This time, Jiang Luoluo seized her moment. The fish was completely exhausted, floating motionless on the surface. If she couldn't spear it now, she'd have to admit defeat.

But she was clearly up to the task.

Jiang Luoluo even took a moment to aim before driving the speargun into the fish's head, killing it almost instantly.

After hauling the fish aboard, Chu Mingcheng finally had a chance to inspect his own yellowfin tuna.

It had been bled and gutted.

He used the crane to weigh it. Even after processing, the fish still weighed one hundred and ninety-three jin, meaning its original weight had been well over two hundred.

Standing upright, it nearly matched his height—a true giant.

Jiang Luoluo's was smaller, about one and a half meters long. After being bled and gutted, it weighed one hundred and forty-four jin, still quite impressive.

Having landed two large tuna, Chu Mingcheng needed a breather. He wandered over to Wei Jianguo's spot to check on his progress.

When he arrived, the fish was already at the surface, no more than a dozen meters out, ready to be brought in.

With a crewman's help, Wei Jianguo was managing just fine.

Seeing him approach, Wei Jianguo called out, "Ah Cheng, grab the speargun. You can finish this one."

"Me? Sure thing." Chu Mingcheng had assumed Wei Jianguo would do it himself, but he was happy to help.

He fetched the speargun. By the time he returned, they had pulled the fish right up to the boat.

Chu Mingcheng spotted his opening and hurled the speargun like a javelin, driving it straight into the fish's body.

Crimson blood instantly stained the water. The tuna's tail thrashed like a small motor, sending seawater splashing in all directions.

But it quickly lost strength. A crewman tied a rope around its tail and hauled it aboard.

This tuna was about the same size as Chu Mingcheng's, probably close to two hundred jin as well.

Yellowfin tuna typically grew to about two meters in length and could weigh over two hundred jin.

With luck, you might encounter a three-meter yellowfin weighing over four hundred jin.

But the chances of finding a yellowfin that large were about the same as finding a bluefin—both exceptionally rare.

After landing all three fish, the group headed to the cockpit to check the fish finder.

As expected, there were no more signs of large fish.

Without a school, this was normal. By the time you've fought and landed a tuna, its companions have usually moved on.

"Agong, the fish are gone. Should we look for more, or...?" Chu Mingcheng asked.

Wei Jianguo glanced at his watch. They had arrived at half-past one, and by the time they'd landed, bled, and processed the tuna, it was already four in the afternoon.

In another hour and a half, they could have dinner and then prepare for night fishing.

"No rush. Let's rest a bit. We'll put out the luring lights tonight—might attract a school of tuna," Wei Jianguo said. He started the engine and cruised for half an hour, stopping near an isolated reef.

Even if they didn't catch tuna here at night, they could still fish for deep-sea species or try for groupers and sea bream near the reef. It was an excellent fishing spot.

Perhaps because the tuna had nearly thrown out his back, Wei Jianguo announced after dinner that he was taking a short nap, then disappeared into his cabin, clutching his lower back.

The sky hadn't completely darkened yet. Chu Mingcheng grabbed a deck chair and settled on the flybridge to watch the sunset.

In reality, he had already immersed his consciousness in the Aquatic Species Codex. When he'd caught the tuna today, a new data panel had appeared.

[Tuna (Level 1)]

[Current Experience: (1/10)]

[Experience Acquisition: Hunting a tuna over 50 jin grants one experience point; hunting a tuna under 50 jin deducts one experience point.]

[Scan: Can determine the weight of a tuna.]

[Usable Tools: Fishing Gear (handlining possible), Speargun]

[Breeding and Growth (Level 1): All slow-growing, wild giant fish species within the host's bound range will have their breeding speed, growth rate, and survival ability increased by 10%. Additionally, 1% of migratory fish will remain in the bound sea area and no longer migrate.]

[Bound Range: Chinese sea waters and adjacent high seas (the sea waters of the host's country, which will automatically change according to the host's nationality).]

[Affected Fish Species: Economically valuable fish species that can grow to over 200 jin.]

[Fish Gathering (Level 1): 1% chance of attracting nearby tuna to actively gather in the host's waters.]

[Deliciousness: +1% (Fish with higher fat content and better meat quality will be preferentially attracted.)]

[Size: +1% (Larger fish of the same species will be preferentially attracted.)]

