Chapter Summaries

Song Zhou explained why the authorities monitored Lu Ao and assured him they would overlook harmless unusual activities. After returning home, Lu Ao went fishing and considered how he would need a new spot once the nearby waters were depleted.

• Song Zhou told Lu Ao that the Abnormal Human Affairs Supervision Bureau monitored flagged people like him, and said he was safeguarding the continent rather than working for the authorities.
• Song Zhou joined Lu Ao for a meal, then explained that officials would cover for him as long as he did not harm humanity.
• Song Zhou held Lu Ao's hand and transported him home, stopping outside Lu Ao's courtyard before saying good night.
• Lu Ao slept until after one in the afternoon, ate noodles, and went fishing.
• Lu Ao estimated that his usual fishing spot would run low on large fish within a month and decided he needed to try deep-sea fishing after his license was ready.
• Lu Ao fished for three hours in rough, murky conditions and caught just over twenty jin of fish.

Lu Ao agreed to help Lin Qi Yan sell fish to his followers and planned to mail fish to Ge Ranzhou and Song Zhou. After catching several kinds of fish the next day, he set aside three Black Seabream and went with Lin Qi Yan to arrange shipment, where Grandma Ye welcomed him with homemade pancakes.

• Lin Qi Yan asked Lu Ao to supply wild-caught fish for his followers, and Lu Ao agreed to send him photos of his next catch.
• Lu Ao decided to send fish to his childhood friend, Ge Ranzhou, and to Song Zhou.
• Lu Ao caught Red Snapper, White Wax Fish, Golden Drum Fish, and Black Seabream, then set aside three Black Seabream for shipping.
• Lin Qi Yan explained how to mail the fish and offered to accompany Lu Ao to the courier station in town.
• Grandma Ye gave Lu Ao eggplant pancakes and sent him and Lin Qi Yan off with a large bag of them.

Lu Ao sent live fish to Song Zhou and others, and Song Zhou received his parcel at the Anomalous Personnel Affairs Regulatory Agency. Song Zhou then brought the fish and a watermelon to Lu Ao, appearing on the field ridge while Lu Ao watered the vegetables.

• Lu Ao shipped fish to Song Zhou, Ge Ranzhou, and Old Zhang and his wife, while Qi Yan remarked on the high postage cost.
• Song Zhou received the live-fish delivery at the agency, and the courier slip seemed to flash when he signed his name.
• The tree demon and other agency residents questioned Song Zhou about the sender, but he silenced their curiosity by asking whether they had finished their work.
• Song Zhou took a watermelon from the refrigerator and carried it with the fish box into his office.
• Song Zhou appeared on the field ridge as Lu Ao watered the vegetables.

Song Zhou visited Lu Ao, made rain over his fields, and shared a watermelon with him before Lu Ao began preparing a seafood hot pot. Song Zhou reflected on how losing all desire could eventually erase his consciousness, while the evening meal was still being prepared.

• Song Zhou brought Lu Ao a fish and a chilled watermelon, then made rain fall over Lu Ao's three mu of land when Lu Ao asked him to teach him.
• Song Zhou took Lu Ao back to his courtyard, where Lu Ao showered and Song Zhou cut the watermelon with wind blades.
• Lu Ao loved the watermelon so much that he saved its seeds, and Song Zhou offered to bring him more.
• Song Zhou thought about how becoming entirely free of desires could eventually leave no consciousness or Song Zhou behind.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou finished most of the watermelon together, then Lu Ao began simmering chicken and fish bones for seafood hot pot.

Lu Ao shared a hot pot meal with Song Zhou, then learned that Yan Zhengning wanted to befriend him and invited him on a yellow croaker fishing trip near Xiding City. Lu Ao declined the invitation, saying he wanted to go with friends instead.

• Lu Ao and Song Zhou cooked and ate hot pot together, and Song Zhou agreed to teach Lu Ao how to make it rain the next afternoon.
• Lin Gongshang told Lu Ao that Shi Chen and Liu Qiming had recovered and that Yan Zhengning had asked about Lu Ao and wanted to be friends.
• Yan Zhengning invited Lu Ao to join his friend's fleet fishing for yellow croaker near Xiding City, but Lu Ao said he would consider it.
• After researching the trip and weighing the opportunity, Lu Ao called Yan Zhengning and declined, saying he wanted to go with friends.

