Chapter 21

A tide pool that could usually hold over a dozen fish was completely filled by this one Giant Grouper.

Seeing the Giant Grouper lying quietly in the pool, Lu Ao let out a breath and finally relaxed completely.

Lu Ao's diving suit had slipped off and fallen into the sea when he transformed into a lizard earlier. Now, naked in the morning light, he was too exhausted to feel embarrassed and simply collapsed beside the tide pool.

The reef was a little hard against his butt, so he merely sat there, breathing lightly as he squinted at the brilliant crimson dawn clouds on the horizon, feeling that life was infinitely beautiful.

After resting for quite a while, he jumped into the pool and pulled the steel arrow from the Giant Grouper.

Once he had tidied up, he placed the steel arrow with the clothes and shoes he had taken off before diving, then dove back into the sea to search for his diving suit.

His diving suit had not been expensive, and losing it would not have been much of a loss. But if he could not find it, leaving it in the sea would make it marine trash, which was extremely unfriendly to the ocean environment.

After entering the water, Lu Ao found his diving suit and fins more than twenty minutes later, but his mask and snorkel were nowhere to be seen.

He swam around the area several times, but could not find them, so he had no choice but to give up.

He returned to shore and rested again.

Lu Ao dug out the phone he had hidden away, then turned it on with aching, weak hands to check the time.

He had come to fish a little after five that morning. It was only just past eight now.

Lu Ao exhaled, slowly got dressed and slipped on his shoes, then sent Lin Manzhang a WeChat message: Zhang Ge, are you guys done fishing? I caught a huge Giant Grouper. Can I borrow two oxygenation devices?

-How huge is it?

Looking at the words on his phone, Lu Ao glanced at the Giant Grouper in the nearby tide pool and replied: Probably seventy or eighty jin.

-How huge?!

Lin Manzhang's disbelief practically spilled out of the screen. Before Lu Ao could reply, he called directly. "Hello, Lu Ao? You really caught a Giant Grouper weighing seventy or eighty jin?"

"Probably about that much. You'll know when you come over and see it."

Lin Manzhang immediately replied, "All right, wait there. Gongshang and the others and I will come right over!"

"Mm." Lu Ao paused. "Brother Man, if it's convenient, could you bring me something to eat?"

"No problem. Wait there, I'll be right over."

After hanging up, Lin Manzhang turned to his wife, who was watching television. "Lu Ao caught a huge Giant Grouper. He's probably completely exhausted, so I'm taking him something to eat."

Lin Manzhang's wife had met Lu Ao a few days earlier. Hearing it was him, she immediately said, "Don't take instant noodles. There's still half a roast duck in the fridge. Heat it up in the microwave and take it to him."

Lin Manzhang put the instant noodles back and said, "I'll go notify Gongshang and the others. Help me heat it up."

"Sure, sure. Go on."

Lin Manzhang's wife paused the television and went to heat up the food.

Afraid Lu Ao would not have enough to eat, she even opened five packs of braised eggs and a packet of pickled mustard greens, heating them together. In the end, she filled a huge lunchbox with at least four or five jin of food.

Holding the lunchbox, Lin Manzhang weighed it in his hand and looked at his wife with some resignation. "You really are my dear wife."

"His blood sugar is low, isn't it? He should eat more." His wife made no effort to hide her favoritism toward Lu Ao, then instructed, "Old Zhang, bring a bottle of coconut milk too. Get a big one. Lu Ao is probably thirsty as well."

At his wife's direction, Lin Manzhang took a large 1.5-liter bottle of coconut milk, put it in the bag with the lunchbox, tossed it into the vehicle compartment holding the water tanks and oxygenation devices, and drove off to pick up Lin Gongshang and the others.

Before long, the four of them arrived at the reef area.

While waiting for them, Lu Ao had gone back into the sea and gathered quite a few sea snails and sea urchins, placing them together on the shore.

"Lu Ao—" Lin Manzhang and the others came over carrying water tanks and oxygenation devices. "We're here."

Lu Ao truly did not have any strength left and could not be bothered to speak. He simply waved a hand.

The group went over to join him.

Lin Gongshang asked, "Where's the Giant Grouper you caught?"

Lu Ao casually pointed at the nearby tide pool, took the bag from Lin Manzhang, murmured his thanks, then opened the lunchbox and began wolfing down the food. He also unscrewed the coconut milk and took a huge gulp.

Lin Gongshang looked down into the tide pool beside him. Once he saw clearly, he was startled out of his wits. "Holy shit! Has this Giant Grouper become a demon or something?! Why is it so huge?!"

The others were drawn by his voice and instinctively looked toward the pool. Startled by their commotion, the huge Giant Grouper thrashed once and splashed them all with water.

They gathered around the tide pool and examined it carefully for quite some time, as though it were a treasure.

Lin Gongshang could not help turning to Lu Ao. "How did you drag such a huge Giant Grouper ashore? You're seriously amazing!"

Lu Ao swallowed the food in his mouth and said, "It took a lot of effort. It panicked and swam toward the shore on its own, then finally rushed up and got stranded there. That was how I caught it."

"That's what I thought. Who could catch a Giant Grouper this big?" Squatting beside the tide pool, Lin Gongshang was so envious his eyes were nearly red. "Your luck is insanely good. A fish like this gets you over ten thousand yuan just like that."

Lin Manzhang, however, disapproved. "A Giant Grouper that big is too dangerous."

Lu Ao nodded. "I was originally going to let it go, but it rushed toward the shore itself, so I took a gamble."

Lin Manzhang sighed. "Be more careful next time."

"Mm. I won't take risks next time."

Lin Manzhang filled a water tank with seawater. "Should we carry the fish to the vehicle first?"

Lu Ao put down his half-eaten meal. "Mm, sorry to trouble you."

Seeing that he wanted to help, Lin Gongshang shooed him away. "Eat. We'll handle it. We've never seen such a huge Giant Grouper before, so this is a good chance to have some fun."

Lu Ao did not stand on ceremony with them and simply sat back down to continue eating.

Before long, they had finished up, and Lu Ao was nearly done eating as well. He stuffed the last mouthful of food into his mouth, dumped the bones into the sea, and said, "I also got some sea urchins and sea snails. I'll treat you guys to drinks tonight."

Lin Gongshang happily agreed. "Sure. Tonight, you can tell us exactly how you caught this fish."

Once everything was packed up, Lin Manzhang drove toward Lu Ao's home while the others walked.

Lu Ao was only half full, and he had been drained of strength several times earlier. Now he walked along lazily.