Make love fish angry and apologize to him, or he will go on hunger strike.

The modern trend of keeping pets first sprang up in cities in Britain, the United States and western countries, and then gradually spread to other countries and regions. According to Hong Kong's Ta Kung Pao, the more people who own pets, the more it shows that the country has reached a new stage of "adequate food and clothing".

In 2016, consumer research company GFK conducted a survey of 27000 consumers in 22 countries and found that more than half of them owned pets. Among these pets, 33% have dogs and 23% have cats. It is reported that the price of Ashra, one of the most expensive cats in the world, can be as high as 610000 yuan. In Singapore, the rich prefer an expensive pet fish: Asian arowana.

The New York Times reported that it is the most expensive ornamental fish in the world, with prices ranging from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. Emily Vogt, author of the Dragon in the Glass jar, wrote in the New York Post in 2016 that the fish was even speculated to be worth $300000 on the market. "Singaporeans are crazy about fish," Vogt said. " It can be said that the phenomenon of Singapore tycoons "sucking fish" is as popular as Chinese young people "sucking cats".

Vogt's article describes the scene of plastic surgery on arowana. Holding a scalpel, the surgeon accurately inserted the scalpel above his eyeball and removed the adipose tissue. Yes, this "patient" is an arowana, it is just knocked unconscious, had an eye fat removal surgery.

When the "patient" suddenly woke up and began to roll on the table. The doctor quickly took it in his arms and quickly put it into the water tank. After plastic surgery, the fish's eyes became brighter and more energetic.

Asian arowana is not something you can buy casually in a store. In East Asian countries such as China, arowana is one of the most auspicious fish because it looks like a mythical dragon and is thought to bring good luck and wealth. The arowana's posture and momentum are very ornamental, domineering, with gleaming scales and aggressive character.

In 1975, arowana was added to the international trade embargo list by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Some people think that it is this convention that has greatly improved its status. Since then, arowana has set off a wave in the aquarium market in Asia, especially in Southeast Asia, Japan and other places.

Reuters reported in 2009 that during the financial crisis, some Asians sought comfort in their faith, while others pinned their hopes on pet fish. Mr. Kenny Yap, chairman of Singapore's top ornamental fish service, said, "in difficult times, you are more likely to believe in religion, but you may also raise some fish."

Singapore-based arowana enthusiast Kenny Lim told the New York Times that if someone can have an arowana in Singapore, it means he has a certain status. Lin spent nearly $600000 in eight years to build an ecological aquarium with 13 arowana and 100 devil fish. In Lin's view, arowana is a symbol of wealth.

Singapore, which has one of the lowest crime rates in the world, has suffered four arowana robberies in a week. In a shocking violence in neighboring Malaysia, a 31-year-old owner of an aquarium shop was stabbed to death, almost with his head out of place-and the thieves were only trying to rob him of his arowana.

According to Vogt, not only in Asia, but also Americans have had an almost morbid obsession with the fish. In the 1990s, she said, the US government confiscated arowana bought by a Wall Street banker from the black market, and the banker burst into tears.

Mr. Ye Jinli once told the media that arowana can be trained to be like cats and dogs and stay with their owners when they are unhappy (though separated by fish tanks).

Willie Si, known as the "father of fish plastic surgery", often receives phone calls from arowana owners. Someone once asked him why the dragon fish didn't eat, and Shi would ask the owners if they had said anything disrespectful to the fish.

"Don't worry," advised, "tell the fish you made a mistake, and it should be all right the next day."