Ch 28: The World’s Number One Resort

Zhao Hongxia initially just wanted to get a free health check when she entered Aierjian. However, by the time she left, she was carrying several large gift bags from Aierjian. Inside were their newly launched Ice Spirit Fish, sourced from Iran’s Lake Urmia and soaked in a secret formula, which was said to have miraculous effects on cardiovascular diseases, cancer prevention, and reducing blood pressure.

“If you’re sick, it can cure you; if you’re healthy, it can prevent illness.”

Zhao Hongxia, being soft-hearted, spent 16,000 yuan in just half an hour.

“See you at the square tomorrow,” Chen Fenglian waved to Zhao Hongxia as they returned to the neighborhood twenty minutes later. Chen Fenglian, satisfied with her 10% commission from the sale, was in high spirits.

“Alright,” Zhao Hongxia answered absentmindedly as she headed upstairs, still in a daze.

Sixteen thousand yuan was no small amount, and she definitely couldn’t let Xiao Shengguo find out. Once home, Zhao Hongxia thought to look up more information on Ice Spirit Fish. However, she couldn’t find any references to it online, but saw many positive reviews for Aierjian. Feeling somewhat reassured by the numerous testimonials, she breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it couldn’t be fake with so much praise.

After resting a bit, Zhao Hongxia started preparing fish. Her son and daughter-in-law were coming over for dinner, and since her daughter-in-law was three months pregnant, all her meals had been at home lately. There were ten fish in total, enough for a full course of treatment.

As she prepared the fish, a strong medicinal smell filled the air, but Zhao Hongxia didn’t mind—it was supposed to be a medicinal dish after all. When her family arrived and they sat down for dinner, Xiao Shengguo asked where the fish came from. Although the strong smell dissipated during cooking, Zhao Hongxia simply said it was a gift from a friend.

“It’s alright,” her daughter-in-law, who liked fish, remarked, feeling it wasn’t as tasty as Blue Sea Fish but still palatable.

Everyone ate happily. Over the next few days, Zhao Hongxia continued to prepare the fish in various ways as part of the course. Her daughter-in-law enjoyed the dishes and approved of them.

On the sixth day, after dinner, things took a turn. About two hours later, her daughter-in-law began feeling unwell, sweating and clutching her stomach. Since she was pregnant, the whole family became alarmed and rushed her to the hospital. Initially, they thought it was a pregnancy-related issue, but tests revealed a parasitic infection.

What type of parasite was unclear, but considering her daughter-in-law’s stable lifestyle and diet, the family suspected it came from the Blue Sea Fish or the Ice Spirit Fish.

“Where exactly did this fish come from?” Xiao Shengguo demanded angrily, glaring at Zhao Hongxia by their daughter-in-law’s hospital bed. The situation had almost cost them the baby!

“I bought it from Aierjian…” Zhao Hongxia stammered, shocked and on the verge of tears, confessing everything. It was the first time Xiao Shengguo had ever been so angry with her, and she felt utterly crushed.

Without responding to her, Xiao Shengguo gathered some friends and the local TV show Ace Mediator and stormed into Aierjian for justice.

Being up-to-date with modern tactics, Xiao Shengguo knew the power of public opinion. Ace Mediator was a popular local consumer advocacy program in Guanghai, with a broad viewership.

At 2:30 p.m., Xiao Shengguo and his group confidently marched into Aierjian.

“Boss Xiao, what’s going on?” Chen Fenglian, who happened to be working at the store, asked in surprise. She had successfully brought ten customers to Aierjian, earning a promotion to a probationary agent. She had been enjoying her life lately, with nearly 30,000 yuan in commission. Today, she was at the store to practice sales pitches.

At this moment, Xiao Shengguo wore a stern expression, clearly here with a purpose.

“Was this fish bought from your store?” Xiao Shengguo coldly snorted, tossing a gift box onto the counter.

“It was bought here… but what happened, Boss Xiao?” The store manager glanced at the box, confused. The fish had a manufacturing date and serial number, making it impossible to be fake.

“It almost killed someone…” Xiao Shengguo snorted again, recounting the details.

“That’s absolutely impossible,” the manager replied firmly. With so many customers present, she couldn’t afford to take the blame lightly.

Xiao Shengguo, armed with the hospital report, thought his path to seeking justice would be smooth. However, Aierjian completely denied any fault with the fish.

“How can you be so sure it was the Ice Spirit Fish? Didn’t your family recently bring back a lot of fish from abroad? I think it’s those fish that caused the problem,” Chen Fenglian, standing nearby, chimed in to remind them. With so many onlookers, she needed to stabilize the situation, or her commission might fly out the window.

