Farming Games are All About Grinding-Chapter 102 The Great Fish Theft Operation (Thanks to the Lazy Fish in Lan River for the 10,000 reward)

Chapter 102: Chapter 102 The Great Fish Theft Operation (Thanks to the Lazy Fish in Lan River for the 10,000 reward)

After stepping out of the house, Han Qiwu noticed a notification for an unread email popping up above the mailbox.

"A notice about the Rainwater event?"

Han Qiwu walked over to the mailbox, opened it, and took out the unfolded Parchment inside:

[Rainwater: The rain following the start of spring. When the eastern wind thaws the frozen earth, it disperses into rain. The eastern wind thaws the ground, hibernating insects begin to stir, fish rise to the surface, and otters sacrifice fish.]

[Rainwater Event: The Great Fish Heist will begin at 8:00 AM.]

[The event location has been marked.]

Han Qiwu: "...Stealing vegetables during the Lantern Festival, stealing fish on Rainwater Day."

Can’t I just make an honest living with my own two hands?

Do we really have to walk the path of unearned gains?

[The event rewards are generous. Please participate promptly.]

Han Qiwu: "....."

Silently, he opened the map, put on a raincoat, packed up tools and supplies, and got on his bike to head to the event location.

If not for the lucrative rewards! Han "Silent" Qiwu wouldn’t be biking through the rain for such a long way to take part!

The map showed the event location was beside a small river Han Qiwu had never been to before, about a 30-minute bike ride away.

To avoid missing the event time, Han Qiwu went there more than an hour early.

On the way, Han Qiwu even took the time to look up the story of the otters sacrificing fish.

"Otters sacrificing fish refers to how otters, after catching fish, often line them up by the water as if offering a sacrifice. In literature, it symbolizes piling up facts or stories excessively to construct something."

"The Great Fish Heist? Could it be... stealing fish from otters?" Han Qiwu wondered aloud while biking, thinking that according to the weather forecast, there might be heavy rain in the afternoon and evening, so it was best to finish the event in the morning.

Spring rain is as precious as oil.

Drizzly raindrops fell on the budding green fields, full of life and vitality.

Muddy splashes rudely hit his freshly donned raincoat, making him utterly uncomfortable.

The 30-minute bike ride stretched to twice as long under the interference of the rain.

When he arrived near the event location, Han Qiwu, clad in his raincoat, left muddy marks with every step as he headed toward the riverbank where the event was set to take place.

The small river was barely five or six meters wide, with a fast-flowing current. About five or six meters away from the event area, there was a small, old stone bridge.

"It really takes a lot of effort just to participate in an event, huh." Leaning against a tree, Han Qiwu sighed with some exasperation.

[The otter sacrificing fish is a hallmark of Rainwater. For the naturally fierce otters, excess fish-killing has become instinctual. To protect the ecosystem, please use various tools to steal as many fish as possible from the Giant-Clawed Otter. Note: The event will end prematurely if the Giant-Clawed Otter touches you.]

[The Great Fish Heist is about to start! You have fifteen minutes. Please prepare!]

"What does stealing their fish even have to do with protecting the ecosystem? Is this some kind of garbage collection?" Han Qiwu complained helplessly, taking a deep breath and getting ready for the fish-stealing adventure.

"Splish-splash."

As the sound of water arose, an otter surfaced. This otter didn’t look quite like the cute ones Han Qiwu had seen in videos before.

Its body was nearly a meter long, its claws were exceptionally developed and looked razor-sharp, and above its head was a nameplate: [Giant-Clawed Otter].

After surfacing, the Giant-Clawed Otter shook its head and paddled a few times in the water. One fish after another practically flung itself onto the riverbank.

"That strong?" Han Qiwu studied the terrain and prepared to use the stone bridge to accomplish his fish-stealing mission.

Crossing the stone bridge to the other side of the river, Han Qiwu pulled out his fishing rod and cast it far across the river to the opposite bank.

The sound of the fishing hook hitting the water immediately caught the Giant-Clawed Otter’s attention. It rose out of the water to stare at Han Qiwu before flipping its tail and swimming straight over.

Seeing this, Han Qiwu quickly reeled in his fishing rod, jumped on his bike, and rushed to the stone bridge. Seizing the chance before the otter caught on, he cast his hook toward the fish the otter had placed on the bank.

Fortunately, Han Qiwu had trained in Secret Fisher Techniques and Strength Building. Under pressure, one solid cast hooked the gills of a large fish.

Seeing his catch, Han Qiwu quickly reeled it in. By then, the Giant-Clawed Otter had climbed to the opposite side of the river, standing tall and searching for Han Qiwu.

After reeling in the fish, Han Qiwu crouched behind a stone at the bridge’s edge, keeping his head down to examine the fish’s stats.

A fish this big—if there weren’t any rewards later—it could still fetch a good price if sold.

Provided it wasn’t a quest item.

[Quest Item: Giant Carp]

All right then.

Time to keep going!

The ten minutes flew by, leaving Han Qiwu utterly exhausted.

Turns out this game was designed to make you practice shuttle runs!

With three minutes left, Han Qiwu decided to pull a big stunt.

First, he took out an eel he’d brought along and carefully fixed it to the hook. Then, he slowly extended the rod to tease the Giant-Clawed Otter.

"Meow-meow?"

When the Giant-Clawed Otter saw the lively, squirming eel, it swam over, reaching out to grab it. Its cries sounded a bit like a cat but lacked the sharpness, making it strangely endearing.

After catching its attention, Han Qiwu quickly reeled the rod back to the bridge. He secured it in place and made a dash for the bank on his bike, pulling up the front of his raincoat as he haphazardly stuffed in fish.

"Ten thousand gold coins. When on earth can I upgrade my storage slots?" Han Qiwu muttered in frustration while packing, lamenting that with more storage space, he wouldn’t have to carry these fish by hand.

"Meow-meow!!"

The Giant-Clawed Otter seemed to notice what he was up to. It dived into the water and swam straight at Han Qiwu, tail in full throttle.

"Not good—time to scram!"

Clutching the fish-filled raincoat in one hand, Han Qiwu pedaled frantically to make his getaway.

He rode along the riverbank while the otter swam in pursuit. The muddy rains made him hesitant to speed up, while the otter grew increasingly fast. It surged ahead, climbed ashore, and sprang toward Han Qiwu’s side.

Seeing this, Han Qiwu calmly made a quick right turn to avoid the otter, waving as he called out, "See you later!"

In his view, the game timer hit zero.

[The Great Fish Heist has ended.]

[Fish stolen: 29]

[Based on the number of fish stolen, you may select one of the following rewards:]

[Reward One: 2,900 Gold]

[Reward Two: Fishing Level +1]

[Reward Three: Fish Recipe ×3]

[Since you did not harm the ancient creature—the Giant-Clawed Otter—you have unlocked an additional option:]

[Bonus Reward: Giant-Clawed Otter Cub ×1]

[Please make your selection within ten seconds.]

As soon as the game timer hit zero, the Giant-Clawed Otter beside Han Qiwu dissolved into white light and disappeared.

"No wonder it looked different—it was an ancient creature." Han Qiwu hurriedly studied the rewards displayed in his view.

To be honest, if there hadn’t been a bonus reward, Han Qiwu definitely would’ve chosen the fishing level or the recipes.

But life isn’t about what-ifs.

"I choose the bonus reward."

[Giant-Clawed Otter: Highly reliant temperament. Carnivore. As an adult, its claws can reach 50cm in length. Its fur is rare and silky. Extinct in the present era.]

[Please name your pet. After naming, additional stats will be available for viewing.]