Chapter 548

Fang Qi now felt that he was a fishing genius—a genius among geniuses.

Just look at what was happening right now—

“Liguang, the landing net! Hurry, hurry, hurry!!”

“Coming, Master, coming!”

Liguang quickly dropped the hook in her hand and trotted over!

Carrying the large landing net, she raced across the wooden deck barefoot, her feet going slap, slap, slap against the boards.

Fang Qi gripped the fishing rod with both hands. The rod had already bent into a heart-stopping arc!

The fishing line thrummed under the strain, while beneath the surface, a dark shape continued its final struggle!

“Hold steady, Master! Liguang is here!”

The silver-haired girl gripped the long handle of the net with both hands and aimed it at the churning shadow beneath the water—

Then scooped!

Splash!

She lifted the landing net high into the air!

Under the sunlight, there was…

A grouper a full half-meter long, thrashing desperately inside the net!

Its scales reflected shimmering silver light, and droplets of water flew everywhere, splattering Fang Qi’s face!

“Woo-hoo!”

Fang Qi let out an excited cry!

Awesome!

What a huge fish!

He tossed the fishing rod aside and leaned over to admire the grouper still struggling inside the net.

This size, this weight—if they sold it at a seafood market, wouldn’t it fetch several hundred yuan?

No, several thousand!

Fishing was easy!

How did those fishing nuts manage not to catch anything?

What a bunch of amateurs!

His confidence swelled to unprecedented heights, and he practically had his nose in the air!

Thump!

A muffled sound rang out.

Fang Qi looked down and saw the silver-haired girl withdrawing her tiny fist with a smile.

The grouper in the net, which had been thrashing wildly just moments ago, now lay motionless, its eyes bulging and its mouth slightly open.

Oh…

Fang Qi glanced at the fish.

It had actually been given the privilege of tasting his wife’s little punch. Lucky fish.

Liguang lifted the fish—now knocked unconscious—and turned around, her phoenix eyes curving into a smile.

“Master, that’s the seventh one!”

Fang Qi blinked, then looked toward the fish basket beside him.

The six fish from earlier were still wriggling around inside.

More precisely, they were six…

Pathetically tiny sardines.

Each one was only about as long as a finger.

When he had first caught them, Fang Qi had even wondered whether they counted as one of the hundred fish Liguang had mentioned…

But his wife said they counted!

His wife was the best!

Then Fang Qi’s eyes suddenly shifted…

He was ready to push his luck!

“Liguang…”

He leaned closer, gesturing at the grouper with one hand. Then he raised his eyebrows at her suggestively.

“This one is so big. It weighs more than all those little fish put together, right?”

Liguang blinked, and the corners of her lips lifted slightly.

“What is Master trying to say?”

“What I’m trying to say is… you have to count this as several fish!”

Fang Qi immediately held up five fingers and waved them in front of her.

“This one is so big. You should count it as at least… five fish, right?”

At that, the silver-haired girl raised her chin while holding the fish, her phoenix eyes widening.

“That won’t do, Master!”

Her tone was utterly serious as she wagged a slender finger in front of Fang Qi.

“Three fish are three fish, and five fish are five fish. Liguang has already bent the rules by counting the little ones!”

She narrowed her eyes at him.

“If Master keeps insisting, then perhaps those little fish from before won’t count anymore…”

Fang Qi fell silent.

He instantly lowered his five fingers.

Then he clasped both hands together and raised them above his head, wearing an expression of utmost sincerity.

“Fine, fine! One fish is one fish!”

That Crazy Girl had actually learned how to threaten her master!

The silver-haired girl lifted the grouper and giggled.

“But Master caught such a big fish, so there will be a reward!”

Her eyes curved into crescents, and her voice was sweet and syrupy.

“Oh?”

Fang Qi’s eyes lit up at once.

“What reward?”

“The reward is… a wonderfully sumptuous whole-fish feast made by Liguang for Master!”

Her crimson eyes sparkled cheerfully.

“Just wait, Master!”

With that, she carried the big fish and trotted into the little cabin on the raft.

“Hehe~”

She had started humming a little tune again, and she looked to be in an exceptionally good mood.

Fang Qi pursed his lips.

Oh, well. As long as his wife was happy!

He let out a long breath and dropped back down onto the edge of the deck.

Then he gazed into the distance.

The sea breeze swept past, carrying a salty, damp scent.

