Ch 81: The World’s Number One Resort

‘Minor Achiever’ was an unexpected delight. Tang Huai clicked “Confirm.”

As he did so, three task icons appeared before him: a vast, lush natural pasture, a cozy and sophisticated giant balloon, and a grand, luxurious cruise ship. Unlike the previous “lucky spin,” this time, the task rewards were clearly laid out, and Tang Huai simply needed to choose one.

Three options… Hmm, the system is as stingy as ever.

Tang Huai grumbled to himself and then proceeded to click on the detailed attributes of each of the three rewards.

Sora Ranch: A primary-level Sora building card, a natural pasture covering fifty acres. No regional restrictions for its use.

Sora Balloon Boat: An aerial transport vehicle, limited to single-region use.

Sora Cruise Ship: A massive cruise ship with a displacement of 150,000 tons, limited to use in the four oceans.

All three system rewards were practical: the balloon boat and cruise ship served as transportation, while the pasture was a specialized agricultural facility.

Tang Huai found it difficult to decide.

Each reward had its own merits. Compared to this, the “lucky spin” seemed so much easier. Feeling a bit annoyed, he unhesitatingly clicked the first option: Sora Ranch.

With the infrastructure on Sora Island becoming more and more complete, Tang Huai had already considered building a ranch. Besides, the sheep and clucking chickens were still cooped up in their pens. Whenever visitors came, they couldn’t even leave the pen to avoid accidents.

“Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining a primary card: Sora Ranch. The system card has been issued to the inventory…” After clicking, a light green icon appeared in the system’s inventory. Tang Huai examined it for a bit and then stored it.

Now that the Great Tang fruits were sold out and the online store was running smoothly, it was time for him to return to the island.

“Ring ring, ring ring.” As Tang Huai was getting up to check the latest flights to Hawaii, the phone on his bedside table rang.

Tang Huai glanced at it. The caller: Zheng Chenghe.

Frowning, he clicked to answer.

“Boss Tang, I heard that Great Tang fruits sold well. Congratulations!” Zheng Chenghe’s familiar greeting came through as soon as the call connected.

Tang Huai remained silent.

“Boss Tang, I wonder if you’re still interested in working together? Xin Xin is willing to drop the profit margin to one percent…” After some casual greetings, Zheng Chenghe finally got to his point.

In his office at the Shengze Xin Xin Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Market, Zheng Chenghe looked at the news on his computer with a very gloomy expression. He couldn’t figure out how Great Tang’s fruits had suddenly become a hit.

He knew that Great Tang fruits were imported from Sora Island, but in his mind, even if Great Tang wanted to sell at a high price, it would be around twenty to thirty yuan per pound. The two parties had previously discussed a profit margin of two percent, but Zheng Chenghe wasn’t optimistic about Great Tang’s prospects. After some consideration, he canceled the deal with Great Tang and partnered with Yulan Trading instead.

However, he hadn’t expected Great Tang to set such a high price. Zheng Chenghe didn’t care about the quality of Great Tang’s fruits; he only knew that they were now incredibly popular. Popular to the extent that as long as there was stock, it could be sold immediately.

Now, he was willing to drop the profit margin to even half a percent if it meant he could make a fortune.

“Boss Tang, Xin Xin is genuinely interested in collaborating with Great Tang.” He added. Xin Xin had gone back on its word before, but with profits on the line, Zheng Chenghe didn’t care about pride.

“Didn’t Yulan want to go exclusive?” Tang Huai was amused by Zheng Chenghe’s proposition. After all the unpleasantness before, he now acted as if nothing had happened.

“My brother-in-law also runs a fruit wholesale business. Great Tang could sign a contract with Jin Xin Wholesale instead…”

Zheng Chenghe seemed to grit his teeth. He had already signed a contract with Yulan, so backing out was not an option… If he had known Great Tang’s sales would be this good, he would have let his brother-in-law take over the deal. At most, it would have meant sharing some of the profit, which would have saved him this current mess.

“Boss Tang, I—”

“Beep, beep, beep—”

Zheng Chenghe was just about to pitch his brother-in-law when he was met with the sound of a busy signal. He redialed, only to hear, “The number you dialed is not in service.”

