Ch 70: The World’s Number One Resort

The dishes at Delicious Restaurant were not cheap, and after glancing at the menu, many people left once they finished their meal.

They figured that instead of spending their money here, they could enjoy more activities on the island.

“How about three grilled fish and two pounds of lamb spine?” Meanwhile, at Zhou Yuanyuan’s table, Wang Wenhua suggested and added another comment. Although Zhou Yuanyuan and Zhuo Yingying were dressed stylishly, their clothes were of ordinary material. Judging by their hesitant expressions, it was clear they were on a tight budget.

Fresh out of school, attractive, with a hint of vanity, but financially strained.

Wang Wenhua quickly analyzed the two women and felt confident. These were the easiest kinds of girls to win over.

“There’s a Sora movie at eight. How about we watch it together after dinner?” Seeing that Zhou Yuanyuan and Zhuo Yingying remained silent, Wang Wenhua twisted the jade ring on his finger and smiled again.

Dinner, a movie, and a date. The perfect pick-up routine.

“No need.” Just as Wang Wenhua was planning the next steps, Zhou Yuanyuan pulled Zhuo Yingying behind her and refused bluntly, more firmly than when they first encountered him on the boat.

“I don’t mean anything by it; I just want to make friends,” Wang Wenhua said, not showing any anger. Little girls all had their temper, he thought.

“If you keep bothering us, I’ll report you to the tour guide!” Zhou Yuanyuan frowned and interrupted. This bald guy was like a persistent fly—so annoying.

“What’s happening over there?”

“No idea, should we go check it out?”

Zhou Yuanyuan’s voice was a bit loud, and as soon as she finished speaking, a few young men curiously looked over.

“Ahem, the lady is too tense.” An awkward look flashed across Wang Wenhua’s face. With so many people watching, he had no choice but to back off. With that, Wang Wenhua and his two assistants headed to a small table for dinner, while Zhou Yuanyuan and Zhuo Yingying walked out of the restaurant.

Earlier, the guide had already informed the guests that they could either take Route 6 to Blue Sea Treehouse to check in or go to the Sora Cinema for a movie.

“Jie (sis), where are we going now?”

The two picked up their luggage from the management office. Zhuo Yingying stood at the intersection of First Street, feeling a bit hesitant. It was supposed to be an enjoyable trip, and many tourists were already taking the bus to the Sora Cinema.

It was 7:30 p.m., and there was still half an hour before the movie started. The ticket price for Sora Cinema was 100 USD per person.

“Let’s go back to the treehouse,” Zhou Yuanyuan said, biting her lip. A hundred dollars for a movie was too expensive; they couldn’t afford it.

Zhuo Yingying nodded. They needed to budget their remaining 1,000 dollars carefully.

Dragging their luggage, they got on the bus. The Sora buses ran on a fixed schedule, and the tickets were free, greatly enhancing the travel experience for the guests.

The blue-and-green bus moved smoothly along the road. As the sun set, the entire Sora Town was bathed in the dusky light of twilight.

…

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at Blue Sea Forest. Just like in the promotional video, the forest was fresh and serene, with a long hedge corridor that added a touch of mystery to the entire area.

“This is Treehouse No. 32. The bedding has been changed. If you need anything, please feel free to let us know,” the Sora staff warmly greeted them.

Zhou Yuanyuan climbed up into the treehouse. A wooden bed, a wash basin, a unique desk… The Blue Sea Treehouse had a very natural, original atmosphere.

“What’s that?” Treehouse No. 32 faced Blue Sea Lake. Zhou Yuanyuan opened the window and was astonished by the scene at the lakeside. A pure white sheep with horns adorned with red silk was standing by the lake.

The wool of the sheep was snowy white and soft. From Zhou Yuanyuan’s viewpoint, it looked like a white sheep spirit. Many early-arriving tourists were already taking pictures of it with their phones.

“That’s the island’s special feather wool sheep,” the staff explained politely.

Zhou Yuanyuan nodded in understanding. After the staff left, only Zhou Yuanyuan and Zhuo Yingying were left in the treehouse.

“Haha, I touched one! The water is so clear.”

“Is the water cold in the lake?”

“It’s warm; it feels amazing to soak in it.”

