socalfunplaces Chapter 202 Differences
Chapter 202 Differences
The staff member "forcibly dragged" by Wang Xiao was quite a character. He put down the heavy ice drill, stretched his shoulders, and while tidying up the drill bit and starting rope, he joked in a voice with a heavy local accent, echoing Wang Xiao's words, "Yes, yes, this young man's hands are too fast, like a rocket! I had just finished clearing the ice from the previous hole, and before I could even straighten my back, he grabbed my wrist and dragged me away! I didn't even see who was who, and I just followed him here in a daze!" He imitated his bewildered state at the time, his tone exaggerated, which made Xu Xiaoyan laugh even harder, and even Xie Yingtang, who was usually calm, couldn't help but slightly raise the corners of his mouth under his mask.
Joking aside, the experienced craftsman was very professional and his work ethic was immediately apparent. He first walked to the approximate location marked by Xu Xiaoyan with a small flag, stepped on the ice surface, and then bent down to carefully observe the texture and color of the ice layer. He nodded and said, "The ice here is of good quality and solid enough." Then, he gestured for Xu Xiaoyan to step back a bit, and he skillfully set up the ice drill, checked the oil, and pulled the rope to start it.
"Put-put-put-put—Boom!!" The enormous roar of the gasoline engine instantly shattered the relatively "tranquil" atmosphere on the glacier, attracting the attention of some people in the distance. The drill bit began to spin at high speed, pressing down hard on the crystal-clear ice surface with a sharp momentum!
"Sizzle—crunch—!" The drill bit made contact with the extremely hard ice layer and immediately produced a piercing, sharp, teeth-grinding friction sound! The solid ice was shattered into tiny, crystalline ice shards and particles, which quickly accumulated into a small circle of white ice crystals.
Just as Xu Xiaoyan had predicted, the ice in the middle of the river was unusually thick. The master craftsman was obviously very experienced, but it was still much more difficult to operate than in the shallow water. He needed to adjust his body angle from time to time, apply greater downward pressure, and carefully control the verticality of the drill bit to prevent it from getting stuck or deviating from its intended path.
The roar continued, but progress was slow. The drill rod continued to go deeper and deeper, and time passed by second by second. Xu Xiaoyan stood a few meters away, staring intently at the hole that was getting deeper and deeper and was emitting white ice mist.
It took nearly fifteen minutes for the roaring sound to finally weaken and then stop abruptly, revealing a neat, smooth-edged, bottomless ice hole about twenty centimeters in diameter on the ice surface! The hole emitted a chilling white vapor, which, when combined with the temperature below the ice, created a convection current and produced a slight hissing sound.
The experienced mechanic turned off the machine, let out a long sigh of relief, took off his heavy leather gloves, wiped his forehead, and looked at Xu Xiaoyan. With a touch of emotion and professionalism, he told her, "Girl, you chose a really tough spot! I estimate this ice layer is about 1.2 or 1.3 meters thick! It's one of the thickest holes I've drilled today."
According to regulations, the standard working time is eight minutes, and points will be added for any time exceeding this. This hole took too long, so it will be charged at 3 points. This price is even higher than the pre-announced upper limit of the standard price.
Xu Xiaoyan simply nodded calmly, without any surprise or dissatisfaction on her face. Cheng Du had already anticipated this when he decided to take the risk. "It's only right, Master, thank you for your hard work."
She readily raised her left arm, revealing the simple points reader on her wrist, and gently touched it to the portable terminal held by the experienced worker. With a soft "beep," 3 points were awarded.
When it was Xie Yingtang and Wang Xiao's turn to drill holes, the master craftsman carried the ice drill to the spot they had chosen, stepped on it, glanced at Xu Xiaoyan and the expensive deep water cave not far away, hesitated for a moment, then turned around and kindly reminded them, "Young men, I see you're with that girl, right? I've been working on this ice for a while now, so please don't think I'm being long-winded."
He pointed in Xu Xiaoyan's direction, "The deep water area, theoretically, can catch big fish. Experienced, patient, and well-equipped fishermen can sometimes land a big one, but!" He emphasized, "Drilling holes is expensive, the waiting time is long, and the fish in deep water are more discerning and cautious, making them less likely to bite. In the shallow water area, although the fish may generally be smaller, the schools are relatively stable and numerous, making it easier to get a bite. Drilling a hole basically only costs 1 or 1.5 points, which is cost-effective and especially suitable for beginners to gain experience. You guys... seem to be here for the first time?"
His gaze swept over the mid-range all-purpose rod in Xie Yingtang's hand and the brand-new, top-of-the-line ice fishing rod that Wang Xiao held somewhat awkwardly. "I was just saying that casually. The final decision is up to you. After all, the points and time are your own."
These words were full of the experience and simple care of an old ice fishing enthusiast. Xie Yingtang and Wang Xiao looked at each other and hesitated for a moment. They had originally chosen this compromise position largely to take care of Xu Xiaoyan.
But the experienced fisherman's words enlightened them. Their main goal was to catch as many fish as possible to earn points, cover expenses, and make a profit. Xu Xiaoyan's decision to go to the deep water to fight big fish was her personal choice and an adventure. Should they sacrifice a higher cost-effectiveness and a success rate more suitable for beginners for the sake of "taking care" for a reason that is not absolutely urgent?
At this moment, Xu Xiaoyan walked over. She had clearly heard what her master said and noticed her companions' hesitation. She said, "Master is right. You should act according to your own pace and goals. Don't make a decision easily just because you want to be closer to me. My choice is based on my own judgment and a bit of adventurous spirit, and it may not be suitable for you."
She looked at the staff member and asked, "Excuse me, today, and in the past, do most people choose the shallow or deep water area when drilling holes?"
The experienced fisherman answered frankly, "Seven or eight out of ten are in the shallow water, especially like today, where there are quite a few beginners. We usually recommend that beginners go there first, as the fishing is relatively stable and it's easy to catch something. Even if you don't catch anything big, you can still make a profit by catching a few small fish, so you don't end up empty-handed. In the deep water, there are mostly familiar faces, or people like you, young lady... who have ideas."
Hearing this, Xu Xiaoyan understood even better. She turned to her two companions, her tone persuasive, "Did you hear that? That's the reality. You two should listen to your master's advice and go to the shallow water area. I've already dug the hole here and paid the points, so I definitely can't leave. I just want to try my luck. It doesn't matter if I don't catch any big fish; I'll just consider it tuition to experience deep-water ice fishing. But it's different for you two. Your goal is to catch as many fish as possible to exchange for points. Going to the shallow water area will give you a much better chance. We're not that far apart either. If anything happens, we can call out or run a short distance to contact each other."