Ch 90: The World’s Number One Resort

The middle-aged man, named Liu Gang, is 43 years old and works as a construction foreman. Since the year-end construction projects are relatively simple, Liu Gang took a break and joined a travel group for the Great Tang Vacation with two of his business friends.

Over the past few days, Liu Gang had been thoroughly enjoying himself. Although he found the heart shaking experiences like Thrilling Racing and Bianjing Ancient City exciting, he preferred [Brush of the Stroke]. Liu Gang enjoyed the realism that followed after putting pen to paper, as it mirrored his childhood fantasies. However, his drawing skills were limited; apart from some tables and cups, there was little he could bring to life.

Liu Gang’s drawing skills might be modest, but [Brush of the Stroke] had its experts. After a nail-biting race to the second floor, Liu Gang finally secured a game cabin with his robust build.

Three minutes later, Liu Gang lay down as the cabin lid slowly closed, and his hands and feet were secured with threads.

He took a deep breath. Having played [Bicycle] before, he was familiar with the steps in the game cabin. At this moment, he wasn’t feeling any anxiety or hesitation—only excitement and anticipation for [Drinking Alone Under the Moon].

This was a chance to connect across a millennium.

Amidst this nervous anticipation, the black blindfold slowly descended, and his vision was enveloped in darkness.

…

“Welcome to [Brush of the Stroke]. This art experience was developed by the FillTech Corporation using the latest in full-simulation technology. Please select a scene to enter full-simulation mode,” the system’s pleasant voice echoed as Liu Gang suddenly found himself on a vast, misty white platform.

In sync with the system’s voice, a large art album appeared before him.

[Bamboo Grove], [Bicycle], [My Dressing Table], [World of the Eagle]… With the increasing number of visitors, there were now nine scenes to choose from. Liu Gang flipped through the options and decisively selected [Drinking Alone Under the Moon].

“Welcome to [Brush of the Stroke]. Selected scene: [Drinking Alone Under the Moon]. Painter: Original by Zhao Qingshan, Recreated by Luo Liang. Game time: 15 minutes. Enjoy the full-simulation experience.”

“As we part ways, how does longing ever cease? A cup of turbid wine can’t express my feelings…”

After making his selection, the scene changed again, and in an instant, he was transported into a dense, secluded mountain where a melodious voice was singing from afar.

“A deep mountain? Wasn’t Zhao Qingshan’s painting created in Qinhuai?”

Liu Gang looked around, muttering to himself. [Drinking Alone Under the Moon] had a simple composition, featuring only a small pavilion, a maiden, a round lake, and a crescent moon. Most scholars believed the painting was completed in a waterside courtyard. But now, the [Brush of the Stroke] simulation had placed the scene deep within the mountains…

After composing himself, Liu Gang followed the direction of the singing.

Deep in the mountains? Perfect. In countless ancient tales, all sorts of extraordinary romantic encounters happened in the mountains.

A minute later, after passing through thick underbrush, the muddy path opened up. Liu Gang raised his head to find a vast, serene blue lake before him. The lake was peaceful and similar in size to Blue Sea Lake.

In the center of the lake stood an 8×8 meter octagonal pavilion, its cream-colored drapery hanging down from the roof. At its center was a pearwood guzheng, and a woman in a red gauze dress with flowing black hair sat playing the instrument.

The song came from the woman’s lips. She sat with her back to Liu Gang, her robe falling off her shoulders, exposing half of one. With the fluttering drapes and her long hair, she looked even more mysterious and alluring.

“She’s really alive…”

Liu Gang stared at the woman in the pavilion, momentarily stunned. Though he had anticipated this moment, witnessing a painting come to life—from a two-dimensional figure to an actual living being—was still quite a shock.

This was a real-life version of the character from the painting!

Inside the pavilion, the woman in the red dress continued to play the guzheng. Liu Gang stood outside, listening intently. To say the least, based on her guzheng performance alone, she could probably qualify as an elementary school music teacher in real life.

