Chapter Five: The Ingenious Use of a Fishhook

The sensation of basking in the sun atop a tree was simply delightful! Overhead, the blue sky was adorned with white clouds, and all around, the leaves rustled gently. A few sparrows chirped merrily. Four or five meters below, the clear lake water rippled with the breeze. Beyond that, modern high-rise buildings stood tall.

Lu Chen quickly realized that sunbathing in the tree offered greater safety. First, there was no need to constantly worry about threats from the ground. Second, the crocodile’s scaly armor, both in texture and color, closely resembled the bark of the willow tree, providing natural camouflage. The dense willow leaves further obscured them, making it difficult for predatory birds overhead to spot their presence. The only concern was the risk of falling—a careless slip could result in a nasty tumble.

As noon approached, the weather grew increasingly hot. Several young saltwater crocodiles opened their long jaws, breathing in and out. This unique cooling method rapidly expelled excess heat from their bodies. Yet, as the sun grew fiercer, they soon found the heat unbearable and began crawling down from the trunk, heading back to their burrow to escape the midday swelter. The burrow extended deep underground, offering excellent insulation. Even though temperatures outside soared to over thirty degrees, inside it remained pleasantly cool, at only twenty-eight or twenty-nine.

On the way back, Lu Chen suddenly came to a halt. At the base of a nearby reed, he discovered a length of discarded transparent fishing line, with two rusty hooks still attached to the end. The Willow Lake area was expansive, and many people came to fish here—this must be something they’d left behind.

The fundamental difference between humans and animals is that humans can create and utilize tools. The moment he saw the fishing line, a new idea sparked in Lu Chen’s mind. If properly used, this contraption would make catching fish much easier in the future. Unfortunately, the line was too short, barely able to reach half a meter into the shallow water from the shore. At such a distance, it would be hard to snag any sizable fish.

Perhaps he could use a reed as a rod, extending the line further into the water. As for breaking off the reed, Lu Chen had his own method—using the powerful bite force of a young saltwater crocodile made the task simple.

Crunch, crunch... He had just bitten down a few times when he stopped. His thinking was too limited—he’d fallen into the trap of traditional habits. Who said fishing hooks were only for catching fish? They could be used to catch other things—like frogs!

Lu Chen recalled a frog-catching game from his previous life: take a bamboo stick, tie a thin string to it, and attach a piece of snail meat or earthworm as bait to the end. Frogs are highly sensitive to moving bait; simply jiggle the string and they’d leap to snatch it. At that moment, a quick tug would catch the frog easily. Repeating this process, one could catch several pounds in an afternoon.

Of course, from a human perspective, frogs are now protected animals. But to a young saltwater crocodile, they were simply food to fill the belly.

Acting on his thought, Lu Chen soon caught two bright green grasshoppers in the nearby bushes and hung them on the hooks. Then, using his sturdy tail for support, he half-raised his body and tied the fishing line to a shrub branch about thirty centimeters above the ground. The two grasshoppers dangled in midair, twisting their bodies with every passing breeze.

With his trap set, Lu Chen returned to the burrow to cool off, patiently waiting for prey to take the bait. Even in the sweltering midday heat, plenty of frogs continued to forage among the grass. Soon enough, a green-skinned fellow appeared nearby, noticing the two struggling grasshoppers overhead. Eyes bulging, it hopped closer. Having confirmed its target, its powerful hind legs launched it upwards. In midair, the frog’s eyes locked onto its prize, and its tongue darted out, wrapping around one of the grasshoppers and swallowing it whole.

All of its actions were as simple and efficient as countless hunts before—perfectly executed. However, this time the outcome was different. The frog's mouth was caught by the transparent fishing line, and it let out plaintive croaks. It struggled desperately with its webbed legs, trying to break free, but the sharp hook had already pierced it; all efforts were futile.

Hearing the commotion, Lu Chen calmly crawled out of the burrow and tugged at the fishing line with his forepaw. The frog dropped to the ground, and before it could escape, a giant maw closed around it. With a crunch, its cries ceased.

Lu Chen carefully removed the hook. Seeing that the grasshopper was still alive, he reattached the bait. Then, carrying the frog in his jaws, he returned to the burrow to enjoy his meal.

The three remaining crocodiles inside eyed the fresh delicacy with longing, especially the smallest, the fourth hatchling, who nearly drooled with anticipation. Yet none dared to snatch it. After witnessing the eldest’s dominance firsthand, the young ones had finally accepted their reality.

With Lu Chen’s efficient digestion, eating another frog would pose no burden to his stomach. But he had no intention of consuming it all himself; he’d already eaten half an hour ago and wasn’t particularly hungry. Besides, he planned to share the spoils with his three siblings.

Simply intimidating them would only breed fear; best to balance authority with generosity—a slap and a sweet date, as the saying goes. After all, he still needed their help digging the burrow.

Thirdly, as long as the trap remained undisturbed, there should be a steady supply of food.

Using his sharp teeth, Lu Chen divided the frog into four portions and called his siblings over to eat.

Overjoyed, they rushed forward and gulped down their share. To them, frog meat was far tastier than tadpoles.

As expected, about half an hour later, Lu Chen heard chirping at the trap site. Peering out from the burrow, he saw a magpie caught on the hook.

This was a big catch—definitely high-quality food. He’d never tasted magpie before and wondered how much energy it could provide.

But magpies were far stronger than frogs. This one flapped its wings furiously, pulling the branch to which the line was tied until it creaked. It seemed the line might snap at any moment.

Afraid his prize would escape, Lu Chen dared not hesitate. He dashed over, jaws wide.

As he was about to lunge, a shadow descended overhead.

Hiss—pain!

The next instant, Lu Chen felt as if his head had been struck by an iron spike. The piercing pain forced him to roll a meter away.

Panicked, he turned to find his attacker: a large black-and-white bird hovered, wings flapping, its sharp beak aimed at his eye.

In a split second, Lu Chen instinctively leapt, barely dodging the attack.

So close! He’d nearly become a one-eyed crocodile!

But before he could steady himself, a third magpie descended.

Bang! His head took another heavy blow.

Damn—how could there be so many magpies?

With a glance, Lu Chen saw that in just half a minute, four or five magpies had flown in, circling overhead and shrieking, each swooping down in turn.

Forced to protect his eyes, Lu Chen had no chance to counterattack. Enduring the pain, he darted through the grass and shrubs, running as fast as he could, utterly disheveled.

Had it been any ordinary young crocodile, such a storm of attacks would have left them battered and torn. Yet Lu Chen, having steadily improved his speed and claw strength, managed to escape with his life.

Even so, he was struck several times, his scales stinging from the blows.