Back to the Past to Become a Fishing King-Chapter 609 - 354: Mischief-Maker Mastering the Rules

Zhang Yang, just like in the previous rounds, carried a fishing box and a rod bag, and casually walked towards his designated fishing spot.

Upon reaching his assigned spot by draw number, Zhang Yang placed the fishing box firmly on the spot's number, then squatted down to begin his usual pre-fishing preparations.

After the previous round's normal fishing session, he had a rather clear understanding of the fish conditions at Pond No. 1, so when preparing the bait, he was quite confident.

He used the bait preparation and medication method that worked best in the last test session. At this critical point in the competition, he was meticulous about the state and flavor of the bait, knowing that even a slight misstep could directly impact his catch results.

Given the circumstances, Zhang Yang was especially careful and thorough in preparing the bait, aiming to achieve the right state. After appropriately kneading it, he unusually tested the bait balls in advance for their condition.

Two bait balls, slightly larger than mung beans, were solid and round, retaining a certain firmness and adherence to the hook. The effect of the short-fiber Lubricating Powder was almost fully leveraged in Zhang Yang's hands.

Once the bait was confirmed to be in good condition, Zhang Yang prepared the tackle, then sat down on his fishing box, ready for the competition.

Due to professional vigilance, Zhang Yang never stopped observing his surroundings while finishing his preparations.

Through this observation, he noticed something peculiar.

There were already people on both sides, so there was no large room to lean on this time.

When Zhang Yang completed his preparations and sat on the fishing box, it was evident that the guy next to him turned his head to observe Zhang Yang's face.

If it were just a simple observation, Zhang Yang wouldn't think much of it; he, too, would observe others. In a competition setting, this is routine for slightly experienced anglers.

After all, neighbors on the left and right can critically influence one's catch; facing a master requires targeted preparation.

However, what triggered Zhang Yang's caution was that this observer glanced at him with a slight expression of shock, then rubbed his eyes incredulously!

This series of actions was completely unguarded and reflexive, making Zhang Yang feel like he was casually having breakfast at a fast-food joint when, coincidentally, someone at the next table recognized him as a fugitive wanted by the TV station.

At that moment, Zhang Yang played the role of that fugitive.

"Hey! Buddy, have we met before?" Zhang Yang quickly responded and deliberately greeted him.

"No, we haven't!" The neighboring angler hastily shook his head in denial, slightly stammering, possibly from excitement or nervousness.

In Zhang Yang's keen gaze, he noticed the guy's hand trembling slightly.

Yes, you read it right, it was trembling!

It was the kind of tremble that occurs when one tries hard to suppress inner excitement, yet the muscles can't be completely controlled.

What an international joke, Qin Xiao has offered a reward of ten thousand yuan; just interfere with Zhang Yang and stop him from achieving a good result in the final round, and you could earn the bounty – it's almost like free money.

The guy whose hand was trembling was called Wang Maoqing, a young angler in his late twenties, attending the Fishing King Cup qualifying rounds with a friend to experience the atmosphere. After the first day ended, he had essentially bid farewell to the semi-final chances, but he persisted through to the last round for more experience, not missing a single event throughout the competition.

Someone at Wang Maoqing's level still had a long way to go to reach the true professional angler standard.

Continuing on without much practical meaning, the tougher the fish situation gets, the less friendly it is for ordinary anglers.

Without a team, it was hard for Wang Maoqing to accumulate enough experience, often ending up confused, catching only a handful of fish, let alone figuring out the fish's behavior clearly.

Nevertheless, what normally served no purpose became meaningful after drawing a spot next to Zhang Yang.

A ten-thousand-yuan bounty! Although it wasn't as fantastic as winning five million in the lottery, causing some trouble could yield a significant chance of earning it with enough effort.

"Oh, hehe, nice to meet you, I'm Zhang Yang!" Zhang Yang gave a subtle smile, nodding slightly toward the other person.

"Nice to meet you, Wang Maoqing!"

"Great name! Where are you from, buddy? I'm from W City! Just started with competitive fishing!"

"From Raoguang City, I've just started too!!"

"Oh, cool!" Zhang Yang nodded without showing any emotion, but internally, he became more guarded.

In psychology, there's a phenomenon called the thief's effect, describing the typical anxious feeling of having a guilty conscience.

If someone talks to a stranger openly, he typically doesn't reveal much emotional change.

During just a few casual exchanges, Zhang Yang kept observing the guy's eyes.

The guy kept avoiding Zhang Yang's gaze. Coupled with his previous reactions, Zhang Yang was seventy to eighty percent certain that something was off with him!

"It's the last round! Qin Xiao probably offered a high reward to stop me, huh?" Zhang Yang casually deployed his routine of indirect questioning, a tactic that had never failed him before.

"What? I don't quite understand!" The other guy paused for at least half a second, then shook his head pretending to be bewildered.