After taking a nap at noon, Chen Zhou was still full of energy around midnight, but his stomach was empty, and he was a bit hungry.
Using a homade wooden fra, he set up the fishing rod on the bank, and lit a pile of fire behind him, planning to take advantage of the break to catch a few unlucky fish to fill his stomach—
The cooking ingredients and frying pan were all packed in his backpack, and he was already prepared for an all-night battle.
The flas of the campfire rose, and Lai Fu, who was already tired from playing, ca over as well.
The dried branches burned with almost no smoke, blazing with the unique aroma of grass and wood.
By the firelight, he picked out a few non-toxic small fish from the bucket, gutted them, rinsed them in the lake water, and set them aside.
This kind of small fish has very fine scales, they beco crispy when fried and don't affect the taste.
With one hand gripping the handle of the frying pan, he used the other hand to take oil, salt, and garlic from his backpack.
Now Chen Zhou has basically achieved garlic freedom, with garlic in the field growing more and more, fully eting daily needs.
Using one hand to handle the pan wasn't convenient, and just as he was thinking about setting up a stove or building a stand for the frying pan next ti he goes camping, he suddenly heard the stand holding the fishing rod falling to the ground behind him.
The fishing spot he chose lacked soil, especially near the lake, which was just a large rock, so the sound of the wooden fra hitting the stone surface was particularly clear.
The situation changed in an instant, and in the mont Chen Zhou put down the frying pan and turned around, he saw, illuminated by the firelight, the end of the fishing rod diving into the lake like a startled water snake.
In the blink of an eye, the front half was already subrged in the water.
This rod was crafted in his spare ti over nearly half a month, and he couldn't allow it to get away on its first outing.
In a mont of desperation, Chen Zhou leapt forward, extending his arm to grab the end of the fishing rod.
Luckily the rod was long enough, otherwise in those re three seconds, who knows where the fish biting the hook could have taken it.
There was no ti for a national curse, gripping the rod tightly, Chen Zhou started pulling it back, trying to stand up.
His face was only a few centiters from the lake, the slightly rippling water emitted a faint fishy sll mixed with the scent of water plants.
The light was too dim to see his face clearly; he could only feel the water flowing, as if so danger lurked in the deep, dark waves, a primal fear of the unknown.
What he hooked was a big one, and as he pulled back the rod, Chen Zhou could feel its determination to escape to the bottom, its strength was astonishing.
Afraid of losing the hook, once he sowhat regained control, he quickly released so line, giving himself more room to maneuver.
Finally managing to get hold of the wet rod, the fish began a furious new struggle, displaying strength beyond Chen Zhou's expectations.
Caught off guard, it even dragged the brawny man a step forward.
Realizing this opponent was extraordinary, he disregarded the campfire behind him, clinging to the rod, lowering his center of gravity. Chen Zhou widened his eyes, staring at the dark lake, feeling the direction of his prey's escape, beginning to use his not-so-skilled fish-playing techniques.
The little pottery lamp that had previously provided a bit of light was extinguished when the rod dipped into the water.
At this mont, he couldn't rely on the tiny waves on the water to tell where the fish was, only taming this "wild horse" from afar with the long rod and fishing line.
The lack of information made Chen Zhou exceptionally tense.
Honestly, it had been a long ti since he felt this kind of thrill.
Clutching the fishing rod, sotis moving left, sotis shifting right, reeling in the line, then letting it out again.
Chen Zhou felt his heartbeat accelerating with the fish's repeated struggles, and sweat began to form in his palms.
This was an invisible opponent.
This was a long fight, also a silent skirmish.
Entirely focused on the fish on the line, he didn't even notice Lai Fu had returned by the fire, secretly eating the gutted fish.
...
Perhaps it was because his vision was obstructed, but Chen Zhou felt that this fish was even bigger and stronger than the one he had missed before.
The tense process of playing the fish slowed ti's passage, he wasn't sure how long it had been since the fish bit the hook, only knowing that his arm muscles were becoming sore and swollen, his empty stomach expressing dissatisfaction, craving food.
His steady breathing grew more urgent as the long marathon neared its end.
Chen Zhou was very tired, but he could feel that the fish was even more exhausted.
Its struggles had gradually lessened; although still filled with a strong survival instinct, it was slowly being reeled closer to the shore, capture seeming its inevitable fate.
The dawn of victory was in sight, but Chen Zhou grew more anxious.
He thought of the ti he caught a big fish, only to let it slip away with eternal regret.
The mory of that lesson, which still filled him with regret, acted like a shot of adrenaline, forcing him to muster his spirits.
He slightly turned his body, using the campfire's glow from behind to illuminate the lake's edge, providing himself with so information while striving to avoid this thrilling fishing action from ending badly.
The big fish was at its wit's end, no longer possessing the strength to yank the rod, only relying on its own weight to barely sustain itself.
Its size was really too enormous, and even before reaching the shore, Chen Zhou could tell from the water's ripple how long it was.
"Over 110cm!"
This was a giant, undoubtedly twice the size of the one that got away!
He didn't know how many years it had lived in the deep lake of this isolated island to grow this large, nor how it decided to bite the small bait.
Chen Zhou had no ti to ponder these questions; all he knew was that this catch was going to make him rich.
The more critical the mont, the more cautious he beca. Knowing his net couldn't hold this giant, he made a risky move—entering the water.
Thanks to frequently fishing around this rock and understanding the surrounding water conditions, otherwise, trying to reel in while wading in deep night waters could easily lead to disaster if unlucky.
The lake water's temperature was not low during the dry season, but stepping in still felt slightly cool.
No ti to remove shoes or socks.
Stepping into the lake, his calves were instantly soaked, and his pants clung to his legs.
Lowering himself, the campfire's light no longer reached the water, and he was surrounded by sheer darkness, faintly seeing ripples on the sides of the fish.
Lai Fu, not understanding why his master went into the water, barked at Chen Zhou from the shore, seeming ready to follow.
Chen Zhou soothed Lai Fu's emotions with words.
At this point, the line was reeled to its limit, the big fish was less than a ter away in the water, its broad back above the surface.
It was so tired that it barely had the strength to move its tail, its mouth agape, gasping like a long-distance runner.
Even facing it in this condition, Chen Zhou dared not be careless.
He probed the water's depth with his foot, edged forward a few centiters, then reeled the rod slightly, cautiously extending a hand to grab the fish's head, the other hand gripping the rod tightly, fearing a repeat of previous mistakes.
If this one got away, he wouldn't sleep well for at least half a month.
The fish's head was hard, feeling like touching a solid stone; following its sloped skull downwards, Chen Zhou grasped its gills.
A layer of sli covered the fish body, combined with the lake water, making it a bit slippery to the touch.
Fearing he hadn't firmly grasped the gills, Chen Zhou dug in a bit more.
The fish, pained by his actions, used its last bit of strength to wiggle, unable to shake off the hook stuck in its upper lip.
It glared fiercely at Chen Zhou's face, but in the dark, the relentless hunter paid no attention to its reaction.
Ensuring a tight grip, Chen Zhou yanked it onto the shore, stranding its front half.
Despite its seemingly endless energy in the water, the fish wasn't extrely heavy, about forty-five to fifty-six pounds.
If not for Chen Zhou's hunger and ntal exhaustion from playing the fish at night, he could have pulled the whole fish ashore in one go.
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