"What?" Chu Mingcheng shot upright from his lounging position after reading about the "Breeding and Growth" ability.

Hunting tuna could increase the breeding, growth, and—most importantly—survival rates of all slow-growing giant fish in the country's waters.

This meant that as long as Chu Mingcheng kept hunting tuna, these giant fish resources would steadily improve. Wasn't this practically forcing him to go all-in on tuna from now on?

Once he got a larger boat, tuna would clearly become his main target.

A 100-jin tuna takes ten years to grow. Right now, the boost was only 10%, but as the level increased, wouldn't the growth rate accelerate dramatically?

If the maximum level was one hundred, that would mean tenfold speed. A tuna could reach a hundred jin in just one year?

But the Aquatic Species Codex's current maximum level was fifty, so a 500% growth rate was still quite impressive.

The only limitation was that tuna fishing only affected giant fish—specifically those that could reach a maximum weight of over 200 jin.

Still, Chu Mingcheng felt something was off, though he couldn't pinpoint what.

Unable to identify the issue, he temporarily set it aside. After all, it was his cheat; surely it wouldn't have any major flaws?

The recovery of fish resources would be a huge benefit for China.

With such a large population, increased fish resources could ease employment pressure, and they wouldn't have to worry about fishing species to extinction.

There was also the export market—they could earn foreign currency that way.

As for the experience conditions on the data panel, Chu Mingcheng felt both regretful and relieved.

No matter how many tuna he hunted, it couldn't compare to a single net haul.

If he could catch smaller ones, at least he could speed up leveling the data panel.

He felt relieved because he personally disliked hunting juvenile fish. The codex's restriction meant he wouldn't have to agonize over doing something distasteful just to level up.

Unfortunately, he could only hunt tuna through angling or spearfishing. Not only were purse seines off-limits, he couldn't even use longlines, which would significantly slow his leveling progress.

But what did this "change of nationality" clause mean?

Who did it think it was looking down on?

Settling back down, he noted that the Aquatic Species Codex needed five more unhunted species to reach level two. Even if he didn't encounter tuna or marlin tomorrow, he'd have to go diving in the reef and coral areas.

He'd hunt some aquatic creatures he hadn't encountered before to get the codex to level two first.

After a short while, Jiang Luoluo brought over two glasses of juice, setting them on the table beside him. Instead of taking a chair, she settled right onto his lap and leaned back.

Chu Mingcheng quickly wrapped his arms around her, enjoying her warmth while feeling a bit helpless.

This girlfriend of his was like a fish—she had her moods. The more distant she was at night, the more clingy she became during the day.

"Ah Cheng, how much can we sell our two tuna for?"

Jiang Luoluo shifted slightly, finding a more comfortable position.

Asking about the tuna's price was just conversation starter.

"I'm not sure. The price probably won't be that high—maybe a few dozen to a hundred yuan per jin. After all, they're just yellowfin tuna, not as valuable as other types."

Yellowfin tuna under a hundred jin only sold for about fifty yuan per jin, which wasn't particularly high.

However, with all tuna, bigger was better, mainly depending on fat content. So prices for larger fish varied considerably.

But for yellowfin, no matter how large, the price per jin rarely exceeded one hundred.

"That cheap? I thought all tuna were expensive. At Japanese restaurants, even non-bluefin pieces cost dozens or hundreds of yuan."

"You can't calculate it that way. Tuna has prime cuts and lesser parts. If you sold the fatty belly and medium fatty belly separately, the price would naturally be much higher. But we're selling the whole fish, so the price is naturally lower."

"Oh, I see!"

Once Jiang Luoluo understood, she didn't ask further questions. She had only chosen sea fishing because of Chu Mingcheng.

She didn't particularly love fishing as a hobby; she simply wanted to be where the person she cared about was.

They quietly enjoyed their time together, occasionally sipping juice, feeling perfectly content.

But time passed quickly, and before long, the sky had darkened.

Chu Mingcheng patted Jiang Luoluo's shoulder. "Come on. Time to put out the luring lights."

"Mmm~!"

They headed to the deck and lowered all the boat's luring lights into the water to attract nearby light-sensitive aquatic creatures.

Chu Mingcheng retrieved the electric reels and mounted them on the gunwale. Tonight, they would most likely be fishing for deep-sea species.

