Ch 1: The World’s Number One Resort

“Tang Huai, 21 years old, from Yunlai Village, Shengze City, Huning Province, currently residing in Shengze. Owner of the Great Tang Fruit Store… Mr. Tang, this is your information, is everything correct?”

“Yes.”

“Great. The information has been verified, and here are the details of Sora Island. As long as you complete the inheritance procedures at the City Hall in Mexico City, you can officially take over Sora Island. Do you have any questions?”

“Just one… Did I really inherit an island?”

“Yes, Mr. Tang.”

…

Tang Huai walked out of Zhongtian Law Firm holding a thick stack of documents. The July sunlight was a bit blinding, and as he looked up, his expression became slightly dazed. Did he really just inherit an overseas island?

Tang Huai is the owner of the Great Tang Fruit Store. After graduating from university, he opened a fruit supermarket in Shengze City, specializing in high-end fruits. While he didn’t have the impressive title of working for a Fortune 500 company or a government office like his classmates, he still made a monthly profit of 20,000 to 30,000 yuan. Life was going pretty well.

Three days ago, he received an overseas call informing him that his granduncle had passed away. Tang Huai found it amusing at first, thinking it was just another scam call with an elaborate story. He hung up immediately. Then… a group of bodyguards in black suits and lawyers showed up at his home.

Looking at the English documents, Tang Huai finally understood that his granduncle had indeed passed away.

Tang Huai had a granduncle, five years younger than his grandfather. When his grandfather was younger, he had often talked about his brother, whose real name was Tang Wangchun. He had a wild nature, fought in the Vietnam War, and then ventured overseas to South America to make a life for himself. During the ’80s and ’90s, international communication wasn’t well-developed, so Tang Wangchun sent two letters to the family, and after that, all contact was lost. When Tang Huai’s grandfather passed away, he still felt regret, never knowing whether his brother was alive or dead.

Looking at Tang Wangchun’s old photograph, Tang Huai confirmed it was the same as the family photo his grandfather had.

Tang Huai felt a bit emotional. If his grandfather were still alive, he would have been thrilled.

Tang Wangchun only had his brother, Tang Huai’s grandfather, and no children of his own. Tang Huai’s parents had passed away in a car accident a few years ago, leaving Tang Huai as the last of his line. Tang Wangchun made a small fortune in South America from the palm oil business. In his final days, he wrote a will, leaving all his wealth to international charities. The only thing he left for Tang Huai was a small island he had purchased on the eastern Pacific coast years ago.

Tang Huai checked the world map and saw that the island mentioned in the will was about 2,300 nautical miles from Mexico, near coordinates (10°N, 120°W). The island, called Sora Island, didn’t even appear as a dot on the map. Judging by the coordinates, Sora Island is located in the central eastern Pacific Ocean, truly in the middle of nowhere.

However, since it was something left to him by Tang Wangchun, Tang Huai didn’t see any reason to refuse. He hired a team from Zhongtian Law Firm to confirm the validity of the will and then signed the documents.

Sora Island is privately owned and protected under international property law. As long as Tang Huai is willing, he could pass it down for hundreds or even thousands of years without any issues. Now that the documents were signed, all Tang Huai needed to do was go to Mexico’s City Hall to complete the transfer, and he would officially become the island’s rightful owner.

Even though he had no idea what Sora Island looked like, being the owner of a private island sounded pretty cool.

Tang Huai got into the car, thought for a moment, and pulled out his phone.

@GreatTangFruits: “I’ve inherited a Pacific island! Fresh tropical fruits will be directly supplied soon, and pre-orders are now open. 😳😳”

Tang Huai posted on Weibo. @GreatTangFruits was a Weibo account he had registered earlier in the year. He occasionally posted fruit promotions from his Great Tang Fruit Store there, and he had a few hundred scattered followers, mostly locals from Shengze City.

“Old Tang’s fruit business is really booming, and now he even has his own island!” Five minutes after posting, his phone chimed with a notification.

Tang Huai glanced at it. The comment was from @YimaPingchuan, his college buddy Ma Chuan, who now worked at the tax bureau in the neighboring city.

Tang Huai had once had an embarrassing moment when he first registered his Weibo. He signed up with his phone number and accidentally clicked on ‘sync contacts’ right after. As a result, all 200 people in his contact list found out about it. Tang Huai was a bit embarrassed. That day, several unfamiliar Weibo accounts followed him, including Ma Chuan.

“I really did inherit an island, in the eastern Pacific Ocean.” Tang Huai, shaking off his awkward memory, steadied himself and replied with a smile.

“You’re bluffing. 😒😒” Thirty seconds later, another message came in with a character and two emojis.

