Ch 80: The World’s Number One Resort

“Mr. Li, your package has arrived.”

“Okay, I’ll be right down.”

…

It was 8 a.m. on the eleventh day of the lunar new year when Li Guangshan, just waking up, received a call from the delivery man. Thirty-one years old, Li was a programmer in Luohai, living a simple and stable life with his regular commute.

He slipped on a down jacket and quickly headed downstairs.

“Mr. Li, what’s inside this package? The packaging looks quite fancy,” the delivery man asked curiously as he handed over the package after Li signed for it.

Li’s package weighed about three jin (approximately 1.5 kilograms). It was a grass-green color and wrapped with a thick layer of tape, appearing much sturdier than a regular cardboard box. The package had been shipped from Huning, and aside from a bit of dust, it showed no signs of damage—thanks in part to Huafeng Express, known for its speedy and excellent service, albeit at a slightly higher cost than other courier services.

“Just bought a couple of jin of oranges,” Li replied as he took the package.

“With free shipping?” The courier stored away his paperwork. Fruits and vegetables usually count as heavy goods, and most vendors offer free shipping via regular couriers like YuanYuan, ShunTong, and others. Huafeng Express typically requires the buyer to pay extra and note it specifically.

“Yeah, free shipping,” Li responded rather gruffly to the casual question.

The courier was momentarily stunned. Oranges usually sell for five to six yuan per jin, with premium ones online going for a maximum of a dozen or so yuan. Now, buying two jin of oranges with free Huafeng shipping—how does the vendor make a profit?

“Probably a promotion to boost their rankings,” the courier concluded, thinking. Plenty of fruit stores do such things to increase their visibility. This particular store sure seemed to be going all out.

Li forced a small smile. If only it were just a promotional stunt.

He carried the box upstairs, while the courier left humming a tune.

“Delivery!” Five minutes later, Li opened the door and called out towards the master bedroom. Then he tossed the package onto the coffee table.

“Careful with those oranges; they cost over 200 yuan,” a sweet-looking girl in a floral nightgown walked out and spoke eagerly as she inspected the package.

“Lili, it’s not that I don’t want you to spend money, but you should think about where you spend it. These oranges cost 128 yuan! Why didn’t you even ask before buying them? With 128 yuan, you could buy 30 jin at the fruit store in our neighborhood!”

Li sat on the sofa and lit a cigarette. The girl, Zhang Li, was his girlfriend, and they planned to get married in the summer.

“I’m not spending your money,” Zhang Li shot back with a glance. She worked in film post-production, had a relatively laid-back job, and enjoyed browsing videos and playing mobile games in her free time. A loyal fan of Great Tang Resort, she had been smitten with it since the launch of the “Bianjing Ancient City” video.

Though Great Tang’s fruit was expensive and received mixed online reviews, she didn’t care. Even if it was a rip-off, it was just a one-time splurge—she was a die-hard fan, after all.

Without further explanation, she continued to unpack the box.

“Still, it’s better to save when you can,” Li muttered, feeling slightly rebuffed. In the spirit of gender equality, Zhang Li usually didn’t buy luxury brands, so he really didn’t have much ground to criticize.

“Oh my gosh!” Suddenly, an excited shriek escaped Zhang Li’s mouth.

“What happened?” Li snapped out of his thoughts.

“The oranges! They’re so beautiful!” Zhang Li exclaimed, pointing to the fruit box in front of her.

By now, the packaging was fully opened. The box was lined with foam shockproof bags, each containing six palm-sized golden oranges. Each orange was individually wrapped in plastic, with an anti-counterfeit QR code on the packaging. The bags also featured ink paintings of the Fruit Kingdom, adding an elegant touch to the presentation.

The golden-orange color combined with the ink-style packaging instantly elevated the tone of the Great Tang oranges.

Zhang Li carefully took out the oranges and lined them up on the coffee table.

“So fancy, yet each one costs forty-two…” Li Guangshan fixated on the price. The Great Tang oranges looked nice, but no matter how pretty they were, they were still just oranges.

“You just don’t understand refinement. Haven’t you been dealing with indigestion lately? Here, try one.” Zhang Li took three quick photos and tossed one orange to Li Guangshan. Her boyfriend was great in many ways, but his overly cautious nature could be a bit irritating.

After tossing the orange, Zhang Li carried the rest back to the bedroom. The lighting in the living room wasn’t great; she planned to take more photos in the bedroom.

