"Hey, is your dear dad crazy? He actually wants to fish with beef?" Kevin said in surprise to Darlene and Marian when he saw Jiang Hai re-hooking.
Her words were a double entendre because Darlene and Marian really liked Jiang Hai. Using the word "dear" was indeed a little... too ambiguous. Whether it was intentional? Who knows?
Upon hearing her, Darlene and Marian's faces turned red, but they quickly recovered.
"You don't understand, just wait and see." Darlene shook her head and said with great interest as she looked at Kevin.
"Well, it seems you really don't understand fishing. The bait should be suitable, not valuable." Kevin was a bit speechless, seeing the two sisters' confidence in Jiang Hai. Indeed, fishing is about matching the right bait, not just how valuable the bait is.
This is something experienced anglers know well. For example, in China, many veteran fishermen have learned the preferences of fish.
As the old saying goes, "Sing according to the mountain, and use bait according to the fish." Grass carp, for example, likes corn, various vegetables, and mixed grass. Crucian carp likes red worms, steamed buns, and some insects. Carp enjoys snails, shrimps, earthworms, silkworms, pig hydrazine, and raw meat. Black carp eats insects, snails, small fish, and small shrimps. Tilapia, blackfish, fathead, catfish... all kinds of fish have their own preferences. The same is true for sea fish.
Beef? Well, it's certainly not a common fishing bait. That being said, it's not impossible to catch fish with beef—just not for picky ones. Greedy fish, like barracuda, still like beef. Tuna, although not very picky, is more selective, especially the bluefin or yellowfin that Jiang Hai is targeting.
"Just watch. Our beef is special." Although Darlene and Marian didn't know if the mystery behind Jiang Hai's choice of beef was related to the beef itself, their trust in him was genuine. Besides, they also knew that Jiang Hai's beef was far from ordinary. After all, the main income of their manor now depended on this beef, not fish.
"Okay. It seems like you won't give up until you see it yourself. Let's see then." Kevin shrugged helplessly, having no choice but to wait for the miracle.
But just as she finished speaking, before she had time to catch her breath, Jiang Hai's fishing line snapped tight. Seeing this, Jiang Hai couldn't help but laugh—he knew he had hooked something. He immediately straightened the fishing rod and began reeling in the line.
Jiang Hai shared a common trait with the girls when fishing: he liked using force. His strength was too much for ordinary fish. He could feel that the pull from the fish underwater was the greatest he'd ever experienced, even stronger than the big one he caught at home. But he wasn't the same person as before. Back then, he only had the strength of an average human. Now? It was a different story.
Jiang Hai grabbed the boat pole and began reeling in quickly.
Strength overcomes technique. If other fishermen saw him now, they would probably be terrified. Normally, people tire out the fish before reeling it in. But Jiang Hai? He was forcing it in. Was that wrong? Since when did the battle between man and fish become a contest of strength?
Seeing Jiang Hai pulling the fish with such force, Kevin and the others exchanged glances. The other three girls curled their lips, thinking that if he could pull the fish in so easily, it meant the fish wasn't very big.
But Kevin sensed something was off. The waves from the fish in the distance weren't small. Just as she wondered about it, a dorsal fin emerged from the water. It was bigger and longer than the one they'd just caught, flashing with a strange golden light under the sunlight.
Her mouth dropped open in surprise. "Oh my God, it's another yellowfin, and it looks bigger than Kevin's!"
The other three girls were just as stunned. How could anyone catch a fish like this with sheer strength? It seemed so simple, so crude—yet he caught it. Looking at the fishing line that was as thick as chopsticks, they couldn't help but pity the fish. This poor creature had no idea it was about to face a humanoid monster!
This yellowfin tuna was definitely no push-over. Yet Jiang Hai wasn't struggling—it was coming in fast. A tuna of that size must be old, possibly having been caught before.
When the fish realized it was losing, it made a desperate attempt to rush to the bottom of the boat. This was a tactic to scrape the line on the hull and break free. But would Jiang Hai let it escape?
Looking at the tuna heading for the bottom of the boat, Jiang Hai shouted, "Get up here!"
As the tuna rushed forward, Jiang Hai pulled the fishing rod hard, swinging it upward. The tuna, not expecting such force, was suddenly launched out of the sea with a loud splash and thrown onto the floating platform.
Although it was thrown hard, the fish was still moving, desperately trying to return to the water. But Jiang Hai wasn't about to let it. He grabbed a stick and knocked the fish on the head, knocking it out temporarily. Then, he quickly tied the rope that had been thrown over to the fish's tail, gestured to Bell, who was on the crane, and signaled for the crane to lift the tuna.
Meanwhile, Harriman, experienced as ever, stepped forward to bleed the fish.
"Oh my God, Uncle, this fish of yours must be two meters long and weigh at least 180 kilograms! How did you do it? Are you even human, or some kind of monster?" Kevin exclaimed in disbelief, looking at Jiang Hai with awe.
She was sure that this fish would be worth a fortune. If her own catch could be sold for a thousand dollars, Jiang Hai's would surely go for at least that much. A moment ago, she had been a little pleased, but now it was clear: this man didn't need her money.
"Haha, of course. From now on, call me Uncle Monster!" Jiang Hai chuckled, not caring about being called "uncle." He ruffled Kevin's head, who was still in shock, then turned to put beef on the fishing rod again.
But at that moment, another rod with beef on it began to spin wildly. There was no time to put more beef on. Jiang Hai walked directly to the new rod and used the same forceful technique. No matter what kind of fish it was, he simply defeated it with power.
The girls had seen Jiang Hai's extraordinary strength before, so they weren't surprised. But they all knew that what Jiang Hai was catching wasn't a small fish—it was something big. Seeing the fishing line stretch to its breaking point, they couldn't help but swallow nervously.
When did fishing for sea fish become this easy?
They had spent half an hour catching a yellowfin tuna that was just over a meter and a half long, relying on Bell and Harriman to handle it. Jiang Hai? It only took him minutes from the moment the fish was hooked to reeling it in. It was impressive... and a little frustrating.
As the fishing line shortened, a huge dorsal fin appeared above the water. This time, under the sun, Kevin and the others gasped. The fish's back was a dark blue.
"A black tuna, it's a black tuna!" Kevin couldn't help but shout in amazement.
Although she had insisted on fishing for bluefin tuna that day, Kevin honestly had no idea whether they could catch one. Ever since bluefin tuna became a delicacy on the island, the number of people fishing for them had skyrocketed.
But, as Kevin knew, just a few decades ago, tuna was worthless—sometimes even fed to chickens. Now, it was considered a precious, economically protected species. It was an unpredictable turn of events that had left many old fishermen in awe.