From picking up corpses to becoming a true god of America

Chapter 86 What you're fishing for is clearly our dignity.

The sea near Glacier Bay in Juneau is clear and the mountains are lush and green.

The azure sky and the deep blue sea, like sapphires, seemed to merge into a line in the distance.

A pure white yacht drifts slowly on the sea.

Erich sat on the ship's railing, his face indifferent, with Ye Xiao and the others standing behind him.

The group remained silent, staring at the fishing float bobbing up and down on the sea.

"Hahaha, Erich, why are you bringing so many students with you when you go fishing?"

Professor Rhodes in the next lab had a relaxed smile on his aged face.

"Relax, fishing isn't really about catching fish, it's about enjoying the peace and quiet. Oh, I've won!"

Seeing Professor Rhodes hastily raise his fishing rod halfway through his sentence, Erich sneered and mocked.

"You hypocrite, you even said it doesn't matter whether you can catch the fish or not."

"Why the hell would I waste my time if I'm not going to catch any fish?"

The saying "rivals among colleagues" also applies to the field of scientific research.

As leading figures in North American medicine and top academic circles, Rhodes and Ehrlich were almost locked in a fierce battle at the small University of Washington.

From funding to papers, to students, and even something as trivial as fishing, everything becomes a competition.

It was only recently that Rhodes recruited a lot of outstanding students, which gave him an edge over Ehrlich in areas such as papers.

"Hey, Erich, don't rush us, we just want to have a nice get-together."

Professor Rhodes' lips curled into a slight smile, his face beaming with the joy of a victor.

"Just like educating students, things can't be rushed, don't you agree?"

What the hell is this old guy being sarcastic about?

Upon hearing this, Ye Xiao's senior brothers all looked embarrassed and conflicted.

It can be inferred that Professor Ehrlich was on the verge of exploding with rage at this moment.

But when this trip ended, what awaited them was an even darker time.

As for Ye Xiao...

He has absolutely no research ability; you might as well rely on the laboratory's analytical instruments rather than him.

As time passed, a crowd gradually gathered behind Erich and Rhodes.

They are all professors, mentors, and doctoral students from the medical school.

At this moment, no one spoke, and they watched the two bickering silently with a playful attitude.

Such direct confrontations are extremely rare in the academy.

Moreover, it was even rarer to see that short-tempered, unforgiving old man Erich, who was both right and wrong, getting his comeuppance!

"What's the situation now?"

One of the senior students couldn't contain himself and tugged at Ye Xiao's arm.

"Ye, you have to think of something!"

"Don't rush, the opportunity hasn't come yet."

""

"What opportunity?"

The senior student said nervously, "Didn't you see Professor Erich is about to be driven mad?"

"A chance to turn things around? We need to build up our confidence by putting down the old man first. That way, he'll be even more surprised later."

"Oh! Another fish has been served!"

"Tonight I'm treating everyone to sashimi! All you can eat!"

Professor Rhodes's joyful voice came again, like a slowly tightening noose, gripping Ye Xiao and the others by the throat.

"Ye, prepare a nest for me."

Erich let out a muffled shout, feeling somewhat annoyed.

This isn't right.

Ye Xiao is usually the most clever kid, but now he's acting like a stinky dog, just silently hiding behind me and watching me get humiliated?

This shouldn't be!

However, Ye Xiao didn't seem to understand Erich's implied meaning. He just silently threw out the squid as bait, which infuriated the old man.

"Erich, I've said it before, fishing sometimes depends on luck; it's not something you can solve just by baiting and getting angry."

Rhodes turned his head leisurely, looking at Erich and Ye Xiao and the others with amusement.

"You see, sometimes having a lot of people doesn't necessarily help; what's important is quality, isn't it?"

Is this guy tired of living?

Ye Xiao was stunned, not expecting that he would be attacked.

Apart from Ye Xiao, almost everyone present had at least a doctoral degree.

Therefore, Rhodes's words were almost a direct accusation against Ye Xiao, calling him a sycophant.

But that's understandable.

After all, with Ehrlich's support, he practically monopolized the body trade in Seattle.

Now, if Rhodes' lab wants to use the corpse, they have to find a few middlemen to get it from Ye Xiao.

It made them extremely uncomfortable.

Alright, if that's the case, then there's no need to save face.

Ye Xiao quickly washed his hands and gestured towards the back of the boat.

Meanwhile, two other senior students had already helped Williams put on his diving suit.

"No, are you really going?"

Williams, clutching his diving goggles, shivered in the biting sea wind and asked.

"Senior brother, do you think we can turn back now?"

