Ch 27: The World’s Number One Resort

“Let’s see how things go,” Pang Dafu muttered, lighting a cigarette with a hint of frustration in his voice. Kim Soobin started off as a second-hand cruise ship dealer, and now, besides reselling ships, he also owned two tourist routes—one between Guanghai and Singapore, and the other between Tianjin and Busan. Leaving the Guanghai-Singapore route aside, Kim’s ship, Royal Court No. 1, operated between Tianjin and Busan.

Royal Court No. 1 was a luxurious, large-scale cruise ship with over 3,000 cabins and entertainment facilities such as billiard rooms, performance halls, and a cinema at sea. Although its route overlapped with The young lady, Royal Court No. 1 catered to a mid-to-high-end market, while The young lady targeted budget travelers. Their target demographics were different, so there wasn’t much direct competition. Each had its own clientele and routes.

But for some reason, after a few months of peaceful coexistence, Royal Court No. 1 began to align its schedule more closely with that of The young lady and even started offering low-cost tour packages. As a result, The young lady lost all competitive advantage and was severely undercut.

Pang Dafu, a businessman for most of his life, understood the rules of free competition—if he couldn’t match up, he would have to accept defeat. He had a good attitude about it, but after hearing during a drinking session that Royal Court No. 1’s tactics were not just fair competition but intentional sabotage, his resentment grew.

China’s tourism industry was booming, and there had been several cruise ships operating between Tianjin and Busan before. Royal Court No. 1, leveraging its vast connections and ship’s superior features, had used such tactics to crush several other cruise liners. The young lady was just one of the victims of this malicious competition.

Pang Dafu was left feeling like he had swallowed a fly—frustrated and helpless. But with The young lady struggling, he knew it couldn’t continue operating.

He had put The young lady up for sale, and ironically, the first interested buyer was none other than Kim Soobin.

Kim, the owner of Royal Court No. 1, wasn’t someone Pang Dafu wanted to sell to, so he had been delaying the sale for six months.

Pang had a gut feeling that the ship’s low asking price and long time on the market might have something to do with Kim’s influence, but he had no concrete evidence and didn’t want to make baseless accusations.

“Alright, I understand,” Pang Dafu thought as he mulled over his situation. Meanwhile, the man with glasses beside him answered a phone call.

“Mr. Pang, Kim Soobin’s team just called. He’ll be coming by to look at the ship soon,” the man said three minutes later after hanging up.

“Kim Soobin? I thought he was in Korea?” Pang Dafu stubbed out his cigarette, frowning. Subconsciously, he still didn’t want to do business with Kim.

“He came back the day before yesterday and is in the area now,” the man reported.

“Alright, let’s greet Mr. Tang first,” Pang sighed. The Tianjin port wasn’t his private property—if Kim wanted to come, there was little he could do about it.

Pang Dafu looked toward the road, feeling increasingly anxious. Strictly speaking, he didn’t know who this Mr. Tang was, but if Mr. Tang had gone through the trouble of contacting him and was making a special trip to see the ship, he likely had both the sincerity and the means to buy it.

As the waiting dragged on, half an hour later, a black business car finally pulled up. Pang straightened himself up, and the car came to a stop.

The young secretary stepped out first, followed by a man in his twenties from the back seat, dressed casually in a light-colored outfit and blue jeans. He had a handsome appearance, with a gentle and pleasant demeanor.

“Where’s Mr. Tang?” Pang Dafu asked, peering into the car. There was no one else inside.

“Ahem, I’m Mr. Tang,” Tang Huai coughed awkwardly. Was it really that hard to believe he was the buyer?

“Oh… Hello, I’m Pang Dafu. The cruise ship is just ahead, let’s head over,” Pang was momentarily taken aback but quickly regained his composure, unlike the secretary, and gestured towards the dock.

“Tang Huai,” Tang introduced himself simply, and after a brief exchange of pleasantries, they walked together toward the ship.

Ten minutes later, Tang Huai and Pang Dafu stood in front of a large grey-and-white cruise ship.

“This is The young lady,” Pang said, his expression a mix of emotions. There was no need for an introduction—the large, decorative characters spelling out “The young lady” stood boldly on the ship’s hull, like five vivid plum blossoms.