“How do you know I had fish at home?” Xiao Shengguo was furious; Chen Fenglian knew his household all too well. The last time they ate the Blue Sea Fish was a week ago, and it wouldn’t take that long for a parasitic infection to show up, right?

Chen Fenglian gave a knowing look, as if she had proven her point.

Neither side was willing to back down. Finally, with mediation from the Ace Mediator show crew, it was agreed that two of the fish would be sent to a quality inspection center for testing, with results expected in about half a month. Xiao Shengguo would wait for the results, while Aierjian’s headquarters began damage control.

The episode of Ace Mediator was broadcast as scheduled. Although the show typically covered everyday consumer issues, it didn’t generate much buzz initially, as people simply found it entertaining and moved on.

The second part of the episode would air in half a month.

…

While Xiao Shengguo was busy seeking justice, Tang Huai finally returned to Sora Island after 20 days of sea travel.

Thanks to the “Sora Travel Insurance,” the journey of Great Tang No. 1 went smoothly.

On the way back, Tang Huai had contacted Captain Reno, who was heading to Hawaii to deliver fish and would conveniently pass by Sora Island. On his return, he could take Li Dazhi and his team back with him.

When Tang Huai arrived, Captain Reno had already been waiting for half an hour.

“Tang, if you need anything, just reach out.” After completing the handover, Li Dazhi stood on the deck of Storm and waved to Tang Huai. Li Dazhi was in charge of this voyage.

“Definitely,” Tang Huai responded with a wave. Li Dazhi was diligent, humorous, and reliable—if not for the many secrets on Sora Island, Tang Huai would have happily worked with him long-term.

On the deck, Li Dazhi glanced at Tang Huai with some admiration. Tang Huai was good-looking, had a nice temperament, and was much more interesting than the second-generation rich kids he knew. After spending time together on the journey, Li Dazhi had grown to appreciate Tang Huai.

With a sigh, Li Dazhi then looked at Great Tang No. 1, a hint of puzzlement in his expression. Sora Island was uninhabited, and now that they were leaving, the ship would just be sitting there… Was Tang Huai buying a ship as a piece of art?

Not too familiar with Tang Huai, Li Dazhi considered asking but ultimately kept silent.

Tang Huai had a brief conversation with Captain Reno before Storm set sail. Five minutes later, the ship disappeared from Tang Huai’s sight.

As Storm sailed away, Tang Huai shifted his gaze back to the island.

Finally, he had a ship.

Tang Huai looked toward the beach, ready to boast to Alang. But… there was no one on the beach. Where was Alang?

…

Tang Huai searched along the coastline but couldn’t find any sign of Alang. Puzzled, he headed toward Blue Sea Lake. The Blue Sea Forest was lush and green, just as it was when he left.

The forest, the lake, the treehouse… everything was quiet, and still no sign of Alang.

“FD730, what’s going on?” Tang Huai finally gave up searching and asked FD730.

“Alang is a basic intelligent AI. The host can search for him on the island map,” FD730 replied meticulously.

Tang Huai: …If he hadn’t asked, FD730 would have stayed silent forever.

With no time to complain, Tang Huai followed FD730’s suggestion and opened the island map.

Blue Sea Lake and Snow Country’s Scenic Beauty were a striking green and white against the gray areas of the map. After scanning for a while, Tang Huai noticed a search button in the upper-right corner of the map. He clicked on it and entered “Boatman Alang.”

As Tang Huai pondered, a small red dot slowly appeared on the map. The red dot was located in Area 2, and Tang Huai noticed that it started at the bottom of the Yellow Earth Canyon, then dashed to the top of the mountain before descending again. Area 2 was adjacent to Blue Sea Lake, and after a few moments, the red dot had almost reached the coastline.

The coastline?

Realizing this, Tang Huai quickly turned around and ran back the way he came. Given the distance and system permissions, Tang Huai couldn’t see Alang’s loyalty score, but he had a feeling that it had dropped significantly.

Thanks to his “Health and Fitness” perk, running up and down the mountain wasn’t a problem for Tang Huai. Two hours later, he reached the coastline. At this point, Great Tang No. 1 stood majestically docked at the shore like a marker. Checking the island map again, Tang Huai saw that the red dot had stopped nearby.

Looking around, there was no sign of Alang, but Tang Huai turned his attention to Great Tang No. 1. The ship’s gray and white colors stood out, and after being freshly repainted, the bold “Great Tang No. 1″ lettering looked impressive and grand.

