Chapter 119 - 120: How to Fish

Chapter 119: Chapter 120: How to Fish

There were two pressing matters at Chen Yuan Fishing Ground right now.

First was restocking the pond. The fish supply was running low, and without a Fish King to draw people in, the place would be a ghost town.

The second was leveling up.

A million points was an absurdly high threshold. At his current rate, it would take at least another two months — way too slow.

Now the system had handed him a quest that killed two birds with one stone.

No — three birds with one stone.

He could crush his rivals, score up to a hundredfold fish haul to solve the restocking problem, and on top of that, speed up his leveling. All at once.

How could he say no to a quest like that?

There was just one problem.

"Hey, you damn system — you want me to pick up a rod and go ham on people, fine, I can do that. But my fishing skills are garbage. Can’t you buff me a little? Nothing crazy, just bring me up to Blond Punk’s level."

Chen Yuan was angling for a cheat code.

If he had Blond Punk’s skill level, he could make every top angler in all three districts and eight counties cry. Just thinking about it got him pumped.

"The System Shop carries enhanced bait with maxed-out attraction effects. Host may purchase at will. Please refrain from being so greedy."

It was scolding him.

The damn system was calling him greedy.

Chen Yuan had half a mind to fire back.

But mostly, his eyes lit up. The system had never bothered responding when he tried to haggle before — the fact that it replied at all meant there was at least a sliver of hope.

In the end, after relentless pestering and a barrage of sweet talk, the system grudgingly threw him a thirty-percent luck boost.

Probably out of pity, given how terrible his fishing actually was — a small mercy to take the edge off the quest difficulty.

"Stingy as hell~"

Chen Yuan grumbled internally.

Still, squeezing anything out of that damn system wasn’t easy.

"Hey, what are you spacing out for?"

He was still muttering to himself when Chen Jun came jogging to the courtyard gate and hollered at him to come eat.

The lunch boxes had already been delivered.

Everyone was in the fishing ground’s group chat, so they all knew how the Battle Fish King had ended with rods bending and fish flying. With that wrapped up, there was nothing stopping them from eating.

Chen Jun had stepped out with the food and spotted Chen Yuan seeing off a customer. He figured his son would be back in a minute — but ten minutes went by with no sign of him.

When he finally came out to check, there was Chen Yuan standing like a zombie in the blazing sun, staring at nothing.

"Dad, I’ve got something to take care of at the pond. Go ahead and eat without me."

Chen Yuan bolted to the three-wheeler, hopped on, and twisted the throttle, ready to tear off toward the pond. Then something struck him and he called back to Chen Jun,

"Dad — Blond Punk showed up too. Did you order an extra lunch box for him?"

"Of course we did."

Chen Jun knew Blond Punk was here — he’d been the one to receive him. By the time he showed up, the meal order window had already closed, and Wang Heng had been too locked into the match to order anything either.

But they’d sorted it out.

"Hey, what’s the big rush? You haven’t even eaten yet — whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down! That thing’s not a sports car!"

Chen Jun started to ask more, but Chen Yuan had already heard enough of the first sentence. He cranked the throttle all the way, and the three-wheeler shot forward in a flash. Chen Jun was left there shouting after him at the top of his lungs.

Chen Yuan tore down the road at full speed, leaning into a turn so hard the right wheel lifted a good three centimeters off the ground — and he didn’t even ease up, rocketing toward the pond as fast as the little machine could go.

Anyone with less experience would’ve flipped straight into a ditch.

"That reckless little punk — he’s supposed to be a boss now, and he’s still pulling stunts like he’s twelve~"

Chen Jun watched the dust settle and shook his head with a helpless smile, then turned back toward the house and called out, "The brat ran off to the pond — someone bring him his lunch box."

Busy or not, the kid still had to eat.

"Screeeech~"

Chen Yuan flew into the fishing ground without touching the brakes and yanked to a hard stop. The rear wheels both left the ground and came crashing back down with a heavy thud.

Nearby anglers let out startled gasps.

Chen Dequan and his wife had just finished handing out the side dishes and were heading to the lounge to eat when they froze at the sight.

"Boss? What brings you out to the pond?"

Chen Dequan came jogging over.

Normally at this hour they’d be minding the grounds while Chen Yuan went home to eat. Seeing him come barreling in like this, there had to be something going on.

"Nothing’s wrong, I’m just here to find someone. Go eat, Uncle Chen, both of you."

Chen Yuan waved them off with a grin and made straight for Wang Heng’s peg.

Wang Heng was there, and Blond Punk was squatting beside him, shoveling food into his mouth and raving about what Wang Heng had pulled off in the match — the man was an absolute legend.

"It was just a regular competition. Will you quit going on about it?"

