Ch 24: The World’s Number One Resort

Tang Huai put away the [Aunt Mai Li] card and took another glance towards the snowy mountains. The mountain range stretched far and wide, and as a chilly breeze blew past, he felt a bit cold in his short-sleeved shirt and shorts. He had made it this far only thanks to his enhanced physical condition.

Now that both the [Snow Village Scenic Area] and the lucky spin had been used, there was no reason for him to linger.

Tang Huai retraced his steps across the crystal bridge. Though he had already crossed it once, the sight of the transparent, suspended bridge still gave him a sense of vertigo.

Standing on the boundary between the 12th and 15th regions, Tang Huai took out his phone and snapped a few photos. The dreamy crystal bridge stretched across the screen, leading towards the mysterious snow-capped mountains, with quiet ice lakes on either side. The composition and scenery were so serene and grand that the pictures could easily serve as phone wallpapers.

He changed his phone’s wallpaper and felt satisfied. It was now five in the afternoon, and with the sun beginning to set, Tang Huai calculated his time and started running back the way he came.

The fifty-kilometer run took him two and a half hours. Tang Huai returned to Blue Sea Lake, panting heavily. Even with his ‘physical fitness enhancement,’ a day like this still left him exhausted.

He caught two fish, ate his fill, and then returned to the treehouse.

The tranquil moonlight spilled in through the window, and as Tang Huai gazed out, his mind wandered to plans for the future development of Sora Island.

He slept soundly that night.

…

The next morning, Tang Huai woke up before seven. After doing a morning workout routine, he went down to the lake and caught five fish. This time, instead of grilling them, he cleaned them thoroughly and packed them in his suitcase.

It was August 12th, and Tang Huai planned to head straight back to China after reaching Guerrero Port. Song Qing’s wedding was on August 18th, so if he rested in Shengze for a day, he should make it in time for the wedding.

Tang Huai sighed to himself. He wasn’t even that close to Song Qing, and if it hadn’t been for Lu Dayu’s constant jabs in the class group chat, he wouldn’t have attended at all.

With that headache in mind, Tang Huai decided not to dwell on it. After all, he and Song Qing had been classmates once, their dorms right next to each other—seeing each other every day. One more trip wouldn’t kill him.

After packing everything up, Tang Huai summoned Ali, and together they made their way to the shore.

Ali was an excellent porter, worth 100,000 island points. Tang Huai was determined to eventually purchase him outright when he had enough island points. Ali was the first AI Tang Huai had interacted with.

As the tides of the Pacific Ocean ebbed and flowed, Tang Huai stood by the shore for a while. Ten minutes later, a large white cargo ship appeared. Tang Huai glanced in Alang’s direction; Alang hadn’t eaten or slept and had been staring at the ocean in the same position for days. When the cargo ship appeared, a gleam flashed across Alang’s eyes, and then he gazed intently at Tang Huai.

“Cough,” Tang Huai cleared his throat, trying to act as if he hadn’t noticed. Alang’s gaze was far too aggressive. It was clear that after this trip, Tang Huai would have to return with a boat no matter what. If he couldn’t get a large one, he’d settle for a smaller vessel for now.

Tang Huai loaded his luggage onto the deck, and five minutes later, the ship set sail once again. It was a powerful cargo ship, expected to reach Guerrero Port in three days.

…

“The wedding planner’s events are too boring. How about we add a ‘Guess the Flower, Win the Beauty’ game?” Meanwhile, in a high-end villa in Luohai City, Zhou Xingzhao, dressed in a light gray silk robe, suggested to Song Qing, who was working at his computer.

Everything was ready for the wedding, which was just five days away.

The Song family was in the steel business, and the Zhou family was in real estate and construction. Their marriage was a powerful alliance, though neither family was at the top of the elite, they were formidable in the eyes of most people. This time, both families had invited many business friends, determined to make the wedding grand and respectable.

“You handle it,” Song Qing said without looking up, still focused on his work. The steel market wasn’t doing well, and with the upcoming wedding, he’d been working non-stop like a spinning top these days.

“Alright, I’ll discuss it with the wedding company. By the way, here’s the guest list. Do you want to take a look?” Zhou Xingzhao knew Song Qing’s personality well and didn’t mind. After speaking, he handed over the list that had been prepared for the wedding.

“Mm,” Song Qing responded without much interest. Zhou Xingzhao placed the list beside his computer and stepped out.

Outside, Zhou Xingzhao leaned against the doorframe and lit a cigarette. Because of their family’s business ties, he and Song Qing had known each other since childhood. Their first meeting was when they were seven years old. At that time, Song Qing wore a black school uniform, carrying a small backpack, and had a serious expression, acting like a little adult. Song Qing was one year older, and from that moment, Zhou Xingzhao liked to stick to him.

