"Hey! Are you here?"
Oliver couldn't believe his ears. He pinched himself hard.
"???"
What was going on?
He stood there, stunned.
In front of him was a sea bass nearly the size of his arm. Stranger still, it had a shark fin holding a small plastic fan—like the kind you'd get for free at a mall—and was leaning against a knife, fanning itself like some mafia boss enjoying the breeze.
"You finally made it. I've been waiting for you a long time."
Not only did the fish sit like some dignified old man, but it also spoke in the voice of an elderly uncle. Its left fin waved casually, beckoning Oliver to come closer.
But Oliver remained frozen in place, staring at the fish in disbelief.
"What am I looking at right now?"
He took a deep breath to compose himself.
A fish was talking to him?
Only now did he begin to understand what Sayuri had meant earlier when she told him, "You'll understand when you see it."
But this? A talking fish? That felt way beyond what he expected.
"Uh... Hello. I'm... I'm here to pick up the goods…"
Oliver walked closer, still dazed and confused. This was his first time having a conversation with a fish, and honestly, it was all a bit too much.
"Ah, young man, no need to be so nervous. Sayuri told me all about you."
The sea bass, perched calmly on the chopping board, sighed in a very human-like way.
"I never imagined that after living such a pampered life, I'd still end up like this—served on someone's dinner table."
"Um… I'm sorry…"
Oliver scratched the back of his head, a bit embarrassed. This was definitely not how he expected this errand to go.
Talking with a fish that knew it was about to become dinner?
It felt heavy… Like talking to a cow moments before it's slaughtered, pleading with tears in its eyes, begging for its life.
...Wait. That's not right.
Oliver snapped out of his daze.
Why could he communicate with this fish in the first place?
---
"You're probably wondering that right now," the fish said, as if reading his mind. "Let me explain. I'm a special creation—cultivated by Sayuri herself. Because of that, I can speak with her. And since she can talk to you, it's only natural that I can as well."
The sea bass's explanation seemed… logical, sort of. But it still felt weird.
"I originally thought I would live a happy life, swimming in clean water and eating the best food. I didn't expect to wake up in this hellish kitchen. It's disappointing, but… I suppose this is fate. I must accept it."
"Uhh… Could you maybe not say things like that?" Oliver asked, his voice full of discomfort. "It's just… It's making this really hard…"
"What? You want to take my life to satisfy your hunger, but you can't even let me say my last words?"
"Ah, no! That's not what I meant!"
The corners of Oliver's mouth twitched.
Of course, he planned to eat the fish. But this? This felt like emotional torture.
The perch struggled to prop itself up dramatically, but it was still just a fish—no arms, no legs. After two feeble splashes, it lay there again, gasping softly.
"I was raised with care by Sayuri. I ate only the best food and swam in the cleanest water. Eating me will replenish your body. And young man… judging by your expression, you're probably doing this because you want to grow taller, right?"
After saying that, the fish stopped moving, as if giving up completely.
"If I could choose… I really would rather swim freely in the sea…"
"..."
Oliver looked at the fish, unsure of what to say.
He had never seen himself as overly compassionate, but being able to understand the fish's words changed everything. When an animal can talk to you, beg, reason… It's no longer just food. It's a moral dilemma.
Ask yourself: if you could hear what animals think, would you still be able to eat them?
For most people, probably not.
Just then, a familiar voice broke his thoughts.
"Seriously… Brother! You run too fast! I couldn't catch up with you at all!"
Qianhua appeared, pushing a cart toward him.
Then she noticed the fish lying on the chopping board. Her beautiful eyes widened in surprise and excitement.
"Wow! That's a huge sea bass! And it's still alive!"
She looked at Oliver with admiration.
"You really are something! You managed to pick out such a high-quality fish!"
She clapped her hands together with delight.
"Usually, you'd have to wait for fishermen to catch one like this at the seaside. I can't believe we found one at this time of night. We're so lucky!"
Then, without hesitation, she waved toward the worker who was butchering fish nearby.
"Hey, boss! This one! Help us kill it!"
"Spare the fish!"
Oliver leapt forward.
"Wait! Hold on a second! Let me think—"
Qianhua turned to him, puzzled. Oliver, without wasting a moment, dove into the system interface.
---
Inside the system, time flowed differently. Oliver had enough time to weigh his options.
"Sayuri! Sayuri, are you there!?"
He quickly tapped the turntable icon in the bottom corner. As whimsical music played, the familiar Broadway-style stage rose up again, and Sayuri, dressed in her bunny girl outfit, walked out from behind the curtain.
"Oh my! I didn't expect to see you again so soon. What can I help you with this time?"
"Uh, so... about the fish," Oliver began nervously. "Do I have to eat it? Is there another way to grow taller?"
Sayuri smiled and gave a polite bow.
"You don't have to eat it," she said. "The result of the last lottery draw was that you now own this fish. What you do with it is completely up to you."
She continued with a wink.
"You can throw it away, release it, keep it alive, steam it, braise it, make soup—whatever you prefer."
"But one important note," Sayuri added, her voice suddenly serious. "Our shop guarantees that the same prize will not appear again. That means you'll never win another fish like this in future lotteries."
Oliver stared at her, stunned.
"You could've told me that earlier!!"
So in other words, once he used the fish, that was it. He might never again get a chance to grow taller through a prize.
And the result of eating the fish?
At most, he might grow 5 to 8 centimeters taller. Even in the best-case scenario, he still wouldn't reach 180 cm!
He began to panic.
That wouldn't work.
If this was his only height-enhancing prize, he had to think long-term. If he cooked the fish now, he was throwing away future potential.
He needed a sustainable solution.
Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind.
"Wait… Sayuri. You said the fish could be used to make soup. Would drinking that soup still help me grow taller?"
Sayuri nodded confidently.
"Yes! While the effect is slower than eating the fish directly, it will still help you grow taller~"
"..."
Oliver thought he might actually be losing his mind.
Because now, a ridiculous—yet oddly genius—plan was forming in his head.
"Okay, okay. Just hear me out…"
He scratched his head, half-laughing at himself.
"What if… I raised the fish in a clean tank, fed it high-quality food, and regularly made broth from it? Just little by little. That way, I can keep it alive and still enjoy the benefits over time!"
Sayuri's eyes sparkled.
"That's a very clever idea, Master~ Of course, it'll work! As long as you extract the nutrients, the growth effect remains."
Oliver felt like he'd struck gold.
This was it—a height-growth strategy that could last!
Now, all he had to do was convince Qianhua not to kill the fish on the spot...
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