Chapter 986: The Most Advanced Mind Game of Psychological Warfare
"No way they can't find the bottom in this top national event. Even a newbie with a lack of experience wouldn't fail to find the bottom. They're doing this intentionally for the current slippery fish conditions!
Earlier, during the fish gathering and nest-making stage, they deliberately didn't fish at the bottom, just kept baiting at a normal frequency. If there's a bite away from the bottom, they take it; if not, they don't fret! They keep managing the fish swarm below!
The reason they didn't have more catches earlier wasn't because they lacked efficiency; they intentionally held back fish, relying on the fish swarm to lure more fish!
And us? We take every bite, making it look like we're ahead in the short term, but the initial batch of seeded fish were all caught, so naturally, the fish swarm can't gather.
This is something anyone learns when they just start fishing; how can we be so clueless now in a major competition! Damn it, damn it, damn it!"
Leng Xiaojun swore three times in a row, spitting profanity, and after figuring it out, felt out of sorts.
"Brother Jun, are you saying they did it intentionally?"
"Yes, 100% intentional! Just before this round started, the fish released were almost all slippery silver fish, they've accumulated the leftovers from the previous round, making the density reach a delicate balance!
If the fish count is high, the bites are fierce and competitive! If density is low, the competitiveness wanes! Slippery fish start showing their timid, cautious side, fearing thick lines, fearing atomization, fearing sounds and movements!"
"So what do we do now? Can we still adjust in time?"
Ming Xiaodong, who understood, was dumbfounded. He never imagined the nest could be fished empty would happen to him, especially in such a crucial competition where a strategic blunder caused this situation.
Leng Xiaojun didn't speak for a while, paused for more than ten seconds, then helplessly ran his hands through his hair and shook his head: "This is a public bait competition, no medicine allowed, can't make a dead horse a live horse, it's too late, too late!"
Leng Xiaojun indeed made an accurate assessment; it's indeed too late. Yue Feng wouldn't give them any chance.
Yue Feng, starting from the moment he took the stage, gathered fish effortlessly, and when the competition reached ten minutes, he happened to catch 45 fish, leading by thirty after deducting the ten fish lost in the previous round and five caught by Mu Lin.
The fish swarm at the nest still maintained a decent density, but Yue Feng stopped fishing.
He pulled the float back to the position when he just received the rod, put the previously used ragworms in the basin behind, and then turned to take out the damp loose powder used for making the nest, pinched a small triangle bottom cannon with two hooks, and began casting at the normal rate of three rods per minute.
After casting the first rod to make a nest, Yue Feng turned and glanced at the already brooding Mu Lin: "Forty-five for one stage is enough! There's fish in the nest, but I won't fish. Oh, it's just for fun!"
What does it mean to kill and condemn with heart?
Seizing an opportunity to strike someone down doesn't count as killing and condemning with heart! Making you unable to get a bite, while I catch continuously, is just the lowest level of face-slapping!
Like right now, there's fish in my nest, but I won't fish. I continue to accumulate strength, preserve the fish swarm density, letting the opponent feel despair bit by bit. This is the highest level of killing and condemning with heart.
As the "strategist", Yue Feng has grasped the essence!
Mu Lin, hearing this infuriating playful remark, clenched his large fists almost to crushing point, but acknowledging skill inferiority and his earlier provocative words, now he can only endure this face slap.
Unless losing sanity, really striking someone in such an occasion, whether he could win or not is not the point, but his competitive future would be completely buried.
"Hey, big guy, what did you say when you got on stage, now I'm asking you, do you admit defeat?" Yue Feng, seeing Mu Lin already losing composure, didn't miss the opportunity to mock.
"I admit defeat to Granny Li!" Mu Lin's anger shot straight up his chest, cursing loudly.
Seeing this, Yue Feng immediately raised his hand to the referee!
"Report, the neighboring angler is cursing during the competition!"
Originally, the situation was already inflammatory, Yue Feng caught the chance to pour more boiling oil into the fire!
At this crucial stage concerning the final ranking four-point competition, there's a referee behind each participant, known by all the anglers present. Some banter and non-offensive chatting during the match are usually tolerated by the referee, almost never stopped.
But this tolerance has limits; speaking harsh words is allowed, mocking is okay, but at least malicious attacks and outright profanity are not allowed!
As a veteran angler, Mu Lin usually effortlessly gave people chatter and sarcastic remarks, but being provoked to this extent is a first for him; his mentality collapsed, and encountering Yue Feng deliberately stimulating him led to an emotional breakdown.
The referee, seeing Yue Feng raise his hand, immediately took two steps forward and said decisively: "No loud conversations are allowed during a match, nor is verbal abuse allowed! Tianyuan angler Mu Lin, cursing the opponent, receive a yellow card warning once! Another incident will result in deducting corresponding scores as per match rules!"
Yue Feng's mouth slightly curved up: "Referee is wise, insightful! Fishing should be fishing, competing as competing, cursing is definitely wrong! But, with their score, whether deducting or not has no significance, after all, it's a loss!"
"Stop talking too much! No loud shouting or mutual chatting is allowed during the match! You're all notable first-line anglers, lots of eyes watching, don't make us in a difficult position!"
"Okay, okay, hehehe!" Yue Feng chuckled and stopped talking, but the speed of casting in his hand wasn't affected at all.
In the next five minutes, Yue Feng returned to his resting state, casting the wet scattered triangle cannon rod by rod into the nest stabilizing the fish swarm, continuing until the third match segment ended.
"Athletes on the field, please pay attention, the third match segment will end in the last five seconds. After hearing the whistle, there's one minute to change to the next segment's players! 54321! Substitution starts!"
The loudspeakers again issued a substitution reminder, Yue Feng put down the rod, stretched lazily, and exchanged a provocative gaze with Mu Lin, who just happened to look over, then swaggered off the stage.
Soon, Zhao Ran took the stage fourth, picked up the fishing rod, and began replicating Yue Feng's previous match rhythm almost completely.
Ragworm, bottom fishing, normal bite catching, except his ragworm speed is a bit slower, roughly two minutes for every seven rods, steadily maintaining fish conditions and catching fish smoothly, widening the catch gap again.
The fourth match segment took another ten minutes, Zhao Ran scored 41 fish, at this point reaching a lead of 57 fish.
With one segment plus 15 minutes left before the match ends, the Tianyuan's nest had almost stopped biting, catching 57 fish in twenty minutes is nearly impossible.
Initially, it seemed the match had entered garbage time, securing the victory in advance, ending just like that.
However, Yue Feng, having seized the opportunity for payback, had no intention of ending the match this way.
After stepping off stage, Yue Feng secretly spoke a few words to Wang Zhen, who would be making the final appearance, listening and nodding excitedly.
When the fifth match segment substitution occurred, Wang Zhen carried a large bowl of loose powder for floating fishing onto the stage.
Since victory was assured in advance, catching more or less subsequently wouldn't affect the match outcome, using whatever strategy felt enjoyable, the one most damaging to the opponents.
In such a situation, what strategy can mock the opponent better than boldly choosing floating fishing?
Seeing Wang Zhen's intention to float, Leng Xiaojun below the stage, unable to hold back his emotions, directly smashed the teacup in his hand to pieces.