As luck would have it, they actually ran into Song Jie and his companion. The two seemed to have only just arrived, their luggage still unpacked. When Song Jie saw Jiang Hao and the others, he gave a cold snort without saying a word.
Chubby muttered, "What's his problem? We're all from Primordial City. There's no need to be so hostile, right? This is a national competition. We should be sticking together even more. Don't you think so, Hao?"
"Ignore them, as long as they don't come looking for trouble."
Jiang Hao stopped less than twenty meters away from Song Jie and his companion. "I'll pick this spot. It's flat and open."
Wen Ruxue didn't want to be too close to Song Jie and his companion, so she chose a spot ten meters upstream from Jiang Hao. Naturally, Gongsun Qianxun followed, settling ten meters upstream from Wen Ruxue. Chubby was last. He originally chose a spot five meters upstream from Gongsun Qianxun, but after a thorough scolding from her, he sheepishly moved another five meters away.
The area they occupied, including Song Jie and his companion, was a shallow bank left behind after the lake water receded.
To buy themselves more time to catch Snow Spirit Fish, everyone hurried to find suitable branches for fishing rods, attach their lines and bait, and so on. Only Jiang Hao seemed utterly unconcerned. He set down his backpack, leisurely took out a spool of golden thread, and continued weaving his landing net.
Half an hour passed. All along the lake, people were casting their rods and changing their bait, yet hardly anyone managed to catch a Snow Spirit Fish.
Those lacking patience had already started swearing.
Chen Xiaolin said, "What the hell? These Snow Spirit Fish are way too crafty! They've eaten all my leaves without getting hooked once. It's infuriating!"
No sooner had he spoken than Song Jie suddenly lifted his rod. A large fish, a palm wide and so translucent that its internal organs were visible, thrashed wildly on the hook.
This was a Snow Spirit Fish. It had fine scales, translucent flesh, a body a palm wide and an arm long, and a large mouth filled with sharp teeth.
"You caught one! You caught one! Hurry and pull it in!" Chen Xiaolin was so excited that he seemed happier than if he had caught it himself.
Song Jie's face was also brimming with excitement. He had wasted several leaves already, and now he was finally about to get something for his efforts. How could he not be happy? Unfortunately, he celebrated too soon. Before he could pull the violently struggling Snow Spirit Fish ashore, it suddenly slipped off the hook with a splash!
Song Jie: ...
Chen Xiaolin: ???
The two froze.
The points that had been within their grasp were gone.
Song Jie wasn't the only one this happened to. Almost all two thousand contestants faced the same problem, and only a handful successfully pulled their fish ashore.
Their patience was tested again and again, excitement turning to disappointment, then despair. The Snow Spirit Fish kept challenging the contestants' emotions, sending the spectators watching the livestream into fits of laughter.
It was a perfect demonstration of building one's happiness on another's suffering. These Beast Tamers were normally so haughty and overbearing, their sense of superiority seeping out from their very bones. With such a rare chance to watch them suffer a setback, why wouldn't the audience enjoy the show?
But...
"Huh? What's this guy doing? Everyone else is racing against the clock to fish, but he doesn't even have a rod. Is he giving up?"
"Is he weaving a net? Can something that small even catch fish?"
Behind and above every contestant's head, several Projection Flies-or even more-hovered silently in the air. Each Projection Fly represented a broadcast studio. Except when the contestants were sleeping, these Projection Flies followed them around almost every day to broadcast live.
The audience quickly lost interest in contestants like Jiang Hao, who were "neglecting their real work." The broadcast organizers also knew how to capture their viewers' attention. Whoever caused the biggest stir attracted the most interest. That was what made a good show.
Some viewers even began placing little bets for fun, wagering on whose chosen contestant would catch more fish, which contestants had good luck, whose fish were more likely to slip off the hook, and so on. The organizers were happy to encourage it.
After losing three fish off his hook, Song Jie's luck finally turned, and he successfully hauled a Snow Spirit Fish ashore. Thanks to the Projection Flies monitoring him, a judge soon came over, collected the fish, and awarded him one point.
With a point secured, Song Jie smugly glanced at Jiang Hao, who was still "doing nothing."
"Hmph. Trash is still trash."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was just enough for Jiang Hao to hear.
Jiang Hao rolled his eyes at him in disdain, then looked up at the sun. It was lunchtime.
He stood, took a folding axe out of his large backpack, and headed into the dense woods behind him.
Song Jie watched him leave and thought, Only now does he think of making a fishing rod? Isn't his reaction a bit too slow? Hmph. To think I actually considered someone like him a rival. How shameful!
Half an hour later, Jiang Hao returned to the lakeside, carrying several extra things: a small wild boar, a piece of bamboo as thick as his thumb and over two meters long, and a few vines.
Wen Ruxue put down her fishing rod and came over. She had caught nothing all morning, and her temper was on the verge of exploding.
"Are you... starting a fire to cook?"
"Yep. People are iron and food is steel. Skip a meal, and hunger makes you reel."
"All right. Want me to help?"
Jiang Hao thought it over. Since he had promised her mother he would take good care of Wen Ruxue, he couldn't exactly leave her out when it was time to eat.
