"Hey, you can tell fishing is really making money now, driving cars like these."
"What kind of car is that? A 13D? Still showing off?"
"Are you blind? That's a Benz, not a 13D..."
"But that badge looks just like a 13D's. Who's crazy enough to buy that car?"
Some people nearby were whispering like this as Xiang Ye put on the fishing vest Zhou Chen handed him and started unpacking his gear.
"Cut it out, you two. The person driving that car probably isn't even fishing. Definitely some rich kid trying out the lifestyle, probably catching fish by luck only," another person joined the conversation.
"Heh, that's good though. Zhou Chen's team was likely to place in the top three, but now they've given up a spot. This could be a great opportunity!"
Hearing that, the others laughed.
Their voices weren't low, so Xiang Ye heard them clearly. He glanced over but didn't say anything.
"I'm counting on you to slap them in the face later."
Zhou Chen approached with a confident look.
"Don't worry!"
Xiang Ye smiled. Actually, Zhou Chen wasn't just encouraging him; he was worried Xiang Ye might start a fight with these guys. After all, they were competitors, and trash talk happens in competitions everywhere.
If Xiang Ye was really some pampered rich kid who couldn't handle insults and started trouble, the organizers might disqualify him or even ban Zhou Chen's whole team.
For these people, it's all benefit and no harm. Getting angry doesn't hurt them.
Being weak and losing is the real fault.
But Xiang Ye, who had been through the IT grind for five years, was unbothered. He calmly unpacked his gear and waited for the draw to pick their fishing spots. Sitting on his tackle box, he started eating his steamed buns. Honestly, sitting on a tackle box is uncomfortable after a while, but it's practical because it holds a lot of gear.
A fishing chair would be more comfortable—Xiang Ye thought about getting one since he wasn't the kind of angler who used tons of additives or bait packs. He only needed floats, lines, and rigs, so a fishing chair might work for him. They're way more comfortable than sitting on a box with no backrest.
Meanwhile, Zhou Chen explained the competition details.
There were 40 teams total—200 participants. That's quite a crowd.
Teams would draw lots for spots, sometimes five together, then distribute spots among themselves. Zhou Chen's team planned to do just that.
Only the top three would get prizes: third place got 50,000 RMB and 5 Master Points from the Fishing Channel—a TV channel dedicated to fishing competitions, very famous in angler circles.
Master Points rank participants. The Fishing Channel holds two seasons: Spring and Autumn. The top 20 scorers from each season get to enter two national masters' tournaments.
Top 5 from the Spring season go to the "King's Battle" in summer—a global contest with teams from many countries competing for the title of Fishing King.
Top 5 from the Autumn season form a team representing the Yan and Huang region, competing against world anglers for the world championship.
After hearing this, Xiang Ye felt a little fired up.
But he knew these competitions didn't really concern him. These were all stocked water reservoirs or pay-to-fish ponds for competitions.
Xiang Ye specialized in natural water bodies. Unless there was a special mission, he should be fishing at YueJing Lake now.
Second place prize: 100,000 RMB and 10 Master Points.
First place didn't give cash but 20 Master Points and a special edition Great Wall Pao 2.0T Black Bullet pickup truck—priced at 245,800 RMB, totaling about 280,000 RMB after taxes and fees. This truck was customized for fishing with lots of rod holders and storage spaces—looking very appealing.
Xiang Ye only glanced at it casually; he already had a car, and his was probably more comfortable.
After Zhou Chen finished explaining, the competition was about to start. The organizer's half-hour speech of formalities ended, and it was time for the draw.
Zhou Chen went up to draw five spots.
When he returned, his face was not happy.
"Luck wasn't great. The best spots are at the south inlet, then one on the dam to the east, one in the southeast bushes, one on the west mudbank, and the last on the shallow north side."
He spread the scattered numbers on his palm.
The best was the inlet, because unlike ponds, food is scarce here. The inlet brings water and a lot of food, so fish gather there.
Second best was the shallow water. There's an old saying: "Fish shallow in spring, deep in summer, shade in autumn, sun in winter." Not absolute, but here in the big reservoir, shallow spots are warmer and better for fish now.
Third was the bush area. There are lots of insects, and fish eat bugs and plants, so many fish hide there. With the right technique, you can catch fish there easily.
Fourth was the mudbank. Not much to see there, but rain can wash food into the reservoir, so fish sometimes stay there.
Worst was the concrete dam area. It's clean but useless for fishing...
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