My Manor

"Haha, this is a sea bass, a very fierce marine carnivorous fish, a relative of the freshwater bass. The largest can grow up to a meter long, but yours is obviously a small one." Jiang Hai couldn't help but explain to Fu Yuan when he saw the fish Fu Yuan had caught.

Hearing Jiang Hai's words, Fu Yuan couldn't help but curl his lips. In fact, this fish wasn't small at all—it was much larger than the average crucian carp. But compared to the adult fish that can grow to one or even two meters, this one was definitely on the smaller side.

Although this fish was still considered small and would probably be looked down upon, it was Fu Yuan's catch, so he proudly turned to Jiang Hai and said, "No matter what, this is the first fish I've caught. You haven't caught anything yet..."

"Dinglinglingling..." But before he could finish, Edward Anderson's fishing rod started to ring.

Edward Anderson then reeled in a fish with thorns on its back almost immediately.

The fish was more than twice the size of Fu Yuan's, about 40 centimeters long, and looked much more menacing. Seeing this, Jiang Hai and Fu Yuan both walked over.

"What kind of fish is this?" Fu Yuan asked, curiosity evident in his voice. It was a bit embarrassing—he had just been bragging about how they hadn't caught anything yet, and now this tough-looking guy had already landed a fish. It felt like bad luck.

"Oh, this is a white-spotted scorpionfish, also known as a stone dogfish, or stonefish. They are found in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and they're quite common. It's much tastier than your fish. By the way, we usually use fish longer than ten centimeters as bait." Jiang Hai explained, not missing the chance to tease Fu Yuan.

Fu Yuan couldn't help but roll his eyes at Jiang Hai. He was always the one showing off, but he couldn't stand it when others did the same, especially when Jiang Hai used "other people's" achievements to flaunt. "Damn, this one was caught by Uncle Edward. You're so arrogant. If you're so good, why don't you catch one yourself?"

"Bang!" But just as Fu Yuan finished speaking, Jiang Hai's fishing line, which had been standing upright on the boat's bow, suddenly straightened.

Jiang Hai was momentarily stunned and then gave Fu Yuan a thumbs up. "You must be blessed."

But now wasn't the time to analyze Fu Yuan's luck. Jiang Hai quickly ran to the fishing rod and pulled it up.

As soon as he grabbed it, he felt the rod dip. He tried to reel it in, a bit surprised by the pull.

The force wasn't too weak, but not overwhelming either. If nothing unexpected happened, this fish should be around 60 cm—nothing too difficult for Jiang Hai.

With increased effort, his muscles bulged under his loose clothes, though no one could see it.

To Fu Yuan and the others, Jiang Hai appeared to be leisurely shaking the rod.

"Hooked? The fish isn't that big, I don't think you need to fight it," Fu Yuan said with a smug smile as he walked over to Jiang Hai.

Jiang Hai just smiled in response, but his movements gradually became more deliberate. Soon, with a strong pull, a massive golden figure appeared beside the boat.

When Edward saw the fish, he was momentarily stunned, then happily gave Jiang Hai a thumbs up. Using the net, he pulled the big fish from the water.

"Oh my god, it's huge!" As the net landed, a golden fish about 65 cm long was revealed to everyone. Fu Yuan was left speechless at the sight.

Not only was the fish big, but it was also stunning. The entire fish gleamed gold with six horizontal ring-shaped bands on its body. It looked impressive, like something you'd see on a rich man's table.

"This is a six-band trevally. I didn't expect it to be yellow. I'm lucky today. The taste is okay, but look at the size—it's perfect for lunch!" Jiang Hai laughed and casually remarked, feeling quite pleased with his catch. It was the biggest edible fish he had ever caught.

If Dasha wasn't counted, this was only the second sea fish Jiang Hai had caught, as he usually fished for river fish.

