Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 514 Fighting for Territory

The man at the front was wearing an orange-red windbreaker, carrying a landing net on his shoulder and a fish basket on his back.

He walked with a swagger, as if the entire riverbank belonged to him.

The woman in the middle was carrying a red plastic bucket containing several plastic bags, the contents of which were not visible.

The man at the very back was not tall, wearing a faded blue work uniform, and carrying a folded canvas bucket.

The three people were walking downstream along the riverbank, looking around as they went, clearly also looking for a place to catch fish.

Xu Xiaoyan shrank further into the reeds, hoping that the three people would just walk past without noticing that there were people behind the reeds.

But luck has never been on her side.

"Hey, over there!" The man in the orange windbreaker suddenly stopped and pointed towards the reeds. "Look over there, there seems to be a river bend!"

Xu Xiaoyan's heart skipped a beat.

The woman tilted her head and looked around: "Where is it? I can't see it."

"Behind the reeds, if you look through that gap, isn't there a shallow beach?"

The man had already started walking this way. "Let's go down and take a look. This is a good location. It's close to the main river channel and also well-hidden."

The man in the blue overalls followed behind him, muttering, "Is there someone here? Look, the reeds are all bent over, it looks like there's a road."

"What's wrong with someone? Is the river yours?" The man in the orange-red windbreaker had a very loud voice that could be heard clearly from a great distance.

"Public spaces are public spaces; whoever gets there first gets to claim them? Do you think you're some kind of king of the hill?"

Xu Xiaoyan took a deep breath and stood up.

When the three men pushed aside the reeds and crawled in, this was the scene they saw:

A tent that was set up firmly, a folding stool, a landing net next to the stool, a fish basket hanging on the bank, and half of a net bag soaking in the water next to the fish basket.

A young woman stood in front of the tent, dressed in ordinary sportswear, with her hair in a ponytail. Her expression was neither fierce nor friendly.

"Oh," the man in the orange-red windbreaker paused for a moment, then laughed, "There really is someone here."

Xu Xiaoyan didn't say anything, she just stood there watching them.

The woman tugged at the sleeve of her orange-red windbreaker: "Let's go, they were here first."

"Where are you going?" The man in the orange-red windbreaker shook off the woman's hand and glanced around at the riverbank.

"This place is so big, can you use it all by yourself? The three of us can squeeze in, it's not like we can't fit everyone."

Xu Xiaoyan spoke, her voice not loud but clear: "I arrived last night and have been waiting for almost a day. There are still many spots downstream, so you can go and look elsewhere."

"You arrived last night?" The man in the orange-red windbreaker looked her up and down, a dismissive smile playing on his lips.

"You? Pitching a tent all by yourself in the middle of nowhere? Little girl, who are you trying to fool?"

The man in the blue work uniform seemed a little embarrassed. He stood at the back without saying a word, his eyes darting around, avoiding looking at Xu Xiaoyan.

The woman tugged at the sleeve of her orange-red windbreaker and whispered, "Alright, alright, let's go. Don't cause trouble."

He remained standing by the opening where the ditch met the main river, his bright orange down jacket still on.

He glanced at the water's surface, then at Xu Xiaoyan's fish basket, a look in his eyes saying, "This is a really good spot."

He looked back at the two people behind him, then at Xu Xiaoyan, and the smile on his face slowly faded.

"I'll tell you the truth," he said, taking a step forward, his voice lowering.

"I want this spot. You don't need such a big place by yourself. If you don't want to leave, we can fish together without interfering with each other."

Xu Xiaoyan looked at his step, neither dodging nor retreating.

She's met people like that before; they all share one thing in common: they're always testing your limits.

If you take a step back, they will take a step forward; if you show weakness, they will become more assertive.

The only way to deal with this kind of person is to make your bottom line very clear from the very beginning.

"I told you, I came last night," Xu Xiaoyan's voice was still not loud, but her tone was much harsher than before.

"You still have time to find another location. If you delay any longer, the downstream locations will also be taken."

The man in the orange windbreaker's expression changed. He probably hadn't expected a young woman to be so assertive, and he certainly hadn't expected to be rejected so decisively in front of his friends.

Losing face, he raised his voice: "How can you be so ungrateful, little girl? I'm speaking to you nicely, and you're getting aggressive, aren't you?"

"Is this river yours? Do you raise these fish? I'm telling you, I'm standing right here today, what are you going to do about it!"

The man in the blue work clothes finally spoke, his voice very soft: "Alright, alright, let's not argue with the girl, let's go."

"Where are you going!" The man in the orange-red windbreaker got completely carried away and slammed the net he was holding onto the ground.

"I'm not leaving today! If she has any complaints, let her call someone! I want to see who she can call!"

The woman stood to the side, a helpless expression on her face saying "Here we go again," but she didn't try to persuade her further.

Xu Xiaoyan glanced at him, then turned and walked to the tent, squatted down, and put her hand inside the tent.

To outsiders, it looked like she was taking something out of the tent.

But in reality, there was nothing in the tent; she simply reached inside to take things out of the space.

When she reached out again, she held a watermelon knife in her hand. The blade was wide and long, and its edge gleamed a cold white light in the sunlight.

Xu Xiaoyan stood up, gripping the knife, and turned to face the orange-red windbreaker.

Her expression remained unchanged; it was neither ferocious nor menacing, and could even be described as calm.

But it was this calmness, coupled with the gleaming watermelon knife in her hand, that created a strange sense of oppression.

She took two steps forward, pointed the knife at the orange-red windbreaker, and said in a moderate voice, "You can try."

The scene fell silent instantly.

The mouth of the person in the orange-red windbreaker opened and closed.

He looked at the knife, then at Xu Xiaoyan's eyes.

There was no fear, no hesitation, not even anger in it, only a pure, unpretentious seriousness. This girl really dared to chop.

The man in the blue overalls was the first to move.

He took two steps back, reached out and tugged at the sleeve of his orange-red windbreaker, his voice tinged with obvious tension: "Let's go, let's stop this, it's not worth it for a few fish."

The woman chimed in, "Let's go, let's go! There are plenty of other places, why does it have to be here?"