The two washed up and heard laughter coming from outside. Zhou Yuanyuan and Zhuo Yingying looked out and saw several tourists in bikinis swimming freely in Blue Sea Lake.

The water of Blue Sea Lake was clear and transparent. Under the moonlight, the people moving in the water looked like blue sea fish.

Blue Sea Lake was a paid attraction: bringing your own gear cost ten dollars for thirty minutes, while renting equipment from Sora Island was twenty dollars.

“Jie, when do you think we’ll become rich?” Zhuo Yingying watched for a while and sighed with envy. Swimming in Blue Sea Lake was much cheaper than the Sora movie tickets, but they still couldn’t bring themselves to spend the money.

“We will definitely be rich one day.”

Zhou Yuanyuan stared at the roof of the Blue Sea Treehouse, not blinking. Back in Hengdian, they had made a good amount of money, but their frequent job gaps, rent, and the expenses of this Sora Island trip had left them scraping by…

“Let’s hope so,” Zhuo Yingying sighed.

As their thoughts drifted, they slowly fell asleep.

…

“Dear tourists, we are now at Snow Village Scenic Area, built using the latest environment simulation technology by the FillTech Company…”

“This is the Crystal Bridge? It’s kind of scary.”

“It didn’t look this frightening in the video. Oh no, I’m afraid of heights.”

“How do we even cross this thing?”

At 8 a.m. the next day, everyone woke up, packed up, and followed the guide to the Snow Village Scenic Area. When they got off the bus and saw the Crystal Bridge for the first time, they felt a bit dazed. The entire bridge was about three hundred meters long, made of transparent ice bricks, and from a distance, it looked as if it was suspended in mid-air.

Many had seen videos of the Crystal Bridge on Douyin, where the scenery was beautiful and the bridge didn’t seem this terrifying.

Several tourists’ legs turned to jelly at the sight.

“Dear tourists, the Crystal Bridge is a unique attraction of the Snow Village. If you’d like to experience it, you can line up on it; if not, you can take the bus across,” the guide clapped his hands, as if expecting this reaction.

“Should we try it out?”

“I think I’ll just take the bus.”

The tourists discussed among themselves. In the end, about twenty people chose to walk across, while the rest took Bus No. 6. The guide also got on the bus; although he spoke confidently, he was still a bit scared of the Crystal Bridge.

“Jie, I…”

“It’s okay; I’ll go by myself.”

“Haha, first time watching a Crystal Bridge livestream. Go for it, streamer!”

“Don’t force yourself if you’re scared. @I’mYourXiaoBro rewarded @TravelWithYuanyuan with a Cool Mech.”

“Looks so thrilling. I wish I could go…”

…

At the end of the tour group, Zhou Yuanyuan initially wanted to take the bus, but after seeing the comments in the livestream, she changed her mind.

There were now over 8,000 viewers in the livestream, just as she had expected. Zhuo Yingying was more timid, so Zhou Yuanyuan let her take the bus.

“This is the Crystal Bridge. It’s similar to the glass skywalks in China but offers a more thrilling visual experience…” Zhou Yuanyuan, wrapped in a military coat, took a deep breath and carefully stepped onto the Crystal Bridge.

The bridge’s surface had a slight texture, making it not too slippery. Zhou Yuanyuan continued to build up her courage as she cautiously moved forward.

The bridge’s visual effect was terrifying, but throughout the walk, Zhou Yuanyuan never let go of her livestream phone. It was her livelihood. Most people clung to the railing of the bridge while crossing. Along the way, many tourists got too scared and retreated to the starting point; only about a dozen made it to the end.

After half an hour, Zhou Yuanyuan reached the other side of the bridge. She glanced at the livestream and saw that the online viewers for @TravelWithYuanyuan had now exceeded 10,000, and the tips had surpassed 500 yuan.

This five hundred yuan was hard-earned.

The two headed towards the Ice Castle. The castle’s library was now open, and since AI administrators were in place, visitors couldn’t take or damage any books. They gave a detailed introduction to the Sora Library, and its grandeur stunned quite a few viewers in the livestream.

Aside from the “Swing with the wind” experience, all other attractions in the Snow Village Scenic Area required payment. Zhou Yuanyuan and Zhuo Yingying each took a turn on the swing. Then, after some thought, they spent another 120 dollars to ride snowmobiles and go ice skating on the frozen lake.

