Chapter 50

While Feng Yi was thinking about how to explain, the people who had come to search for the children finally arrived.

From a distance, hearing the cries, they thought something truly terrible had happened. The parents of the two children were so frightened that their faces turned pale, and the anger they had been holding in was instantly extinguished. No matter how angry they were, nothing could outweigh the safety of their children.

However, when they rushed over and found the two children unharmed, just scared and crying, the anger that had been extinguished flared up again!

On one side, they were busy scolding the children, while on the other, the property management staff and the residents who had helped in the search were focusing on something else.

When they first arrived, their attention was naturally drawn to the source of the cries, which was Cao Xing and the other child. The second thing they noticed was Feng Yi and the large fish beside him.

"Wow! What is that?" one resident exclaimed, shining a flashlight on it.

"Is this a water monster?" another resident took a few steps closer, then stepped back, thinking it was unsafe to be too close.

Seeing such a large fish in the middle of the night, no one could remain calm.

"Look at that mouth, that size, it could definitely..." The person speaking looked at the fish, then at the two crying children, and stopped.

A few property management staff members walked over. They had already spoken with the management office and learned about the situation from Brother Wang.

They looked at the fish on the ground with amazement. "It's definitely over three meters long!"

"Brother Wang said that if this fish is confirmed to be a European catfish, the reward is 150,000 yuan!"

"Amazing!"

As they spoke, they asked Feng Yi, who was shaking his arms.

"Brother Wang said you saved these two children and caught this fish. Is that true? You caught such a large fish by yourself?"

There were many places to fish near Yueshan, and they often went fishing together. Catching a slightly larger fish required a lot of effort, and a three-meter-long fish was unimaginable!

If it were a tall, muscular man, it might be believable, but Feng Yi's not-so-muscular build was truly questionable.

Feng Yi moved his arms, displaying acting skills even more refined than when he was in web dramas. His tone was laced with a hint of pride. "Of course! But it was also lucky. The fish was probably weak, making it easier to catch. Plus, I usually focus on strength training, and the riverbank was slippery, reducing friction. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to drag it up. Phew, I'm exhausted, my arms are almost broken!"

Not far away, Cao Xing and the other child, who were being scolded, choked on their sobs, their faces still wet with tears, and looked at Feng Yi with shock and fear.

Their gaze met Feng Yi's.

The two shuddered, hugged their parents' legs, and started wailing.

Actually, with everyone now gathered, the area was brightly lit by flashlights and lights, and facial expressions were clear.

Feng Yi's glance had no threatening intent. He was just thinking that in the darkness, with only a bit of moonlight, it would be hard for ordinary people to see clearly. Even if the children saw something, how much could they really see?

So Feng Yi wasn't worried about what they might say. Two frightened children, in the dark without a flashlight, could hardly see anything clearly. How credible would their words be?

By now, the two children were just crying and saying "water monster," exaggerating and demonizing everything they saw. Their words were indeed not very credible.

Therefore, Feng Yi didn't feel the need to threaten the two children.

However, Feng Yi's seemingly harmless glance, which he thought had no threatening intent, scared the two children even more, who were already imagining that the "big monster" would eat them after dealing with the "little monsters."

Their usually smooth-talking mouths were now trembling, and they could only sob and cry. Everyone assumed they were just too scared and had psychological trauma.

The parents of the two children quickly took them home, and they were likely to face a double beating.

However, more people gathered by the river. Curious residents, unable to resist the mosquito bites, came out to see the commotion.

The news of Cao Xing and the other child sneaking out had already spread in the owner's group. Initially, some people were annoyed by the trouble caused by these two troublemakers, but when someone posted a photo of the three-meter-long catfish, those who were about to go to bed were suddenly wide awake. They weren't interested in the troublemakers, but this was different!

Some people, still in their pajamas, asked for directions and rushed to the scene to see the fish.

In recent years, there hadn't been much news in the neighborhood, just the usual few types of incidents. The sudden appearance of a three-meter-long fish became the hot topic.

After someone took over their shifts, the property management staff, including Brother Wang, also rushed to the scene.

However, seeing the fish in person, their enthusiasm for catching fish and earning money waned.

"Can I really catch it?"

Such a large fish could drag a person into the water before they could drag it out. Even if they managed to catch it, their arms would be useless.

Wasting two arms for 150,000 yuan isn't worth it!

Fishing?

