The Fish I Catch Can Level Up-Chapter 12: Three Thousand Yuan in Hand

Chu Mingcheng tied on a sinking minnow lure, adjusted the tension of his spinning reel, and with his left hand cast the rod horizontally. The minnow cut an arc through the air and landed with a "thump" near the three alligator gars. As the minnow sank to the bottom, Chu Mingcheng slightly raised his rod, his right hand gripping the reel handle to retrieve the line, occasionally twitching the rod tip. This method, called "stop-and-go," made the minnow dart wildly like a startled small fish, which was more likely to attract predatory fish.
Soon, Chu Mingcheng reeled the minnow back in and cast it out again. Lure fishing was like this—constant casting and retrieving—unlike using a hand rod, where you just cast your bait and waited for a bite. The continuous casting, stop-and-go retrieves, and his 10% Bite Chance bonus quickly attracted the attention of the nearby alligator gars.
Chu Mingcheng's casting improved with practice. On his next cast, the minnow landed precisely about twenty meters ahead on the water, even closer to the alligator gar locations revealed by his system scan. It seemed word had spread that someone was fishing here, and some pedestrians who had been watching the hanfu performance, along with temporary security guards hired by the park, gathered around. Of course, the women themselves, having finished their filming, noticed the crowd heading over and curiously followed.
Before anyone could fully react, a "splash" resounded, and the lake water churned. A ferocious-looking fish was instantly revealed to everyone.
"Holy cow, an alligator gar!"
"Awesome! So many people have been fishing for two days and haven't caught one, and this guy just arrived and already got it."
"That's not quite right. Someone did catch two earlier, but we still didn't expect more to be hiding here."
A thousand yuan appeared right before their eyes, sparking excited chatter among the crowd. Some even had envy in their eyes; after all, this was easy money!
Chu Mingcheng couldn't pay attention to them. He quickly steadied the rod with his right hand and pulled it sideways, beginning to tussle with the alligator gar. Lure rods were very light, and the feeling of pulling on them was completely different from a hand rod; it felt like pulling the fish directly with your hands.
But a four- or five-jin fish wasn't easy to catch, especially a fierce alligator gar. Chu Mingcheng could only pull back and forth, quickly reeling in line when it tired. The lure rod was sturdy enough not to bend into a full arc, but it kept emitting creaking sounds from the strain.
Fortunately, the alligator gar wasn't far from shore, only about twenty meters away. Given the huge disparity in strength, it was pulled to the bank in just five or six minutes. A helpful bystander immediately grabbed the landing net Chu Mingcheng had placed on the ground and scooped up the struggling alligator gar. If Chu Mingcheng had been alone, he'd probably have had to fight the fish for a few more minutes until it was completely exhausted, but having help saved him a lot of effort and time.
"Thanks!"
"No problem. This is my first time seeing one here, too—quite fascinating." The helpful older man waved his hand and placed the alligator gar on the grass.
Chu Mingcheng put down his rod and took out his dagger from his tool bag, aiming to stab it into the gar's head. But with a "psst," the dagger only left a white mark on its forehead. Not only did it fail to harm the alligator gar, but it also provoked it, causing it to thrash and roll endlessly, its large mouth snapping open and shut, seemingly threatening anyone who dared to approach.
"Jeez, the head is too hard!"
"I've seen in a video people use a cutting machine to get through an alligator gar's scales."
"No wonder they can't be released; even snakehead fish are just little brothers compared to it!" (Snakehead fish, Channa argus, is another freshwater predatory fish, but inferior to the alligator gar.)
The young woman who had been playing the guzheng blinked her large eyes and pulled on the woman who had been dancing, saying, "Sister Luo Luo, is this an alligator gar? It looks so fierce."
"Exactly!" the woman called Luo Luo said with an indignant expression, clearly knowing quite a bit about alligator gars. "Some people are truly immoral. Alligator gars have no natural predators in these lakes. If they aren't removed, this lake will probably be empty of other fish in no time."
"Ah? All the fish in the lake will be eaten up?" The guzheng player sounded very surprised.
Just then, Chu Mingcheng, who had to change his position because the alligator gar was thrashing around, happened to face them. The guzheng player subconsciously glanced his way, and once her eyes landed on him, they seemed to stick. He was undeniably striking. She found her gaze drawn, her companions beside her equally captivated.
Chu Mingcheng found his chance. He pressed down on the alligator gar with his left hand, then used the dagger to stab it through the eye. However, the alligator gar struggled with surprising strength, and its body surface was very slippery, making it take several attempts before he finally managed to kill it. He wiped the splashed water from his face with his arm, then unexpectedly noticed many women staring at him, including the two beauties—one with nimble hands (the guzheng player) and one with beautiful white legs (the dancer). He had just witnessed their performances, so he nodded and smiled in return.
"Nice, Ah Cheng! You actually caught one!" Just as the two women bashfully averted their gaze, Zhang Wei, who had noticed the commotion earlier, finally arrived. He lifted the dead alligator gar as if it were a thousand yuan note, looking exceptionally excited.
"Take this one to the person in charge to get the money, and bring them over. I'll keep fishing here; I saw two more just now." Zhang Wei's timing was perfect; Chu Mingcheng had just been about to call him!
"Alright, I'll go now." Zhang Wei was decisive. He immediately took the alligator gar and went with a security guard to find the person in charge to claim the bounty. As for whether they would refuse to pay, he wasn't worried. This artificial lake originally had more than just these three; people who had caught them before had already been paid. He had been fishing here for a day and had witnessed it.
Chu Mingcheng continued fishing. A few other anglers, seeing this, also got restless and started fishing nearby, only about twenty meters away. Chu Mingcheng didn't say anything. After killing the first alligator gar, his Bite Chance had already increased to 20%, so the remaining two alligator gars would naturally prioritize taking his hook.
Sure enough, by the time Zhang Wei returned with the person in charge, Chu Mingcheng had already reeled in the remaining two alligator gars. As long as you found their location, these things were incredibly easy to hook. Forget using lures or live bait; even pork loin or pig liver as bait would get them to bite quickly.
With all three alligator gars dealt with and three thousand yuan successfully in hand, Chu Mingcheng immediately shifted his destination, heading to Shanghe Park. Before leaving, he deliberately glanced at the surrounding crowd and felt a touch of regret that the two women had left. Why don't pretty girls these days just take the initiative? Wouldn't love just come naturally if they did?
Since his first breakup, Chu Mingcheng had met many girls. Perhaps his first girlfriend's beauty had raised his standards, turning him into someone obsessed with looks. Thus, after a few blind dates and with many girls actively approaching him because he was handsome, none of them clicked. Today, however, he had rarely encountered two who caught his eye, especially the dancing beauty; he was sure she had many "variations" (referring to dance moves, implying she is a good dancer😏).