When chartering a boat in the Xisha Islands, finding the right vessel is crucial.

Chu Mingcheng considered himself fortunate to have stumbled aboard the Sky High.

Although the charter fee was over a thousand yuan more expensive, the boat's captain was responsible and kept his vessel fully stocked with all necessary tackle and bait. Even if they'd encountered a jet stream current, they could still have fished using heavier sinkers.

With live Spanish mackerel for bait, their haul might have been smaller, but over three days, they were basically guaranteed not to lose money. Most anglers could actually turn a small profit.

The only downside was the exhaustion. A few days of this would leave anyone looking more wrung out than a dishrag.

The crew member took the red snapper away. Chu Mingcheng removed the hook from its mouth and set the now-dead mackerel aside. It could be cut up later for chum or used to catch coral fish.

Landing the first fish so quickly was a clear sign that the bite was active. Chu Mingcheng decided to stick with live Spanish mackerel.

The Antarctic krill in the chum cage remained plentiful, so there was no need to add more for now.

He cast his baited hook back into the water. Once it reached bottom, Chu Mingcheng repeated his earlier technique, reeling in three meters of line before settling in to wait.

After a short while, he noticed his rod tip trembling with small, continuous vibrations.

Just like before, it probably meant a large fish was approaching, sending the mackerel into frantic escape attempts. A flutter of anticipation grew in Chu Mingcheng's chest.

But after another two or three minutes, the trembling continued with no hook-up. He felt puzzled.

After a moment's thought, he pressed the button on his electric reel to retrieve the line and check the situation.

When the rig surfaced completely, Chu Mingcheng was speechless. The live bait had been swimming around so erratically that it had tangled itself around the main line. No wonder his rod tip had been shaking.

He picked up his scissors and decisively snipped off the tangled leader line.

The fish had already died from pressure changes during the ascent. Chu Mingcheng unhooked it and set it aside with the other one.

He tossed the ruined leader line into the trash and tied on a new one.

Only after re-rigging did he bait up with a fresh, live mackerel and continue fishing.

Tangles were an unavoidable part of fishing that every angler encountered. The best approach was treating them with patience.

Just as he cast his bait into the water, he noticed a young man nearby holding a camera and filming a female angler.

From the way the woman was explaining things to the camera, she was obviously a content creator who used fishing to attract followers.

This suddenly reminded Chu Mingcheng of the head-mounted camera he'd left by his computer.

He quickly called over a crew member, asked him to watch his spot, then ran back to his cabin to retrieve the camera.

When he returned to his fishing position, he found he already had a fish on. The crew member had helped press the button, and the electric reel was currently winding in the line.

Chu Mingcheng hadn't bought an external microphone, so there was no need for live commentary.

To be honest, he preferred recording a voiceover later and adding subtitles. Talking to himself in front of strangers would feel very awkward.

After a short wait, another red fish was pulled to the surface. Just from its appearance, it was much more beautiful than the red snapper.

It was much smaller, though. Chu Mingcheng, also wearing cut-proof gloves, didn't even need the crew member's help. He grabbed the line himself and lifted it aboard.

For fish like this that were barely struggling by the time they reached the surface, as long as they weren't too large, grabbing the line was the most convenient method.

A landing net or gaff was only necessary for large fish that couldn't be lifted, or for those still full of fight.

This red fish was easy to identify. Its long, swallow-like tail marked it as a longtail snapper, an extremely valuable deep-sea species.

Just like the red snapper before, this one also added a point of experience to his Premium Codex.

The market price for longtail snapper ranged from two hundred thirty to two hundred eighty yuan per jin, but actual prices varied by location and market conditions.

It would definitely be cheaper here in Qiongzhou, since the Xisha Islands were one of the most abundant areas for longtail snapper.

Chu Mingcheng used his fish grip to check the weight: eleven jin and eight liang.

Although it was half the weight of the red snapper, its total value was considerably higher.

