Ch 97: The World’s Number One Resort

“This is Sora Island? It looks just like it does in the videos.”

“Hey friend, how’s the experience on the island? Is there any forced spending?”

“I just saw yesterday’s trending topic. Is Bianjing Ancient City really built according to Along the River During the Qingming Festival?”

…

Half a minute later, the Great Tang No. 1 dropped anchor, and the tourists disembarked with their suitcases. Near the port, many tourists who had been gathering seafood were there to greet them, and the new arrivals curiously started asking questions.

The whole Sora Island port was buzzing with excitement.

“Manager Tang, mission accomplished,” Yu Suxia said with a playful smile as she disembarked with Da Huang and approached Tang Huai.

“Awoo—”

Tang Huai took the leash. Da Huang looked a bit sluggish, clearly filled with a sense of longing. Compared to Great Tang Resort, it seemed to miss its friends at Yujing Garden.

Da Huang slumped listlessly at Tang Huai’s feet, not in the mood to play. Tang Huai felt a bit helpless, so he gently petted Da Huang before turning to Yu Suxia.

“Thank you,” Tang Huai said sincerely.

Yu Suxia was the manager of Spring Travel Agency and also an old acquaintance from Shengze. Tang Huai had previously asked her to help bring the dog back, and he hadn’t expected that she would personally make the trip.

“The travel agency is planning to increase its promotion of Great Tang travel, and I’m here as the company’s travel promotion representative.” Yu Suxia seemed to notice Tang Huai’s questioning look and explained further.

In fact, not just Spring Travel Agency, but also Dalong Travel and Huaxia National Travel had sent manager-level representatives. Great Tang Resort was far overseas, so to better market it, the companies wanted their top representatives to experience the island firsthand. This way, they could better promote the product.

Currently, it was manager-level staff, but as the travel packages developed, trips to Great Tang would also become rewards for outstanding sales personnel.

This was part of the long-term strategies of various travel agencies.

Yu Suxia was the manager of a branch of Spring Travel Agency, having just been promoted last year. Normally, the chance to travel abroad wouldn’t have fallen to her. But when Tang Huai asked her to bring the dog, she reported the request to headquarters out of habit. After some consideration and verification, headquarters unexpectedly gave her the spot for this inspection tour.

The ticket and accommodation costs were covered by headquarters. Yu Suxia felt like she had hit the jackpot.

“I should be the one thanking you, Manager Tang,” Yu Suxia added, noticing Tang Huai’s gratitude. She remained calm on the surface, but she knew very well that she had benefited from Tang Huai and Da Huang this time.

“This is a treat I bought for Da Huang.” After speaking, Yu Suxia pulled out a pack of yogurt from her bag. Over the past two days, she had learned Da Huang’s preferences.

Da Huang seemed to particularly like yogurt and nuts.

The yogurt was purchased from a supermarket in Hawaii. Tang Huai looked over the packaging, then took out a pack and gently opened it.

Squeak—

“Roar.” The crisp sound of the yogurt lid opening made Da Huang, who had been lying on the ground listlessly, immediately perk up. It started circling in place, wagging its tail excitedly.

The sunglasses and leather jacket were bought by Zhao Xingkai, and now, with its stylish outfit and cool shades, Da Huang instantly regained its vigor, becoming even more energetic.

“Da Huang looks so handsome,” Yu Suxia praised from the side.

Tang Huai smiled and squatted down to feed it the yogurt.

Currently, Da Huang weighed around eighty pounds, majestic and powerful, its appearance outshining many pedigree dogs. However…

Dogs are loyal, social animals. Previously, with only sheep and hens on Sora Island, it wasn’t too obvious. But now, after Da Huang’s adventure off the island, it might start to feel a bit lonely with only a handful of other pets around.

Spring had arrived, the season of growth. Tang Huai decided that he would purchase some AI animals later to keep Da Huang company.

“Dear visitors, please line up and have your passports ready…” Tang Huai and Yu Suxia chatted for a while when a loudspeaker sounded in the distance. There were around a thousand new tourists this time, and now that they had all disembarked, it was time to buy tickets and enter the resort.

“I’ll head over now.” Yu Suxia glanced sideways before turning to Tang Huai with an apologetic smile. Three manager-level representatives from Spring Travel had come this time, so she needed to join them.

