Numbers on the screen kept changing without pause. In just a moment, the number of registered participants had already reached one hundred million.
The registration fee was 1,000 Blue Star Credits. Chen Yuan checked his account balance—there was less than 7,000 credits left. He subconsciously took two steps back.
Ding!
"The current number of participants has reached two hundred million."
Chen Yuan stared at the rapidly climbing numbers and shook his head with a sigh.
"Are these people all this rich?"
The fairy assistant replied, "The rewards are very generous."
"What kind of rewards?"
"This is a fishing tournament. Any fish you catch can be sold to the system in exchange for Blue Star Credits. There are also ranking rewards."
Chen Yuan continued, "What does first place get?"
The holographic screen displayed the rewards list:
First place: 100 million Blue Star Credits.
Second place: 50 million.
Even 10,000th place would receive 10,000 credits.
Chen Yuan felt tempted. He pointed at the words Fishing Tournament on the screen.
"No wonder so many people are signing up. These rewards are insane."
The fairy, still in screen form, said, "Of course. If there weren't exciting activities like this, why would so many people come to Second Blue Star, right, Master?"
Chen Yuan immediately understood.
"So this is basically running a dungeon?"
"Exactly. Second Blue Star is full of diverse experiences. Take your time and enjoy them, Master."
Chen Yuan rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
"I'm seriously short on money. The 1,000-credit entry fee is expensive, but the reward is too tempting… Damn it, I'm in."
Following his will, the fairy assistant registered him for the tournament.
Ding!
"Registration successful. Congratulations, you are participant number 286,553,988. We wish you great success."
Ding!
"The total number of participants has exceeded 300 million. Ten minutes remain before registration closes."
Seeing how many people had entered, regret crept into Chen Yuan's heart. He pulled a long face. Forget first place—even reaching the top ten thousand would be extremely difficult.
His eyes were locked onto the screen, teeth clenched, face tense—one eye watching the participant count, the other fixed on the countdown timer. He wished registration would stop immediately.
Ding!
"Registration closed. The Crescent Bay Lake Fishing Tournament has a total of 435,679,855 participants. The competition will begin in three days. We wish all contestants excellent results."
As registration ended, Chen Yuan's heartbeat slowly returned to normal. He slapped himself lightly.
"With this many people, winning the prize is just a pipe dream… Sigh. Too late to back out now. My 1,000 credits…"
The screen transformed back into the fairy assistant, floating in front of him.
"Master, have you lost confidence?"
Chen Yuan straightened his back proudly.
"How could I? I will definitely claim first place."
The fairy covered her mouth, smiling brightly at his obvious bravado.
Chen Yuan sneaked a glance at her.
"The tournament starts in three days. What should I do now?"
"You can practice fishing. Isn't there a Xiao Shui Lake in Cangyun City? You could train there."
He followed the suggestion immediately and rushed downstairs to the lake—only to find it already packed with people, with no space left at all. Helpless, he returned home.
Then an idea struck him.
"I can practice in the real world too, right?"
"Yes," the fairy replied. "Whether it's Real Blue Star or Second Blue Star, practice works the same."
"Then how do I return to the real world?"
"Just say, 'Baby, send me back to the real world,' and I'll take you there."
Not wanting to waste a second, Chen Yuan said,
"Alright then—Baby, send me back to the real world."
The fairy drew a glowing heart-shaped ring in midair.
"Understood, Master. I look forward to your return."
Everything blurred, then sharpened again. Chen Yuan was back in the real world.
Standing by the window, he saw empty streets—no people, only delivery and courier robots moving silently. The city felt cold and lifeless, completely different from Second Blue Star. This was the real Blue Star, his actual world.
He pressed his hand against the icy glass and sighed.
"If only the two worlds could switch places… Enough sighing. I need to get to Xiao Shui Lake."
He rushed out of his apartment. Along the way, more and more people appeared on the streets—people who usually stayed indoors. Today, they were all heading toward Xiao Shui Lake.
When Chen Yuan arrived, his heart sank completely. There wasn't a single free spot left. Some people were even fighting over fishing positions, cursing loudly. Yet more people kept pouring in.
"So many people…" Chen Yuan muttered. "Everyone had the same idea. The competition is brutal."
Just as he was about to leave, he remembered another place—a large artificial canal in Cangyun City, originally dug for transporting grain in ancient times.
He immediately changed direction.
When he arrived at the canal, both banks were already packed with people. Fishing rods stretched endlessly along the shore.
"…Damn."
Chen Yuan sighed and headed home in disappointment.
On the way back, he passed a fish shop and noticed a red plastic tub containing a large black fish and several crucian carp. A grin crept onto his face.
"If I can't fish outside, I'll fish at home."
After negotiating, he bought the fish and the tub together for 50 credits. By the river, he pulled up a reed, stripped off the outer layer, and kept the smooth green stalk as a fishing rod.
Back home, he tied a line and a thin needle to the reed, creating a simple fishing rod. In his cramped apartment, he began practicing.
He even felt like a genius for coming up with this idea.
Then he realized the problem—he had no bait.
Just as he was about to go out and buy some, he remembered the instant noodles and sausages he had purchased on Second Blue Star. Smiling, he lifted a loose floorboard by the wall. The items were still there.
"Fast delivery. You'll do."
He softened the noodles with a little water, pinched off a small clump, hooked it on, and sat on the couch to practice fishing.
After a long time, the fish barely bit. Left with no choice, he searched online and studied fishing techniques. Over the next three days, he learned—at least in theory—about fish behavior, preferred depths, bait selection, float signals, ground baiting, and different hooking methods.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
He put on his All-Realm Nine device and returned to Second Blue Star.
"Baby, I'm back."
The fairy appeared, looking hurt.
"Master, did you forget about me?"
"Of course not," Chen Yuan said apologetically. "I was busy practicing fishing. When does the tournament start?"
"Very soon. Just a few minutes."
As they chatted, the fairy suddenly turned serious.
"The fishing tournament is about to begin. Ten… nine… zero."
Chen Yuan's heart pounded. The countdown felt like a tightening lock around his mind.
When it ended, darkness swallowed his vision—and he vanished from Second Blue Star.