Thirty seconds later, Li Guangshan was left alone in the living room. As a programmer, he likely suffered from a lack of exercise, leading to persistent constipation. Stomach issues like acid reflux and bloating were also common, and his belly was noticeably larger than the average person’s.

He had tried eating leeks and celery as his main diet, but they hadn’t helped. Constipation remained a stubborn problem. Now, staring at the orange in front of him, he felt a bit helpless. While oranges are known to aid digestion, what difference could just one orange make when even the hospital couldn’t solve his problem?

With a sigh, he headed to the kitchen. “A forty-two yuan orange…” The thought of the price was unbearable, so he figured he might as well eat it quickly and be done with it.

“Not bad…” Li Guangshan cut the orange into pieces and began eating it in small bites. It was fresh, tender, and juicy with a flavor that easily outclassed any oranges on the market.

He couldn’t stop once he started. In less than half a minute, he had devoured the whole orange. Rubbing his belly, he felt a lingering desire for more. He thought about asking Zhang Li for another one but, due to his pride, decided against it.

It was Saturday, so after eating the orange, he went back to his room for some extra sleep. The entire day passed by quickly.

He slept soundly that night.

“Gurgle, gurgle—”

“Li Guangshan, can you close the bathroom door? It stinks… Wait, the door is closed; how does it still smell this bad?!”

The next morning, Zhang Li was woken up by an overwhelming stench. Half-asleep, she thought Li Guangshan had forgotten to close the bathroom door. However, upon getting closer, she realized the door was indeed shut. The smell, reminiscent of an old countryside public toilet, filled the bedroom and the entire living room.

“Li Guangshan?” Overcome by the odor, Zhang Li could hardly speak. She pounded on the bathroom door.

“Just wait ten more minutes… Ugh!” came Li Guangshan’s faint voice from inside. He had been in the bathroom for twenty minutes. If Zhang Li found the smell unbearable, he, the one sitting there, was having an even worse time.

As soon as he finished speaking, a loud noise echoed from beneath him. Zhang Li couldn’t stand it anymore and quickly fled to the balcony.

“What did you… huh, why do you look thinner?” Fifteen minutes later, Li Guangshan finally came out. Zhang Li, who was about to scold him, paused when she noticed that his pants looked loose and his waist appeared to have shrunk.

“I haven’t felt this good in ages,” Li Guangshan said with satisfaction. He had been constipated for three years and hadn’t experienced such relief in a long time. As he finished, he felt lighter, and his energy seemed to have returned.

“Li—”

“Don’t come any closer. Shower first, then weigh yourself.”

Li Guangshan was about to give Zhang Li a good-morning kiss, but she looked at him with disdain. He sniffed his clothes and realized they did smell terrible…

He went to take a shower.

“You lost eight pounds after one trip to the bathroom! This is unbelievable. Did you have eight pounds of poop in you?” Half an hour later, Li Guangshan stood on the balcony scale as Zhang Li looked at him in disbelief. He seemed like a different person—his stomach had flattened, and he was now full of vigor.

“Lili, are your pimples gone?” Li Guangshan asked curiously as he looked at Zhang Li.

Zhang Li had a body constitution prone to excess heat, often resulting in breakouts. Just the previous day, she had three big pimples on her nose, but now they had all disappeared, leaving behind only faint marks.

She hurried to the bathroom to check.

Indeed, her pimples were gone.

“The Great Tang oranges?” The two began analyzing the series of changes. When they noticed the Great Tang box in the corner of the balcony, they suddenly had an epiphany. The only change in the past two days was the Great Tang fruit.

…

“Manager Tang, in the last hour, we had 39 orders, with a total revenue of 50,270… Something seems off with these numbers, doesn’t it?” On the morning of the 12th day of the Lunar New Year, at ten o’clock, even though the feedback for the Great Tang fruits had not yet been released, sales suddenly skyrocketed.

This had been going on for three hours. From eight in the morning until now, the number of orders on the Great Tang Taobao store was not high, but each order often contained five to ten pounds of fruit, resulting in a revenue of 30,000 to 50,000 yuan per hour.

Customers making these orders had very straightforward inquiries, typically only asking if the fruit was imported from Fruit Kingdom. Upon confirmation, they would immediately proceed with the purchase…

Something was definitely not right.

“I know.” Tang Huai glanced at the sales data and signaled Zhang Hua to continue working. These orders were indeed peculiar.

Tang Huai thought for a moment, then opened the Weibo trending page.

