"666, the streamer finally caught a fish!"
"This fish looks interesting, can someone explain it to me?"
"Whoa, it seems to be a wild shad!"
"Yeah, it's definitely a shad, the streamer's luck is insane."
"What exactly is a shad? Give us the details!"
The chat in Ning Fei's livestream was buzzing with excitement.
"Let me give you a little info," typed a viewer with the ID "Manager Wang of the Seafood Market." "A wild shad typically sells for about 3,000 to 5,000 yuan per pound. Judging by the size of this one, it's easily worth 8,000 yuan!"
"Yep, wild shad are extremely valuable and very rare, totally worth the price," chimed in another viewer with the ID "Old Fisherman Ma."
"Wait, really? A single fish can go for 8,000 yuan? That's more than my monthly salary!"
"No way! If this is true, why am I even working?"
"Streamer, drop your location, I want to try my luck fishing!"
The chat exploded with excitement, but the more experienced viewers quickly tempered expectations.
"Don't get your hopes up," Manager Wang said. "The odds of catching a shad are about the same as striking gold."
"Exactly. I've been fishing for over five years, and I haven't seen one in all that time," added Old Fisherman Ma.
"Yeah, catching one of these is pure luck. Don't expect to get one just by showing up."
Though the chat calmed down after hearing the experts, the moment Ning Fei caught the shad had already made the livestream room electric with excitement.
"Ning Fei, you're lucky today," Zhang Sen, an experienced fisherman watching the stream, remarked. "I caught a shad two years ago. Its meat is incredibly delicious."
The viewers quickly realized how lucky Ning Fei truly was, catching such a rare fish right at the start of the stream.
Ning Fei smiled modestly as he placed the fish into his bucket. "Yeah, just some good fortune," he said.
Zhang Sen looked at his own full bucket of regular fish. Though they weren't as valuable as Ning Fei's catch, he'd still had a decent day.
"I've been out here since morning, so I think I'll head back. I'm planning a fish banquet tonight. You should come. My son's been dying to learn those Taoist exercises from you," Zhang Sen said with a friendly smile.
The exercises, or "Daoist arts" as Zhang Sen called them, were basic martial arts moves for fitness. Kids often found them fun and interesting.
"No thanks, Uncle Zhang, I have other plans tonight," Ning Fei replied.
"Alright then, but be careful. Looks like the weather's turning. You should head back soon too," Zhang Sen advised before packing up his gear and driving off on his motorcycle.
Watching Zhang Sen ride away, Ning Fei felt a bit envious. With his current savings of only 800 yuan, a motorcycle was far out of reach. It would make traveling up and down the mountain so much easier, but for now, it was just a dream.
"Thanks for the support, everyone!" Ning Fei said as he prepared his fishing rod for another round, interacting with his viewers as he cast the line.
This time, he used the "Beginner Bait" he had won from the lottery system. The effect was immediate—within ten seconds of casting, the rod jerked violently.
"No way, another fish already!"
"The streamer is a fishing master!"
"Is this divine intervention?"
"This has to be a setup, right?"
"Two catches in such a short time? Impossible!"
The chat flooded with "666" as viewers sent gifts in admiration of Ning Fei's skills.
Even Ning Fei was surprised. He'd never had such smooth fishing sessions before. Clearly, the "Fishing (Beginner)" skill and the special bait were working wonders.
However, this time it wasn't another rare fish—it was a common grass carp. The beginner bait was so effective that the carp had beaten other fish to it.
Ning Fei reeled in the carp and tossed it into his bucket. "This is going so well," he thought to himself.
He cast his line again, and once more, a fish took the bait almost immediately.
The viewers were stunned.
"Is someone hiding in the river putting fish on the hook?"
"There's no way this is real!"
"My god, where is this place? Are the fish this dumb?"
Ning Fei, amused by the comments, hovered the drone over the river, giving the audience a clear view. The river water was half-clear, half-murky, but you could still see the grass and rocks at the bottom, proving that there was no trickery involved.
Satisfied that he'd proven his honesty, Ning Fei switched the camera back to his phone and addressed the viewers, "Today's bait might just be really effective, but fishing usually takes patience. Don't expect to catch fish this quickly all the time."
As soon as he finished speaking, he caught another fish. This time, it was another rare seven-star fish.
The audience was in shock.
"How many fishing buffs does this guy have?"
"Is this some kind of magic?"
"We came to watch fishing, not magic tricks!"
"Streamer, accept me as your disciple! I need to learn from you!" typed the viewer with the ID "Old Fisherman Ma," excitedly sending three rocket gifts in quick succession.
"I want to learn fishing too!"
"These fish must have a spiritual connection with the streamer."
"Master Taoist, do you need an apprentice?"
"666!"
The chat erupted again with enthusiasm, filled with requests for Ning Fei to take on disciples.
Ning Fei chuckled. "I don't take on disciples. Fishing is just one of the ways I make a living, and today's been exceptionally lucky."
"Lucky? You call catching five fish, including a wild shad and a seven-star fish, just luck?" Old Fisherman Ma couldn't contain his excitement.
Fishing was an obsession for him, and seeing Ning Fei's skill left him in awe.
Not knowing what else to say, Ning Fei switched to regular bait and cast his line again.
This time, several minutes passed without a bite.
Then, the fishing rod trembled slightly but stopped. Anyone experienced in fishing would know this meant the fish had nibbled the bait but didn't fully bite.
The chat quieted down as the viewers saw that the luck seemed to have run out.
"Looks like it really was just luck after all," someone commented.
At that moment, the sky began to darken, and light rain started to fall.
Seeing the change in weather, Ning Fei decided it was time to wrap up. He only needed one more fish for his supply to last the next few days.
He attached the "Beginner Bait" again and cast the line with a smooth motion.
Little did Ning Fei know, this final catch would send shockwaves through his livestream room!