334: Invincible loneliness

"Boss, you're amazing! The championship is definitely yours! I haven't seen anyone else catch one this big."

The staff member said with a smile.

"Hehe, it's hard to say until the very last moment. Everyone has a chance to compete for the championship."

Yang Qi said with a grin, sounding quite insincere.

"There's less than half an hour left; there won't be that many surprises!"

"Hehehe!"

Yang Qi handed the staff member a cigarette and stopped fishing himself.

He began packing up his gear, just like turning in an exam paper early.

Soon, with the sound of a whistle, the competition officially ended. The Competition Committee began weighing and recording the catches of the Anglers.

The fish weren't biting well in the second half, except for Yang Qi, of course.

His catch in the afternoon, including that fifty-plus-pound ladyfish, totaled 103 catties, plus the 86 catties from the morning.

The final total was 189 catties.

He was far ahead of the second place's 68 catties.

Zhang Jun came from behind in the afternoon to take fourth place, trailing the third-place finisher by only 5 catties and 4 taels, narrowly missing out on the top three.

Bai Xue's final result was seventh place, ranking first among the twenty-plus female contestants.

The rest, including Yao Shanshan, Liu Yao, and Wang Hu, were all ranked after fiftieth place.

At the victory banquet held by the Competition Committee that evening, Yang Qi went on stage to receive a 50,000-yuan prize, a fishing rod, and, of course, a championship trophy.

Besides the top three, the top ten contestants, including Zhang Jun and Bai Xue, also received a medal and a fishing rod.

However, to everyone's surprise, the successful hosting of this Oyster Raft fishing competition caught the attention of the City Fishing Association.

The association leaders even took the stage to announce that next month, the City Fishing Association and the City Tourism Bureau would co-host the National Sea Fishing Competition. They cordially invited sea fishing enthusiasts from all over the country to come and compete.

The competition is divided into team and individual categories.

The event will be promoted and live-streamed on major national platforms and websites. The fish caught by the contestants will belong to them after being weighed and recorded.

The top ten contestants from this Oyster Raft competition can skip the preliminary rounds and go directly to the finals.

The team championship prize for the National Sea Fishing Competition is 600,000 yuan, 300,000 for the runner-up, and 100,000 for third place. Fourth place gets 50,000... and tenth place gets 3,000 yuan.

The individual championship prize is 500,000 yuan, 200,000 for the runner-up, 100,000 for third place, and the prizes for fourth through tenth place range from several thousand to tens of thousands.

The competition will last for 10 days, and specific details will be announced on major platforms and websites tomorrow.

This announcement instantly ignited the attendees, and even during the victory banquet, everyone was buzzing with discussion.

"Hubby, are we participating?"

Bai Xue asked, looking at Yang Qi.

"We'll see when the time comes. I feel like it overlaps with our trip to the Northeast!"

Yang Qi said softly.

"You were planning to go to the Northeast?"

Zhang Jun was a bit surprised.

"Yeah! We originally planned to go see the Ice and Snow World next month."

"Then you can go before or after the New Year! It's not like you have to go next month."

Zhang Jun shot him a glance.

"Mainly, it's my Aunt from the Northeast who invited my mom and the others to go play."

"I'm fine with going anytime. I'll ask when I get home and see!"

Yang Qi explained to Zhang Jun.

"Alright, go back and talk it over first. I still want to team up with you to win the championship!"

"We'll see the specific details of the event tomorrow."

Actually, Yang Qi was still inclined to participate in the competition, but then he thought about how he had never properly taken his parents on a trip, and Bai Xue had been longing to see the Ice and Snow World for a long time.

So, he was feeling hesitant.

"Hubby, how about we join the competition first and go to the Northeast a bit later?"

On the way home, Bai Xue said to Yang Qi.

"Let's go home and discuss it with Dad and Mom first."

Yang Qi nodded.

When they got home, his dad and mom happened to be in the living room drinking tea and watching TV.

"Dad, Mom!"

"Dad, Mom!"

"Uncle, Auntie!"

The three of them greeted them as they entered.

"Oh! You're back! How was the competition?"

Mother Zheng Jin responded warmly upon seeing the three of them enter.

"Have a seat! If you want tea, brew it yourselves!"

Yang Limin didn't even lift his butt, just motioning for them to sit.

"Hehehe, Mom, your son accidentally won a championship."

Yang Qi tilted his head back forty-five degrees, looking like a master. He even started humming:

"How lonely it is to be invincible..."

This earned him a round of eye-rolls from the old couple.

"Dad, Mom, I got seventh place!"

"Oh my goodness! Our Xiao Xue is so amazing!"

Bai Xue squinted her eyes, enjoying her mother-in-law's praise.

Seeing Mother Yang Zheng Jin looking at her, Yao Shanshan said a bit sheepishly:

"Auntie, I didn't fish well; I only got 57th place."

"You've already done well, fourth among the female contestants."

Bai Xue comforted her.

"Exactly! Shanshan hasn't been fishing for long after all, so this is already very good. Aim for an even better result next time."

Zheng Jin went over, hugged Yao Shanshan, and patted her.

"Dad, Mom, the The City is holding the National Sea Fishing Competition next month. The individual championship prize is 500,000 yuan, and the team championship prize is 690,000 yuan."

Bai Xue spoke up.

"Then you should all participate and give it your best. Mom congratulates you in advance on winning the big prizes."

Zheng Jin said with a smile, hugging her daughter-in-law.

"It's just that it conflicts with the timing of our trip to the Northeast."

Bai Xue said a bit sheepishly.

"That's no big deal. I'll call your aunt in a bit; we'll just postpone the Northeast trip. Don't worry about it, just focus on the competition."

Zheng Jin made the decision with a wave of her hand.

"Thanks, Mom! You're the best!"

Bai Xue was overjoyed and started acting cute with Zheng Jin, making her giggle.

"Why don't you sign up too, Dad? What if you accidentally win the championship?"

Yang Qi urged Yang Limin.

"Alright, I'll join. What if? Hahaha!"

Yang Limin laughed.

"I think we should get our homestay ready early. It's best to have it finished before the competition; there will definitely be plenty of guests then."

Mother Zheng Jin suggested.

"Not bad, Mom, knowing how to take advantage of this opportunity! Alright, I'll handle it for you tomorrow. Give me your ID card, and I'll go apply for the business license."

Yang Qi gave his mom a thumbs-up.

The whole family sat down for a few cups of tea and some small talk before Yang Qi carried the puppy back to the Sea View Villa.

The three of them were tired after a long day, so they decided to change into swimsuits and go for a soak in the second-floor pool.

By the time Yang Qi brought a plate of sliced fruit to the pool, the two women were already swimming.

After swimming for a while, the three of them leaned against the large floor-to-ceiling window, eating fruit and chatting while enjoying the night view of the bay.