Chapter 149: Daqing Monster Fish Pond

Chapter 149: Chapter 149: Daqing Monster Fish Pond

The second and third tiers were double—both the fishing fee and the buy-back reward doubled. The highest was 400 yuan for 4 hours of fishing, averaging one hundred an hour.

This fee was not cheap; it was like upping the ante for a bigger prize.

"I’ll just go with the hundred-yuan one. I’ll pay two hundred for two sessions."

Chen Yuan had known the rules for a while. He tossed his cigarette butt, pulled out his phone to pay, and didn’t hesitate for a second.

"Boss Chen is actually choosing the hundred-yuan tier? Go for the 400-yuan one! The bite has been good these past two days. Someone even caught a 50-plus-pounder a few days ago."

Du Luming was a little surprised. Now he truly believed that Chen Yuan was just here to have some fun.

Although the hundred-yuan fee was cheap, the buy-back reward was also low. Even if you caught huge fish one after another, you wouldn’t make much money in a day.

"I’ll stick with the hundred-yuan one."

’The fishing ground owner is lying through his teeth,’ Chen Yuan thought. ’Otherwise, he wouldn’t have added a rule for the giant-fish pond offering a 50% refund on the fishing fee if you get skunked. It’s obvious the Daqing in this pond are hard to catch.’

’Besides, what I want isn’t the buy-back reward, but the value of the catch. The system calculates the catch’s value based on market price, not the fishing ground’s buy-back price.’

’So the hundred-yuan tier is actually more advantageous for me.’

"The fee has been sent. I’ll grab a fishing spot number."

Chen Yuan showed Du Luming the transfer confirmation page, took the numbered tag, and headed for the giant-fish pond.

"Time to mix the bait, time to mix the bait~"

Seeing it was almost nine o’clock, Chen Yuan hurried to his spot and quickly mixed his bait. Only then did he set up his rig and rod rest. He didn’t bother with a keepnet, since the buy-back didn’t require him to take the fish home.

When nine o’clock struck, he officially started the mission and prepared to cast his line.

"Well, if it isn’t Boss Chen. What brings you to the Fishing King Arena?"

Chen Yuan had just finished rolling his bait and casting his line when a fellow angler walked by. The man tilted his head for a look, then greeted him with a friendly smile, offering him a cigarette.

"Thanks~"

Chen Yuan took the cigarette and thanked him with a smile.

This sort of thing happened often; he’d encountered it almost every day recently. After all, the "Carnival" had sent huge shockwaves through the fishing community, and many anglers now recognized him.

Besides, anyone who had participated in the Carnival couldn’t book a spot again, so if they wanted to fish these past few days, they had to go to other fishing grounds. The Fishing King Arena was actually decent, and the imitator, Fisherman, couldn’t hold a candle to it. It wasn’t surprising to run into his old customers here.

"I heard from another fishing buddy that he saw Boss Chen at another fishing ground, and I didn’t believe it. With the Carnival going on at your own place, how could you have time to go fishing elsewhere? And yet, here you are today."

If this had happened when he first started out, Chen Yuan would have felt awkward. But now, after being in this situation so many times, he didn’t feel anything anymore.

SWISH~

He chatted while continuously casting to create a groundbait-rich spot, not missing a beat.

After several casts, just as Chen Yuan was about to lift his rod to pack on some loose bait, he saw the float, which had just righted itself, suddenly shoot down.

"Holy crap, a full-on bite already?"

The angler, who had been squatting and chatting with Chen Yuan, suddenly shot up with wide eyes, his mind still a bit foggy. Then, the beautiful whirring of the line filled his ears.

"Standard procedure, standard procedure~"

Chen Yuan gestured for him to calm down. He wasn’t as excited as he used to be.

’With the enhanced bait’s fish-attracting effect and the boost from my good luck, getting a bite while chumming is really just standard procedure for me. Even catching fish one after another isn’t a surprise.’

WHIRRR~

Along with the sound of the line, immense force traveled up the rod, pulling the tip down sharply. Chen Yuan stumbled, nearly falling into the water.

"Boss Chen, be careful~"

The angler next to him snapped back to reality. With quick reflexes, he grabbed Chen Yuan’s arm and urged excitedly, "Hold it steady, hold it steady! Get the rod up! This one’s definitely not small."

After steadying himself, Chen Yuan quickly lowered the rod’s butt section, struggling to keep the sinking rod stable. Once the Daqing’s frantic struggles subsided a bit, he quickly maneuvered the rod to lift it upright.

Then he stood up, backed away, and began the normal process of playing the fish.

"The fight in this one looks huge! It might be over forty pounds, maybe even fifty-plus."

The angler watched excitedly from the side. A fish that fought this wildly right after getting hooked was definitely no Little Kalami. He also wanted to see just how big it was and if Chen Yuan could land it in one go.

"Daqing are strong fish to begin with. I’m guessing this one isn’t fifty-plus, probably in the thirties."

Chen Yuan’s smile was brilliant.

After so many days of fishing, he’d long since grown numb to getting a bite. Even catching fish one after another didn’t excite him anymore; it even brought a little fear—the fear of a sore arm.

But at this moment, he felt a long-lost excitement.

’No wonder anglers love to fish for giants,’ he thought. ’Having a hundred-pound Fish King at your own grounds can guarantee good business. This feeling is just too incredible.’

’Feeling the struggle from a huge creature truly awakens the hunter’s instinct within. Your adrenaline skyrockets, peaking at the moment of a successful capture. The excitement and joy are indescribable.’

"Thirty-something pounds is still great! I’ve fished this pond many times, and the biggest I ever caught was in the thirty-pound range. Boss Chen, your luck is something else. Of course, your technique is amazing too, and that custom bait... its effect is just unbelievable~"

The angler gave him a big thumbs-up.

His eyes darted toward Chen Yuan’s bait.

He had been to the Carnival at Chen Yuan Fishing Ground. At the time, he hadn’t thought the provided bait was anything special. He only knew it wasn’t cheap and that the boss providing it saved them a good bit of money.

But after the Carnival, he’d gone fishing a few more times using commercially available bait. Whether he was at a natural reservoir or a fishing ground, the results were minimal.

Forget about catching fish one after another and filling his keepnet; he was lucky to get a single bite in half a day.

The effectiveness of the bait from Chen Yuan Fishing Ground was no joke.

"Boss Chen, when is the Old Pond going to open?"

The angler hadn’t felt the excitement of catching fish one after another and filling his keepnet for days. He was desperate to go to Chen Yuan Fishing Ground; only there could he experience the true joy of fishing.

"Soon, very soon. It should be in the next couple of days. I’ll definitely let everyone know when it officially opens."