According to Zhang Yang's understanding of competitive fishing, he knows that forming a team to tackle a competition is far more efficient than participating solo!
Why say so? Firstly, on the surface, team combat has a very obvious advantage in quickly obtaining unfamiliar fishing information.
When arriving at a new competition venue, if it's team combat, teammates can exchange information swiftly, allowing for relatively comprehensive fishing information to be gathered in a short time.
Additionally, with teammates competing at the same venue, under certain competition circumstances, they can look out for each other. Operations like catching a mutually understood fish during garbage time in a ball game can save a lot of detours at critical moments.
Saying this, teaming up is a good thing, so why doesn't Zhang Yang promptly agree?
Mainly because Zhang Yang has a certain understanding of Ding Wen and Chen Xiaodao's temperaments and dispositions.
These two have mediocre reputations in the surrounding fishing circles; their way of doing things is not suited for forming friendships.
"Liu Zi, Meng Fan, what's your opinion? You both need to decide on this yourselves!" Zhang Yang felt hesitant, didn't agree, and pushed it to Meng Fan and Liu Zi.
Meng Fan, being quite clever, understands Zhang Yang's style of doing things and speaking. If the proposal was appropriate, Zhang Yang would certainly agree immediately, but now he has pushed it to them, indicating he doesn't want to agree.
So, Meng Fan hesitated slightly, scratched his head, and politely declined: "Both Liu Zi and I are still rookies, not yet fully skilled. Chasing competitions isn't scheduled yet! We won't delay Master Ding's competition!"
"Damn! You've both taken the top three in the fish grabbing, and still claim to be rookies? If you're rookies, what do we who don't even make the tail end count as?"
After hearing Meng Fan's polite rejection, Chen Xiaodao commented in a low voice, a cigarette clamped in his mouth.
"Haha, Master Chen's words are a bit over the top. Getting fat early doesn't count as fat, getting fat later buckles the bed! Competitive competitions aren't just about catching target fish either, there's a lot of variety in fishing scenarios!
I know my own capabilities, mainly afraid of affecting your results, please don't pick on me!" Meng Fan cheerfully explained hurriedly, his hearty laugh resounding far.
Ding Wen, seeing Meng Fan wasn't interested in joining up, nodded: "Alright, then let's discuss it another time! I'll go take a piss and stretch, morning's tight, can still squeeze in another fish grab!"
"Wait for me, I'll join!" Chen Xiaodao also called out, followed along, and the two left Zhang Yang and the others' resting spot.
After they left, Meng Fan lowered his voice and asked, "What's the deal? Didn't you say lone wolves don't make it? Why not team up with them? After all, we're all fellow folks from W City, competing together is nice!"
Zhang Yang shook his head, explained word by word: "Unequal strength, plus they have ulterior motives! How to form a team?"
"Ulterior motives? What do they want?" Liu Zi asked curiously.
Zhang Yang pointed to the ice cream in his hand: "Others aside, I'll ask you a simple question, if they team up with you to chase competitions, then who buys the ice cream later on?"
With one question, Liu Zi immediately understood the implication in Zhang Yang's words.
Given the current objective evaluation of strengths on the surface, although Meng Fan and Liu Zi won a fish grabbing session, their standing and competition experience are much lower than Ding Wen's group.
If they team up to pursue competitions, inevitably they'll run errands, cover funds, entertain, etc.
Due to the unequal strength, to gain various information from others, they have to make sacrifices in other aspects. This is beyond an unwritten rule now.
Zhang Yang continued: "Besides, I am not very optimistic about these two's temperaments either! If we're playing, we'll do it cleanly.
There's a saying that says relying on others is not as good as relying on oneself! Didn't you feel it in the two recent fish grabs, Liu Zi? Only when one's skills are solid will others respect you; this competitive fishing circle is even more realistic than other social industries!"
When reality is mentioned, Liu Zi could be said to empathize deeply; when he first came, Ding Wen didn't talk about teaming up for competitions. After winning a pit champion in fish grabbing, people have actively approached to get close.
"Brother Yang is right, relying on oneself is better than relying on others! Without leaning on a team, we two can partner up and win competitions!" Meng Fan exhaled a puff of smoke, crushed his cigarette butt underfoot.
After resting for a few minutes, Ding Wen and a few other anglers gradually returned, exchanged greetings, and restarted the morning's final fish grab.
The third session of fish grabbing was noticeably milder compared to the previous two, everyone suffered losses in floating fishing, and in the third session all regained rationality.
As for Zhang Yang's trio, they unanimously chose the strategy of fishing at stable layers, showing clearly more conservative behavior.
The conservatism mentioned here isn't regarding tactical layers, but the arrangement in Zhang Yang's strategic plan.
How to understand this phrase is to put it bluntly, Zhang Yang's team was intentionally letting the others win.
The three of them continuously secured first place in two fish grabs, already bagging four to five hundred in prize money. If they continued winning, others aren't fools, seeing no hope of victory with such a lopsided score, folks will certainly find excuses not to play afternoon fish grabs.
To keep everyone's mindset slightly balanced, to see some hope, and also to pass through the variable of the midday time slot smoothly, Zhang Yang secretly instructed his two partners for the third fish grab to focus on practicing casting and feeling, strategically easing up.