The raft beneath his feet rose and fell gently with the waves. Far away, the sea met the sky in a single line, while a few white clouds drifted lazily by.

The sunlight warmed his skin, making him drowsy.

…How peaceful.

How relaxing.

With both hands braced behind him, he tilted his head back and stared at the azure sky, slowly losing himself in thought.

He really never would have imagined this. After enduring Gu Xi’s frantic text-message warnings and being surrounded by more than a hundred drones…

He could actually fish here so leisurely?

Could Liguang really have taken care of everything happening outside?

Thinking back carefully, when those hundreds of drones had surrounded the apartment…

Liguang hadn’t even turned her head. A few flashes of eerie blue light had flickered in her eyes, and the drones outside had all dropped from the sky one after another, like dumplings being tossed into a pot!

Hmm…

Fang Qi blinked.

So he could simply fish in peace now and wait for everything to be over?

Tsk…

He shook his head helplessly.

This really was…

The ultimate kept-man lifestyle!

But…

No big deal!

There were plenty of people who wanted to live off their wives and couldn’t even get the chance!

Pathetic?

So what if he was pathetic!

Some people didn’t even have the qualifications to be pathetic!

Fang Qi exhaled, then turned around and looked at the raft that belonged to the two of them.

Perhaps…

It could no longer be called a raft?

It had gotten pretty big.

While Fang Qi had been fishing, Liguang hadn’t been idle either. She had been expanding the raft the entire time.

She gathered supplies with her hook while going “heave-ho, heave-ho” as she fitted one plank after another into place.

By now, the raft had expanded into a spacious platform at least forty or fifty square meters in size—more than enough room to run around on.

He raised his head slightly.

Liguang had even expanded the little cabin, adding a second floor.

The second floor was actually a little larger than the first, with a balcony extending all the way around it. Several thick wooden pillars supported it firmly from below.

A string of shell wind chimes hung from the balcony railing.

The sea breeze made them chime merrily.

Fang Qi smiled.

He had to admit, it really was starting to look like a proper home.

Earlier, while fishing, he had occasionally turned around and seen Liguang going “heave-ho, heave-ho” as she hammered planks, measured dimensions, and assembled beams, expanding the raft bit by bit…

He had excitedly run over to offer his help!

But then…

“Master, construction doesn’t count toward the total.”

Without even looking up, Liguang had tossed out that sentence while measuring a plank.

And so he could only trudge dejectedly back to the edge of the deck and continue fishing.

Sigh!

Fang Qi shook his head, banishing those “humiliating” memories from his mind.

Then he turned back around and cast his line!

The surface of the sea was calm.

The bobber bobbed gently on the water.

He waited for several minutes, but no fish took the bait.

The sea breeze blew softly.

He stared at the deep-blue water, and little by little…

His consciousness began to blur, and his head started nodding downward.

Waiting like this really did make a person sleepy.

He yawned, his eyelids beginning to droop.

He had probably been in this game for several hours by now, hadn’t he?

When he had first entered, the sun had only just begun to rise. Now it had already climbed overhead and begun to slant westward…

...It's different from before.

Back then, the sun rose and set super fast in this game world.

When he and Liguang were building their little house out on the sea, the sun would zoom from the east to the west in just dozens of minutes.

So, did Liguang adjust the time flow?

He lifted his head to look at the sky, squinting to sense it carefully.

Right now, the time flow feels exactly the same as the real world outside.

The entire world has become far more real, far more stable.

Fang Qi stroked his chin.

Could it be that because Liguang's permissions got stronger, this game world has become more real along with her?

A while back, those lines of faint blue code that flashed in Liguang's amber eyes... what were they again?

"Permission Unlock"?

Tsk tsk, his wife is getting more and more powerful.

Living off his wife is getting better and better...

"...Huh?!"

He suddenly narrowed his eyes, staring out at the distant sea.

Out there, right on the line where the sea meets the sky...

Something is moving!

He's gotten used to all sorts of supplies like planks and plastic barrels drifting by on the sea lately, but...

This is different!

This thing is moving way too fast!

And there's a clear trail of water rippling behind it on the surface!

That's...

...Hiss.

Fang Qi's eyes went wide in an instant!

He sprang right up from the edge of the deck, yanking his legs back onto the wooden raft so fast they whooshed through the air!

"Liguang! Liguang!"

He yelled at the top of his lungs.

"There's a shark! A shark's coming!"

That's right, it's a shark fin!

This time, a real shark is here!

