Chapter 128: The Fishing Tournament

Feeding the chickens water, feeding the sheep water, feeding the rabbits water—
All just feeding water!
There was no other choice. Zhong Di’s main responsibility here was allocating the Wild Sand Fairy Sprouts; the rest of the tasks didn’t require his involvement at all.
But this particular duty was something he couldn’t reveal to others. To everyone else, Zhong Di seemed like someone who was extremely passionate about watering small animals.
Zhong Di deliberately slowed his pace, only finishing his work right at the time Uncle Qian specified.
The competition began at ten in the morning and lasted until six in the evening, with all results counted within this timeframe.
This schedule was designed because endurance was considered part of an angler’s skill.
Sometimes, people would persist for an entire day just to catch a single fish.
“Shao Hong, want to go fishing together?” Zhong Di asked, watching Shao Hong busily working.
“No thanks, we still have plenty of customers today. You go ahead. With my skills, it’d just be embarrassing.”
“Alright then, the farm’s in your hands.” Zhong Di said and drove off on his electric tricycle.
He hadn’t brought any fishing gear this time; it had been arranged in advance that Qian Weining would prepare everything.
When Zhong Di arrived at the reservoir, he saw quite a crowd. Compared to his last visit, there were definitely many more people now, with newcomers arriving from time to time.
“Zhong Di, you’re here. I’ve got your fishing gear. Find a spot yourself, start when it’s time, and feel free to do as you please. I won’t be hosting you today.” Qian Weining quickly said a few words before hurrying off.
He was indeed busy today. With so many people, he had to coordinate everything. Judging by his conversations, besides the anglers he had invited and fishing enthusiasts, there were also many acquaintances.
Zhong Di even spotted Uncle Zhou, who had dined at his farm with Qian Weining, among the attendees. There were quite a few guests today.
Soon, a staff member brought Zhong Di his fishing equipment.
Two rods—both sea fishing rods—one for fishing, the other as backup.
There were fishing lines ranging from 0.4 to 3 or 4 gauge, allowing for a wide choice in line thickness.
Also included were floaters and other accessories—a complete set.
Zhong Di picked up a badge with a pin attached. It read “Number Six, Zhong Di,” presumably prepared early in the morning. The number was for easy identification.
Everyone present came from various fields and circles; it was impossible for everyone to know one another. The numbering system prevented confusion and made it convenient to call out numbers directly.

“Look! Number Six is getting ready, getting ready.”
Not, “Hey, that handsome guy over there who could make people swoon is prepping.”
Zhong Di thought this to himself and scanned the crowd. When it got crowded, finding a fishing spot became difficult and frustrating. But it didn’t matter much; he never intended to win anything—just a casual fish.
His main purpose today was to relax, fish a bit, enjoy a seafood lunch, then wrap up in the afternoon and bring some lobsters back to Shao Hong and the others—perfect.
The crowd was mostly concentrated in the north and west areas; the west side had the most people, the north a bit less, the east had a few scattered individuals, and nobody went to the south side.
He chose the south side—quiet, no one around, comfortable, and no competition for spots; ideal for fishing.
Zhong Di cheerfully headed south.
This scene caught the attention of many and left some feeling disappointed.
“Look, his badge says number six. Thought he might be a rising star in fishing, but turns out he’s just a novice.”
“He doesn’t even understand basic pond layout or light-tracking fish-finding techniques. Not someone we need to worry about.”
In fishing, there are many ways to locate fish, but the mainstream methods include judging pond shape and tracking light.
The reservoir was roughly circular; in such ponds, fish tend to gather most densely in the north. At sunrise, the light shines mostly on the west side.
“See number eight, Lin Song? I think he might be a strong competitor.”
“Oh? How do you figure? Just because he’s number eight?”
It was clear that lower numbers often meant stronger skill.
“The angler’s skin tone doesn’t necessarily determine skill, but it definitely indicates how long they’ve been fishing.”
“No wonder, he’s quite tanned.”
“Alright, let’s find our spots quickly. We’re starting soon. Let’s first build our fishing nests using number one line.”
The two chatted casually, clearly preparing to cooperate. The rules did not forbid collaboration.
Meanwhile, Zhong Di was setting up his rod. Since he planned to catch big fish from the start, he didn’t hold back and switched to number four line.
As for the hook, naturally, he chose a large one—no explanation needed.
He was here to catch big fish, not to compete with those targeting small ones.
Once ready, Zhong Di placed his rod aside and waited for the competition to begin, idly playing on his phone.
After giving his sister control over the farm’s smaller accounts and the social media presence, Zhong Di felt much more at ease, no longer needing to check constantly for important messages.

“Sun Miaomiao is coming for lunch this afternoon.”
Zhong Di sent a voice message to his sister, asking if there was still space available. Fortunately, there was one table open, so he told Sun Miaomiao it was fine.
After replying to a few more messages, the fishing competition officially began.
Zhong Di watched as many participants sprang into action but took his time preparing. No need to rush—it wasn’t a race. Even if it were, with such a long duration, it would be a marathon.
“Oh wow, number one caught something so quickly.”
“Such speed! Truly worthy of being number one.”
Soon, noisy chatter filled the air. From Zhong Di’s spot, he couldn’t hear exactly what was being said, but the commotion was unmistakable.
He glanced over and guessed what was going on.
Ah, someone caught a fish.
Impressive.
That was the gist of it.
Qian Weining smiled among the crowd. Since it was a fishing competition, he had added special ingredients to the bait—otherwise, what fun would it be? Being an experienced angler himself, he understood what everyone was thinking.
Zhong Di began. There was a bag of fish food, clearly to build a nest for fish. He thought about it and decided not to make a fuss. He’d just fish casually here.
Adjusting his posture, baiting the hook, casting the line—Zhong Di’s movements gradually became proficient.
“Are you there? Are you there?” Zhong Di tentatively called out to a massive aquatic plant deep in the reservoir.
This was the only sentient, communicative plant in the reservoir. Zhong Di intended to have a good chat with it.
“I’m here. Do you need my help?”
Splash!
Just as he received the response, Zhong Di’s rod twitched—there was a bite. Was the plant helping him? No, that was impossible just after establishing contact.
Zhong Di glanced at his bait and searched the crowd for Qian Weining, as if he suddenly understood something.