Lu Ao arranged an offshore yellow croaker fishing trip in Xiding City with Lin Qi Yan and Lin Man Zhang, partnering with Tian Mingzhi and his friends. After they planned to leave the next day, Lu Ao tended his thriving crops and picked sweet potato vines for himself and the geese.

• Lu Ao called Tian Mingzhi, confirmed that his group had fishing licenses, and agreed to partner with them for an offshore yellow croaker trip.
• Lu Ao invited his fishing-group friends, but Lin Gongshang, Lin Guixiao, and Tan Junhao declined, while Lin Qi Yan and Lin Man Zhang agreed to go.
• Lu Ao and the others set their departure for June 21 and planned to return on the night of June 25 for Dragon Boat Festival.
• Lu Ao created a group chat for the trip’s participants, including Tian Mingzhi, Hu Xingjin, and Chen Shengrong.
• Lu Ao went to tend his vegetables and picked sweet potato vines to eat and feed to the geese.

Song Zhou taught Lu Ao to embrace his Dragon identity and explained how he might command creatures, while helping him practice calling rain. Lu Ao left for Xiding City with Lin Manzhang and Lin Qiyan to fish for wild Large Yellow Croakers, and the group boarded a boat before dawn.

• Song Zhou explained that Lu Ao needed to recognize himself as a Dragon and described how Dragons could command beasts and other living creatures.
• Song Zhou advised Lu Ao to practice communicating with nonhuman creatures, and he summoned a rainstorm over Lu Ao's fields.
• Lu Ao told Song Zhou he was going to Xiding City to fish for yellow croakers, and Song Zhou agreed to water his crops while he was away.
• Lu Ao traveled to Xiding City with Lin Manzhang and Lin Qiyan, where Tian Mingzhi and two others hosted them and planned the fishing trip.
• Before dawn, Lu Ao, Lin Manzhang, and Lin Qiyan met Tian Mingzhi and the others at the docks, accepted breakfast, and boarded the boat.

Lu Ao and the others went out by fishing boat to catch Large Yellow Croaker, but only Lu Ao consistently drew bites. After three hours, he had landed five fish, including three weighing over two jin, while Qi Yan caught one smaller croaker.

• The six boarded Chen Shengrong’s boat before dawn and traveled to a Large Yellow Croaker fishing spot.
• Lu Ao chose where to stop, and everyone chummed the water, baited their hooks, and began fishing.
• After the nearby boats struggled to catch anything, Lu Ao landed a Large Yellow Croaker weighing over two and a half jin.
• Lu Ao continued catching fish over the next two hours, while Qi Yan caught one croaker weighing around one jin and six or seven taels.
• By the end of three hours, Lu Ao had caught five fish, three of them weighing over two jin.

Hu Xingjin caught a Large Yellow Croaker just as the group was leaving, and he and Lin Qi Yan sold their fish for thousands of yuan. After celebrating over lunch, Lu Ao brought Lin Qi Yan and Lin Man Zhang home, where Lin Qi Yan was surprised by how warmly the neighbors treated Lu Ao.

• Hu Xingjin caught a Large Yellow Croaker weighing over two jin, prompting nearby anglers to return to fishing.
• Tian Mingzhi and the others returned to the dock and compared prices at fish shops.
• Lu Ao earned 10,230 yuan after taxes for his five Large Yellow Croaker, while Lin Qi Yan earned 1,155 yuan and Hu Xingjin earned 3,300 yuan.
• Hu Xingjin and Lin Qi Yan treated the group to a feast, and Lu Ao served his Black Seabream as an extra dish.
• Tian Mingzhi and the others bought more bait and hooks before heading home to rest.
• Lu Ao's neighbors warmly greeted him and offered him food and treats, surprising Lin Qi Yan.

Lu Ao led his friends to a productive fishing spot, and they earned good money selling their catches. On their third early-morning trip, Lu Ao hooked a Large Yellow Croaker far bigger than expected, and he called Lin Man Zhang to bring the landing net.

