NOVEL NEXT Chapter 234 - 231 How to Catch?
Chapter 234: Chapter 231 How to Catch?
The sun near the horizon is tepid, like a boiled egg, unable to warm the sea surface. Yet this is the last of today’s sunlight; nightfall will soon arrive, leaving more than ten hours without the sun, and the temperature will drop even further.
The storm has ceased, and the life raft drifts languidly on the sea like a ghost ship with no one at the helm.
The sea surface that just started to warm up after two days of sunshine has been mercilessly reset by a ruthless storm, reminding everyone that this is the winter North Atlantic, where even the temperate zone cannot escape the cold.
Bi Fang on the life raft doesn’t stop doing push-ups, further squeezing every bit of energy from his body into heat to combat the severe cold.
[Old Fang still has the strength to do push-ups! I’m tired just watching]
[What a strong waist, his girlfriend must be very lucky]
[Thanks for the invite, I’m in the North Atlantic, just got off the life raft, and yes, the waist strength is real, nearly passed out, thanks for the blessings, I’m very happy.]
[Get lost, Master Fang is mine! Zzzip!]
[The power of the waist, in three stages!]
[Hiss, this boy is terrifying! He must not be left alive!]
[Xiu’er, I’ve washed my hands, can I hold the trophy now?]
Seeing Bi Fang energetic, the online friends return to their frivolous ways.
Bi Fang lets out a breath. Accompanied by rigorous exercise, he finally feels his cold body warming up, and the stomach pain eases slightly.
After finishing the last set, he lies fully in the life raft, his forehead dotted with sweat, skin slightly flushed, steam rising from his body.
He touches his clothes and finds them still wet. Bi Fang must continue to endure the cold. With the fluctuation in temperature, his head aches unbearably, as if roundworms have infested his brain and are burrowing in all directions.
“Huh, no, I can’t rest.”
Exhaling deeply, Bi Fang continuously adjusts his breathing in an attempt to relieve the discomfort, but just as it eases, a piercing hunger warns him that he needs to eat.
He is famished.
Horsetail kelp can fill the stomach, but as a plant, the energy it provides is far from sufficient, even pitifully inadequate.
What he really needs is meat. Without having eaten high-calorie food for three straight days and having expended so much energy in the rain, Bi Fang’s body is nearly at its breaking point.
The principle of death by starvation after three weeks no longer applies, and Bi Fang doesn’t know how much longer he can hold on. A week, perhaps?
Thinking this, Bi Fang struggles up, takes some entangled horsetail kelp, removes a piece, and continues to string it onto the fishhook. He opens the ziplock and tosses it out.
Just a few simple actions nearly deplete Bi Fang’s physical strength.
[Master Fang really deserves our praise, but you just praised him, and now he’s weak?]
[Is Old Fang okay? His forehead is covered in sweat, it’s hard for me to watch]
[Last time I had food poisoning, it was pretty much like this. My face went terribly pale, vomiting and diarrhea, squatting in the toilet, holding a basin to catch the vomit. I totally understand]
[The person above, you’ve got a point]
[Is he really okay? I feel like we could actually end this mission. Even if Old Fang had an empty bottle, it wouldn’t be this bad, right? The show crew is too harsh!]
[That’s right, if Master Fang can’t do it, just give up. We’ll understand!]
As soon as the suggestions to give up appear, it immediately resonates with a large group of people. They truly admire Bi Fang, yet they don’t believe he can succeed in this adventure.
“To be honest, although Old Fang is in good shape, he doesn’t have much fat. If he can’t get food for a short period, he would really struggle to hold up. Master Fang is the type who thrives on combat, not on enduring hardship. Give him a wooden spear, and he could conquer the wilderness.”
There were quite a few outdoor enthusiasts in the live stream, and although they were not as professional or powerful as Bi Fang, they were no novices and could spot the problem right away.
Master Fang was too “lean.” Although he had well-trained muscles that were neither bulky nor gaunt, full of a sense of power, he had too little fat reserves. When faced with danger, such as being stranded and starving over a long period, needing to burn fat, he would find it very tough to last.
In Wilderness Survival, the only way to get out of this predicament is to “fight to survive.”
If you’re strong enough, then you don’t have to starve. With no food, go hunting; as long as you’re strong enough, you won’t fear the lack of food.
But the situation now is different. No matter how capable you are, can you conjure tools out of thin air?
It must be said that Bi Fang’s live broadcast was a tactical misstep. He chose a survival mode that he was least equipped to handle. For someone else, just an extra ten kilograms of fat could mean surviving quite well. A week without food wouldn’t matter; ten kilograms of fat would be enough to burn and sustain them.
