Chapter 585: Fishing!

The air buzzed with the roar of motors emanating from the water, where several sleek speedboats bobbed and awaited their journey. Martin slung his quiver over his back, hoisted his recurve bow, and embarked on the speedboat captained by Bruce.

Behind him, Kate Upton, clad in cool attire, extended her hand, saying, "Master."

Martin pulled her aboard, cautioning, "Watch your step."

Kate Upton boarded the boat with poise and quipped, "I grew up in Miami, Florida. Water and boats have been a part of my life since childhood. Besides horseback riding, I'm most skilled in water sports."

Martin nodded approvingly, "Once I shoot the fish, your job is to toss them into the cabin."

Kate Upton nodded confidently, "No problem."

The adjacent speedboat gradually pulled away from the pier. On David Fincher's boat, he held a shotgun and remarked to Martin, "Your weapon choice is rather primitive. We might lose the game."

Mene, who had just arrived from Los Angeles for the weekend, stood on another boat and loudly interjected, "It wouldn't be fair if Martin used a gun!"

Producer Danu's boat passed by, and he chimed in, "Mene's right. Let's level the playing field by giving Martin a set of bows and arrows and a pistol."

Six speedboats departed from the dock and raced toward the expansive lake.

For this fishing expedition, Jillian had arranged it under the auspices of a local club, allowing them to use legally compliant firearms and benefit from professional guidance for fish hunting.

Bruce steered the speedboat towards the left front, while Martin positioned himself near the bow, attentively scanning the lake's surface.

The lake was interconnected with the Mississippi River and plagued by an abundance of Asian carp. Due to the better water quality and thriving aquatic flora, it had become a haven for sizable fish.

The six speedboats fanned out across the vast lake, quickly disappearing from one another's view.

The distant pop of gunfire reached their ears.

Kate Upton shot an anxious glance at Martin; bows and arrows seemed notably inferior to shotguns.

Martin anchored himself to the speedboat, nocked an arrow, and drew the string on his compound recurve bow.

In his previous life as a martial artist, he had honed his skills in archery and mounted archery. Over the past two years, he had trained extensively, particularly for his role in "John Wick."

As Bruce maneuvered the speedboat, they cut through the calm lake in a broad, S-shaped pattern. The water's disturbance sent fish leaping out in every direction.

A colossal fish vaulted from the water to their right.

Martin, with swift reflexes, drew his bowstring taut, transforming it into a full moon, and his arrow shot forth like a shooting star.

Just as the massive fish teetered, about to plummet back into the water, the arrow pierced its rotund body, trailing a burst of crimson.

The fish splashed into the water, writhing frantically, its desperate struggles focused on dislodging the arrow embedded within its flesh.

Wearing cut-resistant gloves, Martin seized the harpoon line attached to the arrow, yanking it back with all his might.

The fish, brimming with power, made it a challenging tug-of-war, their first collaborative effort in this regard. It took Martin a bit of time to haul the fish to the boat's side.

The boat rocked gently on the calm lake, the sun's warm rays casting a golden hue upon the water's surface. Martin, now aboard, was cradling an enormous carp in his arms. This behemoth of a fish easily exceeded twenty pounds in weight.

With practiced ease, Martin didn't need a net; he simply heaved the fish onto the boat. Swiftly unfastening the buckle and arrow, he cast the colossal catch behind him.

Kate Upton, displaying impressive skill, stepped forward to retrieve the fish. She grasped the gills firmly with both hands, hoisting the fish aloft and tossing it into the cabin.

Martin gave her an appreciative thumbs-up before scanning the waters for their next target.

Before long, another fish emerged, even larger than the previous one.

Martin tightened his grip on his bow, and the blue ship altered its course.

As the surface of the water erupted, Martin deftly adjusted his bow's angle and released the string. A vibrant crimson burst appeared once more.

Just as Martin gripped the harpoon line, a high-pitched whistle echoed from behind him.

Instinctively, he lowered his head and swiveled around, catching sight of an enormous fish propelling itself out of the water, soaring higher than the boat's side!

Perhaps it was a male fish, weary of its aquatic existence, yearning to emulate mammals and taste the sensation of suckling milk. It hurtled toward Kate Upton.

In a spectacular leap, it cleared the boat but, missing its mark, it thrashed in mid-air like a desperate acrobat.

Though its head couldn't partake in the experience, its tail did not wish to be left out.

A crisp crack filled the air, and Kate Upton, seated on the boat, clutched her chest and collapsed, emitting a shriek.

The colossal carp, its energy spent, plummeted into the cabin with a resounding thud.

Despite the tears of pain streaming from her eyes, Kate Upton, a tough girl through and through, fought through the agony. She regained her footing and subdued the oversized fish. Seizing a short stick from nearby, she swung it upward, delivering a decisive blow to the fish's head.

"I..." She gasped, clutching her chest, "I'm okay."

Seeing that she wasn't seriously hurt, Martin turned his attention to extracting the fish.

In an instant, the underwater creature yanked Martin toward the boat's bow with astounding force. Abandoning his recurve bow, he clutched the harpoon line with both hands, working in tandem with the boat's winch at the bow. He called out, "Bruce!"

Bruce, manning the speedboat, joined forces with Martin in their aquatic tug-of-war.

As the struggle raged on, it became evident that the modern machinery ultimately surpassed the strength of an injured fish. Gradually, a meter-sized behemoth herring emerged alongside the boat.