If any tuna did show up, the electric reel would be for Jiang Luoluo to use.

After a short wait, they didn't see any tuna, but small squid began poking their heads above the surface.

"Ah Cheng, look at all these squid. Should we catch some for teppanyaki tomorrow?"

"Absolutely. And squid make excellent live bait. We should get plenty."

Chu Mingcheng switched on the boat's searchlight and aimed it at the water. The squid naturally gravitated toward the light.

They didn't even need to fish. Using a hand net, they scooped up several with each sweep.

Then they'd wait briefly for more squid to gather, making the process remarkably easy.

The number on Chu Mingcheng's squid data panel climbed rapidly. After just a few scoops, it had reached level two.

They had no idea how many they'd caught, but they'd filled two buckets. A crewman took the squid away to store them elsewhere.

Squid could stay alive for several days, but the live shrimp they'd bought earlier had to be used tonight. By tomorrow, they'd probably be dead.

Just as they were about to start fishing, the water surface suddenly erupted. A tuna burst from the water and swallowed several small squid gathered under the light in one gulp.

Chu Mingcheng called out excitedly, "Luoluo, there's a school here! Go wake Agong. I'm checking the fish finder for big ones."

"Okay!" Jiang Luoluo ran off to wake Wei Jianguo.

He headed to the cockpit to observe and found that the luring lights had indeed attracted a tuna school. Thick lines filled the screen.

He couldn't contain himself. He immediately returned to his cabin and changed into his wetsuit.

"Ah Cheng, are you going spearfishing?" Jiang Luoluo, having just roused Wei Jianguo, was nearby. Seeing him change into his wetsuit surprised her—she'd thought they'd just be fishing tonight.

"Fishing is too inefficient. I'll probably have a big haul spearfishing tonight." They'd been here a full day already, and he hadn't even touched his wooden speargun. If he didn't seize this opportunity tonight, who knew if he'd get another chance tomorrow.

"Then be careful..." Jiang Luoluo looked worried.

"I will be."

Chu Mingcheng returned to the deck, fully geared up, including a headlamp.

At night, without a dive buddy to provide lighting, filming would be difficult, so he'd have to skip documenting his tuna hunt tonight.

Shortly after, Wei Jianguo also came to the deck. Seeing Chu Mingcheng's gear, he said, "Be careful out there. The open sea isn't like coastal waters. If there are any sharks nearby, don't get greedy. Surface first."

Chu Mingcheng nodded his understanding.

In reality, if sharks appeared, he wouldn't need to worry. He could simply shoot a fish, and the sharks would prioritize the wounded prey, allowing him to escape.

Besides, with a school of fish around, sharks wouldn't specifically target humans, since humans weren't on their menu.

Chu Mingcheng entered the water from the boarding platform at the stern, then swam to the side where Jiang Luoluo handed him the wooden speargun, and began his hunt.

Taking a deep breath, he dove beneath the surface.

He scanned back and forth, using his headlamp to assess the situation.

To his amazement, he was surrounded by tuna—a dense school of hundreds, maybe even thousands, almost forming a tuna tornado. It was truly spectacular.

Underwater, Chu Mingcheng got a clear view of how the tuna were distributed.

Like most schools, the smaller fish occupied the upper layers, while the larger ones held the middle and lower depths.

But this was just a special formation created by tonight's luring lights.

Normally, when tuna schooled, they grouped by age and size. Large and small fish wouldn't mix together.

Chu Mingcheng began his descent. The tuna at the bottom immediately scattered, but they didn't go far, staying only five or six meters away.

At this distance, spearfishing was almost too easy—the tuna were such large targets.

Chu Mingcheng observed carefully and spotted a yellowfin tuna that was definitely over two meters long, with a round belly and a slightly injured mouth.

Yellowfin tuna were the most numerous of all tuna species, and tonight's attracted school was also yellowfin—he didn't see any other varieties.

Chu Mingcheng loaded his wooden speargun and began aiming at the slightly injured yellowfin.

"Bang~!"

"Thunk~!"

The spear successfully struck the yellowfin in the spine, penetrating deep.

The wooden speargun's penetrating power was indeed much stronger, but it still couldn't pierce completely through the tuna's thick body, likely stopped by the spine.

But the placement was excellent. Hitting the spine would prevent this yellowfin from swimming properly and cause heavy bleeding.