Tang Huai took two steps forward.

“Boom—” As soon as Tang Huai approached, the ship’s horn let out a loud blast. Immediately after, the heavy ship ladder began to rise slowly.

Tang Huai: !

“Haha, farewell Sora Island! I will conquer the seas, vast and mysterious—Alang is coming!” Thirty seconds later, a figure jumped onto the deck, arms stretched out dramatically, as Alang recited some theatrical lines.

[Boatman Alang]: A gifted boatman with a penchant for drinking; intelligent AI.

[Attributes]: Possesses strong psychological resilience, unafraid of the risks of the sea. 75/100000.

[Loyalty]: 47. Note: Has betrayed. Please try to restore loyalty.

The moment Alang appeared, Tang Huai finally saw Alang’s personal information.

Tang Huai: … Not only had Alang betrayed him, but his loyalty had also dropped below 50. This was considered moderate rebellion!

“Come down. Let’s talk about this down here,” Tang Huai took a deep breath and called up to Alang. Tang Huai had absolute control over the character cards. If the AI became too unmanageable, he could choose to “humanely eliminate” it. However, Tang Huai didn’t want to resort to that option lightly.

“I’m leaving Sora Island! I want to become the ruler of the seas!” Alang continued his dramatic outburst.

“You can’t leave Sora Island,” Tang Huai sighed.

Alang was a basic AI, restricted to a 3,000 nautical mile range around Sora Island. If he ventured beyond that limit, his body would gradually weaken until he reverted back to a card.

After Tang Huai said this, Alang’s expression became conflicted, his face darkening with anger as he glared at Tang Huai.

Tang Huai could see pain and humiliation in Alang’s eyes…

“Ding! Alang’s loyalty -1. Host, please be cautious of severe rebellion,” the system warned again.

Tang Huai: Whatever.

Raising his head, Tang Huai and Alang, one on the ship and the other below, stared at each other, locked in a silent battle of wills.

They glared at each other for two minutes…

“Alang is the king of the seas! He would rather die than submit. Humble host, please turn me back into a card!” Alang declared, choking up as if he had made a final decision.

After speaking, Alang wiped his face, where something like tears seemed to glisten.

Tang Huai: ?? Did he even do anything as cruel as a landlord oppressing a tenant?

Alang, being a basic AI, had such low loyalty now that no amount of explaining from Tang Huai could help.

“How about this? From now on, you help me transport tourists to and from Sora Island, and I’ll grant you absolute freedom. How does that sound?”

After thinking it over, Tang Huai made a proposal. Alang was a gifted boatman who could skillfully pilot ships up to 100,000 tons. If upgraded to intermediate status, he could even captain ships like the Titanic… Truly a treasure of a boatman, and Tang Huai fully trusted the system’s description.

Alang looked at Tang Huai, his expression changing constantly.

“You better keep your promise,” Alang finally said through gritted teeth.

Tang Huai breathed a sigh of relief after they reached a simple agreement. Thanks to the system’s rules, Tang Huai didn’t have to worry about Alang pulling any tricks.

With the agreement made, Alang retracted the entire ship’s ladder.

“Ahem, could you come down first? You can’t operate Great Tang No. 1 by yourself,” Tang Huai coughed lightly. Although Alang was a talented boatman, even the best sailor couldn’t do much without a crew. To operate the ship, they needed not only a captain but also an engineer, chief officer, repair technician, and other essential roles. Based on Storm’s standards, a minimum crew of five was required.

Alang’s eyes widened upon hearing this. He felt like Tang Huai had tricked him. After waiting by the sea for more than a month, he finally had a ship, but he still couldn’t sail it…

So frustrating!

Tang Huai: …

Tang Huai, seeing no other option, reluctantly rented an AI crew from the system store. These were non-intelligent AIs, including three sailors, one operator, one repair technician, and one service attendant.

This AI crew didn’t need food, but to host future tourists, Tang Huai would need to hire more AI staff.

The six-member crew rental cost was 60,000 island points per month, with a purchase price of 1.2 million. For now, Tang Huai rented them for one month, and after this series of expenses, he had only 1,000 island points left. Staring at the balance, Tang Huai once again realized how important it was to earn more island points.

“Roar! Roar!” Alang, however, wasn’t concerned with Tang Huai’s financial woes and was instead running excitedly around the ship.

“Ding! Alang’s loyalty +5. Host, please remain cautious of severe rebellion.”

