Chapter Summaries

After helping Old Chen and Mrs. Chen arrange treatment for her illness, Lu Ao received a thoughtful gift from Old Chen and sought medical contacts to help them. He left the chapter waiting for replies to his request for a provincial hospital or brain tumor specialist.

• Lin Dawu, Lu Ao, and Qi Yan left Old Chen and Mrs. Chen after consoling them, and Qi Yan proposed sharing Old Chen's circumstances so people could donate privately.
• Lu Ao returned home and searched online for valuable seafood before Old Chen arrived with peaches and chicken mushroom oil to thank him.
• Lu Ao exchanged braised meat and milk for Old Chen's gifts and offered to ask his friends about contacts at the provincial hospital.
• After Old Chen explained that he and Mrs. Chen planned to travel Sunday night for her admission, Lu Ao posted in two WeChat groups asking for a doctor who treated brain tumors.

Lu Ao arranged medical and financial help for Old Chen’s family, then learned that non-humans could not intervene freely in human lives. He considered leasing a mountain for his fruit trees and planned to ask Tan Junhao about Haining Mountain.

• Lu Ao asked Xiang Xingchang to help Old Chen find a doctor and offered to assist if the family ran short of money.
• Little Du told Lu Ao about aid programs and volunteers, and said his Outstanding Youth application had been submitted.
• Song Zhou brought chilled lychees and longans, then warned Lu Ao that non-humans faced karmic consequences and heavenly punishment for interfering in human lives.
• Lu Ao discussed leasing a mountain with Song Zhou, who said Haining Mountain had better spiritual energy than the other nearby mountains.
• Lu Ao messaged his fishing group that he would ask Tan Junhao about leasing Haining Mountain the next day.

Lu Ao cooked a hearty claypot rice breakfast before joining Lin Man Zhang, Lin Qi Yan, and the others to fish. After diving far from shore, he caught several valuable fish and kept filling his basket as the group spread out across the water.

• Lin Gongshang invited Lu Ao to fish, and Lin Qi Yan said he would come along to film and try his wetsuit.
• Lu Ao made claypot rice with Chinese sausage, baby bok choy, and a savory homemade soy sauce before leaving early for Lin Family Village.
• Lu Ao arrived to find Lin Man Zhang and Lin Qi Yan waiting; Lin Man Zhang kept Lin Qi Yan near shore while Lu Ao headed into the water.
• Lu Ao swam more than a hundred meters from shore without surfacing, then reassured the worried Lin Man Zhang with a wave.
• Lu Ao caught two Black Seabream and a large Red Snapper, and Lin Gongshang and the others later joined the fishing while Lin Qi Yan practiced near shore.

Lu Ao rested after a morning of fishing, showed Qi Yan a valuable Spotted Rock Bream, and heard a rumor about Hairy Croaker near Tuanbao Town. He left the possibility of investigating open and called Li Xinyong to ask about it.

• Lu Ao returned to shore, ate buns with Qi Yan, and showed him the Spotted Rock Bream he had caught.
• Qi Yan filmed the fish and explained its value while Lin Gongshang and the others returned from fishing.
• Lin Gongshang told Lu Ao that fishermen had reportedly seen Hairy Croaker near Tuanbao Town, but Qi Yan and Man Zhang warned him the rumor might be unreliable and the waters dangerous.
• Lu Ao considered investigating the area and said he would ask around, then called Li Xinyong at noon.

Lu Ao looked into reports of Hairy Croakers near Tuanbao Town while arranging to collect and plant a male ginkgo tree. After planting it on the back mountain, he joined Song Zhou to pick vegetables for a light dinner.

• Lu Ao asked Li Xinyong about Hairy Croakers near Tuanbao Town and asked him to find out where people had seen them.
• Old Chen told Lu Ao that his fruit had sold well and that volunteers and a doctor had helped arrange lodging for his family.
• Lu Ao collected a five-year-old male ginkgo tree from Old Chen and prepared it at home for planting.
• Lu Ao planted the ginkgo tree on the back mountain, fertilized it, and moistened the garden with mist.
• Song Zhou arrived after work, and he and Lu Ao picked vegetables to make congee.

