With the referee's help, Jiang Hao finally dragged the net ashore. Even he was stunned by the sheer number of fish. This was far too many! He had thought thirty or forty would be enough, but there were clearly far more than that.
"Contestant, please wait over there. We'll count the fish for you."
Jiang Hao thought, Now you're taking things a little too far.
The two referees shooed Jiang Hao aside and excitedly counted the fish. This was their first time seeing so many Snow Spirit Fish caught in one go. Excluding a few injured ones, there were a full 118.
The moment the referees announced the number, cries of amazement erupted from the livestream audience.
"Incredible! See that? That's what real skill looks like. No, I need to hurry home and weave a net."
"Now that I've seen him catch Snow Spirit Fish like this, I honestly don't think they're that hard to catch. I could do it too."
Among the audience, the most frustrated were undoubtedly Yang Pucai and the others who had bet on Jiang Hao losing. If one cast caught this many fish, wouldn't a few more casts put the championship right in his pocket?
Once the other contestants found out, wouldn't their enthusiasm for the competition take a heavy blow?
If we can't win anyway, why the hell should we bother competing?
The Referee Panel seemed to realize this too, but they couldn't openly intervene and forbid Jiang Hao from continuing to fish this way. After all, he had come up with the method himself.
Meanwhile, Chubby and the others, who had been preparing for artificial-lure fishing and were ready to show their stuff, hurried over upon hearing the news. The moment they saw all those Snow Spirit Fish, the lure rods in their hands lost their appeal.
Chubby said, "Hao, this is going too far! Why didn't you bring out something this good sooner? Let us have a go."
Gongsun Qianxun said, "Yes, yes! I want a turn too."
Wen Ruxue nodded vigorously as well.
Envious, Song Jie and Chen Xiaolin couldn't resist running over to join the excitement.
If there was a chance to win, who needed their pride?
The two referees finally returned the Hand-Cast Net to Jiang Hao and carried away the tank full of fish. Before leaving, they glanced at him, looking as though they wanted to say something but held back. Jiang Hao noticed.
He immediately thought of the saying, The tallest tree catches the wind. Standing out too much would only draw unwanted attention.
So he decided not to cast again.
With 197 points, he already had a firm grip on first place. If he was eating the meat, he ought to let his friends have some broth.
"Fine, I'll teach you, but let me make this clear first: each person only gets one cast. How many you catch depends on your luck."
Jiang Hao then taught them hands-on how to use the Hand-Cast Net and explained the purpose of chumming.
By the time Jiang Hao stopped, his mouth dry from talking, he discovered that a crowd had gathered around him without his noticing.
"What are you all doing?"
"You're Jiang Hao, right? I've actually known about you for a while. I just saw you haul up all those Snow Spirit Fish. You're amazing! Could you let us use that hand-cast whatever-it's-called too? Even once would be fine."
"Exactly! Joy shared is better than joy enjoyed alone."
Without a word, Jiang Hao handed the Hand-Cast Net to Chubby. Taking the hint, Chubby quietly led Wen Ruxue and Gongsun Qianxun away.
Jiang Hao folded his arms across his chest and smiled faintly, saying at a leisurely pace, "Sure, but you have to pay to use it. One cast per person. If you're willing, hand over ten Low-Grade Beast Crystals. If not, leave."
"What? Ten Low-Grade Beast Crystals for one cast? Why don't you just rob us?"
Jiang Hao shrugged and said without the slightest attempt to hide it, "That's exactly what I'm doing! Anyone willing to let me rob them?"
Having already learned his lesson once, Song Jie feared Jiang Hao would change the price. He knew Jiang Hao's character all too well; the way he had mercilessly fleeced Wei Zihan yesterday was still vivid in his mind.
So he immediately spoke up. "Ten Low-Grade Beast Crystals. I'll pay."
Jiang Hao pointed at Song Jie and called out, "Look! Now this gentleman is generous. I'm already being very kind by not charging you tuition. Think about it: if you catch 118 fish in one cast like I did, those are guaranteed points, understand? Enough talk. Anyone who wants to use the Hand-Cast Net, line up and pay."
Seeing that Jiang Hao wouldn't budge, those without money left with sighs. The others thought of all the points they could earn and decided that ten Low-Grade Beast Crystals was a pretty good deal, so they gritted their teeth and played the sheep waiting to be fleeced.
As Jiang Hao collected the money, he reminded everyone, "Behave yourselves. There are plenty of spectators watching behind you. Each person gets only one cast. Those at the back, keep an eye on those ahead of you. Whether you catch anything depends on your luck. Find your own bait for chumming. I take no responsibility for that."
The commotion soon drew the attention of more contestants. Once they learned what was happening, they instinctively felt their pockets. Some left with sighs, but more chose to wait and watch.
While Jiang Hao collected money, Chubby finished his preparations. Whether he got meat or broth would depend on this one cast.
It would have been a lie to say he wasn't nervous. Jiang Hao had clearly stated that everyone only got one turn. Once he missed his chance, it was gone.
If Chubby could catch fish with the net, those watching from the sidelines would undoubtedly line up to pay too.
