Watching Zhang Yang focus intensely as he cast his line repeatedly, the bait in his tackle box diminishing rapidly, he was not in a hurry to catch fish for now. He was focused on creating a dense area to attract the fish before starting his catch.
Noticing this detail, Lin Nianwei felt puzzled.
He's only caught two fish and that's it?
What's the point of continuously casting without success? Nearly an hour into the competition, ordinary anglers were already catching six or seven fish using hand-thrown bait bombs.
This so-called "expert" wasn't doing too well this afternoon.
Zhang Yang maintained this fish-attracting approach until eighty minutes into the competition when he encountered the first fish taking the bait off the bottom, marking the end of this phase.
The bottom take indicated that Zhang Yang had assessed the fish situation and decided to slow down and start catching fish, meaning the fish in the water had grown dense enough to compete for food.
With the next cast, he swapped the damp, dispersed triangle bait for a kneaded bait, and as expected, once the double-hooks were in place, they immediately produced a strong downward pull!
Thus, after being quiet for over an hour, Zhang Yang had feisty fish activity again!
Third fish!
Fourth fish!
Fifth fish!
...
On average, every two to three casts resulted in a powerful pull from the fish. When the action slowed, Zhang Yang switched back to a double-hook Triangle Cannon system to attract fish, firmly maintaining control over the catching rhythm at his spot.
Compared to others who had thrown bait ineffectively, Zhang Yang's aggressive fishing technique had clear advantages. For the ensuing hour of the competition, the fish kept biting steadily and continuously.
While Zhang Yang skillfully managed his fishing, the rest of the team wasn't as fortunate.
Especially Han Qiang and Wang Yan, who were having a tough time.
Within half an hour of the competition, Han Qiang began to feel a vague pain in his lower abdomen,
which he initially tolerated. But as the competition neared an hour, the ache escalated to stabbing pain,
pea-sized beads of sweat rolled from his forehead and nose as his stomach churned violently.
"Referee! I need to use the restroom!"
Afraid of transforming unexpectedly into a Jet Fighter, Han Qiang rose from his fishing spot, raising his hand with a twisted expression.
A nearby volunteer rushed over to inquire about his situation, quickly reported to the referee once learning his unbearable abdominal pain, and got permission for Han Qiang to temporarily leave for the restroom.
Han Qiang clutched his groin and stomach as he hastily left the competition area, dashing towards the nearest restroom.
Just when he was nearly unable to hold it any longer, he made it to the restroom and quickly unbuckled his belt.
With a loud gush, the expelled waste nearly shot out like a burst, allowing Han Qiang to breathe a sigh of relief.
Close call, nearly messed up his pants pocket.
...
On the other side, Wang Yan, who had also consumed quite a few crab legs, fared no better than Han Qiang. He used the wet dispersed bait often favored by fishermen of the Thieves' Guild, having understood the afternoon fish situation, but his belly demanded relief, prompting him to report and rush to the restroom early.
Despite Zhang Yang's reminder at noon, these two were the least concerned, now finally experiencing the terror of frequent diarrhea.
Three hours of competition had them visiting the restroom thrice. By the time they exited the restroom for the last time, their legs were already weakened.
The frequent restroom trips severely impacted their competition strategy, leaving them with little spirit to continue during the final half-hour, relying on sheer willpower to fight against their abdominal cramps.
Finally, as the three-hour competition ended with the whistle, these unlucky fellows were relieved, racing to the restroom for the fourth time after a quick farewell.
Hearing the ending whistle, Zhang Yang lowered his fishing rod, wiping sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
The mediocre quality sunscreen clothing could block the sun but lacked the coolness of high-quality ice silk fabric, making Zhang Yang's back soaked with sweat after facing the sun and concentrating on fishing for three hours.
At the end of the competition, volunteers and referees were responsible for weighing the catch. With no more tasks, Zhang Yang began casually glancing toward the beautiful long-legged girl.
After more than ten minutes, Lin Nianwei returned with the referee to Zhang Yang's side.
"Let me do it; you can't lift it!"
This time, Zhang Yang didn't wait for the pretty volunteer to pull up the fishing guard; he greeted them, leaned over, tightened the fish guard's opening, and lifted the catch himself.
In the latter half, Lin Nianwei had been aware of Zhang Yang's continued catch of fish. In fact, she had focused her attention primarily on Zhang Yang during the last hour.
Although she didn't count the number of catches, it felt like he had caught over twenty.
As he lifted the fish guard, it was slightly less than one and a half grids from the morning, about just over one grid, causing surprise for both the referee and Lin Nianwei.
"Wow, you caught so many again! I barely saw you catch many fish earlier!" Lin Nianwei couldn't hold back her feelings as she observed the catch.
Hearing this, Zhang Yang was taken aback, realizing subtly that she had been silently watching him fish? Has he been under the pretty girl's observation?
Zhang Yang grinned and replied, "Not bad, I gathered the fish earlier and caught them quickly later!
You volunteers need to look after over twenty people, so your attention isn't solely on me; it's normal to not notice!"
"Estimated to be nearly a hundred pounds of fish! Claim victory for this round! Come, let's weigh them in the basket!" The referee tactfully added.