Lu Ao considered contracting Haining Mountain after Song Zhou explained that his growing Dragon Form might eventually need a place to rest and sun itself. Tan Junhao told him the village would not accept less than fifty yuan per mu, and Lu Ao decided to think it over while he saved money for the mountain and a boat.

• Lu Ao told Song Zhou that Haining Mountain was available to contract but that its size and rent made him hesitate.
• Song Zhou explained that Lu Ao’s Dragon Form might grow to hundreds of meters and need a mountain where he could stretch out and bask.
• Lu Ao became more eager to contract forestland after imagining living on a mountain in his Dragon Form.
• Tan Junhao told Lu Ao that the village had set fifty yuan per mu as the lowest acceptable rent for Haining Mountain.
• Lu Ao chose to consider the offer further, and Tan Junhao asked when his boat would be auctioned.

Lu Ao prepared to go to the city for a ship auction while arranging for Qi Yan to graze his geese and harvest sweet potato leaves. Song Zhou was away on a business trip, leaving Lu Ao alone and disappointed as he cooked dinner.

• Lu Ao sold a catch of thirty-seven fish and earned enough to pay the remaining balance for the Giant Grouper fry.
• Qi Yan told Lu Ao he had harvested the sweet potato leaves, and Lu Ao took him to haul them back.
• Qi Yan offered to herd Lu Ao’s geese the next day and film an episode, and Lu Ao gave him permission and instructions to keep them by the riverbank.
• Lu Ao messaged Song Zhou after he failed to come home, and Song Zhou explained he was away on a business trip.
• Lu Ao told Song Zhou he would be going to the city for a ship auction, then spent the evening alone and made himself a simple pot of noodles.

Lu Ao won the fishing vessel at auction, paid for it, and completed the ownership transfer with Little Du’s help. He then arranged a full refurbishment at Qinyin Shipyard, including a more powerful Xinchai engine, and received a quote of 180,000 yuan.

• Lu Ao won the auction with a final bid of 396,000 yuan and paid the remaining purchase costs.
• Little Du helped Lu Ao complete the vessel’s ownership transfer that afternoon, registering Qianming Fishing Vessel No. 0356 under Lu Ao’s name.
• Lu Ao met Yu Hongshen at the dock and asked him to refurbish the vessel and replace its engine.
• Yu Hongshen recommended a 526-horsepower Xinchai engine, and Lu Ao agreed to use it.
• Yu Hongshen’s employees inspected the vessel, and Yu quoted 180,000 yuan for the full refurbishment and engine replacement.

Lu Ao finalized a ship-refurbishment contract with Yu Hongshen, then learned from Little Du that fishermen had gone out despite the approaching typhoon. After a boat sank and twenty-five fishermen fell into the water, Lu Ao offered to join the search and rescue.

• Lu Ao signed a contract with Yu Hongshen to refurbish his boat and handed over the keys for two months of work.
• Lu Ao met Little Du for dinner, where Little Du explained that fishermen sometimes went to sea during typhoons and that rescue crews feared having to save them.
• Lu Ao checked the typhoon warnings after waking in the night and learned from Little Du that a boat had sunk northeast of Qianming Port, leaving twenty-five fishermen in the water.
• Little Du joined the rescue effort, while searchers reported finding only two people amid the darkness and rough weather.
• Lu Ao asked Xiang Xingchang's volunteer group whether boats were still heading out and offered to join the rescue.

Lu Ao joined civilian rescue boats searching for fishermen who had fallen overboard and spotted a survivor drifting at sea. After the injured fisherman was taken away for treatment, Lu Ao urged the captain to search northwest, but the captain said other boats were already covering that area.

• Lu Ao reached the pier before dawn and boarded Brother Tao's rescue boat, learning that six fishermen had been rescued and nineteen remained missing.
• Lu Ao watched the dark, rough sea as the boat searched the area where survivors had last seen their companions.
• Lu Ao spotted a person floating in the water, and the crew pulled the injured fisherman aboard and confirmed he was breathing.
• A helicopter took the survivor away for emergency treatment, and Brother Tao encouraged Lu Ao to keep searching.
• Lu Ao suggested searching northwest, but the captain explained that other boats were already looking there.

