By eight o'clock that evening, Chu Mingcheng had not only added subtitles to the videos of Mimi eating but had also edited his night-fishing-for-sea-bass video. Following Jiang Luoluo's advice, he split that day's footage into two parts. The first part covered the afternoon fishing session, and the second part featured the catch of the giant sea bass.

However, unlike the videos of Mimi, this one required not just subtitles explaining his techniques but also a voiceover, which he would have to work on himself later.

After saying goodbye to Jiang Luoluo, Chu Mingcheng drove back to town.

As expected, when he walked through the door, both his parents were sitting on the sofa, waiting for him.

"Son, come over here," Chu Yongxin said, beckoning to him the moment he saw him. His curiosity had been building for a while.

"Let me make one thing clear," Chu Mingcheng said as he approached, taking the initiative to address the subject. "Luoluo and I are just friends. My main focus right now is on making money, so please don't get any wrong ideas." He wanted to avoid another round of questions. For years, he had been pressured about marriage and had reluctantly gone on blind dates. But now, with a new goal in life, his attitude had shifted.

"I know, I know. I'm not asking about that. I'm asking how the boat search went. Did you find one you like?"

Chu Mingcheng was surprised by his father's question. He glanced at his mother, who sat quietly and found it strange. This wasn't their usual behavior, but the change of subject was a relief.

"I looked. I had no idea a ten-meter fishing boat could be so expensive. A fully equipped one costs over half a million."

"Of course! You think you can buy a boat like a car, where you can find a decent one for around a hundred thousand?" Chu Yongxin almost burst out laughing when his wife mentioned this to him last night. The several hundred thousand he had quoted was precisely because that was the standard price for a fishing boat. Is a Category II boat capable of venturing far out to sea? He couldn't afford that for his son, even if he wanted to. A boat that costs millions is completely out of the question."

"So what's your plan now?" An Xiuwen asked.

"Didn't you guys say you'd give me a few hundred thousand for a boat? I was thinking of borrowing it from you. I'll pay you back with whatever I earn after covering my living expenses."

Chu Mingcheng hadn't wanted to take money from his family before, preferring to borrow from Chen Yang. He was twenty-eight, after all, and felt he shouldn't be relying on his parents. But now that he needed a larger sum, asking Chen Yang was no longer appropriate. So he had come up with a compromise: borrow from his parents and pay it back.

"We're family, what's this talk about borrowing?"

Before An Xiuwen could finish, Chu Yongxin cut her off, agreeing with his son's approach.

"Alright. You pick out the boat first. Tell me how much you're short, and I'll lend you the money."

With his parents' approval, Chu Mingcheng felt a surge of happiness and an even stronger motivation to earn money.

Just as he thought the conversation was over and was about to go shower, Chu Yongxin casually added, "By the way, Ah Cheng, where is your friend from?"

Chu Mingcheng paused for a moment before replying. "She is from Hangzhou but has been living in Xiamen long-term."

"Xiamen is great!" Chu Yongxin's eyes lit up. "When you said you were going to make a living fishing, I was worried because the resources around here are limited. I didn't think your fishing career would flourish."

"I was thinking you should move to another city, but I didn't know where to suggest."

"Since your friend is in Xiamen, why not consider moving there to further your career? Xiamen is located at the convergence of the East China Sea and the South China Sea, where fish resources are plentiful, featuring a variety of species from both seas."

"The prices there aren't cheap either, which is better for you to make money from fishing."

"If you go somewhere else, you won't know anyone and will need time to adjust. In Xiamen, you have a friend who can help you get familiar with the place quickly."

Chu Mingcheng now understood his parents' plan. Moving to another city had always been part of his plan—he just hadn't thought of doing it so soon. But with his parents suggesting it, he began to consider buying a boat there directly and getting a local fishing permit.

Besides, he could get his Level 1 freediving certification directly in Xiamen. Here in Wenshi, there were clubs where he could learn, but he'd have to go to Southeast Asia for the exam, which was a hassle. He'd still have to go abroad for his Level 2 and 3 certifications, and only with a Level 2 or higher could he learn spearfishing and get a license.

For now, a Level 3 freediving certification would be enough. He wouldn't bother with Level 4 unless he had a lot of free time. As for scuba diving with an oxygen tank—that was called scuba diving, and spearfishing with it was not allowed. It was a violation, possibly even illegal.

...

The next day, Chu Mingcheng took Jiang Luoluo to the beach during low tide. They collected a good number of sea snails and shellfish—clams, oysters, conchs, and whelks—and even caught two half-jin stone crabs. Of course, this was a deliberate trip to gain some experience points. His Aquatic Species Codex experience had increased by five points, reaching thirty-three.

After lunch, it was time for Jiang Luoluo to leave. Her flight was scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

It was already past three by the time Chu Mingcheng got back from the airport. He didn't waste any time, using his tracking function to locate a small, weed-choked pond where he could collect some apple snails. That evening, he planned to go to the park and use his scan function to see if there were any alligator gars.

The "Effortless Swim" ability increased his physical fitness by 10%, but that only brought him to the level of a regularly exercising person. Freediving and spearfishing meant dealing with the ocean's undercurrents. Even if he experienced less resistance in the water, he still had to play the fish when he speared a big one. Naturally, the stronger he was, the better.

The pond he found seemed to have been dug by hand, probably for a house foundation or a fishpond that was later abandoned. After some rain, the pit had filled with water and become a small pond.

As soon as he arrived, he saw countless apple snail egg clusters. There were plenty of snails by the water's edge, too.

He put on his gloves, took out a bag, and started working.

As he was collecting them, he suddenly noticed something in the water by the edge of the pond.

He looked closer. Huh, were there swamp eels in a small pond like this?

The eel seemed to have been startled by his movements. Its head, which had been poking out of its hole, instantly retracted.

He hadn't caught a swamp eel before. This was a perfect opportunity to add to his Aquatic Species Codex experience.

But since he had taken Jiang Luoluo to the airport today, his car only contained his tackle box—he hadn't brought any rods. It looked like he'd have to make his fishing gear.

Chu Mingcheng went to his car, opened his tackle box, cut a length of fishing line, and tied on a small sleeve hook he used for spotted creek chub. He couldn't find a suitable branch, so he simply tied the other end of the line to his hand.

He could use an apple snail for bait. The eel was small, and the pond looked dirty—he had no intention of eating his catch.

He picked up an apple snail, smashed it with a rock, took the meat from its head, and baited the hook, leaving the tip slightly exposed.

Then he lowered the bait into the eel's hole and gently jiggled the line.

Not even ten seconds had passed before he felt a pull on his hand. The eel was on the hook.

Once it was hooked, he couldn't use brute force to pull it out. A rhythm of pulling and releasing was best. When he got it to the mouth of the hole, he could pull it straight out. Of course, this only worked for small eels.

Chu Mingcheng pulled the eel out. He lifted it and estimated it was only one or two liang 【TN: about 1 liang = 50 grams】—too small.

Seeing that his Aquatic Species Codex experience had successfully increased by one, he unhooked the fish and tossed it back into the water.

A wild swamp eel. Better let it grow bigger.

The swamp eel: How rude.