Chapter 181 - 168: Membership Release, Frenzied Scramble

Chapter 181: Chapter 168: Membership Release, Frenzied Scramble

To further excite the customers, he’d increased the frequency of the giant green’s leaps and rolls. Moreover, when it bit, Chen Yuan amplified the line’s tension, making this giant green’s pull far stronger than the one in the Old Pond.

But in the end, no one during the day session managed to land it.

The line didn’t snap, the rod didn’t break, and there was nothing wrong with the hook. But the giant green was simply too strong; the angler couldn’t fight it. The rod was ripped from their grasp, and they could only watch helplessly as the fish broke free.

This, however, only fueled the anglers’ desire to conquer it.

"I’ll be releasing the details of our new membership system at 8:30 tonight. Don’t forget to check it out, everyone~"

Chen Yuan mentioned the membership as he made his rounds.

He was confident about the memberships, but since it was tied to the Fishing Association application and its strict member count requirement, an advance notice was still necessary.

"Whoa, Boss Chen is finally rolling out a membership."

"We’ve been eagerly awaiting this."

"After all this waiting, it’s finally here! I’m definitely getting a membership~"

The hype was better than he could have imagined. It wasn’t just the anglers at the new pond; when Chen Yuan made his way to the Old Pond, the fishermen there were just as interested, as was everyone in the group chat.

All the returning customers who had been here before were looking forward to a membership at Chen Yuan Fishing Ground.

’Looks like I was worrying for nothing.’

Looking at the bustling group chat, Chen Yuan suddenly felt his concern about not getting enough members was completely unfounded. At this rate, forget 50 members—he might even get several hundred.

Moreover, in the time since he’d first mentioned the membership, dozens of anglers had already sent him private messages, all of them wanting to sign up.

Instead of replying to them one by one, Chen Yuan simply tagged @everyone in the group chat, telling them to wait until they saw the membership system and its benefits before deciding whether to sign up.

Eight-thirty arrived in no time. Chen Yuan started by posting a series of photos, including the interior and exterior of the guesthouse, the Flower Sea Fruit Forest, and the ongoing construction near the Old Pond.

"???"

The chat feed was flooded with question marks.

Weren’t you supposed to announce the membership system? What’s with all the pictures?

Chen Yuan offered no explanation. Without missing a beat, he swiftly updated the group announcement, posted it three times in a row in the chat, and tagged @everyone.

"Holy shit, this membership system is incredible."

"No wonder Boss Chen posted all those pictures first. They’re all tied to the membership benefits."

"I was just saying how much the village has changed lately. I thought it was a village-wide renovation, but it turns out Boss Chen is building a scenic area. That’s a huge undertaking."

"The moment I saw the logo on the fish transport truck, I knew Boss Chen was an ambitious guy."

"Haha, I could already sense Boss Chen’s massive ambition after he finished building the restrooms over at the new pond."

"You could tell Boss Chen was ambitious from the first time you saw the giant green in the new pond."

"Hey, aren’t you guys getting off-topic? Weren’t we talking about the membership?"

Group chats were the hardest thing to control; the conversation would derail at the slightest provocation.

And just like that, the conversation had shifted to Chen Yuan’s ambition.

Thankfully, it quickly steered back to the topic of the membership.

"This membership system is a no-brainer. I have to get one."

"I’m definitely signing up. This isn’t just about supporting Boss Chen anymore; the benefits are just too good. My wife has been bugging me about taking the kids somewhere for summer vacation, and now I finally have the perfect plan."

"Haha, the best of both worlds—fishing and a family trip."

"I think the fishing spot privilege is a great perk. An extra chance to book a spot in the future~"

"That last perk is the real kicker~"

Different anglers focused on different benefits.

Those with families valued the fishing ground’s amenities, which allowed them to bring their wives and kids along. Everyone could have fun together—they could fish while also looking after their families.

It was absolutely perfect.

The other anglers, however, were more focused on the fishing-related benefits.

Overall, the membership system and its benefits received unanimous praise from all the anglers.

The specifics were as follows.

"Initial membership activation requires a 3,650 yuan top-up. Subsequent top-ups must be 1,000 yuan or more. The membership card remains valid indefinitely. If no longer needed, it can be canceled at Chen Yuan Fishing Ground."

First off, the system was different from the membership systems at other fishing grounds on the market.