As they grew older, that attachment turned into affection. Due to their families, Zhou Xingzhao knew that after graduation, he would marry Song Qing. With the family background as a given, Zhou Xingzhao didn’t hold back his feelings.

Song Qing didn’t reject Zhou Xingzhao, which was as good as accepting their relationship.

Zhou Xingzhao believed that Song Qing cared deeply for him and was eagerly anticipating their wedding.

That had been his thought process before.

Now, with the wedding approaching, Zhou Xingzhao was feeling uncertain. Strictly speaking, his feelings for Song Qing were more about the idea of him from childhood. He was in love with his fantasy of Song Qing. They had been living together for half a year, and during this time, while they hadn’t fought, Zhou Xingzhao increasingly felt out of sync. This was far from what he had imagined.

Close contact with Song Qing no longer gave him the excitement and anticipation it once did. The clearest sign of this was that he didn’t feel anything in bed. Every time, it felt routine. This wasn’t because Song Qing was lacking in any way, but rather that the thrill Zhou Xingzhao had imagined was missing.

Zhou Xingzhao felt a bit guilty.

He had never been in a relationship before, so he wasn’t sure if this was normal, but since their parents were pushing the marriage forward, he had no choice but to go along with it step by step.

After finishing his cigarette, Zhou Xingzhao returned to his room, where he still had a lot of wedding details to handle.

…

Half an hour later, in the study, Song Qing finally finished his work.

He stretched and glanced at the wedding guest list beside him. Honestly, he didn’t need to look it over; he just had to follow the emcee’s schedule during the wedding. Song Qing was about to set the list aside, but after a moment of thought, he picked it up.

There were over five hundred names densely listed on the paper, including family business associates and childhood friends.

Song Qing skimmed through it until he reached the section for university classmates.

As he scanned the names, he suddenly paused when he saw Tang Huai’s name.

Would Tang Huai really come?

A fleeting memory of Tang Huai wearing a military training uniform and diligently leading his squad on the field appeared in his mind. Tang Huai was handsome and had a good temper. During their first year of college, he had been recruited into the flag-raising team during military training, and from then on, Song Qing really began to notice him.

Later, their dorms were rearranged, and Song Qing ended up living next door to Tang Huai. The two of them crossed paths more and more often. Every time they passed each other, Song Qing felt his heartbeat quicken, and he knew exactly what that meant.

But…what did it matter how much he liked him? Song Qing was a realist. Their family backgrounds were worlds apart, and he wasn’t going to fight his family over something like that. He thought it was laughable. Throughout their four years in university, Song Qing buried his feelings deep inside.

Song Qing believed that, with time, all his feelings for Tang Huai would fade. Zhou Xingzhao, in terms of family background and connections, was undoubtedly his best choice.

Now, a year after graduating, everything was going according to plan. If it weren’t for the classmates’ group chat, Song Qing would have thought that those fleeting emotions had long passed. But seeing Tang Huai’s name again, he realized that the feelings still lingered. Along with those emotions came a small pang of regret. If only Tang Huai had been born into a better family, everything would have been perfect.

University graduation is a major turning point in life, and as Song Qing stared at the wedding guest list, he felt lost in thought. He found himself wanting to see Tang Huai. As long as Tang Huai was living an ordinary life, Song Qing could finally let go of all his feelings.

Tang Huai was not someone who belonged in Song Qing’s world. His life had greater horizons, and those horizons didn’t include Tang Huai. Song Qing knew his thoughts were a bit dark and selfish, but just like before, if Tang Huai’s life was nothing special, it would prove that Song Qing’s choice was the right one.

He glanced at the time. There were still five days left until the wedding.

In five days, Tang Huai, the lingering memory in his heart, would finally be crushed and erased.

…

While Song Qing and Zhou Xingzhao were working overtime preparing for the wedding, across the Pacific Ocean, at the port of Guerrero in Mexico, Tang Huai finally docked after three days of sailing.

Just as he stepped off the ship, a blue Ford pulled up at the port, and next to it stood a young man in floral pants and sunglasses.

“Tang!” Hank called out, removing his sunglasses and giving Tang Huai a big hug. They hadn’t seen each other for nearly a month.

“Old buddy.” Tang Huai returned the hug. Hank had been his first friend in Mexico. After some small talk, Tang Huai put his luggage in the trunk and got into the car.

“I’ve found the ship you were asking about,” Hank said as he backed the car out of the parking lot.

“What model?” Tang Huai fastened his seatbelt, a bit surprised. Since starting his plan to buy a ship, he had asked Hank to keep an eye out for a suitable ship, but he had thought it would take at least a month or two. He hadn’t expected news so soon.

“The Young Lady, a 50,000-ton cruise ship, owned by one of your countrymen…” Hank began explaining as he drove.

Half an hour later, Tang Huai knew the full story.

