Financial freedom begins with fishing

Chapter 83 Something Really Happened

"Spotted mandarin fish?"

Upon hearing those two words, Xiao Kai was taken aback at first, but then immediately became excited.

Mandarin fish, as the name suggests, is a very expensive fish.

There's a saying in Guizhou, Sichuan, and Yunnan provinces: "Mandarin fish = precious fish."

Therefore, it can be concluded that this type of fish is very expensive.

Its status among freshwater fish is similar to that of grouper among saltwater fish; it is considered a relatively rare fish species with significant economic value.

This type of spotted mandarin fish is equivalent to the grouper of the rat-spotted grouper among saltwater fish.

This shows just how rare the spotted mandarin fish is.

Wild mandarin fish, in particular, are extremely rare.

Based on current market prices, the retail price of ordinary farmed mandarin fish can reach 40 to 50 yuan per kilogram, while the price of wild mandarin fish can even exceed 100 yuan.

It is said that wild mandarin fish weighing more than five kilograms can fetch up to five hundred yuan per kilogram, and if you find a real person, it is not surprising that it can reach more than a thousand yuan per kilogram.

Like the mandarin fish, the larger this fish is, the more valuable it is.

However, compared to wild mandarin fish, wild spotted mandarin fish are relatively cheaper, but still quite good.

The mandarin fish that Xiao Kai caught, according to his estimation, weighed at least six or seven pounds.

If you calculate it that way, his fish should be worth more than three thousand yuan, no wonder he was so happy.

Although he has earned quite a bit through fishing over the past two months, and his savings have now exceeded six figures, who would complain about having too much money?

Needless to say, this fish was Xiao Kai's target fish, and it was so rare that he had even less reason to be unhappy.

Thinking of this, Xiao Kai became even more motivated, stirring the water jet in his hand so vigorously that sparks almost flew out, as if afraid the fish would escape.

Ma Hongjun, who was standing nearby, was also very excited. After throwing his lure rod aside, he ran over to Xiao Kai to help.

Although he didn't catch the fish, taking photos and such was definitely not a problem.

"Hey, Brother Xiao, let me help you!"

Seeing Xiao Kai pull the fish to the shore, Ma Hongjun chuckled, already itching to get his hands on the fish-controlling device.

Seeing his eagerness, Xiao Kai gave a helpless smile, waved his hand, and joked, "Alright, but be careful. If you lose it, I'll make you pay with your catch!"

"Don't worry, Brother Xiao, I'm not as good at fishing as you are, but I'm a pro at netting fish!"

Ma Hongjun patted his chest and assured him, then went to the shore and extended the fish-controlling device in his hand towards the large mandarin fish that Xiao Kai had been pulling at and was somewhat exhausted.

With a quick stretch and a clamp, without any unexpected incidents, Ma Hongjun easily lifted the spotted mandarin fish up.

"Damn, Brother Xiao, your safety pin is all bent! Luckily I brought it up early, otherwise the fish would have gotten away!"

The moment Ma Hongjun lifted the mandarin fish, he glanced at it and saw that the pin on the lure attached to the mandarin fish's mouth had been pulled out of shape, and he immediately exclaimed in surprise.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Kai's heart tightened, and he couldn't help but look over, then he frowned.

The pin that connects to the lure was specially purchased at a high price to deal with big fish situations. The purpose was to ensure that the fish could not get away while quickly changing the lure. The main features were that it was hard and would not deform.

In terms of price, this kind of pin is five or six times more expensive than ordinary pins that can be bought on the market.

According to the instructions, this kind of pin shouldn't damage a six- or seven-pound mandarin fish, let alone a fish weighing ten or twenty pounds.

Well, needless to say, he's been scammed again.

Why do I say "again"?

You, the readers, can figure it out yourselves!

.....

With the spotted mandarin fish now in the catch, Xiao Kai's fishing trip is complete.

Seeing this, Xiao Kai prepared to head home.

At this moment, Ma Hongjun suggested fishing for a while longer, perhaps because he was tempted by Xiao Kai's catch of a mandarin fish and wanted to give it a try.

Xiao Kai naturally did not refuse the suggestion.

He then spent another twenty minutes fishing with Ma Hongjun.

By this time, it had been almost two hours since they arrived.

Meanwhile, the unseen divers who had already descended before they arrived still did not surface.

"Brother Ma, that's enough. If you can't catch anything, let's go back!"

After fishing with Ma Hongjun for another twenty minutes, seeing that they were still only catching bass, Xiao Kai lost interest and suggested going back.

At this point, Ma Hongjun was also considering giving up, so he did not refuse.

The two began packing up their fishing gear, preparing to head home.

At that moment, Xiao Kai suddenly noticed that several dozen meters away from the shore, near where the divers had placed their items, a dense mass of bubbles suddenly rose up.

"Brother Ma, look! Aren't those the divers coming out?" Xiao Kai reminded him.

Upon hearing this, Ma Hongjun immediately looked over.

Just as the two looked over at the same time, a dark figure suddenly darted out from the previously calm water.

It was impossible to tell whether the person was male or female. As soon as they surfaced, they removed the scuba breathing apparatus from their mouths and began to breathe heavily.

Seeing this, Xiao Kai patted Ma Hongjun on the shoulder and said, "See? I told you there was no rush. Look, he's out now!"

"Mmm!" Ma Hongjun nodded, seemingly agreeing with Xiao Kai's words, and then added, "Luckily we didn't call the police, otherwise we would be making a false report!"

"Let's go. Since they've already come up, they don't need us anymore!" Xiao Kai said, and was about to leave with Ma Hongjun.

Just then, an anxious shout came from the direction of the diver on the surface.

"Help! Don't go!"

"Um?"

Xiao Kai initially thought he had misheard, so he quickly turned around and saw the man waving his hand vigorously in their direction, looking very anxious, and shouting for help repeatedly!

Seeing this, Xiao Kai knew perfectly well that something serious might have really happened!

Without thinking twice, Xiao Kai quickly put down his fishing gear and ran towards where the man had stored his diving equipment.

Ma Hongjun, who was behind him, also realized what was happening and quickly put down his equipment to catch up.

The two quickly reached the shore where they had placed their diving equipment.

The diver had reached a point less than three meters from the shore, but having likely exhausted himself underwater, he was now completely worn out and even those last few meters seemed too difficult to swim.

Seeing this, Xiao Kai and Ma Hongjun, disregarding whether their shoes would get wet, rushed into the water and helped the man up.

Fortunately, the shoreline was sloped and not deep; the two of them were only submerged up to their lower bodies when they got close to the man.

With the help of the two men, the man was quickly and successfully dragged ashore.

Only then did Xiao Kai notice what the person looked like.

This is a young man who looks to be under thirty, seemingly around the same age as Xiao Kai.

Just as Xiao Kai was about to ask about his health, he saw the boy's face showing both anxiety and fear as he spoke loudly.

"Quick, save them! They're still underwater!"