Ch 51: The World’s Number One Resort

Zhou Zilin and Gao Yun had been enjoying the giant roller coaster all afternoon. They were now in the East Market of Bianjing, a famous commercial district in the city, filled with countless shops. The two were having a great time, with Zhou Zilin changing into one dress after another.

At 3:30 p.m., Gao Yun began to feel a bit tired and sat down on a “small stone” to rest. Meanwhile, Zhou Zilin and her three assistants went to a baked pancake shop called “Wang Fu Pancake Shop.”

Although they were assistants, they were as curious as cats upon seeing the extraordinary sights of the giants. The assistants had been working for the Zhou family for two years, always diligent in their duties. Gao Yun did not require them to stay by her side and allowed them to accompany Zhou Zilin instead.

Zhou Zilin and her assistants spent half an hour at the pancake shop, having a lot of fun. However, when they returned, Gao Yun was nowhere to be seen.

Zhou Zilin assumed that Gao Yun was nearby, so she waited on the spot for five minutes. When Gao Yun didn’t appear, she tried calling her.

The line was busy.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Zhou Zilin and her assistants searched around the East Market but still couldn’t find her.

Panic set in for Zhou Zilin. She instructed one assistant to stay put while she and the other two headed back to the city gate.

“Manager Tang, my mom is timid. She’s in an unfamiliar place here. You have to help me find her,” Zhou Zilin said helplessly upon confirming that Gao Yun had not returned. Although Zhou Zilin had a temper, she clearly knew who treated her well and who didn’t. Gao Yun was her support system, and now that support was gone, she felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness.

“Don’t worry. Bianjing City is huge; Ms. Gao should still be in the city area,” Tang Huai reassured her. While Zhou Zilin was a bit arrogant, she was only eighteen—just newly an adult.

After calming her down, Tang Huai opened the island’s sand table.

On the sand table, seven green dots were scattered around Bianjing Ancient City. Five dots were near the city gate, and two were in the East Market area.

One of the stationary dots was the assistant, while the other, moving around, was Gao Yun.

Gao Yun was still within the East Market area.

“Where did you part ways?” Tang Huai closed the sand table and turned to ask.

“Wang Fu Pancake Shop…” Zhou Zilin sniffled, hesitating. The four of them had wandered around the pancake shop for a long time, but there wasn’t a trace of Gao Yun, not even an echo.

Tang Huai nodded.

Half an hour later, they stood in front of Wang Fu Pancake Shop. Aside from Zhou Zilin and her three assistants, Hank, George, and Da Huang had also come along.

Da Huang was feeling unwell due to hunger. While waiting at the city gate, Tang Huai had browsed the system shop. Although there was no dog food for sale, there were ham sausages available. Each cost 500 island points—not expensive—but Da Huang didn’t like ham sausages. Possibly due to its upbringing, Da Huang only showed interest in the NCX feed and Blue Sea spiritual plants. Now, faced with hunger, it reluctantly took a few bites of the ham sausage.

“Awoo—”

“Did you check the building across the street?” Da Huang nudged Tang Huai’s leg. Tang Huai patted Da Huang’s fur, then pointed across the street.

Zhou Zilin looked up. Across the street was a three-story building named “Zui Xiang Ge.” The building was lavishly decorated, with three statues of alluring female giants dressed scantily at its entrance. The group hadn’t been inside yet, but judging by the name “Zui Xiang Ge” and the statues, it was pretty clear what kind of place it was.

Bianjing certainly had its own unique charm.

“No,” Zhou Zilin shook her head. She had only searched the nearby area.

“Let’s go inside and take a look,” Tang Huai said, taking the lead. The green dot on the sand table was located inside, but Tang Huai didn’t have the authority to pinpoint the exact location.

The green dot’s flashing frequency was normal, indicating that Gao Yun was currently safe.

…

“Does everyone have enough battery on their phones?” At the entrance of Zui Xiang Ge, the group checked their phones. Then, they paired up and went inside to search for Gao Yun.

Tang Huai teamed up with Da Huang, while George and Hank formed one pair, and Zhou Zilin and an assistant made the third. They agreed to regroup in half an hour and to call if anything came up.

“Da Huang, you need to work harder in the future,” Tang Huai said as he led Da Huang through the magnified scenery, tugging playfully at its tail. Although Da Huang was a highly intelligent Chinese rural dog, it had never undergone systematic training and was clueless about tracking or finding people.

Tang Huai decided that he would start training Da Huang’s natural skills whenever he had the chance.

“Awoo,” Da Huang wagged its tail, seemingly a bit embarrassed by Tang Huai’s words. Tang Huai smiled and continued searching each corner with Da Huang.

“Mom!” On the other side of Zui Xiang Ge, Zhou Zilin was shouting at the top of her lungs. Although Gao Yun was still somewhere in the ancient city, every moment she couldn’t find her made her heart race.

“I should have stayed with Ms. Gao,” the assistant said apologetically. If one of them had stayed behind, this wouldn’t have happened. They never expected Gao Yun to disappear in the blink of an eye.

