The Fish I Catch Can Level Up-Chapter 9: Life Transformation

[Aquatic Codex has activated the Eco-Rescue function. Host, please eliminate species that disrupt the ecological environment as soon as possible.]
[Alligator Gar (Invasive Species)]
[Ecological Damage Index: 5 Stars]
[Alligator Gar Eliminated: 0]
[Bite Chance: +0%]
[Scan Detection: 3/day]
[Life Conversion: 0 times (Converts the life energy of Alligator Gar into the Host's body to enhance the Host's physique)]
"Whoa, I can't believe the Aquatic Codex has this function!" Chu Mingcheng was completely caught off guard. He never expected that accidentally catching an alligator gar would unlock a new feature in his codex. Alligator gars had no economic value, so he initially thought catching them was useless. But now he saw they had their own data panel, and even a physique-enhancing ability—that was pretty awesome. If he caught more, would he no longer need to drink goji berry tea for his health?
"What does 'Scan Detection' mean?" Chu Mingcheng wasn't sure about this function. Seeing that it could be used three times a day, he decided to try it once. Instantly, the Aquatic Codex displayed a message:
[Scanning reservoir... scan complete. Five alligator gars were detected in the reservoir. The largest weighs 4.73 jin (approx. 2.3 kg). Host, please fish them out and physically eliminate them as soon as possible to protect the reservoir's ecology.]
"Hiss~ There are actually this many!" Chu Mingcheng gasped when he saw the number. If left unchecked, would there be any other fish left in the reservoir once they grew and reproduced? Fortunately, after the scan, the Codex showed the location of all the alligator gars, allowing him to target them specifically. However, his current fishing rod couldn't handle them; he'd have to wait until tomorrow.
For now, he couldn't do anything about the alligator gars in the reservoir, but he could deal with the one he'd caught. It would be a good chance to see what changes occurred on the data panel after killing one. Chu Mingcheng immediately found a large stone nearby, ready to smash it, when his phone rang. He tossed the stone aside and pulled out his phone. Seeing it was Ah Wei calling, he answered, confused. "What's up, Ah Wei?"
"Hurry up and get over here for night fishing! I'm almost at the reservoir you mentioned!"
"..." Chu Mingcheng was used to Ah Wei's impulsive behavior, but he was too exasperated to comment. Good thing he'd decided to fish tonight.
"I'm already at the reservoir. Just come on over!"
With that, Chu Mingcheng grabbed his headlamp and walked toward the road to pick up his friend. As he reached the roadside, he saw a Wuling Mini driving from the distance, then stopping behind his car. The door opened, and a tall, thin, somewhat handsome young man emerged, though his skin was as tan as Louis Koo's.
"Ah Cheng, so you've been drawn into the world of fishing too? I was genuinely surprised to hear about it," Zhang Wei greeted Chu Mingcheng with a playful punch to the chest.
"Absolutely! From now on, I'm fully committed to the path of fishing!" Chu Mingcheng knew his own situation. Others fished for hobbies, but he fished purely because of his codex.
"Good going! Looks like I'll have a fishing buddy from now on!" Zhang Wei took out his lure rod, and they walked to the reservoir together. "How many fish have you caught?"
"I just got here tonight, too, but someone released an alligator gar in this reservoir. I just caught one," Chu Mingcheng said, lifting the still-alive alligator gar by the fishing line.
"Damn! There's an alligator gar here?" Zhang Wei stared at the small alligator gar in astonishment, then showed a regretful expression. "What a shame you caught it here."
Chu Mingcheng didn't understand. "What do you mean?"
"You wouldn't know since you were working, but several artificial lakes in parks around our county town have been plagued by alligator gars that were irresponsibly released there. Those parks are now offering a bounty—a thousand yuan per alligator gar."
"All the anglers have been going to the parks to catch alligator gars recently. There are tons of people there." Zhang Wei himself had been fishing for alligator gars there for the past two days but hadn't caught any.
When Chu Mingcheng heard "a thousand yuan per," his eyes immediately turned into little money symbols. If catching alligator gars could earn him money, he'd buy a good fishing rod tomorrow. He could go directly to catch alligator gars, not only making money but also strengthening his physique. It was just that the fishing gear store was closed now; otherwise, he'd definitely go buy a heavy rod to clear out all the alligator gars in the reservoir.
Zhang Wei took his lure rod and went to a nearby spot to start casting. Chu Mingcheng, meanwhile, picked up a stone and smashed the alligator gar to death. This thing was a menace alive; it was better off dead!
Soon, the alligator gar was killed, and Chu Mingcheng's codex showed a slight change:
[Alligator Gar (Invasive Species)]
[Ecological Damage Index: 5 Stars]
[Alligator Gar Eliminated: 1]
[Bite Chance: +10%]
[Scan Detection: 3/day]
[Life Conversion: 1 use]
Chu Mingcheng stared at the Bite Chance stat.
One alligator gar already gives me a 10% increase?
This must mean the chance of these invasive species biting my bait, he thought, a grin spreading across his face.
At this rate, I'll be an alligator gar-catching machine in no time.
If he ever encountered another bounty for alligator gars, he could definitely rely on this to earn some extra cash and boost his physique. Seeing "Life Conversion" change to "1 use," he immediately clicked to use it.
Then he felt a slight warmth in his body...
"???"
That's it? Did it even last a second?
Chu Mingcheng was speechless, but after checking his body, he did feel that his lower back, which was sore from picking horn snails in the afternoon, wasn't as sore anymore. It seemed this was an accumulation process!
The night was quite enchanting, and the water surface felt like a ghost might emerge at any moment. But neither of the two fishermen was scared. One occasionally cast his rod, exercising his strong arm, while the other occasionally pulled out a crucian carp or two, happily tossing them into his bucket.
"Damn it, are all the fish in this reservoir messed up by alligator gars? I've been fishing for three hours and haven't gotten a single bite!" Zhang Wei grumbled, his arm aching from the constant motion, as he finally decided to take a break and walked over to Chu Mingcheng.
"No way, I've got over half a bucket already!" Chu Mingcheng pointed to his bucket, which was more than half full of crucian carp, feeling a little surprised himself. He was getting great bites here, catching one every three or four minutes. This "half a bucket" was even after he'd thrown back all the dace and Padihu, keeping only the crucian carp; otherwise, he'd have even more.
"Damn it, all the good bites are right here!" Zhang Wei grumbled, eyeing the half-full bucket of crucian carp. He then turned to Chu Mingcheng, a hopeful glint in his eye. "Brother Chu, mind if I try my luck here? I've been struck out all day; I can't go home empty-handed!"
"Alright, you fish for a bit, then we'll head back. It's getting late anyway." After all, he was still a beginner; Chu Mingcheng had no intention of fishing all night. He handed his rod to Zhang Wei and stepped aside to check his haul for the night.
[Crucian Carp (Level 2)]
[Current Experience: 7/30]
[Size: +2%]
[Deliciousness: +2%]
[Capture Chance: +2%]
Not counting the four from the daytime, Chu Mingcheng had caught a total of 23 crucian carp in these three hours. Night fishing was indeed excellent. There must be over ten jin of crucian carp in the bucket. At thirty yuan per jin, he could sell them for at least three hundred yuan tomorrow, which wasn't bad. He also caught some dace and Padihu, and they had all reached Level 1. But for now, these two aquatic species held no real value to him; he just considered it like leveling up in a game!