Tang Huai stepped forward to take a closer look at the ship. It was a large vessel, about 50 meters long and 10 meters wide, with three levels—upper, middle, and lower decks. Its structure was similar to the Storm but slightly larger.

“Lower the gangway,” Pang Dafu gestured to his secretary, who shouted up to the ship. With a creaking sound, a gray gangway was lowered down. Tang Huai and Pang Dafu climbed up, where three crew members were on duty.

“The lower deck has the sleeping quarters, the second deck has the dining room, recreation room, billiard hall, and other entertainment facilities. The third deck is the captain’s cabin… The ship was renovated a few years ago, and it’s about 80% new now,” Pang Dafu explained as he gave Tang Huai a tour of the ship, room by room. As Pang walked through the ship, he couldn’t help but feel the stark contrast between the ambitions he had three years ago and the difficult situation he found himself in now.

Tang Huai followed behind Pang, taking in the surroundings and nodding frequently. However, he didn’t offer much in terms of opinion.

Seeing Tang Huai’s expression, Pang Dafu gave a bitter smile. It was usually the picky ones who turned out to be serious buyers, and Tang Huai’s calm demeanor wasn’t exactly reassuring. Looking at Tang’s age and appearance, Pang Dafu doubted whether he could even afford the ship.

Sigh, Pang Dafu thought, chalking it up to reliving old memories for the sake of having something to do.

The tour lasted about an hour, and afterward, the group disembarked.

“Mr. Tang, what are your thoughts?” Pang began with the usual formalities, just as a cheerful voice interrupted from afar.

A black SUV had pulled up nearby, and a thin middle-aged man with a cigar in his mouth stepped out, followed by two men who looked like lawyers.

“Mr. Jin,” Pang Dafu greeted with a forced smile. The man approaching was none other than Kim Soobin, the very person Pang Dafu had been trying to avoid dealing with. Kim, with his single eyelid and rough background, had clawed his way to the top through sheer ruthlessness—few in his line of work had managed to make such a name for themselves.

Kim Soobin hailed from Incheon, South Korea, but his Mandarin was remarkably fluent, likely due to his many years in business.

Kim was thin and wiry, standing in sharp contrast to Pang, whose stout, well-fed appearance lived up to his name. The two, one thin and one fat, made a striking pair.

“Mr. Pang, I’ve brought my legal team. I’m genuinely interested in purchasing The young lady. Here’s a check for 7.6 million USD—ten thousand more than my previous offer. If you’re agreeable, we can sign the contract right now,” Kim said, skipping further pleasantries and getting straight to the point.

Pang’s expression flickered between uncertainty and frustration. The listed price was 8 million, and Kim’s offer of 7.6 million USD was around 45 million yuan. Pang needed the money desperately—this amount would solve his financial problems—but the thought of doing business with Kim left him feeling defeated.

“Mr. Pang, I understand your concerns. My previous actions were out of necessity,” Kim said, sensing Pang’s hesitation and offering him an easy way to accept.

Kim had been eyeing The young lady from the moment it was listed. Initially, it had been priced at 12 million USD, which was a fair price. But Kim was a cunning businessman, and after learning about Pang’s financial troubles, he decided to bide his time. Several wealthy businessmen and brokers had expressed interest in the ship, but with Kim’s influence in the industry, many gave him the courtesy of not stepping on his toes. As a result, The young lady had essentially been pre-reserved for Kim.

Kim was a patient hunter. Rather than immediately buying the ship, he watched the situation play out for half a year. During that time, the price of The young lady dropped from 12 million to 8 million USD, which was likely the lowest Pang could go. Confident that his plan had succeeded, Kim was now ready to close the deal.

“You can take a look at the contract first,” Kim Soobin said as he handed over the contract, appearing full of sincerity.

Sigh, Pang Dafu sighed heavily. After this brief exchange, his psychological defenses had been breached.

Pang briefly skimmed through the contract. There didn’t seem to be any hidden clauses. Of course, before signing, it would still need to be reviewed by his company’s lawyers.

Three minutes later, Pang placed the contract down. His cable factory was located in the Binhai New District, and he was considering heading back with Kim Soobin to finalize the agreement.

“Mr. Tang, are you still interested?” Pang suddenly asked as he turned and noticed Tang Huai. Pang had been so caught up with Kim that he’d nearly forgotten about Tang Huai. While he asked, he had little hope of a deal happening.

