Zhang Yuan grew increasingly angered. He, a master angler, had been called half-baked. Unbearable! He immediately abandoned his fishing and stomped towards Li Haochen.
Meanwhile, Liu Yuxuan, who had been offering words of caution, was inwardly ecstatic. He constantly thought of opportunities to replace Zhang Yuan. If Zhang Yuan and Li Haochen caused a major scene, he wouldn't care who Liu Qinghe sent back; he would gladly step into the spotlight. Lost in thought, he actually chuckled.
"Where are they?"
The two arrived at Li Haochen's fishing spot, but his gear was there while he himself had vanished. Just then, Li Haochen, reeling in his rod, walked around a corner. "Move aside, don't block my path."
Moments before, Li Haochen had felt a sudden, strong tug on his rod, the fishing line buzzing. He knew it was a big one, capable of weighing twenty to thirty pounds. Intrigued by the excitement, he had come to experience the thrill, leading to this confrontation.
"Just because you say move, we should? Who do you think you are?" Zhang Yuan's feet were planted as if nailed to the ground, unmoving.
Annoyed by the two bothersome individuals, he lost any desire to continue enjoying the fishing. With one hand, he pushed them aside, rammed the rod back into its holder, and pressed the retrieve button.
"Hey, why are you so rough and rude? Didn't you see us standing here, why push? Can you afford it if we get hurt?"
"Exactly! If my master gets pushed and injured in the competition..."
"Damn it, are you guys ever going to stop? Get lost! Standing here is messing with my concentration. Don't you have any idea of your own capabilities? You think you'll be watched in the competition? Take a look at yourselves in the mirror. If you're so capable, why don't you catch a few hundred-pounders and show us."
Li Haochen retorted without any reservation. As the argument escalated, others were drawn to the commotion, primarily Situ Haoliang, who harbored deep resentment for Zhang Yuan.
"What's wrong, Haochen? Is someone looking for trouble? Don't worry, Brother Liang is here. Anyone who makes trouble, we'll beat them to a pulp." Although Situ Haoliang didn't name names, his eyes never left Zhang Yuan.
Seeing Li Haochen surrounded by supporters, Zhang Yuan felt a twinge of fear. If a fight broke out, he wouldn't fare well. Just as he was considering retreating, Liu Qinghe arrived.
"What are you all gathered around for? Starting a fight? Always causing trouble instead of fishing. If you have this much energy, can't you catch a couple more fish? Disperse, all of you." Liu Qinghe had been eating and sleeping poorly these past few days, his mood abysmal. If he weren't still the team leader, he would have already thrown in the towel and left.
Zhang Yuan breathed a sigh of relief; this outcome was exactly what he wanted, a perfect opportunity to step back. Liu Yuxuan, however, lamented the missed chance, feeling his efforts were in vain.
After the bothersome master and disciple left, others gathered around Li Haochen's fishing spot. Chen Yaohong also picked up a landing net, ready to assist.
"Haochen, judging by the strength, it must be over twenty pounds. The way the line is pulling suggests a grouper."
"Yes, I agree with Old Liang."
"It's coming out!" Chen Yaohong called out. Even Liu Qinghe leaned in to watch.
Floating on the sea's surface was a grouper, about 60 centimeters long, with yellow and white coloration and covered in small black spots. Its head was long, its mouth pointed, and its body flat, weakly slapping its tail.
"This... it's unbelievable."
"Indeed, it's astonishing. After a lifetime of dealing with fish, this is the first time I've seen such a large spotted grouper."
"Quick, quick, Yaohong, prepare the decompression needle, don't let it die." While marveling, Liu Qinghe also made sure to arrange for the rescue of the precious spotted grouper.
Chen Yaohong had excellent composure. Facing a spotted grouper worth tens of thousands, his hands were steady, unafraid. His eyes and hands worked in unison, swift, precise, and accurate, piercing the swim bladder. With a soft hiss, the grouper's distended abdomen deflated, its vitality returning. It flopped vigorously on the deck.
Seeing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Li Haochen remained calm, unhurriedly picking up the landing net and placing the spotted grouper into the live-bait well.
"Congratulations, Haochen. This fish is worth as much as a good bluefin tuna."
"Yes, it's so big. It must be the largest one ever found. Its price could easily exceed 2000."
While Li Zhigang's words might have been slightly exaggerated, they weren't far off. At 1500 per pound, it was a certainty. Liu Qinghe had already called back, asking his assistant to inquire with the competition's appraisal team. The initial estimate they provided was a staggering 1850.
Li Haochen's catch, weighing nearly thirty pounds, would fetch at least fifty thousand. Its weight was undeniable.
At this moment, the worry and gloom on Liu Qinghe's face vanished. He beamed with joy, feeling as if the clouds had parted to reveal the moon.
Seeing that Li Haochen had caught many good fish that morning, several people began to contemplate changing their tackle to try for smaller ones.
However, as lunchtime approached, everyone packed up their gear and prepared to eat.
During the meal, the captain informed everyone that they would be changing fishing spots because the fish finder indicated poor resources at the current location. Naturally, no one objected; it was a welcome opportunity for a break.
After lunch, everyone except Li Haochen retreated to their rooms to rest. The "Submerged Dragon" tackle had exceeded his expectations with its morning's performance, and he was eager to keep using it. He decided to continue fishing, hoping to land a few more fish.
The boat set sail. Li Haochen, with his equipment, went to the stern. The powerful spray stirred by the propeller attracted countless creatures, and occasionally, fish could be seen leaping out of the water.
He assembled his fishing rod, attached the butt rest, baited his hook with mussel meat, opened the baitrunner, swung his rod to the side, and cast into the white surf about ten meters away. Soon, it was carried hundreds of meters by the current. Li Haochen immediately closed the free-spool.
There were no designated fishing spots at the stern. Li Haochen had to stand behind the guardrail, resting the rod's handle against the butt rest. With his left hand holding the rod and his right hand cranking the reel, he mimicked the movement of small prey with a lift and retrieve.
"Screee... whoosh..."
Before he had reeled in more than a few meters, the fishing line was violently yanked, catching him off guard. Li Haochen was pulled forward, his knee hitting the guardrail.
"Ow..."
Li Haochen's eyes welled up with pain, his teeth grinding. "You son of a bitch, once you're up here, you'll know how formidable Master Li is."
Still reeling from the impact, he wasn't in the mood to reel manually. He activated the electric reel. Within seconds, the electric reel detected the fish and began to operate automatically. Soon, a churning of water was visible, rapidly approaching the stern.
The powerful turbulence created by the rotating propeller made it difficult for fish to swim upstream, but to be safe, Li Haochen still pulled the rod towards the side of the ship. Fortunately, the fish was cooperative, going wherever Li Haochen guided it.
A minute later, a long, laterally compressed fish, about a meter in length, was dragged aboard. It thrashed and slapped the deck furiously.
"Ah, it's a mackerel."