Ch 54: The World’s Number One Resort

“Boss Tang, this is the revenue report for Great Tang Fruits over the past few months. Due to the off-season sales, cherries and strawberries have been selling quite well.”

Two days later, in Shengze City, Huning Province, at the Great Tang Fruits store, Zhao Xingkai handed Tang Huai a financial report, speaking earnestly. It had been more than three months since Tang Huai left. Zhao Xingkai was a veteran employee at Great Tang Fruits; he was familiar with the store’s operation process. Along with help from Li Xiaoyun, the store had been running smoothly in Tang Huai’s absence.

“Not bad,” Tang Huai said, flipping through the report. The store’s monthly revenue was now between 30,000 and 40,000 yuan, a 20% increase compared to the summer.

Zhao Xingkai sighed in relief. He was currently the acting manager, and Tang Huai had given him a 2,000-yuan raise. This salary allowed him to live comfortably in Shengze, and he deeply valued this job.

“Has there been anything going on in the store recently?” Tang Huai patted Zhao Xingkai on the shoulder and closed the report.

Tang Huai had arrived last night, and it felt surreal to be back in the store after three months.

Great Tang Fruits couldn’t compare to the scale of the resort, but it was Tang Huai’s first venture, so he remained very invested in the business.

“Nothing major, it’s just that…”

“Brother Zhao!”

Tang Huai had just casually asked when he noticed Zhao Xingkai hesitating to speak. He was about to inquire further when a clear female voice came from the door.

Tang Huai turned around to see a young woman wearing a dark red baseball jacket and light denim jeans, her hair tied in a long ponytail, exuding youthful energy.

It was Du Yueyue.

“Brother?…” Du Yueyue ran excitedly toward Zhao Xingkai, but upon seeing Tang Huai, she paused, visibly surprised. Du Yueyue was Tang Huai’s distant relative on his uncle’s side, and she called him “brother” due to their extended family ties.

“What brings you here?” Tang Huai glanced at Du Yueyue. Compared to when she worked at the store, she now looked much more fashionable and less rural.

Tang Huai had chatted with his uncle on WeChat, learning that Du Yueyue now worked at a real estate sales office, earning over 20,000 yuan a month. His uncle was proud and even remarked how underutilized Du Yueyue had been while working at Great Tang Fruits for a mere 3,000 yuan a month.

“Just passing by, thought I’d drop in,” Du Yueyue replied, forcing a smile. After some small talk, she quickly left.

Tang Huai watched her leave. Across the road, a black sedan was parked. It was too far to identify the model, but next to it stood a thin young man. When Du Yueyue walked over, they affectionately held hands and glanced in Tang Huai’s direction, whispering to each other.

Half a minute later, they got into the car and drove off.

Tang Huai frowned; he had a feeling something was off.

“What was it you were saying earlier?” Tang Huai asked, turning back to Zhao Xingkai. He had stopped midway through his sentence.

Zhao Xingkai looked hesitant.

Half an hour later, Tang Huai had pieced together the full story, which indeed involved Du Yueyue.

Since leaving Great Tang Fruits, Du Yueyue had been out of contact until about half a month ago when she began showing up at the store entrance sporadically. When she found Zhao Xingkai alone, she would subtly inquire about the store’s business and even ask about the supply channels.

During her six months at the store, Du Yueyue was quite careless, so she never paid attention to things like supply channels. However, she knew that the fruit business was quite profitable.

“Boss Tang, Yueyue has come by twice already. I wasn’t sure if I should bring this up… Please don’t think I’m meddling,” Zhao Xingkai said, scratching his head.

He felt like he might be overstepping.

“Thank you, Brother Zhao,” Tang Huai responded sincerely. There were many things that had required Zhao Xingkai’s attention in his absence.

“You’re welcome.” Zhao Xingkai scratched his head.

Tang Huai smiled, exchanged a few words with Zhao Xingkai, and then left.

It was 2 p.m., and instead of returning to his apartment, he drove to a café called Sanshui.

Sanshui Café was about five kilometers away from Great Tang Fruits, a ten-minute drive. While waiting at a red light, Tang Huai thought for a moment and then opened WeChat on his phone.