Fang Qi stared at the approaching triangular dorsal fin, and instead of feeling scared...

A burst of excitement bubbled up in his chest!

He's been fishing for almost five hours now, and it was getting a little boring!

This shark showing up right now is perfect!

It's exactly the distraction he needed!

"Coming, coming, master!"

Liguang's voice rang out from inside the little house.

Right after that came the sound of quick, hurried footsteps, and the silver-haired girl ran out, holding something in her hand...

It was an iron spear!

It had a wooden handle, and two sharpened metal prongs at the end!

Fang Qi's eyes lit up.

Whoa, there's a weapon!

"Here you go, master!"

Liguang trotted over to Fang Qi's side, holding the iron spear out to him with both hands.

She tilted her face up, her amber eyes glistening as she looked at him.

"Master, take this to fight the shark!"

Perfect, perfect!

Fang Qi grabbed it right away, hefting it a little.

The iron spear had a good weight to it, heavy and solid in his grip, and the prongs were sharpened so finely it was obvious this was made specifically for hunting sharks!

His wife even made him such a great thing!

"Master, this shark is super annoying!"

The silver-haired girl blinked at him, her tone turning serious.

"It'll bite our wooden raft and wreck our home!"

"Master, you have to kill the shark for sure!"

As she spoke, she reached up to touch her smooth chin.

"Killing one shark counts as..."

She flashed a cheeky grin at Fang Qi.

"Three fish you caught!"

Oh?

Fang Qi's enthusiasm spiked even higher.

Killing a shark counts toward the fishing tally?

One shark is worth three fish?!

This shark is basically a free performance bonus showing up right at his doorstep!

"Alright alright! Leave it to m-!"

*BOOM!*

The wooden raft jolted violently.

That shark had already charged to the edge of the raft closest to Fang Qi!

It opened its huge mouth full of sharp teeth and bit down hard on the raft's wooden beam!

Its teeth sank right into the wood, making that awful creaking, crunching noise!

Sawdust fluttered through the water!

"Wow! The shark's biting our home!"

The silver-haired girl let out an exaggerated gasp, and gave Fang Qi's back a tiny little push with both hands.

"Liguang's so scared! Master, go get it quick!"

Fang Qi: "..."

The corner of his mouth twitched.

...As if you're scared at all!

But he had to admit, his wife was the best hype woman ever!

That little "I'm so scared" line got him all fired up!

He tightened his grip on the iron spear, stared at the shark that was still savagely gnawing on the raft, and curled his lips into a grin.

"Take this!"

He lunged forward, raised the iron spear, and jabbed it down hard right at the shark's back sticking out of the water!

The spear plunged into the water, the prongs sinking right into the shark's thick skin!

The shark yelped in pain, letting go of the beam at once, its body thrashing wildly!

Its tail slapped down hard on the water with a huge splash, sending sprays of water everywhere!

Then it spun around and dove under the surface, swimming in a circle below the water-

It didn't leave at all!

Instead, it swam to the other side, opened its mouth again...

And started biting at the planks on the other side of the raft!

Fang Qi immediately rushed over again, lifting the iron spear once more.

Liguang's voice rang out behind him, sweet and soft as ever.

"Master, be careful okay? Liguang's going back to keep cooking for you now!"

...Huh?

Fang Qi's movement paused for a split second.

Liguang isn't going to fight alongside him?

But the confusion only lasted a moment.

Right. Liguang's in charge of making him delicious meals, so he...

Of course he's the one who has to defend their territory!

From this second on, he's a man as fierce as a lion!

Any enemy that dares to invade his home will get mercilessly stabbed to death by his iron spear!

He stared at the shark that was still gnawing away, a slow smirk spreading across his face.

Bring it on!

...

Ten minutes later.

"Wow, master, you're so amazing!"

"Clap clap clap!"

Liguang looked at the shark carcass that Fang Qi had dragged up onto the deck, huffing and puffing...

She put her hands together in front of her chest and clapped nonstop.

Her pretty face was full of genuine delight and adoration.

"Master, you actually managed to kill the shark...!"

She looked surprised, her tone sounding genuinely like she couldn't believe it.

As for Fang Qi...

He lifted his hand and stabbed the iron spear right down into the deck.

He looked down at the shark.

Its mouth was still wide open, showing two rows of dense, sharp teeth.

Then he lifted his head, wiped his nose with his thumb, and puffed out his chest proudly.

Of. Course. I. Did!

