupers and sea breams, making Li Haochen beam with joy. The others were all smiles too; the haul was excellent.
After breakfast, Liu Qinghe raised his hands and called out, "The competition has only three days left. We've had a very good harvest these past few days, but... the weight is insufficient."
"Indeed, Captain Wang's spot is truly fantastic, with incredibly abundant resources. However, after these few days, I haven't seen any fish over two hundred pounds. Of course... Haochen's giant grouper and shark don't count, haha!" Zhang Yuan said, not forgetting to tease Li Haochen.
"Hahaha…"
As the cheerful one, Li Haochen shrugged indifferently. He then said, "In terms of total catch, we can at least secure a dozen points. For length, single-tail weight, and value, we should also get a dozen points. We don't have much advantage in other areas. Given the current situation, if we want to rank high, we can only aim for a single fish with substantial weight. It seems we need to change our fishing spots."
"However... catching such heavy fish isn't as simple as just deciding to do it. The chance is too slim. Instead of pinning our hopes on such a vague possibility, it's better to stick to this resource-rich area."
At this point, Zhao Jiaqi's sudden opposition made everyone pause.
"I also... agree with Wei Xiong's point."
Zhao Jiaqi and Liao Wei Xiong's opposition surprised Li Haochen and the others. The disagreement created an awkward atmosphere, and everyone fell silent for a moment.
Liu Qinghe also felt a bit conflicted. Although the majority rules, if not handled properly, it could greatly affect the remaining days of the competition.
After about ten minutes, Liu Qinghe spoke again, "Actually, everyone has a point. How about this: today until tomorrow noon, we'll stay here and see if we can achieve a breakthrough. If not, we'll change fishing spots, what do you say?"
As the team leader, Liu Qinghe had the highest authority. Since he had spoken, no one else had any objections. Although his method tried to accommodate both sides, it still leaned slightly towards Li Haochen's side. Zhao Jiaqi and Liao Wei Xiong didn't show much on their faces, but they likely had some reservations.
"Oh, sitting for so long is quite tiring. Jiaqi, let's go out and stretch our muscles. Maybe our luck will be good today and we'll hook a big fish, haha!"
"That's a good idea. You guys sit for a while, we'll go fishing first."
After the two left, Li Haochen and the others exchanged glances, scratching their heads awkwardly. Anyone could tell that their words were a bit pointed.
"Yuan Ge, did I say something wrong? Or did I do something wrong?"
"No, it's quite normal. We were laughing and talking yesterday."
"Yeah, we agreed to have a united front. This is quite unpleasant." Li Zhigang, being outspoken, also felt some dissatisfaction with the two.
"Alright, maybe Xiong Ge and the others have their own considerations. Staying one more day is fine. Perhaps we can really catch a big one. Let's go fishing, haha." Saying this, Li Haochen also stood up, picked up his gear, and walked out.
Perhaps due to the underlying tension, when they met outside, there was no longer the usual enthusiastic greeting, just a calm nod, making them seem somewhat distant.
Li Haochen certainly wouldn't go out of his way to strike up a conversation. He nodded, took the mussel bait, and returned to his fishing spot.
"Hahaha, Ah Xiong, I've hooked a fish. Judging by the strength, it's at least two hundred pounds."
"Not bad... Hey, I've hooked one too. I can't chat anymore, got to reel it in first!"
The two indeed had good luck. Shortly after going out, they both hooked fish. Their conversation, without a doubt, carried a tone of boasting.
Li Haochen opened his tackle box and, after some thought, decided to switch to a heavy-duty line setup. He wanted to see if he could catch a truly heavy fish. If he succeeded, it would be a win-win situation. "Hope I have that luck."
Fate was not on his side. Throughout the afternoon, although Li Haochen caught eight tuna, they were all small. He still had no luck with the bluefin. Zhao Jiaqi and Liao Wei Xiong, on the other hand, were incredibly lucky, each catching seven fish, and good ones at that. The others had moderate success, catching only one or two.
As darkness fell, everyone's stomachs rumbled. Only Zhao Jiaqi and Liao Wei Xiong remained unfazed, still fishing.
Entering the dining hall, Li Haochen saw Chen Yaohong leaving with two plastic containers. Curious, Li Haochen stopped him and asked, "Hong Ge, dinner's here. Where are you going in such a hurry?"
"You guys eat first, I'm taking food out to Qi Ge and Xiong Ge."
"Uh...?"
"These two are really something. Not coming to eat doesn't mean Ah Hong is a servant! He's just here to assist us with fishing-related matters," Li Zhigang said indignantly, suddenly shouting loudly.
As Li Haochen and the others were just sitting down, Chen Yaohong rushed back in, brought out two large thermoses of hot water, and hurried out again.
"Damn it."
Seeing this, Li Zhigang's anger flared up, and he immediately ran out.
"Hey Gang Ge... Don't be rash..." Li Haochen and the others were worried and quickly followed.
They saw Li Zhigang grabbing Zhao Jiaqi by the collar, glaring at him. Just as he was about to curse, a bright light suddenly shot up into the sky, then exploded into a burst of crimson.
"Holy crap, a distress flare!"
Wang Yan also hurried over. "Just saw a distress flare a few nautical miles away. Should we..."
At that moment, another crimson burst lit up the sky. Liu Qinghe immediately gave the order, shouting,
"Life is at stake, start the boat quickly."
Li Zhigang and the others abandoned their argument. Everyone rushed to the captain's cabin to observe the distance. A few minutes later, the Zheng Zhan Hao was at full power, heading towards the signal source at maximum speed.
Before long, a pillar of fire could be seen in the distance, and the smell of burning reached them from afar.
"Quickly prepare life buoys and life rafts..." Wang Yan, true to his experience as a captain, was making calls to inform the maritime rescue team while systematically arranging for everyone to prepare rescue equipment.
At the disaster site on the other side, the large ship was engulfed in flames, with thick smoke billowing. Many figures on board, gasping in terror and covering their mouths and noses, were jumping into the sea.
In the main cabin of the ship, a man was desperately trying to ram the door with his body. Unfortunately, the door was blocked by fallen debris from the fire outside. His attempts were futile. After several tries, the door remained unmoved, and the man ended up with a bleeding shoulder. Smoke slowly seeped in. Unwilling to accept his fate, the man angrily smashed his fists against the door, "Am I, Ale, going to die here today? I am not willing..."
The smoke grew thicker, and the man's consciousness began to fade. At the moment he lost consciousness, he faintly heard the sound of a loud foghorn.
The man had not misheard. The Zheng Zhan Hao had arrived in time. Looking at the terrifying flames before them, Li Haochen and the others felt their hearts clench, their eyes constantly scanning the sea for signs of life.
"Over there, quickly launch the lifeboats! Those who can swim, put on life jackets, grab life buoys, and come with me..."
As he spoke, Li Haochen had already put on his life jacket, a life buoy slung over his arm, and was rushing onto the lifeboat. Except for Liu Xiying, everyone on the Zheng Zhan Hao fearlessly boarded the lifeboat and rowed towards the inferno...