The Fish I Catch Can Level Up-Chapter 152: Filming with Sea King

Back at his apartment complex, Jiang Luoluo hadn't returned yet. He first moved the fish into his home, then rearranged the dining table in the living room to make filming easier later.
It wasn't long before the group arrived.
Sea King looked around the apartment, then walked to the balcony. "Ah Cheng, this place is nice. You can see the whole city from up here."
Chu Mingcheng smiled, not mentioning that if he opened the small window in his bedroom, he could even see the distant sea.
Since the fish was quite large and would take time to prepare, Sea King quickly got into filming mode.
He started with his usual opening, but with three extra people today.
After Sea King introduced Chu Mingcheng and asked his fans to follow him, he looked at Jiang Luoluo and suddenly said, "Hey, hey, hey, what's a dancer doing in our food section?"
"You might not be able to learn to dance, but I can definitely learn to cook delicious food!" Jiang Luoluo blinked playfully and smiled.
"Uh..." Sea King was speechless.
Jiang Yuqi even complained with mock despair, "Sister Luoluo, please don't! Our food section is competitive enough already. I'm barely surviving as it is!"
Of course, this was just friendly banter. In the world of content creation, everyone here except Chu Mingcheng was doing very well.
Then Sea King officially began filming.
The emperor fish was extremely fresh, so after cleaning it, he filleted the meat, removed the skin, and cut a portion for a large platter of sashimi.
Then he took another piece and steamed it.
For the third dish, he made a braised fish preparation, ensuring everyone would have plenty to eat tonight.
And Chu Mingcheng's refrigerator was now home to a massive fish head.
After he finished, it was Jiang Yuqi's turn.
She took the easy route. After preparing the fish, she made a hot pot. The four of them, plus the two cameramen, would feast on fish tonight.
After dinner, they relaxed for a while before Sea King and the others said they should head back.
So Chu Mingcheng drove them to the hotel. When he returned, he collapsed on the sofa.
"Filming with other people is exhausting!"
To be honest, he wasn't comfortable having a camera pointed at him. He felt very unnatural, and his smiles were forced.
He still preferred wearing the camera himself, filming fishing and spearfishing videos, and then posting them online to share.
At the same time, he could build a following. In the future, when he caught more common, high-yield fish, he could also sell some directly to fans.
Even if it wasn't at market price, it was better than selling to fishmongers.
For fish like filefish, sea bass, and croaker, selling to fishmongers was at least fifteen yuan cheaper per jin than market price. He had indirectly lost thousands of yuan over the past few days.
Unfortunately, building a following his way was too slow. Collaborating with Sea King was the best approach.
Jiang Luoluo came over, sat next to him, and massaged his shoulders. "You don't like being on camera?"
"I don't," Chu Mingcheng nodded. There was no need to pretend with her.
"Then after tomorrow's shoot, don't do it anymore! You can make money anytime. It might be slower, but being happy is what matters most."
"Compared to this discomfort, selling fish to fishmongers at such low prices is a huge loss. It's just more convenient."
"That's true!"
Jiang Luoluo had gone with him to sell fish yesterday. She knew exactly how much they had lost.
"By the way, while you were out spearfishing today, I took the jade bracelet to be appraised."
Chu Mingcheng immediately sat up. "What did they say?"
Jiang Luoluo got up, went to her apartment to get the bracelet, then returned. "The appraiser said it might be grape chalcedony from the United States. Grape chalcedony is sea jade. It's been weathered by the sea for years and has oxidized into jade, so it's not affected by seawater."
"He said this type of jade has high ornamental value and is perfect for daily wear. It's mostly translucent with a glassy luster."
"Ours is light green and very pure. But grape chalcedony is only mid-range jade, usually used as a jadeite substitute. The estimated value of this bracelet is between thirty and fifty thousand yuan."
Chu Mingcheng understood. He had heard that normal jadeite would oxidize if soaked in seawater for extended periods.
But this bracelet was so vibrant. It turned out to be sea jade—no wonder it wasn't affected by seawater.
Seeing Jiang Luoluo hand him the bracelet, he smiled and pushed it back toward her. "What would a guy like me do with this? If you don't mind, you can keep it. It looks good, at least."
"This bracelet is worth at least thirty thousand. Are you sure you want to give it away?"
"It depends on who it's for. For you, absolutely!"
Jiang Luoluo was stunned for a moment. She hadn't expected Chu Mingcheng to answer so decisively.
A sweet smile spread across her face. She put the bracelet away but didn't wear it. "Then I'll keep it safe for you!"
...
The night passed peacefully. The next day's weather was decent. Although there was no sun, it had stopped raining.
Today was the day to take Sea King and Jiang Yuqi out to sea. Chu Mingcheng didn't get up until seven.
The group had agreed to meet at the pier at nine, so there was no rush.
He went for a half-hour morning run around the complex, then went to Jiang Luoluo's place for breakfast.
The two of them had developed a good routine now. Breakfast was usually at her place, and for lunch and dinner, if Chu Mingcheng had time, he would cook.