“Mist shrouds the high tower, a jug of turbid wine, no one to drink with. Sir, would you care to share a drink with Qiuyue?”

Liu Gang was completely absorbed in the music when the woman finished her final note and turned toward him with a gentle smile. As the breeze swept by, her hair fluttered, and at the moment she turned, Liu Gang was stunned by her appearance.

Ancient people matured early; the woman looked about eighteen or nineteen. She wasn’t a peerless beauty, but her allure was undeniable—a mix of youthful innocence and the experience of someone steeped in romantic encounters.

“This is freshly brewed rice wine, sir. Would you like a taste?” As Liu Gang remained in a daze, the woman slowly stood up, her lips curving slightly. Her tone was soft and sweet, but her gaze was fixed intently on Liu Gang.

Her eyes were full of seductive charm.

Having been in business for many years, Liu Gang naturally understood the meaning of that look.

“Ahem, give me a moment.”

Liu Gang glanced around, and after confirming that she was speaking to him, he cleared his throat. As he spoke, he opened the [Brush of the Stroke] settings menu and turned off the ‘Art Projection’ mode.

Since things might get inappropriate for children, it was better to proceed discreetly.

After making the adjustments, Liu Gang eagerly walked toward the pavilion. Receiving such a delightful benefit for just one hundred dollars… he was definitely giving Great Tang Vacation a massive thumbs up!

“Sir,” the woman giggled softly and leaned against one of the pavilion’s columns. As she moved, her neckline lowered further, and the bell on her ankle jingled, accentuating the delicate whiteness of her feet.

“The weather is a bit warm; let me help you undress,” said Liu Gang, a man with little self-restraint. With a touch of feigned elegance, he approached, ready to undress the woman. There were only five minutes left in the game; he needed to act quickly.

“You’re stepping on my skirt,” the woman teased, lifting her right hand. With that gesture, her red dress slipped down, leaving her clad in just a black-and-gold tube top. As the red dress fell, she pretended to pull Liu Gang down, her arms wrapping expertly around his neck.

Liu Gang: !!!

If he held back now, he wouldn’t be a man.

After confirming that ‘Art Projection’ was indeed turned off, Liu Gang reached out to place his hand on the woman’s shoulder.

“Hiss.” Just as his hand was a mere 0.3 centimeters from her, the woman let out a sneering laugh and gently pushed him away. Next, Liu Gang found himself inexplicably floating toward the round lake…

Yes, floating! How could his 160-pound body be floating?

“Splash.”

“Thank you, Ancestor Qiuyue, for your mercy.”

Liu Gang landed in the center of the lake, caught by a soft, wet substance. Looking down, he saw that the lake was teeming with creatures that had fish heads and human hands. Each monster bared its fangs and gathered excitedly toward him… The entire lake was filled with these fish-headed monsters, forming a dense and terrifying mass from above.

Liu Gang: …

He was struggling to comprehend what was happening.

“!!!”

Liu Gang looked up, intending to say something, but saw the woman in the red dress smirk before sticking out her tongue. Her tongue unnervingly stretched over ten meters long. In addition, her body rapidly turned a sickly green, and with arms extended, she transformed into a monster with a human head and the body of a toad in the blink of an eye.

Liu Gang: … Is it too late to faint now?

…

“Bro, turning off the art projection halfway through? That’s not cool.”

“Hahaha, is the latter half some deep-consciousness experience? How was it?”

“Luckily, Great Tang Overseas is located abroad. If it were in China, this would definitely get censored.”

…

Three minutes later, Liu Gang exited the game pod. His two business partners, who hadn’t managed to secure a game pod, had been watching from outside. When they saw Liu Gang come out, they teased him a bit.

They had seen everything from outside: the deep mountains, the round lake, and the red dress revealing a bit of skin… It was definitely a scene straight out of a fantasy encounter. Plus, Liu Gang had sneakily turned off the art projection, so they could only imagine the “springtime” scene inside.

