The Beast of the Desert Oasis

In the desolate Gobi Desert of the northwest, there lies a place called Yuniaobao. Surrounded by barren wasteland, it is home to a deep, unfathomable water pond at its center, which has never dried up. Legends swirl around this pond, with locals whispering that beneath Yuniaobao lies a secret weapons research base, and the pond was built as a disguise to conceal it. Villagers often hear strange noises coming from the pond at night, and though they are frightened, many choose to stay for the sake of the only water source within a hundred miles.

One day, a villager witnessed something extraordinary: a black, monstrous fish leaped out of the water and swallowed a passing bird in one gulp. According to his account, the fish was over three meters long, with pitch-black skin, sharp teeth, and a terrifying appearance.

The villagers were skeptical but intrigued. In the village lived a family of skilled fishermen, a father and son. The son, eager to prove himself, decided to hunt the giant fish. His father warned him, "Your fishing skills aren't yet refined. You might end up wasting your effort." But the son dismissed his father's concerns, saying, "This is just a freshwater pond. How could there be a fish as big as those in the ocean? A freshwater fish is no match for me." Ignoring his father's advice, the son grabbed his fishing net and, surrounded by curious villagers, set off excitedly to the pond.

The son rowed to the center of the pond and cast his net. Soon, the water began to churn, and his boat rocked violently. On the shore, the villagers watched as the son shouted excitedly, then stripped off his clothes, grabbed a harpoon, and jumped into the water. The crowd cheered him on, but within moments, the water turned crimson. First, an arm floated to the surface, followed by a severed head—the son had been devoured by the monstrous fish. The terrified villagers scattered in panic.

News of the man-eating fish in Yuniaobao quickly reached the provincial authorities. A team of scientists was dispatched to investigate. Unwilling to risk entering the water, they used drones and unmanned submarines equipped with cameras to monitor the pond around the clock, hoping to uncover the truth about the creature. For days, the village buzzed with the hum of machinery. The villagers, who had never seen such advanced equipment, were convinced the fish would soon be caught.

But the monster seemed to vanish into thin air. After two weeks of surveillance, no unusual activity was detected. The investigation team decided to deploy a large sonar device to scan the pond's depths systematically. This required a large fishing boat, and two brave investigators volunteered for the dangerous mission. As the boat reached the one-third mark of the pond, the investigators reported via walkie-talkie, "No anomalies detected," though their voices trembled. By the two-thirds mark, their voices grew calmer, still reporting no signs of the creature. But as the mission neared its end, the walkie-talkie fell silent. Eventually, the empty boat drifted to the shore, pushed by the waves.

With the disappearance of the investigators, the mission was abruptly halted. The incident was escalated through the chain of command until it reached the desk of a high-ranking military officer. A team of engineers was sent to the pond. Instead of a complex investigation, they opted for a straightforward approach: digging a drainage channel to empty the pond. Large excavators and water pumps arrived within days, and soon, a ten-meter-wide, seven-hundred-meter-long channel connected the pond to a low-lying area. The pumps roared day and night, draining the pond's water.

Five days later, as the water level dropped significantly, a massive black fish, over six meters long with a gaping mouth and no scales, was finally captured. The villagers watched from a distance, none able to identify the species. Some suggested killing and eating the fish to avenge the victims, but most opposed the idea. In the end, the engineers took the monstrous fish away under the cover of night.

This story reminds us that sometimes, when faced with challenges, the simplest solution is often the most effective.