That afternoon, the dusty ng Fan drove Liu’er and Liu Zi back to W City. Instead of rushing ho, they first drove to Zhang Yang’s fishing gear shop.
Zhang Yang’s small shop in town hadn’t expanded much, but because of its high-quality products and Zhang Yang’s excellent fishing skills, there were always fellow anglers coming to play with him every day.
This afternoon, the shop was also bustling with guests, with four or five familiar anglers gathered around the tea table, boasting and bragging.
"Hey bro, Liu Zi and I are back!" ng Fan glanced around the room as he entered and greeted them.
"Yo, driving pretty fast, huh! Did you have lunch yet? If not, I’ll have my mom cook so noodles for you to snack on?" Zhang Yang saw his brothers had returned, stood up to greet them, and casually arranged seats for ng Fan and Liu Zi.
"Had so buns at the service area! No need to trouble Auntie! What are you chatting about? Found another good spot for fishing?" In front of outsiders, ng Fan didn’t ntion being tricked; he casually found a topic and started to chat with others.
"Tomorrow, Lao ng’s place is releasing fish for real fishing. We’re here to tie so hooks and replenish ammo. Went out for a competition, huh? How did it go?" One of the anglers who knew ng Fan explained and then casually asked.
ng Fan grinned, took out a pack of Blue Happy cigarettes and shared them around: "It was alright, mostly gaining experience, not aiming for top scores."
"True... with more experience, scores will co easier!"
...
The anglers drank tea and chatted for a while, and after Zhang Yang finished tying the fish hooks, they greeted each other, settled their bills, and left.
Only Zhang Yang and ng Fan, Liu Zi were left in the room. Zhang Yang turned around, took a bag of fruits from the fridge, washed them in the back, and quickly served them.
"So, what’s the story? You couldn’t hold back and called before even getting ho; that’s not like you!"
What Zhang Yang said was true; this kind of impulsive behavior indeed wasn’t typical of ng Fan’s style.
"It’s not that Brother Fan couldn’t hold back; it’s those guys bullying us too much!" Liu Zi, who hadn’t spoken, couldn’t help but interject.
"What do you an?" Zhang Yang turned his gaze back to ng Fan.
"Qian Wenjun and his crew, not only did they pull tricks in the last mixed fish match against , but they also issued a challenge! Next Tuesday, in the Four-Type Competition at Wa City, they want to bet with ! The stakes are 10,000 yuan, and the loser has to kneel and apologize!" In front of Zhang Yang, ng Fan had no qualms and spilled the whole story.
The matter seems serious, but it’s actually quite simple to explain.
ng Fan and Liu Zi arrived two days early at the competition site for routine practice fishing and gear testing, and then they encountered Qian Wenjun’s team.
Under Zhang Yang’s strict guidance, ng Fan’s basics had significantly improved. Facing fast-paced target fish, ng Fan perford exceptionally well during practice competitions, winning several bets.
After winning money, Qian Wenjun’s team mbers started making snide remarks. ng Fan isn’t the kind to suffer losses quietly, so he retorted back. The disagreent during practice led to the temporary team being dissolved due to quarrels.
Due to this small spat, ng Fan got resented by Qian Wenjun’s team. In the last match, a team mber coincidentally drew lots to fish next to ng Fan. Since the competitor wasn’t performing well and had no chance at scoring, they sabotaged ng Fan’s fishing spot.
ng Fan, who had one point from the previous three rounds, had a high chance of winning the championship. Unfortunately, in the last match, he was tricked and didn’t catch any fish, leading to a score of zero and not even making it to the top ten overall.
Frustrated, ng Fan sought out the guy who sabotaged his fishing spot, only to run into Qian Wenjun’s crew. An argunt ensued, but it didn’t resolve anything, so both sides agreed to enroll in the next Four-Type Competition in Wa City to settle scores, with substantial stakes agreed upon.
A 10,000 yuan bet isn’t a big deal for ng Fan, but kneeling and apologizing if he loses— now that’s serious, affecting his reputation.
In a fit of rage, how could ng Fan worry about these things? After accepting the challenge, he imdiately called Zhang Yang.
In ng Fan’s fishing knowledge, his team leader is like a god; as long as the leader steps in, winning the practice competition to save face would be no problem.
"Alright, I get it! It’s about the stakes and reputation, huh?" Zhang Yang smirked and nodded.
"Exactly! You could put it that way! I’m serious about this ti! If Liu Zi hadn’t held back, I’d have directly called my uncle to get reinforcents from the military district on them!" ng Fan said unabashedly.
"No need for that. Business-related matters should be resolved on business terms. If you take so losses, you’ll naturally learn from the sensitivity and gain so lessons; it’s not a bad thing! You did very well in the first three matches, right?
What was the situation like? Let help you analyze it afterward!"
"This ti in the Four-Type Competition, the fish condition was very straightforward— freshly stocked fish before the competition. Practicing for two days only made the fish slightly skittish. The offensive fishing thod you taught us was perfect for this fishing condition. In the two small crucian carp rounds, we fished on the surface and led the group with a big score! In one mixed fish round using Flying Copy, later the fish were pulled up to midwater; I stubbornly fought with Blocking Needle for over half an hour!
Oh, and regarding the fish condition, I don’t know what the opponent was using. The guy fishing next to just casually cast a few loose shots on my territory, and I suddenly got no bites!
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