Despite the arrow lodged within its body, the mighty herring displayed an unyielding vitality, its head and tail swaying defiantly, refusing to succumb.

Observing Kate Upton nursing her chest, apparently in discomfort, Martin decided to end the struggle swiftly.

The herring writhed vigorously in a desperate bid for freedom.

Martin retrieved the pistol holstered at his waist, eschewing precision aiming, and with the safety off, he squeezed the trigger.

Bang, bang, bang!

Three shots rang out, each finding its mark in the herring's head. Blood gushed forth, and the once-churning waters stilled. The colossal herring now floated lifelessly on the surface, its dull eyes seemingly accusing Martin of an unscrupulous lack of martial ethics.

Martin, unconcerned with martial ethics, hauled the fish aboard. It weighed an estimated thirty to forty pounds by Martin's estimation.

Bruce brought the boat to a halt, and Martin inquired, "Kate, are you alright?"

Kate Upton responded resolutely, "I'm fine, getting better. Let's keep going."

Martin's gaze briefly flickered down to her chest, noting the reddened skin and the bra cup that seemed a size larger. He voiced his concern, "It might be better to go back and have that checked out."

Kate Upton contemplated a cheeky reply, but Bruce loomed nearby, so she held her tongue. Instead, she massaged her chest gently, straightened up, and assured, "I'm fine, really. Let's keep going."

Observing her without any apparent distress, Martin issued a gentle reminder, "If you feel any discomfort, don't hesitate to let me know."

Kate Upton nodded, her determination evident. "I will."

With that, Bruce revved up the speedboat, and the hunting expedition continued.

As the sun raced from the eastern horizon toward its zenith, the six speedboats gradually converged back at the dock. When Martin's boat finally pulled alongside the wooden trestle, Kate Upton wasted no time disembarking and heading for the nearby dressing room.

David Fincher's boat, arriving from behind, echoed his query, "Martin, how many fish did you catch?"

Martin beckoned for someone to lift the fish and replied, "Not too many, about a dozen."

David Fincher seemed uninterested in further conversation.

Mene, who fancied himself a marksman, and had the numbers to back it up, called out from his boat, "I shot eight!"

Producer Danu opted for silence.

Knowing that the fish wouldn't serve as a meal, Martin, upon disembarking, announced, "Leave all the larger herrings in your hands to me."

To ensure they understood, he pointed directly to the meter-long herring and specified, "Fish like this one."

Members of the crew began to prepare for a picnic party on the shore. Mene approached Martin, cradling a sizeable herring, and inquired curiously, "Boss, what's the plan for these fish? They're not exactly culinary delights."

Martin explained, "There might be something valuable inside."

Procuring a knife, Martin sliced open the largest herring along the major pectoral fin joint. He then requested a stainless steel spoon from Mene to extract a herring stone from the fish's occipital bone.

Surveying the messy contents, Mene remarked, "Doesn't seem like much."

Martin countered, "That's because it hasn't been processed yet."

Carefully sealing the findings in a bag, Martin instructed club workers to dissect the other herrings in search of more herring stones.

Several fish proved barren. In total, Martin acquired five herring stones of varying sizes, placing them in a bag which he handed to Bruce. "Find a shaded spot to dry these out slowly. When we return to Los Angeles, visit gems expert and have someone process them."

Bruce nodded in agreement.

Upon removing his gloves and washing his hands, Martin noticed Kate Upton emerging from the cabin dressing room, having changed her clothes. He turned to Bruce and remarked, "Remind me later to give Kate the largest one as compensation for her injury."

Bruce affirmed, "I will."

Mene sidled over and made a request, "Boss, these things are quite unusual. Could I have one? Celine Dion absolutely adores oddities."

As they proceeded to the men's dressing room, Martin contemplated, "I don't know what to give when facing Celine, a wealthy woman worth hundreds of millions."

Swiftly, he amended his decision, "Alright, the largest one goes to Mene."

Bruce playfully draped an arm around Mene's shoulders, inquiring, "To be frank, how many are you juggling simultaneously?"

Mene waved off the question, revealing, "Not many now—just Celine Dion, Emma Thomas, and Isabelle Huppert..."

He sighed, "Sophie Marceau spent just over ten nights with me, then she stopped responding."

Bruce couldn't help but admire, "You're quite the Casanova!"

The trio donned fresh attire and joined the picnic area, where the hunting and fishing club organized a small awards ceremony.

The club's leader declared Martin the victor of the fishing and hunting competition, presenting him with a trophy.

Martin, however, promptly handed the trophy to Kate Upton, proclaiming, "Ladies first."

Accepting it with a trembling hand, Kate patted her chest and reassured, "Don't worry, I'm fine. Let's continue."

With the ceremony concluded, the picnic commenced, replete with eating, drinking, and merriment.

The gathering of people made for an enjoyable day.

In the afternoon, the club arranged a fishing competition and a women's swimming contest. While the former held no interest for Martin, he gladly took on the role of referee for the latter, even finding himself tossed into the water by an enthusiastic group of women. Suffice it to say, much sunscreen was required that day.

As the evening approached, the crew returned to their shooting location.

Martin treated the crew to a Mississippi-style meal upon their return, covering the expenses himself.

While they dined, Gillian Flynn approached Martin to discuss some work-related matters.

Martin inquired, "Is it urgent?"

Gillian offered a warm smile, "I've started work on a new project. I'd love to show it to you first."