Chapter 100: Danger Strikes

The Bear Cubs were the heroes, so Liu Heming didn’t make them wait until the next day. He quickly cleaned up the Snakehead. It was sort of practice too. He cooked it simply and gave it to them as a late-night snack.

His knife skills were truly impressive, making George and the others watch with envy. After all, they did eat sashimi sometimes, just not too often. Also, Japanese Cuisine wasn’t cheap in the United States, so they couldn’t enjoy it freely.

It was only then that Liu Heming learned fishing also had its rules in the United States. You couldn’t just fish whenever you felt like it.

This was tied to what George had mentioned: the fishing permit. It was managed by the Wildlife Management Bureau, but much simpler than a hunting license—just pay for it directly. Yet, seeing the thick booklet packed with endless rules made Liu Heming’s head spin.

The rules were excessive. There were restrictions on gear, which fish could be caught, and how many could be taken home. Besides, these rules were tweaked slightly every year to protect local fish stocks.

Despite finding it all complicated and troublesome, Liu Heming also felt it was a good thing. Such strict protection truly helped prevent fish species from dying out. That’s because breaking any of these rules, once discovered, meant a fine at best and jail time at worst.

You might say you had money, could do what you pleased, and didn’t care about fines. That might work for some folks back in China, but here in the United States, it meant trouble for your credit record. If a violation went on your record, you’d have a criminal history and could face a really hard time later.

The only good news for him was that Snakeheads were pests here, not protected. So you could catch as many as you wanted, as long as you didn’t sell them.

Liu Heming got up even earlier the next day. He picked some vegetables from the garden, then drove to the market at Glent Town for a big sale. Though he didn’t make much, it was enough to buy fishing gear and bait.

The bait here wasn’t like back home. In China, you could dig up some Earthworms, cut one in half, and stick it on the hook. But doing that here might get you reported—accused of animal cruelty or something.

Back at the Ranch, Alex was a little mad. Why? She was sulking because Liu Heming went out to play without her in the morning. But seeing the fruits he brought back and the little fishing gear he’d prepared just for her, her frown vanished. She beamed, clinging to his neck and refusing to let go.

Before breakfast was even over, George and the others showed up. They felt it was their duty to help Liu Heming rid the lake of those devilish Snakeheads.

“Looks like you’ve all come prepared,” Liu Heming joked, seeing them all geared up.

“We used to fish when the river had water,” George replied with a chuckle. “But it’s been dry like this… honestly, my fishing rod hasn’t been used in over a decade.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll use it plenty from now on. John,” Liu Heming turned to ask, “let’s fish here this morning and head over to your place this afternoon, sound good?”

“Perfect,” John nodded, lifting his fishing rod slightly. “The fish in your lake are definitely the priority.”

The lake was big enough that the group didn’t feel crowded, even with several people. The Little Bears watched with curiosity, though. They couldn’t understand why these humans used long rods with those little fish that tasted terrible. Truly awful—they had just nibbled one and couldn’t even chew it.

Liu Heming attached two fake lures to his daughter’s line. Guiding her little hands, he helped her cast it gently into the water. Alex was thrilled. Her eyes stayed glued to the float. After a while though, her eyes started to sting. She rubbed them. Fishing wasn’t as fun as she’d imagined.

“Come on, sit down and rest,” Liu Heming picked her up and placed her on a small stool. “No need to stare at it the whole time.”

“But the Bear Cubs know how to fish. I want to fish too,” his daughter declared seriously.

“You’ll definitely catch one today,” Liu Heming teased. “Let’s have a contest—see who catches more!”

“Yeah!” Alex nodded enthusiastically. “I’m going to catch a fish this long!” She stretched both hands out wide behind her back.

The Bear Cubs beside her thought this gesture looked fun and tried to copy it. But stretching their paws too far, they wobbled and lost balance, ending up in a fluffy tumble on the ground.

Their antics brought laughter. Alex was adorable, and these two Bear Cubs were just as cute.

As the day grew hotter, everyone set up sunshades. Everyone had thought catching the Snakeheads would be easy. But after over an hour, not a single one had been caught.

Alex was losing patience. Sneaking a glance at Liu Heming focused on his rod, she quietly slipped over to where Sasha was snacking on fruit. Naturally, the Bear Cubs, who’d been eyeing the fruit all along, scampered after her.

“Never thought we’d be worse at fishing than Bear Cubs,” George grinned wryly.

“Honestly, catching nothing would be great,” Liu Heming mused. “It’d mean there were very few devil fish in this lake, and we wouldn’t need to worry anymore.”

“I’m sort of hoping there are plenty,” Liu Heming said with a mysterious smile. “I don’t plan to keep fish in this lake anyway. Seriously? Once you taste how delicious they are, you’ll wish the same.”

These Giant Black Fish were big. Even the first one the Bear Cubs caught must have been large. Liu Heming guessed it was the juice of the Finger Sweet Potato from his System that drew the Snakeheads so fiercely. That explained why the Bear Cubs caught them so quickly.

Fishing required patience anyway. Even without luck, everyone kept casting their lines.

Another ten minutes crept by. Then, almost by chance, Liu Heming noticed his daughter’s rod twitch.

“Alex! Hurry! Your rod! Something’s biting!” Liu Heming called out urgently.

Abandoning her fruit, Alex ran eagerly back to the lakeshore.

Liu Heming had just planned for his daughter to have fun. Surely a little girl couldn’t really reel in a fish? He intended to help her land it if she got something. But Alex was too excited. The moment her hands touched the fishing rod, she tried to yank it up hard.

Down beneath the water, the fish likely felt its meal escaping. It gave a powerful pull. The line snapped taut. With little Alex pulling her hardest against this fierce force… it pulled her off her feet.

At first, everyone just thought it looked amusing—a common tumble for a child. But before Liu Heming could even step closer, the float abruptly sank sharply. And Alex… was suddenly dragged straight into the lake!