Closer to Revealing My True Self-Chapter 53 - 50 Release_1

Astonished glances were cast towards the fish on the ground, “Estimates put it at three meters for sure!”

“I heard from Brother Wang that if this fish is confirmed to be a Wels catfish, there’s a reward of 150,000 yuan!”

“Amazing!”

They then asked Feng Yi, who was beside them stretching his arm.

“Brother Wang said that you saved these two kids and also caught this fish yourself, is that true? You caught such a big fish all by yourself?”

There are many fishing spots near Yue Mountain, and they often formed groups to go fishing. Catching even slightly bigger fish required quite an effort, so imagining this three-meter fish was truly inconceivable!

If it were a big, strapping man who looked like a tank, it would be somewhat believable, but Feng Yi’s decidedly non-brawny physique made it dubious.

Feng Yi flexed his arm, his face displaying acting skills even more exquisite than when he had acted in web dramas, his tone carrying a hint of pride, “Absolutely! But it was also good luck because the fish was probably weak and easy to catch. Plus, I focus on strength training when I work out, and the riverbank was wet and slippery, reducing friction, otherwise, it would have been really tough to pull it onto the shore. Geez, I’m exhausted, my arms are about to break off!”

Cao Xing and his friend, who were nearby receiving a scolding, choked back their cries instantly, their faces still tear-stained as they looked at Feng Yi with shock and fear.

They happened to lock eyes with Feng Yi, who was looking their way at that moment.

The two shuddered and began to howl, clinging to their parents’ legs.

Now that everyone had arrived, flashlights and lights had brightly illuminated the surroundings, making facial expressions clearly visible.

The look Feng Yi gave them was genuinely devoid of any menacing intent. He was just wondering, since it had been so dark before, how could ordinary people make out anything more than vague figures in the faint moonlight? Even if the children had seen something, how clear could it have been?

So Feng Yi wasn’t worried they would say anything. What could two frightened children, without the aid of flashlights on a dark night, have seen clearly? And how credible would their words be?

Up until now, all the two of them had done besides crying was to talk about “water monsters.” Children prone to demonize and exaggerate everything they see couldn’t be considered reliable sources of information.

Thus, Feng Yi didn’t feel the need to threaten the children.

Yet, Feng Yi’s supposedly non-threatening glance only further terrified the pair, who were mentally concocting scenes of “the great demon about to eat people after finishing off a smaller one.”

Normally whiny and slick-tongued, their lips now trembled, barely articulating words between sobs. Everyone assumed they had simply been scared stiff and were dealing with a psychological shadow.

The parents of the two children quickly took them away, where it was likely they would face a tag-team scolding.

However, more and more people flocked to the riverside, unable to resist their curiosity despite the onslaught of mosquito bites, eager to see what the commotion was about.

The news of Cao Xing and his friend sneaking over the wall had already spread throughout the resident group. Some were initially annoyed with the fuss over these two troublemakers, but when someone posted a photo of the three-meter-long catfish, the mood shifted abruptly.

Those who were about to turn off their alerts for the group and go to bed suddenly woke up. They might not be interested in bear children, but a big fish like this was certainly worth their attention!

After getting the location, people donned their clothes and set out for the scene to see the fish.

Actually, the community hadn’t witnessed any major news events over the years; the same few types of incidents repeated over and over. The sudden appearance of a three-meter fish instantly became a hot topic in the community.

After their colleagues took over their shifts, the property management staff including Brother Wang hurried to the scene as well.

Yet, seeing the real thing, their fantasies of catching the fish for profit wavered.

Could I really catch it?

Such a large fish could pull a person underwater before it was even dragged ashore. Even if by some fluke it could be caught, wouldn’t my arms be wrecked?

Two ruined arms for 150,000 yuan is not a good deal. Not worth it!

Fishing?

Even if you could fish for this type of fish, you’d need a boat to walk it!

So, after seeing the real thing, indeed, many people believed what Feng Yi said, “This fish might be quite weak.”

The property management took photos and reported to the relevant departments, and after receiving a response, they planned to use a vehicle to drag the fish back to the management office, where someone had already made a temporary pool. Now they just had to wait for the person in charge to come and assess it tomorrow.

The fish was so large it took four or five people working together to lift it onto the truck, and they were all sweating heavily from the effort.

While these people were moving the fish, Feng Yi just stood by and watched. His current persona was that of someone with painful arms, excessive fatigue, and not enough strength to drag the fish. He also returned by vehicle.

