What matters most is fate.

Although there were still some of these boats around, unable to keep pace with the demands of the times, they had long since been indirectly phased out, remaining only as sightseeing props in certain scenic spots. This surprised Chen Sheng.

He could tell that those boats were clearly working on the water. Moreover, the lighting tools hanging from them seemed to be lanterns!

“Has this place been developed into a tourist spot?” Chen Sheng thought aloud.

But no one responded to him.

Looking around, Chen Sheng noticed a young girl already waving at him from a boat. The boat was moored at the shore, and as Chen Sheng approached, he could see clearly—it was indeed a black-canopied boat.

He hurried aboard.

Once he was on the boat, a man dressed in a black suit, just like himself, silently hung a lantern at the bow, and then the boat began to glide slowly toward the center of the river.

The sound of water splashing surrounded him, and Chen Sheng couldn’t help but look up.

But he saw only an endless expanse; the water stretched so wide it seemed boundless, joining earth and sky.

“When was this dug out?” Chen Sheng felt he ought to pay more attention to current affairs—otherwise, how could he have missed such a major development?

Just then, a young girl poked her head out from the cabin, catching his words, and her delicate face took on a peculiar expression.

But she said nothing, simply handed Chen Sheng a fishing rod.

“Are you really bringing me here to fish?”

Chen Sheng was truly stunned. Fishing at night wasn’t his idea of fun—he’d rather go home and sleep. He’d spent last night gaming until noon today, so he’d decided not to play games tonight.

Yet after he spoke, he realized he got no reply. Looking over, he saw the girl was already fishing.

Seeing this, Chen Sheng had no choice but to sit down and cast his rod toward the water.

But barely had he thrown it, he pulled it back.

“Where’s the hook?”

Chen Sheng discovered that the rod had only a fishing line; not even a hook, let alone bait—the end was tied to a small stone.

The girl smiled and said, “Old Chen, fishing is all about fate—if the fish are willing, they’ll bite.”

Hearing such philosophical words, Chen Sheng glanced at the stone tied to the end of the line, fell silent for a moment, then looked at her without expression and said, “Maybe you should have another check-up at the hospital tomorrow. I’m beginning to doubt my own expertise.”

If she’d tied a nail, he could pretend to be fishing with a straight hook, like Jiang Taigong. But a stone—what was that supposed to mean?

Could it be that the fish here were not only plentiful, but also foolishly easy to deceive?

Are silly fish really so abundant?

“No need, I just got out today,” the girl made a face at Chen Sheng.

Chen Sheng’s mouth twitched: She knew she’d just been discharged, then!

He tossed the rod aside, letting the stone and line sink into the water, and prepared to head into the cabin to look for something to eat.

He hadn’t had dinner yet.

But after only two steps, he heard the girl’s voice: “Old Chen, look—the rod’s moving!”

Chen Sheng turned instinctively and saw his rod actually sliding toward the water. Startled, he rushed to grab it.

He immediately felt a powerful force surging up from below, and was astonished—had he really caught something?

Was fishing nowadays really all about luck?

Speechless, Chen Sheng lifted the rod and found that, rather than a fish, the end held a mud-caked lump.

Chen Sheng: “……”

So he was overthinking it.

“Quick, see what it is!” The girl was far more excited than Chen Sheng, and for some reason, extremely thrilled.

Chen Sheng looked at it, curiosity stirring, and grabbed the object, washing it in the water.

“This is…”

Once he’d cleaned off the mud, he found it was a palm-sized stone tablet.

Words densely covered its surface.

They weren’t modern characters, but Chen Sheng was familiar with them—the tablet that recorded that strange training method bore the same script.

Unable to help himself, Chen Sheng studied it closely, and before long, disbelief flickered in his eyes.

It was the continuation of that strange training method!

His heart quickened.

Though practicing that method had brought him neither fame nor fortune, nor helped him transcend social ranks, who could resist such a mysterious thing?

Chen Sheng had mastered it, so he knew the contents were genuine!

They weren’t the idle inventions of ancient people.

“Turns out it’s not just a toy!” At that moment, the girl spoke, her interest fading. She stretched and muttered, “How boring! Let’s go back.”

Chen Sheng: “……”

Why was she so excited before the tablet was cleaned, and now, after seeing it clearly, she couldn’t care less?

Chen Sheng found it odd, but thought nothing more.

He’d experienced something similar before. Last time, the stone tablet had been treated the same way. After he memorized its contents, someone tossed it back into the water.

It seemed as if no one but him cared about the tablet.

“Old Chen, why are you still holding onto that thing? Just throw it back!” the girl said.

Chen Sheng thought for a moment, then said nothing.

He read the tablet’s inscriptions, and only when he was certain he’d memorized them did he smile, nod, and toss the tablet back.

Splash!

The water scattered, vanishing in an instant, as the boat was already nearing the shore.

Chen Sheng disembarked and headed for his car.

He’d gotten the continuation of that strange training method—not a wasted trip.

“Old Chen, I’ll treat you to something delicious!” Once Chen Sheng was in the car, the girl beside him said.

“Sure!”

Chen Sheng agreed at once—after all, he considered her a wealthy host.

Later, the two arrived at an extremely high-end restaurant. Since it was a rare occasion and he didn’t have to drive, Chen Sheng drank quite a bit.

But when the tipsy Chen Sheng was sent home by Yu Youxin’s driver, he found an extra person in his house.

A girl was lying on his sofa, fast asleep.

Chen Sheng shook his head hard, making sure it wasn’t some hallucination caused by his desires, then hurried outside, hoping to catch the driver. He saw only the tail lights of the luxury car, which quickly disappeared from sight.

Chen Sheng: “……”