Zhou Zilin glanced at him but didn’t say much; the priority was finding Gao Yun, not blaming anyone.

“Tap, tap, tap…” After searching around the tables, they headed for the elevator. Just then, footsteps sounded behind them.

Zhou Zilin turned around to see George approaching. He gestured with his hands and mumbled in English.

“What?” Zhou Zilin asked impatiently. She was not good at languages and couldn’t understand a word.

Hank followed his grandfather.

“We’ve searched the west side, and there’s no one there. My grandfather wants to apologize and say that we will definitely find your mother,” Hank translated. George then made a “cheer up” gesture to Zhou Zilin. At this point, he had set aside their previous misunderstandings and was focusing on helping with the search.

Just then, the elevator doors opened. Seeing Zhou Zilin hesitate, George pulled Hank inside first.

“Hmph.” Zhou Zilin snorted at George’s back. George was eighty-three years old and walked with some difficulty. Zui Xiang Ge was not small, and searching the west side alone must have taken considerable effort.

Now, finding Gao Yun was the priority. After George and Hank went up, Zhou Zilin and her assistant also stepped into the elevator.

The futuristic-looking elevator ascended slowly, and the four of them remained silent.

The second floor had many guest rooms, each resembling an enlarged palace. The task of searching became even more demanding.

“Ring, ring…” Just as they were about to continue searching, Zhou Zilin’s phone rang. It was Tang Huai calling.

“Mom!” As soon as she answered the call, Zhou Zilin couldn’t hold back her tears.

Gao Yun had been found.

…

Two hours earlier, Gao Yun had indeed been waiting in front of Wang Fu Pancake Shop. However, as the surrounding scenery was so novel, she decided to explore the nearby area once she had recovered her strength.

She kept track of the time, but the towering and vast surroundings soon disoriented her. After wandering alone for about five minutes, Gao Yun was completely lost.

Without a map, Gao Yun tried to call the assistants, but her phone malfunctioned. To make matters worse, the battery was down to 23% and automatically shut off.

Gao Yun: ……

Despite this, she remained relatively calm. Unable to locate the main group, she avoided wandering too far. Instead, she marked her path every few steps so that she could find her way back if needed.

When Tang Huai found her, Gao Yun was just climbing down from a giant statue.

“Mom.” Ten minutes later, Zhou Zilin and Hank came down from the second floor. The moment Zhou Zilin saw Gao Yun, she broke into tears. Being abroad had made Zhou Zilin realize just how important Gao Yun was to her.

After the mother and daughter embraced, their emotions poured out. Tang Huai glanced at the time; it was now 7 p.m. After a short rest, the group set off again toward the inn by the city gate. Compared to the tense atmosphere when they came, the return journey felt much more relaxed.

After Gao Yun’s disappearance incident, the tension between Hank’s group and Gao Yun’s eased, though Zhou Zilin still maintained a “keep away” attitude.

The young lady was certainly strong-willed.

The rooms in the inn by the city gate were spacious. Gao Yun and Zhou Zilin shared one room, while Tang Huai, Hank, and the three assistants shared another.

The layout of the room was similar to Wan Shi Lou’s, spacious enough to accommodate not just six people, but even sixteen if needed. This was Tang Huai’s first time staying in a large shared bed, and he found it quite interesting.

Each elevator had an automatic cleaning restroom nearby. The group also brought some chocolate, compressed biscuits, and other food items, so basic needs were not a problem.

As the moon climbed high in the sky, everyone, exhausted from two days of running around, fell into a deep sleep.

…

For the next two days, Tang Huai and the others spent half a day in Bianjing Ancient City before heading to the Snow Village.

There, Zhou Zilin’s Lolita dresses found the perfect backdrop: the Crystal Bridge, the Ice Castle, the swinging autumn leaves… Every iconic spot in the Snow Village bore traces of Zhou Zilin’s presence.

It was an ideal photoshoot location.

On the morning of the third day, the group returned to the Blue Sea Forest and then made their way to the Delicious Restaurant.

They planned to head back the next day, so on their final night, they decided to have a sumptuous dinner. In fact, for the past two days, they had mostly been eating cold food like biscuits and bread. Now, they craved some hot, hearty food.

Aunt Miley busied herself in the kitchen while Hank and Zhou Zilin sat at two separate tables.

With their departure approaching, it was time to resolve the issue of the blue dress.

“Meeting each other is fate; let’s settle this matter amicably,” Tang Huai said with a light cough, using a classic opening line to ease the heavy atmosphere. He was neutral in this situation, but since the damage to the Lolita bridal dress had occurred on Sora Island, he felt some responsibility.

Logically, the entire incident had nothing to do with Tang Huai. Emotionally, he didn’t want the trip to end on a sour note for either party.

He decided to let both sides calmly negotiate first and then mediate if necessary.

“Linlin will decide,” Gao Yun spoke first after Tang Huai finished. A $20,000 dress was no small matter, but since it belonged to Zhou Zilin, Gao Yun would not interfere much. She spoiled her daughter but also respected her decisions.