The property even specially arranged for someone to come and check his arms—it was an aunty who worked at a nearby hospital.

“Nothing serious, young people have strong bodies. If you’re not at ease, you can go to a big hospital for a thorough check tomorrow. Oh yes, when you go back tonight, check if there are any other wounds on your body. If there are, they should be treated promptly to prevent bacterial infection,” said the aunty.

Upon hearing this, Feng Yi’s face showed a sense of relief.

After removing the fish, the property management erected several warning signs by the river to prevent other people from recklessly heading to the riverbank. No one knew if there was a second fish as large as this one in the river.

That night, many people didn’t sleep well, occasionally running over to the property management’s pool to look at the fish. Photos taken from all angles were shared in the residents’ groups, and then forwarded to other family and friends groups, gossip groups, and so on.

So, when Feng Yi woke up the next day, he could smell the unfamiliar scents of the additional people in the neighborhood.

Feng Yi called the property management to inquire when the assessor would arrive and whether there was any process that still needed to be followed.

The property management told him that the person in charge of the assessment would be arriving shortly, and if it was indeed confirmed to be a European catfish and there were no issues with the length and weight, the reward would be issued within twenty-four hours, so there was no need to hurry.

Feng Yi thought: I’m not in a hurry, I’m just wondering what to answer if the assessor asks questions?

After racking his brains, Feng Yi thought of several responses, just waiting for the questions from the assessor later on.

Since there was nothing else to do that morning, after checking in the mirror to make sure he looked normal, Feng Yi left the house and went to the temporary pool next to the property management office.

Although the property had already set up three barriers, the crowd wanting to see the fish kept growing.

A septuagenarian was standing by the pool, talking animatedly.

“This is the European catfish! I’ve caught it before! But back then, I only caught one that was just over a meter, not even two meters, nowhere near this one!”

The old man spoke modestly, but his face showed pride. Among those gathered here, how many had caught a fish over a meter long?!

Listening to the exclamations from around, the old man cleared his throat. Seeing that he had everyone’s attention again, he continued, “Nowadays, that little bit of reward money is nothing! Five or six years ago, the reward for a three-meter European catfish was five hundred thousand! Everyone rushed to the river to catch fish, accidentally injuring other rare fish and even causing fatalities. After that, new regulations were introduced, the rewards were lowered, and private fishing was discouraged.

“For these big fish, private fishing is too dangerous, especially for those heedless youngsters. They’d probably get dragged into the water before catching the fish! 150,000 might just cover the medical expenses!

“I’ve heard in other places they’ve seen them four or five meters long!”

As the old man was saying this, someone asked, “Is this really an invasive species?”

“It sure is!” the old man said excitedly, “This thing was introduced before the period of climate anomalies. Initially, it was just introduced for aquaculture. During the climate anomalies, you know, a lot of people prayed to gods and worshipped Buddha. Someone bought a batch of European catfish fry and released them into the river!

“At that time, there was a group of experts advising on ecological system matters. When they heard what happened, six out of ten professors ended up in the hospital. Two of them were older than me, and as soon as they were admitted to the hospital, they received critical condition notices, sigh!”

Once the topic of reckless release was brought up, and in connection with invasive species, everyone understood the seriousness of the matter.

“Such reckless release must lead to a sentence, right?” someone asked.

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“Of course!” said the old man, “After they investigated that matter, the person who released the European catfish ended up in prison!”

“As it should be! You can’t just release anything willy-nilly, even if it’s not an invasive species, you can’t just release the four major Chinese carps!” someone commented.

“That’s not merit; it’s sin! It’s grabbing for merit! Doing good deeds is virtuous, grabbing for merit is evil, ah! Sigh!” said a middle-aged woman as she rotated the beads on her wrist, shaking her head and sighing.

Over the years, everyone’s awareness of ecological and environmental protection has increased.

Seeing this big fish in front of them and discussing invasive species, everyone understood that for monster-level large fish like this—big in size, fast-growing, and not picky eaters—the native fish probably suffered a lot during the years of invasion.

A young man scratched his head and said softly, “Such a big catfish… it can be eaten, right?”

The old man smacked his lips, “The earthy taste is too strong, not good!”

“Maybe add some Sichuan peppercorns and crush some garlic? Or stew it with eggplant?”

“No way! Just thinking that this fish might have eaten bodies in the river, I lose my appetite. We’re not in a famine; there are so many tasty fish to eat, why would I eat this kind?”