The “Great Tang’s Sky-High Fruit Prices” topic had already dropped off the trending list, leaving the page looking calm.

Tang Huai entered the keyword: Great Tang Fruit.

The search results were mainly visitors complaining about the prices of Great Tang fruit, with no significant changes…

“Ring ring.” Just as Tang Huai was pondering, his phone rang.

The caller was: Manager Zou of Dalong Travel.

They were currently business partners.

Tang Huai answered the call.

“Manager Tang, quite a few old customers have been calling to ask if the fruits on the Great Tang Taobao store in China are genuine, the same as those from Fruit Kingdom?” After some initial small talk, Manager Zou went straight to the point.

“They are the same as the ones from Fruit Kingdom.” Tang Huai realized what was happening. He finally understood why Great Tang Fruit’s sales had suddenly surged. It was previous customers making repeat purchases.

Great Tang Vacation had hosted over a hundred Chinese tourists last month. Though not a large number, these visitors were relatively well-off. They had personally tasted the fruits from Fruit Kingdom, and compared to the 300 USD per hour for the self-service fruit buffet, paying one to two hundred yuan per pound was a reasonable deal!

After all, they couldn’t eat that much at the buffet.

“Manager Tang, the guests are giving Great Tang five-star reviews!” Receiving Tang Huai’s confirmation, Manager Zou strengthened their rapport.

The previous international tour had been profitable for Dalong Travel, and they were organizing a second batch of visitors, scheduled to depart on the 18th day of the Lunar New Year.

“Thanks for the support, Dalong.” Tang Huai replied warmly. The two exchanged a few more words before Tang Huai hung up.

Knowing that these were repeat purchases from previous customers gave Tang Huai a sense of accomplishment. It meant that Fruit Kingdom had gained genuine approval.

“Manager Tang, Great Tang Fruit is trending again.” Around eleven o’clock, just as Tang Huai was preparing to visit the fruit store, Zhang Hua came running over.

Tang Huai: ???

Great Tang Fruit was indeed trending, but this time it wasn’t just about Great Tang itself—it involved a key figure: Li Yuan.

…

@Li Yuan V: “The Great Tang bananas have finally arrived. They taste just as I remembered. Love it! 【Banana】【Banana】”

Li Yuan’s Weibo post was made half an hour ago. The entire post was simple and refreshing, with the essential text and two photos of the Great Tang packaging box. Judging by the box’s size, it contained at least ten pounds of bananas.

“Huh? Great Tang bananas? Paying this kind of ‘IQ tax.'”

“Has Li Yuan gone crazy from his lawsuit with Red fruit? Wasn’t he in the headlines a few days ago, looking like a scruffy uncle?”

“Ninety-eight yuan per pound for bananas, and he bought so many… Celebrities really are rich.”

…

Li Yuan was embroiled in a heated lawsuit with Red fruit Entertainment, frequently making it to the trending list during this period. After his recent Weibo post, visitors began discussing it fervently. Among the commenters were normal users and quite a few paid trolls hired by Hongguo.

“@FlyingSun, calling it a ‘stupidity tax’? Great Tang’s fruits are absolutely worth the price.”

“@FireTreeSilverFlower, I’m not buying Great Tang bananas because they’re expensive; I’m buying them because they’re genuinely worth it. Once you try them, you’ll understand. I work hard for my money, and even if I weren’t a celebrity, I’d still buy bananas for 98 yuan per pound.”

Li Yuan had always maintained a friendly, good-boy image in public. However, seeing some of the comments, he directly fired back. This surprised many fans. Although Li Yuan had faced criticism since his debut three years ago, he had never engaged with negative comments before—not even when he was subtly mocked on TV shows. And now, he was getting this upset over Great Tang’s fruits?

In reality, Li Yuan had been in a foul mood lately due to his ongoing lawsuit with Red fruit. People began to speculate that the legal battle was taking a toll on him, which led to “Li Yuan’s Breakdown” trending on Weibo.

Tang Huai browsed through the trending topic, then clicked on Li Yuan’s recent photo. In the picture, Li Yuan looked about ten pounds heavier than when Tang Huai had last seen him. His hair was unkempt, and he had a cigarette dangling from his mouth. He had a bit of a belly now, and his overall appearance had a laid-back, slightly disheveled vibe—a far cry from his previous “fresh-faced young idol” image.