"If Professor Ehrlich really gets angry, we might not graduate for another two years!"

"Please, senior, I really don't want to write any more papers! And I still haven't finished paying off my student loans!"

"Senior brother, let's go into the water, just for our sake!"

Hearing the heartfelt voices of his fellow students, the oldest among them, Williams, suddenly felt a heavy responsibility on his shoulders.

He slowly put on his diving goggles, and after making sure he was ready, he looked at the expectant faces of his junior brothers, and his throat tightened with emotion.

"I...I understand. Don't worry, I—"

However, before Williams could finish speaking, he was suddenly pushed and fell into the sea.

Damn it, those ungrateful wretches!

Williams was dumbfounded; he never expected that his gentle junior brother, with whom he used to drink, would change so drastically.

Who did they learn bad habits from?

Although Juneau is located in the far north of Alaska.

However, due to the Alaska Current, coupled with the influence of the surrounding mountains.

The temperature here is only about 10 degrees Celsius lower than in Seattle.

In addition, the warm sea currents surprised Williams, who had just entered the water, as he found the sea even warmer than the ship.

And at this moment, we are on the ship.

Upon seeing Williams go into the water, Ye Xiao quickly went to Professor Erich's side.

"What are you doing here again? Don't bother me."

Professor Ehrlich is so angry that he even wants to bite a passing dog.

"Professor, there seems to be something in the sea."

"Um?"

Professor Ehrlich turned around angrily, about to teach Ye Xiao a lesson, but then he saw an unusual burst of bubbles rising next to the bobbing fishing float on the sea!

Oh no, could there really be something strange?

However, just as Erich was puzzled, the fishing float suddenly began to rise and fall violently!

"Oh! The fish is served?!"

Hearing the commotion next door, Rod's sharp gaze swept over the area.

Erich struggled to reel in his fishing rod, which bent into an exaggerated shape, resembling a large fish!

However, just a few seconds later, the fishing rod suddenly slackened at the end, leaving only an empty fishing line floating back.

Rod's lips unconsciously curled up.

Just as he expected, even if Erich got the fish hooked, he wouldn't know how to reel it in.

Ye Xiao's senior classmates were all amazed by the professor's skills.

No, what should we do?

They had all hooked the fish, but Erich couldn't catch any.

They can't exactly hire a Japanese chef to slice the food at the bottom and then pack it up, can they?

Everyone instinctively looked at Ye Xiao, only to see him calmly say...

"It's alright, don't panic, it's just a technical adjustment."

"It's alright, Erich."

Rod packed up his fishing rod, smiled, and walked over to comfort him, saying, "It's getting late, we should head back too."

"It's okay if we don't catch any, I caught a lot today, enough for everyone to eat."

"But I remember you don't seem to like sashimi, right?"

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at Professor Ehrlich.

They never expected that the sharp exchanges between these scientific research giants would be so simple and unpretentious, just like children arguing.

Even so, they dared not get involved easily.

One wrong move and it could end a research career.

Upon hearing Luo De's words, Ye Xiao's senior brothers put on stern faces, and a strong sense of resentment welled up in their eyes.

Although they were usually exploited by Ehrlich, the old man was still willing to take them under his wing.

If one is humiliated by such an outsider, one will naturally feel indignation, as if dying for one's master.

"Our professor just doesn't like fish that other people catch; they're dirty."

Ye Xiao's sudden words startled everyone.

Good heavens, this kid's got some nerve!

Given this situation, how dare you still stir up trouble?

"Good lad, you've got a sharp tongue."

Rod's lips curled up, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he instinctively reached out his hand.

Several students, who had been unable to contain themselves any longer, rushed forward immediately.

However, just as the fist was raised in mid-air, a sharp shout suddenly rang out from the side.

"What's all the noise about! Don't disturb my fishing!"

Rhodes looked over in surprise, a surge of anger rising in his chest.

Why are you still fishing, you old man?

We've been fishing for ages and haven't caught a single fish!

"Erich, stop struggling, the ship is about to set sail."

"Then let him stop the ship."

"you!"

Just as Rod was about to say something, he noticed the fishing float on the sea surface bobbing violently again.

Could it be that this old guy guessed right again?

This time, Erich skillfully reeled in the line and lifted the rod, and caught a medium-sized dogfish!

Damn it, he actually won?

Rod paused, and the others also gasped for breath, a hint of surprise in their eyes.

"Hmph, it's just luck."

Rod smiled coldly, then suddenly took off his gold watch and slammed it against the railing.

"If you catch more fish than me today, this gold watch is yours."