After breakfast and a short rest, it was eight o'clock. The two of them drove off to get ready.
Jiang Luoluo had originally planned to start work today, but Sea King and Jiang Yuqi's visit had disrupted her schedule.
Fortunately, she was freelance, so posting her videos a little later wouldn't be a problem.
Chu Mingcheng first went to buy shrimp bricks and bait. Today he bought mackerel bait—a twenty-five-jin box.
Then he went to the market to buy some fruit and drinks. It would take a long time to find a suitable fishing spot, so they would probably have a simple lunch on the boat.
Dinner would likely be whatever fish they caught or speared, so there was no need to buy groceries.
Considering the filming, Chu Mingcheng even bought two folding tables to set up on the deck for cooking.
He also brought the gas stove from home. Combined with the boat's induction cooker, it would definitely be sufficient for lunch.
Back at the pier, they refueled and filled the water tanks.
Since the fuel tank was nearly empty, today's fuel cost came to over five thousand yuan.
Yesterday's large moray eel had been sold for nothing. Chu Mingcheng had even paid some out of his own pocket.
Thinking of the large moray eel, he specifically searched for news about it online.
After browsing, he found it on a short-video app. The title was pure clickbait, as expected.
"What are you looking at?" Jiang Luoluo came over.
"Agong got lost yesterday and couldn't find his way home!" Chu Mingcheng said, trying not to laugh, and handed her his phone.
Jiang Luoluo took the phone curiously. When she saw the title, her expression slowly became strange.
After watching the video, she burst out laughing. "Classic Agong. The elementary school student walking beside him is faster than his tricycle."
"It's not easy for Agong to have some fun at his age. We have to be understanding... pfft... wait, I need to laugh for a moment..." In the end, Chu Mingcheng couldn't help but laugh too.
Time slowly approached eight-fifty. Sea King and Jiang Yuqi arrived punctually.
After everyone boarded the boat, Chu Mingcheng started the engine and set off.
Sea King came to his side. "Ah Cheng, are you going spearfishing today?"
"It depends on the sea conditions. It rained yesterday, so I'm worried the water might be too murky for spearfishing." Chu Mingcheng had observed the water conditions when he arrived at the pier. The seawater there was very murky, so shore fishing would be basically pointless today.
"There are considerations like that for spearfishing?" Sea King was curious about spearfishing. Among the people he knew, only Chu Mingcheng had this skill.
"Of course. Clear water isn't good for fishing, but it's essential for spearfishing. If the water is murky, then those of us who make a living from the sea might as well take the day off."
"I hope the water is clearer today. Hard to say if we can catch big fish, but I feel like there's a good chance with your spearfishing skills."
"Haha, I'll take that as a good omen!"
The fishing boat sped across the sea. Chu Mingcheng was studying the nearby large islands and reefs on the navigation system, and periodically checking the fish finder for schools of fish.
Although this was collaborative filming, as long as they caught some fish, it would work.
But the fuel cost for each trip was high. If he could make money, he certainly didn't want to operate at a loss. Filming wouldn't stop him from catching more fish to sell when they returned tonight.
This time, Chu Mingcheng drove for three and a half hours before finally finding an isolated island that was perfect for both fishing and spearfishing.
This isolated island was quite large, with a small beach suitable for landing and relaxing, and they could even cook on the beach.
The seawater here wasn't too murky. Chu Mingcheng took the landing net and dipped it in the water, finding the visibility was over a meter.
This visibility was excellent for fishing. If he dove, the visibility should be about seven or eight meters, which was also acceptable for spearfishing.
They had set off at nine in the morning. After three and a half hours, it was already twelve-thirty in the afternoon. The group on the boat began preparing.
Except for Chu Mingcheng, who chose to go spearfishing, the other three would fish from the boat.
Fishing rods weren't a problem. Sea King had brought his boat rod.
Chu Mingcheng first helped with the rigs and cut the bait.
After finishing, he went into the cabin to change into his wetsuit.
With so many people today, he came fully equipped.
"Not bad, young man. That outfit looks professional!" Sea King patted Chu Mingcheng's shoulder. "Whether we eat fish tonight depends on you!"
"It's tough to catch fish in the middle of the day. Don't expect us to catch much."
"Let's see how lucky we are. I'm also hoping there are lots of fish in the water—big ones too."
Only large catches could sell for good prices! Chu Mingcheng had high hopes for this place he had finally found.
The boat was anchored on the leeward side of the small island. The current here was gentle, and fish typically liked to shelter in areas like this.
After entering the water, Chu Mingcheng looked around. The lighting was decent, and the visibility was about what he had predicted—seven or eight meters.
He loaded his speargun and began swimming toward the bottom.
The water depth here was over twenty meters. Many fish were moving about, but unfortunately, the swimming fish weren't very large.
Chu Mingcheng began approaching the island. The area near the island was a cliff face with deep water. There was a high probability of encountering more valuable fish.
He was very curious about what he might encounter around this isolated island, so far from the coast.