Lu Ao helped lead the search for fishermen who had fallen overboard, locating nine people before the civilian rescue boats called off their search. After returning to shore, he was welcomed by the other captains, who invited him to breakfast and began discussing his new fishing boat and plans to earn his Certificate of Competency.

• Lu Ao noticed the wind shift and persuaded Captain Chang to steer northwest, where he spotted another fisherman in the water.
• Lu Ao found four more people, three alive, and the rescue fleet followed his directions because his sightings had been consistently accurate.
• The boats found nine people through Lu Ao and thirteen through the other crews, but left three fishermen missing as the civilian rescuers returned to shore.
• The captain asked Lu Ao whether he planned to take his fishing boat out to sea, and Lu Ao said he was waiting to get his Certificate of Competency.
• Brother Tao and Captain Chang took Lu Ao to breakfast with a group of captains, who praised him and asked where he was from.

Lu Ao returned to Yandong County after learning from fishing captains that Hairy Croaker had been reported near Tuanbao Town. He planned to visit Oxhead Island the next day, but Lin Manzhang warned him that a typhoon was expected.

• Lu Ao told the Qianyong City captains he was returning to Yandong County, and they discussed the local fishing industry and the scarcity of Hairy Croaker.
• The captains recalled reports of Hairy Croaker near Bao Town in Yandong County, confirming Lu Ao’s belief that the fish could be found near Tuanbao Town.
• Lu Ao left Qianyong City by bus, declined an in-person reward from Little Du, and learned that police were still searching for three missing fishermen.
• After returning to his village, Lu Ao asked Lin Manzhang to help rent a boat to Oxhead Island for the next day.
• Lin Manzhang asked why Lu Ao planned to go out to sea despite the approaching typhoon.

Lu Ao went to Oxhead Island to search for Hairy Croaker and discovered a school living among the reefs. After failing to spear any, he returned to shore to chum the water and try fishing.

• Lin Manzhang confirmed the weather would allow Lu Ao to go to sea and connected him with Bao Ge, who agreed to take him to Oxhead Island.
• Lu Ao met Bao Ge at Erxi Pier, loaded his fishing gear and supplies onto the boat, and traveled to Oxhead Island.
• Lu Ao searched underwater in the murky water and spotted a large fish near a reef cave.
• Lu Ao discovered seven or eight Hairy Croaker gathered among the reefs, but they repeatedly escaped his attempts to approach them.
• After exhausting himself, Lu Ao returned to shore, scattered chum beside the rocks, and cast his fishing line.

Lu Ao spent the day fishing for Hairy Croaker without success, then transformed into his Dragon Form and chased one underwater. He caught up to the fish but struggled to grab it with his short claws, and it kept escaping.

• Lu Ao fished from a deserted island, catching a Big Red Grouper but no Hairy Croaker despite hours of waiting.
• Lin Gongshang and Lin Qiyan asked Lu Ao how fishing was going, and he told them he had caught only a Big Red Grouper.
• After his bait went untouched, Lu Ao cooked and ate the grouper and shrimp, then packed up and jumped into the sea.
• Lu Ao transformed into his Dragon Form and headed straight for the area where he had found Hairy Croaker that morning.
• Lu Ao chased a medium-sized Hairy Croaker into deeper water, but his long body and short claws made it difficult to attack, and the fish repeatedly escaped.

Lu Ao struggled to catch a Hairy Croaker in Dragon Form, eventually biting it and dragging it to shore. Song Zhou found him as he surfaced, then helped him take the fish home, where Lu Ao prepared to sell it.

• Lu Ao repeatedly failed to catch the Hairy Croaker with his claws, then bit it and endured as it dragged him through the water.
• Lu Ao exhausted the Hairy Croaker and hauled it to shore, where he unexpectedly found Song Zhou waiting to pick him up.
• Lu Ao changed back into human form, called Bao Ge to say he no longer needed a ride, and went home with Song Zhou.
• Lu Ao iced the still-living Hairy Croaker, and Song Zhou brought his three-wheeled vehicle back from Erxi Pier.
• Lu Ao posted photos of the fish on his Moments, drawing excited reactions from Lin Gongshang and Lin Qiyan.

Lu Ao advertised his freshly caught, 114-jin Hairy Croaker and negotiated with hotel owner Weng Qian, who offered 1.2 million. Lu Ao held firm at 2.4 million and promoted the fish widely, drawing interest from wealthy buyers across several provinces.