The Young Lady was owned by a businessman named Pang Dafu, who made his fortune in the cable industry in China. In recent years, tourism had become increasingly popular, with international and cruise vacations especially in demand. Although Pang Dafu was primarily in the cable business, he had a passion for travel. During one of his voyages, as he looked at the cruise ship beneath him, an idea struck him — he should buy a ship and get into the cruise business.

Pang Dafu was a man of action, and through a middleman, he eventually spent 100 million yuan on a used cruise ship — the Young Lady.

The Young Lady was built in Germany, a 50,000-ton mid-sized cruise ship with three levels: upper, middle, and lower, and it housed 300 berths. Though it had been used by multiple owners, the ship was still in good condition. After purchasing it, Pang Dafu secured a connection with a tourist line running from Bohai to Korea, planning to tap into the booming tourism industry.

However, despite his enthusiasm, Pang Dafu soon realized that entering the tourism industry wasn’t as simple as he had thought. Compared to the luxurious cruise ships in the market, the Young Lady seemed underwhelming, and he struggled to attract customers. Pang Dafu was forced into a price war, and after three years of operation, he found himself in a dire situation. Once he factored in operational costs like maintenance, staff salaries, fuel, and kickbacks, he realized he hadn’t earned a cent and had lost 7 million yuan instead.

With the financial strain weighing on him, especially as the cash flow from his cable factory was drying up, Pang Dafu could no longer afford to maintain the ship. After much deliberation, he decided to sell it.

Cruise ships generally fall into several categories: ocean liners, coastal liners, and river cruise ships. The Young Lady, at 50,000 tons, was classified as a coastal cruise ship.

This kind of large-tonnage ship is difficult to dock, and its cost-effectiveness isn’t high. Most wealthy people who dabble in such ventures prefer to buy yachts or small river cruise ships for novelty. They usually pass on something like the Young Lady. Those looking to invest in international cruises typically purchase ships in the 100,000-ton range, as the Young Lady is only suitable for short-distance routes, lacking the capacity to handle long-distance or risky voyages.

The Young Lady has struggled in short-distance competitions, and its failure over the past three years is a clear example. Pang Dafu has been incredibly stressed about this — after all, it’s a cruise ship, and not something that can be repurposed for transporting goods, which makes the overhead costs daunting. Thus, the Young Lady has found itself in an awkward position.

Over the past six months, Pang Dafu has slashed the price repeatedly, bringing it down to 50 million yuan, roughly 8 million USD.

At this price, it’s practically a steal, considering that a brand-new 50,000-ton cruise ship would cost upwards of 50 million USD.

“Tang, I think it’s worth considering,” Hank said seriously after breaking down the situation. Hank, a graduate of a top-tier university with a wide network, knew that while Pang Dafu was desperate, several second-hand dealers were eyeing the Young Lady. Though the ship had changed hands multiple times, its low price made it attractive. If Pang Dafu dropped the price by another few hundred thousand, someone might snatch it up.

“Is Pang Dafu still in China?” Tang Huai asked, feeling somewhat tempted. He had initially planned to buy a smaller fishing boat for tens of thousands of dollars to keep Alang entertained, but now… the Young Lady seemed like a much better fit.

Not only could Alang use it for fun, but it could also be used to transport tourists.

As long as the Young Lady met safety requirements and with the help of the “Sora Travel Insurance” advantage, Tang Huai wasn’t afraid of any dangers on the high seas.

“He hasn’t left the country. Here’s his phone number and address,” Hank said as they arrived at the airport, texting the information to Tang Huai.

“Thanks a lot,” Tang Huai said, feeling grateful. Hank made it sound easy, but finding this information surely took some effort. Tang Huai felt a little embarrassed since he had been in Mexico for a month and seemed to be constantly bothering Hank.

“We’re friends,” Hank winked at Tang Huai, brushing off his concerns.

Tang Huai smiled. Even though he didn’t say it out loud, he appreciated Hank’s friendship deeply.

Tang Huai had purchased the earliest available flight. After a quick hug, he boarded the plane, and Hank waved him off before heading back to Oaxaca.

The flight from Guerrero to Beijing was 16 hours long. Once on the plane, Tang Huai sent a message to Yu You about his upcoming plans and then put on his sleep mask, quickly falling asleep after the restless nights on the ship.

Meanwhile, at the villa, Yu You was holding his phone.

In the WeChat interface, Yu You stared at the chat window with Tang Huai. He typed a message, deleted it, typed again… and finally settled on two words: Got it.

It had been thirteen days since Tang Huai left.

…

“We’ve landed at Beijing Capital Airport. Passengers, please…” Sixteen hours later, Tang Huai stepped off the plane, dragging his luggage behind him. Looking at the familiar faces around him, he felt a bit dazed.

After a month away, he was back.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️