Chapter 78 - 79: The Pitcher Goes to the Well Once Too Often

Chapter 78: Chapter 79: The Pitcher Goes to the Well Once Too Often

A thrilling hum of taut line split the air over the pond, and every angler at the fishery snapped their head in the same direction at once.

Chen Yuan had one foot in his car before he jumped back out and squinted toward the commotion.

It was Wang Heng.

He had both hands clamped on the rod and heaved with everything he had, but the blank bent into a deep bow the moment it loaded up. The tip plunged toward the water no matter how hard he fought it, sinking inch by inch despite his best efforts.

"Fish King! That’s definitely the Fish King!"

The crowd erupted. Someone had hooked the Fish King in under half an hour — that kind of luck was off the charts.

Then again, luck had nothing to do with it.

Most of the anglers there knew Wang Heng. The first time he’d ever fished Boss Chen’s pond he’d landed well over a hundred pounds, and he’d barely looked like he was trying.

Yesterday he’d taken his apprentice over to the Old Pond next door, and the two of them had hauled in several hundred pounds between them — rod after rod, straight through lunch without a break. That alone told you everything you needed to know about the man’s skill level.

This guy was the real deal.

Flat-out elite.

"Hooked the Fish King in half an hour — go ahead and tell me you’re not jealous of that technique!"

Someone yanked out their phone and started recording. They posted it to their WeChat Moments and blasted the video to the fishery group chat at the same time, and the group immediately went ballistic.

"Insane. Half an hour is barely enough time for me to set up my swim, and this guy’s already on the Fish King."

"Goes to show — not all anglers are built the same."

"Holy shit, that’s my spot! I literally just left and now someone’s on the Fish King — don’t tell me it’s my groundbait that finally pulled the fish in."

"Haha, one man plants the tree, another man eats the fruit!"

Every time the Fish King showed up, it sent the whole fishing community into a frenzy. The guys in the group chat were already demanding a live stream.

If it had been anyone else, the odds of a snapped rod or a break-off would’ve been far higher than the odds of actually landing it — but this was Wang Heng.

A top-tier angler going toe-to-toe with the Fish King? That was pure entertainment.

Even if the Fish King got away in the end, watching a master work the fish was a masterclass in itself.

The group chat was fired up, but the scene at the water’s edge was even more electric. Every angler had stopped fishing and crowded around, eyes locked on Wang Heng or glued to the surface, waiting for the Fish King to show itself.

"Can the Fish King really bite on its own like that?"

Chen Yuan frowned, puzzled — then thought of Wang Tao and shook his head with a wry smile.

That thing could smoke a cigarette and drink water like it was nothing, acting every bit like a regular person in daily life. Why couldn’t the Fish King in the pond bite on its own? It made the whole setup that much more convincing.

Still, this meant Chen Yuan needed to rethink how he used the remote.

The plan was to let the anglers fish each session on their own, and only trigger the Fish King with the remote if it hadn’t shown up by the time things were winding down.

If the Fish King bit on its own — like right now — there was no need to touch the remote at all.

He’d also need to keep an eye on how often the Fish King bit on its own. If it was too frequent, he might actually need to use the remote to shut it down.

"He’s holding on — a true master is a true master. He’s already got control of that first run!"

While Chen Yuan was turning all this over in his head, the bank had become absolute chaos.

Wang Heng worked the rod in a constant rhythm, though his style was nothing like Mr. Qin’s — sometimes fast as a whip crack, sometimes leaning into the fish, giving line to match the Fish King’s surges.

And it was working better than anything Mr. Qin had managed. The tip that had been buried underwater, he wrenched back up through sheer will, his whole body moving rapidly along the bank as the fish ran.

It looked like the fish was dragging him along — but every time he saw an opening, he’d heave back hard.

The line sang beautifully in the air above the pond, like a master musician drawing a stirring melody from a fine instrument, setting every heart racing and every pulse pounding.

"What brand is Master Wang’s rod? I’m actually starting to think he might land the Fish King!"

Wang Heng and the Fish King had been going back and forth for over ten minutes with no sign of a break-off, and the crowd was growing more optimistic by the second. More than a few eyes drifted to the rod, trying to make out the brand.

"The rod matters, sure, but technique matters just as much. Master Wang’s skill alone makes up for at least thirty percent of whatever the rod is lacking."

"If he had a boat out there, with his technique that 6.3-meter rod would be more than enough to bring the Fish King in."

The crowd had unanimously decided — Wang Heng was a master. They were calling him that outright now.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh~

After nearly twenty minutes of stalemate, the Fish King suddenly surged with renewed force. Wang Heng’s footing gave way and he stumbled a couple of steps before breaking into a run along the bank, dipping the rod low one moment and hauling back hard the next.

"Glug~"

The Fish King churned the water from below, sending huge ripples rolling across the surface. The massive body hadn’t broken the surface yet, but the enormous dark shape slicing through the water was already plain to see.

