Unable to resist the old man's enthusiasm, Chen Yang gave in.
Besides, the old man had a point.
Even though Chen Yang possessed master-level fishing skills and theoretical knowledge, if he hooked a big fish with his flimsy bamboo rod, the most likely outcome would be a snapped rod.
"Thank you, sir," Chen Yang said.
The old man waved it off with a grin. "What's there to thank? Fishing's all about having fun. If you catch something, just leave an old man a couple of fish to bring home. Gotta show something for my time out here."
"Of course!"
Chen Yang picked a 5.4-meter fishing rod, paired it with a size 2 line and a 1.5 sub-line.
This setup could easily handle fish weighing 10 or even 15 pounds. For a skilled angler, it could take on fish weighing 40 or 50 pounds—it all came down to technique.
"This old man must have his own story," someone mused in the stream chat.
"Yeah, he sounds like he's used to coming back empty-handed and getting an earful at home."
"Poor guy. Imagine fishing all day and having nothing to show for it!"
The viewers chuckled at the old man's comments.
Chen Yang baited the hook with a worm and cast it into the water.
"Whoa! Snake!" the old man suddenly shouted.
He had been busy helping Chen Yang with the rod and hadn't noticed the giant snake behind him.
Now that he saw it, he jumped in fright, yelling so loudly that it caught the attention of nearby anglers.
"Whoa, is that a python?"
"How is there such a massive snake here?"
"Don't move! Seriously, don't move. If you do, it might attack!"
"Wait! I'll come and help chase it away!"
A few anglers grabbed their rods and rushed over.
Chen Yang quickly reassured them, "Don't panic, everyone. It's Big Black. He doesn't bite."
Turning to Big Black, he said, "Big Black, say hello to the old man."
Big Black raised half of its body and nodded toward the old man. Then it turned to the crowd rushing over and nodded again, before curling up around Chen Yang's leg like an obedient pet.
The crowd stared in stunned silence.
"This snake... understands you?" the old man asked, wide-eyed.
Chen Yang smiled. "Yeah, he understands me—and you, too."
"My bad for not having him hide earlier. I didn't mean to scare you."
"No worries, no worries," the old man said, still watching Big Black with amazement.
Other anglers hesitated, then asked, "He really doesn't bite?"
"Not at all," Chen Yang confirmed.
"Big Black, do a spin," Chen Yang commanded.
Big Black immediately spun in place, prompting the crowd to gasp in amazement.
They couldn't stop praising Big Black's intelligence, and their initial fear vanished entirely.
Chen Yang shook his head at his own oversight. He had grown so used to Big Black that he forgot how normal people might react to seeing a snake—especially one this size. For someone with a weak heart, it could've been terrifying.
Fortunately, no one got hurt, and the incident blew over quickly.
After a while, the anglers returned to their fishing spots, though they kept stealing glances at Big Black.
While they had seen people with dogs or cats and even exotic pets, they had never encountered someone with a snake this size. It was fascinating to them.
"You've got fish in that bucket, huh?" the old man asked, peeking inside.
"Yep," Chen Yang said. "Caught them earlier at a reservoir in the mountains. People kept saying the reservoir was empty, but I didn't believe them. Fished for half an hour and found out they were mostly right—not many fish left."
The old man gave him a long, complicated look and clutched his chest.
He felt like this young man was teasing him.
"Wait, you caught fish at that reservoir?" another angler asked in surprise.
"Yeah, just a few. Nothing much," Chen Yang replied.
The man gave him a thumbs-up. "Impressive. I've been there at least 20 times and never seen a single fish, not even a scale. And you caught something on your first try? Amazing!"
The old man pointed at Chen Yang's bucket. "Half an hour and you call this 'nothing'? There's even a big carp in there!"
"What? A carp? Let me see!"
His shout drew more anglers over.
They gathered around Chen Yang's bucket, clicking their tongues in envy.
"That's a huge carp. Look at those scales—beautiful!"
"Even the crucian carp are big. Four or five ounces each, easily."
"This guy's got great luck. First time at the reservoir and he lands fish like these."
"With all the electrofishing going on, catching anything there is a miracle."
Chen Yang laughed. "Yeah, just lucky."
The old man suggested, "Why don't you chum the water a bit? I've got some bait mix here."
"No need," Chen Yang said. "I've got my own."
He grabbed a handful of spiritual soil and tossed it into the water.
The old man shook his head, chuckling. "Throwing mud? What a waste of time."
No sooner had he spoken than Chen Yang's float bobbed.
His masterful skills allowed him to read the signal perfectly.
"Swish!"
The line snapped taut, and a massive black fish broke the water's surface as Chen Yang raised the rod.
"Not bad. That was quick!"
Chen Yang skillfully played the fish, which was at least eight pounds, and commented, "This spot is great. Plenty of fish here."
The old man: "…"
"Man, your luck is insane. We've been here all morning without a single bite, and you've already landed one," someone muttered.
"Wait, is that a mandarin fish?"
"Wow, catching a mandarin fish with a hand rod? That's unheard of!"
Mandarin fish are predatory and typically caught with lures, making this an extraordinary feat—especially since this one weighed nearly ten pounds.
The anglers stared in disbelief, their envy palpable.
"That's insane luck!"
"Chen Yang, are you here to ruin us?"
"Old man: My heart can't take this anymore!"
In less than two minutes, Chen Yang had the fish on land. He carefully brought it in, avoiding any force that might snap the rod.
After weighing the fish in his hand, he estimated, "Eight pounds, seven ounces. Not bad."
The anglers exchanged looks, speechless.
As experienced as they were, they only ever gave rough weight estimates—five or six pounds, seven or eight pounds. Chen Yang's precision down to the ounce felt like a flex.
"That's gotta be at least ten pounds," the old man insisted, pulling a small scale from his bag.
Chen Yang blinked. "You carry a scale?"
The old man puffed up with pride. "Catching fish doesn't matter. What matters is professionalism!"
"Legendary old man!"
"Respect, sir!"
"This man's fishing gear must cost a fortune."
"A fortune? His rod alone—Shimano—costs $1800! This setup's easily over $10,000."
As everyone gathered around, the scale read: 8 pounds, 7 ounces.
They were stunned into silence.
"Is your hand a digital scale?" someone finally asked.
...
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]