He had been blocked by Tang Huai.

Meanwhile, in Shengze Apartment on Fuqiang Road, Tang Huai found this amusing. Zheng Chenghe’s schemes were clever, but a bit too cunning for their own good.

With Great Tang’s online market already established, he had no need to partner with others. If Tang Huai even hinted at a collaboration, countless fruit vendors would come knocking. In short, the possibility of working with Xin Xin again was zero.

As he mulled over this, Tang Huai checked the latest flight information and booked a ticket to Hawaii for the evening. He planned to arrive back on Sora Island by the evening of the 17th.

After packing, he headed to the Great Tang Fruit Store.

Da Huang was enjoying his time in Yuhai Garden so much that he didn’t want to leave. With no other choice, Tang Huai entrusted Da Huang to Zhao Xingkai for the time being. The Spring Travel Agency would be organizing a tour group to Great Tang on March 10th. Tang Huai spoke with Yu Suxia at the travel agency, arranging for Da Huang to travel with the group.

Since Spring Travel Agency and Great Tang Resort were currently in a cooperative honeymoon period, Yu Suxia readily agreed.

After settling this, Tang Huai went to the Great Tang office. Compared to Da Huang’s whining, the office work seemed much easier.

With all his affairs in China taken care of, Tang Huai took the high-speed train to Beijing to catch his flight.

Once he left, the employees at the Great Tang office were a bit dazed.

The manager just left like that?

According to Tang Huai’s instructions, the next batch of fruits wouldn’t arrive for another half month, and thereafter would only be shipped twice a month. This meant that most of the time, except for the sales periods, they would just be sitting around…

“Ahem, Great Tang’s online store is a subsidiary of Great Tang Resort,” Zhang Hua cleared his throat, trying to break the silence. “Even though our manager is gone, we still need to do our basic duties well. Besides memorizing our scripts, let’s spend more time on Douyin and familiarize ourselves with the company culture.”

In reality, even Zhang Hua wasn’t quite sure what they were supposed to be doing. In any case, learning Great Tang’s culture couldn’t hurt.

…

“What the heck? We have to wait half a month?”

“Can’t we pre-order…? No pre-orders? Doesn’t every other store on Taobao do pre-sales? Great Tang needs to keep up with the times!”

“100% positive reviews? The feedback is more exaggerated than for beauty products…”

As Tang Huai made his way back to Sora Island, discussions about Great Tang Fruit continued on Chinese social media. This time, however, the topic wasn’t as full of skepticism as before. Instead, people were frustrated by the “Sold Out” sign on the online store.

First, there was the 100% positive rating, then the endorsement from @Chinese Academy of Sciences… With the exception of a few die-hard skeptics, most people were now eager to try the fruits. Forget the taste; just the promise of “detox and beautification” alone was enough to tempt countless individuals.

Two days had passed, yet the fruits were still sold out?

Sold out, sold out! If it’s sold out, then restock already! Prospective customers were getting quite annoyed. The notice on Great Tang’s Taobao store said the next batch of fruits wouldn’t be available until March 20th at the earliest.

Customers: We’re losing patience!

“Want to visit Sora Island? Sure, no problem. We have a tour group leaving on the 2nd and arriving on Sora Island on the 5th…”

“The tour fee is 22,000 yuan, with no hidden costs. You can register at our local service point.”

“The fee includes a one-time visit to Fruit Kingdom…”

While people continued their online debates, some well-off individuals directly contacted travel agencies. With Great Tang Resort’s rising popularity, forums like “Great Tang Resort” sprung up.

Many who had visited shared their experiences and travel tips in these forums, often posting their flight tickets and scenic selfies, serving as a way to distinguish real tourists from trolls and fake reviewers.

…

According to the travelers who shared their experiences, a stay at Great Tang Resort is well worth the tour fee. The Great Tang Resort Forum has only been around for a short time, but it has gathered a large community of travel enthusiasts. Many of the tourists who joined the Great Tang travel group had been lurking in the forum for several days.

