The people of the "Little Sun Country" were as blindly arrogant as ever, acting as if they had already won the championship, but they soon couldn't laugh anymore.
This was because the newly returned Goryeo Ginseng team had surpassed them, dominating the top spot with 8823 points. As the saying goes, hatred makes one's eyes burn when enemies meet. This millennium-old enmity, this geologically hostile rival, the Goryeo Ginseng team was even happier to have surpassed the "Little Sun" than to have won the championship.
The mocking laughter from the former had the "Little Sun" team stomping their feet in anger. Losing to anyone else would have been acceptable, but losing to them? They were in for a tough time back home. Of course, ritual suicide by disembowelment was out of the question. Bushido spirit? That was just to deceive ordinary people. No one would just grab a knife and stab themselves for no reason, though it wasn't unheard of, it was only done under duress.
The two teams were now locked in a stalemate, trading insults across the water. Their chattering was unintelligible to anyone, but their expressions were incredibly vivid.
The outside audience, who were well aware of the deep-seated animosity between the two countries, knew that spectatorism wasn't just a domestic pastime; it thrived abroad as well, just in different forms. Witness the crowds singing and dancing, drinking beer and cheering, some even improvising rap battles – it was quite a spectacle.
At some point, the laughter died down, and all eyes turned to a ship flying the flag of "Flowery Flag Country" on the sea. A rumbling sound approached, growing louder, and soon the vessel docked at its designated berth.
At this moment, all the tourists, spectators, and even the participating contestants became expectant. This was the champion of the previous two competitions, and if they won again this year, it would be their third consecutive victory, a first in the history of the tournament.
The most excited and anxious individuals on the scene were Robert and a group of high-ranking officials from the organizing committee, as this directly concerned their wallets and their reputation.
As staff members systematically boarded the ship to record the weights, massive fish like bluefin tuna and marlin were hoisted off, eliciting thunderous cheers from the crowd.
It wasn't over yet. When a colossal figure appeared before their eyes, the entire venue fell silent. It was too enormous; "beast" was the only fitting description.
Everyone waited with bated breath for the final data. The large screen flashed, revealing the answer: seeing the figure of 1275 pounds on the screen, almost everyone gasped. Was this something a human could catch?
This was followed by wave after wave of cheers and shouts, "Flowery Flag... Flowery Flag..."
Arthur, along with his three teammates on the ship, were beaming with pride. Looking at the total score of 9999 points on the screen, they were just a sliver away from making history. This was enough to brag about for a lifetime. Although it was slightly unsavory, it was par for the course for a nation with their unscrupulous moral compass.
Arthur and his team, basking in the blessings and envious gazes of everyone, walked towards the podium. Robert and his counterparts, in an unusual display of eagerness, greeted them enthusiastically. This was a rare sight, likely an attempt to show off and gather votes, as the next gubernatorial election was fast approaching.
"Welcome, our warriors!"
"It is our honor, Mayor Robert!"
"Hahaha, you performed excellently this time. Rest over there for now, and we'll have a celebration for you tonight!"
It was evident that Robert was in an exceptionally good mood. Although the Hua Xia team had not yet returned, he had no doubt or belief that they would lose. While enjoying this moment of glory, he was already contemplating how to spend the million-dollar bonus he had won from the betting pools.
The setting sun bled like blood, the golden crow descending in the west.
Robert, who had been anxiously watching the clock, couldn't help but smile. With only 5 minutes left, victory was assured. Just as he was about to burst into celebration, a long and distant foghorn sounded. Only the sound was heard, no object was visible. The tourists and spectators on the shore curiously scanned the sea.
At this moment, a small black dot in the distance gradually enlarged, slowly revealing its true form. Wasn't that the Hua Xia team?
As the ship drew nearer, and the dilapidated cabin, along with the exposed tail and head of a sailfish, became visible, everyone was stunned. What was going on?
Onboard, Li Haochen and the others breathed a sigh of relief, finally making it back.
As the saying goes, the layman watches the excitement, while the expert observes the details. As the Hua Xia team's boat sailed past, all the participating contestants squinted, including the Flowery Flag team. The waterline was highly unusual, and Arthur now felt a trace of nervousness, lacking confidence in his heart.
A few seconds after they docked, the competition clock sounded. This last-minute arrival gave Li Haochen and his three teammates a fright, making them break into a cold sweat. "Damn it, if we were even a moment later, we'd be finished."
Robert, while cursing inwardly, felt his insides churn. "Damn it, who the hell are they trying to annoy?"
While Robert cursed internally, the staff members also grumbled. "Fishing is fishing, but you caught it *inside* the cabin? How are we supposed to get it in and out?"
However, the audience didn't see it that way; they were filled with curiosity. This was a marvel of the world! To have caught a fish *into* the cabin was truly one of a kind, like a scorpion pooping in a unique manner.
In the end, after seeking permission from the organizers, they had no choice but to saw it open, lifting the cabin roof. To avoid delaying the process, the organizers dispatched additional personnel to saw and clean simultaneously for weighing.
Li Haochen's team, on the other hand, was no longer nervous. They were very confident in their haul from this competition. More importantly, their superiors had only set a target of a top-five finish. If they didn't achieve that with this catch, they would die with no regrets.
With each fish hoisted and each pound added, the Hua Xia team's ranking steadily climbed. Then, a super behemoth, the focus of global attention, was lifted. Everyone gasped in amazement. It was incredible, how had they managed to defeat such a colossal creature?
As everyone marveled, a group of people from the "Little Sun Country" were beating their chests in distress. "Such a shame, such a pity. To waste such a specimen!"
At this moment, shouts of astonishment and exclamations reverberated throughout the venue, wave after wave, ceaseless. The results were out: 1450 pounds, and it had broken the 30-year-old record for bluefin tuna. It was magnificent! With this single catch, the Hua Xia team's ranking instantly surged to second place, less than 300 pounds behind the Flowery Flag team. But let's not forget the sailfish lodged in their cabin.
At this point, Robert's face turned ashen. He knew it was a lost cause, his mind went blank, and everything he had worked for would turn to dust. Arthur's team, seated in the center of the podium, felt as if they had swallowed excrement. They had been smugly self-satisfied moments ago, but now their faces were severely bruised, and they wished they could find a hole to crawl into.
"Wow~ It broke another record!"
"So exciting, it was worth coming this year."
The scene erupted in renewed clamor. Upon inspection, the weight of that sailfish was also revealed: 1246 pounds, one pound heavier than the Flowery Flag team's big yellowfin. This sailfish was undoubtedly the brightest star of the night, breaking a record that had stood for half a century. Moreover, this was the first time since the competition began that a sailfish had surpassed the thousand-pound mark, a truly monumental achievement.
But it wasn't over yet. The screen suddenly flashed, announcing another record-breaking achievement: the Hua Xia team, with an astounding 14045 points, had successfully ascended to the pinnacle, becoming the first team in history to break the ten-thousand-point barrier.
Three records in one competition. At this moment, all the glory belonged solely to Hua Xia.