"Don't worry. If the boat capsizes, I'll cut the line. Luoluo, bring me the diving knife and speargun. I've fought this fish to this point—I'm not giving up now."

In that moment, Chu Mingcheng was a true fisherman.

Jiang Luoluo stared at him for a moment and, seeing he had no intention of backing down, sighed helplessly. "I can never win with you."

As his girlfriend, it would be a lie to say she wasn't worried, but Chu Mingcheng's repeated successes had earned her fundamental trust.

The fish was already hooked—even she would feel regret if they gave up.

In the end, she could only help by bringing the diving knife and speargun over, placing them in the inflatable boat, and reminding him again and again to be careful.

Of course, she also gave him a compass, just in case the fish pulled him too far off course.

With everything ready, Chu Mingcheng seized the moment while the fish was still resting and not pulling. He grabbed the fishing rod and quickly scrambled into the inflatable boat.

By the time he was seated, the fish was still resting.

It seemed that after the main boat had slowed down, pulling it had taken a significant toll on the fish's energy.

So Chu Mingcheng simply sat there and reeled in line. As he did, the inflatable boat began drifting toward the fish.

This continued for over a minute, and he managed to retrieve fifty or sixty meters of line before the fish started moving again.

Chu Mingcheng locked the drag and held the rod tightly. The inflatable boat began to slowly accelerate—its propeller was off, so it was clearly the fish pulling him.

But there was good news: just as he'd suspected, although the fish was pulling the inflatable boat, its speed was no longer as fast.

In The Old Man and the Sea, the fisherman only needed a small skiff to hand-line a large marlin, which proved that while these fish are fast, they struggle to tow a boat at high speeds while also fighting an angler.

Unfortunately, the inflatable boat was too light. Even with Chu Mingcheng's weight, it couldn't wear down the fish's stamina quickly.

Therefore, Chu Mingcheng sat in the boat, carefully maintaining his balance to prevent the fish from suddenly circling and flipping him over. He slowly reeled in line, occasionally hugging the rod and pulling back to hasten the fish's exhaustion.

He even had a moment to glance back at the fishing boat. Seeing the distance between them growing, he began trying to pull the rod slightly to the right.

The fish did indeed swim to the right, but because of the sudden direction change, the left side of the inflatable boat lifted straight out of the water.

A terrified Chu Mingcheng quickly threw his entire weight to the left, just managing to press the boat back down.

He'd felt the speed wasn't very fast, but that was all relative.

In the eyes of Jiang Luoluo and the others, he'd been pulled a significant distance in just a short time. In a few more minutes, she'd probably need binoculars to see him.

Fortunately, after repeated attempts to control the fish's direction and balance the boat, Chu Mingcheng eventually got the hang of it.

He'd pull the rod to the left, but only slightly. The fish, feeling the pain, would struggle and unconsciously swim slightly to the left.

It had no clear direction—at this moment, it just wanted to get rid of the foreign object in its mouth.

But as it veered left, Chu Mingcheng would straighten the rod again and lean his body right to counteract the lift on the boat, keeping it balanced. To his surprise, it actually worked.

This way, he wouldn't be pulled further and further away by the fish. Instead, he could remain within sight of those on the fishing boat.

Jiang Luoluo, watching through binoculars, finally breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Chu Mingcheng was no longer getting farther away.

But this was only the beginning. Because of the distance between the inflatable boat and the fish, the most direct force was somewhat dissipated, making it relatively easy for Chu Mingcheng.

However, as he began reeling in line and the distance between them shrank, the situation became far more dangerous than at the start.

The inflatable boat began rocking more and more violently, forcing Chu Mingcheng to spend more energy maintaining his balance.

Second, holding the rod became increasingly strenuous—he could feel the fish's power being transmitted directly to his body.

Time slowly passed. The sun climbed higher in the sky. The only good news for Chu Mingcheng was that the temperature had risen slightly.

He didn't know how much time had passed—maybe an hour, maybe three.

Chu Mingcheng himself hadn't paid attention to time. All he knew was they'd entered the final showdown, because he'd reeled the line in to just fifty meters.

This distance was just enough to ensure his safety while allowing him to fight the fish more directly and wear down its stamina.

Currently, Chu Mingcheng had only ten uses of Life Conversion left. In the process of reeling in, even with his enhanced physique, he couldn't hold out. He'd already used it three times to ensure he had enough stamina to handle any sudden developments.

Fishing for a fish of this caliber was not a one-man job—it usually required several people taking turns.

The fact that he'd only used Life Conversion three times was a testament to his strength.

Chu Mingcheng continued pulling on the line. Just then, he felt the line's angle change rapidly.

The next moment, the water about fifty meters in front of him suddenly exploded. A sharp sword pierced the surface, followed by a super-sized swordfish, far larger than the inflatable boat, leaping out of the water.

It thrashed its head in the air, trying to shake the hook from its gills.

What was the most thrilling moment when fishing for swordfish or marlin? It was the instant the fish leaped into the air to shake its head.

Chu Mingcheng, behind it, wasn't captivated by the sight like the others on the boat. The moment the fish was airborne, he yanked the rod hard, nearly lying flat in the boat.

The swordfish, pulled by the sudden force, could only crash back into the water with a massive splash, its attempt unsuccessful.