Seeing him hesitate, Gongsun Qianxun grew impatient. "Hurry up! The fish are about to swim away. Stop dawdling. Can you do it or not?"
Those words were quite a provocation. Determined to prove he could, Chubby gritted his teeth and cast the net.
His nerves made him throw slightly off target, earning him a chorus of boos.
Even so, when Chubby dragged the net ashore, there were still plenty of Snow Spirit Fish inside. Twenty-eight-only a fraction of Jiang Hao's catch, but still very good. Catching that many in one go was far better than hauling them in one at a time with a rod.
Gongsun Qianxun and Wen Ruxue went next. Although the girls weren't as strong as the men, casting a net depended on technique and care.
With every detail handled properly, the catch naturally wouldn't be small.
In the end, Gongsun Qianxun caught forty-one fish, while Wen Ruxue caught even more-a full fifty-three. Seeing those results, the onlookers could no longer stay calm. They joined the flock of little sheep, waiting for Jiang Hao to fleece them.
The Referee Panel didn't stop the contestants from fishing with a net. On the contrary, they welcomed it, even assigning over a dozen referees to follow the net around with water tanks.
Song Jie had been the first to pay. Once Wen Ruxue finished handing over her fish, he eagerly took the net back to his fishing spot.
After listening to Jiang Hao's explanation and watching Wen Ruxue and the others cast their nets from start to finish, Song Jie felt even more confident.
"Jie, here are the pheasants you wanted." Chen Xiaolin ran back, panting, with two freshly caught pheasants in his hands. Song Jie took one and threw it onto the lake.
The pheasant was alive. To stop it from escaping, Song Jie had deliberately tied its legs together with a rope and had Chen Xiaolin hold the other end.
The icy lake water chilled the pheasant, and it immediately began shrieking and struggling. Its splashing made an ever-growing commotion.
This was exactly what Song Jie wanted. The pheasant had been struggling for only a few seconds when it suddenly beat its wings desperately, trying to escape the water. The contestants watching behind Song Jie cried out, "Look! So many fish!"
Sure enough, a large school of Snow Spirit Fish had surrounded the pheasant and was attacking it. The scene was so bloody that some of the female contestants turned away, unable to watch.
Song Jie didn't care about any of that. Excitedly, he cast his prepared net over the school. Whether he got meat or broth would depend on this one throw.
The moment he dragged the net up, the crowd erupted.
Even the two referees scrambled to count Song Jie's haul. Good grief, there were 123 fish-more than Jiang Hao had caught.
Regardless of the fishes' sizes, those were a guaranteed 123 points.
Seeing this, the contestants who had already paid immediately spotted the key: chumming.
As long as they could attract more Snow Spirit Fish, their catches wouldn't be too bad.
They began arranging things with people they knew: go catch some prey for me first, the bigger the better, and I'll help you when your turn comes.
That way, they wouldn't waste any time and could watch more of the others' fishing techniques on the spot.
Chubby stamped his feet and thumped his chest in frustration. This bastard had finally gotten his chance to show off.
Still, Song Jie's trick of attracting Snow Spirit Fish with live prey suddenly gave him an idea. He found Gongsun Qianxun and whispered to her for a while. She gave him a dubious look, then uncertainly agreed that they could try it.
After putting their heads together, the two sprang into action.
Before long, Gongsun Qianxun had a live rabbit tied to her fishing rod, while Chubby held a landing net and signaled that she could begin.
Gongsun Qianxun lowered the rabbit into the lake. Watching it struggle incessantly in the freezing water, she found it difficult to bear, but what was sacrificing one rabbit for points and victory? With her competitive nature, she considered it all acceptable.
Soon, the rabbit's struggles attracted a large school of Snow Spirit Fish. With sharp eyes and quick hands, Chubby swept the landing net through the water.
He hauled it up, rabbit and all, and took a look. Well, would you look at that-he really had caught three.
"Wow, fatty, you're pretty good!"
Seeing the three Snow Spirit Fish in the net, Gongsun Qianxun made no attempt to hide her delight. She flashed Chubby a radiant smile that nearly dazzled his eyes blind.
Finally! Nothing beats getting my goddess's approval. Forget three fish-as long as you're willing to stay with me, I could catch every fish in Snow Spirit Lake for you.
"Hey, what are you daydreaming about? Hurry up and bring the net back."
Hearing her displeasure, Chubby finally snapped out of his daze.
It was as though the two had discovered a new combination to a safe. Their teamwork grew increasingly smooth, and their catches were naturally plentiful, leaving Wen Ruxue terribly envious.
The livestream audience thus discovered that the once-quiet fishing scene had changed, becoming decidedly strange.
Never mind what Chubby was doing-there was actually a long line in front of Jiang Hao, waiting to hand him money. It was absurd. The viewers could hardly bear to watch. If they remembered correctly, he was here for a fishing tournament, wasn't he? How had it turned into this?
Things were even livelier around the Hand-Cast Net. Some were busy casting it, others catching animals for bait, and still others gesturing and offering advice. But even more were simply watching the fun, waiting to see who caught the most fish.
The once-quiet fishing tournament had instantly turned into a bustling marketplace.
Before you continue