Ch 94: The World’s Number One Resort

Wang Lu was pondering how to extend the broadcast when the helicopter made a turn and headed back to the starting point of the Thrilling racing track. A large open area was situated at the starting line, where the helicopter landed, and Tang Huai, Wang Lu, and others disembarked.

“What, they all got eliminated? That outcome was unexpected.”

“I thought they’d be pros, but turns out they’re beginners.”

“Haha, that mass crash into the lake at the end was quite the scene!”

…

In the spectator area, visitors watched the final results of the race in stunned silence before bursting into laughter.

Most of the spectators had tried the Thrilling racing game before and knew how challenging it was. However, the ST Club had the Luo Hai TV station and a live broadcast on their side, making everyone think that they were aiming for the one-million-dollar grand prize. No one anticipated that ST Club would perform so poorly.

To be exact, many ST racers were eliminated midway through the race.

The final stage involved a serene blue lake with several slippery stone paths. Although not the hardest route, it was the most treacherous. Of the remaining three cars that reached this stage, they had already spent eleven minutes and twenty-eight seconds… marking a complete defeat for the ST Club.

“A club full of pretty faces and nothing more.”

Upon learning the outcome, the audience in the live broadcast room joined in mocking the ST Club. The ST Club could now be crowned with the “Embarrassment of the Year” award.

Within a few minutes, the number of viewers in the live broadcast room skyrocketed, breaking the million-viewer mark within fifteen minutes.

“The ST Thrilling racing challenge has ended, but the exciting broadcast has just begun. Please stay tuned, viewers!” After stepping out of the helicopter, Wang Lu adjusted her demeanor and faced the camera with a calm smile.

While speaking, she approached the surrounding crowd.

“Hello, we’re from Luo Hai TV. What are your thoughts on the ST race?”

“Are we going on TV?”

“No, it’s on a Weibo live broadcast.”

“Thoughts on the ST race? A lot of flash and no substance.”

“Uh… do you have any other reflections?”

“What kind of reflections do you want from just watching for fun? The Thrilling racing is quite literally thrilling, but I’m too old to try it. You know what, you should go interview the participants at Stroke of the Brush. That place gets pretty spooky…”

Wang Lu chose an approachable elderly man for the interview. While the man was coherent, his responses veered off-topic, ending up on the subject of Stroke of the Brush instead.

“Haha, Luo Hai TV might as well switch to a travel channel. Those news broadcasts are just too dull.”

Wang Lu twitched her mouth slightly and glanced at the live comments. She expected complaints about the content being boring, but surprisingly, the response was positive.

“The racers are back.” As Wang Lu continued the interview, someone in the crowd pointed out an approaching convoy of vehicles. The twelve race cars were coming back, driven by staff members in yellow vests, but with no sign of the ST Club members themselves.

Clearly, the ST members were too embarrassed to show their faces.

The spectators found this rather amusing.

…

“This is beyond embarrassing! He Kun, why did you cut me off at the end? If you hadn’t suddenly swerved in front, neither of us would’ve fallen into the lake!”

“Are you kidding? This is a race! Should I have yielded to you like a pedestrian?”

“Guys, He Ge, Wang Ge, calm down. The whole thing is trending on Weibo now…”

Meanwhile, on the No. 17 bus heading to Bianjing Ancient City, He Kun and his group looked quite sullen. They had lowered their expectations to simply finish the race, but luck wasn’t on their side, resulting in a total wipeout.

He Kun and Wang Cong exchanged a few heated words before giving up. Today had been an embarrassing disaster… not even worth the energy to argue.

…

“What now, host? Just standing here?”

“It’s almost 5:30. Are we getting some content?”

“I’ve already seen the Dawan Boy commercial twice. Give me a reason to watch it a third time.”

Five minutes passed as Wang Lu interviewed two more tourists. The broadcast had now been live for twenty minutes, but with forty minutes to go until the target one-hour mark… the audience wasn’t easy to appease. With no progress in the broadcast, around three thousand viewers had left, though the remaining ones still held on to a glimmer of hope for something worthwhile.

This fragile sense of anticipation was palpable.