“Miss Zhou, I sincerely apologize for the damage to the Lolita dress. Both sides bear some responsibility for this incident. How about we each take a step back and split the cost? Here’s $10,000…” After a moment of silence, Hank pushed a wallet toward Zhou Zilin.

He had brought a fair amount of cash with him, and after deducting the expenses of the past few days, he had just over $10,000 left.

As he handed it over, George looked up in confusion.

“This includes the previous $1,000,” Hank explained earnestly. Since the issue with the blue dress hadn’t been resolved, George had left the $1,000 with him temporarily.

Hank’s wallet was quite large, and from the outside, it was impossible to tell the difference between $10,000 and $1,000.

“Okay,” George nodded after Hank’s explanation. He was a man of principle. Although the incident was unintentional, he knew he bore some responsibility and would not shy away from it.

Zhou Zilin took the wallet, eyeing the thick stack of green bills inside. It looked quite tempting.

“Is this enough?” Zhou Zilin thumbed through the bills and looked up, her tone indifferent.

“What do you propose?” Hank asked, frowning slightly. He felt he had been quite sincere.

“How expensive do you think a dress really is?” Zhou Zilin pulled out two of the green bills. Her tone was full of sarcasm directed at Hank.

Although her expression remained calm, her heart was bleeding. She hadn’t been angry about the $20,000, but rather the unique nature of the Lolita bridal dress itself—it wasn’t something easily bought, even with money. However, anger had a limit, and after five days of travel, much of Zhou Zilin’s resentment had dissipated.

She understood that when she had passed by George while wearing the dress, his sudden rise was indeed unintentional. She no longer wanted to dwell on the matter.

Zhou Zilin closed the wallet and tossed it back.

Hank caught it by surprise.

“There is a long-established tailor shop in Mexico City. If you have time, we could go there together and see what they can do…” Hank placed the wallet on the table, thought for a moment, and suggested. Zhou Zilin had maintained her “little princess” demeanor throughout, and Hank wasn’t sure if she was being sincere… He just wanted to do his best to make up for the mistake.

The Lolita bridal dress had a small tear, about three centimeters long. If they could find a skilled tailor, it might be possible to repair it.

Zhou Zilin’s eyes lit up, and she turned to Gao Yun.

“Sure,” Gao Yun replied calmly. After spending some time together, she had learned that Hank was an Ivy League graduate and not a bad person. What surprised her more was how casually Linlin was letting the matter go.

“Steamed fish head with chopped chili, tomato scrambled eggs, caramelized pineapple…” The tension in the room eased as the restaurant’s waiter began bringing out dishes one after another, accompanied by Aunt Miley’s loud announcements.

Gao Yun’s table had ordered seven dishes, while Hank’s had ordered three. Altogether, it was quite a pricey feast.

Once all the dishes were served, Aunt Miley eagerly looked at the group.

Gao Yun picked up a piece of fish head with her chopsticks. This steamed fish head with chopped chili cost 300 dollars, equivalent to about 1,800 yuan…

“How is it?” Aunt Miley couldn’t help but ask as Gao Yun took a bite.

“Delicious!” Gao Yun’s eyes lit up the moment she tasted it. The fish head was fresh and not greasy. Gao Yun loved fish and had eaten at numerous Michelin-starred restaurants, but none had ever made her feel as satisfied and happy as this.

The 300 dollars were well worth it. After a few bites of the fish head, Gao Yun moved on to other dishes. After tasting each one, she was certain that the food at the Delicious Restaurant wasn’t overpriced just because it was in a scenic area. It was genuinely worth every penny.

“This is excellent.”

“Is this really a tomato?”

Just like Gao Yun, the others were also captivated by the dishes in front of them. Compared to these, the bread and biscuits they had been eating recently didn’t even count as food…

Gao Yun was thoroughly enjoying the meal, but she felt something was off. She looked up to see Aunt Miley standing a short distance away, watching her with an anxious expression.

“What’s wrong?” Gao Yun asked in confusion.

“Is it really delicious?” Aunt Miley asked timidly, looking uncertain.

“It’s very delicious, especially the fish head. The cooking technique and process are very important…” Gao Yun began to analyze seriously.

A minute later, Aunt Miley let out a long sigh of relief.

Two minutes later, Aunt Miley’s eyes curved into a joyful smile.

Tang Huai rubbed his forehead. Although Aunt Miley had a high loyalty score, she occasionally displayed her “dispair” attribute. It seemed he would need to help Aunt Miley regain her confidence in the days to come.

At 5 p.m., the group, with their luggage in tow, waited at the port. Half an hour later, the whistle of the Great Tang No. 1 sounded. They would be traveling together to Mexico, where Gao Yun and the others would transfer to a flight back to China.

“Goodbye, Tang.”

Standing on the deck of the Great Tang No. 1, Hank waved vigorously at Tang Huai. Everyone stood on the deck, each holding a fruit platter. It was a gift from Aunt Miley—Gao Yun’s praise had been so professional that Aunt Miley was overjoyed. If it weren’t for the system’s rules, she would have waived the meal charges entirely.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️