Chapter 385: A Battle of Words—Hidden Tension Beneath the Surface

Sometimes, the universe works in mysterious ways. The moment you say something won’t happen—it does.

Just as the conversation was flowing, Wang Yun’s fishing float suddenly dipped.

“Boss, you got one!”

Without hesitation, Wang Yun grabbed his fishing rod.

“Are you kidding me?! Boss, that was way too fast.” Brother Hu gasped. “Mr. Xiong, did you see that? My boss is a natural.”

Before Wang Yun even reeled in the fish, Brother Hu was already singing his praises.

A small fish, barely the size of a palm, emerged from the water.

Seeing this, Xiong Sheng smirked.

“This little guy must’ve been starving,” he commented. “Probably just left its mother and hasn’t had a proper meal yet.”

His tone was light, but the underlying ridicule wasn’t hard to miss.

Wang Yun ignored the remark. Instead, he reeled in the line and examined the fish.

“A bit too small,” he noted.

Xiao Gang and Brother Hu rushed over excitedly.

“Boss, you’re amazing! First catch of the night!”

“This little guy looks delicious!”

Despite the fish’s size, their enthusiasm didn’t waver.

Wang Yun skillfully removed the hook from the fish’s mouth and held it in his palm for a moment. It was a small pomfret, barely weighing half a pound.

“Listen, little guy, don’t go biting at everything when you’re hungry,” he muttered.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, he tossed the fish back into the ocean.

“Grow up a little first,” he said with a grin. “Not even enough to fill a tooth.”

Brother Hu nodded. “Yeah, kiddo, you gotta get bigger before coming out to work.”

“Boss, let’s aim for the big ones next,” Xiao Gang chimed in, already gripping his rod with renewed determination.

Meanwhile, Xiong Sheng chuckled. “Mr. Wang, you’re quite kind-hearted, different from your persona on the show.”

Wang Yun remained unfazed. “Kindness has nothing to do with it. My goal is to catch a fish that can actually feed the three of us.”

He glanced at Xiong Sheng’s fishing rod. “Looks like you’re about to get a bite too, Mr. Xiong.”

Until now, Wang Yun had simply treated Xiong Sheng as a fishing coach. But the man’s earlier tone—his veiled jabs—hadn’t gone unnoticed.

He didn’t mind being criticized himself.

But his teammates? That was a different story.

“You never know with fishing,” Xiong Sheng replied. “There’s always an element of luck involved.”

“Luck?” Wang Yun raised an eyebrow. “That’s an interesting take, Mr. Xiong. But considering you’ve won multiple national competitions, I’d say skill plays a much bigger role. After all, luck is just an excuse people use when they fail. If you can’t even catch a starving fish tonight, well, that would be a real shame, wouldn’t it?”

His tone was casual, but the challenge was clear.

For a brief moment, Xiong Sheng was caught off guard. Even Xiao Gang and Brother Hu exchanged glances.

Their boss was picking a fight.

Leaning lazily against the railing, Wang Yun smirked, his posture relaxed. His gaze flicked between Xiong Sheng and his fishing rod, unreadable.

The atmosphere shifted instantly.

Tension hung in the air.

A few seconds later, Xiong Sheng forced out a laugh.

“Heh… Mr. Wang, you sure like to joke. As I said earlier, fishing requires patience. We didn’t have time to properly bait the area, so tonight’s results might not be ideal. But,” he added, his tone softening, “I can still guarantee that I’ll catch enough fish to feed the three of you.”

For the first time, his confidence wavered. He could feel the weight of Wang Yun’s reputation pressing down on him.

This was a man with millions of fans. Rich, famous, and skilled.

Sure, there was no guarantee Wang Yun would stay relevant forever, but right now? He wasn’t someone to make an enemy of. Especially not for something as trivial as a fishing match.

Wang Yun smiled. “We’ll hold you to that, Mr. Xiong. Just a heads-up, we all have very big appetites.”

Xiao Gang grinned. “That’s right! I can easily eat ten pounds of fish by myself.”

“And I’ve been craving fresh seafood for a whole month,” Brother Hu chimed in.

Xiong Sheng glanced at the two mischievous grins aimed at him and forced a smile.

Without another word, the four of them fell into silence, their eyes fixed on the sea.

The surface was calm, barely a ripple in sight. But beneath the water, hidden currents surged—unpredictable and treacherous.

Much like the tension between them.

On the surface, everything seemed fine.

But underneath? Each man had his own thoughts. Each one quietly sizing up the others.

Three minutes passed.

Suddenly, a gruff voice shattered the stillness.

“I think I got something! Xiao Gang, did you see that?” Brother Hu’s fishing float dipped sharply.

Xiao Gang’s head snapped toward him. “You sure?”

“There’s definitely something!” Brother Hu’s hands tightened around the rod.

Xiao Gang’s eyes lit up and out excitedly, “Then what are you waiting for? Reel it in!”