“You take over for a bit…” Wang Lu glanced at the comments on the live feed and handed the microphone over, feeling rather dejected.

It was time to come up with a new plan…

“Da Huang will return later…”

On the southern side of the Thrilling racing track, Tang Huai and Xie Yunshu were casually chatting after watching the ST Club race. Da Huang would be returning with the No. 10 tour group. They had just received a call from the travel agency confirming Da Huang’s safe boarding.

As their conversation was picking up, Wang Lu hurried over.

Tang Huai and Xie Yunshu paused their discussion.

“Manager Tang, we’d like to do a temporary aerial interview for Great Tang Resort. Would it be possible to borrow the helicopter again?” Wang Lu stopped and carefully made her request. She appeared calm on the outside, but inside, she felt a bit apprehensive. With only one hour left, there wasn’t much more to cover in the live broadcast. Transiting by bus to another location would take at least half an hour. After weighing her options, an aerial tour by helicopter seemed the most feasible.

It was a kind gesture for Great Tang Resort to lend them the helicopter earlier, but flying incurs costs. Asking to borrow it again now felt a bit bold.

Ah, well, no other choice.

After finishing her request, Wang Lu looked at Tang Huai with slight embarrassment.

“An interview?” Tang Huai raised his eyebrows, intrigued.

…

“To all our viewers, we are currently at the Thrilling racing track, which is about 30 kilometers from Bianjing Ancient City…” Five minutes later, Wang Lu and Zhang Min were back on the helicopter. Having prior experience, they adjusted themselves and resumed the broadcast.

As the broadcast continued, the helicopter took a turn and headed straight for Bianjing Ancient City.

“Our first destination is Bianjing Ancient City, followed by Snow Village and Blue Sea Lake…” Wang Lu continued after a brief introduction. Although she was primarily a reporter, she adapted seamlessly to the role of a live host.

While Wang Lu maintained a bright smile, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy inside. Great Tang Resort did agree to lend the helicopter, but not for free. They charged a fuel cost of $5,000 per hour.

It was quite a hefty fuel fee.

As Manager Tang explained, it was because Luo Hai TV had a reputable name that Great Tang Resort felt comfortable lending it. Otherwise, they wouldn’t lend it out just because a visitor happened to be wealthy.

The $5,000 expense was unexpected. Wang Lu didn’t dare make a decision without consulting her superiors, but after receiving the go-ahead from the station, they finally struck a deal with Great Tang Resort.

Wang Lu and Zhang Min didn’t have the money on hand, so the station would wire the funds to Great Tang Resort’s corporate account.

Tang Huai remained noncommittal. Luo Hai TV had deep pockets, so he wasn’t worried about Wang Lu and Zhang Min reneging on their payment. While $5,000 was merely a drop in the bucket for Great Tang Resort, charging a fee was a matter of principle. Otherwise, today it might be Luo Hai TV, and tomorrow it could be Luo Shan TV… and things would get complicated.

Although Tang Huai was Chinese, Great Tang Resort was an independent overseas island resort. There was no need to curry favor with domestic TV stations.

“Up ahead is Bianjing Ancient City… This is truly a marvel in the history of world architecture.” As Wang Lu mulled over the situation, the helicopter flew into the Bianjing Ancient City area. From their high vantage point, Wang Lu and Zhang Min were momentarily stunned upon seeing the city.

They had spent five days on Sora Island, frequently visiting Bianjing Ancient City.

The city was enormous, and they had mostly toured it via the sightseeing bus. Walking along the central streets of Bianjing Ancient City made them feel like they had entered a land of giants. Their perspective had always been from the ground up, leaving them with no real sense of the city’s full scale.

From the helicopter, Bianjing Ancient City appeared the same as before, but now, set against the yellow-brown canyon, it looked even more grand and mysterious, its square layout emphasized from the aerial view.

As the helicopter gradually approached, the entirety of Bianjing Ancient City became clearer.

“Isn’t this exactly how Four Square City was described in Sword of Immortal Cultivation? It’s perfect for filming a fantasy drama.”

