Farming Games are All About Grinding

[Alligator Gar: Movement pattern is Impact Type, Skill Effect: Frenzy]

After Han Qiwu entered the fishing game, to everyone else he seemed to be just waiting for a fish to bite.

Before this alligator gar took the bait, Han Qiwu specifically paid attention to its size.

One meter sixty-seven, almost two meters.

Although female alligator gars are naturally longer than males, this size was still somewhat absurd.

Likewise, its icon length was also impressive, nearly rivaling that of the Golden Chef Shark.

Had this been the earlier version of Han Qiwu, there's no way he would've been able to reel it in.

But now, he has changed!

He's gotten stronger (cheating enabled)!

[Intermediate Lightning Spell]

[Golden Edge]

A series of skills hit the alligator gar, rendering it dazed and disoriented.

Just as the progress bar was about to max out, the furious alligator gar finally seized the opportunity to unleash its own skill. Its Frenzy state didn't visibly change the icon, but its movement speed increased drastically. Within the fishing game window, it was now darting frantically every which way.

"Stay still!" Han Qiwu bellowed coldly, activating his Stun skill, instantly forcing the fish back to its original form.

Successful catch!

Now it was time to bring the alligator gar to shore.

Han Qiwu took a deep breath, steadied his posture, and stepped backward half a stride.

Seeing his movements, Ding Xuebo exclaimed in surprise, "Holy crap, you actually caught it? Old Han, are you really this intense?"

Standing nearby, Guo Fugui hurried over nervously and advised, "Xiao Han, even if you've caught it, don't rush pulling it up. It's very likely to bite the line off. Stabilize it first, I'll get someone to go down and encircle it."

"No need, Senior Brother, just hand me a landing net," Han Qiwu said calmly as he slowly reeled the alligator gar toward the surface. He had tested his theory several times while fishing before, knowing that fish won in the fishing game wouldn't usually cause trouble during the shore-landing process.

Guo Fugui wanted to continue persuading, but Ding Xuebo had already sprinted off enthusiastically to grab a landing net and handed it to Han Qiwu while shouting excitedly, "Old Han, finish it off!"

"Holy crap, it really took the bait, better encircle it quickly!"

"Kid, slow down, don't try grabbing the fishing line with your hands!"

"Get in the water, get in the water."

Seeing the alligator gar brought to the surface, the group of workers at the riverbank lit up with excitement. In small clusters, they grabbed their landing nets and prepared to go down to chase and corner it.

"Can't believe this kid really managed to reel it in."

"Yeah, who'd have thought? He's so handsome and still has real skills—never judge a book by its cover, huh?"

"Third Brother, that's not the right use for 'never judge a book by its cover.'"

"Say one more word and I'll smack you upside the head—get back to catching fish!"

At this moment, Han Qiwu took the landing net, immediately secured it on the riverbank with his foot, and then grabbed the Golden Sun rod with both hands to start pulling the alligator gar.

"Hey, kid, don't pull it like that."

"This big fish must weigh almost 200 pounds. How can you pull it up by yourself?"

"Why are you in such a hurry!"

The workers who came to help voiced their anxiety one after another, rushing to jump into the water to prepare for the moment the alligator gar might break off the hook.

Only Ding Xuebo still kept full faith in Han Qiwu, yelling his encouragement brightly: "Go for it! Yank it up already!"

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Han Qiwu's seemingly frail body suddenly unleashed immense strength. With both hands, he pulled the Golden Sun rod into a perfect arc like a full moon, forcibly hoisting the alligator gar out of the water.

The airborne alligator gar shot toward him like a rocket. Calm and collected, Han Qiwu gripped the Golden Sun rod in his right hand, kicked the landing net into position, and with his left hand performed a "Monkey Plucks the Moon" maneuver to catch the incoming fish, effortlessly tossing it onto the rocks by the riverbank—an instant, painless dispatch.

Having completed this series of actions, Han Qiwu remained composed as he lightly patted the stunned Ding Xuebo and said with a chuckle, "What're you gawking for? Go take a picture so you can report back to your master."

