Chapter 9: You Must Have Failed

Cries of "Got a nibble!" would sporadically resound along the Jiang City River bank, as a host of excited anglers gathered around.

These people had long forgotten the earlier omen of the rotten fish biting.

But among the nighttime anglers, there was one whose face was the picture of misery.

Since coming here in the morning, aside from a rotten fish, he hadn't caught any other fish.

Who else could this person be, if not Ye Chen?

At this moment, Ye Chen was extremely downcast.

Even though the system had prompted him that he was about to catch something huge soon.

But before he could catch something huge, shouldn't he at least enjoy catching a few decent small fish?

He had used several pounds of sticky rice to bait the fishing spot, and adjusted the fishing float a few times already.

In short, Ye Chen had made all the necessary preparations.

It had been over an hour since he made the bet with Old Liao.

The fishing float on the surface of the water could be described as utterly motionless.

Normally, if a fishing streamer couldn't catch any fish,

the viewers in the live stream room would surely find it boring, but, strangely enough, Ye Chen's audience seemed very excited and happy.

Some even sent him gifts when they saw he wasn't catching any fish, encouraging him not to be discouraged.

"Teacher Ye, I beg you, put some effort into it, catch a fish, and make sure it's a live one!"

"I think the fish hook you're using this time is way too big, are you trying to hit a softshell turtle underwater?"

"Hilarious, more than an hour has passed, and Teacher Ye's rod hasn't moved at all, your rituals were in vain."

"I think this has surely something to do with that previous rotten fish, that's why there are no bites."

"To the one upstairs, get real, you obviously don't understand the streamer. He didn't get bites before either, that's basic protocol!"

"Hunting a giant fish over a hundred pounds, worth into six figures, Teacher Ye, you're not afraid of bursting your own bubble!"

...

Watching the barrage of comments on his phone, Ye Chen wore a disdainful smile.

Just wait and see, you inexperienced lot, what a real King of Fishing is like!

Ye Chen naturally had no doubts about the system.

The system had given him a prompt before he caught the rotten fish.

Although it was a dead fish, it didn't have much to do with the system.

After all, the system hadn't told him whether the fish would be alive or dead and moreover, the weight of the rotten fish was exactly the same as the system's prediction!

And with that dead fish, Ye Chen even made a little profit.

The brother in the live stream room who said he would send a rocket if Ye Chen caught a fish had really done so.

With that rhythm, Ye Chen's earnings increased by several hundred dollars.

Time slowly ticked away.

Ye Chen glanced at his watch, and there were still about ten minutes left until the system indicated that a fish would bite.

It was nearly midnight at this point.

Even though it was the middle of the night, none of the anglers, including Ye Chen, felt sleepy in the slightest!

Of course, everyone was busy kneading bait, casting lines, lifting rods, and reeling in fish.

But although Ye Chen hadn't caught a single fish, in terms of seriousness, he was no less dedicated than the others.

Every few minutes, he would lift his rod to check it.

Whenever the bait on the fish hook was eaten up, he would hurriedly replace it with fishing bait.

After several attempts with various brands of fishing bait, he still hadn't gotten a single bite.

The viewers in the live stream room couldn't help but comment that Ye Chen was doing this to better nourish the fish in the river.

Apparently, he was here to do charity work; others were fishing, but he was feeding the fish!

Meanwhile, perhaps because time was running out, Old Liao next to him kept turning his head to look at Ye Chen every few minutes.

Old Liao wasn't sure if he was fixated on Ye Chen's two fishing rods or if he was worried that Ye Chen could truly catch something gigantic.

Time flew by without him noticing.

Dark clouds shrouded the moonlight, and the Jiang City River was no longer as bright as it had been.

At the same time, mist began to drift over the surface of the Jiang City River.

Even the fishing floats became harder to see, and the anglers sitting by the Jiang City River felt chills.

Because the time announced by the system was approaching, Ye Chen didn't pick up his rods to replenish the fishing bait, nor did he interact with the audience in the live stream room.

He sat on his stool, fixated on the fishing floats, his hands gripping the fishing rods tightly.

With Ye Chen's entertaining interactions absent, many viewers in the live stream room felt drowsy.

Even the gifts and barrage messages were less active than before.

Just then.

The fishing float that had been still for over an hour suddenly sank.

"Bite!!!" Ye Chen's eyebrows jumped, he shouted excitedly, shocking the viewers in the live stream room who were on the verge of sleep.

With a swift motion.

Ye Chen stood up and lifted the fishing rod above his head.

The seven-meter-two rod bent like a bow from Ye Chen's forceful pull.

Ye Chen gripped the fishing rod tightly, using his body weight and all his strength to pull the rod backward.

Despite his efforts, Ye Chen found it extremely arduous to lift the rod.

He had no choice but to call someone over for help.

"Holy shit, it's a grass carp, at least a hundred pounds! Someone help me quick!!!"

In an instant.

The viewers in the live stream room were immediately energized.

Meanwhile, the anglers night fishing at the Jiang City River bank were also stunned upon hearing Ye Chen's exhilarating shout.

Especially Old Liao next to him, who was completely dumbfounded.

He was just ten minutes away from winning.

Could it be that this kid really caught a giant fish?

At the same time, Old Liao, who was experienced, knew that a seven-meter-two fishing rod was very resilient.

Don't be fooled by the rod's slim appearance; it could easily handle a large grass carp weighing over a hundred pounds.

Moreover, the hook Ye Chen was using wasn't a small one - it was a massive no. 12 fish hook.

Therefore...

The fish Ye Chen caught was certainly not a small one; it was very likely a giant, just as he had claimed before!

But...

Watching Ye Chen from a distance, pulling the fishing rod backward with all his might...

Old Liao had a guess in his mind.

Everything has to be taken step by step, doesn't it?

As the saying goes, if you overstretch, you risk pulling a muscle.

When Old Liao first started fishing, he practiced with small crucian carp.

After he became somewhat proficient in catching crucian carp, he started fishing for more challenging species like carps and silver carps.

He has known Ye Chen for almost twenty days now.

Old Liao was well aware of Ye Chen's skill level – besides catching a worthless fish, he'd never caught anything else!

With his level of skill, could he even catch a giant fish?

Thinking this, Old Liao had his answer.

"I'm telling you, Ye Chen, stop bluffing there, you might have just snagged the bottom, right?"

"Snagging the bottom" refers to the fishing hook getting caught on rocks or other objects underwater while fishing.