Great Tang Fruits: “Uncle, I saw Yueyue today…”

Du Yueyue’s attire and the young man by the black car were too suspicious. Tang Huai wasn’t sure if she was actually selling real estate, so he decided to mention it to Du Yueyue’s parents. Although their family relationship was somewhat distant, they came from the same village.

Shang Shan Ruo Shui: “You don’t need to worry about her. Yueyue is working now, and her boyfriend has a car. She’s doing well. Tang Huai, I heard from Yueyue that you deducted 58 yuan from her salary last time? Given our relationship, what you did was really not right.”

Shang Shan Ruo Shui was his uncle’s WeChat ID. Within five seconds of Tang Huai sending the message, his uncle replied, his attitude starkly different from when he had asked for help finding a job for Yueyue.

Du Yueyue had graduated from vocational school and tended to be somewhat clever in her own way. Her family’s financial situation was average. In her uncle’s eyes, her finding a wealthy boyfriend from the city was a stroke of luck. As a result, he now viewed Tang Huai with increasing disapproval. He still held a grudge over Tang Huai firing Du Yueyue.

After addressing the matter with Du Yueyue, his uncle naturally brought up the salary deduction. Since they no longer had a close relationship, he didn’t bother to hide his displeasure.

Tang Huai felt like he was meddling too much.

Tang Huai sent a 100-yuan red packet to Shang Shan Ruo Shui, ending the conversation.

While chatting, Tang Huai arrived at Sanshui Café. Standing in the lobby, he glanced around before heading up to the second floor.

…

“Manager Tang? Nice to meet you! I’m Wang Deshun from Huanghai Travel Agency.”

“Hello, I’m Zhao Qiansun from Cailai Travel Agency…”

“I’m Yu Suxia from Spring Travel Agency.”

In the northeast corner of the second floor was a large private room. When Tang Huai entered, there were already nearly twenty people seated.

As soon as they saw Tang Huai, they greeted him warmly. They were all representatives of well-known chain travel agencies in China. With Great Tang Overseas Resort trending on Douyin, everyone was eager to claim a piece of the pie.

However, Tang Huai was from Shengze, while the travel agency offices were scattered all over the country. After some phone negotiations, Tang Huai suggested they meet in Shengze for a unified discussion.

The travel agencies were somewhat reluctant, as they all wanted to be the exclusive partner of Great Tang Resort. But Tang Huai refused to offer exclusivity. After some deliberation, they decided to attend today’s meeting. They had no choice, as it was a seller’s market; they had to accept the situation, whether they liked it or not.

Those attending the meeting were branch managers from various chain stores in Shengze, each holding some influence in the city. Many of them were meeting for the first time. However, there was one person whose expression turned slightly dazed when she saw Tang Huai.

Yu Suxia hadn’t expected to see Tang Huai here. About half a year ago, he had braved the scorching sun to hand out flyers for Sora Island at Spring Travel Agency, where she was the acting manager. She had ignored him back then.

Later, Jiang Yaoyao and Qian Dasong had ended up choosing Sora Island by chance. That single booking had earned Yu Suxia a promotion to branch manager. She had always thought Tang Huai was just a salesperson for the resort, not realizing he was actually the manager.

Many others in the room shared Yu Suxia’s thoughts. Half a year ago, Tang Huai had done a promotional tour around Shengze City. With his striking appearance and aura, he had left an impression. Now, it seemed the tables had turned.

They should have paid more attention to Sora Island back then!

“This is the resort’s project price list. If we collaborate, each project can be offered at a 10% discount. Of course, this does not include the Sora Island entrance ticket…”

After some casual conversation, Tang Huai took a stack of documents from his briefcase and handed them to the group. The entrance ticket to Sora Island was a fixed price set by the system, so Tang Huai couldn’t offer any discounts on that. However, he understood that having a cooperative attitude was crucial when dealing with travel agencies.

The group took the price list and began to look it over.

“Manager Tang, don’t you think these prices are a bit steep?” One person asked after the group exchanged glances.

Tomatoes for $50, Blue Sea Fish for $100, Swing in the Wind for $30… Although these numbers didn’t seem high at first glance, they were in USD, making them quite expensive when converted.

