Ch 84: The World’s Number One Resort

At three o’clock in the afternoon, everyone got ready and then, led by their tour guides, headed to the various scenic spots of the Great Tang Resort.

Although the tourists had all come on the same ship, the Great Tang No. 1, they had signed up with different travel agencies, each of which had different schedules and routes. Thus, upon leaving Bianjing Ancient City, some went to the Blue Sea Forest, others to the Snow Village, and quite a few headed to Sora Town.

This was the first day of the Great Tang Resort tour, and everyone was filled with anticipation.

…

“So, this is the famous Delicious Restaurant? I saw some recommendations before; it’s said that the food here is really delicious.”

“Hahaha, not only is it tasty, but it’s also super expensive. A plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes costs 300 bucks…”

“There’s a movie showing at Sora Cinema at five o’clock. Should we go check it out? I think it’s called something like ‘My Boyfriend is a Dragon.'”

…

Half an hour later, many tourists reappeared in Sora Town. Although Sora Town had fewer attractions, the villas and surrounding walls were a sight to behold. At this point, quite a few tourists went straight to the Sora Passageway to swipe their cards, not for anything else but to get a close-up photo with the windmill.

“【Stroke of the Brush】… What is this? A newly built art museum?”

“Looks kind of high-tech.”

…

The tourists strolled to the cinema. They each had one movie ticket, but with an hour left before the movie started and nothing else to do, they wandered into 【Stroke of the Brush】.

The exterior of 【Stroke of the Brush】 was quite unique. At the entrance, there was an in-and-out passageway where everyone swiped their cards and entered in an orderly manner.

“What’s this? Why are there no paintings? And what are those glasses up ahead?”

“Looks a bit like VR glasses.”

“Here’s the usage guide. $50 for 15 minutes, $100 for half an hour, $200 for an hour… What’s the difference between one hour and 15 minutes? No discounts, huh.”

“It’s probably some kind of VR puzzle game.”

…

The group arrived at the central hall of 【Stroke of the Brush】. The overall style was sleek and minimalist, dominated by shades of silver and grey. The painting frames were simple, and the oval tables were uniformly designed. The entire hall looked rather monotonous yet clean-cut.

“Want to give it a try?” 【Stroke of the Brush】 wasn’t included in the tour package. The $50 price tag wasn’t cheap, but since they were already here, they didn’t mind spending the $50. And so, a few generous tourists approached the oval tables, while others watched from the side.

“Should we try it?”

Among the crowd, Sun Xiang squeezed the pass card in her hand, feeling a bit eager. They were the lucky winners of the Pizza King’s raffle. Besides the travel agency’s package activities, each of them had an additional $3,000 on their pass card. As long as they didn’t spend lavishly, $3,000 would be more than enough for them to enjoy their stay comfortably.

“Let’s give it a shot,” said Lao San (Old Third), hesitating for a moment. In truth, it wasn’t just Sun Xiang; even she was very curious.

Sun Xiang decided to go first. She found the nearest oval table and swiped her card while Lao San held her bag.

A lot of tourists gathered around. They decided to observe Sun Xiang’s feedback before deciding whether or not to try it themselves.

“This pen looks fun,” Sun Xiang said a minute later as she stood at the oval table.

Under everyone’s gaze, she slowly pressed the start button in front of her.

In the blink of an eye, Sun Xiang found herself on a misty white stone platform. The surrounding air was ethereal. If it weren’t for the black electronic pen in her hand, she might have thought she had traveled to another world in an instant…

Is VR technology really this advanced now?

Sun Xiang was stunned.

“Dear tourist friends, welcome to 【Stroke of the Brush】…” Sun Xiang was about to explore when a gentle female voice suddenly spoke up.

“Now, dear tourist friends, please pick up the pen in your hand and draw anything you like…” The voice continued after giving an introduction to the design background of 【Stroke of the Brush】.

Sun Xiang picked up the brush, raised her right hand, and drew a large circle.

As soon as she began, a black line slowly appeared in the air. Sun Xiang found this to be quite magical. Standing on the void-like stone platform, the lines before her took shape with her movements. If she were wearing a long, flowing robe, she could easily pass as the female lead in a fantasy drama.

Amused by her own thoughts, Sun Xiang chuckled.

Five seconds later, the circle was completed, and with the final stroke, it turned into a golden full moon.

Sun Xiang waved her hand, and the full moon hung pleasantly in the air.

