Chapter 61: The Bigheaded Carp (Thank you all for your support)

The people around were more thrilled to receive the money than if they had just landed a massive catch—after all, it was two bright red bills.

“By the way, everyone, I have something to announce. I’ve taken over the lease on this reservoir.”

At that moment, Qian Weining revealed the news.

“You’ve leased it?”

“Sigh, that’s one less place for us to fish.”

“Understood, we won’t come here to fish anymore. We’ll let the others know as well.”

…

For everyone present, their only real concern was how this affected them personally—they didn’t particularly care why he had leased it or what other plans he might have. To them, it simply meant they could no longer come and fish freely. Nothing more.

“Wait a minute… don’t be in such a hurry. That’s not what I meant. I want everyone to spread the word—there will be a fishing competition here soon. The date hasn’t been set, but if you land a big catch, there’ll be prize money.”

“Not only that, anyone here today, and all the regulars, can keep fishing here for free in the future. Except for the trophy fish, you can take everything you catch. Consider it my way of making friends with all you uncles.”

Qian Weining’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was deep and resonant, and everyone heard him clearly.

“What? A fishing tournament? With prize money?”

“Old Liu, what’s that got to do with you? Don’t start dreaming about the prize money. But it’s great that we can still come and fish. My grandson loves the fish from here.”

“Old Li, can’t I have dreams too? Not everyone is like you, doing nothing but spoiling the grandkid every day.”

“Tch, you only say that because you don’t have a grandson. Don’t be jealous. I’m off—my grandson’s waiting for his fish.”

“You…”

The conversation about the fishing tournament was soon overshadowed by the banter between the two old men. Everyone else simply watched the spectacle, even Zhong Di found it rather amusing.

“Alright, everyone, that’s enough for today. I’ll let you know in advance about the fishing competition.”

Once he was sure everyone had gotten the message, Qian Weining dismissed the crowd. He still had to make proper preparations for the tournament—it couldn’t be done on a whim.

To outsiders, leasing this reservoir seemed a losing proposition. After all, the place was somewhat famous in the area, and more than a few wealthy investors had lost money on it.

But only he knew it was anything but a loss. Precisely because of the reservoir’s bad reputation, he’d gotten it at a rock-bottom price.

Never mind anything else—just the trophy fish in the reservoir were a windfall. Especially if he held a fishing tournament to stir up some excitement, the money would come back in no time.

“Zhong Di, let’s not mince words. I must have that fish you caught. I’ll give you twenty thousand, but you can’t tell anyone I bought it from you. Just say you gave it to me.”

He waited until the others had left before quietly making his offer to Zhong Di.

Zhong Di listened in silence, studying Qian Weining. There must be a reason for such a request; the meaning was clear enough—he wanted an explanation.

“To be honest, I was shocked when I saw that fish. It’s a Northwestern Paddlefish—unique to China, known as the Flatnose Fish, a type of Schizothorax.”

“It has its origins three hundred million years ago, like the ginkgo—a living fossil among fish. Even in its largest native habitat in the Northwest, it’s all but extinct.”

“Maybe you don’t realize how precious it is. You’ve heard of the jailbreaker beast, right? Well, this fish is just as rare—a critically endangered, first-class protected animal, with immense economic and scientific value.”

“I’m planning to hand the fish over to the authorities. If word got out that I paid you for it, that would be an illegal transaction. You understand?”

Qian Weining explained at length—not only giving a brief introduction to the paddlefish, but also outlining how he intended to handle it and the consequences involved.

Zhong Di didn’t interrupt, simply listening. He didn’t understand the details at first, but he caught on by the end. He was well aware of the consequences of getting tangled up with a “jailbreaker beast.”

Anyone involved with such a creature was certainly in deep trouble.

“Since you say it’s an illegal transaction, I can’t accept your money. Besides, now that you’ve leased the reservoir, I have even less reason to take it.”

Zhong Di was a man of principle—he did what was right, without fuss or pretense.

“This doesn’t seem fair. You caught the fish, and I hadn’t mentioned leasing the reservoir before.”

“I said no, and that’s that. Are we still fishing or not?” Once Zhong Di made a decision, he stuck to it.

“Alright then, thank you. Trying to protect these vanishing species has always been a dream of mine. Humans have always taken from nature—if we never give anything back, retribution is inevitable.”

Qian Weining’s voice grew softer as he spoke, as if he were speaking more to himself than anyone else.

“So, shall we keep fishing?” Qian Weining glanced at the sky. It was still early—lunch was already over, and it looked like a nap would be out of the question.

“Let’s keep going. Maybe we can land another trophy fish.”

The joy of fishing could only be appreciated by those who had experienced it firsthand—especially the thrill of a big catch.

The real reason Zhong Di wanted to keep fishing was to see if the water plants would send him information again. Their assistance must have come from watching people fish so often, much like some intelligent animals learn to imitate humans.

And since the plants lived in the water, they knew where the fish were and what they were doing. It was only natural for them.

“Alright, let’s continue. Your technique just now was impressive—much better than your friend’s. Have you fished before? But your casting stance didn’t look trained.”

Qian Weining recalled the scene—he’d been shouting instructions, but it was clear Zhong Di hadn’t been paying attention, as if he’d entered a kind of trance.

If it wasn’t experience, then it must have been talent. Some people are just born for certain things—they pick them up instantly and excel without effort. That’s a fact you can’t deny.

“Talking about fishing skills, don’t bring me into it. My strength is in casting nets, not fishing rods. Each has its own strengths.”

Shao Hong wasn’t about to admit defeat. He might not be much of an angler, but when it came to net fishing, he was second to none. The results he’d achieved last time would be something to boast about for a lifetime.

“Alright, alright, let me show you how it’s done this time.”

With that, Qian Weining produced his sea rod and baited it with a slightly larger piece of chicken.

He found a good spot, assumed the proper stance, and cast his line.

Even without knowing much, it was obvious that Qian Weining’s cast was far more graceful—much better than his own attempt.

Splash!

The moment the hook hit the water, a big fish bit down. It was deep beneath the surface, just a vague shadow, but there was no doubt—it was a trophy fish.

“Good grief, is your chicken made of gold? That’s some bait,” Qian Weining muttered as he began to work the rod, his technique deft and practiced.

“Gold or not, I can’t say. But it looks like the fish is about to get away! Hurry…”