After having the crew member attach a zip tie and take it to cold storage, Chu Mingcheng felt even more perplexed.

The ten-thousand-yuan investment seemed incredibly easy to recoup. It felt like he could recover the cost in a single night.

However, most people who came to fish had their catch bought by the boat captain or a fishmonger. Their path to breaking even was much more difficult than his.

He added some Antarctic krill to the chum cage, cast his baited hook into the water, and, feeling curious, asked a nearby crew member, "Brother, how much do you guys pay for that longtail snapper I just caught?"

"We buy them for one hundred thirty."

"And the red snapper?"

"Thirty."

"..."

Chu Mingcheng was suddenly enlightened. The buy-back price was that low. Of course breaking even would be much harder!

Besides, deep-sea fishing was time-consuming. He'd only caught two fish, plus dealt with one tangle, and over an hour had already passed. It was now twelve-thirty in the morning—only five hours until dawn. He didn't know how many more fish he could catch.

The sea breeze blew, and he could hear excited shouts from the young woman nearby as she landed a fish. At this moment, Chu Mingcheng didn't find it noisy. Instead, he found it quite entertaining to watch a woman fish, so full of dramatic gasps and squeals.

His own baited hook had been on bottom for three minutes. If he didn't get a bite soon, he'd have to reel it in to see if the bait had been stolen.

Just then, the line on his electric reel suddenly started screaming out.

Chu Mingcheng quickly pressed the button. The electric reel engaged, and the outflowing line instantly stopped. This sudden retrieval was just like setting the hook.

But to his surprise, the electric reel, which could handle over a hundred jin of force, actually paused for a moment. The subsequent retrieval speed was also much slower than before, and the rod bent to an unprecedented degree.

No matter how you looked at it, this was a monster fish!

Chu Mingcheng's first thought was of the grouper he'd seen in the restaurant in Wenzhou. Could he have hooked a grouper that size?

If so, he would hit the jackpot with this single fish.

From the initial pause to the slow retrieval that followed, several minutes passed. The fish at the bottom seemed to have tired, and the retrieval speed suddenly picked up. The electric reel once again emitted its normal "whirrrr" sound.

Chu Mingcheng placed his hand on the electric reel, feeling its temperature.

If the workload became too great, he would need to pour water on it for cooling.

The tip of his fishing rod bobbed up and down like a nodding head. Ten minutes passed, and the line had been retrieved about thirty meters.

The fish struggled frequently, which significantly prolonged the retrieval time.

Chu Mingcheng watched the rod, his hands itching with anticipation.

If it weren't for the fact that hand-cranking in the deep sea was too exhausting, he really wouldn't want to use an electric reel. It removed much of the thrill.

When only thirty meters of line remained, Chu Mingcheng shouted, calling the crew member over and telling him to prepare the gaff.

Finally, the silhouette of the fish appeared in his line of sight. It was another red fish. It seemed he was destined to battle red fish today!

But when the fish broke the surface, the seasoned crew member, who had seen everything, let out a sudden, sharp "Holy shit!"

"A red diamond fish can get this big? I've never seen one like this, not even in the Nansha Islands! This monster is going to break records!"

"Is it that impressive?" Chu Mingcheng was surprised. He hadn't expected this fish to make even the experienced crew member curse. Clearly he'd hooked another rare and massive catch.

A red fish of this size also attracted the attention of all nearby anglers. The novices who didn't know better were amazed, while the more knowledgeable anglers were in disbelief.

The crew member's expression turned serious. As the fish was pulled to the surface, he took aim and sank the gaff hook into the top of its head.

He took a deep breath and heaved with all his might. The fish was lifted slightly, but for a moment, he was locked in a stalemate, unable to pull it up any further.

Chu Mingcheng quickly went over to help. With their combined strength, they finally managed to haul the massive red diamond fish onto the deck.

It was clear that while the fish was large, it wasn't quite big enough to require the crane.