“This is so high-tech…” Sun Xiang mumbled to herself. The sight of the full moon sparked her creativity. After some thought, she added a few rolling hills beneath it, followed by a river…

Sun Xiang became increasingly engrossed in her drawing.

“This really is 【Stroke of the Brush】. Just a few strokes, and the moon appeared?”

“More like ‘Stroke of the Photo’… That moon and the mountains look so realistic.”

…

While Sun Xiang continued her drawing, everyone in the hall of 【Stroke of the Brush】 watched the scene unfold in amazement. They couldn’t see the misty stone platform; all they could see was Sun Xiang standing at the oval table, waving her hand, and then a full moon appeared.

The scenery in the painting wasn’t a sketch or watercolor; it was as realistic as an actual photograph—a genuine moon.

“She added a tricycle on the side; is this some kind of anti-gravity design?”

Everyone laughed at the sight. Meanwhile, a tourist at another table had just finished their drawing. The 3×5 meter canvas displayed a long asphalt road, with poplar trees lining the left side and a ten-meter-high wall on the right. On top of the wall, three bicycles stood parallel to the road.

It was a piece filled with fantasy elements.

The table’s visitor had completed their drawing, and the piece, titled 【Bicycles】, received a score of 61, just passing the threshold.

“Fifty-two points… Xiang, keep it up!” Five minutes later, Sun Xiang finished her artwork, titled 【Moon and Mountains】. However, due to the simple composition, the system didn’t give a high score.

“This looks really fun. Is this some kind of advanced cross-dimensional technology?”

“This bicycle drawing… I wonder if it can actually be ridden.”

“There’s a ‘Top 100 Gallery’ here. 【Bamboo Grove】 has a nice aesthetic. Haha, what’s up with this 【Dreamscape】?”

…

The scene before them defied conventional logic. Many tourists filmed with their phone cameras while chatting. After the completion of 【Bicycles】 and 【Moon and Mountains】, 【Dreamscape】 was pushed to fourth place.

“What was it like? Is it worth playing?” Most visitors were taking pictures in front of the Top 100 Gallery, but some directly asked Sun Xiang about her experience.

“Inside, it’s like a stone platform. The setting feels almost like a time-travel scene…” Sun Xiang tried to find the right words, still captivated by what she had just experienced.

“There’s more upstairs. Fifty dollars a go for the simulation cabins…” While everyone marveled, a few tourists leaned over the second-floor railing and shouted down.

Though they hadn’t tried the simulation cabins themselves, compared to the fifty, one hundred, or two hundred dollars for the games downstairs, this fifty-dollar quarter-hour seemed more worth it.

The crowd rushed to the second floor.

The simulation cabins looked even more advanced than the setups on the first floor. With a relatively reasonable price, many tourists eagerly chose their preferred cabins.

“Want to give it a shot?” Seeing the other tourists getting into the cabins, Sun Xiang nudged Lao San’s arm.

She had just captured her “masterpiece” on her phone and was still basking in its glory. Fifty dollars for a time-travel experience was definitely worth it.

Lao San thought for a moment and approached the nearest simulation cabin. After the experience with 【Stroke of the Brush】, she had high expectations for the other attractions at the Great Tang Resort.

Lao San lay down in the cabin.

The lid of the cabin slowly closed, and her hands and feet were connected by thin wires… A sense of nervousness welled up inside her.

Just as she was feeling tense, a black visor slowly descended, plunging her surroundings into complete darkness.

“Welcome to the 【Stroke of the Brush】 simulation cabin. 【Stroke of the Brush】 is developed by the FillTech Company… Please choose an available scene for your immersive exploration.” Just as Sun Xiang had described, Lao San felt as though she had “teleported” to a misty white stone platform, with the system’s pleasant voice echoing around her.

After the system finished speaking, a catalog appeared in front of Lao San. The pages behind the cover were blank, with only two images on the front page.

1. 【Bamboo Grove】: 82 points, five stars, 1 review, reward amount: $10. Artist: Anonymous.
2. 【Bicycles】: 61 points, other details: None. Artist: “Why Bother with Bicycles?”

These two pictures were exactly the same as the ones displayed in the Top 100 Gallery. The second image had just been created, and “Why Bother with Bicycles?” was the artist’s nickname. Sun Xiang had seen the person earlier – a balding man in his forties…

After a moment’s thought, Lao San clicked on 【Bicycles】.

She was quite curious about the suspended bicycles.

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