Ch 9: The World’s Number One Resort

“It’s not for traveling,” Tang Huai replied after thinking for a moment and edited his response.

“You’re investing in a resort project in Mexico? Tang, I have to say, what’s up with that? Mexico? It’s full of foreigners, and your English isn’t great. How are you going to manage business there? That’s dealing with foreigners. Can you still back out?”

Three minutes later, after Ma Chuan heard that Tang Huai had contracted a small island near Mexico for a resort business, introduced by a relative, and had mortgaged his house to invest over a million yuan, he grew more concerned.

“Not exactly Mexico. It’s in the Pacific, at (10°N, 120°W), called Sora Island, not too far from Mexico and Hawaii.” Tang Huai corrected Ma Chuan’s misunderstanding and then took out the inheritance documents from his suitcase, snapping a few photos.

These were the official inheritance documents from the Mexico City government. Tang Huai covered any sensitive information but provided enough to prove the legitimacy of Sora Island.

“Even so… it’s mostly foreigners over there. How’s the scenery on the island? I’ve heard there are a lot of volcanoes in that area.” Ma Chuan wasn’t entirely convinced and even ran some of the information through a translation app, still suspicious of potential scams. However, the documents seemed real, and the scenery on Sora Island was genuinely appealing. After some thought, he kept his concerns to himself but decided to keep a close eye on Tang Huai, just in case something felt off.

“Sora Island is full of dormant volcanoes. Maybe when you get some time off, you can bring Tonglu over for a visit.” Tang Huai understood Ma Chuan’s worries and didn’t elaborate too much. He casually invited him to visit once things were more established.

Ma Chuan had gotten married right after graduation, and Yang Tonglu, his wife, worked with him at the tax office.

“Maybe someday,” Ma Chuan replied evasively. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Tang Huai, but the thought of traveling to the Pacific felt like too much of a hassle. He didn’t have much wanderlust, and he figured traveling to nearby countries would suffice for him in his lifetime.

Tang Huai smiled. After some more casual conversation, Ma Chuan had to get back to work, and Tang Huai returned to thinking about the upcoming task.

Getting ten tourists to visit the island in a month… seemed like a daunting challenge.

Tang Huai freshened up and posted a Weibo, similar to what he had posted on his friends’ group chat earlier. However, he didn’t hold high hopes for Weibo’s reach, considering his ‘Great Tang Fruits’ account only had about three hundred followers, most of them likely inactive. It felt even less reliable than his personal social circle.

Still, any effort was better than none.

After tidying up, Tang Huai slipped on his jacket and left the apartment. As he walked, he couldn’t help but think about whether it would be worth investing in a few influencer marketing campaigns or writing sentimental articles like “Top Ten Must-Visit Spots of a Lifetime” or “Sora Island: A Couple’s Dream Paradise.” Maybe such soft advertisements would attract some visitors…

But Tang Huai wasn’t experienced in finding or negotiating with marketing channels, so it felt like a shot in the dark.

Lost in thought, he arrived at a nearby advertising shop. An hour later, Tang Huai emerged with a stack of promotional leaflets and a small box of business cards.

The flyers showcased Sora Island’s natural beauty and tranquil seascapes. Tang Huai had taken numerous photos during his solitary stay on the island, and he carefully curated a selection of nine pictures with captions describing the island’s highlights. The result was a clean, attractive promotional flyer.

As for the business cards…

Tang Huai pulled one out from the small box. It was a simple design: the back featured an image of Blue Sea Lake, and the front had elegant Chinese characters that read: “Great Tang Overseas Resort – Travel Manager: Tang Huai.”

The “Great Tang” name was something he had come up with on a whim. His conversation with Ma Chuan had reminded him that he should plan ahead. If the ultimate goal was to turn Sora Island into a world-class tourist destination, he needed some sort of management presence on paper. As Tang Huai admired the name “Great Tang Overseas Resort,” he felt satisfied with his creativity.

Feeling good about his progress, Tang Huai headed to the underground parking lot, got into his car, and set the GPS to guide him to various travel agencies around Shengze City. With over eighty travel agencies in the city, partnering with them seemed more promising than blindly pushing promotions on Weibo.

Sora Island was a private property in the Pacific. Since completing the handover in Mexico, the island now legally belonged to Tang Huai. He held absolute control over the island, and any future profits or taxes would remain with him. While “Great Tang Overseas Resort” was just a name he casually made up, with the backing of Sora Island, it still complied with international corporate laws.

As the owner of Sora Island, Tang Huai had just casually created his very own overseas resort business.

…

By 10 AM, Shengze’s streets were relatively quiet, and after half an hour of driving, Tang Huai arrived at the entrance of “Spring International Travel Agency,” one of the city’s largest travel agencies near his apartment.

Tang Huai walked in.

…

“Hello, are you thinking about traveling soon? We’re offering a new seven-day tour package to Laos and Cambodia. We’re forming groups right now, and it’s a great time to travel,” a friendly-looking woman in her thirties quickly greeted Tang Huai as he entered.

Tang Huai, with his youthful appearance, clean attire, and good demeanor, looked like an ideal customer from the moment he walked in.

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