Tang Huai waved her off. In the meantime, the tourists had already formed ten lines on their own. Tang Huai threw the empty yogurt container into the trash bin and was just about to leave when something at the port caught his eye.

The Great Tang No. 1 and two rented ships were like three giants docked side by side. After a fresh coat of paint, the Great Tang No. 1 had a grand and solid appearance, making it stand out among the three vessels.

However, beside the Great Tang No. 1 was an even more striking presence—a massive ship, approximately 270 meters long and 30 meters wide, primarily in a sleek silver-black color. Its enormous size occupied nearly half of Sora’s port.

Although the Great Tang No. 1 was already large, next to this colossal ship, it looked like a miniature version reduced tenfold. Standing quietly in front of the ship was a tall man wearing colorful shorts and oversized sunglasses. Due to the sunglasses, Tang Huai couldn’t see his expression.

After some thought, Tang Huai walked over.

“This is the Great Tang No. 2,” the man said, sensing someone approach and skillfully removing his sunglasses.

The man was none other than Alang. After more than half a year of sailing, Alang had become more composed, his every movement exuding the demeanor of an experienced ship captain. Perhaps due to their previous fallout, Alang’s loyalty had been consistently fixed at 47.

Given the system’s rules, Alang couldn’t do anything that would harm the island or its visitors. After two failed attempts to increase his loyalty, Tang Huai no longer pressed the matter.

Now, the two were more like partners. As long as Alang fulfilled his duties, that was enough.

After speaking, Alang turned his gaze back to the Great Tang No. 2.

The Great Tang No. 2 was majestic, a few levels above the Great Tang No. 1.

“The Great Tang No. 2 arrived just the day before yesterday. The facilities are stable, and the Great Tang No. 1 needs maintenance. Why don’t you use the No. 2 for the time being?” Tang Huai suggested after some thought.

Though Alang was a man of few words, Tang Huai could still see the passion in his eyes. For a world-class captain, nothing was more exciting than commanding a top-tier ship.

Alang paused. He understood this was Tang Huai’s subtle way of offering him the ship. However…

“Thanks, but no,” Alang said with a wry smile, sounding somewhat gloomy. He did want the Great Tang No. 2, but he hadn’t yet managed to pay off the Great Tang No. 1. If he were to take on the No. 2 now, he feared his dream of independence would be further out of reach.

As an intelligent AI, Alang had a strong sense of autonomy. Owning his own ship and becoming a world-class captain had always been his goal.

After speaking, Alang put his sunglasses back on and walked away, leaving Tang Huai staring in surprise.

After all this time, had Alang become more mature?

Puzzled, Tang Huai soon put the thought aside, patted Da Huang on the head, and headed back to Sora Town with the dog. Now that the second batch of tourists had disembarked, he needed to work with the travel agency to arrange their accommodations.

“Do you think I should have chosen the Great Tang No. 2?” Alang asked as he stepped onto the deck, watching Tang Huai’s receding figure. The tourists had already disembarked, leaving only two AI crew members cleaning up on the deck.

Hearing Alang’s question, the AI answered earnestly, “You can still choose the Great Tang No. 2 now.”

The AI wasn’t intelligent; it simply provided what it calculated to be the best response to Alang’s question.

“Forget it, back to work,” Alang said, waving his hand in frustration. He regretted his earlier decision, but even if he had the chance to choose again, he would still pick the Great Tang No. 1.

Alang opened a can of beer and then turned toward the position of the Great Tang No. 2. He needed just 3,000 more experience points to level up, and once he did, he would be able to sail freely across the Pacific.

When that time came, he would find a way to earn more money and eventually buy a ship even better than the Great Tang No. 2…

Alang downed the beer in one gulp, the thought growing wildly in his mind like a firm belief.

…

At 2 p.m., after a satisfying meal, the tourists packed up their luggage.

They had to board the Great Tang No. 1 by 5 p.m. With the arrival of the second batch of tourists, the first group was nearly done packing. Everyone was highly satisfied with their experience, but their lives and work awaited them back home. After this simple vacation, it was time to return to reality and take a proper rest.

“Hey, Brother He, the group is ready. We’re just waiting on the two of us to head out… Come on, don’t be stubborn.”

“I’m not going back, and I’m not being stubborn.”

