That afternoon, the dusty Meng Fan drove Liu’er and Liu Zi back to W City. Instead of rushing home, they first drove to Zhang Yang’s fishing gear shop.
Zhang Yang’s small shop in town hadn’t expanded much, but because of its high-quality products and Zhang Yang’s excellent fishing skills, there were always fellow anglers coming to play with him every day.
This afternoon, the shop was also bustling with guests, with four or five familiar anglers gathered around the tea table, boasting and bragging.
"Hey bro, Liu Zi and I are back!" Meng Fan glanced around the room as he entered and greeted them.
"Yo, driving pretty fast, huh! Did you have lunch yet? If not, I’ll have my mom cook some noodles for you to snack on?" Zhang Yang saw his brothers had returned, stood up to greet them, and casually arranged seats for Meng Fan and Liu Zi.
"Had some buns at the service area! No need to trouble Auntie! What are you chatting about? Found another good spot for fishing?" In front of outsiders, Meng Fan didn’t mention being tricked; he casually found a topic and started to chat with others.
"Tomorrow, Lao Meng’s place is releasing fish for real fishing. We’re here to tie some hooks and replenish ammo. Went out for a competition, huh? How did it go?" One of the anglers who knew Meng Fan explained and then casually asked.
Meng Fan grinned, took out a pack of Blue Happy cigarettes and shared them around: "It was alright, mostly gaining experience, not aiming for top scores." ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ N0v3l.Fiɾe.net
"True... with more experience, scores will come easier!"
The anglers drank tea and chatted for a while, and after Zhang Yang finished tying the fish hooks, they greeted each other, settled their bills, and left.
Only Zhang Yang and Meng Fan, Liu Zi were left in the room. Zhang Yang turned around, took a bag of fruits from the fridge, washed them in the back, and quickly served them.
"So, what’s the story? You couldn’t hold back and called me before even getting home; that’s not like you!"
What Zhang Yang said was true; this kind of impulsive behavior indeed wasn’t typical of Meng Fan’s style.
"It’s not that Brother Fan couldn’t hold back; it’s those guys bullying us too much!" Liu Zi, who hadn’t spoken, couldn’t help but interject.
"What do you mean?" Zhang Yang turned his gaze back to Meng Fan.
"Qian Wenjun and his crew, not only did they pull tricks in the last mixed fish match against me, but they also issued a challenge! Next Tuesday, in the Four-Type Competition at Wa City, they want to bet with me! The stakes are 10,000 yuan, and the loser has to kneel and apologize!" In front of Zhang Yang, Meng Fan had no qualms and spilled the whole story.
The matter seems serious, but it’s actually quite simple to explain.
Meng Fan and Liu Zi arrived two days early at the competition site for routine practice fishing and gear testing, and then they encountered Qian Wenjun’s team.
Under Zhang Yang’s strict guidance, Meng Fan’s basics had significantly improved. Facing fast-paced target fish, Meng Fan performed exceptionally well during practice competitions, winning several bets.
After winning money, Qian Wenjun’s team members started making snide remarks. Meng Fan isn’t the kind to suffer losses quietly, so he retorted back. The disagreement during practice led to the temporary team being dissolved due to quarrels.
Due to this small spat, Meng Fan got resented by Qian Wenjun’s team. In the last match, a team member coincidentally drew lots to fish next to Meng Fan. Since the competitor wasn’t performing well and had no chance at scoring, they sabotaged Meng Fan’s fishing spot.
Meng Fan, who had one point from the previous three rounds, had a high chance of winning the championship. Unfortunately, in the last match, he was tricked and didn’t catch any fish, leading to a score of zero and not even making it to the top ten overall.
Frustrated, Meng Fan sought out the guy who sabotaged his fishing spot, only to run into Qian Wenjun’s crew. An argument ensued, but it didn’t resolve anything, so both sides agreed to enroll in the next Four-Type Competition in Wa City to settle scores, with substantial stakes agreed upon.
A 10,000 yuan bet isn’t a big deal for Meng Fan, but kneeling and apologizing if he loses— now that’s serious, affecting his reputation.
In a fit of rage, how could Meng Fan worry about these things? After accepting the challenge, he immediately called Zhang Yang.
In Meng Fan’s fishing knowledge, his team leader is like a god; as long as the leader steps in, winning the practice competition to save face would be no problem.
"Alright, I get it! It’s about the stakes and reputation, huh?" Zhang Yang smirked and nodded.
"Exactly! You could put it that way! I’m serious about this time! If Liu Zi hadn’t held me back, I’d have directly called my uncle to get reinforcements from the military district on them!" Meng Fan said unabashedly.
"No need for that. Business-related matters should be resolved on business terms. If you take some losses, you’ll naturally learn from the sensitivity and gain some lessons; it’s not a bad thing! You did very well in the first three matches, right?
What was the situation like? Let me help you analyze it afterward!"
"This time in the Four-Type Competition, the fish condition was very straightforward— freshly stocked fish before the competition. Practicing for two days only made the fish slightly skittish. The offensive fishing method you taught us was perfect for this fishing condition. In the two small crucian carp rounds, we fished on the surface and led the group with a big score! In one mixed fish round using Flying Copy, later the fish were pulled up to midwater; I stubbornly fought with Blocking Needle for over half an hour!
Oh, and regarding the fish condition, I don’t know what the opponent was using. The guy fishing next to me just casually cast a few loose shots on my territory, and I suddenly got no bites!