298: Giant grouper spotted again

Perhaps this Giant Grouper had just eaten a Mackerel, which greatly stimulated its appetite, or maybe something else was happening?

At this moment, it had already left its hidden and dark rock crevice lair. Suddenly, it caught a scent ahead.

Upon closer inspection, there was a Mackerel, one of its favorite meals, right in front of it. The faint, subtle scent of blood triggered its predatory instincts, leaving it with only one thought: it absolutely had to eat that thing.

As the Giant Grouper flicked its tail, the seawater near the reef where it was located suddenly surged, as if a small tsunami were brewing.

The clear seawater instantly became muddy and turbulent, as if a colossal underwater beast were thrashing about.

Simultaneously, the Giant Grouper rushed toward the injured Mackerel and bit down fiercely.

"Damn it, this is bad!"

By the time the Giant Grouper realized the bait was abnormal, it was already too late.

Because it bit down with too much force, the hook had deeply embedded itself into its mouth.

"Holy hell, that hurts like crazy!"

The Giant Grouper, stung by the pain in its jaw, began to struggle wildly, yet the more it struggled, the more it hurt.

As it struggled, the fishing rod tip bent further and further, simultaneously tapping the water furiously, as if sending an emergency signal.

Zhang Jun noticed this, turned around, and, like a conditioned reflex, rushed toward the rod like an arrow. He grabbed the rod with both hands and struck upward fiercely to set the hook.

However, this force was abruptly broken by a heavy resistance; he couldn't lift it at all. In the blink of an eye, a massive force traveled straight up the rod.

Although Zhang Jun was prepared, the sheer power still pulled him into a stagger.

"Damn, what incredible power!"

Zhang Jun quickly braced his knee against the gunwale, stabilized his body, gripped the rod tightly with both hands, and pulled upward with all his might.

The large fish, spurred by pain, struggled relentlessly. Zhang Jun was starting to lose his hold, and his face flushed crimson with effort.

However, he still couldn't withstand the large fish's power; the rod remained bent into a deep arch, and the rod tip continuously tapped the surface of the sea.

Wang Hu, who was nearby, rushed over, stepped up, grabbed the rod, and helped pull it upward.

Only by exerting all their strength together could the two of them barely match the large fish blow for blow.

"Oh, Brother Jun has hooked a massive fish."

Liu Yao also spotted the situation and quickly came over to lend a hand.

The combined efforts of the three men finally lifted the rod, holding firm against the Giant Grouper's frantic struggles. Only then was Zhang Jun able to free his left hand to reel in the line.

After a fierce "battle," the Giant Grouper also seemed to tire, and the intensity of its struggles decreased significantly.

The three knew that the most crucial stage was over. Zhang Jun vigorously cranked the reel, retrieving a large section of the line as if reeling in a kite string.

This Giant Grouper was finally pulled away from the reef area.

Now the hard part was over. Even if they occasionally let out some line to exhaust its strength, they no longer worried about the Giant Grouper diving into a rock crevice.

This "tug-of-war" lasted for a full half hour, and the three men finally managed to thoroughly exhaust this immensely powerful Giant Grouper.

The three took advantage of the momentum and hauled the utterly exhausted Giant Grouper out of the water.

The massive fish tail slapped the water surface, creating loud "slap, slap, slap" sounds, as if giving voice to its final act of defiance.

A black and white spotted Giant Grouper, its large mouth opening and closing, was finally pulled close to the gunwale.

The deckhand, who had been waiting, brought ropes to secure the fish's tail. Only after dispatching the Giant Grouper did they use the crane to hoist it onto the deck.

The LCD screen on the crane was excellent, displaying the creature's weight in real-time.

When the men checked,

"Holy hell, this is incredible! It actually weighs 158 kilograms, 316 jin."

"What a massive creature, a true 'juggernaut'! Brother Jun is incredible!"

"Brother Jun is truly the best!"

The other people on the boat heard the commotion and hurried over to see what was happening.

"Hahaha, it's nothing, really nothing. Unlike you guys, I've caught fish even bigger than this one."

This was Zhang Jun's favorite kind of scene. Not even closing a major business deal could make him as happy as this moment.

The feeling of being the only person on the entire boat to catch a large fish was simply wonderful.

In the past, forget about standing out like this, he was always getting skunked (coming up empty).

Ever since he started fishing with Yang Qi, his luck had skyrocketed. He was now consistently one of the people with the best luck.

"Come, take a picture for me. Remember to include the displayed weight. The last time I caught a Bluefin Tuna weighing over five hundred jin, I took a picture just like this."

Zhang Jun handed his phone to Lu Hua.

"I know, I helped you take the picture like this last time. Brother Jun, you are truly amazing; please teach me sometime."

Lu Hua offered timely flattery. To be honest, the only people he truly respected in fishing were Yang Qi and Zhang Jun.

"Brother Jun, this fish is so huge, it must be worth a fortune, right?"

"Hmm, six figures, probably! But money isn't the point; the main thing is the thrill of the process! Hahaha."

Everyone rolled their eyes at Lu Hua. They hadn't expected someone to play the straight man for Zhang Jun—he was still too young!

Several people also went over and took pictures with the large fish. When they post it on their Moments, they can show off a bit.

Finally, with everyone's help, the Giant Grouper was placed inside the freezer hold.

Zhang Jun took out cigarettes and offered them to the men. Knowing his habit, they took the cigarettes and immediately ran back to their fishing spots, unwilling to listen to him brag.

Zhang Jun had just opened his mouth when he realized he was the only one left, so he could only sheepishly walk back to his fishing spot.

Next, he continued to bait the hook with a Mackerel and cast the rod. What if another behemoth came along?

However, he also knew that the fishing spot had been thoroughly stirred up by the Giant Grouper; the other fish must have been scared off, and no fish would bite for a while.

After waiting for a while, he saw his rod motionless, while Wang Hu and Liu Yao next to him occasionally caught a Mahi-Mahi, Yellow Chicken Fish, or something similar.

He felt not a shred of envy, even a little disdain. They were just small fry!

On the "setting sail," after the school of Red Seabream dispersed, the Groupers below were also caught one after another by the three men.

In the blink of an eye, the time reached 11 PM, and Yang Qi decided to stop fishing and rest early.

The three returned, showered, changed into comfortable clothes, and started preparing a late-night snack.

"Yang Qi, are you guys making a late-night snack too? Want to come over and have a drink?"

Zhang Jun's voice came over the radio.

"We'll skip the drinking. We're just going to eat something and rest; we have to travel tomorrow. Brother Jun, how was your catch tonight?"

Yang Qi was chatting with Zhang Jun in the cockpit.

Zhang Jun had been chatting for this long, just waiting for that question, and he laughed happily:

"Hahaha, Yang Qi, I was just average, only slightly better than those other guys. Just one Giant Grouper weighing about 316 jin—a large fish, I suppose. How was your fishing?"

When Yang Qi heard Zhang Jun laughing loudly, he immediately felt that something was amiss.