Old Pi and the others wanted to decline the offer, since eating someone else’s food for free felt a bit embarrassing. But after Wang Fan said, "If you keep refusing, the fish head will get cold, and the taste won’t be as good," nobody said another word.

Whether it’s about money or not, missing out on good food makes you wonder why you came in the first place.

Captain Wu’s boat was already suitable for sea fishing for more than ten people, so having everyone onboard didn’t feel crowded. They gathered around a large table, with a pot of fish head stew placed in the middle.

The rich, savory aroma wafted from the pot, teasing the dozen or so people who could only keep swallowing their saliva.

Wang Fan looked at the number of people, took large bowls from the cupboard, and took on the role of cafeteria server. Everyone got a piece of fish head the size of a palm, a bowl full of soup, plus three golden, crispy, palm-sized pancakes.

After distributing the food, Wang Fan said, "Meeting by chance is fate, so don’t stand on ceremony. Let’s skip the formalities, because if you delay any longer, this soup won’t be fresh."

His words instantly brought everyone in the cabin closer together. Old Pi laughed heartily and said, "Alright, Boss Wang is a straightforward person, so we won’t be pretentious today. Thank Boss Wang for treating us. Everyone, let’s raise a toast to Boss Wang with water instead of wine."

Wang Fan was indeed afraid of the hassle of responding to their thanks, but luckily he had a trump card to play that works every time.

Old Pi’s suggestion also helped a lot. After downing the cup of water, they all started eating immediately, saving a lot of the courteous talking.

Old Jack had never eaten fish head with pancakes, but that didn’t stop him from starting with the fish head.

Eagerly, he picked up his chopsticks, lifted a piece of fish meat from the head, and placed it into his fluffy mouth.

Furthermore, he discovered a piece of fish bladder in his bowl, which truly could only be described as a delightful surprise. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Compared to fish meat, the fish head is much more tender, almost melting away at the slightest touch on the tongue.

The fish bladder is naturally high in fat and collagen, which becomes incredibly soft and smooth after being simmered over high heat. The rich broth wraps around the fish bladder and explodes on the palate, with the savory taste and smooth texture momentarily making Old Jack a little dazed.

It’s so fragrant, so fresh, so delicious—a taste he’s never experienced before!

"Yaer shua, oh my gosh, after finishing this bowl of fish, won’t I become giddy?"

A fluent Chongqing dialect coming out of the mouth of a blonde, blue-eyed foreign old man was genuinely hilarious.

But no one laughed at him, simply because no one had the energy for it.

The texture of the fish head was quite unique; the fish skin was slightly chewy, while the fish meat was tender and juicy. With meat and bone in the mouth, each mouthful felt like savoring the delicate texture of the fish meat along with the perfect taste of the broth.

Old Pi had already finished off the fish head, greedily savoring every piece of meat on it until it was clean.

Licking his lips, Old Pi tore the pancake into small pieces before soaking them in the leftover broth in his bowl.

Once the thin pancake was submerged into the bowl, it began absorbing the broth. The collagen-rich fish soup quickly soaked the pancake through, and Old Pi picked up a piece and put it into his mouth, closing his eyes in bliss with one bite.

The pancake was originally crispy, but once soaked in the fish soup, it became somewhat soft, yet still retained a bit of crispness on the outer layer.

One bite down revealed a crispy outer skin, a chewy and springy inner layer, and a soft, fragrant pancake center, dizzying him with its aroma.

Wang Fan’s pancakes were similar to layered pancakes, with five or six layers involved at least, with each layer infused with the savory fish soup. Taking a bite burst forth the fish soup from the crevices of the pancake, creating a perfect combination of rich fish aroma and the inherent refreshing and mild fragrance of wheat—a combination nobody could refuse.

One piece, two pieces, three pieces—the torn pancakes went from the bowl into the mouth, as the bowl’s contents decreased until the last piece of pancake scraped the final bit of broth clean. Only then did Old Pi slump satisfying into his chair.

It was thrilling!

Old Pi rubbed his tummy and closed his eyes in contentment.