"What? I ended up next to Zhang Yang? The one who ranked first in the first three rounds? Isn't this a narrow escape from a rival?"
Liu Wenjun heard Xu Xiao's words, raised an eyebrow, and his pupils instinctively widened slightly.
A river fishing competition with a thousand participants, completely randomized draw for zones and fishing spots, what are the odds of the first and second place ending up together?
Even without understanding mathematical probability calculations, intuition alone tells you it's a very slim chance.
But reality is so dramatic—the most crucial fourth match, Xu Xiao's draw just happened to be next to Zhang Yang. Who can you complain to about this?
"What happened? What's the situation? With your skills, I feel you shouldn't be afraid to face him. How did you lose?"
As Liu Wenjun asked, a huge curiosity about Zhang Yang, whom he had yet to meet, rose in his heart.
Xu Xiao irritably unscrewed a bottle of Wahaha, took a big gulp, and said in a deep voice, "This guy has very solid basics. Like me, he chose to primarily target silver carp and bighead carp. Even more unreasonable was that he kept using double bait hooks to build a nest as soon as the competition started.
I was careless, took a disadvantage in the first ten minutes, and he seized the rhythm thereafter. I made adjustments later, but remained in a deadlock, finally fishing at a 6:4 ratio. At the end of the competition, I couldn't catch up with the two fishes I was behind."
The method of fishing silver carp and bighead carp, with bait on the hook and the other hook empty, is almost a consensus among most people. Hearing Xu Xiao explain this, Liu Wenjun couldn't help but be shocked.
Such quick adjustments in the competition can be very fatal.
After hearing Xu Xiao's explanation, Liu Wenjun felt that even if he were next to Zhang Yang, he would suffer a big loss on this detail.
"Alright, victory and defeat are common in warfare. Losing is losing; just treat it as gaining experience! Adjust your mindset, and there will be an award ceremony later!" Liu Wenjun offered comfort.
...
On the other side, Zhang Yang came out of the competition area and quickly met up with his teammates.
"How did everyone catch in the last round? I got one point!" Zhang Yang asked everyone's results as soon as he appeared.
Wang Yan patted his slightly bulging belly, unusually smug: "Who said the sides are definitely not as good as the middle? This round was satisfying!
I used almost five pounds of ground bait for one game, and I wiped the middle dry! Got it!"
"How about you two?" Zhang Yang looked at Han Qiang and Zhou Chu.
Han Qiang pursed his lips: "The fish catch didn't meet expectations, three silver carp, around thirty pounds!"
Zhou Chu pushed his glasses: "I got four, still alright, the fish situation was generally bad in our zone, forty-three pounds, not much difference!"
After briefly understanding everyone's results, Zhang Yang basically had an initial judgment.
The team of four participating had overall quite ideal results.
If not for the two of them playing as Jet Fighters yesterday afternoon affecting the fish catch, the results could really squeeze into the top twenty, even the top ten.
As it looks now, with two slightly larger score-involved rounds unknown in overall ranking, the specific ranking will only be known after they come out.
Compared to the slightly anxious mindset of the others, Zhang Yang himself was quite calm.
After all, each of the four rounds was one point, and there's also a single tail fish weighing more than twenty pounds as a guarantee. Zhang Yang is very likely to directly win the championship in this competition.
The ten thousand yuan prize at this juncture was no small amount; if Zhang Yang could earn this money before opening the store, the development progress of the store and company might accelerate.
"Let's pack up the equipment, find a shady spot to hang out, and wait for the results; the loudspeaker will notify us!"
Zhang Yang waved his hand and walked towards the van.
The four loaded their fishing gear into the car and then found a shady spot under a tree near the temporary podium, sitting in the park and chatting as they waited.
They had just chatted for less than ten minutes when Zhang Yang's phone rang.
It was a call from Luo Dapeng, Zhang Yang casually answered.
"Congratulations, President Zhang! Four rounds, one point each, totaling four points, standing out from the crowd! The temporary office has already sorted the results; you're the champion!"
As soon as the call connected, Luo Dapeng's bright voice, mixed with excitement, came through.
"Results are out? Thanks for the reminder, Brother Luo! The last round was a narrow escape; if not for you reminding me to fish for silver carp and me preparing a bit, the championship would have definitely slipped away! I drew to Xu Xiao in the fourth round!"
On the phone, Zhang Yang repeatedly thanked him, showing a very grateful tone and attitude towards Luo Dapeng.
"What? Drew to Xu Xiao? Isn't this a pre-alert of a clash of titans!" Luo Dapeng was slightly surprised and commented with feeling.
"Luckily, fulfilling my mission, though winning was a bit due to luck!"
"In any case, a win's a win! Luck is part of strength.
So, I called you not only to tell you the good news but also another matter.
Your brother has arranged a victory banquet for tonight, inviting friends from the competition committee and some familiar anglers to gather and meet!
The celebratory drink, you can't refuse it; I've already bragged to everyone!"
"Uh..." Hearing this news, Zhang Yang paused, a bit unsure of how to respond.
Luo Dapeng is definitely a master of social dealings, and this move was perfectly aimed, making it impossible for Zhang Yang to refuse.
"Wouldn't it be inappropriate for Brother Luo to spend money? You organize the gathering, and I'll cover the costs! Let's treat everyone to a happy feast!" Zhang Yang's tone paused, then continued.