Chapter 99: More Terrifying Than Asian Carp

“Everyone, come back here tomorrow. We’ll catch some fish ourselves and taste them. In this regard, my skills are much better.” After rewarding the Bear Kids, Liu Heming said to everyone.

He was extremely happy and felt that the Bear Kids were his little lucky stars.

If it weren’t for the Bear Kids, he probably wouldn’t have discovered that the Finger Sweet Potatoes were ripe. If it weren’t for the Bear Kids, he wouldn’t have known that there were fish in the lake.

“What’s wrong with you all? Why do your expressions look strange? You don’t doubt my fish cooking skills, do you? Don’t worry, no matter what fish it is, I guarantee it will be exceptionally delicious.” Seeing everyone’s expressions were a bit off, Liu Heming explained with a laugh and walked over to Xiong Er.

He had just boasted, so he needed to see what kind of fish it was. He hadn’t seen it clearly earlier because the Bear Kids moved too fast, almost like martial arts masters.

“Wow, are we that lucky? We really hit the jackpot. There are actually Snakeheads here. OK, tomorrow we’ll make Boiled Fish in Chili Oil. We need to catch a lot more.” When Liu Heming clearly saw the patterned fish body on the ground, he said delightedly.

He was very familiar with this fish. When eating fish in restaurants in China, he often chose Snakehead, especially for Boiled Fish in Chili Oil, where it was typically Snakehead, even though it was more expensive than Grass Carp. It tasted great, with firm, plump flesh that was fragrant all the way to the throat.

“Dexter, I never expected such a devil in this small lake. We should notify the Wildlife Management Bureau.” Contrary to Liu Heming’s excitement, George looked at him seriously and spoke.

“Uh… George, what’s wrong? The meat of this fish is very delicious,” Liu Heming said somewhat puzzled.

“Dexter, this fish is extremely terrifying. They eat all other types of fish in the water. Once they are here, you can forget about having more fish species in the lake,” George explained.

“And now, this fish has been found in many lakes across the United States, already affecting the ecological balance of those lakes. Whenever you catch such a fish, you must kill it. You don’t even need a fishing license to catch them.”

George’s words left Liu Heming stunned. He didn’t understand how such a delicious Snakehead could be described as so terrifying by George. Moreover, judging by everyone’s expressions, they weren’t joking at all.

It was only after George patiently explained that he understood the situation. This Snakehead was actually even more alarming to Americans than Asian Carp.

Asian Carp were troublesome and annoyed Americans because they didn’t like eating river fish, especially since Asian Carp had many bones. This gave them a chance to thrive and expand their living space greatly.

But what about Snakehead? Just as George said, this creature was like a tyrant in small lakes, with few rivals, almost at the top of the food chain.

Moreover, Snakehead mostly lived in the lower layers of lakes and initially didn’t attract much attention. Even if caught and photographed, people would release them, just for the fun of fishing.

But in recent years, Americans realized the situation was serious. These Snakehead, after having several years to develop, made a stunning comeback and became absolute devastators.

Eating, eating, eating… they ate everything they could. Many lakes were dominated by them. Even with huge efforts and resources, they couldn’t be completely removed from the lakes. Because if any were missed, they would breed again the next year.

Therefore, the United States banned trading these fish. Once discovered, they must be killed and the Wildlife Management Bureau notified, hoping to manage them before they spread further.

After hearing George’s explanation, Liu Heming didn’t know what to say. Such a delicacy had turned into such a formidable presence here. How simple the solution was—fight fire with fire: “eat” them.

He felt it was his duty to help his American friends change their dietary views. Such delicious food should be eaten; that would kill two birds with one stone.

Just as he carried the Snakehead, which Xiong Er had already killed, toward the house, Bill and Jenny arrived by car. They came much faster than when the Bear Kids were discovered last time, showing their concern.

“You’re not thinking of putting chemicals in my small lake, are you? This lake is very important to Xiangshui Town. If the lake gets polluted, we might have no harvest next year,” Liu Heming said with a bitter smile.

Hearing Liu Heming’s words, George and the others realized this was indeed a tricky situation.

This lake was almost the lifeblood of Xiangshui Town. If the drought continued next year, they would all depend on this lake for water.

“Mr. Dexter, you don’t need to worry. This fish is already so big; it’s too late to manage it now,” Jenny said with a bitter smile.

“If possible, you could do more fishing here. With their presence, it might be hard for other fish to survive in your lake.”

“Jenny, actually, I think this fish might have swum here from somewhere else,” Liu Heming said after a slight hesitation, choosing to be honest.

“The bottom of my lake might connect to underground waterways. I think you need to check the nearby river channels or other lakes more carefully.”

He had to confess. They had drawn so much water from the lake this year; it was obvious the lake was special. By speaking up now, people might not find it too unbelievable.

“If that’s the case, it might be even more serious. By the way, how is Charming Girl recovering? I’ve been busy lately and haven’t had time to visit,” Jenny nodded and said.

“She’s recovering very well. Aside from not being able to move yet, she’s not much different from a normal horse. Since she’s nearby, you can go play with her for a while,” Liu Heming said with a smile.

Charming Girl’s good recovery was partly thanks to them. If they hadn’t tried their best to help, he would have spent more money, and Charming Girl would have suffered more.

“Don’t look so worried. I can seriously tell you, once you taste the fish I cook tomorrow, you’ll find these fish very lovable,” Liu Heming clapped his hands and said, seeing everyone still looking troubled.

He couldn’t guarantee much else, but he was very confident about his Boiled Fish in Chili Oil dish; he often made it with friends.