Chapter 20: A Shame Not to Join the Expedition Team
“Handsome, do you often come to the Waterfall Curtain Cave to fish?” Zhang Zhidong asked again.
Jiang Fan’s expression tightened slightly. After a long silence, he replied with a question, “It’s not illegal to fish here, right?”
“No, it’s not,” came the answer.
“Good. Actually, this is my first time coming here.”
“What!”
Zhang Zhidong and the other four members of the expedition team were stunned once more.
Seeing Jiang Fan so composed earlier, they had assumed he must frequently fish inside the Waterfall Curtain Cave. But his response was that it was his very first time?
So that meant on his first entry into the cave, he discovered the narrow fissure outside? Then found a hidden underground river? And followed it all the way inside? Even with satellite imaging maps, they hadn’t found this route. How on earth did this guy discover it?
He must be exaggerating!
“Handsome, fishing here really isn’t illegal. Be honest—how many times have you actually come here?”
“Truly the first time!”
“Liar!”
“So what? Is lying illegal?”
“...”
Zhang Zhidong was speechless, a twitch flickering at the corner of his mouth.
Could it really be this guy’s first time here? But hadn’t he heard about two amateur explorers who died last year inside and were only found after a rescue? This guy’s bravery was off the charts!
Zhao Zilong himself was fearless—but this kid was fearless times ten!
Jiang Fan sized up the five of them, then said, “Anything else? It’s getting late. If not, I’ll be heading back.”
Zhang Zhidong didn’t press him further about how many times he’d been inside.
But hearing Jiang Fan was about to leave, he suddenly had the urge to leave as well.
They had spent hours scaling cliffs, crawling through tunnels, and navigating underground rivers... He just wanted to see how easy Jiang Fan’s route really was.
If the path was easy, they could come back tomorrow to survey it properly.
Better than exhausting themselves for hours again once they returned.
With that thought, Zhang Zhidong spoke up, “Can we come with you?”
“Sure. But do you have kayaks?” Jiang Fan asked while packing up.
“We do, but they don’t have motors,” Zhang Zhidong replied.
Jiang Fan shrugged. “The current flows from the cave outward, so no motor is fine. Inflate them first. I’ll go grab my bag on the other side.”
He crossed to the opposite bank, slung on his pack, and took his fish trap.
By the time he returned, they had already inflated two kayaks.
The kayaks were small, each fitting only two people, meaning the two kayaks could carry four people total.
Zhang Zhidong, Xiao Li, and another male teammate chose to swim, while the two female members took one kayak, and Jiang Fan took the other with a big fish.
They had entered the Waterfall Curtain Cave late today, but Jiang Fan still managed to catch a 130-pound bighead carp, along with eleven, five, and three-and-a-half-pound spotted fish.
As for the massive three- to four-hundred-pound creature He Qiang mentioned, it wasn’t spotted—maybe next time.
With the kayaks’ help, following the underground river downstream from the lake, in about ten minutes they exited the cave mouth.
When the familiar little creek outside the cave appeared before Zhang Zhidong’s group, the five were ready to give up.
Wasn’t this the place they had been before?
Back then, because the cave entrance was dark and the interior unknown, they had followed the satellite map route. Who would have thought it led straight inside?
Good heavens, these five explorers spent half a day here, yet not one of them had the courage of a simple fisherman!
Soon they remembered the footprint from earlier. Zhang Zhidong suddenly asked, “Handsome, you came here by following this little creek?”
“Yeah, what about it?” Jiang Fan said, paddling his kayak at the front and lighting a special cigarette.
“Nothing...”
The five exchanged glances, silently acknowledging the footprint belonged to him.
The kayaks drifted along the creek to the fissure cave entrance. Jiang Fan hoisted his big fish and waved goodbye.
“Wait, handsome, are you interested in exploring?” one called out.
“No,” Jiang Fan answered cleanly, carrying his huge fish into the fissure. By the time they deflated the kayaks and followed, Jiang Fan had already vanished.
“Carrying a hundred-plus-pound fish and moving that fast—look at that strength, that physique... It’s a pity he’s not joining our expedition team, such a pity!”
---
Emerging from the fissure to the outer parts of the Waterfall Curtain Cave, Jiang Fan’s phone buzzed nonstop.
Picking it up, he saw several messages from He Qiang sent earlier, which hadn’t arrived inside due to no signal.
He Qiang: “Bro? You there? How’s it inside???”
He Qiang: “Hey, handsome? Can you see my messages? How’s the fishing?”
He Qiang: “Handsome? Dude? Are you there? Please reply! How’s the fishing really going?”
...
Jiang Fan: “130-pound bighead carp.jpg”
Jiang Fan: “So-so, just an ordinary 130 pounds.”
He Qiang: “WTF! 130 pounds?! Dad! How did you get in? Please, tell your son!”
Jiang Fan: “Can’t explain now. I’ll contact you next time I go in.”
He Qiang: “Alright, alright! Dad, remember, you must contact me. I’m on WeChat 24/7.”
After chatting briefly with He Qiang, Jiang Fan returned to the usual spot.
It was already five-thirty, but since it was summer, the sky was still bright as day, though the sunlight was softer.
Zhou Hong, Huang Mao, and Ma Dongdong had used Jiang Fan’s bait today and caught much more fish than before.
Zhou Hong caught a 23-pound grass carp, plus a bunch of smaller fish totaling 25 pounds—48 pounds in all!
System logged: ¥17,100; Mood points: 600!
Huang Mao caught 29 pounds, the largest a 5.5-pound carp.
System logged: ¥2,100; Mood points: 300!
Ma Dongdong caught 28 pounds, largest fish 3 pounds.
System logged: ¥2,250; Mood points: 280!
Because Zhou Hong’s mood points exceeded 500, his personal info updated:
[Name: Zhou Hong]
[Age: 24]
[Fishing experience: 3 years]
[Title: Angler]
[Mood points: 960]
[Total earnings: ¥181,880]
(+)
Huang Mao and Ma Dongdong also received mood and earnings updates, but since their mood points were under 500, they gained no titles yet.
Not sure what titles do—he’d have to investigate later.
Aside from Zhou Hong’s 23-pound grass carp, Huang Mao and Ma Dongdong’s catches were just average.
Jiang Fan’s earlier guess was right—the small fish here were too numerous, making big catches difficult.
Still, over 20 pounds per person was very decent.
If they’d used their own bait, they probably would have caught only a few pounds.
The three sat together boasting about their haul, and planned to brag more once Jiang Fan returned.
But when they saw Jiang Fan swaggering back carrying a 130-pound bighead carp, their eyes went wide and mouths dropped open!