In the midst of this mass packing, the premium room in Bianjing Ancient City was far from peaceful. He Kun sat irritably at an oversized Eight Immortals table, staring at the candle holder, while his sidekick stood nearby, looking helpless.

Ever since the end of the Thrilling Racing event, the ST Club had become a complete joke. Comments like “ST: All Show, No Substance” and “Spoiled Rich Kids” were common. According to the club, many new, thin-skinned members had already withdrawn because of the embarrassment.

The president of ST was an overseas businessman. Although he hadn’t said much, everyone in the club, including He Kun, knew that ST had lost face big time due to this farcical race. If the “Bianjing Ancient City vs. Along the River During the Qingming Festival” topic hadn’t trended, ST’s humiliation would have been even greater…

For the past two days, the ST members had stayed holed up in the inn within the ancient city. Today was the day of departure. Wang Cong and the others had already boarded the Great Tang No. 1 when it docked. Only He Kun and his sidekick remained.

The sidekick had packed their luggage and planned to board the ship before the deadline, but to his surprise, He Kun threw a tantrum right before leaving. Now, he stood at the foot of the Eight Immortals table, all set to go, while He Kun sat on top of the table in his pajamas, refusing to move.

“Brother He, it’s already 2:30. Your mom and dad are still waiting for you to come back for dinner this weekend…”

The sidekick glanced at the time, feeling helpless. It took over an hour to get to Sora Port, and they had already wasted too much time.

“Call my parents. I’m not going back. If you want to go, go.” The sidekick was about to say something else, thinking He Kun was just having a momentary tantrum, when He Kun slammed the table and yelled, then slumped back down without further movement.

The sidekick realized that He Kun was dead set on not leaving.

Back at the table, He Kun resumed his previous position, mindlessly scrolling through Weibo on his phone.

In today’s fast-paced, digital world, the ST incident would blow over in a couple of days. But He Kun couldn’t get over it. He had come with such high spirits, and to go back now, utterly defeated… it would be a disgrace he would never live down.

What’s so difficult about completing the course in under eight minutes? As long as he overcomes his fear and studies the Wild Racing map every day, there’s no way he can’t eventually win!

“Thud, thud, thud—” While He Kun was busy hyping himself up, he suddenly heard a thudding sound from under the table.

Putting away his phone, he slumped back down on the table’s edge.

His sidekick was currently unpacking the suitcase, item by item, clearly ready to tough it out with him.

“That’s a true brother.” He Kun let out a long sigh. Though he had spoken so firmly earlier, he had been secretly afraid that his sidekick might abandon him. Having someone to accompany him was far better than being alone.

“What do you want to eat? It’s on me,” He Kun offered, wrapping an arm around his sidekick after jumping down from the Eight Immortals table.

“Blue sea fish and charcoal-grilled lamb leg,” the sidekick replied without hesitation. He did miss home a bit, but as a loyal companion, now was the time to rack up some brownie points… Oh well, if they had to stay here a bit longer, so be it. There wasn’t much waiting for him back home anyway.

He Kun gave him a thumbs-up.

After a quick refresh, the two hopped on the bus headed toward the Delicious Restaurant.

…

“Toot, toot—”

At 5:30 in the afternoon, the travel agency did a final headcount. With everything in place, the sound of a heavy horn echoed across the port as the Great Tang No. 1 expertly lifted its anchor.

“Goodbye, Great Tang!”

“Yeah, see you next time!”

On the deck of the Great Tang No. 1, tourists waved their hands, bidding farewell. Parting always carried a hint of sadness.

On the top floor of the Sora Island office building, Tang Huai watched the gradually shrinking sight of the departing tourists while sipping tea. Great Tang Resort had been open for nearly a year now. From the first wave of tourists like Jiang Yaoyao to today, the resort’s operations had become more and more refined.

Previously, when the tourists left, the whole resort would turn into a deserted island filled with empty buildings. But now, as soon as one group left, another arrived. With the island’s ongoing development, scenes like this would only become more common in the future.

Tang Huai closed his eyes, envisioning Sora Port packed with cruise ships from all over the country.

“Ding! Congratulations to the host for unlocking the island’s new privileges. Sora Island is about to be upgraded to a mid-level island. The system is now upgrading; please wait patiently…” Just as Tang Huai finished his tea and was about to go for a stroll, a slightly muffled mechanical voice sounded.

Tang Huai froze for a moment.

Sora Island is upgrading?

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️