"You guys are really enjoying yourselves, sneaking away to hang out here! Once the fish is processed, I'll get cooking. Just wait, the home-cooked dishes will be ready soon!"
It indeed didn't take long, under half an hour, and eight dishes along with a soup were done.
But to Zhang Yang's surprise, Old Zhao hosted more than just Zhang Yang's group. Lang Junfeng's group came in a pack of six and were also on Old Zhao's guest list.
Though handled well, with the two groups unable to fit at one table, the owner arranged two tables: one in the room and one in the woods, ensuring no interference.
Very soon, Meng Xiangqiu came over with the last big pot of ribs, wearing an apron.
"The final dish is up, let's start! I'm going to grab the drinks!"
A whole pack of ordinary Snow Beer was brought over; everyone used their chopsticks to pry them open, quickly creating a bit of a lively atmosphere of a drinking party.
"You all start eating, I'll go to the other room and toast a drink, then I'll be right over! Don't stand on ceremony!" With a word of instruction, Meng Xiangqiu carried a bottle of beer and entered the room.
"Old Lang and his group haven't left!" Wang Jun turned his head and glanced, stating.
Zhao Bingguang: "Normal, guests are guests once through the door, sticking the boss together with you guys running tackle shops, one gets harmed they all do, looking after one another! Just wonder how those solitary anglers handle lunch arrangements!"
While a few whispered, they heard Meng Xiangqiu shout at the top of his lungs with a big mouth at the door: "Hey brothers still fishing, come to the board room, time for dinner! The fishing ground has prepared home-cooked dishes and beer, eat to your fill then fish!"
Upon hearing this call, Zhang Yang felt relaxed.
This style of doing things is just as he remembered Comrade Old Meng; all customers treated equally with no preference.
Wang Jun stealthily peered into the room from behind the board house, whispering: "Two tables in the room! All remaining anglers are taken care of. Should we start eating, or wait a bit?"
Old Zhao: "Let's wait, I suppose they'll come soon!"
Around the table, everyone—including Han Qiang—understood without moving their chopsticks prematurely.
About ten minutes later, Meng Xiangqiu returned carrying a small stool.
"Didn't I tell you all to start eating already? Why haven't you dug in yet?"
"We were waiting for you! Come on, everyone squeeze over and make room for Chef Meng!" Zhang Yang called out, and everyone tucked their legs in a bit, Meng Xiangqiu casually picked an empty spot and sat down.
The melee quickly erupted!
The crowd of anglers, originally a unique group with shared interests, easily formed connections. With the stimulation of alcohol, relationships with Meng Xiangqiu quickly leveled.
The battle-like meal lasted from just before noon till one-thirty, consuming five packs of beer entirely save for Wang Jun and Meng Fan, who didn't drink, averaging a pack per person.
More astonishing was, this bunch handled alcohol well; after nine bottles of beer went down, everybody was just mildly tipsy with none drunk.
Having eaten and drunk well, Old Zhao and Zhang Yang exchanged a glance, standing almost simultaneously to say goodbye, heading back home to find their families.
Old Zhao, Wang Jun, and Meng Fan, having finished fishing, didn't rush home but took Zhang Yang back to the shop; post-battle debriefing was their habit, anyhow it was not busy time back home.
"This boss here, beats Diao Changhe hands down!" Just as they entered, Zhao Bingguang chimed suddenly.
Wang Jun agreed: "I also think he's better than Diao Changhe! He even provides meals with the fishing! Diao Changhe won't give even a bottle of water!"
"Without bias, this noon chow of that small rooster was truly pretty tasty!"
Hearing their evaluation of Old Meng like this, Zhang Yang grinned, pressed the button for boiling water, and remarked: "The owner used to be in the army! Even before the fishing ground opened I heard of this person, very upright style, enjoys a nice reputation in the village!"
"Yet fishing seems a bit disappointing, what's the matter Xiao Zhang, give us a breakdown! Why is it the same bait in lures, fish yields can't match up to Oil House?"
"Yes, big bro Yang, provide an analysis! I'm curious too!" Meng Fan seldom joined in voicing agreement.
Zhang Yang didn't immediately explain but first asked: "Do you all believe that catching eighty to ninety pounds, even over a hundred pounds of fish in a black pool, is normal yield?"
"Normal! Many times before now, those numbers, you even fished above one-hundred forty, haven't you?" Wang Jun retorted confidently.
Zhang Yang shook his head: "I can assuredly answer: not normal! At Oil House Fishing Ground, it's a misperception caused by biased positioning!"
"Misconception?"
"Yes! Misconception! Total stocking of eight hundred pounds yet we can catch over a hundred pounds per person, not normal at all! I think there are two main factors!"
Zhao Bingguang: "What factors, tell us!"
"First, average yield per person!
Eight hundred pounds, twenty-five people fishing, an average of just over thirty pounds each!
Catching over a hundred pounds, how much did we take from others? How many went empty or caught a couple because of this?
Second factor: biased positioning!
Oil House is hugely biased, aside from the midsection of north and south shores, and this west side area, the rest regions witness ordinary yields!
But in Meng Village, today's yield is relatively more balanced.
Before leaving, I asked casually.
By late morning, over six hundred sixty pounds were collected, with seven or eight anglers yet to pack up. Conservatively estimated, over eight hundred pounds of fish will appear today!
Total stock of a thousand pounds, over eight hundred pounds output, eighty percent yield rate, can you say this pit's output isn't great?"
After Zhang Yang's breakdown, Old Zhao and Wang Jun exchanged a glance, not saying anything.
Stock a thousand, out eight hundred on the same day, anywhere represents excellent yield.
"Big bro Yang, your reasoning makes sense to me; output is more balanced, hence difficult to achieve exaggerated single-person yields!" Meng Fan weakly queried.
"Correct! Want to rescue a haul, it needs either super high population density or localized high density!
In Oil House, we command a prime midsection site, biased positioning, leading to localized high density, enhancing the snowball effect of fishing skills and tactics!
Otherwise, randomly achieving over a hundred with just skills and tactics would be significantly challenging! Thus, I state that previous Oil House achievements were abnormal!"
"In this light, bait efficacy wasn't as exaggerated as previously thought?" Old Zhao probed further staring into Zhang Yang's eyes.
This question was quite pointed, but Zhang Yang never intentionally exaggerated bait potency, hence bluntly replied.
"Of course! Proper bait mix, potent flavors, can somewhat impact catches, yet not at levels of mere usage yielding explosive hauls!
On this note, I urge you not to overly worship this notion!
If forced for a breakdown of impacts on catches ratios personally, I suggest: positioning counts seventy percent, fishing skills and techniques twenty percent, last ten percent involves bait!
Alternatively put, in Oil House, random draw for fishing, poor position could easily see one empty handed! But at Meng Village, sitting any spot, over eighty percent chance I'm landing fish!
Market fish over four-and-half, returning fish just three a pound, losing over a buck per pound difference; landing fish has already earned larger gain from the owner—a typical reality in black pools!"
Wang Jun irritably scratched his head: "Damn, hearing your breakdown, it does seem to be true!"
"Seeing this, once Meng Village opens, it'll be tough for Diao Changhe!" Zhao Bingguang commented thoughtfully.
Zhang Yang fully agreed with Zhao Bingguang's viewpoint; straightforward logic was, players in black pools at this stage were mostly ordinary anglers, people like Zhang Yang being few specialists.
At Oil House Fishing Ground, masses often might catch one or two fish during a proper session, even going empty.
But venturing to Meng Village is different; positions yield more uniformly, friendlier to ordinary people; under similar charges, business naturally becomes better.