For his trip to the Xisha Islands, Chu Mingcheng's main targets were deep-sea fish that typically lived at depths of at least eighty meters, mostly between one hundred and fifty meters. He planned to use bottom-fishing methods.

This technique relies on the weight of a lead sinker to quickly drop the baited hook to the seabed. The length of the leader line, combined with ocean currents, allows the bait to drift and flutter near the bottom.

The leader line is usually two to four meters long, with sinkers weighing between five and ten kilograms.

Even deep-sea fish weighing just a few jin are difficult to pull up by hand, which is why anglers use electric reels for this type of fishing.

Most people don't own boats capable of reaching deep-sea areas, and a single trip can cost thousands or even tens of thousands of yuan. Electric reels save time and effort, but most importantly, they allow anglers to catch more fish and recoup their investment.

Serious deep-sea fishing enthusiasts might own two or three electric reels—some designed for small to medium-sized fish, others capable of hauling in hundred-jin monsters. The same goes for boat rods; they'll have several different types.

Chu Mingcheng had paid eight thousand for his tuition plus airfare, leaving him with just over one hundred thousand yuan.

Though he wouldn't be going deep-sea fishing frequently in the short term, he was planning a trip to the Nansha Islands before next year's fishing moratorium. While those plans were still tentative, it didn't stop him from buying a high-powered electric reel immediately.

Walking into a large tackle shop, Chu Mingcheng went straight to the point and asked for the Miya brand Z30 Tuna version.

This imported electric reel could handle giants over a hundred jin, making it more than adequate for deep-sea fishing in the Xisha Islands.

The tackle shop happened to have this model in stock, priced at twenty-two thousand yuan.

Chu Mingcheng had researched the price beforehand, so he wasn't surprised.

He then purchased a #700 boat rod for three thousand yuan.

For the line, he selected a 12-strand, 8-braid PE line, buying a thousand meters to match the reel's capacity.

After acquiring all the necessary hooks and accessories, his savings dropped below eighty thousand yuan.

He didn't mind spending the money—this was an investment for better future earnings.

However, Chu Mingcheng was gradually turning into a gear enthusiast. It had only been a month since he'd started fishing in October, and he'd already spent around fifty thousand yuan on equipment. He was definitely the type to burn through cash quickly.

After buying his gear, he returned directly to his room.

The next day, Lu Zheqiang took him out to sea. He wasn't alone—Tong Shuman and another female student who had joined the team yesterday were also aboard.

Today, Tong Shuman was even bolder. Once they were out at sea, she changed into a revealing bikini right there on the yacht.

Curves in all the right places!

Every man on board had the same thought: Holy hell!

Chu Mingcheng felt somewhat frustrated, though. He found his eyes involuntarily drawn to her figure. He was certain he wasn't a pervert and wasn't deliberately trying to sneak peeks.

If he was going to look, he'd do it openly. After all, if someone dressed like that, wasn't it meant to be seen?

Tong Shuman acted casual, but she was deliberately positioning herself within Chu Mingcheng's line of sight.

After being turned down for lunch yesterday, combined with his handsome face and the glimpse of his powerful physique when he'd been in his wetsuit, she'd become very interested in him.

When he'd declined Lu Zheqiang's invitation last night, she thought she might be able to help persuade him to stay.

She wouldn't mind pursuing something deeper with Chu Mingcheng, even dating for a while. As long as marriage wasn't on the table, she didn't need to worry about his financial situation.

However, as a woman, she knew that whoever made the first move would lose the upper hand. So she deliberately yet subtly displayed her charms in front of him.

After all, being the one to make the first move and getting rejected was a massive loss of face and made you easier to manipulate afterward.

What frustrated Tong Shuman slightly was that she hadn't had many opportunities to showcase her appeal. Today, she finally had her chance, but she discovered that Chu Mingcheng seemed genuinely uninterested in her.

Soon, the boat reached a spot with exceptionally clear water.

The wind and waves were calm today—perfect conditions for diving practice.