"If that doesn't work, then I'll make this kid kneel down and apologize to me."

"casual."

Erich calmly agreed, tossing the fish into the prepared ice bucket without changing his expression, and then cast the line back into the sea.

Unlike before.

This time, the float reacted very quickly!

When the slender black cod was suddenly pulled out of the cold seawater and landed on the deck with a splash, everyone was first struck by its color.

Its body is dark brown with a bluish luster, gradually turning silvery-white on the belly. It has a spindle-shaped body with firm muscles and fine, smooth scales.

Its eyes are round and bright, its dorsal fin spines are slightly erect, and the slimy mucus covering its body exudes the coldness of the deep sea as it violently thrashes on the deck.

Even black cod, which lives in the deep sea, were caught by Ehrlich?

Rhodes and the others stared in shock.

They fished all day, catching only common salmon and butterflyfish; they rarely saw such unusual fish.

Rhodes even suspected that Erich had conspired with the sea god to deliberately deliver the fish to him at this time.

"Why have you stopped?"

Ye Xiao raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Can't I sit down for a while if I get tired of standing?"

Rhodes sat down beside him, fuming, staring intently at Erich, as if afraid of missing something.

Ye Xiao smiled faintly.

"You can sit, but if you have a heart condition and have a seizure, it's not our problem."

Damn it, that bastard!

Rhodes was so angry he couldn't speak.

Everyone on this ship, except for Ye Xiao, is at least a medical master's degree holder.

If something really happens, would it be his turn to help as an undergraduate?

But Erich paid no attention to any of that and focused all his attention on the pole.

At that moment, he was like a fisherman on the sea, constantly pulling fish out of the water, casually tossing them onto the deck, and then throwing them back down.

Everyone was stunned, and Rhodes was particularly struck dumb, frozen in place as if struck by lightning.

Ehrlich isn't here to fish.

Damn, he must be here in Alaska to buy goods!

Did this old guy really have a side business back in East Germany?

With the last 40-pound Pacific halibut caught, Erich finally put down his fishing rod and wiped the light sweat from his brow.

"Hey Rod, you were right, fishing is actually kind of fun."

Erich adjusted his glasses, rolled up his sleeves, and took the hot tea Ye Xiao offered. Resembling a senior cadre from Dongda University, he gently blew on the tea and spoke slowly.

"It's just too simple and too boring, but thank you for your gold watch anyway."

"You, you!"

Rhodes watched as Erich swaggered as he took his gold watch, his hands trembling, unsure of what to say.

It was as if everything that had just happened was backfiring on him, pressing down on him.

Damn it, that bastard.

With Ehrlich's approval, the yacht finally embarked on its return journey.

Erich sat on a deckchair, enjoying the cool sea breeze, and boasted to his colleagues about what had just happened.

Rhodes, whose mood was unpredictable, listened silently, feeling increasingly uneasy.

Damn it, this can't be explained by luck anymore.

But Rod couldn't understand how Erich had managed to do it.

Surely no one would hang fish on his hook underwater, right?

Just as he was thinking, Rod glanced out of the corner of his eye and suddenly noticed a person in a diving suit changing clothes at the stern of the ship.

Upon closer inspection, the man turned out to be none other than Erich's top disciple, Williams!

Good heavens, they actually did it!

Rhodes felt like he had been scammed by an Indian, and angrily slammed his fist on the table, pointing at Ehrlich and yelling at him.

"Erich, you cheated!"

"What's wrong with me?"

Erich shrugged, looking nonchalant, but the Patek Philippe gold watch on his wrist was truly eye-catching.

"Stop pretending!"

Rhodes angrily retorted, "I saw it all! You actually sent your student Williams to the bottom of the sea to hook fish for you? Absolutely shameless!"

"What do you mean, shameless? Didn't I catch this myself?"

Erich smiled, looking at Rhodes without the slightest fear.

"Wasn't this something Williams risked diving to hook up?"

"Didn't Ye Xiao buy this from the market?"

"You didn't say it was impossible, or are your students not as considerate as Williams and his colleagues?"

These words broke not only Rhodes's defenses, but also those of the other professors.

Damn it, you're not fishing for fish, you're fishing for our dignity!

These veteran capitalists, who have studied their whole lives, endured all kinds of trials, and finally achieved their current status, have never been susceptible to such sugar-coated bullets.

They never imagined that Erich's students would go to such lengths to please him.

Damn it, this is absolutely infuriating!

If you can't compete with academic achievements, so be it.

Even flattery can't compare.

How can this market survive? They might as well go into business!

>