Chapter 138 - 139: Opening Effect

Chapter 138: Chapter 139: Opening Effect

Yu City Village, Chen Yuan Fishing Ground.

"Haha, I can’t believe I’m having such a banner day! Sixteen grass carp, plus all the other fish... I’d say it’s gotta be a hundred jin."

An angler was lifting his keepnet. Nearly twenty fish thrashed inside, splashing water all over him, but it only made the smile on his face shine brighter.

"Nice! I only caught nine grass carp."

A fellow angler next to him said with envy, though he was also beaming.

"Single digits is a bit low. Even ten-something isn’t hitting the average today. I’ve seen lots of guys with massive hauls—at least thirty or forty big grass carp."

"Hehe, I’m happy with nine. With the rest of my catch, it’s at least sixty or seventy jin. Based on the quality of these fish, I can sell them for over five hundred yuan. Isn’t that better than a day job?"

"Haha, time for pictures! I can finally hold my head high today."

Keepnets were hoisted, and with a series of CLICKS, the anglers took photos to post in their group chats and on their social media, making countless other fishermen green with envy.

SPLASH~

Just as the anglers were excitedly hauling in their catches, a huge wave erupted in the pond. With a tremendous THUD, the hundred-jin Daqing leaped from the water before plunging back in with a PLOP.

Normally, this would have sent the anglers into a frenzy of excitement.

But today, they all remained calm, merely joking about it with a smile.

"Haha, with no one trying to catch the Fish King today, he couldn’t resist coming out for a look himself."

"The Fish King must be confused. ’Everyone’s going after my little brothers today. How come no one’s targeting me? What, you all look down on me now?’"

"’You used to call me your one and only Fish King, and now you won’t even give me the time of day. It’s true what they say: out with the old fish, in with the new.’"

The anglers were all in high spirits, laughing and joking as they watched the Fish King make a splash.

"But all jokes aside, while we’re having a blast today, I bet Boss Chen is crying his eyes out."

"I reckon for today’s session, if not ten thousand jin, then at least eight thousand jin of fish were caught. He’s gotta be losing at least tens of thousands. If this carnival keeps up, he’ll be out a few hundred thousand for sure."

The anglers were decent enough to spare a thought for Chen Yuan at a time like this.

One angler even suggested they release some fish back. The point of the carnival was the thrill, he argued. Enjoying the fun and taking a few fish home for a meal should be enough.

If Chen Yuan heard that suggestion, he’d definitely lose it. ’You fucking caught them already, why the hell would you put them back? Are you trying to get my points deducted?’

"I heard this event is sponsored by a fish merchant. Boss Chen took over the Old Pond and is now eyeing the big pond across from it. If he really pulls it off, he’ll have a golden goose on his hands."

"Who said that?"

"All the master anglers are saying it. I heard Boss Chen’s father say it too."

"In that case, Boss Chen probably won’t lose money, and the fish merchant might even make it back in the long run."

A fishing ground that stocks frequently is a steady source of product. If a merchant can handle the entire stocking volume of a fishing ground, it’s like having a hen that lays eggs—a constant stream of income.

And with Boss Chen’s ambition, even if he takes over all the ponds, business won’t be slow. This isn’t just any hen; it’s a golden goose.

"Thanks, Uncle Chen!"

"Aunt Tang, we’ll definitely be regulars from now on~"

The anglers didn’t release any fish. As they left with their catches, they thanked Chen Jun and Tang Ying, making it clear they intended to patronize the business in the future.

"Don’t mention it! As long as you all had a good time~"

Chen Jun kept a smile plastered on his face, but inwardly, his heart was bleeding.

All sixty people at the pond had caught at least dozens of jin of fish, with the biggest hauls reaching hundreds of jin. Their cars couldn’t possibly hold it all, so they simply asked Wang Heng to find someone to come and buy their catches.

’That’s all money...’

All he could think was, thank goodness for the fish merchant’s sponsorship. Otherwise, he would’ve lost a fortune.

Although the massive catches made the process of leaving a bit slow, there was enough help today. Wang Heng and his crew were assisting, so it didn’t cause much of a delay.

It didn’t delay the entry for the night fishing session.

"Holy shit, these guys are incredible! Every single one is leaving with a massive haul."

"Someone actually caught over four hundred jin!"

"I saw several restaurant owners at the village entrance. A lot of the anglers are selling their fish right there. The price for grass carp is already up to seven yuan, and it looks like it’s still climbing!"

"Boss Chen is the real deal! Not only are the fish plentiful, but their quality is top-notch. I’ve never seen restaurant owners come to a fishing ground to buy fish and offer a price this high."

"Holy shit, the fish truck is here again! No more talking, I gotta mix my bait and get ready to fish."

