Chapter 7: The First Apprentice Angler

"No way, what is going on? We haven't had a single bite, but that guy has been pulling them in non-stop?"

The blonde angler stared with wide eyes, wondering if he had misread the situation. He rubbed his eyes and looked over again.

"He really is landing fish one after another. What kind of sorcery is this?!"

These anglers had been skunked all day. Seeing Jiang Fan start catching fish the moment he arrived felt worse than being cursed. Zhou Hong had already experienced this feeling once yesterday, so seeing Jiang Fan land fish continuously today didn't hurt quite as much. It was a classic case of damage immunity kicking in after a critical hit—though, in reality, the damage hadn't lessened by much.

The most baffling part was that Jiang Fan was fishing in the exact same spot where Zhou Hong had failed to catch a single fish yesterday. Today, however, the fish were biting non-stop. Strange, wasn't it? Perhaps, as Jiang Fan had suggested, it really was a matter of skill.

*Ding! Ding! Ding! Congratulations to the host for catching a two-pound wild freshwater crucian carp. The system has triggered a 5x cash multiplier!*
*Wild freshwater crucian carp: two pounds. Market price: 15 yuan per pound.*
*Ding! Congratulations to the host for earning 2 x 15 x 5 = 150 RMB!*
*Ding! Congratulations to the host for gaining 25 points of Emotional Value!*

*Ding! Ding! Ding! Congratulations to the host for catching a three-pound tilapia. The system has triggered a 10x cash multiplier!*
...
*Ding! Ding! Ding! Congratulations to the host for catching a five-pound catfish. The system has triggered a 15x cash multiplier!*

Zhou Hong and the others watched in utter bewilderment. The fish kept coming like they were stuck on an endless loop!

"Could it be that the fish are starting to bite? Yes! I got a bite!" The blonde angler shouted in excitement as he saw his float twitch.

Zhou Hong and the others quickly looked over. They saw the blonde stand up to reel in his catch, but after a minute of struggle, he pulled up a fish no bigger than a little finger.

"Tch! You made such a fuss for a fish the size of a finger? If you posted that on social media, you’d be a laughingstock for three days!"

"Zhou Hong, we must have run into something unlucky. Let me go find some pomelo leaves to chant and perform a ritual."

"I agree. Maybe I was cursed by my wife when I left the house early this morning to fish! It’s true—women only slow down my fishing speed!"

"Hey, Ma Dongdong, wake up! You don't even have a wife!"

...

*Ding! Ding! Ding! Congratulations to the host for catching a five-pound carp. The system has triggered a 10x cash multiplier!*
*Wild carp: five pounds. Market price: 15 yuan per pound.*
*Ding! Congratulations to the host for earning 5 x 15 x 10 = 750 RMB!*
*Ding! Congratulations to the host for gaining 55 points of Emotional Value!*

Over an hour had passed, and Jiang Fan had earned 2,580 yuan and 250 points of Emotional Value.

*Ding! Congratulations to the host for reaching the 500 Emotional Value milestone. You have unlocked the title "Angler" and the "Apprentice Angler" function. Activation requires 100 Emotional Value. Do you wish to activate?*

"Activate."

*Ding! Congratulations, Apprentice Angler function successfully activated. Emotional Value -100!*
*Apprentice Angler (0/1). No angler bound yet... Please bind an angler quickly to help earn money!*

"Dad! Dad!"

Suddenly, a voice interrupted Jiang Fan's thoughts. It was Zhou Hong, the angler from yesterday, walking over with a grin.

Jiang Fan glanced at him. "What’s up, buddy? Looking to buy more fish?"

"No, I just want to learn from the master," Zhou Hong stated his purpose. He truly couldn't understand it. While he wasn't exactly a seasoned veteran, there was no reason why Jiang Fan could catch fish non-stop in the exact same spot where he caught nothing. There had to be a trick to it, and he was determined to learn!

