The Fish I Catch Can Level Up-Chapter 5: The Fish Thief

After waiting about ten minutes, Chu Mingcheng figured the groundbait should be working and finally cast his hook into the water.
Once it settled, the float showed about two markers above the surface, which was close to what the guides he'd read had suggested. He'd swum here many times and had a good sense of the reservoir's depth. At this spot, four or five meters from shore, the water was about three meters deep—perfect for fishing.
Fishing requires patience. Chu Mingcheng placed the rod on its holder, keeping his right hand on it to feel the slightest movement, while his other hand held his phone so he could read a novel. Waiting idly was too boring; reading helped pass the time.
He read two chapters—about three minutes—but the rod remained still. Chu Mingcheng wanted to wait longer, but worried the bait might already be gone, so he reeled it in to check.
Sure enough, the once-round bait ball had partially dissolved, and because he hadn't molded it well, the hook was slightly exposed. No fish had taken the bait yet, but it was unusable now and needed replacing. He'd mixed plenty of bait for the day, so it wasn't a problem.
He scraped off the old bait, attached a fresh piece, and cast it back into the water. Every two chapters of his novel, he'd reel in to inspect the bait, changing it three times total.
Finally, the chumming seemed to pay off. After he'd re-baited and cast again, he was only halfway through a chapter when he felt a slight tremor from the rod.
He immediately pocketed his phone and focused on the water. The float dipped a section, then bobbed back up.
Chu Mingcheng's eyes lit up. A fish was nibbling.
He didn't act hastily. Instead, he gripped the rod tightly and waited. The fish was just testing the bait, taking small bites. If he pulled now, he'd surely come up empty.
Suddenly, the float tilted sharply, almost getting dragged completely underwater, while a light tug pulled at the rod. Then, with a swoosh, the float vanished beneath the surface. This was his chance.
Seeing the float disappear, Chu Mingcheng immediately lifted the rod. Sure enough, he felt a light vibration travel through the pole—a fish thrashing its tail as it struggled in the water.
He easily reeled it in. It was a crucian carp, a bit larger than his palm, probably seven or eight liang (around 250-300 grams)—a pretty decent size.
He brought the fish in and checked its chin. No barbels. Definitely a crucian carp. Crucian carp look very similar to common carp, and for those unfamiliar, the easiest way to tell them apart is by the barbels. A common carp has two small ones on its chin.
The moment he unhooked the carp and tossed it into his bucket, the data panel in his mind changed.
[Aquatic Species Codex (Level 0)] [Current Experience: (2/50)] [Unlocked Capture Tools: Hand, Fishing Gear] [Max Aquatic Species Level: 50] [Aquatic Species: Mantis Shrimp, Crucian Carp] [Special Abilities: None]
Just as he'd thought, the number of species unlocked was equivalent to the main experience points. Every new species added one point. He was curious about when the "Special Abilities" section would become available.
[Crucian Carp (Level 0)] [Current Experience: 1/10] [Size: +0%] [Deliciousness: +0%] [Capture Chance: +0%]
Since he'd just started catching crucian carp, there were no bonuses yet. Once the level increased, he could probably attract larger ones.
After putting the crucian carp in the bucket, Chu Mingcheng continued fishing. It had been half an hour since he first chummed, and the bait seemed to be working wonders. Bites were steady. He caught a fish every three to five minutes until about five in the afternoon. By then, he'd unlocked two more species: dace and common carp.
He caught seven dace and five common carp, none of them very big. Crucian carp were the most plentiful; including the first one, he'd caught exactly ten, which was enough to level up.
[Crucian Carp (Level 1)] [Current Experience: 0/20] [Size: +1%] [Deliciousness: +1%] [Capture Chance: +1%]
His first day fishing made Chu Mingcheng think it was pretty simple. Still, these freshwater fish probably weren't worth much. He needed to check out the seaside tomorrow. The ocean had far more diverse creatures than the reservoir, which would not only add species to his aquatic codex faster but also fetch better prices.
But it was already five p.m.—time to head home. He hadn't brought a luminous float or headlamp, and the reservoir at night could be dangerous with snakes around. Plus, his blankets were still drying in the yard; he needed to bring them in.
So he released all the dace and small common carp. He didn't like eating dace, and the carp were too small and tasted too muddy. Catching fish boosted his experience, regardless, so releasing them wasn't a problem.
Among freshwater fish, only crucian carp, snakehead, and grass carp were to his taste; he wasn't interested in the others. He had ten crucian carp total, which was a bit much, so he released the smaller ones, keeping five that were over half a jin (about 250 grams) each.
After an afternoon of fishing, he'd only managed to catch one crucian carp that weighed about a jin (around 500 grams). He'd quit his job, so he'd need to rely on foraging and fishing for income. Currently, it seemed challenging.
Thankfully, as his level increased, his chances of hooking fish and catching larger ones would also increase. It was just tough at the start—nothing he couldn't handle. Still, he needed to try sea fishing when he got the chance. The prices were higher, and there were more varieties.
He packed up his gear, loaded it into the car, and drove back to his backyard. The fishing equipment stayed in the car to save him the trouble of carrying it back and forth. He just carried the bucket of fish to the well in the front yard to clean them there, avoiding a mess of scales in the kitchen.
He set down the bucket and went inside to grab a knife and cutting board.
What he didn't know was that just as he re-entered the house, a small head peeked over the courtyard wall. Chu Mingcheng's old house was built against a mountain, so its left side connected directly to the hillside. The well in the front yard was also on that side.
At that moment, on the slope next to the wall, a cat with gray, striped fur was craning its neck, staring intently at the fish in the bucket below. It didn't immediately jump down. Instead, it scanned the area and, after confirming no one was around, it leaped gracefully into the yard. It then trotted over to the bucket, placed its front paws on the rim, and stuck its head in for a sniff, seemingly contemplating which fish to target.
When Chu Mingcheng came out with his knife and cutting board, this was the scene that greeted him.
"Hey! You fish thief!"
He meant to yell and scare the wild cat away, but the cat, though startled and shrinking back, didn't run. Instead, it hooked a fish with its claws, yanked it out of the bucket, bit down hard, and bolted.
Chu Mingcheng was dumbfounded. This cat had some serious nerve.
The next moment, he snapped out of it and gave chase. The cat was clever, though. It had swiped his biggest crucian carp. By the time he caught up, the cat, with the struggling fish in its mouth, had already darted into someone else's yard. At that speed, there was no way he could catch it.
"My big crucian carp!"
Chu Mingcheng stopped, frustrated. He watched as the wild cat put the fish down, turned to stare at him for a moment, and even purred. Was that happiness or fear? He figured it had to be happiness after stealing such a big fish.
Chu Mingcheng genuinely liked cats and dogs, so he wasn't angry about the stolen fish, just a little exasperated.
With the cat gone, he went back to clean the remaining four half-jin carp. Two would be for beer-braised fish tonight, and the other two would be for crucian carp and tofu soup tomorrow. He wasn't planning on coming back for lunch during his sea foraging trip tomorrow; he had a thermos at home that he could use to pack the meal.