The Great Thief

Lu Li’s group didn’t make it onto the list; they weren’t even on the top 100.

Most of the winners were professional fishermen. They spent all day by the waterside, learning all the intricacies of fishing. As such, it was to be expected that they would win.

In fact, Lu Li suspected that he wasn’t the only one who could see the fishing spots.

If an amateur like Lu Li could win something at this competition, then there would be a real problem. The game wouldn’t be fair at all.

However, Lu Li couldn’t be bothered messaging Remnant Dream to ask her how she did it. He wasn’t that curious about it.

After the top 100 were announced, they began to hand out the awards.

At the Fishing Competition Award Ceremony, a fishing master was responsible for handing out the awards. It wasn’t Pat Nagle, but an NPC called Hemingway.

He lived in a house on the right side of Booty Bay, and players would often go looking for him. Lu Li’s fishing skill book ’Whales and You’ had been purchased from him.

The old fisherman obviously represented the writer Ernest Hemingway and ’Whales and You’ was a parody of his famous novel ’Old man and the sea’.

This famous book described a strong old fisherman trying to catch his prey while fighting against the sea. People who liked fishing had a lot to learn from this book.

In addition, Stranglethorn Vale’s creative naming had also come from another one of Hemingway’s masterpieces – Green Hills of Africa. There were many other similar Easter Eggs in the game.

Hemingway didn’t appear just to give these players their prizes, but also rewarded them with fishing EXP.

The old man in first place received the most EXP and was immediately made a Fishing Master. This was probably the first Fishing Master among the players and likely the first master of a Trade Profession, so it was a quite a grand scene. The entire Stranglethorn burst out in fireworks and a World Announcement was made.

The Epic Fisherman’s hat was also awarded to the Master Fisherman as the crowd enviously looked on.

The second place went to two little girls, but they were quarrelling as they walked up. Lu Li didn’t want to talk to them at first, but it looked like he would have to step in.

These two girls had grown up together and said that they were even in a double stroller as babies. How did this happen?

"What are you two doing?" Lu Li asked after adding them into a chat room.

"Lu Li where are you? Come and decide between us," Hachi Chan said furiously.

"Explain what happened," Lu Li said curiously.

"I gave Dreamy some fishing equipment so she could win first place, and the prize would be mine. But now, she won’t let me have it. Dreamy you can’t be like this; you never keep your promises," Hachi Chan whined. She had a reason to be angry.

"You already know I wouldn’t keep my promise, so why would you believe me? Humph," Remnant Dream snorted. She was a little embarrassed, but this girl had thick skin.

"See, look at her," Hachi Chan cried.

She had acquired many items through her quests, including a set of exquisite fishing equipment. Lu Li got them to send the details of the equipment to him and almost exploded in shock.

These two girls had planned to use this equipment to participate in the fishing competition and beat out all the other competitors to take first place.

With the equipment’s special effect of finding fishing spots, they quickly raised Remnant Dream’s fishing level to expert. Combined with Remnant Dream’s little bit of luck, the two little girls had created a miracle.

There were only three non-fishing professionals in the top 100, and the other two were ranked about 50th.

However, the problem was now apparent.

The two young girls were having a falling out about how to distribute the prize.

According to their original plan, the Epic equipment would be given to Hachi Chan. Remnant Dream didn’t mind helping her friend achieve her dream, but the problem was that they hadn’t come first, so they didn’t get the Epic equipment.

The second prize could be selected from a pool of three options.

There was some exquisite fishing tackle, which included a hat, fishing rods, fishing hooks, fishing lines and fishing shoes. These weren’t much worse than the Fisherman’s Hat. The second was a book, the ’Weather Beaten Journal’, and finally, there was a pet Turtle.

However, when a pet turtle was included as one of the options, Remnant Dream immediately lost all moral integrity. She decided that she wanted it, especially because she could mount it.

Hachi Chan felt that her friendship had been betrayed, because they clearly had an agreement.

As a result, these two girls appeared to be quarrelling on stage. Fortunately, Hemingway was very patient and smiled at them while they discussed their choice.

The two young girls were also interesting to the crowd. Most of the other players waiting to receive a prize were also very old and were fairly patient as well.

"What do you want me to do so I can choose the pet?" Remnant Dream asked after she calmed down.

"Is the pet more important or am I more important?" Hachi Chan shot back. She didn’t really care about the equipment. The transformation effect that it had was not important to her, as she was a Druid.

When young children are jealous, it would often be a matter of choosing one friend over another. This was exactly what was happening here.

"I really like the turtle; can’t you just let me have the turtle?" Remnant Dream begged, trying to act coy. It seemed like Hachi Chan was softening up.

Suddenly everyone saw one little girl use Tame Beast on the other little girl.

"Dreamy!" Hachi Chan cried out as she stamped her foot, "I won’t let you choose the pet, unless you call me daddy!"

"Daddy!" Remnant Dream exclaimed as she rushed forwards and hugged her.

They didn’t have this conversation privately, so everyone could hear what they were saying and laughed. Even the NPCs couldn’t help it.

"Can you guys hurry up and decide? Don’t go around telling people you’re from Ruling Sword after this," Lu Li scolded, wishing that that he didn’t know these two idiots.

Hachi Chan had created the conditions of their agreement, so she blamed herself for underestimating her friend. In the end, she had no choice but to let Remnant Dream pick the turtle.