Chapter Twenty-One: So Fish Can Also Be Kept as Pets

Du Yu decided to act immediately. He borrowed a boat from a fisherman he knew, forcefully promising that Wang Xiaowei would teach the man how to fish. The fisherman was thrilled and agreed without a second thought.

Wang Xiaowei scratched his bald head, hooking the small black sphere onto his line. "Do I really need to teach this?" he wondered.

The two rowed out a few dozen meters from the shore. Du Yu dared not venture further; his own life came first. Once the boat was stable, Du Yu took out a pale blue sphere and tossed it into the sea—an oxygen ball. It dissolved instantly, and Du Yu began to stare at the water, waiting in silence.

Wang Xiaowei watched him, puzzled. Last time it was like Jiang Taigong fishing without a hook, and now he wasn't even pretending—was he trying to catch fish with his mind? "Are you trying to achieve spiritual oneness with the fish?" he thought.

Du Yu looked at the sea, while Wang Xiaowei looked only at Du Yu. You look at the world, but I look only at you. The atmosphere turned slightly awkward.

Wang Xiaowei coughed twice. "Um, Brother Yu, what are you doing?"

"Quiet, Xiaowei. It's almost time. They're coming." Du Yu kept his eyes fixed on the surface, his excitement unconcealed.

*They're coming?* It sounded like a scene from a zombie apocalypse. Wang Xiaowei fell silent, staring at the water alongside him. What would appear?

Just as Wang Xiaowei’s eyes narrowed to slits and he was about to drool into the ocean, the calm surface was broken by a tiny bubble. Then a second, a third, and countless more.

"Xiaowei, time to work!" Du Yu exclaimed happily.

The little bald man’s pupils contracted. Fish—it was all fish! They weren't being besieged by zombies, but surrounded by live fish!

An excited Wang Xiaowei grabbed the landing net Du Yu had given him, ready to scoop, but Du Yu stopped him. With a mischievous grin, Du Yu pulled out over a hundred pieces of ordinary bait he had prepared.

"Xiaowei, ever heard of 'keeping someone as a mistress'?"

Wang Xiaowei’s eyes widened as Du Yu scattered the bait like it was worthless gravel. The surrounding fish went wild, swarming toward them. It was like lying on a plush bed while someone delivered delicious meals to you—what fish could resist that?

Seeing the density of the fish, Du Yu figured if they didn't start catching them soon, the oxygen would dissipate. He grabbed a landing net, tossed one to Wang Xiaowei, and signaled him.

"Landing Net: Chance to increase the size of the captured creature. Success rate: 20%." Du Yu remembered the item's properties well. If the quality wasn't enough, they would make up for it with quantity; if the quantity wasn't enough, they would make up for it with size! Besides, given the situation, both quantity and size were more than sufficient. And even if they weren't, he still had three more oxygen balls.

"Xiaowei, get them!" Even the usually composed Du Yu couldn't help his voice trembling. This was so much faster than a fishing rod, and the haul was vastly larger!

The two brothers excitedly filled their buckets, net after net.

"System: Host has obtained Tuna. Luck points +5."
"System: Host has obtained Yellow Croaker. Luck points +10."
"System: Detected..."

The notifications flooded the screen. Du Yu was thrilled; it was a sensation he had never experienced in his past life. After all, who in their right mind takes a boat out to sea just to scoop up fish with a net? Anyone else would think they were insane. You'd think the fish were being "kept" by him, doing whatever he wanted.

In the distance, the fisherman who had lent them the boat watched as the two frantically scooped at the water. He was bewildered. Was fishing these days not about rods, but about who could scoop the fastest? He decided he would try that next time.

Back on the boat, the first wave of "kept" fish had been harvested, leaving only a few stragglers. Du Yu decisively tossed another oxygen ball into the sea, repeating the process. He had the supplies, he was reckless, and he could afford to "keep" them!

The familiar method, the familiar harvest, the familiar flood of notifications—Du Yu’s operation redefined fishing. Or perhaps, it defied definition entirely. Only Du Yu’s brain could conjure up such a wild scheme.

Wang Xiaowei had never seen so many fish in his life, and he seemed to have an endless reserve of energy. Soon, the first bucket was full—the first time they had ever completely filled a bucket from the Luck Shop.

"System: Host has obtained Tuna. Luck points +200."

A chime sounded from the system, and to Du Yu, it sounded like heaven. 300 luck points!

He knew that tuna required constant water flow to breathe, leading to a much higher oxygen demand than other fish. The comfort zone he had created was indeed a perfect environment for them. But even so, they were rare! Due to overfishing, tuna populations had plummeted by the year 2000, and 90% of the tuna on the market was imported. The price was astronomical—400 yuan per jin!

Of course, getting rich off tuna was impossible for now. He could be neighbors with Coral Trout or Large Yellow Croaker, but not tuna; they were too temperamental. Catching this one was entirely unexpected.

Du Yu’s face soured slightly. He hoped he hadn't used up all his luck for the MAX-level bucket!

He had received the system notification: the Luck Shop had updated, and the Level Shop was now open! But this wasn't the time to check. He would look once he got back to his room.

By the time the last round ended, both buckets were packed to the brim. This was the first time Du Yu had ever filled two buckets in one trip. It was a complete, bumper harvest. The boat itself had visibly sunk several centimeters under the weight.

When they rowed back to shore, the old fisherman was startled. Why was his boat riding so low? He hurried the two off, fearing an accident. After all, if they fell into the sea, who would teach him how to fish?

The two moved the buckets in two trips; they were incredibly heavy. As they emptied them, the boat rose several centimeters. The fisherman’s eyes widened as he looked at the fish, spotting the tuna right on top!

Tuna! He remembered catching them in his youth—the meat was delicious and the price was high. But in recent years, he hadn't seen one. The market price was absurdly expensive.

"Brother, is that... is that a tuna?" The old fisherman’s voice trembled.