Chapter 143 - 144: Having Designs on the Fish Merchant

Chapter 143: Chapter 144: Having Designs on the Fish Merchant

Chen Yuan looked at the messages, his face beaming with ecstatic joy.

But it wasn’t hard to understand why the results were so explosive.

What a concept the carnival was—a ten-day celebration where every session yielded tens of thousands of pounds of fish, with top experts on-site to help you fish. Successfully landing a catch was just the bare minimum.

It wouldn’t be surprising if all sixty anglers at the pond had their coolers overflowing.

With such an insane event, how could any angler stay calm? They would naturally try every trick in the book to get in.

’How many anglers could there be in Chong City?’

Chen Yuan was filled with anticipation. He figured this carnival, if not attracting every single angler in Chong City, would at least pull in seventy or eighty percent of them. Moreover, the reputation of Chen Yuan Fishing Ground would undoubtedly spread far and wide.

He would be firmly seizing the largest piece of Chong City’s fishing ground pie.

Even anglers from outside Chong City were being drawn in; the door to outward expansion had been kicked open.

"Sigh, the chances for us regulars to get a reservation were already low. Now, with so many new people flooding in, how are we supposed to compete for a spot?"

"I originally thought that with the ten-day carnival having a total of 1,200 spots, and with our group having less than 1,300 people back then, I’d at least be able to snag one session. But looking at it now, my hopes are looking slim~"

"Don’t say another word, I’m already crying~"

Seeing the regulars’ complaints, Chen Yuan thought for a moment before updating the group announcement and sending a message in the chat.

"Thank you all for your generous support."

"Given the limited number of spots and the overwhelming number of anglers, we are now adjusting the reservation process. For the duration of the ten-day carnival, all anglers will have the same chance of securing a reservation, with no distinction between new and regular customers."

"Furthermore, once you have successfully made a reservation, you will not be able to make another one. This is to allow more anglers to experience the carnival."

The moment the message was sent, it was like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, instantly sending the anglers into an uproar, especially the regulars.

Now this was fair. An equal reservation system—it all came down to who had the fastest fingers.

’I’m a single man; when it comes to hand speed, who do I have to fear?’

But even so, with no repeat reservations, the ten-day carnival could only guarantee spots for 1,200 people. The majority would still miss out.

"The Anglers’ Carnival is a festival Chen Yuan Fishing Ground created for all of you, but it’s also a warm-up event for the opening of the Old Pond. Since it’s just a warm-up, there will definitely be a main event."

"Therefore, any anglers who couldn’t get a spot and experience the carnival, don’t be disappointed. The opening of the Old Pond will also feature an event. We will, at the very least, extend the carnival to ensure all anglers get to experience the fun~"

’The Old Pond’s grand opening will definitely have an event.’

’Since this carnival’s effect is so astonishing, I can’t let the anglers down and ruin the fishing ground’s reputation. The carnival’s name and brand must be firmly established.’

’I’ll do it even if I have to spend my own points to buy fish.’

"Boss Chen is a legend."

"When it comes to fishing grounds, I only recognize Chen Yuan Fishing Ground. From now on, it’s the only place for me."

"Haha, I had a massive haul today and made a cool 2,300! I went home and threw the red bills down in front of my old lady—I’ll remember her shocked expression for the rest of my life."

"I didn’t make quite that much, but I still cleared 1,700. My old lady ran downstairs to buy me some braised snacks and even poured my drinks for me. I’ve been fishing for so many years and never gotten this kind of treatment. Chen Yuan Fishing Ground is what let me finally stand tall!"

These were the anglers who had a huge haul today. They sold their catch for cash to the restaurant owners who came to the village entrance, and went home having truly held their heads high.

Their approval of Chen Yuan Fishing Ground shot through the roof.

Next up was the promised red envelope shower.

One hundred yuan in one hundred envelopes, sent out one after another, pushing the jubilant atmosphere in the group to a fever pitch.

"Boss Chen, you’re fighting dirty! I was in the middle of landing a fish and you sneakily started a red envelope shower."

"To our friends at the fishing ground, just focus on fishing! Don’t come in here and join the frenzy."

"You guys already got the watermelon, and now you want to fight us for the sesame seeds? That’s just too much~"

"BOOHOO, I missed out on a fortune~"

The group was buzzing with excitement, messages scrolling past so quickly they made Chen Yuan’s head spin. But all this frenzy meant that Chen Yuan Fishing Ground was blowing up.

He was feeling absolutely delighted.

’Time to set up a membership system~’

Chen Yuan stopped looking at the group chat. He exited the page to handle his friend requests, then, seeing it was around ten o’clock, he opened his computer to finalize the membership system.

Once the Old Pond opened, a place of this scale like Chen Yuan Fishing Ground would need a proper membership system.

...