"Sure. Just gather some dry firewood for me."
While Wen Ruxue gathered firewood, Jiang Hao swiftly and neatly prepared the wild boar, skinning it, draining its blood, then washing and preparing the meat. He even made a point of collecting the pig's blood in a bottle.
Song Jie watched Jiang Hao's every move from nearby, repeatedly casting disdainful looks his way.
By the time Wen Ruxue returned with an armful of dry firewood, Jiang Hao had already skewered the meat on vines. He arranged the wood and released Big Hen. One Fireball lit the pile. It was that simple-cheap and efficient. He wasn't foolish enough to rub sticks together to start a fire.
The meat sizzled as it roasted. He took salt, chili powder, and other seasonings from his backpack and sprinkled some on. Immediately, the aroma spread in every direction.
Wen Ruxue crouched beside him, dumbfounded. He actually had these things in his backpack? He had come prepared!
You're not here to compete. You're here on vacation, aren't you? Aren't you!
The smell of meat drew the attention of the people nearby. Everyone had been hungry all morning, and tempted by the aroma, some of their stomachs immediately began protesting.
Chubby, who could no longer hold back, abandoned his fishing rod and ran over. "You two are terrible friends! You have good food and didn't even call me over. That's going too far!"
"Exactly. You should at least ask whether we want some," Gongsun Qianxun grumbled, then crouched beside Wen Ruxue.
The three crouched opposite Jiang Hao, watching him continuously turn the roasting meat. Their eyes followed its movements, and they swallowed every so often, looking for all the world like three baby beasts crying to be fed.
Gongsun Qianxun asked, "Is it ready yet?"
Jiang Hao said, "Almost. Don't rush."
Chubby asked, "When can we eat?"
Jiang Hao said, "Almost, almost. Be patient."
Wen Ruxue asked, "It should be cooked by now, right?"
Jiang Hao said, "Almost. It's nearly done. Just wait a little longer."
That wait lasted more than ten minutes.
At last, under their expectant, resentment-filled stares, Jiang Hao handed the roasted skewers to the three of them. "Careful. Don't burn yourselves."
The skewers were large. One would leave either girl half full.
One bite revealed succulent, flavorful meat with a satisfying chew. The seasonings, in particular, made it taste wonderful.
"It's so good!" Gongsun Qianxun narrowed her eyes in bliss. Even though it was piping hot, her cheeks kept bulging as she ate with gusto.
The sight of the four eating meat skewers around the fire soon drew a large crowd of livestream viewers.
Primordial City's broadcast studio.
"Holy shit, they're eating now! That looks delicious. Just watching is making me hungry."
"Instead of getting on with their fishing, these youngsters are eating barbecue. You know, seeing how satisfied they look, they're really enjoying themselves!"
"Old Yang, you're here too? Didn't you stop watching the competition? What brings you here today?"
Yang Pucai bristled and glared as he snapped back, "None of your business! Whether I come is up to me. I just want to see how miserably this brat who defeated my son loses."
"Can't take a loss, huh? Want to make a bet? I'll bet this kid Jiang Hao can win. Well? Do you dare?"
Yang Pucai said, "Who's afraid of you? You're on! I bet he loses. A hundred... fifty taels of silver."
The people nearby eagerly joined the fun.
Spectator A said, "Count me in. This contestant Jiang Hao is clearly the type who neglects his real work. It'd be a miracle if he won. I bet he loses too. Two hundred taels."
Spectator B said, "That's where you're wrong. Who knew beforehand that Jiang Hao would make it into the second stage? I think he's acting this way because he already has a well-laid plan. What if he stuns everyone again, just like in the preliminaries? So I'm backing him. Three hundred taels."
Spectator C said, "That makes sense. Then I'll bet Jiang Hao wins too. Thirty taels."
Before long, the studio was evenly divided between people betting on Jiang Hao winning and losing. With the studio organizers acting as the house, betting got underway.
In a VIP room, City Lord Guo summoned his steward and gave him a few instructions. Soon afterward, the steward sought out the studio manager and discreetly handed him a bag of beast crystals.
"Bet on Jiang Hao to win."
"Certainly!" The manager accepted the bag with a beaming smile. Others might not recognize this steward in his sixties, but businessmen like the studio manager dealt specifically with government officials. Naturally, he knew who the man was.
Meanwhile...
Jiang Hao looked at Big Hen dozing beside his feet. He hadn't fed the bird in quite a while and wondered whether chickens ate meat.
Chickens possessed not only the ability to calculate and analyze, but also self-control. Most people simply didn't know it.
People habitually thought of chickens as nothing more than meat, good for nothing else.
He tore the roasted meat into shreds himself and fed it to Big Hen, who eagerly accepted everything offered and ate with delight.
After feeding Big Hen a piece of roasted meat, Jiang Hao stroked the bird's feathers. They felt rather nice. Big Hen narrowed those eyes, thoroughly enjoying his caresses. Interactions like these were rare. Unlike cats and dogs, chickens were seldom kept as pets. First, they lacked a cute appearance and the qualities of an adorable pet. Second, they didn't actively act spoiled or cute to seek affection, so people felt an instinctive aversion deep down. Jiang Hao was no exception.
Before you continue