Ch 21: The World’s Number One Resort

“FD730, what’s going on here?” Tang Huai took a deep breath and asked FD730. This was the first time he had heard of an intelligent AI betraying its owner. How would it even betray him? Would it lead a rebellion and oust him as the island owner?

“Host, the character ‘Boatman Alang’ belongs to the intelligent AI category. Under the system’s established rules, intelligent AIs possess independent thought processes. The host needs to maintain a good rapport with them. When intelligent AIs rebel, typical actions include running away, paying lip service while undermining your authority, or seeking to take control of their own. In serious cases, they may rob or assault guests, even causing physical harm or damage,” FD730 replied in a meticulous tone.

“No way to fix this?” Tang Huai frowned. This wasn’t just purchasing an AI; it was like inviting a ticking time bomb. As FD730 spoke, Tang Huai began contemplating the potential uncontrollable aspects of character cards.

“Host, rest assured. You have absolute authority over intelligent AIs and can choose to terminate them if they rebel. However, intelligent AIs have unique personalities and can be won over by increasing their favorability rating, allowing for faster upgrades.” FD730 added, sensing Tang Huai’s displeasure.

Tang Huai finally relaxed a bit, knowing that the intelligent AI could be managed.

Tang Huai clicked on Alang’s profile.

Boatman Alang: A natural-born boatman who loves the sea, has a penchant for alcohol, and dreams of sailing his own boat around the world.

Attributes: Fearless of the risks of the sea, highly skilled at piloting fishing boats, motorboats, hovercrafts, and other small vessels.

Training a skilled captain is a costly endeavor. Despite Alang’s low loyalty score, Tang Huai was quite satisfied with his skills and attributes.

“Host, where’s my boat?” As Tang Huai and FD730 finished talking, Alang, who had been walking along the shoreline, returned and asked in a deep, booming voice.

Alang was a boatman, and naturally, he needed his boat.

“Sora Island is still in its early stages of development, so there aren’t any boats available yet…” Tang Huai coughed lightly, explaining. The cost of even a basic fishing boat was 200,000 island points, while his current total was only 10,600.

Ding! Boatman Alang’s loyalty has decreased by 1. Current value: 61. Please refresh favorability to prevent rebellion.

As soon as Tang Huai finished speaking, the system notification chimed. He noticed that Alang, with his broad, rugged Mongolian features, looked even more intimidating as his expression turned grim.

Tang Huai: …I guess I’ll just roll with it. No island points? If he rebels, so be it.

Having come to terms with it, Tang Huai waved his hand and walked back towards the Blue Sea area. Alang, a naturally wild spirit, was likely irritated and didn’t follow Tang Huai. Instead, he lay down on the beach, basking in the sun, with a sullen look on his face.

Tang Huai glanced at him—well, at least he had some personality.

Two hours later, Tang Huai returned to the Blue Sea Lake. The area was eerily quiet compared to the lively atmosphere of the past few days.

Tang Huai caught two fish from the lake, then started a fire to grill them.

The Blue Sea Lake wasn’t large. Tang Huai tossed a stone into the water, creating ripples as the colorful fish swam away.

Now that “Boatman Alang” had been activated, all Tang Huai needed to do was wait for the cargo ship to arrive. Left with nothing else to do, he started grilling the fish while taking out his phone.

“Old Song’s wedding is on the 18th. I’ve already taken time off, let’s get together then.”

“The banquet’s at Guobin Hotel? Wow, that’s a five-star hotel, mainly serving foreign dignitaries. I can’t believe Old Song managed to book it.”

“Did everyone see the wedding photos of Old Song and Xingzhao? They look fantastic.”

“Will Tang Huai be coming to Old Song’s wedding?”

“From Shengze to Luohai isn’t exactly close, and just the high-speed train costs over 500 yuan. Plus, there’s the wedding gift. Tang Huai’s just a fruit seller—why would he bother coming?”

“Lu Dayu, that’s a bit much… Never mind, I’ll ask Tang Huai.”