"Learn from me?" Jiang Fan smirked. *Well, isn't this a perfect opportunity for a free apprentice?*

However, having finally obtained an apprentice slot, Jiang Fan had certain standards. If he picked someone who didn't fish often, it would be a waste.

"Yes, Dad, please teach me! How do you manage to catch fish non-stop?" Zhou Hong asked sincerely, not forgetting to address Jiang Fan as his "second father."

"Do you really love fishing?" Jiang Fan asked.

"No kidding! In the Yuanshan Town fishing circle, who doesn't know me, the 'Little Prince of Fishing'?" Zhou Hong patted his chest, looking completely confident.

"Even the 'Little Prince of Fishing' isn't catching anything," Jiang Fan remarked dryly.

Zhou Hong scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "It’s embarrassing, I know. Dad, please, just teach me!"

Jiang Fan cleared his throat. "Fishing techniques don't need to be taught by someone. Aren't there tons of masters online? While technique is important, practice makes perfect, but the real issue lies in the bait."

Zhou Hong frowned. "But I’m using the Wild Blue Carp brand bait today, too."

Jiang Fan explained, "Your Wild Blue Carp is different from mine. Mine is a custom-made, 'Wild Blue Carp: Wry-Mouth Dragon King God-Tier Edition.' You can catch fish rapidly even without pre-baiting the spot."

"I knew it! That's why you keep catching fish—you have a secret recipe!" Zhou Hong’s eyes lit up as he looked at the bait. After Jiang Fan's hint, Zhou Hong realized that the bait Jiang Fan was using really did smell different; it had a rich, potent aroma that made even him want to take a bite, let alone the fish!

"Dad! I have a small request. Do you have any extra bait? Could you sell me a bag?"

"Sure, twenty yuan a bag. You want it?"

"Yes, yes, of course! Twenty? I’d pay a hundred!"

Zhou Hong had only asked on a whim, assuming this was a secret recipe that wouldn't be sold to outsiders. He hadn't expected Jiang Fan to agree so readily. As for Jiang Fan, he was more than happy to sell it—he intended to bind Zhou Hong as his first apprentice and let him help earn money.

After all, a bag of "Wild Blue Carp: Wry-Mouth Dragon King God-Tier Edition" bait, which cost 20 Emotional Value points to manifest, wouldn't normally be sold for just twenty yuan.

*Ding! Congratulations to the host for manifesting a bag of Wild Blue Carp: Wry-Mouth Dragon King God-Tier Edition. Emotional Value -20!*

Jiang Fan pulled a bag of bait from his pack and handed it to Zhou Hong.

"Alipay received: 20 yuan!"

"Hahaha! With this bait, I’m going to sweep the North Gate River today!"

Zhou Hong returned to his spot in high spirits to prepare his gear. At the same time, Jiang Fan used the system to bind him as an apprentice.

*Ding! Apprentice successfully bound!*
*Name: Zhou Hong*
*Age: 24*
*Fishing Experience: 3 years*
*Title: None*
(+)

...

"Zhou Hong, why did you bring back a bag of Wild Blue Carp?" the blonde angler asked curiously.

Zhou Hong grinned. "That master sold it to me! He said it’s a custom mix, guaranteed to catch fish non-stop!"

The blonde glanced at it. "How much a bag?"

"Twenty!"

"Tch! So cheap! 'Custom mix'? You’ve been scammed by that kid!"

Another angler named Ma Dongdong chimed in, "The blonde is right. It doesn't look any different from the Wild Blue Carp we use."

"You’ve been ripped off! This stuff sells for six yuan online. He’s making fourteen yuan off your gullibility!"

Zhou Hong grumbled, "Bullshit! It smells way stronger than what we're using!"

The blonde leaned in and sniffed it. "You know, he’s not lying. It really does smell much better. I actually want to take a bite."

"But if this bait is so magical, why would he sell it to you for only twenty?"

Zhou Hong retorted, "What do you know? This is called fate!"

The blonde didn't believe a word of it, prideful as ever. "Fate my foot! If this stuff can catch fish non-stop, I’ll eat every bag of bait I brought today in one go!"