After Zhang Yang's bait ball underwent a simple water ratio adjustment and slight kneading, the state of the bait was noticeably more solid. In contrast, Qian Wenjun's bait next to him became much fluffier and looser. As the fish catching began, the difference was visible to the naked eye.

In a current fishing situation like Pond No. 1, there is no need to cast a rod to make a nest to attract fish beforehand. Starting from the second cast, the bobber starts bobbing as it descends.

Zhang Yang is very experienced with this kind of fish. With the right bait condition and a slightly steady hand in handling the bites, he can assure a certain success rate.

Each time there was a sign of a fish baiting, Zhang Yang wouldn't immediately lift the rod to hook the fish. Instead, he intentionally let it go the first time, waiting for a brief pause or a second downward movement from the fish before hooking it, thus maintaining a good hit rate.

After testing with just a few fish, Zhang Yang realized that the opponent's bait was quite effective in practice.

Meanwhile, Qian Wenjun next to him was very focused on watching his bobber, completely absorbed in the combat mode without any distractions.

Even though they were using the same public bait, the bobber actions on Qian Wenjun's side differed notably from Zhang Yang's. The bait on the hook was relatively loose, and once in the water, the frayed edges would absorb water and fall off faster, leaving less residue by the time it reached the bottom layer.

Seeing this, one might think that less residue is a good thing, making it easier for the fish to take in.

Indeed, less residue does make it easier to ingest, but the bobber's movement is not as clear. This small difference is determined by the fish's strength in taking the bait.

The more solid the bait, the more obvious the negative pressure when the fish swallows it, making the bobber movement clearer.

This reflects in the bobber's movement on Zhang Yang's side, where as long as there's a continuous downward movement or a second dip, his hit rate exceeds over 60%.

In contrast to Qian Wenjun next door, the bobber details aren't as clear. The downward movements are sticky and sluggish, affecting the precision of hooking decisions, significantly lowering the success rate.

Comparatively, if we look at the data between the two, with the same ten casts, Zhang Yang can carefully select bites and let some go, catching six to seven fish typically, sometimes even a double take.

In contrast, Qian Wenjun could catch at most five to six fish, and the successful bite selection rate was noticeably lower.

Qian Wenjun, fully focused on fishing, might not realize this gap, but with a keen observation, Zhang Yang would keep an eye on the activity next door while focusing strategically on his own performance.

In this pre-match fishing test, Zhang Yang didn't want to simply beat the opponent cleanly and quickly, preferring to toy with him like an old cat playing with a mouse.

The opponent's level was just so-so, Zhang Yang could easily control the rhythm of the fishing test or even the number gap, taking his time to play.

He gave the opponent a bit of a taste that he might win, creating the illusion that it was just bad luck on this turn, and if the opponent lost his cool, they might rematch.

Zhang Yang wouldn't mind taking advantage of someone like Hua Zi, never hesitating to score an extra win if he could.

With this subtle mentality and the current fishing test, Zhang Yang and Qian Wenjun alternated their turns, seemingly chasing each other's scores closely.

From the first cast, this continued until time ran out.

As the forty-minute timer rang, Zhang Yang calmly placed the fishing rod on the rack and looked up.

"Not bad at all! Master Qian's bait has a very strong scent!" Zhang Yang deliberately complimented.

"Of course! When it comes to bait, I can rank in the top five at Sun Bay!" Qian Wenjun replied high-spiritedly to Zhang Yang's compliment.

"Let's count the number of tails. Why do I feel like I might be a bit slower than you? Fishing with a master like you is quite the pressure!" Zhang Yang pretended to be modest, continuing to set a sly trap for the opponent.

Quickly, Qian Wenjun pulled his fish keeper out of the water and started counting one by one.

Eighty-seven tails in forty minutes, neatly surpassing a hundred when calculated by hourly rates.

"87 tails! Your turn!" Qian Wenjun finished counting his catch and looked up at Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang also pulled out his fish keeper, casually lifting the bottom and pouring the fish into a basin.