“If the ship’s performance checks out, I’m ready to sign a contract.” Pang Dafu had been about to suggest his secretary take Tang Huai to a hotel, but he stopped short as Tang Huai calmly nodded.

“You really intend to buy it?” Pang Dafu was stunned, thinking he might have misheard.

“If I wasn’t serious, I wouldn’t have come all the way to Tianjin,” Tang Huai said with mild exasperation. After all this time, his sincerity still wasn’t clear?

“Eight million dollars?” Pang asked, still doubtful.

Tang Huai glanced at Kim Soobin, then back at Pang Dafu without directly answering. Business was business, and Tang Huai wasn’t about to be played for a fool.

“Mr. Tang, if you’re ready to finalize today, I’ll sell it to you for 7.6 million,” Pang Dafu offered, realizing that since Kim had already offered that price, charging Tang Huai the original 8 million wouldn’t seem fair.

“I can’t finalize today, but I’m willing to sign a deposit contract. I’ll be in Tianjin for the next few days, and once everything checks out with the ship, we can sign the final agreement.” Tang Huai wasn’t about to rush such a large purchase. With so many scams and coincidences, especially Kim’s convenient appearance, Tang Huai had been scrutinizing both men closely. He wasn’t about to risk getting trapped in a shady deal.

After observing for over half an hour and ruling out the possibility that Pang Dafu and Kim were running some elaborate scam, Tang Huai was still cautious. Eight million was a big deal, and he wanted to handle it with care.

“Mr. Tang, I agree,” Pang Dafu said, looking between Kim and Tang before gritting his teeth and making the call. He didn’t fully believe Tang Huai could afford such a large sum, but Tang Huai’s demeanor and confidence were convincing enough. If Pang Dafu had a choice, he would much rather sell to Tang Huai than deal with Kim.

Pang and Tang Huai began discussing the terms of the deposit contract.

“Mr. Pang, what is the meaning of this?” Kim, realizing what was happening, frowned. He’d finally caught on that his deal might be slipping away.

“Apologies, Mr. Kim. It’s a first-come, first-served situation,” Pang Dafu said, feigning regret.

“Hmph, Mr. Pang, I won’t be offering the same price next time,” Kim sneered, casting a glance at Tang Huai before huffing. Like Tang Huai had initially thought, Kim assumed Tang Huai was just a plant brought in to spoil his offer.

“Sorry to make you come out here for nothing,” Pang Dafu said dismissively, waving off Kim’s complaints.

“Hmph.”

Kim snorted in frustration. He knew Pang’s financial situation was dire, with significant bank loans weighing him down. Without sellingThe young lady, Pang wouldn’t be able to hold out until the next project payment. Kim was already planning to return later and offer a much lower price, maybe even as low as six million!

…

As Kim’s car drove away, Pang breathed a sigh of relief before looking at Tang Huai with a complicated expression. He was still nervous, worried that Tang Huai might be toying with him.

“Let’s sign the deposit contract,” Tang Huai smiled. With no competition left, there was really no need for a deposit contract, but seeing Pang’s anxious demeanor, Tang Huai decided to give him some peace of mind.

The deposit contract was signed at the Pangda Cable Factory, and it was drafted somewhat hastily. Tang Huai would pay Pang Dafu an initial deposit of 100,000 yuan, then hire a professional team to inspect The young lady. If the findings matched the inspection report provided by Pang Dafu, Tang Huai would pay the remaining balance. However, if any significant issues were discovered, Pang Dafu would return the deposit, and he would also cover the inspection costs.

“Mr. Tang, if you don’t mind me asking, what line of work are you in?” Pang Dafu asked curiously after signing the contract.

100,000 yuan wasn’t a lot, but it was enough to reassure him.

“I’m in the tourism industry,” Tang Huai replied briefly.

“The Tianjin-to-Korea tourism route is a tough one to run,” Pang Dafu remarked knowingly, assuming Tang Huai planned to run the China-Korea route.

“I’m not running the Korea route,” Tang Huai waved off the idea. His focus was on the Mexico-to-Sora Island route. As for future plans, perhaps opening up routes between China and Sora, Korea and Sora, or even India and Sora seemed… feasible?

