He'd barely filled half his bag with apple snails when Yao Xin called.

"Ah Cheng, are you free tonight? Want to go night fishing for hairtail?"

"I'm in!" Chu Mingcheng had originally planned to hunt for alligator gar that evening, then head to the large shipyard in Huang Town the next day to order his boat. The shipyard had a branch there, but its main factory was in Xiamen—perfect timing.

He hadn’t expected Yao Xin to invite him on a hairtail fishing trip. Market prices for hairtail could vary significantly, ranging from ten to fifty yuan depending on the size. However, line-caught hairtail that measured about three fingers wide could sell for sixty or seventy yuan—an excellent profit.

You could tell if a hairtail was line-caught by how bright its body looked. Net-caught fish had scuff marks and appeared duller. The yellow-eyed hairtail was an imported variety with rough, unappetizing meat that sold cheap. Domestic hairtail had more delicate, fragrant flesh and was easy to identify by its white eyes with small black pupils.

"Great, I'll save you a spot. But heads up—we're going out on He-ge's boat. You met him when we were fishing for spotted creek chub."

"The reason I'm calling is we're buying hairtail. Forty-five yuan per jin for three-finger-wide ones. For four fingers wide or bigger, weighing over a jin, we're paying eighty per jin. Anything larger, we can negotiate."

"If you're interested, meet us at Wenshi Pier after dinner. We're heading out at six."

"If not, no worries. We can go fishing together some other time."

"Count me in, Yao-jie. I'll be there right after dinner." Although forty-five yuan per jin for three-finger-wide fish was much cheaper than the market rate, it was a great money-making opportunity. Chu Mingcheng was short on cash and couldn't afford to be picky. Plus, the price for the one-jin-plus fish was eighty yuan—no reason to hesitate.

The small-eyed hairtail from the East China Sea, when three fingers wide, usually weighed about half a jin. A four-finger-wide one would be around seven or eight liang【TN: 1 liang = ~1.76 oz】to over a jin. Anything over a jin was considered top grade. Even net-caught ones could sell for around a hundred yuan per jin at the market; line-caught would naturally cost more.

This meant the more Chu Mingcheng caught, the more profit Yao Xin's group could make.

Since they were going out specifically for hairtail, it meant they'd received word of a fish run and knew where to find a school. In that situation, just like with the mackerel, he could be pulling them in one after another for hours and easily catch over a hundred jin.

This was a business worth several thousand yuan. How could he possibly refuse?

"Great. Be here at six o'clock sharp. I have underwater fish-luring lights to attract baitfish, so you don't need to bring any chum. Okay, I've got stuff to do. Gotta go, bye."

After hanging up, Chu Mingcheng dumped all the apple snails from his bag and crushed them with a rock.

Recently, whenever he had a spare moment, he had been researching the habits of various fish species. In China, it is crucial to be extremely careful with wildlife; even killing an insect requires consideration, as it might be a protected species. Chu Mingcheng was learning to identify different aquatic creatures not only to avoid accidentally catching protected animals but also because identifying marine life is a mandatory skill for the spearfishing license exam. This knowledge proved to be very useful.

As one of the most abundant fish in the East China Sea, hairtail was a species whose habits he'd studied thoroughly.

Hairtails are nocturnal, emerging from the depths at night. They don't swim horizontally but rather move vertically up and down. During the day, they stay in the middle and lower water columns, and at night, they slowly rise to the upper layers to feed. This was the best time to catch them, with the bite lasting until dawn.

This meant he'd likely be out all night. Chu Mingcheng had no time to burn the apple snails. After hastily crushing them with a rock, he drove home.

It was already past four when he got back. He grabbed two fishing rods—a jigging rod and a #30 boat rod. Then he went to the tackle shop to buy some sandworms and a special silvery, fish-shaped lure with a fishy scent. This lure was specifically designed for hairtail. If the bite was good, he wouldn't even need to use the creepy sandworms.

He had dinner out. Afterward, he bought two chicken cutlet sandwiches and a bottle of date milk and put them in his fishing cooler. He'd likely be up all night, and fishing was physically demanding. He didn't want to be starving later.

At 5:40 PM, Chu Mingcheng arrived at Wenshi pier. The pier was large, and parking was easy to find. He parked his car, slung his rods over his shoulder, and carried his tackle box and cooler to the pier steps.

Many fishing boats were moored there, most with people on board. During a fish run, it was common for dozens, even hundreds, of small boats to gather in one area.

Chu Mingcheng called Yao Xin, only to find she'd just arrived as well, walking toward him with her gear.

"Ah Cheng!"

Hearing his name, Chu Mingcheng turned, saw her, and hung up to greet her. "Yao-Jie, are you by yourself?"

"He-ge is already on the boat. Tonight, besides you and me, there are two other people," she explained, then took out her phone to make a call.

A few moments later, a white fishing boat pulled up to the boarding area. It was about eleven or twelve meters long, with a smaller foredeck and a spacious aft deck. The boat looked very familiar to Chu Mingcheng—it was the same model he'd seen at the large shipyard. He hadn't expected He Zheng to own one. He made a mental note to ask him about the boat and how much it cost.

The two of them boarded. The walkways on either side were narrow, just wide enough for one person to pass. This was mainly because the cockpit was quite large, suggesting the interior was well-suited for living.

There was a steering wheel at the entrance to the cockpit. When someone on the aft deck hooked a big fish, the fish would often run wildly, sometimes to the other side of the boat, which could cause the line to break. This wheel allowed them to change the boat's direction and prevent that from happening.

Stepping into the cockpit, he greeted the people inside and was immediately drawn to the layout. Just inside the door were sofas on both sides with a movable coffee table in the middle, where two men he didn't recognize were drinking tea.

To the right of the sofa was the helm, where He Zheng was seated. To the left of the helm was a small galley with a refrigerator and microwave. In the middle was a staircase leading down. The door was closed, but he guessed it led to the sleeping quarters and head.

With everyone on board, He Zheng didn't delay, immediately starting the boat and heading for their destination.

About an hour later, they arrived.

Chu Mingcheng put on his windbreaker, pulled on his gloves, and went out of the cockpit with his gear.

Yao Xin followed him out, smiling. "Ah Cheng, good luck. Catch a lot tonight."

"Thanks. You too, Yao-jie. Hope you pull in three hundred jin."

He Zheng overheard him and chuckled. "With your Yao-jie's build, fifty jin would be enough to wear her out. If she pulled in three hundred, I'm afraid her arm would be dislocated by tomorrow. I'd have to take her to the hospital."

Yao Xin was indignant. "You're underestimating me, aren't you? What if I pull in a hundred jin tonight?"

"If you pull in a hundred jin, I'll treat you to a feast tomorrow!"

"Good, you said it." Yao Xin immediately grabbed Chu Mingcheng and headed to the foredeck. "Ah Cheng, let's go. We'll catch two hundred jin tonight and show him. I'm determined to have that meal."

He Zheng was surprised but then shook his head with a laugh. He didn't say anything more. If the two of them managed to catch two hundred jin of fish, he could earn at least four thousand yuan. Spending a few hundred on a meal was nothing.

Plus, he could bring his wife and kids along. It was a win-win situation.