50: Chapter 50 Global Panic: The Dragon Kingdom's Fishing Fools are the Strongest Force

The next morning, when the first rays of sunlight hit the newsstands in New York, the worldview of the entire Western world shattered.

This issue of Time magazine broke its sales record since its inception.

The cover featured no politicians, no celebrities, and no profound social issues. There was only a high-definition, realistic photo filled with magical realism.

The background of the photo was the endless blue ocean.

On the left was a 100,000-ton nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, billowing thick black smoke, its hull tilted as if it had just been bitten by Godzilla. The hull number "CVN-78" was faintly visible through the charred smoke, looking incredibly miserable.

On the right was a white yacht, tiny as dust in comparison.

A young man, seen from behind, wearing a floral shirt, baggy shorts, and sunglasses, stood at the bow. He had one hand in his pocket and was casually holding a pitch-black fishing rod in the other, his posture as carefree as if he were taking a stroll in his own backyard.

Beneath the photo was a bold, black, shouting English headline:

"THE ANGLER" (That Angler)

The subtitle was even more devastating: [God's Whip? Or mysterious sorcery from the East? Dragon Country's Strongest Combat Power Warning — Never provoke the man with the fishing rod!]

This photo, later jokingly referred to by historians as the "Greatest World Masterpiece of the 21st Century," instantly ignited global public opinion.

The foreign internet went completely insane.

On Twitter, the hashtag "#DragonFishing" shot straight to number one on the global trending list.

"God! Tell me this is photoshopped! A single fishing rod wrecked an aircraft carrier? Does this follow the laws of physics? Newton is going to flip in his grave!"

"I told you so! All Dragon Country people know Kung Fu! That fishing rod must be a disguised laser sword! Maybe even a Jedi lightsaber!"

"Don't be stupid, upstairs. Didn't you see the official Dragon Country report? It was 'electrical leakage'! What the hell kind of electrical leakage is that? Stay far away whenever you see a Dragon Country person fishing, or you might get electrocuted through your internet cable!"

Back home, the mood was one of jubilant celebration.

Netizens turned the photo into various memes, and some even hailed Jiang Chen as the "Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force"—meaning as long as he is there, the enemy's air force will have to dive into the sea to feed the fish.

"I'm dying of laughter, 'electrical leakage' my foot! The officials really know how to be humorous!"

"Shocking! The US aircraft carrier strike group wiped out by one person, and the reason is that they accidentally wandered into an angler's fishing spot?"

"This teaches us one truth: In the Dragon Country, you can mess with anyone, but never mess with an angler. They can catch anything except fish, including aircraft carriers!"

Meanwhile, in the Dragon Country's supreme war room, the atmosphere was as relaxed as the Lunar New Year.

"Satisfying! Truly satisfying!"

General Qin Weiguo held a top-secret document just delivered from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His face was wreathed in smiles, and he slammed his large palm on the table, making it thunder. "In all my years dealing with the US, I've never seen them act so cowardly!"

The document was a "Reconciliation Memorandum" sent by the US. Or rather, a "Ship Ransom Surrender Document."

Although the USS Freedom was paralyzed, it was nuclear-powered after all. If it really sank in the East China Sea, it would be a nuclear leak accident. To tow it back, the US had to hold their nose and accept the loss.

"Look at these terms!" General Qin Weiguo pointed at the document, his face full of triumph. "Lifting the blockade on all high-end photoresist and carbon fiber materials for the Dragon Country! Recognizing the legal status of Chenxing Technology! And they have to compensate us..."

He glanced at the number and couldn't help but laugh out loud again: "Compensating 'Mr. Jiang' for mental distress, lost wages, and depreciation of fishing gear, totaling... two hundred million US dollars!"

"Two hundred million US dollars?" A Chief of Staff nearby twitched his mouth. "Is his fishing rod made of gold? Two hundred million for depreciation?"

"You don't understand." General Qin Weiguo lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and his eyes were full of admiration. "This is the price Mr. Jiang set himself. He said his fishing rod was made of 'alien meteorite iron,' and in order to catch the aircraft carrier... oh no, in order to defend himself, the core components overloaded and burned out. Not a single cent of this money can be missing."

"Did the US pay it?"

"They did! They transferred the money overnight! They were terrified that if they were a second late, Mr. Jiang would use his fishing rod to 'accidentally touch' their rescue ship again."

The big bosses looked at each other and finally couldn't help but burst into laughter.

This battle was won beautifully! Not only did it heavily suppress the arrogance of the US at this critical geopolitical juncture, but it also managed to fleece them. Most importantly, the "asymmetric strike capability" displayed by Jiang Chen gave everyone a sense of reassurance.