Tang Huai chuckled. Inheriting an island… It wasn’t just Ma Chuan; even Tang Huai himself found it hard to believe. After exchanging a few jokes with Ma Chuan, Tang Huai hung his phone back onto the car mount.

As he approached the traffic light, Tang Huai planned to head toward his apartment. After thinking for a moment, he turned and headed east instead.

Yuhai Garden was a large residential complex in the southern district of Shengze, and one of the most expensive areas in the city. The complex housed over 5,000 units, with an occupancy rate of 85%. Compared to the high occupancy of Yuhai Garden, the supporting facilities around it were still incomplete. A high-speed railway station was being built in the northern area of Yuhai, and it would take about three years for the entire community to be fully developed.

Tang Huai’s fruit store was located on the ground floor of the southern area of Yuhai. It was a commercial property that Tang Huai’s parents had bought five years ago using all their assets. Back then, Yuhai Garden had just laid its foundation, and many people were hesitant. Tang Huai’s parents, however, had quite the investment foresight.

After arriving at the southern area of Yuhai, Tang Huai parked his car in the lot across from the shop. The car was a niche brand he bought last year, costing over 80,000 yuan, sturdy and reliable, and Tang Huai enjoyed driving it.

After getting out of the car, he glanced across the street. Among the chain stores like “Happy Sheep Supermarket” and “Spicy Chicken Stew,” the green sign of “Great Tang Fruits” stood out.

Great Tang Fruits covered more than 100 square meters, with grand and elegant décor, specializing in high-end fruits like horned melon and jackfruit. Tang Huai was strict about fruit quality, and now that he had added group delivery services and frequently introduced new fruit platters, the store’s prices were a bit higher than average. However, the quality was unmatched. The local residents didn’t mind paying more, and after visiting Great Tang Fruits a few times, they became loyal customers.

…

“Boss.” As Tang Huai entered the shop, a young man in his twenties, who had been playing on his phone, quickly stood up when he saw him.

“Where’s Du Yueyue?” Tang Huai asked as he looked around.

Great Tang Fruits had two employees. Zhao Xingkai, who was hired when the shop opened, was responsible for stocking, unloading, and cashier duties. He was honest and dependable. Du Yueyue was the daughter of Tang Huai’s maternal uncle. After graduating from vocational school, she had been idle, much to her family’s concern. When they learned that Tang Huai had opened a store in the city, they sent noodles and eggs as gifts, hoping to secure a job for Du Yueyue.

Tang Huai didn’t accept the gifts, but out of consideration for family ties, he arranged for Du Yueyue to work in the store organizing the shelves.

While Zhao Xingkai was dependable and straightforward, Du Yueyue was a bit restless and cunning. Tang Huai wasn’t too pleased with her, but since she hadn’t made any serious mistakes at work and given the favor owed to his uncle, he didn’t say much, only occasionally giving her some warnings.

Zhao Xingkai and Du Yueyue alternated days off, each having four days off a month. Du Yueyue had already used all her leave days at the beginning of the month, so it wasn’t her scheduled day off now.

“She had a friend come by, so she went out this afternoon,” Zhao Xingkai scratched his head and replied. Usually, Tang Huai didn’t visit the shop in the afternoons. When Du Yueyue left, she had told him not to report her absence. Zhao Xingkai wasn’t sure what to do, and now, unexpectedly, Tang Huai had come back…

“Have her fill out a half-day leave form,” Tang Huai frowned. It seemed like the next time he visited his hometown, he would have to discuss Du Yueyue’s behavior with his uncle.

Zhao Xingkai responded. Tang Huai, despite his young age, had a mature demeanor, possibly due to becoming independent early. Although Zhao Xingkai was three years older than Tang Huai, he still felt a bit intimidated by him at times.

Unaware of Zhao Xingkai’s thoughts, Tang Huai did a quick round through the Great Tang Fruit Store before driving away.

Tang Huai lived in a place called Zijin Apartments, about a 20-minute drive from Yuhai Garden, with relatively convenient transportation. After returning home, he freshened up briefly and then turned on his computer.

He opened the cloud map, but it didn’t show the exact location or any details about Sora Island. The inheritance documents contained no photos, only a set of coordinates. After some thought, Tang Huai began reviewing the process for obtaining a Mexican visa.

Given Tang Huai’s special circumstances and the invitation from the Mexican legal team, the process went smoothly… A week later, Tang Huai received his visa and passport.

During that time, Tang Huai visited the fruit store twice, and this time Du Yueyue didn’t skip work. Upon seeing Tang Huai, she explained and promised not to skip work again, subtly hinting that she hoped he would cancel her leave request. With her big eyes, round cheeks, and petite figure, her playful appeal boosted her appearance from a six to an eight.

Tang Huai remained indifferent.

Shengze City was a small inland city where the average salary was around 3,000 yuan. Tang Huai paid both employees a base salary of 3,500 yuan, which wasn’t bad for the local retail industry.

