Back to the Past to Become a Fishing King-Chapter 588 - 337: The Big Margin

"Sign your name on the score sheet—you’re Zhang Yang, right? You did quite well in this round, huh?"

The 40-plus-pound catch made the referee, who didn’t know Zhang Yang initially, visibly more friendly as he pointed at the score sheet with his chubby hand.

"Sure!" Zhang Yang nodded in response, took the paper and pen, and signed on the spot.

"Are you Zhang Yang? The one who pioneered Black Pit Jianghu on WeChat?"

As Zhang Yang was signing, the young guy in charge of weighing the fish rubbed his eyes and asked with some uncertainty.

Zhang Yang grinned and nodded, "Hello, that’s me!"

"Wow! An idol! I’m a fan of yours! I thought your face looked a bit familiar earlier! Could I take a photo with you?"

After Zhang Yang confirmed, the young guy became noticeably more excited and mustered the courage to ask for a photo.

With well-intentioned fans, Zhang Yang never puts on airs and is always willing to take photos if possible.

"Sure thing!" Zhang Yang agreed without hesitation.

Soon, the young guy took out his phone, stretched out his arm, and took a selfie with Zhang Yang, who even made a cheesy V-sign gesture.

The referee never stopped the young guy’s actions. Once Zhang Yang walked away with his tackle box, he frowned and asked, "Who is this Zhang Yang? Is he really famous? You little rascal, not doing your job and taking selfies with people?"

"Boss, let me tell you, he’s not just anybody! Black Pit Jianghu, it’s the short videos I used to watch on my phone in your shop—he’s the one who made them! He’s incredible at fishing!

Today’s match was no different; everyone else caught only ten or eight fish, but he caught over 40 pounds from position six! It’s likely he’ll secure a win in his group!"

The young guy’s boss nodded, "Oh, I remember now! This Zhang Yang looks so young! He seems much younger than he looked in the videos! We’ll find a chance to meet him later!"

...

Back to Zhang Yang, carrying his tackle box out of the venue, none of his companions had come out yet.

Zhang Yang casually took a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and smoked while waiting.

At this time, Liu Wenjun, who had greeted Zhang Yang in the morning, walked over.

"Pretty early out, how’d the fishing go?" Old Liu pulled out a pack of Soft Zhonghua cigarettes and saw Zhang Yang already lit up, so he retracted his offer and lit his own.

Zhang Yang smiled, "Not too bad!"

"You, always so modest with me! Good is good, bad is bad, what’s ’not too bad’ supposed to mean!" Liu Wenjun, very naturally, remarked.

"Heh, okay then, it wasn’t bad! Should secure a decent spot in the ranks!" Zhang Yang chuckled softly.

"I think so too! Coming out this early, smoking alone and looking quite pleased, you must’ve had a good catch!"

"Lucky, pure luck!" Zhang Yang continued the small talk.

"After fishing tonight, want to hang out? I can introduce you to some friends!" Liu Wenjun suggested.

"Uh, unfortunately, I’ve already made plans with friends. How about another day? I’ll plan it!" Zhang Yang tapped his forehead, declining gracefully like an award-winning actor.

Most would jump at an invitation from a Fishing King Level contestant. Even if they had plans, they’d likely find a way to cancel to engage with Liu Wenjun’s crew. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

But Zhang Yang? He’s someone who’s lived two lives with a cheat mode.

Zhang Yang’s past dealings with Liu Wenjun taught him that it’s best to keep a respectful distance; getting too close isn’t wise.

Especially now, Zhang Yang is in a strong position, with money and connections, having little need for Liu Wenjun’s so-called network of friends.

"Then... next time it is! I guess with someone as famous as you, you’re always in demand!" Liu Wenjun remained composed, giving himself a graceful exit.

The two chatted a bit more until Wang Yan and the others joined them shortly after.

Liu Wenjun discreetly excused himself, leaving Zhang Yang to discuss the afternoon’s fish conditions with his teammates.

Through everyone’s insights, Zhang Yang gained a relatively accurate understanding of the afternoon’s fishing conditions.

Except for pit two, where the fish activity slowed significantly from the morning, the other ponds had little difference in conditions compared with earlier.

It was clear that having aeration machines running from morning till afternoon had a positive effect, as the fish remained unaffected by the midday heat and previous sessions.

Everyone had their predictions, and with Zhang Yang watching over, he could provide fairly accurate guidance. Thus, the afternoon’s second match posed little pressure.

Of course, this lessened pressure applied to most teammates, with one notable exception.

Who’s the exception? It’s guessed easily—Xiaobao!

Although Xiaobao joined the competition, his fishing skills were leaps and bounds behind the others. Zhang Yang’s intensive training hadn’t begun before the Fishing King Cup pre-selection was announced, meaning Xiaobao hadn’t enough time to hone his basic skills systematically.

In Xiaobao’s mind, there was no structured understanding of competitive fishing. Even with team technical guidance, catching fish well remained challenging.