73: The world of fishermen can only be understood by fishermen

As night fell, Zhang Kai sat under a willow tree by the riverbank, his eyes fixed on the float.

The moonlight reflected in the Nameless Lake, and a gentle breeze stirred the water, scattering the starry reflections into a myriad of shimmering specks.

Among the reeds by the lake, several small fish leaped out of the water, creating splashes.

The lake breeze, carrying the scent of waterweed, brushed past the angler's shoulders.

He leaned against a faded plastic stool, his rod tip dipping towards the water, the luminous float gently swaying in the ripples, like a faint firefly's lamp.

The surrounding sounds of insects and frogs rose and fell, and occasionally, a night heron skimmed across the water, its wingtips shattering a string of light specks.

After an unknown amount of time, the float suddenly sank two marks, magnifying its glow into a translucent halo, the fishing line faintly visible in the darkness.

Zhang Kai quickly rested his finger on the rod tip, his gaze intently following every subtle tremor of the float.

When the vibration felt strong enough at his fingertips, he swiftly lifted the rod, and the reel made a soft "click" sound.

The moment the fishing line went taut, a flash of silver erupted from the water.

At the end of the line, a large crucian carp thrashed its tail, splashing fine droplets of water as it struggled.

"Holy crap, I got a bite!"

After waiting for so long, he finally ended his nightmare of an empty catch.

Zhang Kai grinned excitedly, about to reel in the fish.

Just then, a dazzling light suddenly shone from behind him, accompanied by the abrupt screech of brakes.

This sudden commotion startled Zhang Kai, and he almost flung his rod away.

Fortunately, he reacted in time, hastily steadying the rod.

But the large crucian carp, which he had finally hooked, took the opportunity to shake off the hook and escape.

"No!!!!"

Zhang Kai clutched his head and knelt, then angrily turned around, intending to confront the person who had "disrupted" him.

"Don't you know this is my first... Huh?!"

He stopped mid-sentence, then stared dumbfounded at the stall setup behind him.

"Ah, this, you, I, no..."

...About ten minutes earlier, Lu Chuan had turned from the small path onto the Nameless Lake, then continued along the lakeside.

It was just that this stall operating time was indeed a bit too 'yin' (unconventional/late).

He had to ride his tricycle for more than half a circle before he spotted his first angler.

Thinking that riding further would likely be fruitless, he decided to stop and set up his stall for business.

However, the other person's reaction was somewhat unexpected.

Lu Chuan scratched his head, a disarming smile—a simple, honest grin—appearing on his face at the right moment.

They say you don't hit a smiling face; could this matter of his fish getting away be overlooked?

...Zhang Kai looked at the stall that had appeared behind him, then at the young man with the honest smile, a big question mark on his face.

This was the secluded Nameless Lake, right?

The time was nine in the evening, also correct, right?

But why was there a stall here?

Looking at the sign, it was even selling grilled fish?

Heh heh.

No, this wouldn't do. He must have been fishing for too long, causing a nervous breakdown and hallucinations.

He remembered his wife's scolding words when he left home that morning:

"Zhang Kai, you've gone mad with fishing!"

Zhang Kai shook his head, then turned and sat down, picking up his fishing rod, baiting it, and casting it out again.

Hmph, so what if it's a nervous breakdown?

What's the big deal? Could it be more important than fishing?

As long as he didn't disturb the fishing spot, even if a ghost stood beside him, he would fish without changing his expression, just to show the ghost.

Behind him, Lu Chuan scratched his head again, looking at the scene with confusion.

Never mind, never mind. The world of anglers, only anglers can understand.

He was just a stall owner, not from the same world, so there was no need to force understanding.

Lu Chuan pulled out the retractable grill attached to the stall, extending it a full body's length before it could no longer be pulled.

It had to be said that every stall provided by the system was truly unique.

Not only was it exquisite and beautiful, but it also fully considered Lu Chuan's needs.

In addition to a grill that could handle seven grilled fish at once, the side of the cart also came with an ice maker, making it convenient for Lu Chuan to make iced drinks at any time.

Lu Chuan looked at the angler a few meters ahead, who was concentrating on his fishing.

He thought for a moment, then poured some fruitwood charcoal into the grill.

As sparks ignited at the bottom of the grill, the temperature around it gradually rose, dispelling some of the rare coolness of the night.

Lu Chuan began to place a garlic-flavored grilled fish on the iron net, and at this moment, the electric fan installed on the side of the cart started whirring.

The wind fanned the flames, and the fruitwood charcoal fire blazed, continuously heating the grill pan.

The aluminum foil casing, wrapped around the grilled fish on the iron pan, began to expand in the high heat, gradually swelling into a sphere.

Lu Chuan constantly monitored the fire, listening to the crackling of the charcoal, and watching the aluminum foil sphere on the grill pan alternately swell and shrink.

Judging it to be ready, he took a small knife from the side and swiftly made two quick slashes on the top of the sphere, then quickly withdrew his hand.

The next moment, the delicious aroma accumulated within the aluminum foil sphere, accompanied by steam, burst forth and was then blown away by the electric fan's breeze.

As luck would have it, a wind began to pick up by the lake.

Even more coincidentally, the aroma, carried by the wind, drifted towards Zhang Kai by the lake.

The next moment, Zhang Kai's body trembled, then he slowly turned around, looking at Lu Chuan and the small cart, his face full of disbelief.

Just as Lu Chuan thought he was about to walk over, he saw the other person suddenly slap himself across the face, then shouted loudly.

"No, how can I be distracted while fishing!"

With that, he wiped the drool spreading from the corners of his mouth and resolutely turned back to continue fishing.

"..."

Is this the terrifying aspect of anglers?

Lu Chuan silently looked at Zhang Kai's back, suddenly filled with respect.

Never mind, never mind. So this was where the system's trap lay; he was still too young.

Lu Chuan mentally gave the system a 'Great Desolate Prison Heaven Finger' (a gesture of defiance/frustration).

He simply stopped struggling. Anyway, the appetite coins he earned from the first two missions weren't far off.

If he couldn't complete this mission, he could complete the next one.

Since that was the case, Lu Chuan looked at the fragrant grilled fish, covered with a generous amount of minced garlic, garlic cloves, chopped green onions, and onion slices, and couldn't help but salivate, his appetite stirred.

Today he had only tasted the spicy flavor; he hadn't tried the garlic and satay sauce grilled fish yet.

Lu Chuan moved the grilled fish to the part of the grill without charcoal, then rubbed his hands, about to start eating.

"Hold on!!!"

A loud shout came.

Lu Chuan, chopsticks in hand, looked up in confusion.

He found that Zhang Kai, who had just been fishing calmly, was now standing in front of the small cart, staring intently at the grilled fish, his shirt stained with drool.

"Little brother, can you sell this grilled fish to me first?!"

"It can...it can, but your rod seems to have a fish on it..."

Lu Chuan hesitantly pointed at the fishing rod propped up behind Zhang Kai, signaling him to look back.