Even if they could catch such a fish, they would need a boat to reel it in!

So, seeing the fish in person, many people believed Feng Yi when he said the fish was probably weak.

The property management staff took photos and reported to the relevant authorities. After receiving a response, they planned to transport the fish to the management office, where a temporary pool had been set up. They would wait for the experts to come for the identification the next day.

It took four or five people to lift the fish onto the truck, and they were all drenched in sweat.

While they were moving the fish, Feng Yi watched from the side, playing the role of a fish-dragger with sore, tired arms. He also rode back in the truck.

The property management even had someone check his arms, a lady who worked at a nearby hospital.

"Nothing serious, young people recover quickly. If you're worried, you can get a detailed check-up at a larger hospital tomorrow. By the way, check for any other injuries when you get home. If there are any, treat them promptly to prevent infection," the lady said.

Hearing this, Feng Yi looked relieved.

After the fish was taken away, the property management set up warning signs by the river to prevent others from going there. No one knew if there were more such large fish in the river.

That night, many people didn't sleep well, and people kept going to the temporary pool at the management office to see the fish. Photos taken from all angles were shared in the owner's group and then forwarded to other family and friend groups, gossip groups, and so on.

The next morning, when Feng Yi woke up, he smelled the scent of unfamiliar people in the neighborhood.

Feng Yi called the property management to ask when the experts would arrive and if there were any other procedures to follow.

The property management told him that the experts would arrive soon, and if the fish was confirmed to be a European catfish and the size and weight were correct, the reward would be issued within 24 hours, so there was no need to rush.

Feng Yi thought: I'm not in a hurry, I just need to think about how to answer if the experts have any questions.

Racking his brain, Feng Yi came up with several answers and waited for the experts to ask.

Since there was nothing to do in the morning, he checked his appearance in the mirror to make sure he looked normal, then went out to the temporary pool next to the property management office.

Although the property management had set up three layers of barriers, the number of people coming to see the fish was still increasing.

An elderly man in his 70s was standing by the pool, talking confidently.

"This is a European catfish! I've caught them before! But back then, I only caught a one-meter-long one, not even two meters, far from this one!"

The old man was modest in his words but proud in his expression. How many people in the crowd had caught a one-meter-long fish?

Hearing the amazed exclamations around him, the old man cleared his throat, seeing that everyone's attention was back on him, and continued, "Now, the reward isn't much! About five or six years ago, the reward for a three-meter-long European catfish was 500,000 yuan! Everyone rushed to the river to catch fish, and there were accidents, even deaths. After that, new regulations were introduced, and the reward was reduced to discourage private fishing.

"Private fishing of such large fish is too dangerous, especially for young, inexperienced people. They might end up being dragged into the water before they catch the fish! 150,000 yuan might just cover medical expenses!

"I've heard of four or five-meter-long ones in other places!"

The old man was speaking when someone asked, "Is this really an invasive species?"

"Of course!" the old man said, "This was introduced before the climate anomaly, initially as an economic fish. During the climate anomaly, many people prayed and released fish into the river, including European catfish!

"At the time, a team of experts was there to guide ecosystem work. When they heard about this, ten professors were so angry that six of them were hospitalized, two of whom were older than me and received critical condition notices. Sigh!"

When the topic turned to reckless release and invasive species, everyone understood the severity.

"Shouldn't people who release fish recklessly be punished?" someone asked.

"Definitely!" the old man said, "After the investigation, the person who released the European catfish was sent to prison!"

"Right! Releasing fish shouldn't be done recklessly. Even if they're not invasive, the four major fish species shouldn't be released randomly!" someone said.

"That's not a good deed; it's a sin! It's greed! Good deeds are good, but greed is evil! Sigh!" an elderly lady turned the beads on her wrist and shook her head.

Over the years, people's environmental awareness had increased.

Seeing the large fish and hearing about invasive species, everyone understood. Such a monster-sized fish, large, fast-growing, and not picky about food, had likely caused a lot of trouble for native fish over the years.

A young man scratched his head and whispered, "Such a large catfish... can it be eaten?"

The old man smacked his lips, "It's too muddy and tastes bad!"

"Add some Sichuan pepper and garlic? Or stew it with eggplant?"

"No way! Thinking about what this fish might have eaten in the river, I lose my appetite. It's not a famine; there are so many delicious fish to eat. Why would I eat this?"