For the first time in a while, Alang’s loyalty increased by five points.

Looking at the loyalty score of 51, Tang Huai couldn’t help but chuckle. After buying a ship and spending over twenty days crossing the ocean, he didn’t feel like he had gained much.

Oh well, at least now with a crew, it would be easier to transport tourists in the future.

“Boom! Boom—” Just as Tang Huai was deep in thought, the loud sound of a ship’s horn echoed again. Tang Huai noticed that Great Tang No. 1 had somehow moved thirty meters forward and was still drifting farther away.

At that moment, Alang was in the captain’s cabin, enthusiastically steering the ship’s wheel.

Despite his rebellion, Alang’s personality had no major flaws besides disobedience. After thinking about it, Tang Huai decided to let things be for now… but he would make sure to keep Alang’s loyalty above 40. Any lower, and things might get out of control.

With Alang off sailing, Tang Huai was once again the only person left on Sora Island.

Tang Huai returned to his treehouse and took out the Despairing Aunt Mei Li card. Aunt Mei Li was a mid-level AI with exceptional culinary skills. Tang Huai planned to use her when he opened a small restaurant. Given Alang’s recent behavior, Tang Huai didn’t want Aunt Mei Li to rebel right after being summoned…

“Beep beep, beep.” It was 10 p.m., and just as Tang Huai was about to go to sleep after washing up, his phone’s WeChat notification sounded.

“How’s life on the ocean?”

Tang Huai picked up his phone. The message was from Yu You. His WeChat name was simply “Yu You,” and his profile picture was a bunch of roses, likely a casual snapshot.

“Just passed by Mexico. I’ll be back in a while. The flower cakes I brought got spoiled though…” Tang Huai replied sheepishly. He had brought quite a few flower cakes on the trip, but due to the humid ocean air and improper storage, they all went moldy.

Tang Huai had informed Yu You when he boarded the ship, and now with no flower cakes to offer, he felt a bit embarrassed.

“No worries.” In a villa on Anillo City, Yu You smiled as he replied to Tang Huai’s message. He wasn’t really a glutton. The phone was a wonderful invention—although Yu You often felt lonely, chatting with Tang Huai from time to time brought him some joy.

“Anything you feel like eating? I’ll bring it back for you next time.”

“Cream cake?”

Tang Huai and Yu You continued their light conversation. Tang Huai hadn’t expected Yu You to actually ask for something, let alone a cake…

“OK,” Tang Huai agreed easily, knowing that HDS Western Restaurant sold cakes. After chatting for a little while longer, he ended the conversation and prepared for bed.

It was already 11 p.m. Tang Huai scrolled through Weibo for a bit before falling asleep.

At the same time, Yu You was thoughtfully reviewing their earlier conversation. A cake… Yu You wasn’t a big eater, but a few days ago, he had been thinking about his own birthday, only to realize he didn’t even know when he was born.

He decided to make the day he first arrived at the villa in Anillo City his birthday, and the cake would serve as a belated celebration.

Yu You stared at Tang Huai’s profile picture for a while, feeling content, then prepared to go to bed. He placed his phone on the windowsill, but due to a slight slip of his hand, the phone dropped.

Yu You didn’t check the phone. Instead, he raised his hands. His hands appeared as though they had been dipped in black ink, the skin dark and unnatural. When he stretched his fingers, they elongated like elastic rubber, growing suddenly and grotesquely long.

Frightened, Yu You immediately let go, and five minutes later, his hands returned to their normal state.

Yu You’s expression grew complicated. He knew what he had just experienced wasn’t a hallucination. This had happened three times in the past six months. Not only had his appearance become monstrous, but his body seemed to be transforming into something inhuman as well.

He stared out the window, his thoughts inscrutable.

…

“Ding! Task update: As a world-class island, rich species and unique products are essential.

Primary task: Plant ten acres of Sora spirit plants and raise 100+ Sora spirit livestock.

Agriculturist Beginner Bonus: Ten acres of spirit seedlings and 100 spirit livestock. [Available for selection in the system store], ten acres of spirit soil for planting.

Task requirements: Ensure growth and survival within one month.

Task rewards: [Store Card] x3, [Building Card] x2, [Game Project Card] x1, [Lucky Spin] x1.”

The next morning, Tang Huai followed his usual routine of washing up. Just as he was catching fish, he suddenly heard a system notification in his mind.

Tang Huai felt a bit dazed. He didn’t bother checking the character introduction but instead focused entirely on the task cards. Six system cards and one lucky spin.

This reward… seemed rather generous.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️