The anglers arriving for the night session saw the daytime hauls with their own eyes, and the impact was intense.

The scene at the village entrance was particularly striking: restaurant owners scrambling to buy fish, and anglers leaving fully loaded. It made the newcomers burn with envy, and they all rushed toward the fishing ground.

"Sob, I’m so jealous you guys get to fish tonight~"

"Excuse me, I just joined. How do I make a reservation?"

"Same question~"

...

’These anglers aren’t pulling their weight. Only eight thousand jin.’

At Jiangyuan Fishing Ground, Chen Yuan was excited but also a little disappointed. His reward space was brimming with fish, but the anglers hadn’t maxed out their fighting power.

He had originally wanted to release all the black carp, but in the end, he only had Wang Tao stock 1,200 of them. Even so, the density in the pond was hardly any lower than it had been that morning.

If he could, he would have dumped every single fish into the pond.

’Looks like I’ll have to find a way to make the anglers unleash their full potential,’

Chen Yuan planned to go back that night and discuss it with the Little Fish King, and maybe invite a few more pros over.

’Whoa, over 1,600 people already. The first session alone added three or four hundred new members. By the time this carnival is over, we’ll probably have covered the entire Chong City fishing scene!’

Chen Yuan took a moment to check the fishing ground’s group chat to see the feedback. He had expected it to be good, but seeing the real impact of the event still made him thrill with excitement.

He could almost see the scene of this event propelling Chen Yuan Fishing Ground to the pinnacle of Chong City’s fishing world.

As for his friend requests, he didn’t even need to look to know they had blown up.

’Fish first, I’ll deal with this when I get back.’

He had no time to deal with it; his float sank again. With a SWISH, he lifted his rod and landed another double.

Time flew, and it was soon a little past four. Chen Yuan called the restaurant owner ahead of time. Luckily, he had saved the man’s number yesterday and didn’t have to bother Wang Heng.

’Whew, I thought fishing for crucian carp today would be a bit more relaxing, but I feel even more tired than yesterday.’

Soon it was five o’clock sharp. Chen Yuan put the last two crucian carp into his keepnet, feeling like he was about to collapse from exhaustion. He dropped his fishing rod on the ground, not even wanting to pick it up, and slumped onto his seat box, massaging his right arm.

Catching the large crucian carp didn’t require as much brute strength as yesterday, but he had been fishing continuously for eight hours, from just after nine in the morning until five in the afternoon, maintaining an extremely high rate of efficiency the entire time.

He hadn’t had a chance to rest from start to finish. It was just constant lifting—SWISH, SWISH—his arm moving like a machine until it felt completely shot.

GLUG GLUG GLUG~

Chen Yuan grabbed a bottle of water and downed it in one go, finally feeling like he had come back to life.

After eight hours of high-intensity fishing, he’d had no time to drink water, not even a chance for a single cigarette. He’d only managed to wolf down a couple of bites for lunch.

But all his exhaustion vanished the moment he heard the system’s notification.

’487 large crucian carp, for a catch value of 2,430. Successfully reached ten times the baseline. The system’s luck buff is no joke. Not bad at all.’

Chen Yuan stuck a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. He wasn’t in a hurry to pack up and leave. He wanted to rest a bit longer and wait for the restaurant owner to come pick up the fish; he really didn’t feel like moving.

"Sorry, sorry, I’m a few minutes late~"

Just as he finished his cigarette, the restaurant owner came running over, pulling a trolley. His face was covered in sweat, and his clothes were damp. It looked like he’d been incredibly busy too.

"No rush. It gives me a chance to rest a bit longer,"

Chen Yuan smiled. His right arm was feeling a little better, so he started packing up his fishing gear.

"Whoa, Boss Chen, how much did you catch?"

The restaurant owner could see how exhausted Boss Chen was, so he didn’t ask for help. He tried to lift the keepnet by himself but couldn’t even budge it.

"We’ll have to lift it together."

Chen Yuan finished packing his rod, stretched his arm, and went over to help.

"No wonder you look so tired, Boss Chen! You actually caught this many large crucian carp. This looks like at least two hundred and fifty jin! Is your arm even functional anymore?"

The restaurant owner was stunned.

It wasn’t his first time collecting crucian carp from a fishing ground. Even a pro couldn’t catch two hundred jin in a day. But Boss Chen’s haul was just immense; he must have been lifting his rod non-stop all day.

’He must have an arm of steel!’

"Yeah, it feels pretty much done for. Could you handle the rest, boss?"

Chen Yuan didn’t try to act tough. After lifting the heavy catch, he wanted to move even less.

"I’ll get it, I’ll get it. You rest, Boss Chen."

The restaurant owner motioned for Chen Yuan to rest and quickly started packing the fish by himself.