Chapter 10: A Fierce Battle Lasting Over an Hour

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Jiang Fan was fully immersed in battling the giant catfish, not even noticing the riverbank crowded with fishermen watching the spectacle. He didn’t realize he had been filmed and was now live-streaming on Douyin.

“Slap!”

The giant catfish suddenly slapped the water’s surface, sending waves splashing everywhere. Then it charged toward the opposite bank, the fishing line stretching taut once again, the reel’s drag whirring nonstop!

“Reel it in! Hurry and reel it in!” someone shouted from the riverbank, urging Jiang Fan to pull the line.

At the same time, others shouted against reeling it in.

“The big fish is fighting hard! Reeling now will cause the hook to come loose. Don’t reel it in!”

“If you don’t reel it in, the fish will get away, you amateur!”

“You’re the amateur!”

“Hey, hey, are you all trying to tell the master how to do things?”

Jiang Fan ignored the shouting fishermen. He followed his own method, letting the giant catfish drag the line out, then patiently waiting.

This was a creature weighing over a hundred pounds—a true test of endurance. It would be a tug-of-war to see who would tire first: him or the giant fish.

Watching the live stream on Douyin, the viewer count had already surpassed ten thousand.

“So huge! Did the streamer just catch Godzilla?”

“No, the streamer isn’t the one catching it—it’s that handsome guy fighting the fish!”

“Oh my god, such a huge catfish. If I caught that, I’d probably be lost for three days trying to get home!”

“That guy’s arm strength is incredible. He’s been pulling for over ten minutes without losing ground. He should be in a tug-of-war!”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t last more than three seconds.”

“That’s not how you catch fish. Somebody go tell that kid to do this, then that, then this and that, finally that and that. Got it?”

“???”

“A wise word from the master is better than a hundred others.”

“Why doesn’t the streamer share the location? Afraid we’ll steal your fishing spot?”

“North Gate River.”

“Only a thousand kilometers, not far. Heading to the battlefield tomorrow!”

“Holy crap! That guy got dragged into the water?!”

“No way! That fish really has some strength!”

“Why doesn’t he just let go? That fish is too big; one person can’t hold it. If he doesn’t let go, it’s going to be trouble.”

“Let go? With a fish that big? Missing this chance might mean missing it for life!”

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“Are you crazy? If you die, you really die. You think watching ads will revive you?”

“Let’s just say you don’t understand fishermen.”

At that moment, the giant catfish dragged Jiang Fan into the river, pulling him swiftly toward the middle of the water.

Maddened, Ma Dongdong with his blond hair and several fishermen prepared to jump in to rescue him, shouting, “Let go! Let go of the line!”

But Jiang Fan soon regained control of his body. His swimming skills were excellent—he could swim even without using his hands.

After a few minutes, Jiang Fan gradually dragged the giant catfish back toward the shore, and only then did the crowd breathe a sigh of relief.

“The master is fierce! He can drag a hundred-pound beast back even in the water?”

“Master, need some help?”

Ma Dongdong and the others shouted, unsure if Jiang Fan needed assistance.

Jiang Fan didn’t respond; he was focused on playing the fish, unaware of their calls.

He slowly reeled in the line, trying to coax the giant catfish closer to shore.

But just a few meters from the bank, the catfish slapped the water again and swiftly swam back into the river’s depths.

Jiang Fan had no choice but to let the line out again and continue the fierce battle.

Such a massive fish couldn’t be netted even if dragged to the shore.

All he could do was tire out the giant catfish.

Or perhaps he himself would be the first to collapse.

However, Jiang Fan had always been physically strong.

Even if the giant catfish couldn’t be landed, it wouldn’t be easy for it to wear him down quickly.

Still, he underestimated just how terrifying a hundred-pound monster could be.

After nearly half an hour of this tug-of-war, even the remarkably enduring Jiang Fan began to feel exhausted.

If the giant catfish maintained its energy much longer, in twenty minutes he might have to give up.

“That guy’s clearly worn out. Looks like he can’t handle that big fish!”

“Isn’t that obvious? His skill level is no good. Where would he get the ability to catch a big fish?”

“Look, here come the internet keyboard warriors!”

“If you’re so good, come and try!”

“Heh, too bad I didn’t meet you, otherwise I’d have landed it in no time!”

(Some user gets kicked out of the live stream chat)

The streamer cursed, “Damn! All talk, no action! That guy’s been fighting a hundred-pound beast for over half an hour—anyone else would have been wiped out!”

“Streamer’s justice! Streamer’s wisdom! Good call kicking them out!”

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“But streamer, that handsome guy is obviously getting tired.”

“Yeah, a hundred-plus pound beast is hard to handle alone.”

The streamer was silent for a long moment, then said, “With my seven or eight years of fishing experience, I think he can still fight for a while. Landing it isn’t impossible.”

People get tired, and so does the big fish—it’s not a supernatural being.

After more than half an hour, the fish must be wearing down too.

Many big fish look lively even after an hour or two of fighting, but once their energy is drained, they suddenly stop resisting and quietly accept their fate.

Jiang Fan knew this too, so he wouldn’t let go until he was utterly exhausted. It was a matter of who would fall first.

“Slap!”

The giant catfish flipped again, splashing water everywhere.

The fishermen by the bank gasped.

As the fish’s strength slightly waned, Jiang Fan tried once more to reel it closer to shore.

But since the previous time it was dragged within a few meters of the bank, the giant catfish had never come closer than five meters.

Slowly, it inched closer—five meters, four meters, three meters—then suddenly the catfish surged with power and dragged the line back.

Jiang Fan quickly tightened the line, and after the fish was pulled to a stop, it flipped again, splashing water, then lay motionless in the middle of the river.

It was clear that not only was Jiang Fan exhausted, but the giant catfish was too.

“Out of strength now, huh? Time to come ashore!”

Jiang Fan’s face lit up with joy as he steadily reeled the fish toward the bank.

The giant catfish seemed drained of energy. Although it struggled occasionally during the pull, it was slowly brought within a meter or two of the shore.

Seeing a catfish larger than Jiang Fan’s own body, the fishermen went wild with cheers, some rushing forward to take photos with their phones.

“Hahaha, amazing! This catfish must weigh at least one hundred and fifty pounds!”

“Take photos, take photos! It has to go on Douyin!”

“Brother, can I get a big group photo with the catfish?”

“Me too! I want a group photo!”

The fishermen grinned from ear to ear, as excited as if they had spotted a rare beauty.

“Splash!”

Suddenly, the giant catfish had a last burst of energy, slapping the water fiercely, turning sharply, and swimming back toward the river’s center!

Several fishermen tried to grab it but were all pushed aside, falling into the river muttering to themselves.

“An hour-long fight and it still has that much strength—this fish must be a spirit!”

“Whoa, lucky it hit my thigh. If it hit my chest, I’d probably have broken ribs!”

“Hey handsome guy, reel it in fast! Don’t let it get away!”