Tang Huai wasn’t a philanthropist, and Du Yueyue’s unapproved absence would be unacceptable anywhere.

Seeing that her charms weren’t working on Tang Huai, Du Yueyue eventually gave up in frustration, accepting that she’d lost half a day’s pay.

Tang Huai paid no attention to her sulking. After giving some work instructions to Zhao Xingkai, he took the high-speed train to Beijing.

Tang Huai needed to be away for a week, as the heir to Sora Island, it was time to see the island for himself.

…

Beijing and Mexico City had a 13-hour time difference. At 10 a.m. in Mexico, Tang Huai finally arrived in Mexico City. He had slept for 16 hours on the plane, so he felt refreshed when he got off.

Tang Huai was in good health, so jet lag and any discomfort from the climate were not an issue.

Following the crowd off the plane, he looked around curiously. Mexico City had a tropical climate, and most of the tourists around him were blonde, blue-eyed, dressed in sunglasses and short sleeves, exuding a trendy vibe.

“Tang!” As Tang Huai stepped out of the airport, a blond man in his thirties was holding up a welcome sign and enthusiastically called out.

“Hank.” Tang Huai put down his suitcase and gave the man a big hug.

The man’s full name was Hank Smith. He was a Chinese translator, and Tang Huai had met him once when he signed the previous documents. Tang Huai’s English was average, so venturing alone to Mexico required some preparation in advance.

“I’ve already booked the hotel. We’ll rest for the night and go to City Hall tomorrow for the handover. In the afternoon, we can head to Puerto Guerrero to set sail. Let me mention this in advance: there’s currently no short-distance flight route to Guerrero or Sora Island. There isn’t one now, and there might not be one in the future either…”

“If it weren’t for being involved in this inheritance, I wouldn’t have heard of Sora Island either. I’ve arranged a private boat for you. If there’s no storm surge, it should take about five days to get there,” Hank said seriously as he took Tang Huai’s suitcase.

Hank’s main profession was fishing, and translating was something he did on the side. There were plenty of islands, big and small, in the Pacific Ocean. Some of these islands were part of a country, while others remained undiscovered. In recent years, there had been a growing interest in buying islands, with many celebrities and wealthy businessmen purchasing islands in the Pacific and Atlantic. However, due to the oceanic climate and transportation challenges, these islands were often unsuitable for permanent residence. Most buyers just enjoyed the idea of owning one.

Hank had translated for many Chinese businesspeople before. Compared to them, Tang Huai was as ordinary as they come.

However, Hank had a strong sense of professionalism. Since he had accepted Tang Huai’s tip, he was determined to offer excellent service.

The hotel Hank had booked for Tang Huai was called the Guerrero Hotel, costing $100 per night—budget-friendly and within Tang Huai’s budget. After some casual conversation, they headed toward the hotel.

…

A gentle breeze blew as Tang Huai looked out the window. Mexican boys were skillfully showing off their soccer moves under the bright sun. He passed the towering, majestic Mexico City Cathedral and saw street performers wearing sombreros and playing the saxophone… As they drove through the streets of Mexico City, Tang Huai finally felt the reality of being in a foreign land.

Half an hour later, Tang Huai and Hank arrived at the Guerrero Hotel. After checking in, Tang Huai lay down on the latex mattress of the hotel bed.

With the curtains drawn and the door shut, silence enveloped Tang Huai.

Staring at the pale-white ceiling, Tang Huai still felt a sense of unreality. Just a day ago, he was in Shengze City, and now, a day later, he found himself 20,000 miles away in a foreign country.

Tang Huai took out the documents about Sora Island. There was a version in Chinese and one in English. The entire file was two inches thick. During this time, Tang Huai had thought things through. While the title of “Grand Island Owner” sounded grand, Sora Island was located far away in the eastern Pacific, out of sight and out of reach. This trip was mainly for him to inspect the island, take some photos, and assess its value.

Sora Island covered an area of 1,000 square kilometers, about one-sixteenth the size of Hawaii. Tang Huai had done some research, and if the island was as described in the documents, its starting price should be around 100 million dollars.

A hundred million… Even selling it for half that would be great.

Thinking of this, Tang Huai felt a surge of excitement and anticipation. He planned to contact an auction house as soon as he returned to China. However, one thing puzzled him—1,000 square kilometers wasn’t small, so why wasn’t there any information about it online or in geographical magazines?

The will was real, the documents were real. Tang Huai could only suppress his curiosity for now.

With that mix of curiosity and anticipation, Tang Huai soon drifted off to sleep.

He had a good night’s rest.

The next day, Tang Huai freshened up and headed downstairs. Hank was waiting for him, eating a sandwich and flipping through a newspaper.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️