Su Fei Ang, his previous gloom replaced by a beaming smile, approached Su Wan Ran. "Little sister," he began, "just fishing like this is rather boring."
Su Wan Ran froze, looking at Su Fei Ang with a peculiar expression. Little sister? When had Su Fei Ang become so close to her? It was bizarre.
"Su Fei Ang," Su Wan Ran said, "just be normal. Stop being so sarcastic. I'm a bit scared looking at you now."
Su Fei Ang burst into laughter. "Oh, you. Honestly. I've come to realize that we're all Su family members. Working together for the Su family is most important; we shouldn't be fighting amongst ourselves. Little sister, I've decided to reconcile with you. Let's work together!"
His words sounded good, but they still felt a little unreal. However, if Su Fei Ang genuinely regretted his actions and wanted to make amends with Su Wan Ran, it would indeed be a great thing.
Su Fei Ang even extended his hand. "Wan Ran, let us join hands and hearts to create a beautiful new home together!"
Su Wan Ran smiled and reached out. Witnessed by everyone, they shook hands and made peace. Everything appeared so harmonious.
Then, Su Fei Ang said, "Little sister, today everyone is out for team building. It's all about interaction. You sitting here fishing by yourself is so uninteresting."
Su Wan Ran glanced at him. "Then what do you suggest would be interesting?"
Su Fei Ang clapped his hands, gathering everyone. "How about we have a small competition today? Let's see who can catch the most and largest fish! We'll set a time limit of 2 hours. When time's up, we'll weigh everything. The one with the most weight wins. The victor will receive a bounty of fifty thousand yuan! Of course, I, Su Fei Ang, will personally sponsor this bounty."
Su Wan Ran said, "I agree to the proposal, but I'll pay the fifty thousand yuan."
Su Fei Ang waved his hands repeatedly. "How can that be? I must pay. That way, I can show my sincerity and my willingness to contribute to the company!"
Su Wan Ran thought for a moment. "Then why don't Fei Ang and I each contribute fifty thousand? The winner of today's fishing competition will receive a prize of one hundred thousand yuan!"
Upon hearing this, everyone was thrilled. One hundred thousand yuan was an enormous sum for ordinary people.
"Long live Chairman Su, long live Brother Ang!"
"I'm going to win the fishing competition today."
"You want to win? Heh. Let me tell you, I haven't lost a fishing contest since I was a kid. I'm winning this hundred thousand today!"
Everyone eagerly started setting up their fishing spots, preparing bait and tackle. Even those who didn't know how to fish came to join the fun. The company's atmosphere immediately improved considerably.
Su Wan Ran also began preparing her bait, saying as she did, "Don't brag too much, my fishing skills are also very good. Don't be embarrassed if I end up catching the most."
"Don't worry, Chairman Su, this hundred thousand will never end up in your pocket."
"Enough chatter, let's get started!"
Everyone attached their bait and began fishing.
It had to be said, Su Wan Ran's skills were truly exceptional. She caught fish one after another with almost no interruption, and the fish were all of decent size. If this continued, Su Wan Ran might very well be the winner in the end.
Su Fei Ang, however, was faring much worse. He had set up his spot not far from Su Wan Ran, but after a long time, he hadn't caught a single fish, a stark contrast to Su Wan Ran.
Su Fei Ang chided himself, "What's going on? Why are these fish only biting your hook and never mine? It's as if my bait doesn't taste good."
Su Wan Ran laughed heartily. "Brother, you need some patience. Fishing isn't just about setting up your spot and baiting your hook. There's a lot of skill involved; you still have much to learn."
As they chatted, the atmosphere was quite harmonious. It seemed the rivalry for the Su family patriarch position had been resolved at this moment.
However, was everything truly that simple?
Not far away, Lu Ming sat quietly under a large tree, a beer bottle in his left hand and a cigarette between his fingers, appearing like a颓废 (tuífèi - decadent/degenerate) uncle. But his sharp, intelligent eyes had never left Su Fei Ang. Previously, he had only seen Su Fei Ang talking privately with Su Ru, but he hadn't heard their conversation. Although Lu Ming suspected Su Fei Ang was up to something, he didn't know the specifics.
Jiang Meng Xin walked over and sat down beside Lu Ming. Looking at his颓废 (tuífèi) demeanor, she chuckled, "You, with a cigarette in one hand and alcohol in the other, don't look like a good person."
Lu Ming chuckled and deliberately took a puff of his cigarette and a sip of his drink. "We're out to have fun, aren't we? As long as it's enjoyable, that's how we do it."
Jiang Meng Xin stretched and looked at the sky. "I'm afraid the fun won't last long. Look, there are already dark clouds in the sky. It might even start pouring soon."
Pouring rain? Lu Ming frowned slightly. He feared something more terrifying than a downpour might happen.
As the two were talking, suddenly, a woman's scream echoed from the riverside: "Ah—!!!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound. They saw a woman who was fishing, as if she had seen something horrific. She leaped high into the air, dropped her fishing rod, and stumbled back several steps.
"What's wrong?"
"What happened?"
Many young men gathered around. The woman, however, could only point at the river, unable to speak for a long time. The young men looked into the river, their brows furrowed. Those with weaker stomachs immediately vomited, not knowing what unspeakable sight they had witnessed.
Lu Ming and Jiang Meng Xin exchanged glances, both feeling a sense of unease.
"Let's see!"
The two quickly got up and walked over. Reaching the riverbank, they both looked into the water. They saw a large expanse of dead fish floating up from the river. One by one, they lay on their backs, their white bellies exposed, floating on the surface. Initially, it was only a patch near the bank, but as time passed, more dead fish appeared.
Ten minutes later.
The entire fish pond was filled with dead fish!
Su Wan Ran and Su Fei Ang also stood up. The hearts of all the anglers sank. This scene was incredibly bizarre. The entire pond was a expanse of white, completely filled with dead fish. The sight was eerie and disgusting.
Someone commented, "Well, forget about anyone getting the hundred thousand yuan. The fishing competition hasn't even ended, and these fish are being uncooperative and have all died." The fish had died too unnaturally; it was clear this wasn't a normal death.
At this moment, the owner of the fish pond, who had been contracted to manage it, rushed over after hearing about the incident. Upon seeing the entire pond decimated, he looked as if he had been struck by lightning. He slumped to the ground, wailing.
"Oh my heavens~~"
"Who did this wicked deed?"
"They poisoned all my fish! How am I supposed to live now?!"