Ding Xuebo finally snapped out of it, throwing his arms around Han Qiwu in excitement, "Holy crap, I was just joking around, and you really did it! If I'd known, I'd have come to find you days ago! You're crazy good!"

Standing off to the side, Guo Fugui wore a complicated expression.

This is the agricultural science graduate that Xiao Ding mentioned?

Must've introduced him wrong.

"Just lucky," Han Qiwu responded casually, walking over to inspect the alligator gar's attributes.

[Alligator Gar (Silver Star Quality)]

[Stamina +500]

[Health ±200]

[Special Effect—Durable Scales: The gar's scales have crafting value]

[Note: Eggs and internal organs are poisonous, flesh is edible]

The landed alligator gar resembled a crocodile in its short snout and jaws lined with rows of dagger-like teeth. Its body was covered in diamond-shaped enamel-coated tough scales, like armor. The back was brownish or olive-colored, while the belly was paler. Its scales were diamond-patterned, rigid, and even glistened a bit.

"Health ±200? So, if eaten correctly, it boosts health. Eat it wrong, and it reduces health, huh," Han Qiwu mused as he pulled out a small knife, squatting to pry off a few system-glowing tough scales from the gar. Shaking them toward Ding Xuebo, he said, "These scales are interesting, I'm taking them for my collection."

"Whoa, that was one heck of a fish; it's been dodging us forever. Finally dealt with it." Ding Xuebo muttered while pulling out his phone for pictures.

The workers in the river instantly felt irrelevant.

Han Qiwu noticed their awkwardness and laughed: "Guys, could you clean up its nearby eggs for me? Thanks a lot."

Guo Fugui also snapped out of it and began issuing instructions.

After finishing the photos, Ding Xuebo made a call, receiving confirmation within minutes.

Meanwhile, Han Qiwu also received a system notification for completing the mission.

[Congratulations on completing the elimination task—Alligator Gar]

[Task Reward: 5000 Gold + single-use collectible item map ×1]

[Task Completion Rate: 100%]

[Bonus Reward: New Species Added to Secret Realm—Dinosaur Fish, Giant Squid]

Seeing the notification, Han Qiwu's eyes lit up.

There's a bonus reward?

Good thing he didn't let any others intervene; otherwise, the bonus would've been lost.

"Dinosaur Fish, Giant Squid, why do the names sound so familiar?" Han Qiwu murmured thoughtfully, suddenly recalling that these were two species Zack had mentioned in his inquiry about unlocking S-Zone Ocean Library borrowing rights. Four species were needed in total: Sword Gun Fish, Golden Chef Shark, Dinosaur Fish, Giant Squid.

Looks like there's much work ahead.

Just hearing their names tells you they won't be easy catches.

Take it slow.

As for the single-use collectible item map, he already had plans for where to use it. He'd wait until Ding Xuebo and the others left before activating it.

Nearby, Ding Xuebo, who had finally satisfied his master's assignment, was in high spirits. He slung an arm around Han Qiwu's shoulders and said with bravado, "Alright, my master won't rag on me anymore. Old Han, this time I owe you big! Say it—what do you want to eat? My treat!" He then ran off like an excited child to kick the alligator gar, squatting down to mutter under his breath.

Guo Fugui came over with a grin and said, "Xiao Han, I didn't expect your fishing skills to be this good. Thanks a lot for today. Here, let's add each other on WeChat to stay in touch."

Han Qiwu didn't hesitate, pulling out his phone to add WeChat.

Afterwards, Guo Fugui offered, "I've asked a chef before; this alligator gar's meat is edible. Perfect timing—my friend owns Zuixiang Pavilion, where they have a top-tier chef from Guangdong Province skilled in preparing this. How about I host, and we head back to the city for a meal?"

"Sounds good." Han Qiwu, rarely taking time to relax, agreed cheerfully. After accepting, he added, "Senior Brother, I'd also like to invite a good friend over to join us. Would that be alright?"