“Tsk tsk, you guys, always turning off the art projection…”

One of the business partners sighed as he spoke. From his perspective, most of the nearby players had turned off the projection. Even the few who hadn’t had only kept it open for about ten meters. Due to the visual blind spots, they couldn’t really see anything clearly.

Liu Gang, looking a bit uneasy, stepped out and glanced at his two friends but didn’t say anything.

“We agreed earlier, right? I get to go next after Liu comes out,” said one of the business partners excitedly as he hopped into the pod after it reset. Half a minute later, the pod door closed, and the next game began.

“Ahem, how was the experience inside the game?”

The remaining partner, feeling a bit regretful that he didn’t get to go next, raised an eyebrow at Liu Gang. They were all seasoned businessmen and had frequented various entertainment venues. He was referring to the experience in a rather suggestive way.

Liu Gang, gradually coming back to his senses, finally managed to squeeze out two words: “It was… alright.”

Business partner: ???

Liu Gang’s cryptic response only piqued his curiosity further.

“Seriously, a ghost woman? That was brutal!”

“My feet… those little ghosts were ruthless!”

“Hahaha, being tickled by a bunch of demons? That’s hilarious.”

Just as the business partner was about to press Liu Gang for more details, a lively conversation erupted to their right. Peering over, they saw it was coming from five pods away. Unable to see much from a distance, the business partner walked over, and Liu Gang followed.

“Yes, exactly! A toad. The woman in red was playing music and chatting, and then suddenly, the scene turned into a spooky tale…” said the player, a young woman who was still patting her chest in fear. She had chosen the projection mode, and since her playtime was short, the thrilling scenes were still being replayed on the screen.

Intrigued by her story, the surrounding crowd looked up at the screen.

The serene pavilion on the screen showed the female player sitting on one side, while the woman in red played the guzheng, and the two seemed to be happily conversing. But halfway through, a gust of eerie wind swept through the pavilion. The female player shivered, and then the woman in red transformed into a creature with a human head and a toad’s body.

With the woman’s transformation, countless fish-headed monsters emerged from the lake, seizing the female player’s hands and feet. Amidst the player’s horrified expression, the red-dressed creature pulled out a piece of foxtail grass… and mercilessly started tickling the soles of her feet.

“That wasn’t just any foxtail grass—it was incredibly stimulating, and kind of tingly,” the female player explained while sipping on some bottled water, describing her experience to the onlookers.

From a seemingly romantic scene to a ghostly tale, and finally to a mischievous game, the whole fifteen-minute experience was like a roller coaster ride.

“Was it foxtail grass for you too?” the business partner asked, his head spinning from the story. Then, nudging Liu Gang’s arm, he added, “If it really was just foxtail grass… then what happened to the romantic encounter?”

“It was foxtail grass,” Liu Gang replied gloomily. The moment the toad ghost appeared, it was indeed terrifying. However, after the initial scare, the sensation of having his feet tickled by the foxtail grass was strangely soothing. As the female player had mentioned, this was no ordinary foxtail grass.

Liu Gang was conflicted. Should he go back into the game just for that sensation?

Terrifying for a second, comforting for three minutes.

“Oh my, isn’t this ‘Drinking Alone Under the Moon’? When did Zhao Qingshan become a painter of ghosts?”

“Hahaha, is this random background generation?”

“Ugh, I thought there might be something more… you know. With Great Tang’s design style, this is definitely very tame.”

…

More tourists started emerging from the game pods, discussing their experiences in “Drinking Alone Under the Moon.” Everyone’s game scenario differed, but they all shared one common element: halfway through the game, the woman in red transformed into a toad monster and began the foxtail grass game.

“I thought it would be a romantic encounter,” one male player grumbled. Though the tickling felt enjoyable, he couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. The immersive realism of “Stroke of the Brush” would have made such an encounter… blissful.

“Get over it,” another male player’s musings were met with a rolling of eyes.

In contrast, the female players were full of praise for “Stroke of the Brush.”

“It’s amazing to play a game so clean and refreshing!”

After chatting for a while, the tourists took out their phones and began editing short videos.

