The young guy is named Lin Hao, he's Lin Nianwei's cousin, genuinely tagging along with his uncle during summer vacation to have fun and gain some experience, basically a casual player.
The siblings have a very good relationship, so swapping work badges privately didn't draw anyone's attention.
This spur-of-the-moment decision by Lin Nianwei, she couldn't quite say what was on her mind at the time, anyway, upon seeing the familiar rod bag logo and the familiar back, her head got hot, and she agreed to her cousin's suggestion.
After swapping badges, Lin Nianwei pretended to be calm and walked toward Zone 11. It was only a few dozen meters walk, and soon she reached the fishing spot in Zone 11, and before the competition started, she found a spot under the shade of a tree not far away and started fiddling with her phone.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yang had already placed his gear conveniently.
The bait was also ready, he just needed to fine-tune the bobber and rig to find the right depth, and then he could wait for the competition to start and fish.
At the new fishing spot, Zhang Yang was sneakily observing his surroundings.
Zone 11 was close to the entrance, and the neighboring anglers on the left and right arrived at the fishing spots quickly, and within a few minutes, people were seated on both sides.
At this point, the angler sitting to Zhang Yang's left, a man in his early thirties, proactively greeted Zhang Yang.
"Hey, buddy! Where are you from? I feel like you look familiar!"
Hearing the greeting, Zhang Yang looked up at the person. The person was quite plain-looking, and Zhang Yang had no recollection of such a person, definitely hadn't met him before.
"I'm from W City! Brother, we probably haven't met, right?" Zhang Yang smiled kindly.
"W City? I actually don't have friends from W City, I'm a local here!
But I'm not just trying to make small talk, I'm sure I've seen you somewhere! My brain just can't recall it right now!"
The nearby fishing fellow said while scratching his head, his expression of thoughtful frowning didn't look like he was lying.
This state lasted for about twenty seconds before the nearby angler slapped his forehead excitedly and said, "I got it! 'Black Pit Rivers and Lakes,' right, have you filmed videos on 'Black Pit Rivers and Lakes'? Zhang Yang, you're Zhang Yang!!"
Upon hearing the neighboring angler mention 'Black Pit Rivers and Lakes,' Zhang Yang suddenly realized.
Seeing a familiar face doesn't necessarily mean they've met in real life; he had started producing and uploading fishing videos since the second half of last year,
and there have been dozens of episodes now, so it's not surprising to be recognized by a fan, especially since the subscriber count on his public account surpassed the 250,000 mark.
Zhang Yang grinned: "It's me, hello brother! Didn't expect to meet a fan at the river fishing competition!"
"Absolutely a hardcore fan! I watch every episode of your public account videos! Didn't expect you to be so young in real life!
After the competition, let's hang out? I'd like to treat you to a meal, you're in Zheng City, let me be a good host!"
The nearby fishing buddy was really enthusiastic, it showed that he sincerely wanted to entertain Zhang Yang.
"Uh, it's not very convenient, we came as a group and there are other things to handle, maybe next time if there's a chance! Let's add each other as friends, and I definitely won't refuse when there's an opportunity!"
Although Zhang Yang was strategically developing his public account, he never considered himself some online celebrity with airs; randomly leeching a meal off a fan wasn't his style, so he tactfully declined by appearing to agree.
"That... sounds okay, let's add friends first, later I can brag to my fishing buddies on Black Pit that I know Zhang Yang!"
The other party didn't persist excessively and readily agreed, taking out his phone to add Zhang Yang on WeChat.
After becoming friends, this buddy continued to ask: "I smell that the bait you're using today is quite strong, is it a new product? Or is it enhanced with some additives?
How come the products you recommend in the videos don't have an online store link? I've inquired in many places and can't buy them!"
With this casual reminder from the other party, Zhang Yang was momentarily stunned, and instantly the idea of a Taobao store popped into his mind.
Previously he was focused on expanding offline channels and hadn't thought about a Taobao store, but now a casual remark from the other party immediately gave Zhang Yang a direction for his next stage of development.
"Just started working on it, haven't had the time to set it up yet!
You know Brother Luo from Pengcheng Fishing Tackle, right? They're our local distributors with stock! You can check out the store later!" Zhang Yang replied casually.
"Pengcheng Fishing Tackle? Is the owner named Luo Dapeng? It's a bit far from my place, I know the name, but haven't been there yet!"
"Yes! Brother Luo registered for the river fishing tournament too, I was at his store for a while the afternoon before last!"
"Thanks, I'll drive over to check it out later! I blanked in the first session this morning, only caught six fish, but meeting you makes it worthwhile, to see up close how a pro fishes!"
"Haha, you're too kind, what you see in the videos is the same as real life, it's not as complicated as you think, just some experience and some details! Practice makes perfect!" Zhang Yang said amiably.
"You take care of your fishing, don't worry about me, I won't disturb you! How did you do this morning? Here's hoping you place in the competition!"
"Thanks!"
...
That's how anglers are, even though it's their first meeting, with fishing as a common ground, once they start chatting and find shared interests, they can talk for a long time.
With heads down, the two murmured softly, and before they knew it, more than ten minutes had passed.
After a bit more small talk, the competition's loudspeaker came on again, and with a whistle, the second round of the afternoon's competition resumed.