A single lazy roll of its body sent waves spreading in every direction and wrenched the rod into a full deep bend.

"There it is! I can see the Fish King!"

"It’s absolutely massive — that shadow moving under the water looks like something out of a deep-sea monster movie."

The moment the Fish King appeared beneath the surface, that sweeping dark silhouette sent every angler’s excitement rocketing to a new high.

For many of them, it was the first time they’d ever laid eyes on a fish this size in person. Phones were up immediately, snapping photo after photo.

"Come on, Master Wang — it’s almost up! Hold through this run and you’ve got it!"

The other anglers had already cleared the bank to give Wang Heng room to work, and now they were cheering from behind with an energy that matched — maybe even surpassed — Wang Heng’s own.

"SPLASH~"

A few more minutes passed, and the Fish King finally broke the surface. The instant it hit the light, it thrashed with every last ounce of strength it had, water flying in all directions.

"CRACK~"

A little spray soaking your clothes was nothing — most anglers would’ve worn it like a badge of honor — but that sharp, sudden snap froze everyone in place.

Wang Heng, who had been so composed throughout the entire Battle Fish King, finally showed a crack in the mask. His eyes widened slightly, a flicker of genuine shock crossing his face.

BANG~

The rod blew before anyone could process what was happening. Neither the crowd nor Wang Heng had time to react. It wasn’t until the Fish King shook the hook free and the broken rod drifted on the surface that the collective groan of disappointment finally went up.

"What a shame — the Fish King was already out of the water. Just a little longer and he would’ve had it!"

"Rod break aside, Master Wang’s skill is beyond question. Once Boss Chen’s custom rod gets here, I’d bet everything Master Wang brings it in."

The whole crowd was gutted on Wang Heng’s behalf.

It was right there on the surface. With Master Wang’s technique, the net would’ve been under it within minutes — and then the rod had to go and snap at the worst possible moment.

A 6.3-meter rod just couldn’t handle something like this.

"Every pot meets its end at the well — you’ve been with me all these years, fought through so many battles, earned every bit of glory. I’d say you’ve earned your retirement."

Wang Heng took it all remarkably calmly. There was no stomping his feet or cursing his luck like the other anglers who’d suffered break-offs before him. He simply fished the broken rod out of the water, tidied it up carefully, and slid it back into his rod bag.

Something about that moved the crowd around him.

Master Wang truly was in a class of his own. That right there was what a real angler looked like.

A fishing rod is a warrior’s weapon, a companion you go into battle with. Even when it breaks, you give it a proper send-off.

"What a shame. So close."

Chen Dequan stood there with a cigarette clamped between his lips, shaking his head over and over. The whole fight had his blood running hot — he’d been out there on the tips of his toes, craning to see over the bank.

Especially when the Fish King was tearing through the water below the surface — that sweeping shadow looked exactly like one of those deep-sea leviathans from the movies. The visual impact was absolutely staggering.

It was just a damn shame it didn’t get landed.

As for Liu Fang, she’d already headed back. She’d noticed Chen Yuan had his attention fixed on the pond, so she’d slipped away without bothering him — it was only a little over two hundred meters, not far at all. She’d gone to help get dinner started.

"How are you feeling, Brother Wang?"

Chen Yuan gave Chen Dequan a smile, then walked over to Wang Heng and bummed a cigarette.

"Thrilling."

With the rod packed away, a smile finally spread across Wang Heng’s face — as if only now, with the dust settled, he was fully savoring the rush the Fish King had given him.

"Take a breather. Wait until my custom rod gets here later before you get back in."

Wang Heng had only brought one rod, and now it was gone. It was nearly five o’clock — he’d already put in the order after making the reservation, so delivery shouldn’t be too far off.

"Rest? A real angler doesn’t rest. No rod? Doesn’t matter."

Wang Heng chuckled to himself.

He reached into his rod bag, pulled out a pair of gloves and put them on, then dug out a length of rigged line and wrapped it a few times around his hand. He clipped on a float, got it adjusted, baited the hook, and tossed it in.

Chen Yuan’s jaw dropped.

No rod, so he was just hand-lining it. You had to be a special kind of obsessed to even think of that.

But what stunned Chen Yuan even more was what happened next.

Wang Heng hadn’t cast far — barely a meter or so from the bank — and yet in under two minutes, the float began to dip, sinking slowly and steadily downward.

With just a sliver left above the surface, it suddenly accelerated and plunged straight under.

Wang Heng calmly rose to his feet and pulled back. With a gentle ripple on the surface, a hefty slab crucian carp came sliding right out of the water and landed on the bank, smooth as you like.

"Holy shit~"

Chen Yuan’s eyes went wide. He gave Wang Heng a big thumbs-up.

Every angler watching was in awe.

You want to know what a real master looks like?

That’s what a real master looks like — catches fish just fine without a rod.