NEC Chapter 91: The Old Bird Takes the Bait, the Young Lady's Farewell

Chen Mo was busy now.

He was busy fishing... oh no, "fishing" for people!

The guard team members were already settled, the auxiliary personnel and supplies were being handled by Cloudmist Domain's old scribe. What he most urgently needed now was to lure away that old man who loved fishing.

Chen Mo first found a wild pond and, accompanied by the strange looks from Cloudmist Domain guards, began "cramming" practice.

Mainly practicing posture.

Could fishing be taught? Yes, but definitely not in such a short time.

Although East Xia had gathered what could be said to be the best group of fishing masters in the entire country, even bringing in various experts who caught lobsters, crabs, eels, and used cage traps, working together with collective wisdom, unfortunately, the requirements for the student were too high.

Even simulation students selected from the military with the strongest learning ability and best comprehension couldn't master skilled fishing techniques in such a short time.

Faced with the mountain-like task demands from superior leadership and the work situation that the grassroots teams simply couldn't complete, several middle management leaders met and decided: there was really no other way, they had to cheat.

From the beginning, engineering and technical personnel had been collecting data. Now that leadership gave the word, the technical team began full intervention.

Soon, integrating the fishing experience of various masters with numerous high-tech components, such an "automatic fishing rod" was created.

It consisted of a main rod, a full-rod transmission system, multi-level sensing systems, several sets of chips, and auxiliary supporting equipment like fishing buckets and fish nets.

The entire fishing process worked like this: first, student Chen Mo had to perform the initial baiting, that is, scatter some food scraps and such according to Starry Continent traditions.

Old man Glen Downs baited daily, and the fish there were all raised fat by him. Chen Mo borrowing a bit shouldn't be a problem.

Along with the bait, a micro scanner would be sent underwater, scanning back and forth at the bait location, feeding information about attracted fish schools back to the "fishing bucket" that served as the operational processing center.

The upper layer of the fishing bucket contained various grains, animal proteins, spices, sweeteners, fermentation agents, feeding stimulants, and so on at different positions. Based on information fed back by the scanner, the bucket would mix bait and stimulate fish olfactory senses by adding functional additives to attract fish closer.

A large mixed portion was for secondary baiting, while a small portion was refined bait for hooking.

To compensate for student Chen Mo's lack of experience, the fishing hook would send signals at important nodes, reminding Chen Mo through sensor vibrations when to lift the rod, when to reel in the line...

As for suggestions from some technicians for fully automatic fishing where the hook would go underwater, find fish on its own, rush up to electrocute or drug them unconscious, then actively insert itself into their mouths, this was firmly denounced and strongly opposed by the group of fishing enthusiasts.

This was blasphemy against the "great" endeavor of fishing!

The leadership seemed to understand this sentiment, believing that even when cheating, the participatory experience of the fishing process should be moderately preserved.

Besides, old man Downs was also a fishing person and a magic master. If he discovered something fishy, it could easily backfire.

Ultimately, this somewhat thick and heavy fishing rod was designed with both semi-automatic and fully manual modes. Semi-automatic would send node information, while fully manual relied on watching the float with one's own eyes.

Chen Mo could switch between modes at any time.

After spending an afternoon familiarizing himself with the fishing rod, early the next morning, Chen Mo impatiently knocked on Master Downs' door.

Master Downs still had messy hair and was lazily leaning against a large stone.

For a water mage to maintain personal freshness was extremely simple, but the old man maintained this perpetually unwashed, slovenly state. This made his two old servants deliberately maintain the same style as Downs, even dirtier than him.

Even their clothes were deliberately torn.

Without doing this, when guests came they might think Master Downs was the servant, which would be inappropriate.

Chen Mo didn't stand on ceremony either, squatting down in front of the old man and offering a Spirit Deer Moss Fruit from the Gloomy Forest.

The elf race emphasized natural affinity, so they could often cultivate various strange animals and plants. Especially in plant categories, most plants with magical effects came from the Gloomy Forest.

This was said to be inseparable from the elves' exclusive Spring of Life.

The elf race also relied on these specialties to exchange for various survival materials and limited weapons from human society, maintaining their forest tribal life.

Honestly, after carefully reviewing the historical materials about elves and humans, Chen Mo felt that the human race in the Starry Continent was really too wasteful.