Great Tang Resort offers breathtaking scenery, and with the recent success of Great Tang Fruits, those who were previously hesitant no longer have doubts. Though the tour fee of 20,000 yuan is not cheap, it’s now within the acceptable range for an average white-collar worker, considering the rise in living standards. Furthermore, even a weeklong domestic trip in China would cost at least several thousand to nearly ten thousand yuan, assuming you don’t get ripped off.

In short, after weighing all these factors, more and more tourists signed up for the Great Tang Resort tour.

When the travel agencies tallied up the numbers in the evening, they found that 1,200 people had registered in just one day, and this number is still rising. It’s estimated to exceed 5,000 by the 18th. This is a super large-scale group, which obviously cannot all depart on the 2nd. After calculating the round-trip time for the Great Tang No.1, they quickly arranged for additional departure dates on the 6th, 10th, and so on.

Following the sell-out of Great Tang Fruits, a new wave of enthusiasm for traveling to Great Tang Resort emerged.

…

While the China Travel Agency Alliance was extremely busy, Tang Huai finally arrived at Sora Island in the evening on the 1st, after a flight transfer and a boat ride.

The Spring Festival was still ongoing, so the entire Sora Island was decorated with red lanterns, filled with a festive atmosphere. The moment Tang Huai set foot on Sora Island, he felt a sense of “coming home.”

“Manager Tang, Sora Airport and the [Stroke of the Brush] have been completed,” Xie Yunshu, who was working in the office, came over to report upon hearing of Tang Huai’s return.

Sora Airport and Stroke of the Brush were both obtained through the lucky draw from the golden eggs, and both are considered Sora Island’s infrastructure.

The construction of Sora Airport and Stroke of the Brush was completed within a month, thanks to the hardworking laborers.

“Thank you for your hard work,” Tang Huai said sincerely as he freshened up. He had left for half a month, and it was because of Xie Yunshu holding the fort that he could be completely at ease.

“It was my duty,” Xie Yunshu replied with a smile. It was now five o’clock in the afternoon, and after a brief chat, the two walked toward Sora Airport.

“Sora Airport was completed three days ago. It includes a terminal building, parking lot, and tarmac. As long as we purchase some airplanes and airport ground staff, it can be put into operation.”

Half an hour later, outside Sora Airport, Xie Yunshu pointed to the facility and said to Tang Huai. Tang Huai looked up; the entire airport covered an area of 30,000 square meters, resembling a small domestic airport. It could accommodate up to five medium-sized airplanes.

Tang Huai pondered. He currently had over 70 million reputation points, enough to buy some Sora transnational aircraft. However, flying planes involves official flight procedures and connecting airports; otherwise, if he inadvertently violates another country’s airspace, the Sora aircraft might be mistaken for terrorists and get shot down…

The Sora aircraft would require more detailed planning.

“Let’s go take a look at Stroke of the Brush,” Tang Huai said to Xie Yunshu after making a round of the airport. Tang Huai was even more eager to see Stroke of the Brush.

Tang Huai opened the description for Stroke of the Brush.
[Stroke of the Brush]: When technology meets fantasy, the legend of the Magic Brush Ma Liang is no longer just a tale.

The description of Stroke of the Brush was brief, but this one simple line was enough to pique Tang Huai’s curiosity. Technology, fantasy, Magic Brush Ma Liang… It seemed like a blend of different worlds.

Half an hour later, they arrived at Sora Cinema, adjacent to which stood Stroke of the Brush.

“Is this Stroke of the Brush’? Tang Huai was a bit surprised upon seeing the newly built structure in front of him. Stroke of the Brush was semi-circular and silver-gray, resembling a merged version of the Sydney Opera House but with sleeker, simpler lines.

The entire ‘Stroke of the Brush’ had a high-tech vibe.

Stroke of the Brush was a building card. Now, with the final product placed next to Sora Cinema, it instantly elevated the colorful style of Sora Town. Surprisingly, it didn’t appear out of place; rather, it created a harmonious aesthetic.

“Let’s go inside and have a look,” Tang Huai said as he walked in. He was quite excited to explore Stroke of the Brush.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️