Li HaoChen watched the spinning reel with both terror and excitement. For any angler, a marlin was a dream catch, and Li HaoChen was no exception. However, this was not a fish to be trifled with; even if one managed to hook it, they might lose their life in the process. Yet, the glory of landing a marlin drove many to pursue it relentlessly!
He adjusted the drag again, Li HaoChen forcefully yanked the fishing rod with his wrist, attempting to inflict a slight sting on the marlin to make it change direction.
It was effective. On the eighth tug, the marlin suddenly executed a U-turn, charging towards Li HaoChen at a speed exceeding a hundred kilometers per hour.
"Holy crap!"
The shadow of the last marlin had not yet faded, and this one was likely even bigger. It was better to avoid its direct charge.
Li HaoChen calculated the distance. When there were about a hundred meters left, he abandoned reeling in the line and instead ran to the other side, dropping flat. He didn't try to leap over it. As Li HaoChen let out a silent sigh of relief, he quickly stood up. Seizing this moment, he braced the rod handle against his abdomen, fully releasing the drag.
A few seconds later, the line tightened again, spooling out at high speed. Li HaoChen timed it perfectly and re-tightened the drag. The marlin paused slightly and changed direction again. This time, however, it didn't head back but instead veered sharply to the right at high speed.
Half an hour later, Li HaoChen was drenched in sweat. The marlin truly lived up to its reputation; its speed and strength were no joke. Dealing with it required patience and extreme vigilance, or one wouldn't even know how they died.
Despite the danger, Li HaoChen had no intention of giving up. The sense of accomplishment from conquering such a fish was immense. Moreover, having wrestled with a marlin before, he felt he had a decent chance.
Although the marlin possessed top-tier speed and strength, its patience was severely lacking. It would either leap out of the water or dart wildly from side to side. All these maneuvers, instead of dislodging the hook, only drove it deeper.
Already agitated, the fish became even more frenzied. The marlin charged again, skimming the water's surface at incredible speed, its sail-like dorsal fin visibly growing larger.
It was incredibly fast, covering a hundred meters in the blink of an eye. Li HaoChen's eyes narrowed, and he immediately released the drag completely, throwing his entire body flat onto the floor of the walkway.
The moment he fell, a massive dark shadow swept overhead, as if blotting out the sun, making the sky seem to dim.
After the shadow passed, a tremendous impact sound followed. The marlin, truly a darling of the sea, sustained no significant damage from such a high-speed collision. Its uniquely advantageous physical structure was truly remarkable.
Li HaoChen pushed himself up forcefully and sprinted to the other side. If he didn't move, not only the fish but also the fishing rod would be lost.
Thus, Li HaoChen continued his battle of wits and strength with the marlin. This creature, whether addicted to jumping or for some other reason, would leap over Li HaoChen's head every few minutes, forcing him to duck instinctively. With each pass, he would have to dive. It felt less like he was playing the fish and more like the fish was playing him.
Even so, Li HaoChen was thoroughly enjoying himself, relishing the feeling of being played by the marlin. It was only through this that he could maintain a better mindset for each confrontation.
Unbeknownst to him, the sun had already risen high. Xu Qing and the others had woken up but, noticing the absence of the boat's engine vibrations, curiously went to investigate.
"Where's HaoChen?"
Seeing the empty captain's seat, Xu Qing went outside, assuming he was out there.
As soon as she stepped out, a sense of impending death washed over her. Turning her head, her eyes instantly focused. She wanted to move, but her body felt as if it were nailed down. Her mind went blank, leaving only two words: "It's over..."
"Holy crap~"
Li HaoChen, who was already lying prone nearby, hadn't expected anyone to come out at that moment. His mind suddenly exploded, and he erupted with all his remaining strength, pushing himself up and diving forward again.
The moment both of them hit the ground, a terrifyingly swift current of air grazed their backs, making Li HaoChen's hair stand on end. This was followed by a deafening crash.
"Bang~ Boom~"
Both of them were breathing heavily, their hearts pounding wildly. Their minds were still blank, lost in the terror of the moment, completely unaware of their current positions.
Inside the cabin, Zhu Wenxuan and the others had an even narrower escape. They had wanted to experience being the captain and had taken a step forward, and it was this step that brushed past the hand of death.
Looking at the colossal marlin lying sprawled in the cabin, Zhu Wenxuan swallowed hard. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "I'm still alive?"
Tang Shengtian felt the same. He slapped himself hard, feeling the stinging pain, and tears of joy welled up. "I'm f***ing alive, damn it."
Their sounds also woke Li HaoChen and Xu Qing outside. They locked eyes and couldn't help but laugh. "We're not dead, we're not dead!"
Li HaoChen became excited and clenched his fists tightly. Er, why were they so soft? They looked down and froze, then met each other's eyes again...
"Ah......"
A scream, louder and sharper than the marlin's impact on the cabin, struck Zhu Wenxuan and the other man inside with renewed terror.
"It's Xu Qing, hurry!"
With the marlin blocking their path, they scrambled over, stumbling and rushing out.
"Xu Qing, Xu Qing, are you guys alright?" Tang Shengtian asked urgently.
By this time, Xu Qing and Li HaoChen had already separated, standing apart as if nothing had happened. Upon closer inspection, Xu Qing's face had a slight flush.
"N... no, we're fine. I was just scared to death."
"HaoChen, what happened?"
"Exactly what you see. We stopped the boat to rest and play for a bit, and then we ran into this guy. And then..." Li HaoChen looked at Xu Qing and smiled. "She ran out. This marlin probably got infatuated, and that's that, hehehe!"
"Of course. Haven't you seen who I am? I'm a beauty that can topple cities and kingdoms. A fish is nothing,嘻嘻!"
Xu Qing regained her usual demeanor, joking with a smile to alleviate the awkwardness of the moment.
"Yes, yes, enough to charm the sea and charm the fish, hahaha!" Li HaoChen also played along with a small joke.
"Hahaha..."
"I can't be bothered with you guys. I'm going in to play with the fish..." Xu Qing rolled her eyes at the three and walked away with a smile, her hands behind her back.
"Shengtian, am I... am I seeing things?" Zhu Wenxuan asked with an incredulous look.
"Unbelievable. We teased her, and she didn't lash out. Was she stunned into silence by the fright?"
"Alright, let's go inside and see how to deal with this."
Li HaoChen walked inside. He looked at the devastated cabin and then at the colossal marlin lying within, a look of lingering fear on his face. In truth, he hadn't expended much energy. He just hadn't expected the fish to go berserk and charge. This turned out to be a good thing for them.