Tang Huai scratched his nose, wondering if Li Yuan’s transformation had anything to do with his previous trip to Sora. Regardless, Li Yuan’s support for Great Tang this time was real. After some thought, Tang Huai logged into his account and hit the retweet button.

@GreatTangOverseasResort: “The Delicious Restaurant has added crispy roast fish to the menu. Come and try it next time. @Li Yuan [Retweet].”

Since Li Yuan was caught in a heated dispute with Red fruit and Great Tang Resort frequently made it to the trending list, neither side seemed to be riding on the other’s popularity.

@Li Yuan: “Haha, I’ll visit once I’m done with everything. @GreatTangOverseasResort.” Five minutes later, Li Yuan replied quickly.

The two of them were chatting warmly on Weibo, leaving others quite puzzled. Since when were Li Yuan and Great Tang Resort on such good terms?

Regardless, it was clear they knew each other, which made Li Yuan’s opinion on Great Tang fruits somewhat biased.

…

“Oh my god, this is the best cherry I’ve ever had! My taste buds can’t get enough!”

“The fruits from Great Tang are definitely worth it. The apples are so crisp and sweet!”

“Ate two oranges before bed, and woke up feeling much less irritable. Not sure if it’s just a coincidence…”

“Same here. I’ve had a cough lately. Last night, my mom made some Great Tang pears with white fungus, and my cough is completely gone.”

…

Visitors continued to browse the news and scroll through Douyin, but for some reason, more and more reviews about Great Tang fruits started appearing. These reviews were not just simple text; they were also accompanied by photos of Great Tang fruits. Intrigued, many clicked on the users’ profiles.

These users were from all over the country, and their Weibo activity seemed completely normal. They weren’t paid trolls. Digging deeper, people found several reviews and retweets from well-known micro-influencers.

@BigBirdBrothers: “Just a regular guy here. Whether Great Tang’s fruits are worth the price, I can’t say, but they are genuinely delicious. This is the best fruit I’ve eaten in my thirty-three years of life. Already placed a reorder.”

At 2:10 PM, @BigBirdBrothers updated his Weibo. He was a famous movie critic known for his sharp tongue, boasting over two million followers. This made him the second high-profile figure, after Li Yuan, to endorse the taste of Great Tang fruits.

“They’re indeed good. If you can afford it, definitely give it a try.”

“Ugh, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to eat regular grapes again. Great Tang’s grapes are just too delicious.”

@BigBirdBrothers’ review was like a spark that ignited a fire. After his post, numerous influencers and minor celebrities started sharing their own pictures and reviews. These were the same people who had previously jumped on Great Tang’s popularity bandwagon.

Many of them had originally intended to buy some Great Tang fruits just to leave a snarky review and ride the trend. However, they were shocked to find that Great Tang fruits were so delicious, they couldn’t stop eating them!

They were indeed riding the wave of popularity, but it turned out to be the exact opposite of what they had originally planned.

“Is this for real?” The enthusiasm of the influencers’ recommendations left some visitors skeptical. Nevertheless, Great Tang’s fruits had undeniably piqued their curiosity.

…

“Manager Tang, in the last hour, we had 237 orders, with a total revenue of 38,720 yuan…” At 3 p.m., following the series of reviews from well-known influencers, the sales of Great Tang’s fruits gradually picked up.

Curious visitors hesitated at buying the 688-yuan-per-pound grapes, but they could still afford to try the 98-yuan-per-pound bananas. Chinese social media users were numerous, and with this tentative purchase, lower-priced fruits like bananas and pineapples gradually sold out.

By 8 p.m., all fruits priced below 300 yuan were completely out of stock, leaving only the higher-priced options like mangosteen and grapes.

“Great Tang sure knows how to play the scarcity marketing game.”

Some skeptical visitors calmly commented. Great Tang’s fruit prices were sky-high, and only a fool wouldn’t cash in if they had the stock. These visitors were convinced that Great Tang still had a significant inventory. Moreover, they suspected Great Tang of hiring bots to manipulate its reputation, which had only recently turned positive.

Most people were just there for the show, thinking they would refrain from spending money regardless of the hype.

As discussions raged on, Weibo users split into two camps: those who supported Great Tang and those who accused it of using bots. Amidst the debate, Great Tang’s fruits were completely sold out by 9 a.m. the following day.

This batch consisted of 12 tons of imported fruits. After deducting packaging, transportation, warehouse taxes, and other expenses, the net profit was around 3.2 million yuan. It was an impressive start.