As long as this guy is around, even if the US brings over ten aircraft carrier strike groups, it'll just mean a few more piles of scrap metal.

"However..." After laughing, General Qin Weiguo put away the document, his expression becoming serious. "Mr. Jiang caused too much of a stir this time. Although we blocked the news and didn't expose his true identity, it's hard to guarantee that some short-sighted individuals won't go and harass him."

"Especially those influencers who would risk their lives for traffic, and hidden spies."

"If something like that happens again... like an ex-girlfriend blocking a car, or a rich second-generation provoking him, and it makes Mr. Jiang unhappy, that would be a loss for the country."

The old man at the head of the table nodded slightly, his gaze deep.

"Give him an identity." The old man tapped his fingers lightly on the table, making the final decision. "Give him an identity... one that allows him to do as he pleases, one that no one dares to provoke, yet is completely legal."

Yunding Villa.

Jiang Chen was lying on the sofa, scrolling through his phone in boredom.

Although the internet hailed him as a god, in reality, he was very annoyed right now. Very annoyed.

Because that "Gravity Tractor Capture Device" was truly broken. That final "overload discharge" was satisfying, and it wrecked the aircraft carrier, but that precision instrument from the Wasteland was completely ruined. Now it had become a real fire poker.

"A loss, a huge loss." Jiang Chen hissed in pain, clutching his teeth. "That was a limited edition! I won't have anything to use if I want to catch an aircraft carrier again in the future."

Just as he was sighing, the doorbell rang. General Qin Weiguo had come to visit in person.

This iron-blooded general wasn't wearing his military uniform today; instead, he had changed into casual clothes. He was solemnly holding a small red velvet box, wearing that mysterious smile that said, "I have high hopes for you."

"Mr. Jiang, still feeling heartbroken about the fishing rod?"

As soon as General Qin Weiguo entered, he slapped a check onto the coffee table. "Don't be heartbroken, look at this."

Jiang Chen glanced at it. Two hundred million US dollars.

"Whoa!" His eyes lit up instantly. He did a kip-up to sit up and quickly shoved the check into his pocket. "From the US? They're sensible! Now my fishing rod money is back."

"It's not just money." General Qin Weiguo sat on the sofa and pushed the red velvet box toward Jiang Chen.

"After the organization's deliberation, to commend your outstanding performance in the 'East China Sea Lure Competition,' and to facilitate your future... ahem, work."

"Specially approved for you."

Jiang Chen curiously opened the box. Inside lay a small, dark red booklet. The cover wasn't made of ordinary plastic but of a special leather material, stamped with a gold-embossed national emblem and a line of extremely solemn small text: [National Special Security Consultant Certificate]

He opened it to see Jiang Chen's photo inside, followed by a series of steel seals and a serial number: 001.

"What is this?" Jiang Chen looked it over repeatedly. "Can it be eaten as a meal? Or does it waive road tolls?"

"It's much more useful than that." General Qin Weiguo lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of temptation that only men could understand. "This is equivalent to an ancient 'Imperial Sword'."

"The holder of this certificate has the highest level of access rights in this country. Whether it is a military restricted area or private territory, you can legally enter."

"In case of an emergency, you have the right to mobilize all police forces and armed police units below the regimental level to assist your operations."

Speaking of this, General Qin Weiguo paused, his eyes becoming sharp. "Most importantly..."

"If you encounter a short-sighted rich second-generation like Wang Kai, or a shrew like Lin Yao who makes unreasonable trouble, or even a threatening spy..."

"You can act first and report later."

"This is called—" General Qin Weiguo spat out four words one by one: "Legitimate defense."

Jiang Chen held the little red book, his hand trembling slightly. Good heavens.

This isn't just any consultant certificate, is it? This is clearly a license issued by the state—a [License to Flex with Certification]!

From now on, whoever dares to show off in front of him, he can just slap this book onto their face. The scene... just thinking about it is exciting.

"Thanks, Old Qin."

Jiang Chen tucked the document into his inner pocket and patted General Qin Weiguo on the shoulder, smiling like a fox that had stolen a chicken. "I really like this gift."

"However..." He changed the subject, remembering something. "Since I have this certificate, does that mean I can go to the class reunion tomorrow?"

"I didn't want to go originally, after all, that group of people is too snobbish."

"But now..." Jiang Chen touched the gold-embossed certificate in his pocket, a playful glint flashing in his eyes. "I think I need to educate them on what... a real 'privileged class' is."