"President Zhang, my friend asked me to discuss an issue with you. Regardless of the outcome, please don’t scold me!" The agent on the other side of the WeChat message said with a slightly apprehensive attitude as they got to the point.

"What’s the matter? I have a competition to attend soon. If it’s not urgent, we can discuss it after the match!"

"No, don’t hang up the phone! To be honest, it’s about the competition! I won’t beat around the bush—aren’t you competing in the FTT station tournament? You’ve advanced with two wins, right?"

Zhang Yang nodded: "Yes! The third match is starting in less than ten minutes! According to the rules, I’ve already advanced!"

"For the third match, could you take it easy? A good friend of mine contacted me and is hoping you could ease up a bit. It won’t affect your overall competition score, and he’s willing to offer some compensation to you!"

"Impossible!" Upon hearing the agent’s request to ease up, Zhang Yang rejected it without hesitation.

Those who know Zhang Yang understand that while he may not be considered a paragon of virtue, he certainly isn’t a person without principles. A competition is a competition. Zhang Yang is the kind of competitor who despises backdoor deals and has a strong sense of justice, so there’s no way he’d engage in such activities himself.

Moreover, while it may seem unrelated to Zhang Yang’s score, it’s not that simple in reality.

In a 16 to 8 advancement scenario, if Zhang Yang let his opponent off the hook, the pressure on others in the same group would increase. It would also affect Zhang Yang’s backstage overall ranking data. With so many eyes watching the TV grand championships, even the most covert easing would be noticeable to the keen observer, and Zhang Yang’s reputation would be ruined.

Considering all factors, Zhang Yang would never ease up due to a phone call from an agent or for someone’s so-called face and slight compensation.

"Don’t be angry! Even if you refuse, at least hear the offer before deciding! If he can make it to the top eight, he’s willing to offer fifty thousand yuan!"

"Ha! Fifty thousand yuan, that’s quite a bit!" Zhang Yang sneered, his impression of the agent dropping significantly.

"What do you think..."

"There’s nothing to discuss. That’s it, I need to prepare for the competition. Goodbye!" Zhang Yang hung up the call without hesitation, his face turning serious.

Originally, winning the competition had put him in a good mood, but the phone call left him feeling uncomfortable.

"What’s up, boss?"

"What’s going on?" Han Mocheng and Meng Fan were right beside him, curious about Zhang Yang’s decisive rejection, wanting to know what happened.

Zhang Yang pursed his lips: "An agent called me, asking me to ease up in the last match and offering fifty thousand yuan. Damn! I may like money, but there’s money I won’t earn!"

"Yu Xiaotong contacted someone to reach out to you??" Han Mocheng asked.

Zhang Yang shrugged: "I don’t even know the name of the last angler. Maybe it’s the Yu Xiaotong you mentioned! Whatever, I’ll fish as I should. Backdoor deals won’t work with me!"

Han Mocheng continued: "I know this Yu Xiaotong. He has some skills, but nothing extraordinary! He’s probably hoping to make it to the top eight and then work hard to qualify for the grand finale!"

"Whatever, I won’t cater to that! I don’t care how others play, but in our team, no such tricks are allowed, for anyone!" Zhang Yang took the opportunity to emphasize his stance with the team and set a rule.

"Don’t worry, we know what’s acceptable and what isn’t!"

"As long as you understand, let’s prepare a bit more. The next match is about to start. Get ready!"

...

On the other side, after President Zhang’s refusal, the agent immediately called the party involved.

"Xiaotong, it’s not that I don’t want to help you, but President Zhang refuses to budge. I offered the fifty thousand directly, and he rejected it outright!" The agent said with a tone of helplessness.

"Alright, thank you, Brother Sun. I’ll treat you to drinks another time!" Yu Xiaotong said politely before hanging up.

"Damn! Doesn’t respond to soft or hard approaches! This is tough to handle!" Yu Xiaotong scratched his head in frustration, his face showing a trace of disappointment.

Yu Xiaotong, aged 28, has been learning competitive fishing for three years. He plays for enjoyment and has money, but his skills and talent are average.

His biggest dream is to qualify for the FTT grand finale and compete face-to-face with top-tier anglers. However, due to limited skills and facing Zhang Yang in the final match, it seems unlikely he’ll make it to the top eight, hence the idea to pay Zhang Yang to ease up.

Soon, the break ended, and Zhang Yang returned to the competition area, arrived at the third match location, and began his final preparations.

As he entered the arena, Zhang Yang noticed the angler named Yu Xiaotong for the first time.

This guy looked fair-skinned and clean, about 182 centimeters tall, with trendy tin foil perm hair. His shoes, pants, watch, everything was designer. As he slung the rod bag over his shoulder, it was filled with top-notch imported Japanese rods—a sure sign of someone rather wealthy.