…

Tang Huai opened WeChat and saw that the chat group for Communication Class 6 was still buzzing with activity. He hadn’t enabled notifications earlier, but now, looking through the chat history, he frowned. How did the conversation shift to him again? And, unsurprisingly, the one stirring things up the most was Lu Dayu.

“Old Tang, are you coming to Song Qing’s wedding?” Just as Tang Huai was about to respond, a private message popped up from Ma Chuan.

Tang Huai glanced at the date; it was August 2nd, with sixteen days left until Song Qing’s wedding.

“I’ll go.” Song Qing had sent him an e-invitation a few days ago. Tang Huai wasn’t particularly close to Song Qing, so he hadn’t been keen on attending. However, after seeing the chat history, he reconsidered and decided to go to Luohai.

At 21 years old, Tang Huai wasn’t one to dwell on grudges, but after seeing Lu Dayu repeatedly badmouthing him, he couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed.

Tang Huai wanted to find out what exactly he had done to provoke Lu Dayu.

“Old Tang, don’t take Lu Dayu too seriously; that guy just likes to show off.” Ma Chuan, who was Tang Huai’s close friend from the bunk above him during their time in school, had a feeling he knew what Tang Huai was thinking when he suddenly agreed to go. Despite Tang Huai’s usually easygoing nature, when pushed too far, he could have quite the temper.

“I know. How’ve you been lately?” Tang Huai smiled, then changed the subject.

“Same old, same old. How’s your Pacific project going?” Ma Chuan, knowing that Tang Huai didn’t want to dwell on the wedding, didn’t push it further. He was a bit skeptical about Tang Huai investing over a million yuan in that Pacific project.

“Not bad, I’ve got some guests now.” Tang Huai kept it brief. The two chatted for a bit longer before Tang Huai put his phone away.

The smell of grilled fish wafted over, and Tang Huai noticed that the fish was ready. He sprinkled some cumin on top and began eating heartily.

The taste of Blue Sea Fish was still as delicious as ever.

For the next two days, Tang Huai lived a simple life, going back and forth between the treehouse and Blue Sea Lake. After spending so much time on Sora Island, he started to feel like he was in some sort of spiritual retreat.

On the third day, the cargo ship heading to Hawaii arrived, and Tang Huai boarded. This was a large cargo ship primarily used for transporting seafood. Since it wasn’t the peak fishing season, they agreed to give him a ride for $10,000. But during the busy season, even if he had the money, he wouldn’t be able to book a spot.

Now, even Tang Huai, like Alang, felt that it was becoming increasingly necessary to buy a small yacht or fishing boat.

Maybe he could get a temporary one for now?

Once on board, Tang Huai began mulling over his boat-buying plans. Two days later, the cargo ship successfully arrived in Hawaii. Having been through this routine before, Tang Huai made his way directly to the airport. By the evening of the fifth day, he finally arrived in Mexico City.

Tang Huai hailed a taxi and opened his task panel.

Current task: Receive ten tourists within one month. Progress: 7/10. Remaining days: 10.

With ten days left until the task deadline, Tang Huai planned to rest for the night and gather his energy for the following day to finish the task.

“Are you Chinese?” Sitting comfortably in the back seat, Tang Huai looked out the window. The driver was a tall, burly native man who glanced at Tang Huai through the rearview mirror and suddenly spoke up.

“Yes, I live in Mexico City now,” Tang Huai replied, shrugging and answering in fluent local Spanish.

The driver gave him a regretful look, and then the car fell into silence. An hour later, they arrived at the gated community in Guerrero State, and Tang Huai paid and got out. The white-and-green taxi drove off into the distance.

Watching the taxi disappear, Tang Huai frowned slightly. It was midnight, and there weren’t many cars on the road. If he hadn’t answered in Spanish, he might have been in for a robbery or some other unexpected trouble.

Mexico was a chaotic place, and safety was paramount for a lone Chinese traveler. Of course, given Tang Huai’s current physical fitness, the taxi driver wouldn’t have been a match for him. Along with buying a boat, he also needed to get a driver’s license and buy a car for commuting. Tang Huai extended the handle of his luggage and entered the villa. Including the time spent at sea, he had been away for half a month.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️