Most of the tourists came in groups, with their friends recording the game sessions for short clips. The visuals in “Stroke of the Brush” were so vivid that the game scenes looked almost identical to real footage. After editing, everyone tagged the video with #GreatTangOverseasResort and posted it on Weibo and Douyin. Although “Drinking Alone Under the Moon” turned into a thrilling scenario halfway through, it was highly playable. How could they not share such an exciting game?

…

While the tourists were having a blast on the second floor, down on the stairs of “Stroke of the Brush,” Luo Liang stood opposite the “Top 100 Paintings” exhibition, gazing at the portrait of Karoshu with a somewhat blank expression. “Drinking Alone Under the Moon” could come to life, but Karoshu remained a mere painting. This feeling… was hard to swallow.

“Ding! Received a 10 USD tip for ‘Drinking Alone Under the Moon.’”

“Ding! Received a 30 USD tip for ‘Drinking Alone Under the Moon.’”

“Ding! Received a 5 USD tip…”

…

Just as Luo Liang was lost in thought, his Solara Access Card started ringing continuously. Though called an ‘access card,’ it had an eight-centimeter liquid crystal screen to check past transaction records, resembling a compact version of a POS machine.

Right now, the screen was blinking non-stop: 10 USD, 1 USD, 20 USD… All showing transfer amounts. Luo Liang opened the card’s backend and found that, in just a short while, he had received a total of 650 USD. Next to this amount was an “80%” label, indicating that he could withdraw 80% of the amount, while the remaining 20% went to Great Tang Vacation as their commission.

Eighty percent of 650 USD was 520 USD—a considerable sum.

Feeling a bit dazed, Luo Liang looked up again at the “Top 100 Paintings” exhibition. At the bottom of the exhibition was a description of the game rules, which specifically mentioned the tipping and revenue-sharing policy.

So… all this money came from tips from the tourists?

Luo Liang glanced at the tourists on the second floor, feeling a mix of emotions. Today had been full of ups and downs. He wasn’t a saint; he loved money, but he also had higher aspirations on a spiritual level.

He pocketed the access card, then looked up with newfound determination.

So, the rights belonged to Blue Youth Inc.?

He had been in the industry for a long time and had plenty of contacts in illustration and animation. Now, for the sake of Karoshu… he was willing to fight!

Luo Liang took several photos of the “Karoshu” painting before decisively leaving. He had to work hard for Karoshu.

An hour later, the tourists finally finished playing “Drinking Alone Under the Moon.” Some excited tourists pulled out several pictures from their phones and rushed downstairs.

Although the moonlit maiden had somewhat broken character, at least her appearance was true to form. Now that “Drinking Alone Under the Moon” could come to life, other historical characters, such as the Eight Beauties of Qinhuai and the captivating Diao Chan, might also be possible!

The more everyone thought about it, the more excited they became, but they soon felt a bit frustrated upon seeing the empty hall.

Where is everyone?

After a fruitless search, the WeChat groups “Great Tang Travel Group 1” and “Great Tang Travel Group 2” started a search for Luo Liang, but Solara Island was too vast to find him quickly.

…

“Looking for Luo Liang? This activity sounds interesting.” That same day, at 8 p.m., Tang Huai and Xie Yunshu were discussing the placement of Category A brands in the Solara office building. During a break, Tang Huai scrolled through his phone. After seeing the chat logs in the “Great Tang Vacation” group, he found it intriguing.

He had joined the “Great Tang Travel Group 1” as a silent member and was only now finding time to check his phone after a busy day.

Karoshu, “Drinking Alone Under the Moon,” Luo Liang…

Five minutes later, Tang Huai understood the situation. He hadn’t expected “Stroke of the Brush” to have a “real-life character” function.

“What’s going on?” Xie Yunshu asked curiously when he saw how focused Tang Huai was. It was rare to see Tang Huai so absorbed in something.

“Great Tang Resort is about to gain some serious attention,” Tang Huai replied, a smile forming at the corner of his mouth.

He had a hunch that this wave of attention was going to make quite an impact.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️