“What fantasy drama? This is more like a sci-fi movie! The plot could be about the male and female leads flying in a helicopter on a treasure hunt, then stumbling upon a barrier and entering a parallel world. The helicopter itself would be seen as a mysterious artifact… Let’s call it The Helicopter in the World of Immortals.”

“That’s still a fantasy plot…”

“Hahaha, you two upstairs have watched too many movies! What an imagination.”

The sight of the ancient city caused an uproar among the viewers. Although many had seen various online videos of Bianjing Ancient City, this was their first time experiencing such a grand, panoramic view.

It was exhilarating.

Zhang Min adjusted the camera. Now, there was no need for a detailed introduction.

The Great Tang helicopter flew over the ancient city, skillfully maneuvering through buildings and massive statues like a ship navigating a maze.

Despite its nearly ten-meter length, the helicopter seemed no more significant than a bicycle on a road when inside the vast expanse of Bianjing Ancient City.

“Is that a roller coaster? It looks like there are people inside.”

“Are those tourists? They look like they’re having so much fun!”

“I’m intrigued. I want to go.”

For the next ten minutes, the helicopter flew up and down through Bianjing Ancient City, leaving the viewers dazzled. Zhang Min and Wang Lu were equally captivated by the experience.

“The pilot really is an expert.”

While enjoying the scenery, Zhang Min couldn’t help but glance toward the pilot. The abundance of buildings in Bianjing Ancient City required the helicopter to change speed every five seconds. Initially, he thought he might experience motion sickness, but after fifteen minutes, he felt perfectly fine.

Upon closer reflection, aside from the intense pursuit of the race cars earlier, the helicopter’s movements had been incredibly smooth.

“Is that the tea house from Along the River During the Qingming Festival?”

“And there’s a traveler’s inn nearby… even the butcher’s shop is an exact replica.”

“This is amazing! It’s a perfect recreation.”

The helicopter flew smoothly, and viewers, while sending barrage comments, also opened images of the “Along the River During the Qingming Festival” painting to make careful comparisons.

The structures in Bianjing Ancient City were massive. Previously, there were claims that Bianjing Ancient City was modeled after the “Along the River During the Qingming Festival.” However, due to the city’s size and the painting’s intricate details, people believed there were only a few similarities. History enthusiasts had debated this topic for a while last year, but interest soon waned.

Now, as Luo Hai TV’s aerial footage moved across the city, the discussion of “Bianjing Ancient City VS ‘Along the River During the Qingming Festival'” ignited once more.

During this brief lapse in attention, Luo Hai TV’s live stream audience reached 1.5 million and continued to grow.

…

In Luo Hai TV’s live broadcast office, Chief Editor Sun was thrilled as he monitored the backend data. The live stream had been running for 40 minutes, with viewer drop-off still controlled at around 1%. This was a record-breaking performance since the establishment of Luo Hai Live!

“Set the price for the third advertisement to 250,000,” he ordered decisively after pacing the room.

From 60,000 to 120,000, and now 250,000… it was an exponential leap.

“Is that the Bianjing Imperial Palace? I’m getting excited. Is the interior built as an ancient replica?”

“I really want to see a dragon throne enlarged twenty times.”

“Host, could you give us a wide shot? It would be epic to approach the Imperial Palace from above like this.”

Ten minutes later, the helicopter completed its aerial tour over Bianjing Ancient City. It then crossed the city moat and approached the nearby Imperial Palace. The sight of the majestic palace gates made viewers even more excited.

Throughout history, the Imperial Palace has always been a symbol of mystery and awe.

Everyone was on the edge of their seats.

…

“Manager Tang, we’ve got a call from Yuntian Entertainment…”

While the live-stream audience was engrossed in the tour, Tang Huai was in his office organizing documents. At that moment, the office phone rang, and the AI secretary, after answering, relayed the inquiry to Tang Huai.

“Put it through,” Tang Huai responded, slightly surprised, after a moment of thought.

Although Tang Huai wasn’t involved in the entertainment industry, he had heard of Yuntian. Despite its relatively recent establishment, Yuntian Entertainment managed several popular young celebrities and was known as a youthful and vibrant company.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️