Chapter 5 The Fish Stinks from the Head
"Tsk tsk...if you ask me, Teacher Ye can't even tell if it's bottom fishing or float fishing!"
"Although I know it's really not easy for Teacher Ye to catch a fish, I still sincerely hope he can... break his rod!"
...
But the person who most wanted Ye Chen to break his rod at this moment was none other than Old Liao!
Perhaps due to being too excited, he couldn't help but blurt it out!
"Break the rod!"
After shouting, Old Liao subconsciously covered his mouth.
This wasn't good, it made him seem a bit petty...
However, in the next second, something happened that left Old Liao dumbfounded.
The fellow night-fishing anglers around them had also unanimously started shouting.
"Break the rod!"
"Break the rod!"
"Break the rod!"
...
The entire Jiang City River bank echoed with the words "break the rod"!
It seemed he wasn't the only one hoping for Ye Chen to break his rod this time...
At this moment, Ye Chen, as the person in question, concentrated all his energy on the fish that had taken the bait.
He was playing the fish!
Playing the fish refers to the act of using skills to prevent a large struggling fish from breaking free, exhausting its strength in the water, and then, when the fish's energy is nearly depleted, heaving up the fishing rod in one go!
But it wasn't long before Ye Chen realized something was wrong.
According to the system's prompt, the fish he was supposed to catch was 2.22KG.
But judging by the rod's feel, Ye Chen determined that this fish was definitely not just about four pounds!
It had to be at least five or six pounds!
After all, a fish weighing just over four pounds couldn't possibly have such strength!
Confused but undeterred, Ye Chen applied more strength.
The quality of the fishing rod came into play at this moment; it didn't break open as everyone had anticipated.
Then...
Ye Chen managed to reel the fish in.
The moment the fish landed on shore, the anglers watching nearby, including Old Liao, were all stunned.
It was indeed a small fish.
But it was a small fish that had been dead for who knows how long and had already started decaying!
And this small fish had actually bitten onto the hook, a direct bite!
"Rotten fish biting directly?"
Someone in the crowd uttered.
Instantly, the crowd felt a wave of goosebumps.
A rotten fish, literally, is a decaying fish.
And a direct bite refers to the hook catching right in the middle of the fish's mouth.
If the bait just happens to be the perfect size for the fish to swallow in one gulp, and the angler lifts the rod as soon as the float moves, a direct bite will occur.
But after all, it has to be a live fish that can take the bait and have a chance of a direct bite.
But a rotten fish, dead for who knows how long and in such a state.
Clearly, it was abnormal!
This was an ominous sign.
Thus, there is a well-known saying among anglers.
"Rotten fish biting directly, isn't it time to leave?"
The crowd there were all anglers; how could they not understand this reasoning?
For a moment, the people around them started to discuss.
"Rotten fish biting directly? This is the first time I've encountered such a thing; Teacher Ye, you better run!"
"This young man, really reckless, we've said that having an urn of ashes at your feet is a bad omen, you should get out of here!"
"Can rotten fish even bite hooks? I'm afraid it's the Water Ghost that hung it there for you, probably warning you; if you don't leave now, you're likely to face bad luck!"
"No wonder... I was saying Teacher Ye seemed so off while playing the fish; by all accounts, it should have been a big fish, but who knew it was this small."
...
Listening to the discussions of the people around him, Old Liao also put the matter of the bet to the back of his mind.
Feeling the occasional gust of cold wind from the river, he shivered.
"Damn, what the hell is this!"
"I've fished all my life and have never encountered rotten fish biting directly!"
"Just now I told Ye Chen that not long ago, somebody jumped off the upstream bridge and drowned in the river."
"I think we shouldn't continue fishing here anymore!"
Hearing Old Liao's words, the people around him got goosebumps all over.
"Old Liao, are you telling the truth or just making this up?"
"If that's the case, I really wouldn't dare to keep night fishing here!"
"Yeah, damn, that's really too terrifying!"
"Mr. Ye, even if you're kidding, that's too much, you've scared everyone!"
"Mr. Ye... you... what's wrong with you, say something?"
"Mr. Ye? Oh my gosh! Did Mr. Ye get possessed by a ghost?"
...
Everyone was chattering, and it wasn't long before they sensed something was off.
Ye Chen was weighing a fish with a scale.
The fish hanging on the hook was the rotten one that scared everyone.
At this moment, Ye Chen stood still like a wooden statue.
Seeing Ye Chen's eerie demeanor, the fishermen's faces turned pale.
"What the hell..."
Suddenly, Ye Chen spoke.
"It really is 2.22KG."
Ye Chen's words relieved the tense people around him.
In reality, Ye Chen wasn't possessed by any ghost.
He was checking the system!
I must say, this system is damn accurate!
Ye Chen had just weighed the fish.
2.22KG, exactly!
But what frustrated Ye Chen was that the fish he caught was already rotten.
And, of all things, it took the bait perfectly!
Well, it's just a rotten fish.
At least he had caught something.
At this moment, Ye Chen called up the system interface, visible only to him.
[Name: Ye Chen]
[Level: 1]
[Experience: 76/200]
[Skill: Ward Off Evil]
[Achievement: Perfect Catch of a Rotten Fish]
[Fishing Forecast]
[Continue fishing for 2 hours 45 minutes]
[Harvest: ?]
[Weight: 76KG]
[Value: 200,000 yuan]
Ye Chen didn't immediately study the newly acquired skill, Ward Off Evil.
For now, he focused his attention on the fishing forecast.
A massive catch of 76KG, worth 200,000 yuan???
Thinking of this, Ye Chen's mouth twitched fiercely.
Such a heavy fish, with that kind of value, could probably only be an old Bighead Carp, right?
Thinking this, Ye Chen had even less desire to leave.
Immediately, Ye Chen waved his hand dismissively and said to the surrounding fishermen.
"A perfect catch of a rotten fish, what of it?"
"Don't leave, everyone!"
"Watch as I catch a monstrous fish tonight that will leave you speechless!"
Not only did Ye Chen not want to leave, but he wanted to keep the fishermen there too.
If they all left, who would cheer and celebrate for him when he really catches the Bighead Carp later?
However, evidently, the people around didn't want to listen to Ye Chen.
The fishermen started to whisper among themselves.
"Mr. Ye, at first I thought you could catch a live fish, but who knew you'd catch a rotten one!"
"Fishing late at night, who knows what you might encounter? Better to beat a hasty retreat!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm already getting goosebumps all over, a perfect catch of a rotten fish, it's too ominous!"