The end of the world is approaching, I'm handing myself over to the country.

Exhausted, Fatty Wang collapsed next to the fish, panting with his tongue lolling out.

"Grandpa, hurry... hurry up and take it back, this thing is too scary to leave here."

According to the rules of the recycling shop, once these mutated creatures are confirmed dead or incapacitated, they can be directly recycled and exchanged for source crystals.

However, Lao Yan simply waved his hand.

"No rush."

"Let me calm down."

He pulled a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one with trembling hands, took a deep drag, and then slowly exhaled.

Not in a hurry at all.

The giant carp lay on the ground, and each unconscious twitch drew a low gasp from the crowd.

Its palm-sized scales, ferocious maw, and dark red eyes all exude terror.

Old Yan just watched, letting the giant beast struggle on the ground every now and then, scattering dirt and grass clippings everywhere.

"Wow, I've never seen such a big fish in my life. This is truly an eye-opener."

"Is this even a fish? It's so big, what's the difference between it and a monster?"

"I wonder how much of this fish can be recycled. I'm so envious."

"Is it just that the fish is big? This old man is amazing too, he actually managed to catch this monster. I have to admire him."

Listening to the conversations of the people around me.

Old Yan didn't say anything, but his slightly puffed-out chest and smug smile said it all.

The surrounding crowd gradually quieted down. They looked at the fish, then at the silent old man, and a strange murmur arose in their hearts.

"Goodness... if I had caught that, I probably would have been dragged into the water and fed to the fish." A middle-aged man said with lingering fear.

"Who says otherwise? My fishing rod, assembled with over a hundred source crystals, would probably break in an instant. This old man's equipment and techniques must have cost at least several thousand source crystals, right?"

"Several thousand? You underestimate me! That water-based rune technique and fishing stick skill alone are beyond what source crystals can measure! That's real skill!"

"Sigh, I've finally figured it out. When it comes to fishing, it all comes down to skill. If you don't have the right tools, don't take on a job you can't handle."

"I'll stick to fishing for small whitebait and crucian carp in the stream. This kind of hellish boss is just something to look at. If it were me, I'd probably lose my life."

In an instant, many people who were originally ambitious and wanted to try their luck in this forbidden area for beginners silently gave up their ideas.

Fatty Wang was secretly delighted to see Old Yan's "deed done, leave without a trace, concealing his merit and fame" attitude.

This isn't about keeping a low profile; it's practically saying: Look! Look closely! See? This is what your grandpa caught!

Fatty Wang was secretly overjoyed. This wasn't about hiding one's merits and fame; it was blatant boasting, practically screaming "Your grandpa is still your grandpa!"

Old Yan sat there, smoking half a cigarette, until the cigarette butt burned his fingers, at which point he jerked and snapped back to reality.

He glanced around; half the people had already dispersed, and those who remained were mostly the bolder ones, pointing and whispering from a distance, too afraid to approach.

That's about enough. If the fish die too much, they won't fetch a good price.

Old Yan weighed the options in his mind, slowly stood up, and patted the dirt off his backside.

He stretched out his calloused, slightly trembling hand and gently pressed it against the ferocious fish head.

[Recycling successful, Source Crystals obtained: 103]

A simple line of numbers appeared on Lao Yan's personal panel.

He didn't care about the source crystals; he didn't need them anyway.

It's all about saving face. He's fished countless times in his life, but he's never caught a fish this big before!

He was truly grateful that he had signed up for Wasteland Era and had been continuously improving his combat power.

Otherwise, even if the event is launched, there's no way to participate.

He clenched his fists instinctively, his nails digging into his flesh, using the pain to suppress the overwhelming joy that almost made him shout.

Awesome! I've never felt so good before!

"Grandpa...how much?" Fatty Wang leaned closer, his face full of curiosity and envy.

Old Yan slowly loosened his fist, glanced at him with feigned calmness, and squeezed out two words through gritted teeth.

"good."

"That's 103."

Fatty Wang immediately gasped, "Holy crap, one hundred and three! That many?!"

Just then, a series of noisy footsteps and excited shouts came from the path in the distance.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! It's over here!"

"Holy crap, I heard someone caught a fish as big as a cow, is that true?"

"Are we late? Where's the fish? Where are the fish?"

A huge crowd surged over, several times larger than the number of onlookers earlier.

They rushed to the lake, only to find an empty mud pit and two people packing up their belongings.

"Brother, where's the fish? Where's the big fish?" a young man asked Fatty Wang anxiously.

Fatty Wang shrugged. "That's all. We just finished recycling it."

"Huh? It's been recycled?"

"Damn it! I rushed over here just to take a look, how could it be taken back?!"

"That's right, sir! Such a big fish, please let it stay a little longer so we can see it!"

The newcomers let out a collective sigh of disappointment, each one beating their chests and stamping their feet in frustration.

Old Yan's heart skipped a beat as he listened to these complaints.

Looking at the utterly disappointed expressions on those people's faces, and then at his own empty hands, an indescribable sense of regret welled up in his heart.

Hold.

It was harvested too early.

It's a good thing those guys didn't see it!

The immense satisfaction brought by those 103 Source Crystals was instantly diluted.

It would have been better if the collection had been delayed by half an hour.

He packed up his fishing gear with a blank expression, but his heart was bleeding.

That feeling was worse than losing a big fish.

As darkness fell, the crowd finally dispersed, their enthusiasm waning.

Old Yan packed his things and left. Night fishing for small fish was one thing, but fishing for such a giant was suicidal.

At six o'clock the next day, just as dawn broke, a group of people appeared precisely at the lakeside.

At that moment, a sudden change occurred.

The already dim sky turned completely black in that instant.

Immediately afterwards, a grand, majestic, and emotionless electronic synthesized voice resounded simultaneously deep within everyone's minds.

[System Announcement: The fishing novice protection period has officially ended.]

The aquatic ecosystem will undergo a complete upgrade; truly colossal creatures are about to awaken.

[New item in the Remote Recycling Shop: Power Armor; wearing it will greatly enhance your base attributes and combat capabilities. Happy exploring!]

The voice was powerful and resounding, repeating itself three times, each word clearly imprinted in everyone's consciousness.

Old Yan and Fatty Wang both froze on the spot.

Has the newbie protection period ended?