Farming Games are All About Grinding

"It's Xiao Lin. I reckon he has a great chance of winning the championship this time."

"Who wouldn't think so? His speed fishing is insane."

"Yeah, I heard he was last year's champion of the Yuhua Cup. This time, he's definitely here for that fishing rod made by the Master of Fishing Soul."

"Not necessarily. Didn't Old Huang mention there's a mysterious guest? Let's see who it turns out to be."

"I'm quite curious myself."

Hearing the discussions around her, Aunt Hong Mei, who had just arrived, got a little anxious and quickly jumped in, "Old Huang is so unreliable. Talking about some mysterious guest—it's probably just his son or some nephew or something. By then, he'd only be teasing everyone. After all, it's no big deal for young folks to lose."

Aunt Guo and Grandpa Chen also gathered a few others, repeating this theory over and over.

Before long, they had successfully lowered everyone's expectations about the so-called mysterious guest.

During this time, Mr. Tang and Mrs. Tang also arrived. After parking the car, they quickly found seats to settle down and watch.

A little while later, Old Huang finished setting up the microphone and cheerfully announced, "Good morning, fellow anglers! Today is the final round of our fishing competition. We have 11 contestants in the finals. Let's give them a warm welcome!"

After the applause, the 11 contestants stepped onto the stage and gave a wave, while their profiles were displayed one by one on the big screen.

"What's going on? Xiao Han didn't make it to the finals? Was Xiao Guo's intel wrong?" Mrs. Tang muttered anxiously, lowering her head to prepare to make a call to figure out what happened.

"Hey, don't rush. Look at who's standing closest to the contestants' passage. Maybe Old Huang has something else in mind," Mr. Tang said calmly, pointing toward the entrance.

Some people stand out simply by being there. His handsomeness didn't need explanation—just standing amongst the crowd, he naturally became the most eye-catching figure.

Following Mr. Tang's gaze, Mrs. Tang spotted Han Qiwu and instantly broke into a delighted grin.

"Oh wow, let me tell you, our daughter's taste is so much better than mine. This young man is even more handsome than his photo. I approve!"

Mr. Tang felt increasingly uncomfortable, "Comrade, what's that supposed to mean? I think your taste is even better than hers!"

"Yes, yes, absolutely." Mrs. Tang nodded absently, pulling out her phone to snap a photo of Han Qiwu.

After introducing all 11 contestants, Old Huang proudly pointed to a glass case beside him containing a dark gold fishing rod and declared, "The prizes for our fishing competition are exceptionally generous this year. All finalists will receive 1,000 yuan. Those ranking 7th to 9th will receive 10,000 yuan, 4th to 6th will get 20,000 yuan, 3rd place will get 30,000 yuan, 2nd place will earn 50,000 yuan, and 1st place will take home 100,000 yuan plus this Shadow Rod crafted by the Master of Fishing Soul!"

When he reached the end of his announcement, all the contestants couldn't help but look at the Shadow Rod with envy.

This was a masterpiece by the Master of Fishing Soul, a priceless treasure that money couldn't buy!

Contestant No. 002, Xiao Lin, also glanced at the Shadow Rod. In his heart, it was already as good as his.

Seeing that everyone's emotions were stirred, Old Huang finally raised his voice and added, "Additionally, this competition has a mysterious contestant. Speaking of fate, I actually met this contestant by the sea here. I believe his skills are at least top-three caliber, so I gave him a direct pass to the finals. Let's welcome our fellow angler, Han Qiwu!"

A smattering of applause followed.

Most of them came from Grandpa Chen and Mrs. Tang's group.

For the other anglers, it was hard not to feel a bit miffed at someone entering the finals without proving their ability.

And that was exactly the reaction Old Huang had been hoping for.

You brat! How dare you ignore me!

Han Qiwu, however, wasn't bothered. He carried his Golden Sun fishing rod onto the stage, waved his hand, and flashed a radiant smile.

"Contestant Han Qiwu, do you have any words to share today? Are you aiming for first or second place?" Old Huang asked with a grin as he approached.

"Friendship comes first, competition second. With so many seasoned anglers here, my ranking doesn't matter," Han Qiwu replied modestly. Old Huang wasn't satisfied with the answer, but after checking the time, he had to move on. Resigned, he said, "Alright then, let me explain the rules. The scoring consists of two parts—speed fishing results and total weight results, each accounting for half. Each session lasts 30 minutes, and individual scores are determined based on one's performance as a proportion of the total. The better you perform, the more points you earn. Contestants, please take your positions."

Han Qiwu gave a faint smile and nodded. Just then, the morning sunlight spilled over him, casting a soft golden glow that made him radiantly eye-catching.

In the audience, the older women couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

"Hey, you know whose kid that is? So handsome."

"Right? Absolutely stunning. He shouldn't be married yet, right?"

"I don't think so. Does anyone here know him? Tomorrow, we better arrange a matchmaker to pay a visit."

"I know! He's a graduate student from town. Lives on the outskirts. Should be single."

"Highly educated too? Then we definitely need to act fast!"

Hearing these comments, Mrs. Tang grew anxious and instinctively shouted, "Stop dreaming! Xiao Han already has a girlfriend, and she's very beautiful!"

Mr. Tang helplessly covered his face. Good thing he was wearing sunglasses.

On the stage, Han Qiwu remained oblivious to all this. His attention was fully on the system notification that had appeared before him.

[The fishing competition is about to begin]

[Rules: Omitted]

[Rewards: All prize amounts doubled]

[Special reward for first place:]

[Custom Alloy Fishing Rod: Shadow]

[Stars: ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆]

[Attribute 1: Fishing Range +12]

[Attribute 2: Float Length +10]

[The following attributes are exclusive to ☆☆☆ users]

[Passive Skill Included: Durability (Fishing floats and attached items will not take damage)]

[The following attributes are exclusive to ☆☆☆☆☆ users]

[Skill Included: Darkness (Releases a blast of dark light in fishing games to confuse the fish)]

[The following attributes are exclusive to ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ users]

[Skill Included: Shadow (Releases a shadow of the float for ten seconds in fishing games, contributing to the progress bar when the shadow touches fish)]

[Equipment Level: Fishing Level 7]

[Fish Bait: Compatible]

[Supports up to three floats]

[Allows additional float slots]

[Note: There is only one Shadow in the world]

"The rewards are so extravagant? First place directly gets 100,000 yuan AND a seven-star-rated fishing rod???" Han Qiwu subconsciously swallowed hard.

The line of stars for Shadow almost blinded him!

Each of the three skills was more practical than the last!

Especially the final skill—using it essentially doubled the float length!

Worried about not catching any fish?

Absolutely not. He had to win this!