The experiences were thrilling and satisfying. By the end of the day, their livestream earnings had exceeded 5,000 yuan, making it the most they had ever made in a single day since starting their careers. However, the rewards on their lazy fish account could only be withdrawn next month, so they couldn’t access the funds just yet.

Their second day on Sora Island was a success.

Over the next three days, the group spent two days exploring Bianjing Ancient City. The number of viewers in the livestream, @TravelWithYuanyuan, stabilized at around 100,000 each day, with daily rewards exceeding 6,000 yuan.

The two felt like it was all a bit unreal. At this rate, they could potentially break even in seven days. Beyond the money, it was also a recognition of their popularity.

On the fifth day, instead of continuing in Bianjing, the group took Bus No. 12 to the new attraction on Sora Island: Thrilling Racing.

They searched for information about Thrilling Racing on Douyin and Weibo but found nothing. Even the tour guide had no information about it, which only heightened their curiosity.

Thrilling Racing—the name itself sounded exciting.

…

“Is this Thrilling Racing?” An hour later, the group arrived at the racing area. As they stepped off the bus, they exchanged bewildered glances.

Before them was a modern road about thirty meters wide. Thirty meters ahead, there was a black-and-white mosaic starting line marker next to a giant LED screen.

They moved closer, and on their right was a toll booth with nearly a hundred luxury sports cars parked behind it.

“This is insane…” Everyone stared at the luxurious cars, their mouths forming an ‘O’ shape. These cars had a sleek and futuristic look, and based on their appearance, each must be worth at least 2 million dollars. Yet here they were, parked casually, as if they cost nothing.

“Welcome to Thrilling Racing, the latest attraction developed by the FillTech Company. To celebrate its launch, the first visitor to complete the race in under eight minutes will win a one-million-dollar prize from the resort.” While the group murmured amongst themselves, a pleasant male voice spoke up from nearby. They looked up to see a man in a casual suit, holding a red flag, walking over from the starting line. As he approached, the LED screen next to the starting line lit up.

The screen’s background displayed a video of a dilapidated factory, and as the camera moved, the words “Great Tang First Racing Championship” slowly scrolled across.

Over the past few days, besides coordinating with the overseas trade companies about Sora’s fruit business, Tang Huai had been preparing for the racing championship. Thrilling Racing was the second intermediate scenic area of the Great Tang Resort, and to maximize its impact, he and Xie Yunshu decided to host this race.

After thorough professional comparisons and simulations, the fastest possible completion time for the entire Thrilling Racing course was 7 minutes and 30 seconds—an achievement only top-level racing drivers could attain. Given that Thrilling Racing was a brand-new track, Tang Huai set the winning condition at eight minutes. To add a festive touch, he had Sora’s AI hang small red flags along the track.

Tang Huai had just finished inspecting everything.

The Great Tang First Racing Championship had no set date, meaning that any future visitor who completed the race in eight minutes could win the one-million-dollar prize. However, this applied only to the first visitor who met the requirement.

“One million dollars? Six million yuan? That’s insane.”

“So, does that mean anyone who finishes in under eight minutes wins? I’m really tempted.”

“Haha, I’ve had my driver’s license for thirteen years; I should be fine.”

…

After reading through the rules of Thrilling Racing, a small spark ignited in everyone’s hearts. One million dollars—enough to give an ordinary person a significant head start in life.

Thrilling Racing was a paid activity, costing one hundred dollars per ride. Next to the payment area, there was a large notice board listing the rules and regulations. From the information provided, it seemed that the design of the racing cars was similar to bumper cars.

The group quickly skimmed through the details and, fueled by dreams of instant wealth, swiped their cards and chose their cars.

The moment they touched the racing cars, they felt a surge of satisfaction. The sleek curves, the design… Even without the grand prize, spending one hundred dollars for this ten-minute experience seemed well worth it.

“Dear visitors, welcome to Thrilling Racing…” Thirty participants joined the first race. After everyone lined up, a deep, resonant voice echoed throughout the track.

The crowd paused for a moment, and a burst of powerful music blared from within the cars. The music stirred their blood, filling them with excitement.

“5, 4, 3, 2, 1—”

“Vroom, vroom—”

Before they could react, the voice continued.

The engines roared.

The participants… felt as though they were suddenly taking flight.

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