Surviving a week, even with the worst of luck, they should have caught some fish by then, right?
All in all, it’s not that Master Fang isn’t strong, but that he isn’t suited for this mode. With no tools, luck and time become critical. Even with just a wooden spear, he could dive and catch fish, unlike now when he can only wait for a fish to bite.
That’s Bi Fang’s only weakness.
Many viewers, after listening to the expert’s explanations, felt heavy-hearted. They finally understood why Master Fang’s survival challenge seemed so tough this time. Could it be that his first challenge would end in failure?
Bi Fang also saw the online friends’ discussions and had to admit there was some truth to them. If he had a bit more fat, he would indeed be in a much better situation than now.
But Bi Fang shook his head. Things were far from being at their worst. He didn’t need such “what-ifs,” and besides, opportunity and danger often coexist. The storm was dangerous, and he had indeed lost a great deal of heat and physical energy, but it wasn’t without benefits.
He did not hastily drop the fishing hook just to try his luck, but because it was indeed the best time to fish.
“Rainy weather lowers the atmospheric pressure, causes a decrease in the oxygen content in the water, making it difficult for fish to breathe. They would rise to the surface to get enough oxygen. Sometimes fish even jump out of the water.”
“And now there’s some sunshine, though it hasn’t been out long enough for the temperature to rise, but its presence is felt. Regardless of how cold it is, the water surface temperature will recover, and warmth-loving fish will come up.”
“In other words, now is the best time to fish, and it mustn’t be missed.”
Bi Fang’s face was calm, but inside he was somewhat tense. If all went well, he might be able to obtain food today.
He refused to believe that for three continuous days he couldn’t catch a fish. If it was still calm after the storm, then it wasn’t his method that was the problem, but something was wrong with this part of the sea.
Hearing this explanation, the audience, who had almost lost hope, perked up a bit. It seemed unlikely, but Bi Fang’s past performances still made them choose to believe once more. Perhaps if they waited just a bit longer, the fish would indeed appear.
And they waited, until the sunset.
The massive sun had touched the sea, and millions of tons of water gently undulated beneath the life raft.
His clothes were almost dry, but Bi Fang still had not caught any fish. He put on two inner layers, doubting himself.
Could it be? Has overfishing in the Atlantic become this severe?
Are there no fish left?
“Give it up, Old Fang, come back and get some sleep.”
“Master Fang has not lost, he’s just out of luck!”
“Adam didn’t lose; he just died!”
“Ah… well…”
Bi Fang scratched his head, feeling truly irritated. He unzipped the zipper and stuck his head out of the tent, ready to see what was going on.
As soon as he went out, the desolate and cold breeze made Bi Fang shiver, once again reminding him of the feeling of being dominated by the cold. But instead of turning back, he looked at the end of the fishing line; the horsetail kelp continued to drift with the current.
“`
After the downpour, the water flow accelerated, which was caused by the convection between the surface layer and the bottom layer. In such a situation, the Horsetail Kelp swayed just like a little fish.
But it was not a fish.
Bi Fang, feeling dejected, pulled up the fishing line, preparing to try again tomorrow. However, when he held it in his hand, he suddenly froze.
A small notch had abruptly appeared at the end of the Horsetail Kelp!
[Why isn’t Old Fang moving?]
[What’s going on? Did he stop fishing?]
[If he caught a fish, Old Fang wouldn’t be frozen like that. He would be excitedly telling us how to cook it so it tastes good]
[Ah, why isn’t he moving? Don’t tell me he’s been scared stiff by a shark?]
[The prophet, cut the crap]
Due to the camera angle, the drone high in the sky didn’t capture the scene clearly, and the tent was in the way as well, so the audience hadn’t noticed this discovery.
Excitement surged through his chest, like a hungry beast thrilled by the scent of blood. Bi Fang licked his lips, his eyes shining.
There were fish nearby, there had to be!
Bi Fang shifted his position and held the Horsetail Kelp in front of the camera, unable to contain his excitement in his voice, “It’s not a shark. Look, there’s a notch on the Horsetail Kelp! It’s not broken because of the water flow; it’s been bitten by a fish. There’s even a clear impression on it!”
Under the camera, a row of clear bite marks were visible at the end of the Horsetail Kelp. Even a fool could tell it had been bitten by something!
[Holy shit! Is that really a fish?]
[What do you call this? Persistence pays off!]
[Go Master Fang! Frickin’ go for it!]
[How was there no sign of movement just now? This fish is really good at hiding!]
Bi Fang nodded. Since it was too cold outside, he had been staying inside the tent the whole time and hadn’t come out to take a look. He hadn’t expected that a fish would take a bite of the bait right under his and tens of thousands of viewers’ watchful eyes.
