go on a shopping spree

Humans aren't the only ones with limitless potential—bears have plenty too.

After being startled, the chubby little bear cub bolted like the wind.

But it was still clumsy. Flailing its limbs, it tried to climb a slope, only to slip halfway up and tumble right back down with a series of rolls!

The cub was panicked. It stood up, looked up at the hill, and seemed to realize that with its four stubby legs, charging all the way to the top was impossible. So, it wisely turned around and scurried into the woods.

Afraid of scaring it even more, Eddie slowly stepped back and hid behind a tree.

The bear cub also hid, though it stupidly kept poking its head out to peek.

When it saw the scary big guy disappear behind a tree, it cautiously emerged, glanced at the fish swimming in the pool, then looked around as if debating whether to leave. Probably starving, it finally grit its teeth and slowly crept toward the water, tail tucked in.

Still, the cub was highly alert. Its fuzzy little head kept turning in all directions, ready to bolt at the slightest sound.

Eddie stayed quiet. Eventually, the cub relaxed and sat by the pond, sniffing with its black nose, drooling as it stared at the fish swimming below.

The creek, fed by melted snow, was crystal clear and had attracted many fish swimming upstream. The pool was teeming with life: small six- or seven-centimeter sand lances and sculpins, and bigger ones like salmon—the grizzly bear's favorite.

Sand lances typically live in the sea but swim upriver in spring to spawn near river mouths, so seeing them here wasn't surprising.

The bear cub locked its eyes on the fish. Its mother clearly hadn't taught it how to catch them. After watching a while, it suddenly pounced, launching itself into the pool like it was trying to knock the fish unconscious!

Eddie was stunned. Was this cub trying to crush the fish?

The cub flailed in the water but couldn't even locate the fish, let alone catch any. After a few pitiful whines, it had to crawl back out of the water.

Left with no options, it sat by the edge again, drooling as it stared longingly at the seemingly delicious fish.

After a while, the stubborn cub jumped back in for another try—unsurprisingly, the result was the same: total failure.

Eddie stepped out slowly. He felt sorry for the little guy and used his Sea God sense to guide two sand lances to the edge of the pool.

The cub licked its lips anxiously. It reached out with a paw, trying to scoop the fish up, but its short legs were useless. Several attempts later, it was wailing in frustration.

Eddie was speechless. Was this bear hired by monkeys to act the fool? Or did it think looking cute would make the fish surrender themselves?

This was one hopeless bear cub.

Eddie approached gently and scooped up the fish. The cub turned to look at him, instinctively ready to flee again.

But then it noticed the plump fish in Eddie's hand—and couldn't bring itself to run. It hesitated for a few seconds, then walked over to a tree, stood up on its hind legs, placed its front paws against the trunk, and started pushing while letting out fierce little roars.

At first, Eddie didn't understand what the cub was doing—then it hit him. The little guy was trying to intimidate him. It was putting on a display!

Eddie nearly fainted from disbelief.

Even the little squirrel on Eddie's shoulder seemed to get the message. It scrambled down, darted up the tree the bear was pushing against, and knocked down a shriveled pinecone that landed right on the bear cub's head!

The cub immediately prepared to flee again...

Eddie didn't want to scare it, so he tossed the fish over. The cub blinked, cautiously checked Eddie's position, then sprinted forward, snatched the fish in its mouth, and bolted—like a puppy that had just found a bone.

But the sand lance was too small. After a few steps, the cub had already gobbled it down and came running back, eyes fixed hungrily on the pool.

Eddie caught a two- to three-pound salmon and tossed it over. The cub raised its butt in excitement and got to work on the fish with intense focus.

Once full, the cub made a quick escape, still convinced Eddie was some kind of terrifying demon king.

Once it was gone, Eddie and the squirrel, Xiao Ming, returned to the villa.

He had a lot to do. First on the agenda was buying the equipment he needed, so he took Shark and sailed to St. John's.

Thanks to Shark's connections, Eddie entered a large fishing gear megastore called "Viking."

The place was massive, divided into neat sections: nets, tackle, boat parts, and even small boats. In the center were four jet skis.

As Shark appeared, a bronzed man dozing behind the counter suddenly sprang to life and shouted dramatically, "Hey, hey! Look who it is! A VIP has arrived! What a fine shark! Welcome to Viking territory, brother!"

Shark went up to hug him and introduced him to Eddie: "Boss, this is Rejek 'Bigfoot' Haraldsson. He calls himself a Viking, but really, he's just a clown!"

Rejek laughed heartily and shook hands with Eddie. "You're the boss of this wild savage? Don't think I've seen you before."

"This is Eddie's grandson—Little Eddie," Shark said.

Eddie noticed how Rejek's expression instantly turned respectful. He even clasped Eddie's hand with both of his, saying, "Oh, an honor—what an honor! Eddie's grandson? That's huge news!"

Looks like my mysterious great-grandfather is kind of a legend around here, Eddie thought, intrigued.

"What do you need?" Rejek asked, pouring them both a drink.

Eddie took a sip—strong stuff. Compared to the mellow sweetness of ice wine, this felt like drinking fire.

Shark grinned, "You're in luck, Bigfoot. Big business is here."

He handed over the shopping list. "Get us everything on here and deliver it to the fishery. Once it's there, I'll give you a proper welcome, you son of a gun!"

Rejek's eyes lit up when he saw the list. He barked out some orders, and his guys began hauling gear: sonar, xenon lights, nets, harpoons, diving suits, water tanks, and more. They were busy for the whole morning.

Eddie had nothing to do but pay—so he wandered around.

The store had everything, including fish spears and compound bows. One bow in particular caught his eye.

It was silver, with sleek curves and a cold gleam. It had four pulleys—elegantly crafted and deadly-looking.

A clerk walked over and explained, "You've got a good eye, sir. This four-wheeled compound bow is rare in St. John's. Made of layered carbon and fiberglass, it bends uniformly under stress. It's fitted with concentric bearings, a 12-position adjustable eccentric cam, stainless cable separator, dampeners, and a hybrid cam system. Powerful and stunning—any man's dream."

Eddie wanted to buy it, but Shark shook his head. "No need, boss. I can make one of those—and not half bad either."

Rejek came over laughing. "Don't talk big, Shark. Sure, you're handy—but you can make this? Boss, ever seen First Blood? This is modeled after Rambo's bow."

Shark, prideful, declared, "What's the big deal? Give me a lathe, and I can make one."

Rejek laughed but didn't argue. He picked up the bow and said, "If you like it, boss, take it. For Eddie's sake, I've got to gift you something."

Eddie accepted it, thinking, This guy's no fool. He looks rough, but he's sharp. Compared to him, Shark's like a kid.

Still, Rejek was generous. That compound bow cost 5,000 Canadian dollars—over 20,000 yuan!

Eddie gripped the bow, pulled the string with his right hand, and drew it into a perfect full moon arc.

Rejek's eyes popped. "Holy crap! What strength!"

Now it was Shark's turn to laugh. Eddie's lean frame and immense power always caught people off guard.

One of the perks of a compound bow was adjustable draw weight. Rejek increased the resistance from 60 to 80 pounds—but Eddie took it straight to 100, tested it, and finally nodded in satisfaction.