If this were Blue Star's East Xia, they would definitely first try to learn the elves' unique techniques. If they really couldn't learn them, forget about stealing their plains, East Xia would package and lease all fertile land to them, and the elves could just plant to their hearts' content.

When mature, come to us to exchange for industrial products. Win-win, must be win-win.

Spirit Deer Moss Fruit had a sweet and sour taste. According to the elves, it was full of spiritual energy, heavenly essence and earthly splendor, could cure hundreds of diseases and resolve thousands of sorrows...

Of course, from the price of one silver coin each, these hundreds of diseases probably couldn't be anything serious.

The old man cheerfully accepted it, casually wiped the fruit with his sleeve, and took a crunching bite.

Chen Mo's eyebrows twitched as he watched.

He felt that if the old man hadn't wiped it like that, eating it directly might have been cleaner.

"You gave me a fruit but scared away one of my fish. We're even!"

The old man wiped his mouth with his soy-sauce-colored sleeve and continued fishing.

Seeing the old man being unreasonable again, Chen Mo decided to be direct.

"Master Downs, you've been fishing for over twenty years. As for me, as you know, I studied with you for three days and cast fewer than ten times total."

"Don't say that!" The old mage waved his hand very decisively. "You didn't catch a single fish, so don't say you learned from me. It's embarrassing!"

"So, Master, do you dare compete with me? Just in fishing!"

The old man turned around with a puzzled expression.

"If I can beat the Master, please come live in my territory for one year, just one year. When the territory's protection period is almost up, I'll respectfully escort the Master back. How about it?"

The old man burst out laughing.

"You're leaving and getting desperate, wanting to gamble on luck with me?"

Whether Chen Mo could fish was still visible at a glance. The old mage was completely certain this was a pure novice who had at best watched others cast lines.

As for cheating, that was even more ridiculous. This was a water master's own fish pond in his own courtyard.

"Won't compete, won't compete. What's the point of bullying a little kid?"

"Oh, oh, you don't dare compete!"

The old man laughed even harder, "Provoking me won't work either. It's like ground dwarves from Gotarin wanting to compare height with long-bearded giants from Redpeak Valley. If the giant even glances, their brain must have been stolen by dwarves."

However, a few minutes later, the old man's smile froze on his face.

Seeing the old man firmly refuse to take the bait, Chen Mo helplessly gave up on provocation. But since he had no more requests, naturally he didn't need to be cautious anymore. Chen Mo decided that since he couldn't take the person away, he'd take all the fish!

With this thought, Chen Mo mixed the strongest bait, used the most powerful feeding stimulant, then directly set up the highest configuration of the current fishing plan: three rods with fifteen hooks.

This was a case of "if you won't let me have a good time, I won't let you have one either."

Chen Mo had brought two Cloudmist Domain guards who, under his direction, began the cycle of catching fish, untangling hooks, baiting hooks, baiting hooks, catching fish, untangling hooks.

Master Downs directly threw down his own rod and squatted beside Chen Mo, eyes fixed on the water surface. Chen Mo secretly glanced over and felt the old man's eyeballs had slightly protruded.

After watching Chen Mo pull up the sixth rod, naturally not missing a single cast, with two rods catching double fish, the old man finally couldn't hold back.

"This, this... where did you get this fishing rod?"

Chen Mo smiled slightly, "Will you go to Vast Sea? If you go, I'll give it to you!"

Downs stood up, pointing at Chen Mo and panting heavily for a long time, finally helplessly waving his hand.

"Won't go. There are no fish in the Saltwater Flats, what would I do there?"

Huh? Was that the reason?

Chen Mo quickly stood up and shouted loudly, "There are fish in the sea!"

"We can go sea fishing! I'll get you a boat, sea fishing rods. I guarantee you can catch big sea fish, the kind that takes two people to carry!"

The old man tilted his head, falling into long contemplation.

Some problems, once you find the key point, are easily solved.

After round after round of communication and negotiation, mainly after the old man personally tried Chen Mo's "divine fishing rod" in full manual mode, he ultimately couldn't resist the temptation and agreed to make the trip, though with many conditions attached.

Chen Mo agreed to everything without hesitation and made a solemn promise that after reaching Vast Sea Territory, if he didn't let Master Downs catch big fish within a month, he would pay huge compensation plus respectfully escort him back to Cloudmist Domain.

Thus, the last of three major matters was finally settled.

The following brief period was filled with frenzy, chaos, tension, and busyness for Cloudmist Domain and Chen Mo, who was staying there as a guest!

