Zhang Yang was experienced in competitions, quick to respond, and knew how to reject unreasonable demands from strangers.

In contrast, Liu Zi was different. Young and lacking social experience, he faced the authoritative figure of a judge with an air of reverence.

This small difference gave the judge an opportunity.

"Do you remember what the judge who took your bait looked like? Do you know his name?" Zhang Yang asked with a slight frown.

"I remember, tall and a bit chubby, with a potbelly! I didn't catch his name!" Liu Zi nodded, describing the judge who took his bait.

After hearing this brief description, Zhang Yang immediately knew it was the same judge who had been refused when trying to take his bait.

Out of over a hundred anglers, the judge specifically took bait from the two of them. Explaining it as random was too far-fetched.

Zhang Yang was almost completely sure it was because their performance was too good, and they were being targeted. This judge was taking advantage of his position to make sneaky moves.

"What's wrong, Brother Yang? Can't judges take bait?" Liu Zi cautiously asked, seeing the anger on Zhang Yang's face.

Zhang Yang glanced at the crowd gathered around him: "Inspection is fine. If there's a dispute, you can take the bait and the angler involved to the head judge for explanation.

But taking an angler's bait under the pretense of inspection is definitely against the rules! From now on, if you encounter this situation in a competition, refuse directly!"

"What should we do this time? Should we complain to the arbitration committee?" Meng Fan asked curiously.

Zhang Yang shook his head: "Even if we complain, it would only result in a warning for violating rules, with no actual impact! Since outsiders got our bait, the secret of this shrimp bait won't be safe for long!"

"Damn! This judge is so sneaky, pulling tricks like this!"

"Exactly, tall, chubby with a potbelly, got the features down. If he takes my bait this afternoon, I definitely won't let him!"

The team murmured among themselves, their good mood from the two earlier rounds of the fishing contest now tinged with frustration.

...

Meanwhile, Judge Chen Guangzu, who had studied the bait with some familiar colleagues but couldn't make sense of it, handed the remaining portion to Qian Wenjun.

"I found an excuse to get this bait from the kid with Zhang Yang. It has a very special flavor and consistency. I couldn't figure it out after studying it, but you know more people, so have at it. I've got a meeting at noon, so I'll head out first!"

"Okay, Old Chen, get on with your work. I'll take care of the evening arrangements!"

...

Once Old Chen had left, Xiao Wei and Qian Wenjun, along with a group of people, gathered to study this small lump of bait.

Because of the presence of the jelly powder, the state of the shrimp bait was noticeably different from conventional commercial bait, and this difference left most ordinary anglers puzzled.

Moreover, the flavor of this shrimp bait was very mild, just the natural taste of shrimp meat, which wasn't very distinguishable whether by smell or taste.

However, with more people, there are more ideas, and soon an angler with Xiao Wei came up with a suggestion.

To add water and completely dissolve the bait, so when it absorbs the water and expands, the components inside the bait will be much clearer!

This idea finally led the group to make new breakthroughs in their research of the bait.

Once soaked in water, the shrimp meat component of the shrimp bait quickly became apparent.

At a glance, the tiny meat pieces exhibited the distinctive texture of animal flesh, completely different from heavily processed bait.

"Why do I feel like there are pieces of meat mince in this bait? Look at this, the chunk of minced meat is slightly larger!" Qian Wenjun quickly picked out a larger piece of minced meat from the water using a float rod.

As soon as the words "meat mince" were spoken, everyone snapped back. Indeed, who said bait had to use commercial bait!

Xiao Wei was even more straightforward, examining the chunk of minced meat closely before crudely shoving it into his mouth.

In that instant, the taste of fresh shrimp spread across his palate, and Xiao Wei immediately realized it was shrimp meat.

"Shrimp meat! This is minced meat from fresh shrimp! No wonder it felt familiar, just like those handmade shrimp balls you order for hot pot!"

Goodness, with three heads being better than one, they managed to pinpoint the direction of what was supposed to be a secret magical bait.

Although the details like the jelly powder still needed refinement, knowing the main ingredient meant it was only a matter of time.

"Damn! Is fishing with fresh shrimp meat really this powerful? We need to get some to try it out. Damn, there are still two more rounds this afternoon! My scores from this morning should be decent, I still have a chance to place!"

"Why wait then, you guys keep eating, I'll head to RT-Mart to buy some!"

With the results in, Qian Wenjun didn't even stop for lunch, gave a hasty shout, and hopped into his car, heading straight to the largest local supermarket to buy shrimp.

The lunch break quickly passed, and by one in the afternoon, Sun Bay began bustling again.

Many people returned after venturing out, and those who stayed put began gathering under the workstations from shades or cars. Staff and judges had already arrived early, sipping tea and chatting under large sun umbrellas, just waiting for the time to draw lots for the next round.

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