Back at the club, Chu Mingcheng was about to make an excuse to head back to his room when Lu Zheqiang stopped him and handed him a USB drive.

"Ah Cheng, the spearfishing assessment also includes identifying marine life. This drive contains information on most of the aquatic creatures we frequently encounter while spearfishing. Pay close attention to the protected species—you need to memorize them so you don't accidentally run into legal trouble."

"Got it, I'll be sure to study it." Chu Mingcheng took the drive, planning to copy the files to his computer as soon as he got back.

Returning to his room, the first thing he did was check the changes in his Aquatic Species Codex.

He was stunned to find a new data panel called "Premium Aquatic Species." It had appeared the moment he'd speared that parrotfish.

The data panels for the green grouper, large yellow croaker, red-spotted grouper, and other fish he had caught before had all vanished.

However, the data panels for the mantis shrimp, sea worms, crucian carp, and others remained.

[Premium Aquatic Species Codex (Level 1)]

[Current Experience: (23/200)]

[Usable Tools: Hand, Fishing Gear (Can be hand-strung), Speargun (Includes fish spear, snare, etc.), Longline (Not Unlocked)]

[Fish Gathering (Level 1): Aquatic species within range that meet the premium standard have a 1% chance of being actively attracted, thus appearing in the Host's line of sight (They will still flee if startled by the Host)]

[Area of Effect: 10 cubic meters]

[Note: Only aquatic species defined as "premium" by the Codex can increase the experience points of the Premium Aquatic Species Codex]

[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)]

Seeing the level of the Premium Aquatic Species Codex, Chu Mingcheng understood. The missing data panels had all been consolidated here, converted into experience points for premium aquatic species.

This meant that regardless of species, as long as it was within the premium range, catching it would grant experience points.

He also noticed changes to the usable tools. Longline and trotline had been added, though they weren't unlocked yet.

It seemed that even if he caught premium aquatic species with nets, crab pots, or similar equipment, they wouldn't provide experience for this codex.

As for the "Fish Gathering" function, a 1% attraction rate was completely based on luck!

And the range was so small—only ten cubic meters, which meant a side length of 2.16 meters.

Unless he ran into another foolish parrotfish like today, by the time he got close enough for a fish or other aquatic creature to enter that range, it would have already fled!

This function seemed more useful for spearfishing at lower levels. However, as the level increased and the range expanded, it would also benefit his angling.

The function of this Premium Aquatic Species Codex wasn't powerful, but it was at least more reliable than before.

At least for some wild fish—he didn't know if he could encounter a hundred of them in his lifetime—leveling them up a few times would be useless.

This system, which didn't limit by species and upgraded uniformly, was much better.

After understanding the changes in the Aquatic Species Codex, Chu Mingcheng took out his laptop, plugged in the USB drive, and began studying the aquatic creatures and protected animals he might encounter while spearfishing.

It was worth noting that the information Lu Zheqiang had given him also included introductions to creatures from the Southeast Asian seas.

He decisively copied this valuable information to his computer, then saved it to his cloud drive. When he had time in the evening, he would buy another USB drive to store it—triple insurance.

In the afternoon, he practiced target shooting in the pool. After practice, he washed the clothes he'd changed out of these past two days and hung them up to dry.

An afternoon of practice had greatly improved Chu Mingcheng's target shooting accuracy.

He estimated he should be able to get his spearfishing license tomorrow. His accuracy in the sea might still not be that high, but it didn't matter. He could practice more during future solo trips.

Mainly, he couldn't learn much more at the club, so there was no need to continue wasting time.

Therefore, after ordering takeout in the evening, he found two large fishing boats heading to the Xisha Islands online and called to inquire.

One boat was scheduled to depart the morning after tomorrow, but he didn't book it immediately.

To avoid being scammed, he asked for the pier's address and decided to go check it out tomorrow before making his decision.

…

The next day, Chu Mingcheng successfully passed the aquatic life identification and pool target shooting assessments, receiving his two-star freediving certificate and spearfishing license.

He also bought a one-meter carbon fiber speargun from the club for three thousand eight hundred yuan.

With his certificates in hand, Chu Mingcheng returned to his room to pack his luggage.

He put his fishing hooks, lines, and other items into his backpack. Since he had a lot of luggage, he hadn't brought his tackle box and had to make do.

He packed the clothes needed for the trip into his suitcase, along with his phone charger and laptop.

The room would be reserved for him until he returned from the Xisha Islands, so most of his clothes were left in the room.

After packing, he took a taxi to the pier.

As the boat captain had said, he found a house near the pier with a sign advertising "Deep Sea Fishing Boat Spots for Rent."

When he first heard about the sign, Chu Mingcheng had suspected the other party might be an agent.

The owner had explained that he'd put up the sign to make it convenient for anglers to come and discuss prices and fees.

After hearing this, Chu Mingcheng decided to trust him and went to take a look.

Walking into the house, a dark-skinned middle-aged man was sitting in the living room. He walked over and asked, "Hello, are you the owner of the Sky High?"

"Yes, yes, you're here to rent a spot, right?"

"That's right, I called you earlier. I wanted to see the boat and ask about the cost and duration of the trip."

"Oh, oh, oh, so it was you! Sit, sit, let's sit down and talk."

The owner enthusiastically invited Chu Mingcheng to sit down, then said, "This trip to the Xisha Islands is for five days. Excluding travel time, you'll have three days and four nights of fishing."

"The boat fee is seven thousand five hundred, including food and lodging."

Hearing the price of seven thousand five hundred, Chu Mingcheng was a bit taken aback. He hadn't expected it to be so high.

"Sir, I've asked around. Some boats to the Xisha Islands only cost five thousand six hundred, and the more expensive ones are only six thousand. Your price is a bit high. If you can lower it, I'll book a spot."

The owner didn't explain immediately, but first asked, "When you called before, I heard you only wanted to rent one spot, right? That means you're going out to sea alone."

"That's right. Is there a problem with that?"

"It's like this—other boats usually have two or even four people in one room. But my boat has single rooms, and each room has a private bathroom. The environment is better."

"If you're willing to share a room with others, I can arrange that. The price can be a bit cheaper, say seven thousand."

"As for the price of five thousand six hundred or six thousand, we don't offer those rates here. The cheapest trip to the Xisha Islands for five days is six thousand five hundred."

"Mainly because oil prices have gone up recently, so everyone's boat fees have increased a bit. You can ask around if you don't believe me. As for the prices you saw online, they're probably outdated."

Chu Mingcheng understood. Oil prices were indeed much higher than before. And a single room with a private bathroom being five hundred yuan more expensive than other rooms seemed reasonable.

Having confirmed the details, he paid a two-thousand-yuan deposit. He would board the boat before ten tomorrow morning and pay the remaining balance.

After paying the deposit, Chu Mingcheng thought of the Nansha Islands and asked, "By the way, sir, does your boat go to the Nansha Islands?"

"It does! But you need to book in advance for the Nansha Islands. I'll only plan a trip when I have enough people."

"After all, going to the Nansha Islands is expensive, and it takes at least half a month. It's not easy to get enough people together."

After understanding the situation, Chu Mingcheng didn't mention booking in advance. He first went with the owner to see the boat, which was moored not far from the pier, before leaving.

He wasn't sure if he would go to the Nansha Islands himself. This time, he would first experience how he felt about this boat. If it was good, there would be a next time.