With the strong rivals of the Mu family's fleet suddenly gone, the boats hovering in the top 20 saw hope and were once again brimming with renewed vigor. As for the boats that had completely lost hope, they, like the Mu family's fleet, scoured the vast ocean for the Star Treader.
“Boss, is this owner out of his mind? Instead of focusing on the race, he’s having us search the entire ocean for this so-called Star Treader?”
Liao Shoud, captain of the Mu family's 01 boat, cast a sidelong glance at his capable subordinate who spoke. “Just say these things here, and don't go blabbing outside.”
“I know, Boss, it’s just…”
“Enough, stop talking and quickly notify the supply ship to come for refueling.” Liao Shoud also had some reservations about abandoning the race to pursue the Star Treader, but since Mu Zhengtao promised them compensation, he didn't mind. As long as they weren't shortchanged, it was fine.
Why was Mu Zhengtao so persistent in spending a large sum of money to deal with Li Haochen? Was it really because Li Haochen caught a lot of fish every time he went out to sea? Not at all. The primary purpose was to let other stirrers know that his Mu family was not to be trifled with. Even though they had lost power, a lion was still a lion.
At this moment, Li Haochen was thousands of miles away in the Zhoushan sea area, unaware that he had become a hot commodity. If he knew, he would probably report himself to the authorities to get money from Mu Zhengtao.
Li Haochen was not in a hurry to return. Since he had come to Zhoushan, it wouldn't hurt to visit the Zhoushan Islands and try his luck. Perhaps he might have a good harvest.
It took over an hour to finally reach the Zhoushan Islands. It was a considerable distance.
The Zhoushan Islands were also called the Five Continents Islands and were composed of five small islands of varying sizes.
The area was not large. The largest island was only the size of a football field, and the smallest was only the size of a volleyball court.
The areas around the first few islands already had local fishermen setting nets, so Li Haochen had to go to the fifth island, the furthest one.
This fifth island was very strange. It looked like Sun Wukong’s Ruyi Jingu Bang, a straight oval piercing the seabed. If it weren't for the clump of grass growing on top, it probably wouldn't be called an island.
To be safe, Li Haochen parked his boat about thirty meters away.
He took bait out of the ice chest to thaw it, then went into the kitchen to prepare lunch.
The dish was the beggar’s chicken bought in Zhoushan City last night, which just needed to be reheated. He would also cook some superior broth with cabbage hearts.
The beggar’s chicken tasted quite good when eaten fresh, but the next day it had lost its flavor. However, Li Haochen was not a picky eater and finished it all.
After eating, the ice had melted. He put on his gear, set up the fishing rod, and began.
After a few minutes, the fishing rod showed no reaction. Bored, Li Haochen picked up a lure and attached a small minnow to play with.
“Swish~”
“Ang…” He hadn't cast in so long that he only managed to cast a few meters. Looking at the distance, he felt embarrassed.
Li Haochen practiced for about ten minutes and finally regained his skills.
This cast reached at least fifty meters. Li Haochen smiled with satisfaction. His wrist flicked, and the small minnow in the water came alive, twisting its body.
He reeled in the fishing line, but there was still no movement. Just as he was about to cast again, the fishing rod next to him started ringing.
He put down the lure and pressed the button. The fish underwater struggled continuously, the fishing line cutting through the water with a swishing sound.
A few seconds later, its true form was revealed. Li Haochen scooped it up with a landing net.
“Hahaha, not bad, I actually caught a red sea bream.”
Red sea bream, also known as Kajiki, red Kajiki, copper basin fish, big-head fish, etc., is a famous and precious sea fish both at home and abroad, often called "sea chicken." It is considered one of the top ten most delicious fish in China and fetches a very good price. Wild live fish range from 80 to 160 yuan, but most of the fish on the market are farmed and frozen, costing around 30 yuan.
In the past, it was easy to distinguish between farmed and wild fish; red ones were wild, and black ones were farmed. But with the advancement of technology, the fish skin color can now be changed through feed, making farmed red sea bream look identical to wild ones in appearance.
Many restaurants pass off farmed fish as wild, but those who have tried truly wild red sea bream can tell the difference the moment it enters their mouths; the taste is truly different.
“A few hundred yuan in hand, hehe!”
Li Haochen unhooked the fish and put it into the ice chest. Then he replaced the bait on all the fishing rods. The previous bait had been left out for too long and had no flavor to attract fish.
Seeing no reaction, Li Haochen continued to play with the lure. This time, he felt inspired. With a flick of his wrist, he cast it seventy to eighty meters, which startled Li Haochen.
He twitched the rod and slowly reeled in the reel. After reeling in a few meters, the rod was suddenly pulled into a huge arc, and the fishing line became taut. The vibration of the line, creating a breaking sound, startled Li Haochen.
The fish's pull was very strong, darting left and right, causing Li Haochen to sway.
At this moment, the four electric reel rods also rang simultaneously, making Li Haochen feel a bit helpless. “Damn it, they’re all coming now.”
Li Haochen ignored the four fishing rods, braced himself against the side of the boat with his foot, and focused on playing the big fish in his hand.
Li Haochen dared not set the drag too tight because the lure rod was only strung with No. 6 line, which theoretically could handle about twenty catties. However, the creaking of the rod and the whirring of the fishing line made Li Haochen quite worried. He didn’t want the rod to break or the fish to escape.
With reservations, Li Haochen dared not exert excessive force, which also increased the difficulty.
The fish was too wild. Even after fifteen to sixteen minutes, it showed no signs of tiring. During this time, Li Haochen had gradually reeled in about one-third of the fishing line.
The closer it got, the more nervous Li Haochen became, fearing that it might suddenly break free.
After another seven to eight minutes, the fish’s resistance clearly weakened. Li Haochen also increased the speed of reeling.
Two minutes later, a red figure appeared about five to six meters away, dazzling and striking. Li Haochen’s face lit up with joy, but he did not relax his vigilance.
Just as the fish approached the side of the boat, the large red sea bream suddenly thrashed violently and got entangled with the nearby fishing line.
Seeing this, Li Haochen’s heart skipped a beat. He didn’t dare to think of the worst. Fortunately, the red sea bream was about to surface. Li Haochen took the landing net and reached down, successfully scooping the fish and breathing a sigh of relief.
However, the red sea bream in the landing net was not at all calm. It kept rolling and shaking, causing the fishing line to become more and more tangled. He couldn’t lift it. In the end, he had to cut the lure line to lift it up.
This red sea bream was very large, at least twenty catties by estimation. A red sea bream of this weight was truly rare.
The large red sea bream on the deck was still struggling wildly. Looking at the row of sharp and hard dorsal fins on its back, Li Haochen dared not touch it. He directly threw it, along with the landing net, into the live well.
Having earned several thousand yuan in one go, Li Haochen couldn't help but be happy, as evidenced by his beaming face.