Even though in those ten minutes he almost got dragged into the water by the shark, dropped the spear once, and even face-planted onto the deck...

But the end result was perfect!

That felt awesome!

Count +3!

Liguang didn't say anything.

Huh?

Fang Qi turned his head to look at her, and saw the silver-haired girl staring down at the shark's body in a little daze.

She tilted her head, her amber eyes and crimson eyes both slightly glazed over, like she was thinking hard about something.

...Huh?

Fang Qi blinked, a little confused.

"Liguang?"

"...Master."

The silver-haired girl looked up at him, blinked her eyes, and suddenly had a super serious expression.

"Do you think shark meat tastes good?"

Fang Qi blinked back at her.

Shark meat?

"...I heard it tastes sour?"

He thought about it really seriously.

"But... shark fin is supposed to be really good?"

He blinked, then immediately coughed softly.

His expression turned dead serious in a second, and he waggled a finger in front of Liguang.

"We can eat it in the game, but we definitely can't do that in real life!"

"Eating shark fin is illegal! We can't do that kind of thing! It's everyone's responsibility to protect wild animals!"

Liguang was tickled by his super serious look and giggled, her phoenix eyes crinkling up.

"Then I'll make shark fin for you, master! But..."

"That'll be for the next meal. This meal is already done! Wait a second, master!"

She turned and walked into the little house right after that, and a moment later...

She carried out plate after plate of a full seafood feast made entirely of fish.

Steamed fish, braised fish chunks, fish head tofu soup, pan-fried fish fillets, pepper-salted fish bones...

All lined up, filling up a whole small table!

Fang Qi: "..."

He subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

Let's be real, even though this was made by Liguang using ingredients from the virtual world, that scent...

It's genuinely mouthwatering...

Rich, fresh, and briny, drifting over mixed with the sea breeze...

His stomach immediately rumbled twice!

"Master, come sit here!"

Liguang pulled him over to the table.

The second Fang Qi sat down, Liguang picked up a slice of glistening steamed fish, holding her other hand loosely under it to catch any drips, and held it right to Fang Qi's mouth.

She smiled softly and contentedly:

"Say ahh~"

The scent was so tempting...!

Fang Qi couldn't resist and took a big bite!

The moment the fish hit his tongue, its sweet, fresh flavor spread across every taste bud!

Ah...!

Fang Qi zoned out for a second.

The steamed fish's broth had seeped into every single strand of the meat...

The texture was so tender it was almost like eating jelly, yet it still had the firm, distinct bite that only ocean fish have!

He chewed twice, and felt...

That entire his mouth was completely taken over by that incredible umami taste.

A warm current slid down his throat, spreading slowly in his stomach.

That warmth crept up from his stomach, traveling up his spine all the way to the back of his head, and then...

He felt his mind clearing just a little bit.

Fang Qi froze right away.

...Huh?

This grouper has that kind of effect?

He'd spent hours out on the deck in the sun earlier, and he really had been feeling groggy and dazed...

Now after one bite of fish, that foggy, heavy feeling had faded so much?

He felt light and refreshed all over!

Liguang just giggled happily, then picked up a golden, pan-seared fish fillet and held it to his mouth, her tone bright and proud:

"This is super nourishing, Master!"

Fang Qi chomped down on it!

The crispy fried skin on the outside, paired with the juicy, tender fish inside, was a totally different experience from the steamed fish he'd just had!

Whatever, this is Liguang's game world after all, any kind of special effect makes total sense!

A fancy feast that gives you stat buffs, that's pretty normal, right?

Seeing how much Fang Qi was enjoying the food, Liguang looked even more pleased.

She picked up a braised fish chunk next, eagerly holding it out to his mouth:

"Master, try this one too! I used a special secret sauce for it!"

Special secret sauce...

Crazy Girl, we're out on the sea right now, where on earth would you get sauce...

You're not even bothering to keep up the act!

He immediately opened his mouth and bit down.

And just in that split second... his eyes flickered slightly.

Because, he thought he saw...

A flash of faint, eerie blue light, flickering for just a moment across the surface of that glistening fish meat.

That was...

【EXECUTE:FOREIGN_PERMISSION_ABSORB(INGEST)】

...?

What does that mean?

I have no idea...

"Master, is it good?"

The silver-haired girl smiled softly, and picked up another chopstick-full to feed him.

"Mnf...!"

The fish was pushed into his mouth, and Fang Qi blinked.

"...Yeah, it's delicious!"