Wang Heng was starting to feel genuinely embarrassed. Keep it up and they’d be talking about him like he’d ascended to godhood.

"I’m not even exaggerating — Sifu, don’t believe me? Go ask any of the other anglers, see if a single one of them wouldn’t give you a thumbs-up. Oh hey, Boss Chen’s here — Boss Chen, tell him. Didn’t Sifu absolutely crush it today?"

Blond Punk was mid-boast when he spotted Chen Yuan walking over, and his energy kicked up another notch.

"Absolutely crushed it. He beat Little Fish King, who’s competed in the national masters circuit — as far as I’m concerned, in all of Chong City’s fishing scene, if Brother Wang calls himself second, nobody’s got the nerve to claim first."

Chen Yuan grinned and played right along, then turned to Blond Punk,

"Wang Heng in the north, Blond Punk in the south — as Master Wang’s disciple, you’re no slouch yourself. Top five in Chong City’s fishing world, easy."

Hahaha~

Blond Punk burst out laughing, delighted.

Now that was what he liked to hear. Boss Chen always knew the right thing to say.

Wang Heng was speechless. Chen Yuan just kept on smiling.

Chen Yuan dug out a pack of cigarettes, passed one to Wang Heng and one to Blond Punk, stuck one between his own lips, lit it, and squatted down next to the two of them, working up the nerve to ask for some tips.

Sure, he had the system bait and a thirty-percent luck boost, but it didn’t feel like enough.

You can’t rely on shortcuts alone — picking up some real technique couldn’t hurt. And with both Wang Heng and Blond Punk right here, it’d be a waste not to take advantage.

The problem was, he didn’t know how to bring it up.

How exactly do you ask someone to teach you how to fish?

It wasn’t like solving a math problem. If it were that simple, there wouldn’t be so many guys going home empty-handed every single day.

"Boss Chen, you alright? You look constipated over there."

Blond Punk eyed the squatting, frowning Chen Yuan with open curiosity. The man looked like he was straining to push something out.

"Get lost."

Chen Yuan shot Blond Punk an exasperated glare, then just came out with it,

"I just want to know — how do you actually fish?"

Wang He and Blond Punk both froze. That one genuinely stumped them.

"Uh... you fish with a rod? Or if you’re feeling adventurous, swing a net."

Blond Punk didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Chen Yuan gave an awkward chuckle and realized he’d phrased that terribly. He tried again,

"What I mean is — if I were going out fishing, what should I be doing to actually improve my chances of catching something?"

"Ohh, I get it. Boss Chen wants to learn to fish. Bet seeing Sifu today fired you up — now you want to become a proper pro, take on the big guns, defend your own pond."

Blond Punk paused shoveling food long enough to look up and say it.

"Something like that."

Chen Yuan took a drag and gave a casual nod.

He wasn’t expecting to go pro, but if that framing got him some decent pointers, he’d take it.

"Ha, if Boss Chen wants to learn, I’ll teach you — but you’re waiving my rod fees."

Blond Punk polished off the last of his lunch box, snapped the lid shut, and tossed it in the trash.

Then he retrieved the cigarette he’d hooked over his ear and lit it.

"Done. Fees waived."

Little Fish King had just left, freeing up a peg. He’d use his own pond to get some practice in and pick up a few tricks today.

"Hold on a sec."

Chen Yuan was about to head over when he spotted his old man pulling up on a three-wheeler, lunch box in hand, waving him down.

Fine. He’d eat by the pond.

He made a quick detour to the main hall and grabbed a few bottles of drinks.

"Here — have a Coke."

Chen Yuan handed one each to Wang Heng and Blond Punk.

"Ha, we’ll take it! Consider it Boss Chen’s treat. And while we’re at it — charge our lunch boxes to the Catering Department Director."

Blond Punk had wanted to say "charge it to your mom" but it sounded off, so he stuck with what the group chat used — Catering Department Director.

"It’s just two lunch boxes, don’t mention it."

"Fair enough. Boss Chen, if you want to learn, just grab a rod and get in the water. Fish while we talk you through it — hands-on is the fastest way to pick it up."

Chen Yuan’s face lit up when he heard Wang Heng say that.

Being able to fish and being able to teach fishing were two completely different things. Blond Punk was talented, sure, but that didn’t mean he knew how to explain it to someone else. Wang Heng, though — he was the one who’d actually produced Blond Punk, a top-tier angler in his own right.

With both of them coaching him in person, his skills were going to shoot up~

"Let’s fish, let’s fish~"

Chen Yuan wolfed down a few bites of his lunch box, grabbed a rod, and headed over to Little Fish King’s vacated peg with Blond Punk. The lesson began.

From mixing the bait to groundbaiting the swim, they went through it step by step without skipping a thing, with Wang Heng chiming in here and there~