Meng Fan pulled out a brand-new Nokia N95 and took a picture of the address and contact number printed on the packaging.
"Thanks, have you guys been playing at the Mingyang Fishing Gear Shop?" Meng Fan continued to ask.
"Sort of!
You see the guy across from us? The one who didn't turn on the light! That's Zhang Yang, the owner of Mingyang Fishing Gear!
Maybe you haven't followed it closely, but when it comes to winning tournaments at Oil House Fishing Ground, he's the real deal!
The highest record for a single match fish catch at Oil House Fishing Ground, 147 pounds, was his doing!"
Fearing Meng Fan couldn't see clearly, Wang Jun even turned on his headlamp to its brightest setting to illuminate Zhang Yang across the way.
Meng Fan took the chance to get a rough outline.
"Jun Brother, what are you shining that light for? It's blinding my eyes!" Zhang Yang, thinking something was up, couldn't help but ask.
"Nothing much, are there any bites on your end?"
"The bites are still pretty fast! No one on the four positions around me, a luxury private room, it's great!" Zhang Yang replied.
"Alright then, you continue fishing. If the bites stop, give a shout, and let's leave early!"
"Got it!"
Now, Meng Fan had a basic impression of Zhang Yang's appearance and voice.
Hearing the middle area was still getting bites, even the least perceptive Lang Junfeng realized why he wasn't catching anything.
He could sabotage others and be sneaky, but others could also use the same tricks against him. In the end, you reap what you sow.
Realizing this, Lang Junfeng looked a bit sour, glanced at his watch, and decided not to fish after half-past eight. Continuing would just be an embarrassment!
The newly minted "Fisherman" Meng Fan saw Lang packing up his gear and putting it in the car, without even saying goodbye to his companions, feeling slightly annoyed. The store owner who brought him here seemed a bit unreliable.
...
With no one causing trouble, that night, Zhang Yang and his group's fish catch set a new record.
Zhang Yang ultimately weighed 151 pounds, Old Zhao 108 pounds, and Wang Jun 112 pounds.
Out of a total of 800 pounds of fish in the pond, the three caught 370 pounds, nearly 50%, once again dominating the fishing ground with crushing strength.
Of course, Old Diao didn't charge Zhang Yang any fishing fees, and Zhang Yang didn't ask for payment for the fish he returned, both maintaining their gentlemanly agreement unspoken.
Zhang Yang was in good spirits, considering it an opportunity to burn some bait and medicine while promoting his shop and having fun.
The calculated scheming with Lang Junfeng meant Zhang Yang had turned the tables in their rivalry.
...
The next morning, after sending off several customers, Zhang Yang was squatting behind the counter, dozing off, when suddenly an Audi with a 003 license plate stopped in the shop's parking space.
A young man in his early twenties got out of the car, looked up at the fishing gear shop sign, and walked straight in.
"Is the boss here?"
"I am the boss, how can I help you?"
Zhang Yang looked up to size up the customer. The young man was casually dressed, with a youthful hairstyle, thick eyebrows, big eyes, standing about 178 cm tall, and didn't have the complexion of an experienced angler.
"You're Zhang Yang, huh? So young! I'm Meng Fan. I went to Oil House Fishing Ground last night but came back empty-handed!
I hung out with a couple of guys at the south bank center area. They said they used your bait and medicine, so I came to buy some!"
Meng Fan spoke clearly and lightly, leaving a good impression from the start.
"You were the one helping land fish between Old Zhao and Wang Jun yesterday, right? Jun Brother even shone his headlamp at me, I was on the north bank!"
Zhang Yang instantly realized this was the newbie angler Wang Jun told him about, who dared to spend money on rod pits after just three fishing experiences.
"Yes, yes, that was me! Last night I ended up with nothing, so I came by to get some tips!
Can you see if you can get me the bait and medicine you guys use? I'm not asking for much, just want to be able to catch a fish!"
Seeing a business opportunity, Zhang Yang nodded: "That's easy, we use our shop's second-gen formula bait with secret black syrup, it's on the shelf, I'll get it for you!
A package of bait is 20 bucks per pound, the medicine is 80 per bottle, how many packages do you want?"
"How many packages do you use each time? Is three enough? I have no concept, don't quite understand!"
"Three pounds of bait is enough for one session! If you're just starting and your basics are lacking, maybe two pounds per session will do!" Zhang Yang truthfully said.
"Then I'll start with two packages! If it works well, I'll come back for more!"
Zhang Yang nodded: "Actually, this amount is for competitive fishing. If you're just practicing quietly, two pounds of bait is more than enough!
Given your situation, I personally don't recommend competitive fishing just yet; try practicing quietly before jumping into competitive scenes!"
"Practicing quietly?"
Hearing this, Meng Fan was slightly confused.
Both Zhang Yang and Lang Junfeng were fishing gear shop owners, but the feelings Meng Fan got from simple interactions were completely different.
At Lang Junfeng's shop, his advice on bait and medicine was always to buy three if you could, not two, and a set instead of just one.
But at Zhang Yang's shop, before Meng Fan could even state his intentions, Zhang Yang suggested that two packages of bait would suffice and might even go unused!
Moreover, the day before, when they went competitive fishing and Meng Fan expressed interest, Lang Junfeng didn't consider his need to practice, instead bragging about his past impressive achievements.
Equipped with a keen sense from his interactions at work, Meng Fan could clearly perceive Zhang Yang's sincerity and consideration for his situation, while with Lang Junfeng, he only saw a focus on the money in his pocket.
Based on this feeling, Meng Fan had a very favorable first impression of Zhang Yang.
Zhang Yang nodded: "Yeah, practice quietly!
Having just tried fishing three times, you might not be familiar with the basics like casting and adjusting the bobber. In a competitive scene, you'll be overwhelmed once things get hectic!
Quiet fishing is different, with less competition pressure among anglers and freedom to switch spots at will, giving you time to adjust as needed!"
With this explanation, Meng Fan instantly understood the essence of Zhang Yang's suggestion.
"Got it! I'll first try quiet fishing!
By the way, any secret tips for catching fish? Give me a clue! I don't ask for much, just catching one fish will feel like victory!" Meng Fan continued to ask.
Faced with a newbie angler, Zhang Yang honestly wouldn't know where to start if asked for competitive fishing tips.
But quiet fishing was much simpler.
Zhang Yang had a thought and said: "You have a 6.3-meter rod, right? Diao Changhe generally doesn't mind using a 6.3-meter for quiet fishing!
Use my bait with the medicine, switch to a 6.3 rod, adjust the bobber to three marks below level, and watch for black plunges, as long as the fish in the pond are feeding, you're bound to catch something!"
"6.3? My longest rod is only 5.4, and I just bought it yesterday!" Meng Fan shook his head.
"5.4 will do too, but avoid the west-side fishing spots; better to go for the center or a spot behind the easthead shed!
I can prepare the bait for you in-store, you take it and fish according to my method, it's almost guaranteed you'll catch something!"
"No need to be so particular, you have 6.3 rods in the shop, right? I'll eventually use one, might as well buy it now!"
Unaffected by expenses, Meng Fan spoke while scanning the shelves for fishing rods.
This reaction surprised Zhang Yang a bit, casually suggesting a tip could increase store sales, good intentions returned with rewards indeed.
Meng Fan chose a 6.3 rod from Di Jia Company, adding up to a sales total of 785!
With the rod, bait, medicine, and lines, plus two Song Jielin bobbers, Meng Fan ended up spending over a thousand on his first visit to the shop.
Watching him drive away in his car, Zhang Yang was a bit stunned – is this how wealthy people shop?