He walked up to the cara with a serious expression and said, "The test is over, and the results are very clear. My scent bomb didn’t attract fish; it detonated this entire area! Underneath lies an incredibly dense fish hotspot!"
"A temporary dining hall composed of Arctic Red Spot Salmon and Lake Trout, any individual fishing attempt now is too inefficient for the size of the fish school underwater at the mont."
"The gamble is definitely won, and now, it’s ti to claim all my rewards and haul in the net!"
Having said that, he hesitated no longer and walked out of the ice fishing lodge.
The sky outside, no longer the pale color of early dawn, approached late afternoon, displaying the bright and pale hues unique to high-latitude winters.
The sun hung low on the southern horizon, its slanting light making the snow glare but losing the warmth of noon.
The wind and snow had subsided slightly compared to the morning, yet remained biting cold.
Instead of untying the rope imdiately, he walked to the end of the fishing net, the area he had previously reserved for hauling in the net.
One night of wind and snow had re-covered the rectangular hole he had cut out for retrieving the net, with only slight depressions faintly revealing the original outline.
He set down his backpack and used the back of his axe to thud heavily against the ice, producing a dull "thump, thump" sound.
"Judging by this sound, the ice layer has thickened quite a bit."
He did not use the ice drill, as he no longer cared about scaring away the fish. He lifted the axe and swung it downward with force!
"Clang!"
The heavy, sharp blade of the axe struck accurately on the previously cut groove, scattering ice chips and extending a clear crack across the ice surface.
He did not pause, continuously striking along the edges of the rectangle.
Each strike was steady and accurate, with power transmitted from waist and abdon to arms, then channeled onto the axe blade. Ice blocks frozen together were quickly fractured and separated.
Finally, with a crisp "crack," the last rectangular ice block was completely separated from the ice surface.
He hooked the corner of the ice block with the tip of the axe, tugged forcefully, and then pushed it fiercely, causing the chunk to slowly sink into the water beneath the ice layer, revealing the dark, cold river water below the ice hole.
Having done all this, he walked to the other end and untied the main rope fixed to a wooden stake.
"Alright, the net opening is cleared, and the final mystery of this grand gamble is about to be unveiled!" He said as he put on thick gloves, gripping the cold main rope tightly with both hands.
He spread his legs apart, leaned his body back, pressing all his weight onto the rope, and began to exert force.
However, in the next mont, his expression changed.
From the other end of the rope ca an unmoving resistance, as heavy as a mountain.
"Hmm?" He was montarily stunned, exerting force again, but the fishing net seed to be tightly grasped underwater, motionless.
"Is it caught?"
This was the first thought that flashed through his mind. When setting up a fishing net underwater, the biggest fear was encountering obstacles like subrged logs and rock crevices; once caught, the entire net could be ruined.
His heart sank abruptly; if his most valuable fishing net was destroyed, all the previous joy would evaporate.
"No... that’s not right." He quickly cald down and carefully perceived the feedback from the rope.
It wasn’t a rigid resistance. Rather, it was a heavy sensation with a subtle "liveliness" to it.
As if pulling not a rock, but an entire surface laden with heavy, still slightly trembling fish catch!
"It’s not snagged... it’s the fish! There are too many fish in the net!"
A crazy thought exploded in his mind, causing his whole body to boil over with excitent!
"Folks, we might have hit an unprecedented jackpot!" He shouted toward the cara, his face filled with unbelievable ecstasy.
He no longer attempted to pull up the net with brute force all at once but instead changed his strategy. He looped the rope around his waist, using core strength and leg power, started stepping back gradually.
"Huff... huff..."
Heavy breathing echoed through the wind and snow, his boots leaving deep footprints in the accumulated snow, each backward inch demanding trendous physical effort.
As he retreated, the fishing net underwater began to move slowly; he could feel the resistance underwater changing, marked by a series of vigorous struggles!
As he pulled, he moved toward the net retrieval point, his gaze fixated on the dark water surface.
Finally, the water surface began to stir. First, a few bubbles rose up, and then a massive, continuously twisting dark shadow appeared beneath the water.
"Here it cos!" He growled lowly, pulling back with all his might!
"Splash——!"
Accompanied by a burst of intense splashing, the front end of the fishing net, the first fish, was forcibly dragged out of the net opening and laid on the ice!
At that instant, Lin Yu’an’s breath ca to a halt.
After the first fish, what unfolded before his eyes was a scene enough to drive any fisherman wild!
The first part of the net erging from the water was already densely packed with silver-white fish!
He dared not stop, continuing to pull backward, as the net turned into a giant python laden with silver treasures, inch by inch dragged out from the icy river.
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