• Lu Ao directed Chen Shengrong to a less crowded fishing spot and chummed the water while the others prepared to fish.
• The group caught Large Yellow Croaker and other fish, with Lu Ao bringing in the largest haul and earning over twenty thousand yuan after taxes.
• After discussing their profits, the group decided to leave earlier the next day, and they continued making money on their second day at sea.
• On the third trip, the sleepy group fished in the dark while Lu Ao sensed Large Yellow Croaker near the boat.
• Lu Ao hooked a powerful Large Yellow Croaker and quietly asked Lin Man Zhang to get the landing net.

Lu Ao landed an enormous wild Large Yellow Croaker after his fishing rod snapped, then rested on the boat as the others continued fishing. While he slept, Lin Manzhang and Lin Qiyan watched over him, and Lu Ao’s scattered awareness drifted across the sea.

• Lu Ao tired out the Large Yellow Croaker, then caught it in a landing net just as his fishing rod snapped.
• Lu Ao estimated the fish weighed at least eight jin, and the group discussed its potential value before he stored it in ice.
• Lu Ao stopped fishing and fell asleep on the boat while the others continued fishing through the night.
• Lin Manzhang and Lin Qiyan watched Lu Ao sleep in the morning light and felt awed by his appearance.
• Lu Ao’s drifting consciousness observed anglers, fishermen, and large ocean-going vessels across the sea.

Lu Ao and his companions returned to the harbor with the Large Yellow Croaker he had caught, and Lin Qi Yan and Tian Mingzhi posted a video and offered the fish for sale. At the dock, Manager Wen weighed it at eight jin and seven liang, but they had not yet settled on a price.

• Lu Ao woke after sleeping through the morning, checked the catch, and headed back to shore with the group.
• Tian Mingzhi suggested finding buyers for Lu Ao’s Large Yellow Croaker through Moments, and Lin Qi Yan proposed posting a video of the catch.
• Lin Qi Yan and Tian Mingzhi edited and posted the video and a sales notice, attracting inquiries from hotels and wealthy buyers.
• Manager Wen met the group at the dock and asked to buy the fish after seeing it online.
• Lin Man Zhang and Chen Shengrong placed the Large Yellow Croaker on the scale, and Manager Wen announced that it weighed eight jin and seven liang.

Lu Ao negotiated with Weng Qian to sell his wild Large Yellow Croaker for 950,000 yuan, with payment due within three days. He left the fish at the hotel and rode back with his friends, who learned what he had sold it for.

• Manager Wen offered Lu Ao a chance to negotiate with the hotel’s boss after other potential buyers offered up to 850,000 yuan.
• Weng Qian offered 850,000 yuan for the fish, but Lu Ao refused and insisted on a minimum price of 950,000 yuan.
• Weng Qian accepted Lu Ao’s price, and they signed a contract requiring payment within three days.
• Manager Wen bought Man Zhang and the others’ catches at market price, and Lu Ao left the hotel with his friends.
• Hu Xingjin asked what Lu Ao had received for the fish, and Lu Ao said it sold for 950,000 yuan, tax included.

Lu Ao donated 100,000 yuan to Hope Primary Schools, then arranged to buy and release 10,000 Large Yellow Croaker fingerlings. After Tian Mingzhi and the others returned from a fruitless fishing trip, they helped transfer the fingerlings into their boat for release.

• Lu Ao treated Qi Yan and the others to lunch, then visited the Youth Foundation and donated 100,000 yuan to Hope Primary Schools.
• While Tian Mingzhi and the others went fishing, Lu Ao slept, ate dumplings, and arranged his donation.
• Lu Ao met the returning group at the dock and told them he had bought 10,000 Large Yellow Croaker fingerlings to release.
• Tian Mingzhi and the others said they had caught no fish, prompting Lu Ao to wonder whether the fish gathering around their boat depended on him.
• The hatchery owner delivered the fingerlings, and Lu Ao paid him before the group moved them into the boat's live fish hold and turned on the oxygen supply.

Lu Ao and his companions released 10,000 Large Yellow Croaker fry, celebrated their successful fishing trip, and returned home. After resting, Lu Ao checked on his geese and told Lin Gongshang he would invite him on next year’s trip.