Food prices were particularly high. Compared to items like tomatoes and Blue Sea Fish, Sora Island’s game projects were relatively affordable, but still far above ordinary standards.

Sora Island offered a game pass for $668 per day, roughly equivalent to nearly 4,000 RMB. Overall, every project on the island was quite pricey.

“Dear managers, Sora Island is located on the eastern coast of the Pacific Ocean. Its scenic areas and facilities were built with the involvement of FillTech Company, at a very high cost. The Sora tomatoes and apples are unique to the island, and the pricing reflects their special qualities.

The island also has the Sora Supermarket, where goods are reasonably priced. If travelers are not seeking luxury, a one-day stay, including accommodation and activities, won’t exceed $1,000. If they prefer to wander around without spending on activities, the cost would be even lower,” Tang Huai explained, sipping his coffee. These were Sora Island’s official project fees. Besides fixed pricing, Tang Huai also introduced a travel pass to make the experience more convenient for visitors.

Ever since the resort became popular, Tang Huai had already posted the project list on Weibo. If any new projects were added, he planned to update the information there.

“Manager Tang, could we negotiate a better discount? Maybe 60% or 70% off…” After some discussion, Wang Deshun, the first to introduce himself, spoke up.

The usual collaboration rate with other scenic spots was 70% off, so a 10% discount from Tang Huai seemed quite limited.

“This is already the resort’s maximum concession,” Tang Huai responded, his tone slightly regretful.

“The pricing of Sora Island’s projects may be high, but overall, the travel agency’s profit margin is still considerable,” he added. Great Tang Resort was aimed at the high-end market, and its pricing matched the quality of the experience it offered.

“We need to discuss this with our headquarters,” the group murmured among themselves before finally replying. This was a significant business deal, and today was just to gauge the situation—not necessarily to finalize the collaboration.

The main costs for tourists traveling abroad generally included transportation, accommodation, and activity fees. The agencies had years of experience in China, with existing partnerships with many airlines.

Great Tang No. 1 handled the sea route between Sora Island, Mexico, and Hawaii, charging each tourist a symbolic $50. This fee covered accommodation on the ship, among other things, ensuring a decent profit in the transportation sector. However, the 10% discount wasn’t as appealing, so they needed to consider it more carefully.

“Thank you, everyone,” Tang Huai said with a smile, understanding their concerns. He hadn’t expected to finalize any contracts today.

After some more casual conversation and exchanging business cards, the group left one by one.

Tang Huai stayed at the café for a while longer before driving to his apartment. He took a hot shower and went to bed.

The group’s consideration took three days. After that period, seven travel agencies signed contracts with Great Tang Resort. These were the more robust agencies. Some agencies lacked flight routes, while others didn’t have the necessary resources to find the partnership profitable, leading them to opt out.

With agreements in place, representatives from the headquarters of each travel agency arrived. Tang Huai hired a lawyer from Zhongtian Travel Agency to review the contract. After confirming everything was in order, both sides signed the deal. The cooperation didn’t involve kickbacks; the main focus was on payment methods and the timing of payments, making the terms relatively straightforward.

As soon as the contract was signed, Tang Huai let out a long breath. These travel agencies had branches in major cities, and now that both sides had an agreement, it meant that there would be a continuous stream of tourists in the future.

Tang Huai went downstairs to a noodle shop by his apartment and ordered a bowl of hot dry noodles. While eating, he checked his schedule on his phone.

He had scheduled a meeting with Pang Dafu and planned to go to Jin City tomorrow. This week had been packed: first, scouting for store locations, then signing contracts, and now a trip to Jin City… He hadn’t had a moment of rest.

Tang Huai was busy but felt fulfilled.

“Boss, a bowl of kelp soup, please!” Halfway through his noodles, Tang Huai called out to the shop owner. The noodles were a bit too dry. Just as he finished speaking, he felt a strange sensation.

“Ding! System task issued. Please check, host.” The system’s distinctive prompt sounded. Tang Huai put down his chopsticks and opened the task interface.