Chu Mingcheng's lesson for the day involved a rope-assisted descent to sixteen meters, followed by a ten-meter rescue of a BO diver, including surface towing and rescue procedures.

According to Lu Zheqiang, if he could easily pass these training exercises, he would meet the assessment requirements and could receive his two-star certification immediately.

That would mean he could get some spearfishing practice in the sea that afternoon.

As expected, Chu Mingcheng completed all of today's training with ease.

During the assessment, he even suggested to Lu Zheqiang that he could attempt a constant weight dive to thirty-five meters.

That was a requirement for AIDA four-star certification.

Chu Mingcheng proposed this now because, with someone there to monitor him, he could safely test his diving limits, avoiding potential accidents if he were ever diving alone in the future.

He had already descended to over twenty meters under the bridge pier without feeling much pressure. Logically, thirty-five meters should pose no problem.

With Lu Zheqiang as his buddy, he followed the rope down to thirty-five meters.

The light was much dimmer at this depth, and all he could hear was the sound of water flowing around him.

He felt slight pressure, but it remained manageable.

Chu Mingcheng now understood that he could probably dive another twenty to thirty meters without issues, which would give him more options for spearfishing in the future.

Satisfied with his assessment, he saw Lu Zheqiang signal for ascent.

He gave an OK sign and slowly rose along the rope.

The entire descent and ascent took nearly two minutes, mainly because he had paused for over twenty seconds at depth.

Lu Zheqiang removed his snorkel, his expression somewhat regretful. "Ah Cheng, if only I'd met you sooner. I probably could have convinced you to come to Deer City."

"Are you really set on developing your career in Xiamen? Don't you think it's better here?"

"It's also more convenient to reach the Xisha or Nansha Islands from here."

Chu Mingcheng shook his head and refused again. "Forget it. I'm very sensitive to heat!"

Lu Zheqiang was speechless. Sensitive to heat? That was an excuse he couldn't argue with.

With the assessment completed, it was only ten in the morning.

Lu Zheqiang retrieved a brand-new speargun from the boat. "Want to get an early taste of spearfishing?"

"But I don't have my spearfishing license yet, do I?" Chu Mingcheng said, hesitantly accepting the speargun.

"It's fine. You're in the process of getting certified, so this counts as practice. It's not illegal."

Hearing Lu Zheqiang's assurance, he didn't hesitate further and began learning about the speargun and its operation.

He discovered that spearguns fall into three main categories: wood, carbon fiber, and aluminum alloy.

Aluminum alloy spearguns offer excellent cost-effectiveness—they're relatively inexpensive and suitable for beginners.

Carbon fiber spearguns have superior performance compared to aluminum alloy models, with better neutral buoyancy, reduced recoil, and higher accuracy. Their power is naturally greater, making them ideal for spearfishing at oil rigs.

For hunting large fish or blue water spearfishing, wooden spearguns are typically chosen, though they command higher prices.

In terms of both range and penetration power, they outperform the other two types.

The speargun Lu Zheqiang had given him was aluminum alloy. Its price surprised him somewhat—it actually cost two thousand eight hundred yuan.

Chu Mingcheng then inquired about carbon fiber models, which cost roughly a thousand yuan more than aluminum alloy versions.

He immediately decided on a carbon fiber model for three thousand eight hundred yuan, which would meet most of his spearfishing needs.

For activities like shore-based spearfishing for smaller fish such as golden trevally, you could actually purchase raw materials online and craft a small wooden speargun yourself.

Men, after all, possess some practical skills. With a little effort, buying materials and practicing, creating a suitable small speargun wasn't particularly challenging.

You could also use a fish spear, which serves as essential backup equipment for spearfishing.

If the speargun malfunctioned, the fish spear could prove invaluable.

Fish spears are perfectly suited for shore-based spearfishing and hunting less active fish in coral areas, like groupers that prefer hiding in coral formations during daylight hours.

After learning about speargun basics, the next step was practical training.