The Water Monster is Too Big to Fit in One Pot

At the artificial lake's surface, as the bay crocodile brought the black monster fish out of the water, the gathered crowd exclaimed in amazement.

"Damn, this is mind-blowing! I've never seen a fish this huge before."

"I always said there were no lake monsters, turns out it was just this bizarre fish."

"A fish seven or eight meters long - calling it a lake monster isn't an exaggeration. If someone fell into the water, they might not stand a chance against it."

"That's stating the obvious - a fish this size could knock your head off with one swing of its tail."

"What species is this thing anyway? Are there freshwater fish that get this big?"

"Even catfish don't grow this large."

"Could it be that invasive species they reported about - the snakehead fish?"

"Possible, but unlikely. Look at its mouth - it's different from a snakehead's."

...

At this moment, not only were the onlookers puzzled, but online viewers were also searching everywhere for expert explanations.

Meanwhile, the bay crocodile had already carried the enormous black monster fish to the shore.

After it pushed the monster onto land, Yang Lin immediately approached the strange fish.

After examining it, he promptly explained:

"I'm sure everyone's curious about what this creature is."

"Let me explain - this is called an Alligator Gar. It's not native to Dragon Country; it's an invasive species."

"This one before us is an adult Alligator Gar, which explains its massive size. Someone probably released it into this lake."

After Yang Lin's explanation, everyone had an "aha" moment.

"Learned something new today - never knew such fish existed."

"I have megalophobia - seeing a fish this big makes me dizzy."

"Probably released by some overzealous animal lovers. How can they release just anything?"

"Wonder how it tastes, being this big. Would it make good grilled fish?"

"Ha, you're clearly not a local! With such fine ingredients, it must be steamed!"

"Soup! It has to be soup! Add some ginger, marinate it with cooking wine..."

"Sashimi, it must be sashimi! Such heaven-sent delicacy should be eaten raw to preserve its original flavor."

"Let's see what the zoo director says. All this talk is making me hungry."

"This fish must weigh hundreds of pounds - what size pot would you need?"

...

The crowd, who had been discussing the water monster, suddenly found their appetites awakened by the giant fish before them.

Visitors even started debating how to cook this massive creature.

Yang Lin stood by, somewhat speechless.

But thinking about it, the visitors' suggestions made sense - letting such a huge creature go to waste would be a shame.

With this thought, he suddenly had an idea:

"Are there any professional chefs among our visitors? I've caught the water monster, now it's up to you."

Hearing Yang Lin's words, the visitors immediately understood his meaning.

People started stepping forward voluntarily.

"I'm a Cantonese cuisine chef, certified and everything."

"I'm a Shandong cuisine chef, my restaurant's nearby. I can provide large pots."

"I can bring seasonings and gas stoves."

"I'm a fish butcher from the market. Let me handle cutting it up."

"Can I bring my own bowls and chopsticks?"

...

As more visitors volunteered, the atmosphere quickly became lively again.

Before long, large pots were set up in the open space beside the artificial lake.

The professional chefs among the visitors took charge of the cooking.

Soon, grilled fish, boiled fish, and fish soup were ready, their aroma spreading throughout the zoo.

The online viewers watching the livestream were instantly filled with envy.

"What happened to catching a water monster? How did this turn into a fish feast?"

"Seriously? A proper adventure turned into a cooking show."

"At other places, this would've been stretched into dozens of episodes over several days, but the director just had his little brother catch the monster right away."

"It seemed scary at first, but now it's just frustrating - damn, I'm not there to taste it!"

"As expected of neighbors from the province of big eaters - whatever monster it is, once caught, it becomes food."

"Are there any more water monsters? One more please, this wasn't enough!"

"These visitors really lucked out - they witnessed the monster capture and got a free meal. That fifty-yuan ticket turned into five hundred yuan worth of value."

...

At this moment, the online audience wished they could jump through their screens.

While everyone's faces were filled with smiles, Yang Lin's expression turned somewhat strange.

Just after dealing with the Alligator Gar, he received a mission prompt in his mind.

"Ding! Temporary mission triggered: A mysterious waterway connection has appeared in the zoo's artificial lake, with suspected pollutants flowing in. If not dealt with promptly, it may affect the zoo's ecosystem."

"Please investigate the source of pollution within three days and eliminate it completely."

"Mission completion reward: 5 Talent Points, 1 Random Talent Box."

With this mission prompt, Yang Lin finally understood where the Alligator Gar had come from.

He had initially thought this creature had always lived in the artificial lake, but now it seemed it had entered through that passage.

Thinking about the recent appearance of household garbage in the lake, everything became clear.

"This won't do - I need to figure this out quickly. Who knows what else might end up in the artificial lake?"

With this thought, Yang Lin lost his festive mood.

After waiting for the zoo to close and visitors to leave, he had Li Xiaopang dive into the lake again.

Following the previous traces, he quickly found the cave where the Alligator Gar had been hiding.

Sure enough, as they approached the cave, an undercurrent flowed out.

Mixed in this current were traces of leaves and other debris.

"This must be the passage. Wonder where it leads to."

Seeing everything through their shared vision, Yang Lin immediately ordered Li Xiaopang to enter the cave.

Soon it entered a winding underwater passage.

After swimming for an unknown duration, the narrow waterway opened into a vast underground river.

Clearly, this underground river was connecting the zoo's artificial lake to that unknown body of water.