"I’ve figured it out. Chen Yuan Fishing Ground is running this Anglers’ Carnival with backing from a fish supplier. The fishing ground itself isn’t taking much of a loss."

While Chen Yuan was finalizing his membership system, a user named Fishing Alone by the River Moon started a topic in the Chong City Fishing Ground owners’ group.

"For real?"

One of the fishing ground owners was skeptical.

Fishing Alone by the River Moon: "It’s a hundred percent true. Chen Yuan Fishing Ground admitted it themselves."

"That’s impressive. To actually convince a fish supplier to sponsor them... this is an event worth hundreds of thousands."

"Every damn time I go to a fish supplier and want some decent-looking fish with good scales, I have to suck up to them like their grandson. Which supplier is so damn loaded and generous?"

The group chat erupted into discussion.

Having dealt with various fish suppliers for years, they all knew what these guys were like. The small-time vendors had to sweet-talk them, hoping to lock down a fishing ground’s supply contract and secure a hen that lays golden eggs.

But these small-scale suppliers weren’t large, and their stock was just common fish, the same as everyone else’s. The owners couldn’t be bothered with them.

But for the larger suppliers, especially those with exclusive channels for big, high-quality fish, the roles were reversed. The fishing ground owners had to be the ones to flatter and curry favor, hoping to get some real showstoppers for their ponds.

At the very least, the fish for the big-game ponds had to be top-notch.

If the fish didn’t even have good scales, let alone size, what was the point of calling it a big-game pond?

"If it’s sponsored by a fish supplier, then the carnival isn’t impossible to replicate."

One of the more clever owners thought of copying Chen Yuan’s playbook: find a fish supplier to sponsor them and cover the bottom line.

"You want to find a supplier to cover your costs? Go on, tell us who you’re going to find. The few suppliers in Chong City definitely don’t have that kind of guts. They’re all stingy as hell, haggling over every single cent when you’re buying stock."

"Not just anyone has that kind of bold generosity."

Hearing that the carnival was sponsored by a supplier, these shrewd owners immediately thought of replicating the event. But then they remembered their usual stingy suppliers and realized that getting them to sponsor anything was just a pipe dream.

"It’s hard to say."

Another owner offered a different perspective.

"I think I understand Chen Yuan Fishing Ground’s model now. With a supplier sponsoring them from behind the scenes, they’re willing to burn cash upfront to seize Chong City’s market share. Once they secure the top spot, they’ll be the ones setting the prices."

"Not only can the fishing ground quickly recoup its losses, but the fish supplier also gets a stable customer. They’re essentially raising a golden goose that lays eggs endlessly. It’s a win-win model."

As soon as these words were posted, the group fell eerily silent.

One by one, like the slick operators they were, they instantly grasped the model’s feasibility and began frantically contacting the fish suppliers in their address books, their hearts filled with high hopes.

’They’re oversimplifying things. It’s not nearly that easy.’

The short, chubby owner sat alone at his reception desk, looking at the suddenly quiet WeChat group. He knew what those guys were up to, but he was certain they would fail.

’They can copy, but they have nowhere to paste. They’ll probably just get chewed out for trying.’

Sharing the chubby owner’s sentiment was Old Wang from Jiangyuan Fishing Ground. He looked at the few scattered anglers at his own venue and felt no desire to try anything.

However, there were some clever ones among them.

The owner of Leisurely Angling, for instance, chose to send a private message to the owner of Fishing Alone by the River Moon.

"Brother, you popped up in the group just to go silent again. Don’t tell me you’ve already found a sponsoring fish supplier?"

Fishing Alone by the River Moon: "Come on, brother, don’t mess with me. Our two places are right next to each other, and we’ve even gone together to stock our ponds plenty of times. You know the same suppliers I do. Tell me, which one of them is that generous?"

"None that we know, no. But there are ones we *don’t* know."

Fishing Alone by the River Moon: "..."

"Now you’re just being difficult, brother. Since you’re the one who found out Chen Yuan Fishing Ground has a sponsor, are you telling me you haven’t already set your sights on them?"

There was no reply.

Several minutes later, Fishing Alone by the River Moon finally sent a message. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"Team up?"

Two simple words, but they made the owner of Leisurely Angling break into a wide grin. Now that the cards were on the table, it was time to discuss their next move.

"Well, I’ll be damned. He actually called me a moron."

"These suppliers are so timid these days. The opportunity to corner the market is right in front of them, and here I am spoon-feeding them the plan. Not only do they not appreciate it, they fucking curse me out for it~"

"Block him, I’m blocking him. It’s not like you’re the only fish supplier in town~"

Before long, the Chong City Fishing Ground group chat had turned into a complaint forum.

The chubby owner and Old Wang were already ignoring the messages. The owners of Leisurely Angling and Fishing Alone by the River Moon just shook their heads in secret.

Only the truly clever knew where to find a ready-made supplier.