Unbeknownst to him, the thick fog gradually dissipated, and a few playful rays of sunshine broke through, casting a warm and comfortable glow on Li Haochen's face.
Half an hour later, the fog had completely cleared, and the sunlight cast a shimmering glow across the sea. A long figure gradually emerged, astonishing everyone with its appearance.
"Spanish Mackerel."
"That's right, it's incredible. This Spanish Mackerel should be longer than the one caught in Zhoushan the year before last."
"Yaohong, get the crane arm, hurry up. What are you waiting for?" Liu Qinghe was probably the most clear-headed person on the scene, and he was extremely excited. Although the exact length of the fish was not yet known, it was definitely among the top few.
"Oh… here it comes, here it comes…"
Snapping back to reality, Chen Yaohong quickly brought over the crane's sling. The large catch was not yet dead, and it took several minutes to successfully secure it. As the crane began to operate normally, Li Haochen finally breathed a sigh of relief.
With that release, his entire body tilted backward. Even though he was conscious, it was to no avail; his body was no longer under his brain's control. Fortunately, Zhang Yuan, who was beside him, quickly steadied him, preventing Li Haochen from getting injured. Even Zhang Yuan didn't know why he had acted.
This scene also caught the attention of Li Zhigang and the others in front, who looked at Zhang Yuan with some surprise.
"Thanks, Yuan Ge. If it weren't for you, I probably would have had to go to the repair shop, haha."
"Old Yuan, you've got good skills. If it were me, I probably would have just stared blankly while Haochen fell."
Receiving the praise, Zhang Yuan felt a little embarrassed, his old face flushing slightly, but inwardly, he felt a bit of secret delight. He couldn't explain why he had acted that way.
"I just happened to be nearby, hehe."
"It's coming up, it's coming up."
"It's… it's amazing. It's definitely in the top three for this category, hahaha!"
"Quick, quick, make way, let me measure it." Liu Qinghe, who had found a tape measure from somewhere, rushed out, his hand trembling slightly. He was extremely excited and expectant, muttering to himself.
"One meter… two meters… three… three meters."
"Hiss—"
Everyone gasped in unison. Liu Qinghe collapsed onto the ground, his voice choked with emotion, "This is great, this is great! Although it's not worth a lot of money, with this length and weight, we won't be at the bottom at least."
What Liu Qinghe said was also the sentiment of everyone present. They were out here competing, representing their country, and who wanted to return having come in last? But it was also a fact that their skills were inferior to others. Li Haochen's giant catch had reignited their fighting spirit.
"So what if we lose? Even if we lose, we must not tarnish the prestige of Great China."
"That's right, the spirit of Chinese men cannot be extinguished."
As the few were filled with ambition, Li Haochen, supported by Zhang Yuan and Li Zhigang, walked over. His complexion had improved somewhat after resting for a while.
Looking at the giant catch before him, Li Haochen felt as if it were a dream, but the pain was real.
"Haochen, tell us how you feel?"
"Director Liu, I honestly don't know how I feel. I caught it in a daze, my mind was blank. If it weren't for the pain in my hands, I would have thought I was dreaming, haha!"
"Indeed. When I caught that marlin weighing over three hundred pounds, I had a similar feeling. My actions were purely instinctive," Zhang Yuan said, also moved, recalling his past experiences with great emotion.
As his fame grew, money and status had changed his original intentions. The struggle with the giant catch had brought back Li Haochen's truest self. He loved fishing, he loved battling large fish. "So my original intention was clouded by money. Fortunately… it's not too late…"
Li Haochen was suffering from extreme hunger and exhaustion and did not stay there any longer. Chen Yaohong and the others would handle the subsequent arrangements.
Refusing Zhang Yuan's support, he held onto the side and slowly walked into the kitchen. The two kitchen uncles were already prepared with a bowl of shrimp congee and a plate of beef noodles. Li Haochen had no appetite, but he persisted and ate, feeling his strength slightly recover after the food entered his stomach.
Back in his room, applying disinfectant was another ordeal. Looking at the wounds on his palms and stomach, he felt pain but also excitement. "It's a good thing the area isn't too large, and I can still move around. Otherwise, I wouldn't even know how to go to the bathroom!"
Without showering, he changed into a dry set of clothes and got into bed. Li Haochen fell asleep instantly. Thinking about it, after more than three hours of struggle, both his mind and body were severely depleted. He was exhausted.
While Li Haochen was sound asleep, the seven people outside had their fighting spirit ignited, and they were all eagerly engaged in their activities.
"Hahaha, I knew it, how could I, Zhang Yuan, lose? This fat guy has wiped you all out."
Outside the boat, as a plump yellowfin tuna weighing around 180 pounds was hoisted up, Zhang Yuan laughed heartily and then became smug. This yellowfin was good enough for auction, and with it, he had the confidence to compete for a better position.
However, his smugness no longer carried the same competitive edge. The moment he had stepped forward to help Li Haochen, many of their previous reservations about him had dissipated. Knowing his personality well, no one took his current bit of smugness seriously.
"Not bad, Old Yuan. Shall we have a slice of tuna tonight?"
"Yeah, my mouth is watering. I've never tasted auction-grade tuna before, hehe!"
"Get lost, don't get any ideas about my fish. I'm reluctant to even try it myself." Zhang Yuan said as he cooperated with Liu Yuxuan to pull the yellowfin towards the ice chest, his protective demeanor making everyone laugh. Of course, his good catch had once again ignited everyone's fighting spirit, and a fierce competition had officially begun.
Li Haochen woke up at eight in the evening. His stomach had been rumbling for a long time. If he wasn't so hungry, he would have wanted to stay in bed. The wounds on his hands had dried, but they couldn't touch water yet. It should be fine by tomorrow.
He hadn't showered in the morning and felt very uncomfortable now. He walked to the kitchen, found two disposable gloves, taped them securely at the opening, and went back to shower.
After a hot shower, his entire body felt refreshed. He came out and went to the kitchen to make something to eat, only to find a note attached to the pot. Opening the lid, he was filled with emotion. The warm meal warmed his stomach and his heart.
After eating and cleaning up the dishes, he walked out of the cabin. To his surprise, everyone was sitting on the deck, cracking melon seeds and peanuts, drinking and singing, and even dancing. Zhang Yuan was even embracing Situ Haoliang in the center, bellowing "Spring In My Heart" with gusto, which Li Haochen found quite remarkable.
"Hey, Haochen, you're awake! Have you had dinner yet?"
"I've eaten, Brother Li. Thank you all so much."
"What are you thanking us for? We're like family, no need for such words."
"Come here, Haochen."
Zhang Yuan held two bottles of beer and called Li Haochen over to the center, saying sincerely, "Honestly, at first, I really didn't like you. We won't mention the reasons, but when you caught that giant creature yesterday, I was incredibly impressed, and I also rediscovered my original intention. Thank you."
Li Haochen took the wine and smiled, "Everyone, it's all in here." With that, he tilted his head back and drank it all in one go. After a few seconds, he raised the empty bottle and shook it.
"Good…"
"Let's drink up too!"