The furious big fish was truly not to be trifled with. Li Haochen had no idea how many times he had been slammed against the sides of the boat. His calves were probably already covered in bruises. Of course, it was also because this damned fishing boat was too small, and there was no way to counter its movements with a backward lean in the narrow passageways.
For some unknown reason, instead of continuing forward or to the sides, the fish suddenly made a sharp turn and began to swim at high speed towards Li Haochen's position at the bottom.
If it continued on this path, the fishing line would hit the bottom of the boat, and the result would undoubtedly be a snapped line and a lost fish, with no other outcome.
Li Haochen had no choice but to pull hard on the fishing rod while simultaneously reeling in the line faster, hoping to provoke it and make it change its mind.
However, the speed at which he could reel in the line was nowhere near fast enough to match its speed. It was simply too fast.
Whether it was the goddess Mazu who fancied Li Haochen, or Li Haochen who was fancied by the sea god, just as the fishing line was about to reach the bottom, the fish actually stopped moving forward and began to dive towards the seabed. Li Haochen's face turned as pale as a sheet. Damn it, if it was going that way, it should have given him a heads-up.
Li Haochen also seized this opportunity to reel in nearly a hundred meters of line.
Perhaps it had reached the bottom, and the creature began to swim forward.
"Whoosh~"
The fishing line straightened out again, and the tip of the rod bent even more severely than before, almost ninety degrees. One could imagine how powerful it was.
Li Haochen wasn't afraid of the fishing rod itself, but the buzzing fishing line made him feel a trace of worry.
Li Haochen had no choice but to loosen the line a bit more, letting it run for a while longer. A head-on confrontation would yield no benefits.
What he needed to do now was to closely monitor the changes in the fishing line. Combining looseness and tightness with a measured approach was the only way to wear down its willpower.
But this process was bound to be long.
As expected.
An hour passed, and in the back-and-forth battle, Li Haochen had gained no advantage. On the contrary, the fish remained as fierce as ever, occasionally making a powerful surge that made the fishing line buzz loudly. The grating sound of it cutting through the air gave him goosebumps, fearing that a sudden burst would snap the line, leading to the loss of both the fish and his investment.
Fortunately, he had the foresight to eat beforehand, otherwise his legs would be weak by now, and he wouldn't be able to fish at all.
Without realizing it, this battle between man and fish had lasted for over three hours. The sun was already setting, and the temperature had dropped considerably, making the soaked Li Haochen feel a hint of chill.
Sweat continuously trickled down his forehead, and the salty sweat caused extreme discomfort to his eyes. He couldn't wipe it away with his hands and could only relieve it by blinking furiously.
A slight north wind began to blow, exacerbating the dryness of his already parched lips.
Despite his body showing signs of exhaustion, Li Haochen's willpower was incredibly strong; he would not be defeated so easily.
"You want to beat me? No way!"
Li Haochen gritted his teeth in anger, holding on tightly without wavering, regardless of the fish's arrogance.
Since he couldn't attack, he would defend, and see who could last until the end…
This persistence lasted for another two hours.
By now, the sun had almost set, with only the last trace of light about to be driven away by the darkness.
Li Haochen's perseverance was finally rewarded with a glimmer of hope. The large fish was showing signs of fatigue, its strength significantly diminished. This was a good opportunity. After being bullied for so long, it was time for it to experience the terror of the great Li.
The anger Li Haochen had accumulated for so long erupted now, and it was terrifying, especially when he reeled in the line with his handle. He spun it so fast it looked like a spasm, his teeth gritted and eyes bulging with fire; it was quite a fearsome sight.
As it got closer, the fish entered its burst phase. Li Haochen, with his uncanny foresight, was prepared, waiting for this very moment.
Perhaps it had exhausted too much energy earlier; the fish's burst phase was extremely short, lasting less than a minute before it was subdued. Li Haochen had expected a tougher fight, and his thorough preparation was rendered useless, which somewhat diminished his excitement.
Once this burst phase was over, the big fish lost its ability to resist and could only be at Li Haochen's mercy.
Five minutes later, under the illumination of the boat's lights, a huge silhouette appeared sideways on the surface of the sea.
"Big Fatty!"
Li Haochen exclaimed in surprise. The large, plump figure excited him immensely. It was over 1.5 meters long and weighed at least 400 catties.
Although it was just a yellowfin tuna, its plumpness was so remarkable that not taking it to an auction house would be a crime against nature.
It was difficult to estimate the price, but it wouldn't be less than 500 per catty. Conservatively, this one was definitely worth over two hundred thousand. With this, the competition was surely his.
However, if it wasn't handled properly, the price would be greatly reduced.
It was already dark, and the boat had no lights on, making it pitch black. This provided Li Haochen with an excellent environment.
Locking the baitrunner reel, Li Haochen quickly entered his space and brought out the small knife and fishing spear he had bought earlier.
He raised the fishing spear and aimed it at the big fatty's eye. With a touch of reluctance, he whispered, "Sorry, fatty, may you be reborn into a better life in your next reincarnation."
With that, he pressed the trigger without hesitation. A sharp whistling sound echoed through the air as the spear forcefully penetrated the yellowfin tuna's head.
The immense pain caused it to thrash wildly again, but it only struggled twice. Its brain had been completely destroyed, and it was as dead as it could possibly be.
He pulled out the spear, and a column of blood followed. Li Haochen, too excited to care, knew that if this bloody scent attracted sharks, his fate would be sealed.
Taking out the sharp military knife, he jumped into the sea and cut the fishing line. Hugging the large catch, he swiftly entered his space and onto the beach.
In the brightly lit space, looking at the colossal figure, the visual impact was even more stunning.
Li Haochen held the knife and made an incision between the fourth and fifth segments of the dorsal fin near the tail. He then plunged the knife into the pectoral fin's artery, causing blood to gush out.
After removing the gills and internal organs, Li Haochen found a bucket and scooped up water to rinse it clean before exiting the space.
Still in the sea, Li Haochen climbed back onto the boat, turned on all the lights, and went down to the ice storage.
Having been operating all day, the ice machine had produced a large quantity of ice cubes. He spread them on the floor, placed the quilts he used for sleeping on top, and after moving the two large fish he had caught earlier, he entered the space again.
Li Haochen carried the yellowfin tuna and "whooshed" out into the ice storage. This was Li Haochen's secret weapon for moving these giant fish into the boat without the aid of cranes or other tools. As for whether others would suspect anything? Couldn't sheer strength work miracles?
Li Haochen then covered the fish with some crushed ice before climbing out.
With this catch, Li Haochen's winning probability had already exceeded 60%. Why not 100%? The earth is round, and anything is possible. Who knew if he might get lucky and catch a few large croakers weighing just a few catties?
It is important for people not to become arrogant and complacent!