Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Invasive Species
However, Chu Mingcheng wasn't quite sure where to dig for sea earthworms, but fortunately, he had a friend he could ask.
After a bowl of very fresh and delicious earthworm soup noodles, his energy levels had significantly increased.
Chu Mingcheng paid for his meal and got back into his car, took out his phone, found a number, and dialed it.
Soon, the call was picked up, and a young voice came from the phone.
"Ah Cheng, what's up, calling so late?"
"Nothing much, just wanted to know if you know where to dig for sea earthworms?"
"Sea earthworms? You're planning to dig for those things?"
"Yeah, just have nothing better to do, figured I'd experience life a bit!"
"Experience life, huh? Those things aren't easy to dig. East Yue Beach has plenty, but getting them out is quite a strain on the back..."
"There's some at Dongyue? Alright, got it." Chu Mingcheng was about to hang up the phone, but then he remembered that this guy was also a fishing enthusiast, who had taken on the world with nothing but a lure rod and no money.
Fishing alone was a bit boring, so why not invite him over to keep him company?
"Ah Wei, I've been staying in my hometown recently, been fishing at the reservoir up in the mountains these past few days. There's a lot of Crucian Carp. Wanna come?"
"No way, you've taken up fishing too? Why didn't you say so earlier? I've been fishing outside these last few days and haven't caught a single thing. I'll find some time to come over."
"Great, it's a date then."
After hanging up the phone, Chu Mingcheng had intended to head directly to the reservoir, but the memory of last night's fish thief suddenly popped into his mind.
After a moment's hesitation, he decided to drive back home first.
He scooped up Whitebait and Ground Tiger and brought them to the front yard.
Looking around and seeing no sign of the fish thief, he placed the fish near the well and then left, without paying any more attention to them.
The domestic dogs and tabby cats of Huaxia are breeds that have survived natural selection over thousands of years, possessing strong survival abilities and not lacking in intelligence.
What Chu Mingcheng did not know was that the fish thief from last night had already appeared near his house before he returned, and had found a secluded spot to lie down and rest while simultaneously keeping watch over the front yard.
The scene of him placing the fish by the well was entirely witnessed by the tabby cat.
The tabby cat, though clever, did not understand why Chu Mingcheng would leave food by the well; it only knew that it wouldn't need to hunt for its own food today.
After waiting for some time after he left, the tabby cat finally got up and climbed to the top of the wall to survey its surroundings.
Feeling no danger, it finally took a leap and, picking up the largest Whitebait at the edge of the well, bolted off.
Arriving at a place it deemed safe, the cat, still carrying the fish, looked around once more, and, feeling no danger, started to enjoy its catch.
After finishing off a Whitebait, it licked its mouth clean with its tongue, still feeling peckish, and so it headed back towards the yard for more.
Chu Mingcheng, upon returning to the reservoir, was feeling a bit down since there was no one else night fishing there that evening. It was still fine now, with the sun not completely set.
Come nightfall, the entire reservoir would become eerily cold, which felt quite terrifying.
He hesitated for a moment on whether he really wanted to fish at night, as he had watched his fair share of horror movies since he was a child, and it was especially easy to let his imagination run wild in this kind of environment.
Yet, after checking the aquatic produce in his mental directory, he ultimately decided to go night fishing.
He was almost thirty, and he had quit his job. Now that he had his "cheat" activated, it would be too late if he didn't put in the effort now.
Is a ghost more important than making money?
Chu Mingcheng first baited his fishing spot, then sprinkled some snake repellent powder around his fishing area, took out his fishing rod, tied on a glowing float for night fishing, and placed his headlamp beside him, ready for use.
The bait from the morning was a bit dry, so to save it, he poured some water over it and kneaded it a bit.
```
It was only six o'clock in the evening, the time when fish come out to feed and are most active.
He had just cast his bait into the water, and before even half a minute passed, a fish took a bite.
Chu Mingcheng saw the float dip and was about to lift the rod when a strong force suddenly struck. The slightly bent rod tip bent as if pressed down by a heavy weight, and the tip even submerged into the water.
The fishing rod kept trembling, obviously, he had hooked a big fish.
Chu Mingcheng quickly gripped the rod with both hands to steady it but was very surprised in his heart.
The hook he was using was meant for medium and small-sized freshwater fish; fierce carnivorous species wouldn't normally take the bait, and even if they did, they should be able to easily shake off the hook. What was going on now?
Based on the strength coming from his hands, the fish he had hooked shouldn't be small, but neither should it be too large.
But fearing his fishing rod might break, he dared not exert too much force and awkwardly began to pull and tug, hoping to tire out the fish's strength first.
There was no need to tug when fishing for Crucian Carp and Whitebait; lifting them directly out of the water was sufficient, only the big Crucian Carp from yesterday took a little more effort.
This led to his lack of experience in playing fish, only knowing to pull the rod back and forth and not daring to use too much strength.
Five or six minutes later, the fish still hadn't shaken off the hook, but he had managed to pull it to the surface of the water.
"What is this..." At first, when he saw it was about forty centimeters, he was quite happy, even if it was a Carp, it was good, and if it was a grass carp, it would be even better.
But at the next moment, when he saw the fish's wide-open mouth, like that of a crocodile, all his excitement was quenched with an icy chill.
Damn, it was an Alligator Gar!
How could there be an Alligator Gar here? Which son of a turtle released it?
Chu Mingcheng wore a solemn expression; just recently, many places across the country had been in an uproar over this invasive species.
Now, he didn't know how many Alligator Gars were in the reservoir or how long they had been released.
If they had already begun to reproduce, then it would indeed be quite troublesome, as the other fish in the reservoir would have no room to survive.
Originally, Chu Mingcheng was indifferent about whether the fish got off the hook; his main concern was ensuring that his fishing rod didn't break.
Now that he had hooked an Alligator Gar, he definitely needed to prioritize reeling it in.
Chu Mingcheng, who hadn't put much effort until now, began to pull with a bit more force. The Alligator Gar, in pain and unable to bear it, struggled violently again on the surface of the water.
The fishing rod emitted a "squeaking" sound, as if it was at its breaking point.
Seeing this, Chu Mingcheng had to ease up his strength a bit and continue the battle of endurance with the Alligator Gar.
Fishing was a physically demanding job, something he hadn't realized before.
But now, after struggling with the Alligator Gar for three or four minutes, he understood that the fish he had caught before were too "gentle".
This Alligator Gar weighed at most two or three pounds, yet it took him so much time.
Another three or four minutes passed, and the Alligator Gar's strength was finally depleted and he pulled it ashore.
Chu Mingcheng finally took a breath and relaxed. The past ten minutes felt like he had gone on a slow run for one thousand meters, his entire body warmed up, and droplets of sweat even formed on his forehead.
As he took a closer look, he finally understood why the Alligator Gar couldn't shake off the hook.
The bait he had prepared actually had no attraction for Alligator Gars, but the bait ground he had laid attracted many fish which in turn drew the Alligator Gar.
The initial bite was from a small Crucian Carp, but it only struggled for a moment before the Alligator Gar bit it and swallowed it.
This caused the hook to be swallowed into its stomach too, and just so happened to hook onto its internal organs, making it unable to spit out the hook.
Just as Chu Mingcheng was considering how to physically dispose of the Alligator Gar, the aquatic fish guide in his mind suddenly underwent a new change.
```