38: The long-lost voice

"Brother Xiaofan, it looks like there's a fish," Chen Cheng said excitedly.

Gao Xiaofan gave an 'oh' and leaned against the tree, not moving a muscle.

He smiled as he watched Chen Cheng's anxious expression.

"The fish have just gathered. They're easily spooked. Let's wait a bit longer."

Chen Cheng pouted and squatted on the ground, glancing over from time to time.

Half an hour later, Gao Xiaofan removed the lure from his lure rod, dug an earthworm out from the tile, and hooked it onto a lead head hook.

With a gentle swing, the earthworm sank rapidly toward the bottom under the weight of the hook, but before it could reach the bottom of the pool, it was fiercely snatched by a Sturgeon.

Gao Xiaofan quickly turned the handle, bringing the Sturgeon out of the water; everything seemed perfectly ordinary.

However, in the eyes of Chen Cheng nearby, it was anything but.

The Sturgeon in the pool struggled frantically, splashing water everywhere, some even landing on the shore.

When it comes to Sturgeon, if you use a Taiwan Fishing rod and don't break it, you can't even claim you've fished for Sturgeon. If the rod doesn't break, the line will definitely snap.

The Grass Carp, known for its 'three-strike' strength, was like a little brother compared to a Sturgeon.

This was also why Gao Xiaofan hadn't considered using a Taiwan Fishing rod. Firstly, there were too many branches here to set it up properly, and secondly, the strength of a Sturgeon's struggle was indeed more than an average rod could handle.

Lure Fishing was different. The eight-strand PE line was extremely strong. As for the pressure on the rod, if the Sturgeon pulled too hard, he could just loosen the drag on the reel.

Chen Cheng watched Gao Xiaofan's calm face as he coolly reeled in steadily, then quickly, then let out line. His smooth, fluid motions left her dazed.

"Splash!" Gao Xiaofan quickly bent down, picked up the assembled landing net, and scooped it up head-first.

Gao Xiaofan held the landing net with his left hand while the Sturgeon flopped inside. He gestured with his chin toward the box, and Chen Cheng immediately squatted down to open it.

Gao Xiaofan pinned the Sturgeon in the net with his knee, removed the hook, and tossed it inside.

Gao Xiaofan set down his fishing rod, went to the small mountain spring stream, washed his hands, and wiped the sweat from his face.

Sure enough, fishing really comes down to resources. With good resources, it's hard not to catch anything even if you tried.

Gao Xiaofan glanced at the murky pool, waved to Chen Cheng who was standing there dazed, and went back to sit in the shade under the tree.

This time, Chen Cheng didn't ask any curious questions. She was completely convinced now. She might be a bit airheaded, but she wasn't stupid; there was definitely a reason for doing this.

Gao Xiaofan felt a bit out of place seeing Chen Cheng staying so quiet. He smiled and said,

"Sturgeon are timid, especially after the commotion just now. Let's let the school gather again before we keep fishing."

Chen Cheng nodded obediently.

Time passed quickly. Gao Xiaofan carried the entrenching tool like a shoulder pole with the live fish box hanging from it, slowly walking back toward the village while watching the mountain spring stream.

After four hours of fermentation, the bait in the pool had been completely consumed. The water was crystal clear once again, which put Gao Xiaofan at ease.

After all, this was the mountain spring of someone else's village. Perhaps the villagers used this very water for drinking.

"Little Orange, hurry up, or there won't be any food left~"

"There definitely won't be any food left. It's already past noon."

Chen Cheng said weakly. She followed behind, carrying the rods and landing net. She had only eaten a little in the morning excitement and was now starving.

Upon returning to the village, they saw Qu Lang sitting in his room with several large bowls on the table.

"You guys are finally back. Hurry up and eat," Qu Lang said helplessly. However, his eyes lit up when he saw the live fish box Gao Xiaofan was carrying, and he reached out to take it.