Host Name: Tang Huai
Unlocked Areas: [Blue Sea Lake], [Snow Village], [Bianjing City], [Sora Town]Primary Task: A world-class town needs top brands to settle in. Host, please collaborate with five A-class international brands!
Task Duration: Three months
Task Rewards: [Exciting Racing] Scenery Card, [Sora Airport] Building Card, two chances at the Lucky Spin.
Island Points: 0
Reputation Points: 9.02 million

Seeing the new task, Tang Huai didn’t feel pressure but a sense of relief. It had been nearly two months since his last system task, and it felt as unsettling as a girl missing her period for two months.

Now that the task was issued, all he had to do was complete it within the timeframe. With his previous successes, Tang Huai felt eager and ready for action.

The task duration was three months—not short—giving him ample time to prepare.

After reviewing his personal dashboard, Tang Huai focused on the task itself. This time, he needed to collaborate with five A-class international brands. After checking the system’s classification, he learned that A-class brands referred to companies like CC, Lanmi, and Porsche. These were brands that top celebrities vied to represent—essentially, high-end, first-tier brands.

Tang Huai was a bit taken aback. He hadn’t expected the system to have such a big appetite. After his initial surprise, he began to understand the system’s intention. While Sora Island was already taking shape, apart from the Sora Cinema and Delicious Restaurant, the whole town still felt empty.

Tang Huai thought it over. The task was to collaborate with five international A-class brands, but how to collaborate remained a question. Given the island’s many secrets, roles like cashiers and salespeople had to be handled by Sora AIs…

“Kelp soup.” Just as Tang Huai was deep in thought, the noodle shop owner brought over a bowl of kelp soup, his voice booming like a bell.

Tang Huai smiled. He used to eat here often, and it seemed the owner’s personality hadn’t changed a bit. Although it had only been six months, it felt like much longer to Tang Huai.

“Haven’t seen you around in Shengze lately?” The shop owner recognized Tang Huai while he was drinking the soup—after all, Tang Huai’s good looks made him a memorable regular who used to visit every two or three days.

“Had to go out for some business,” Tang Huai replied simply.

“You freelancers have it nice,” the owner said enviously. “I’m here watching the shop every day, barely have time to go anywhere.” The owner cleaned up the table next to Tang Huai’s, then pulled out his phone and started playing music.

“Flowers like frost, beside the ancient city, a lone warrior roams the world with his sword—” The heroic melody of “Sword in the Jianghu” began to play.

Tang Huai: …

“You use Douyin?” the owner asked.

“Occasionally,” Tang Huai replied.

“Young folks these days love this app. Downloaded it a few days ago, and wow! A giant thirty-meter-tall statue—it’s unbelievable. They say it’s part of a resort. Not sure if it’s real, but if it is, I might save up and take my wife and kids there next year…” It was nine in the evening, and the shop was quiet. The owner began chatting with Tang Huai about what he had seen on Douyin.

“I can be your guide when the time comes,” Tang Huai said with a smile, winking at the shop owner.

“Going abroad, huh? Sigh, it’s not that easy,” the shop owner waved his hand and sighed. He had spoken grandly just now, but the reality was that he was just a hot dry noodle vendor. Forget going abroad; he hadn’t even traveled out of the province much.

The shop owner wasn’t highly educated, and the idea of going abroad filled him with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. After all, from what he had seen and heard growing up, going abroad was something high-end, not something that had much to do with people like him, who were busy just making a living.

Tang Huai fell silent; the topic seemed to have taken a different turn.

“In the future, travel will become more convenient, and going abroad will be easier,” Tang Huai said after half a minute. Traveling from China to Sora Island wasn’t easy. Without a tour group, ordinary people who didn’t speak English would find it nearly impossible to make the journey.

Maybe… he could open a direct sea route from China to Sora Island?

Tang Huai thought seriously about it. The journey from China to Sora Island spanned about a quarter of the globe, with too many factors to consider in between.

“If I ever bump into you there, I’ll definitely ask you to be my guide,” the shop owner changed the topic. Finding Tang Huai as a guide… well, that would require both of them to go on a trip. And that prerequisite was hard to meet.

Tang Huai didn’t say much more. The two chatted for a while longer, and soon it was ten o’clock. Tang Huai then returned to his apartment.

…

The next morning, feeling refreshed, Tang Huai woke up and boarded the high-speed train to Jin City.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️