The six-band trevally is a species found worldwide, including the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, as well as the Arctic. It's not a particularly valuable fish, with colors ranging from gray to yellow and black. Adult fish of this size are usually black, so Jiang Hai's luck was definitely on his side.

"Damn, you're really going to eat such a beautiful fish? What a waste. Let me hold it and take a picture!" Fu Yuan scoffed as he stuffed his phone into Jiang Hai's hand and ran in front of the fish to take a picture. It was clear he was planning to show it off again.

With the fish caught, Edward wasn't in a hurry to fish anymore. Like Jiang Hai, he fished for food, not sport.

Unless they caught highly valuable fish like humphead wrasse, tuna, or marlin, they would usually eat what they caught. Six-band trevallies weren't rare, with hundreds of thousands of tons caught yearly, so they were used to eating them.

"Boss, I'm going to cook. You guys can play for a bit," Edward said in English after Fu Yuan finished taking his pictures. He then carried the stone dogfish and Jiang Hai's six-band trevally to the ship's hold. Although the ship wasn't very large, it had a small area for cooking.

"Are you really going to eat that fish? Tsk, what a waste. It would be so beautiful in your home!" Fu Yuan said regretfully as he watched Edward leave with the fish. It was clear the fish matched his aesthetic taste, as seen from his gold-colored iPhone 6P, a popular model in China.

"This kind of fish can change color. You still want to play?" Jiang Hai smiled and teased Fu Yuan.

"Let's keep fishing. We've come all this way; I'm not leaving after just catching one fish!" Fu Yuan said, re-baiting his hook and casting it back into the sea.

Over the next two hours, the two of them caught a variety of things. And by "things," I mean not just fish—there were also water plants, squids, crabs, wine bottles, and even a used trap that was clearly discarded by someone... truly a lack of public morality. The two of them, despite feeling nauseous, tossed the trash into the boat's trash can.

Despite the trash, they also managed to catch plenty of fish. The most common catch in the area was cod, a large fish that was a big deal for Fu Yuan.

There was also herring, a small but tasty fish. While it wasn't as impressive as cod, it was still a nice catch. Some people in Europe even enjoyed canned herring, though opening the can would unleash an awful smell. It ranked second in the world's "worst food" category—though the number one spot was a whole different level.

After catching eight or nine fish, Edward signaled for them to pack up. The grilled fish was ready. Edward wanted to drive the boat, so he didn't join Jiang Hai and Fu Yuan for drinks. After a quick snack, he went to the cabin to steer the boat back to the dock.

Jiang Hai and Fu Yuan sat in the hold, enjoying the sea breeze, eating fish, and drinking beer—an incredibly relaxing moment. As for Fu Yuan, he turned into a show-off, constantly boasting to the young people who had already started working.

Such a life was truly enticing!

Before they knew it, it was already past three in the afternoon. The dock came into view, and they knew they needed to be mindful about their drinking. They had already packed everything up, following Jiang Hai's orders.

Instead of going home, they went straight to the aircraft warehouse. Jiang Hai had already arranged for Bell and Maren Rupert to meet them there.

They spent the afternoon flying before heading back, making sure to give their friends a fun experience.

Soon, they arrived at the warehouse where Maren Rupert and Bell Lester were already waiting.

"How's the helicopter? Comfortable to fly?" Jiang Hai asked as he patted the large machine in front of him.

"It's a great aircraft—good power, smooth cruise, and with a high deadweight and lifting capacity. It's also easy to operate. If you install weapons, it could go straight into battle!" Bell Lester, who had just flown it, said excitedly. Fu Yuan's eyes lit up at his words.

"Alright, alright, let me, the boss, have a go! Darlene and Marian sit in the back, Fu Yuan and I sit in the middle, and you two take the front," Jiang Hai declared, eager to try it out.

"Got it, boss! Sit tight, fasten your seat belts, and put on your helmets. But before we take off, we need to refuel first," Maren Rupert said, nodding seriously.