178: Damn desire to win

Seeing someone catch a big fish, everyone returned to their fishing spots, hoping to be the next lucky one.

Yang Qi also started baiting with a Skipjack Tuna, casting his rod and waiting for a bite, using his ability to scan the nearby waters. He indeed didn't see any large fish swimming around.

What could he do? Wait, what if a big fish suddenly appeared?

Now, only he and Zhang Jun at nearby fishing spots weren't catching fish, because only the two of them were using five to six-pound Skipjack Tuna as bait.

Everyone else was using Shrimp or Balang Fish as bait. Since the fish schools below were relatively small, they couldn't swallow such a large Skipjack Tuna.

However, neither of them cared much about these small fish. If they didn't catch any, then so be it!

Other fishermen, after catching too many small fish, also felt dispirited and gradually lost interest.

Only beginners like Lu Hua were happy as long as they caught a fish, no matter what kind of fish it was.

"Yang Qi, did you catch squid last night?"

Zhang Jun had seen the squid when he was getting live bait earlier, so he asked.

"Yes, I caught them in the early morning, four boxes. I'll give you one box to take back and share," Yang Qi said.

"That's great! Squid this season is delicious. I won't be polite with you."

Zhang Jun nodded and said, "I heard squid is easy to catch? Next time you run into them, call me. I've never encountered them."

"Okay! I'll call you next time,"

Yang Qi said, "They're very easy to catch. The sea surface is packed with them everywhere. Anyone with hands can do it. Wang Jinxi and a few crewmen scooped up twenty or thirty boxes with nets."

The two sat on chairs, smoking and chatting idly.

Slowly, several acquaintances from nearby, Wang Hu, Chang Jianqiang, Liu Yao, and others, gathered to chat and joke.

Only the rookie Lu Hua was still diligently fishing, occasionally catching a few Yellow Chicken Fish.

Just as the group was getting bored, the captain's voice came over the broadcast:

"Dear bosses, this fishing boat is about to start and head to the next fishing spot. You can go rest or entertain yourselves in the lounge, or go to the aft deck for some drift fishing. I wish everyone a full hold!"

"Also, the restaurant has prepared lunch for all bosses. Please proceed to the restaurant for your meal. Thank you all!"

Zhang Jun heard the broadcast and stood up, "Let's go! Reel in, time to eat."

"Hmm, A Jun, you caught a Skipjack Tuna?"

Chang Jianqiang, with his sharp eyes, immediately spotted the four to five-pound Skipjack Tuna on Zhang Jun's hook.

"Hehehe, that's not important. Let's go! Time to eat."

Lunch that day included a new dish: blanched squid. A large plate of blanched squid, with the squid rings and tentacles cut separately.

After tasting it, everyone praised the squid's freshness.

During the meal, Yang Qi and the others felt the movement of the fishing boat starting. After they finished eating, the others continued playing cards, which left Yang Qi quite speechless!

Fortunately, Lu Hua asked him to play billiards. The two billiard tables on the boat were for "Chinese Pool."

Yang Qi was somewhat familiar with this, having played a few times during school, but his skill was terrible.

"Chinese Pool" is a 15-ball game with two colors: 7 solid balls numbered 1 to 7, and 7 striped balls numbered 9 to 15, plus one black 8-ball.

After the break shot, players first pocket a ball of either color to choose their set. For example, if you pocket a striped ball first, you become the striped player, and your opponent is the solid player. Vice versa.

Only after all 7 of your colored balls are pocketed can you hit the black 8-ball. Sinking the black 8-ball wins the game. So, in some places, it's also called " 搶8" (snatch 8).

The rules are simple and easy to understand, the operation is straightforward, and pocketing a ball allows for continuous shots. If you accidentally pocket an opponent's ball, sorry, no regrets—that means you treat them, it counts as a point for your opponent, and it's their turn. Also, if the cue ball is pocketed, it's also the opponent's turn to shoot.

It's not like "Snooker" billiards, which is a 21-ball game, alternating between red and colored balls. Each colored ball has a fixed position, and it's a point-based system, with a maximum break of 147 points. The winner is determined by who has more points at the end.

"Snooker" World Championships, Grand Prix, and other events are popular worldwide.

There's also another mainstream billiard game called "Pool," which includes 9-ball and 10-ball. It emphasizes continuous shot techniques and tactical layouts. "Pool" also has many international competitions.

Yang Qi and Lu Hua didn't understand the detailed rules, so they simply set some basic rules for turns and started their amateurish game.

Others could finish a game in at most ten minutes, but these two amateurs sometimes couldn't finish a game in half an hour.

What are low shots, high shots, draw shots, cue ball positioning? What do they have to do with me?

Don't ask, because I don't know!

They only saw each other's clumsy shots, completely oblivious to the fact that they themselves were also amateurs. The two, with equally poor skills, had a blast playing.

If I lose this game to you, it's because I'm unlucky. If I win the next game, it means my skill is better than yours!

This damned desire to win!

After 4 hours, Yang Qi had 5 wins and 4 losses.

In the 10th game, Lu Hua was just one colored ball away from hitting the black 8. Yang Qi still had 4 colored balls left.

When it was Yang Qi's turn to shoot, he played a trick, saying he needed to go to the restroom first, stalling and dawdling.

After he came back, he offered Lu Hua a drink, then wanted to rest for a while. A moment later, he ran off to offer cigarettes to Zhang Jun and the others, asking how everyone's luck was, who was winning and who was losing.

Finally, he heard the broadcast announce dinner, so Yang Qi put down his cue stick and stopped playing.

Lu Hua was left alone, cue stick in hand, looking bewildered in the wind.

When everyone was eating together, Liu Yao and others asked about their billiard game.

"5 to 4, a slight edge! I'm not very talented, but I have a slight edge, hehehe!"

Yang Qi shamelessly replied.

"You—" Lu Hua didn't expect this guy to be so thick-skinned.

"You what? I'm just asking you, was the final score 5 to 4?"

Yang Qi interrupted him and asked.

"The last game..."

Lu Hua was about to explain. In his opinion, Yang Qi's skill was definitely not as good as his. In the ninth game, he just had bad luck.

"What about the last game? It wasn't finished yet, so how can it count?"

Yang Qi retorted.

Everyone understood then; they hadn't even finished 10 games in four or five hours. These two guys were completely amateurish!

From then on, whenever Yang Qi and Lu Hua met, Lu Hua would always ask Yang Qi to play billiards with him.

Once, after a gathering, Yang Qi was so pestered that he had no choice. He played one game, and Lu Hua's skill had clearly improved a lot, but in that game, Yang Qi had a burst of luck and won by one ball again.

He threw down his cue stick and firmly refused to play anymore.

"With your skill, you still want revenge on me? You'll always be my defeated opponent. Hahahaha."

In reality, he knew that if he kept playing, once Lu Hua warmed up, he would only be abused.

Liu Yao later said that after Lu Hua went back, he diligently practiced his billiard skills, wanting to redeem himself, but Yang Qi no longer gave him the chance and refused to play with him.