Pang Dafu had many more questions but, seeing that Tang Huai wasn’t inclined to elaborate, he held back.

At 7 p.m., Tang Huai and Pang Dafu had dinner in the Binhai New Area. Afterward, Pang Dafu suggested they visit a nearby entertainment club for some fun, but Tang Huai politely declined, not being interested in that sort of thing.

Seeing Tang Huai’s disinterest, Pang Dafu didn’t press the matter further, and by 9 p.m., Tang Huai returned to his hotel.

After a quick shower and browsing Weibo for a while, Tang Huai soon fell asleep.

…

As a major port city, Tianjin had several professional ship inspection teams. After comparing his options, Tang Huai selected one, and on the morning of the third day, the inspection team arrived. The entire inspection process took two days, and aside from some rust on the deck, the third-party report matched Pang Dafu’s original report.

Tang Huai was very satisfied. Next, he hired a professional lawyer, and after another two days of negotiations, the contract was finally finalized. Tang Huai and Pang Dafu went to the bank to handle the large payment transfer. As Pang Dafu watched the 7.6 million deposit into his account, he still felt somewhat dazed.

Although it was 400,000 dollars less than he initially hoped, given the disruption caused by Kim Soobin, Pang Dafu was more than happy with the deal.

Both parties were content.

…

“Mr. Tang, do you have any other matters to attend to?” At the Tianjin port, Pang Dafu looked at The young lady with a sense of nostalgia. From today onward, it no longer belonged to him.

“There’s one more thing,” Tang Huai thought for a moment before replying seriously.

“What’s that?” Pang Dafu perked up.

“Can we change the name of the ship?” Tang Huai asked, rubbing his nose. From the very start, he had wanted to comment on the name The young lady.

In fact, The young lady wasn’t its original name. When it first rolled off the production line, it was called Pandora. The buyer didn’t like that name, so it was changed to Star of Victory, followed by White Pearl, English Blade, Big Carrot, and several other odd names. In total, the ship had gone through over a dozen name changes.

When Pang Dafu bought it, it was called Red Rose.

Pang Dafu, with a wave of his hand, renamed it The young lady and was quite satisfied with the name.

“Mr. Tang, the name was only changed three years ago. It’s a pretty good one,” Pang suggested earnestly after giving Tang Huai a brief history of the ship’s names. The young lady had a great charm to it. Every time Pang Dafu boarded, he imagined a bikini-clad maiden walking toward him.

Tang Huai: … “Our tastes don’t quite align.”

In the end, Tang Huai renamed The young lady to Great Tang No. 1.

The name was more standard and far more respectable!

Pang Dafu looked at Tang with a tinge of regret. Was he planning on naming future ships Great Tang No. 2 and Great Tang No. 3? But the ship had already changed hands, so Pang Dafu had no say in it anymore.

Now that the ship was purchased, Tang Huai finished the preparations, renting a maritime team complete with a captain, sailors, cooks, and other crew members. His next destination: Mexico.

Due to being a medium-sized cruise ship, Great Tang No. 1 couldn’t cross the Pacific directly. The ship needed to first sail to the Kamchatka Peninsula, then follow the coastline step by step to Mexico, ultimately arriving at Sora Island. The entire voyage was expected to take more than twenty days.

With no new task assigned yet, Tang Huai had free time, so he joined the crew on the journey.

Thus, the twenty-day sea voyage officially began.

Eating, watching the sea, playing on Weibo… Tang Huai’s days on the ship were both routine and monotonous.

…

“Now that Aierjian has a good reputation, the previous space was no longer enough. This location has been newly renovated.” While Tang Huai was in the midst of his mundane sea voyage, at the entrance of a high-end community in Guanghai, Chen Fenglian stepped out of a car and spoke to Zhao Hongxia, who was right behind her.

With the back-to-school season bringing a busy period for the clothing industry, Zhao Hongxia had spent the past few days running around factories. After barely resting for two days, Chen Fenglian, who had been pestering her three times a day, urged her once again. Unable to refuse, Zhao Hongxia had finally taken a taxi with Chen Fenglian to this new location.

The two got out of the car, facing a high-end-looking blue sign that read “Aierjian Health and Wellness” in large, bold letters. It was rush hour, and a number of people were coming and going from inside.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️