Under Chu Mingcheng's headlamp, dark liquid continuously flowed from the yellowfin's wound. This was its blood, which appeared black in the seawater.

He released the speargun, letting it float, and pulled on the line as he swam closer.

The surrounding tuna all scattered, then regrouped nearby, not fleeing just because one of their companions had been attacked.

The struck yellowfin could barely swim; its damaged spine prevented body control.

Chu Mingcheng quickly reached it, came up behind its back, grabbed its pectoral fin with his left hand, and drew his diving knife with his right, plunging it directly into its head to kill it as quickly as possible.

The yellowfin, which had been barely moving, suddenly had a burst of survival instinct when its head was stabbed, and its body began thrashing again.

But the movement wasn't severe, and it couldn't break free from Chu Mingcheng's grip.

Shortly after, it died from the head wound. Chu Mingcheng then grasped the fish by its pectoral fins and brought it to the surface.

"Luoluo, throw me the winch rope," Chu Mingcheng called as he surfaced, spitting out his snorkel under the surprised gazes of the others.

Wei Jianguo glanced at his watch. Only two minutes and twenty-something seconds had passed. That efficiency...

Jiang Luoluo, however, was already accustomed to his hunting skills. She nodded and tossed down the rope.

Chu Mingcheng had already reached the small gate at the stern with the fish. He tied the rope around the tuna's tail and had her start the winch to pull it up.

He didn't need to handle the rest. The crewman would bleed and gut the tuna and store it in the cold compartment.

Returning to the water, Chu Mingcheng continued searching for large tuna over two meters.

This time, he didn't hit the spine, causing the fish to struggle fiercely.

The moment he struck the tuna, it nearly vanished from his sight, the line paying out at incredible speed.

He gripped the line, and the fish dragged him along, shooting forward five or six meters instantly.

The fish's initial burst of strength was tremendous, and it took all of Chu Mingcheng's energy just to stabilize himself and fight it.

This time, he couldn't immediately pull the fish back. He could only release some line while maintaining tension to prevent it from getting too far, then he swam to the surface and called to Jiang Luoluo, "Luoluo, get me the other speargun."

"Okay!" Jiang Luoluo didn't ask why, just ran to fetch it.

"Help me load it. I'm holding the fish and can't manage."

"Mmm, mmm..."

She knew how to load the speargun. After preparing it, she handed it down with the spearpoint angled toward the side of the water, wisely not aiming it at Chu Mingcheng.

Taking the speargun, he dove back down to find the wounded yellowfin.

When angling, a large fish like this could drag a person along, but in spearfishing, the situation varied depending on where it was hit.

As long as you struck a vital area, the tuna couldn't run far.

Although his previous shot hadn't been fatal, it had still seriously injured the fish.

So its initial burst of strength was powerful, but after that, it became more manageable.

With him constantly maintaining tension on the line, the fish could only struggle in the nearby waters.

When Chu Mingcheng swam to where the fish was, he found it already listing on its side in the water, barely moving.

To prevent it from struggling again, he swam over, aimed at its head, and delivered another shot.

At close range, the yellowfin's head was instantly pierced. It struggled one final time before dying, then quickly went still. Only then did Chu Mingcheng grip it and swim toward the surface.

The second fish was brought aboard. It took longer this time—a total of twelve minutes.

"Ah Cheng, with your efficiency, you could fill Agong’s cold storage in one night, right?"

Jiang Luoluo had caught a tuna that afternoon, only a 150-jin one at that. She had struggled to bring it in, and even with Chu Mingcheng's help, it had taken over an hour. Now she understood how difficult it was to catch a big fish.

Seeing Chu Mingcheng so easily land two large fish over two meters, she couldn't help but marvel at spearfishing's efficiency.

"I was lucky to encounter so many fish, and I hit vital spots both times. Otherwise, even spearfishing isn't that easy. It's very physically demanding," Chu Mingcheng explained with a smile.

Just bringing the two large fish to the surface required significant strength and stamina, and that was with the boat right below.

After all, when a fish was wounded, its struggle would release a burst of strength. It took considerable energy to control them, and stamina was quickly consumed.

Chu Mingcheng wondered how many giant fish over two hundred jin a spearfisher could hunt in one session.

Perhaps a typical spearfisher would be exhausted after bringing up just one, but he felt he could handle several more.