“This is unbelievable,” Zhang Hua said, staring at Great Tang’s profit report in astonishment. “Three million in one week. That’s nearly ten million a month and over a hundred million a year!”

Zhang Hua was stunned by the profit potential of Great Tang’s online store.

“Great Tang Resort is too far away, and transportation and production can’t keep up. We can sell a maximum of 20 tons per month,” Tang Huai explained, smiling at Zhang Hua’s reaction. Although Fruit Kingdom’s production was limited, it could still supply up to 100 tons to China every month. However, Tang Huai’s main business was the resort, not a farm. Running Great Tang Fruit was more about building reputation…

With that thought, Tang Huai opened his personal system panel.

Host Name: Tang Huai

Scenic Areas: [Blue Sea Lake], [Snow Village], [Bianjing Style], [Fruit Kingdom], [Thrilling Racing], [Sora Town]

Island Value: 230,000+

Reputation Value: 20,270,000+

Inventory: [Mountain Road] x3, [Windmill] x2.

The system’s reputation value now stood at 20,270,000+, a sum accumulated from the lucky draw campaign and recent events, which wasn’t much.

The calculation of the system’s reputation value was complex. Although Great Tang’s fruits seemed popular, most customers were still in a state of skepticism. Such popularity was considered “hollow” and didn’t count towards the system’s reputation. Whether this “hollow” status could be solidified depended on the future word-of-mouth of Great Tang’s fruits in China.

…

@ChineseAcademyOfSciencesV: “After detailed experiments conducted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a groundbreaking discovery has been made in the field of ‘how to enhance the human immune system.’ Further research is currently underway. Thanks to the @GuanghaiScientificExpeditionTeam for providing data parameters and @GreatTangOverseasResort for providing samples of Great Tang’s fruits.”

After more than five months of research and testing, it has been found that the carotene, niacin, and cellulose content in Great Tang’s tomatoes and apples is 72 times higher than that of ordinary apples. The balanced composition has shown excellent clinical effects on endocrine disorders, indigestion, beauty enhancement, and detoxification, with no side effects. This might be related to the climate and topography of Sora Island. The Chinese Scientific Research Team plans to visit the island again in mid-June…”

Currently, Great Tang’s fruits are sold out. Tang Huai was preparing to return on the 15th, but on the night of the 13th, topics related to Great Tang’s fruits once again soared to the top of trending searches. This time, it wasn’t because of retweets from entertainment celebrities like @Li Yuan or @BrotherBird, but rather a review by @ChineseAcademyOfSciencesV.

As the highest natural science research institution in China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences holds immense authority in China’s scientific and medical fields.

The announcement caused a ripple effect, surprising many. According to the Academy’s post, was this a formal endorsement of Great Tang’s fruits?

The post mentioned only “tomatoes” and “fruits,” but terms like “indigestion,” “beauty enhancement,” “detoxification,” and “no side effects” were clearly written.

Connecting this with previous buyers’ comments… many people started to feel excited.

In today’s fast-paced life, indigestion? They’ve experienced it. Beauty enhancement and detoxification? They need it! More importantly, after five months of clinical trials by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Great Tang’s fruits showed no side effects, which is far safer than the various medicines and health supplements on the market!

The more they thought about it, the more excited they became. Soon, many flocked to the Great Tang online store. If they treated Great Tang’s fruits as health supplements, then 98 yuan was definitely a reasonable price. They were ready to make a trial purchase, only to be stunned by the “Sold Out” status.

Has Great Tang not restocked yet?

The next morning, Tang Huai was equally shocked when he checked the freshly updated system interface.

Host Name: Tang Huai

Island Value: 230,000+

Reputation Value: 608,500,000+

Inventory: [Mountain Road] x3, [Windmill] x2.

Tang Huai was in a daze. Overnight, the reputation value had increased by over 40 million?

He opened Weibo, and after ten minutes, he understood the whole situation. Tang Huai recalled Li Qianshan. At that time, Li Qianshan and his team, under the name of the Guanghai Scientific Expedition Team, stayed at Blue Sea Lake for five days. Both parties were just passing by. Who would have thought that five months later, Li Qianshan would bring him such a surprise?

“Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the title ‘Minor Achiever.’ A reward for basic island construction is now available; please choose one of three options.” As Tang Huai got out of bed and was about to wash up, the system’s long-awaited notification sounded.

Previously, his title was ‘Budding Talent.’ Now, he had finally leveled up once more.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️