The intensity of battles on the southern and western fronts grew higher and higher, with both sides preparing to seize as many bargaining chips as possible before the final deadline.

The two behemoths, Resting Moon Dynasty and Mistmoon Divine Court, engaged in intense confrontation in the northern Phantom Sound Valley. Skirmishes between scouts never stopped, aerial knights repeatedly engaged in aerial combat and suppression, only to be driven back again and again by the opposing ground fire.

The main legion-level forces of both sides were at their closest distance of less than seventy kilometers apart, and an earth-shaking battle seemed about to erupt.

However, under the butterfly-like coordination of diplomats flying back and forth, both sides ultimately restrained their impulses.

Instead, before the ceasefire deadline agreed upon by both sides, the various small nations below fought themselves into mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Like a volcanic eruption destined to destroy heaven and earth, once again through local wars among subordinate vassals below, some of the pressure that was about to burst was slightly released, temporarily stopping the eruption.

But everyone knew the magma was still flowing beneath the earth.

If they didn't fight today, they would certainly fight tomorrow, and probably more bloodily and cruelly.

Chen Mo was the one who inadvertently added fuel to the fire.

The grain prices that had already been climbing due to the outbreak of war and military plunder were sent soaring by student Chen's large-scale purchasing.

The old scribe repeatedly tried to persuade with good intentions, "Wait just a month or two. Once the great powers finish talking and the war stops, grain prices will definitely drop. Then at just half, or even a quarter of the current price, you could..."

Chen Mo smiled politely, "If I stop purchasing grain now, will you come with me to Vast Sea Territory?"

The old scribe immediately fell silent.

"Then fine, let's continue purchasing according to plan!"

Actually, there was no plan. Chen Mo's conditions were simple and clear: appropriate premium over current market price, unlimited purchasing.

Not only was the departing convoy loaded to capacity, Chen Mo also rented several large local warehouses, preparing to stuff them full of grain. Once he established himself in Vast Sea Territory, the grain stored here would continuously flow to Vast Sea.

According to the old scribe's estimate, just the grain already stored was enough to feed at least fifty thousand people for a year, while that Vast Sea place might not even yield five hundred residents.

What exactly was this guy planning to do?

Finally, the earl personally intervened and met with Chen Mo.

"What are you purchasing so much grain for?"

Chen Mo answered righteously, "The scribe you sent told me that in barren and desolate lands, grain works better than gold coins, so I'm treating it like saving money!"

The old scribe beside them tightly covered his face and buried his head under the table.

The earl didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

After communication between lords, the earl agreed to transport grain according to Chen Mo's needs after Cloudmist Domain's production recovered, finally barely resolving this inflation crisis caused by "monetary input."

After finishing business, before farewell, Earl Liuyun stopped Chen Mo.

"My daughter has already left the duchy for Resting Moon. Before departing, she entrusted me to give this to you, sir."

A quite exquisite small box with a delicate, one-time magic runic lock fastened on top.

Just like those bottles on Blue Star that must be destructively opened, designed specifically to prevent others from peeking.

Obviously, the young lady harbored deep dissatisfaction with her father.

After all, due to wariness of the "Sky Empire," after entering Cloudmist Domain, the lord had deliberately isolated contact between the young lady and Chen Mo, perfectly playing the role of a father who hid his daughter away completely.

Returning to his residence, Chen Mo opened the brocade box.

A letter and a badge with dewdrops on new leaves.

"Chen Mo, Father says I can't see you anymore. I'm very unhappy, but there's nothing I can do.

I have no more relatives, only him. I don't want him to be sad.

But I'm very sad myself!

I miss Uncle Paven, Aunt Linda, and sometimes Grandpa Locke too.

I miss you too!

Oh, and Little White! Will I be able to see it again in the future?

This [Sprout] badge was given to me by my elf aunt. Every March 3rd, send someone with it to Red Tree Highlands to find the elves. They'll give me many things, including [Everchant Essence].

I'm giving them all to you, not even one to Father, who told him not to let me see you!

Um... if by chance you can't use them all, leave him one, just one.

I don't know what else to say. So annoying, so sad!

Remember to come find me!"

Chen Mo closed the letter and looked up toward the distant east.

Everyone was walking their own journey.

And the burden on his own shoulders seemed heavier.

At such a young age, he was already carrying the earnest hopes of a great nation of over a billion people.

So, it was time to set out!

[NEXT CHAPTER]