• Lu Ao and his companions returned to their fishing grounds and released 10,000 Large Yellow Croaker fry into the sea as Tian Mingzhi and Lin Qi Yan filmed.
• Hu Xingjin told nearby anglers they were giving back to the sea, and the group headed back after the release.
• Chen Shengrong and the others refused Lu Ao’s fuel money, and everyone shared a late-night meal before saying goodbye.
• Lu Ao traveled home, rested, and went to check on his geese, which Lin Gongshang had been feeding.
• Lin Gongshang regretted missing the profitable fishing trip, and Lu Ao promised to invite him next year.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou spent the Dragon Boat Festival together, tending the fields and geese before Lu Ao suggested catching crabs for a feast. After returning home, they shared the food Song Zhou had brought, and Lu Ao opened the boxes to find the dishes still fresh and hot.

• Lin Gongshang refunded Lu Ao for the helicopter rescue and hospital costs, and Lu Ao refused the ten-thousand payments from Mr. Shi and Mr. Liu.
• Song Zhou visited Lu Ao with zongzi, fruit, and two dishes, then joined him in herding the geese and tending the vegetable patch.
• Lu Ao harvested vegetables while Song Zhou made it rain over the patch, and Lu Ao proposed catching crabs for a Dragon Boat Festival feast.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou walked home together at sunset, and Song Zhou said the peaceful rural life felt warm after a long time away from it.
• Lu Ao opened the food boxes Song Zhou had brought and found a crisp cold dish and freshly hot fried ribs.

Song Zhou brought Lu Ao festival food and a baishuo bracelet, and the two ate and talked about the Anomalous Personnel Affairs Regulatory Agency. Later, Lin Gongshang arrived with rice dumplings and lychees, and Lu Ao introduced him to Song Zhou.

• Song Zhou served Lu Ao ribs, rice dumplings, and cold salad, and Lu Ao praised the food.
• Lu Ao offered to send fish to Song Zhou and heard about the Anomalous Personnel Affairs Regulatory Agency.
• Lu Ao found a baishuo bracelet in Song Zhou's basket and put it on.
• Lin Gongshang brought Lu Ao a basket of rice dumplings and lychees, and Lu Ao gave him a roast goose in return.
• Lin Gongshang noticed Song Zhou in the courtyard, and Lu Ao introduced the two men.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou planned to catch crabs, but Lin Gongshang and the others joined them after dinner. After losing repeatedly to Song Zhou at Chinese chess, Lu Ao eagerly led the group to the shore, where they split up to forage.

• Lin Man Zhang and Lin Qi Yan brought homemade food and invited Lu Ao and Song Zhou to dinner, but Lu Ao declined and said they planned to catch crabs.
• Lin Gongshang proposed joining Lu Ao and Song Zhou later, and Lu Ao agreed to meet everyone at his house at nine.
• Lu Ao played Chinese chess against Song Zhou and lost most of their games.
• Lin Gongshang, Lin Man Zhang, and Lin Qi Yan arrived with buckets and tongs, and Lu Ao hurried everyone toward the shore.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou split from the others to forage along the coast, and Song Zhou reminded Lu Ao that they had come to catch crabs.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou found a large eel while foraging along the shore, and Lu Ao caught it after it fled through the seaweed. They abandoned crab-catching and headed back with the eel, leaving Lin Manzhang and the others to return to Lin Family Village later.

• Song Zhou brought Lu Ao to a shallow reef area, where Lu Ao spotted a large fish moving under the seaweed.
• Song Zhou identified the creature as an eel, and Lu Ao used his iron tongs to catch it and pin it near the shore.
• Lu Ao realized the eel would not fit in their bucket and agreed with Song Zhou to end their foraging and take it home.
• Lu Ao called Lin Manzhang to explain their early departure, and Lin Manzhang agreed that the group would return to Lin Family Village and collect their vehicle the next day.
• Lin Gongshang complained that Lu Ao had left before they could eat together, and Lin Qiyan suggested Lu Ao and Song Zhou might be on a date.

After Qi Yan’s comment about two men dating startled Lin Gongshang, Lu Ao and Song Zhou took a giant eel home and made eel rice together. They sat down to enjoy the meal they had prepared.

• Qi Yan asked Lin Gongshang whether he was homophobic after Lin Gongshang reacted with surprise to his remark about two grown men dating.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou brought the giant eel home, and Lu Ao suggested making eel rice as a late-night snack.
• Song Zhou killed and cleaned the eel while Lu Ao prepared the rice and cooked the eel with sauce.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou plated the eel rice together and began eating.