After another round of counting, he soon surpassed over 80.

"85, 86, 87, 88... Oh dear, I'm sorry, I have 88 fish! My apologies, my apologies!"

The result was out, and Zhang Yang had one more fish than the opponent. He instantly feigned a relieved expression, humbly clasping his hands together.

"Damn!! Just one fish short!!"

After counting Zhang Yang's catch, Qian Wenjun and his companions couldn't help but complain.

A one-fish difference indicates that the two are fairly evenly matched. Such a result, theoretically speaking, comes down simply to the angler's performance plus a bit of luck.

"Master Qian, since the fishing test is over, do you think it's time to settle the bet?" Zhang Yang asked with a victorious smile, rubbing his hands together.

"Damn! How could I deny the agreement? Qiang Qiang, go to the house and bring a pack of Soft Zhonghua!"

Qian Wenjun called to a partner behind him, who immediately trotted to the shop at the fishing ground.

Quickly, a pack of Soft Zhonghua was brought back, which Qian Wenjun handed to Zhang Yang.

"Thank you, Master Qian, for going easy on me! Come on, Xiao Fan, Liu Zi, take a share! We don't usually splurge on such luxurious cigarettes!"

Zhang Yang openly tore open the cigarette's outer packaging and shared them with Meng Fan and Liu Zi, Wang Yan.

Seeing Zhang Yang share the cigarettes in public, Qian Wenjun's group felt slightly offended.

Qian Wenjun's eye twitched reflexively, feeling a bit indignant.

Just a bit more, he was just a bit shy! If the last rod didn't go empty, it could have been a tie. Had he caught a few more fish earlier, he'd be the one sharing cigarettes now!

Qian Wenjun wasn't quite satisfied with his performance in the previous fishing test; there were quite a few tiny mistakes in the middle. If he performed a bit better, catching an extra ten or eight fish would be no problem.

This kind of mindset skewed Qian Wenjun's self-assessment. Clenching his teeth, he continued, "I lost to you this time, but without a warm-up, I made some operational errors. Want another round? The bet is still a pack of Hua Zi!"

Hearing that Qian Wenjun wanted to continue, Zhang Yang inwardly relaxed, realizing the opponent was taking the bait!

He thought to himself, damn, this narrative seems so familiar, the trap of playing the fool to catch a tiger, proving timelessly effective!

No matter if the opponent is a master or a rookie, in the apparently evenly matched situation, there's always this blind confidence that the next round will be a win!

"What? Master Qian wants to win the Hua Zi back? Wasn't it agreed to be just one round!" With a cigarette in his mouth, Zhang Yang feigned reluctance in his tone.

"Rules are dead, but people are alive! Just tell me if you dare or not! Though I lost by one fish, I'm not convinced!" Qian Wenjun declared defiantly.

"Alright, then, with a little difficulty, let's have another go! Same old rules, same old bet!"

Zhang Yang, after a bit of hesitation and once the atmosphere was ripe, 'reluctantly' accepted the second fishing bout.

Quickly, both sides switched fishing spots, and the second round began!

After warming up in the first round, Zhang Yang had entirely grasped the slippery bite habits of the small carp in Pond No. 1, finding cast selection and bite picking quite effortless. Under his intended control of the fish-landing rhythm, the tail count remained closely tied with the opponent.

In the second round, about twenty minutes in, a guy with dark circles under his eyes strolled over to the crowd behind Qian Wenjun.

This newcomer wasn't just anyone; it was Xiao Wei, the locally recognized expert in the competitive circle of W City, whom Qian Wenjun sought as the strongest support after the extra bet in this competition.

What distinguishes an expert from a newbie? Frankly, the difference spans from technique to vision, to the understanding of fishing—it's comprehensive.

Among the many spectators, no one perceived anything amiss; however, this Xiao Wei, having arrived not long ago, watched the fishing duo for a few minutes and frowned.

The angler from W City isn't simple; he could clearly widen the fish count gap faster, yet consciously controls the rhythm.

This is playing the fool to catch a tiger!

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