Gao Xiaofan turned back to help Chen Cheng for a bit before sitting down at the table to dig in.

Green pepper potato slices, steamed eggs, and tomato scrambled eggs.

The potatoes were sliced, likely because Cooking Auntie was too busy to do anything more elaborate.

Gao Xiaofan thought idly as he ate. He didn't mind the lack of meat; in such hot weather, eating some vegetarian dishes was quite refreshing.

"Whoa, three of them!" Qu Lang stared wide-eyed at the fish in the box, looking shocked.

He had traveled all over the country for years and tasted all sorts of delicacies. He had eaten the fish from yesterday, and the flavor was truly excellent. One such fish could easily sell for 1888 outside. Yet Gao Xiaofan had brought back three more today, and two looked even bigger than yesterday's.

However, he soon began to feel conflicted. There were three this time. If he didn't give any to the Program Production Crew, it would be hard to justify. But giving them away... he was a bit reluctant.

Gao Xiaofan shoveled rice into his mouth. Seeing Qu Lang's troubled expression, he knew what the man was thinking and spoke softly.

"Brother Lang, how do you think we should handle these fish?"

Qu Lang snapped out of it upon hearing this. He realized he wasn't the owner of these fish; the real decision-maker was Gao Xiaofan.

"You caught them, you decide."

Gao Xiaofan smiled, wiped his mouth, and set down his chopsticks.

"Brother Lang, how about this? There are too many fish to finish, and they'll spoil in this heat. Why don't you invite a few close colleagues over for a get-together tonight?"

Qu Lang's eyes lit up. He gave Gao Xiaofan a deep look and nodded.

"I'll follow your arrangement."

Gao Xiaofan hummed in response, picked up his chopsticks, and continued eating.

He had thought of this on the way back. As a director, how could Qu Lang not have a few close subordinates? It was better to let Qu Lang take the credit for this favor.

The world isn't just about fighting and killing; it's about the ways of the world and human relationships.

Qu Lang pulled a cigarette pack from his pocket and placed one on the table next to Gao Xiaofan.

A true hero emerges from the youth.

With just a simple sentence, he approached it from the angle of not wasting food, yet didn't mention feeding the entire Program Production Crew. Instead, he casually suggested inviting a few close colleagues. Especially that last bit about a 'get-together'—otherwise, huddling together for a few bites of food in the dark of night would be a bit embarrassing. A 'get-together' sounded much better.

Gao Xiaofan didn't go out in the afternoon. He stayed quietly in his room because Qu Lang had said at noon that he would come by after finishing work to discuss the contract.

Gao Xiaofan sat on a stool, shirtless, playing on his phone.

The Program Production Crew had applied for a base station from the Telecommunications Bureau and placed it in the village to maintain the livestream network, so internet access wasn't an issue at all.

He opened WeChat and watched the group chat messages popping up constantly.

Online ID: "Brother Fan hasn't streamed for a few days, and the follower count is slipping a bit."

Intentional Punch: "Should we leak the news that Brother Wo Zi is participating in a variety show?"

Li Yuer (First-Class Competitive Fishing Master Yu Weibao): "I think it'll be better to wait for the official news. Besides, the production crew probably won't allow us to say anything yet."

Zhang Dali (Nickname): "But we can hype it up in the fan group. We'll just say Brother Wo Zi is preparing a big move."

Strong Hand Cracks Skull: "(Smiley face) Brother Dali is right. I think that works."

Gao Xiaofan felt a warm glow in his heart as he watched his die-hard fans worrying for him. However, he couldn't help but chuckle when he saw Strong Hand Cracks Skull's message.

Ever since the last gathering, Strong Hand Cracks Skull, the youngest of them, had become completely well-behaved. He called everyone 'brother' and didn't dare to be arrogant anymore.

Just then, Gao Xiaofan's smile froze, and then he broke into a wide grin.

The long-awaited voice in his mind had arrived.