The reason Chu Mingcheng had stopped reeling at fifty meters was precisely to guard against this.

Fishing for this type of fish was actually very dangerous. If the distance was too short, there was a chance they could jump directly onto the boat when they tried to shake the hook.

If that happened, a person could easily be stabbed by its long bill, which could easily pierce a boat's hull.

If it hit someone somewhere non-vital, they'd be in the hospital for months.

If it hit a vital spot... well, then you'd have to start planning a funeral.

Fifty meters was the perfect distance. No matter how fast the swordfish was, it couldn't rush right up to him in an instant while trying to shake the hook.

Just like now. The swordfish, which had just jumped, leaped again after only a few seconds. Although it was five or six meters closer, it was still a safe distance.

Those fishermen who hand-lined for marlin in small skiffs would always wear the fish out completely before pulling it alongside the boat.

It was the same in videos—the marlin brought alongside the boat were almost motionless, a clear sign of complete exhaustion.

And now, the swordfish's head-shaking was a sign its stamina was nearly depleted. This was its final struggle.

Chu Mingcheng's spirits lifted. It was finally time to reap the rewards of his victory.

On the fishing boat not far away, Jiang Luoluo, who'd been filming the whole time, noticed the smile on his face, which made her smile as well.

She understood that smile. It was the joy of victory within reach, and she was happy for him.

But the next moment, her smile froze on her face.

"Ah Cheng!"

A cry of alarm. Jiang Luoluo dropped her camera, her face filled with terror.

She stood stunned for two seconds, then ran into the pilothouse, started the fishing boat, and prepared to rush over.

Everyone on the boat was in panic, because just now, the swordfish that had been shaking its head had suddenly changed direction and charged straight at Chu Mingcheng.

Then, as they watched, it rammed right through the inflatable boat, and Chu Mingcheng was knocked into the water.

Of course, that was just how it looked from their perspective.

Because of the angle, it looked as if Chu Mingcheng had been hit and knocked off the boat.

But in reality, he'd been prepared for the fish's charge.

The moment it rushed him, he'd already dropped the fishing rod, grabbed the speargun, and flipped himself over the side of the boat.

It was just that the swordfish was so fast, it looked as if he'd been knocked over.

Chu Mingcheng hadn't expected the swordfish to counterattack at the last moment, and he was caught off guard.

Fortunately, his reflexes were quick, and he managed to jump into the water in time to avoid being injured.

Once in the water, his true combat prowess was on full display.

Quickly loading the speargun, Chu Mingcheng rapidly pursued the swordfish. With the inflatable boat impaled on its bill and obscuring its vision, he fired a shot.

The swordfish's head was completely enveloped by the inflatable boat. It couldn't see where it was going and its swimming slowed, allowing him to easily catch up.

This also gave Chu Mingcheng the perfect opportunity. He used the fish's long bill to judge the position of its head and fired a shot straight at its brain.

It was a fatal blow. Blood instantly stained the seawater red.

Jiang Luoluo, steering the fishing boat over, also saw the blood in the water. Thinking it was Chu Mingcheng's, tears began streaming down her face in large drops.

But the next second, a figure that brought a wave of relief broke the surface.

Knowing everyone was worried about him, Chu Mingcheng didn't even stop to retrieve the fish, immediately swimming to the surface.

"Holy crap, Ah Cheng, you almost gave me a heart attack!" Zhang Wei said, patting his chest in immense relief.

"As long as you're okay, as long as you're okay!" Chen Yang also let out a breath he'd been holding. His heart had been in his throat.

Zhou Jiayi didn't say anything, but her relaxed expression said it all.

Just then, Jiang Luoluo ran out of the pilothouse, her face streaked with tears, which made Chu Mingcheng pause in the water.

He then ignored the fish and, carrying the speargun, quickly swam back to the boat.

The moment he was aboard, Jiang Luoluo threw herself into his arms.

Feeling her body tremble as she sobbed quietly against his chest, Chu Mingcheng didn't care that he was soaking wet and hugged her back tightly.

Right now, Jiang Luoluo needed to let her emotions out. So he tossed the speargun to Chen Yang, asking them to retrieve the fish, while he carried his girlfriend directly into the pilothouse.

The others outside saw this and didn't disturb them, instead helping to bring in the fish.

Chu Mingcheng paid them no mind. He sat on the sofa, gently patting Jiang Luoluo's back and comforting her softly.

His girlfriend was shedding tears for him—of course, he was responsible for cheering her up.

But it had just been a momentary, overwhelming burst of emotion she couldn't control.

After a good while, her trembling subsided.

Her first words were not blame, nor a plea for him to stop doing such dangerous things in the future.

Smart as Jiang Luoluo was, she wouldn't use herself as a threat to stop him from doing what he loved.

She just acted a little spoiled. "You scared me!"

"My fault, my fault. I promise I won't make you worry again," Chu Mingcheng immediately admitted, making a guarantee.

Jiang Luoluo shook her head, then looked up at him. Her red-rimmed eyes looked so pitiful and lovely, it could melt a person's heart.

"Don't worry. If you really die, I'll definitely remarry!"

"Don't do anything stu... huh?"

The words hit Chu Mingcheng like a physical blow. His face turned green. How could she look so heart-wrenchingly pitiful while talking about remarrying?

"Like hell I'm going to let that happen!"