Currently, there were two popular types of memberships in the fishing ground industry: monthly passes and punch cards.

A monthly pass meant collecting a month’s worth of fishing fees upfront, allowing the angler to fish anytime. If they came infrequently, the owner profited; if they came often, the owner lost money.

A punch card involved topping up a certain amount for a set number of visits. Each visit used up one entry, and the card became invalid once all entries were consumed.

Chen Yuan’s system, however, didn’t follow the market trend at all. It felt less like a fishing ground membership and more like one from a lifestyle brand.

This was because Chen Yuan’s ambitions extended far beyond just a fishing ground.

"Membership benefits include:"

"Ten fishing spots at the new pond and twenty at the Old Pond will be designated as member-exclusive spots. From the date of membership activation, members will have priority booking for these exclusive spots. If a member fails to book an exclusive spot, they can still proceed to book any of the other available spots."

For the anglers, this perk was incredibly enticing.

Chen Yuan Fishing Ground was so popular that spots were notoriously hard to come by. Becoming a member was like having two chances to book—it was like getting an extra life in a video game.

Originally, Chen Yuan hadn’t planned on having so many members. He had envisioned creating a set of truly exclusive spots, complete with comfortable fishing chairs, rod holders, and hand-washing stations.

But that would have required a much higher entry fee. Now, for the sake of the Fishing Association, he had altered the perk. Granting an extra booking opportunity was another way to demonstrate the membership’s value.

Of course, he would definitely arrange for the fishing chairs later on.

"Yu City Village is being developed into a tourist destination. All fishing ground members will receive a 20% discount on all future spending within the village. This discount can be stacked with other promotions or offers."

"This benefit applies to the guesthouse, the Flower Sea Fruit Forest, the hot spring water park and indoor children’s playground currently under construction, and more to be added in the future."

These benefits didn’t include any discounts related to the fishing ground itself. Neither the fishing fees, the boxed lunches, nor the vending machines were included.

There was simply no need.

The member-exclusive spots and the two booking opportunities were the biggest perks.

Adding discounts for other projects on top of that...

The value packed into this membership was already more than enough.

Most importantly:

"Members will have priority access to all future events at Chen Yuan Fishing Ground."

This perk was the real ace in the hole.

After all, at the end of the Anglers’ Carnival, Chen Yuan had promised to host the event every year from late July to early August, turning it into a signature festival for the fishing community.

Priority access to this event alone was enough to make anglers scramble for a membership.

The Carnival!

A single session during the event could fill your keepnet to bursting.

And knowing Boss Chen’s ambitious nature, any other events he organized were bound to be just as impressive.

"The membership I’ve been dreaming of! It really didn’t disappoint."

"You can always trust Boss Chen."

"Say no more. Signing up for a membership now~"

The reaction was explosive.

Nearly every angler approved of the membership system and its benefits. Some even started transferring money immediately—no words needed, just send the payment.

Instantly, Chen Yuan’s phone began buzzing nonstop. Between the WeChat transfer notifications and the incoming calls, he didn’t have a moment to spare to even read the messages.

The anglers by the ponds were even more fired up. Many of them ran right over, demanding to sign up on the spot.

Chen Yuan gestured for them to be patient; he had one more announcement to make.

After declining several calls in a row, he finally finished typing a new message and sent it to the group.

"I am applying to establish the Chong City Fishing Association. Those who are willing to join the association will be given priority in signing up for a membership."

He added a note at the end specifying that there would be no association fees.

He had thought this announcement might deter some of the anglers, since many people disliked joining formal associations. But to his surprise, not only did it fail to dampen their enthusiasm, it fanned the flames even higher.

"Whoa, he’s even setting up a Fishing Association."

"We’ve finally found our people!"

"I’m in, definitely in! We’ll be organized anglers from now on~"

Given the benefits Chen Yuan had laid out, the anglers wouldn’t have refused even if he had bundled it with other requirements, let alone something like a Fishing Association.

Not only were there no fees, but they also got to be part of an official group. They didn’t hesitate for a second.

The messages kept coming, the transfers continued to roll in, and on-site, a crowd of anglers was clamoring to sign up. It was a true membership frenzy, and the sheer level of excitement far exceeded Chen Yuan’s expectations.

He had been confident in his membership system, of course, but he had never expected the anglers to react with such fervor.