• Lu Ao declined a reporter’s interview before Weng Qian called to ask about the Hairy Croaker’s size and freshness.
• Lu Ao showed the fish over a video call, with Song Zhou holding the phone while he lifted it for Weng Qian to inspect.
• Weng Qian offered 1.2 million for the fish, but Lu Ao demanded 2.4 million and said he could arrange helicopter delivery.
• Lu Ao posted photos, the fish’s weight and length, and his delivery offer on Moments, then asked his contacts to share the post.
• Lu Ao received many inquiries from potential buyers while Song Zhou went to make dinner.

Weng Qian tried to avoid buying Lu Ao’s rare wild Hairy Croaker, but his father insisted that he bid for its valuable maw. Lu Ao exposed Weng Qian’s arguments against the price in the bidding group, where the wealthy buyers continued raising their offers.

• Buyers in Lu Ao’s WeChat group pushed the Hairy Croaker’s price toward five million, and Weng Qian gave up bidding.
• Weng Qian’s father called after seeing him in the group and urged him to buy the fish for its maw.
• Weng Qian agreed to bid, then privately offered Lu Ao 5.8 million and argued that the public bids might be unreliable and the fish would soon lose freshness.
• Lu Ao rejected the private offer, posted a screenshot of Weng Qian’s message in the main group, and prompted buyers to resume bidding.
• Weng Qian argued in the group that the fish was overpriced, while buyers raised their offers and Lu Ao let the discussion continue.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou auctioned the Hairy Croaker for 8.12 million yuan and prepared to deliver it by helicopter to Gui Yaoyao in Yuannan Province. Song Zhou restored the fish’s vitality and concealed its wounds, and Lu Ao handed the sealed box to the helicopter crew.

• Song Zhou cooked seafood noodles, and Lu Ao ate five bowls while tracking the auction.
• Lu Ao announced the auction’s extended-bidding rules, then ended the bidding at 8.12 million yuan when the price stopped rising.
• Gui Yaoyao won the fish and arranged a landing pad at her home in Jiazhuang City, while Lu Ao hired a helicopter for delivery.
• Song Zhou strengthened the nearly exhausted fish and erased its bite wounds as Lu Ao packed it in an oxygen-filled, ice-lined foam box.
• Lu Ao showed the box to the helicopter pilot and co-pilot when the aircraft arrived, and they reacted with surprise.

Lu Ao delivered the 114-pound Hairy Croaker by helicopter to Gui Yaoyao, who had bought it despite worrying she might have been scammed. The experts confirmed it was a remarkably large, lively Hairy Croaker, and the inspection left the delivery crew’s suspicions unresolved.

• Lu Ao and Song Zhou flew the carefully packed fish southwest to Gui Yaoyao’s city.
• Gui Yaoyao waited with her assistant and two experts, worried about her expensive purchase and prepared to call the police if the fish proved fake.
• Song Zhou carried the heavy Styrofoam box off the helicopter, and Huang Shoushui confirmed it weighed 114 pounds.
• Lu Ao opened the box while the pilot, copilot, and Gui Yaoyao’s group recorded the inspection.
• The Hairy Croaker flicked its tail, and Huang Shoushui identified it as a living, unusually large specimen that had rarely been seen in the country.

Gui Yaoyao learned that the giant Hairy Croaker she bought for 8.12 million was a rare living wild fish, and she decided to keep it rather than resell it. She agreed to lend it to Huang Shoushui’s university for research while she hurried to sign the purchase contract with Lu Ao.

• Huang Shoushui and Professor Kim confirmed that Gui Yaoyao’s fish was a rare wild Hairy Croaker that had survived out of the water, and Huang Shoushui asked to buy it.
• Gui Yaoyao refused to transfer the fish, while Song Zhou recorded the inspection and posted the video to Lu Ao’s auction group.
• Old Weng watched the video and lamented that Weng Qian had failed to buy the fish before it sold.
• Gui Yaoyao agreed to send the fish to Huang Shoushui’s university for half a month of research, provided the university kept it alive.
• Huang Shoushui arranged a water-tank truck for the fish, and Gui Yaoyao hurried to sign the contract with Lu Ao.