“The fish can’t be very large, and it has sharp teeth. There wasn’t even a sign of movement on the fishing line, which means it easily bit off the Horsetail Kelp. But now, even a fish the size of a palm would greatly improve our situation.”
No matter how small the fish, it was still a fish. Even if it was not edible, it could be used as bait. And the bones could be used to make better hooks.
After hearing Bi Fang’s analysis, the audience’s eyes lit up. Now there was something substantial to eat!
[Oh my god, it’s the middle of the night and Master Fang is actually about to get some meat!]
[Oh, now that you mention it, I am getting a bit hungry myself]
Bi Fang glanced at the barrage of messages and didn’t pay much attention. Nearly half of his viewers were from his home country, and due to the time difference, it would be the middle of the night there. Seeing such messages was not surprising.
“Alright, we need to act quickly. The sun is about to set over the ocean. Once it gets dark, it will be very inconvenient for us to move.”
Inside, Bi Fang was thrilled as he carefully stretched his body out, attempting to stick his head beyond the raft to get a better look. He dared not make any big movements. If the fish was right under the life raft, a rash move could scare it away. That’s why Bi Fang was lying down, trying to keep his center of gravity as low as possible.
The camera switched to first-person view. The crew didn’t allow the drone to come closer, fearing that its shadow might startle the fish in this situation.
As Bi Fang’s head emerged from the body of the raft, the viewers held their breath. This feeling of checking to see if the prey was still there was thrilling.
If it was still around, naturally, everyone would rejoice. Their tough survival situation would have a positive turn, and everyone would be happy for Bi Fang.
“`
If the fish didn’t bite this time, who knows when they would again, if they could even hold out until then was a question in itself.
It was a matter of life and death, whether they would feast on delicious food hinged on this moment!
The gaze slowly shifted from inside the raft to the sea, and the audience’s anxiety grew. When the sea finally came into view, it was devoid of anything.
Nothing?
The sun had not yet completely set, and under the sunlight, the seawater was crystal clear, allowing the audience to see the condition of the sea a few meters down.
Nothing at all.
Disappointment washed over them like a tide, the sparkle in their eyes slowly fading.
Had the fish left?
Bi Fang didn’t think so. He took a deep breath, leaned most of his body out of the life raft, and slowly submerged his head in the seawater. The ice-cold water once again stimulated his cerebral blood vessels, causing them to contract sharply, which made Bi Fang feel dizzy for a while. But he quickly adapted and looked below the life raft with his eyes open underwater.
As the scene appeared, the audience’s pupils shrank in shock!
In the deep blue sea, shafts of sunlight penetrated down to the dark seabed. Amidst the surging currents, numerous squids were slowly ascending toward the surface, drawn by the light.
Thousands upon thousands!
Bi Fang’s heart pounded violently, the icy and bone-chilling sea no longer uncomfortable.
“Damn, that’s a lot of squids?”
“Man, that’s a windfall!”
“Feasting time!”
“I always thought squids were near the shore.”
“You’ve been watching too much tide-pooling, haven’t you?”
The live stream chat erupted in cheers, no one had anticipated that, though they hadn’t caught any fish, a massive group of squid had shown up!
A super feast!
The squids seemed unaware of their observer, continuing their unhurried swimming. Bi Fang didn’t act rashly and instead gradually retreated from the water.
After wiping the water from his face, Bi Fang breathed in the air deeply, calming his wildly beating heart. The problem had not been resolved—though food had appeared, how to catch it was another problem. Seeing the excited viewers, Bi Fang threw cold water on their enthusiasm.
“Don’t celebrate too soon. They might look like they’re swimming slowly, but in reality, squid are the fastest swimmers among invertebrates. They move forward at great speeds by jetting water from the funnel on their bellies, like a rocket launch. In the face of danger, they can usually reach speeds of fifteen meters per second. It’s absolutely impossible to catch them by direct grab.”
The audience was startled inside, not realizing that squids, which seemed to drift leisurely, could swim so fast!
Fifteen meters per second—human beings couldn’t achieve that even on land, and those who could reach ten meters per second were considered masters.
“So what do we do?”
Yeah, what do we do?
Bi Fang frowned in deep thought. They had been hungry for so long, giving up was definitely not an option. It was rare to encounter so many squids, the next opportunity was uncertain; giving up would be a huge loss.
The sun gradually sank below the horizon, the last of its afterglow scattered across the sea, with half of the sun and its reflection together forming a complete circle.
Time was running out, once night fell, the hope of catching them grew even slimmer…