Ch 104: The World’s Number One Resort

Wang Song and Du Yueyue had some clever tricks up their sleeves, but they weren’t the only shrewd sellers across the country. With the full cooperation of Taobao’s headquarters, nearly ten more counterfeit operations were busted over the next day.

These operations were mostly located in cities with relatively convenient transportation, such as Huning, Luohai, and Shenshi, using names like “Great Tang Overseas Reseller” and “Great Tang Authentic Reseller.” The total amount involved was a staggering 32 million yuan.

Tourists were shocked; counterfeit goods worth 32 million yuan had been sold in just one week, revealing that the revenue-generating power of Great Tang Fruit was far more formidable than they had imagined.

Public attention on the topic surged.

@Yangxiezi: “There’s no denying that the marketing of Great Tang Fruit has been extremely successful since its launch. However, its popularity has exposed three major issues. 1. Why is Great Tang Fruit so expensive? 2. Why is Great Tang Fruit only available in limited quantities each month? 3. Does Great Tang Fruit really have miraculous effects? The high price and limited supply of Great Tang Fruit have given counterfeiters ample opportunities to exploit… For these reasons, Great Tang holds inescapable responsibility for the counterfeiting incident.”

@Yangxiezi is a popular Weibo commentator known for their hot takes. After posting three critiques of Great Tang’s responsibility yesterday, they followed up with thirteen more as news of the counterfeits spread across various regions. Riding on the “Great Tang Anti-Counterfeit” wave, @Yangxiezi’s comments made their way to the tail end of the trending topics.

“It feels a bit strange, but it’s true. If Great Tang sold their fruit openly, there wouldn’t be so many counterfeits.”

“Can’t agree more. I couldn’t get it on the official website, so I bought it from a reseller for over six hundred yuan. Now you’re telling me it’s fake… Seriously, what a joke.”

“The market demand is enormous. Is thirty tons a month just a drop in the bucket? If the price is so high, hire more ships to transport it!”

…

@Yangxiezi’s topic ranked 30th on the trending list, attracting the attention of many tourists. According to @Yangxiezi’s theory, Great Tang was being painted as having unavoidable responsibility.

“Ridiculous, how did this make it to the trending list? By that logic, since CC and Gur are luxury brands, it’s perfectly fine for shady merchants to sell counterfeits?”

“I’m seriously worried about people’s intelligence. Blaming the original brand for counterfeit goods? This logic is absolutely laughable.”

“Let me respond to the blogger. 1. Fruit Kingdom charges $300 an hour for self-service, totaling 1,800 yuan… One person can eat at most five jin in an hour. Now, if it’s shipped overseas and sold for 99 yuan, is it expensive? 2. If Great Tang wants to limit the supply, so be it. If you want to eat it, take a flight there. 3. I’ve tried it; it cures constipation—it’s amazing!”

…

As the “Great Tang Anti-Counterfeit” topic soared, many rational individuals couldn’t sit by quietly.

Great Tang was simply running its business and selling fruit. Now that counterfeits were rampant, instead of blaming the counterfeiters or the regulatory authorities, they were blaming Great Tang? People were feeling a deep sense of injustice on behalf of Great Tang.

With more rational voices joining the discussion, the “Great Tang Anti-Counterfeit” topic split into two camps, drawing increasing attention.

@ChiguadaYuanzai: “@Yangxiezi is a major social media influencer. So why are they so fixated on attacking Great Tang this time? After some digging, it turns out that @Yangxiezi is a behind-the-scenes shareholder of Tianmei Beauty in our city and took on a 500,000 yuan cosmetic surgery project last month. Then… the customer bought Great Tang Fruit, solved their issue, and the 500,000 yuan project got canceled. Tsk tsk, now you understand, right? [Image] [Image]”

The source of this controversy was @Yangxiezi’s sixteen Weibo posts. Some rational individuals, tired of arguing with ignorant followers, started to analyze @Yangxiezi’s motivations. After a thorough investigation, they found the truth behind @Yangxiezi’s actions.

Tianmei Beauty was one of the largest beauty salons in the city. The images posted by @ChiguadaYuanzai showed @Yangxiezi in the center position at Tianmei’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. With these two photos in hand, it became apparent that @Yangxiezi was using netizens to stir up controversy.

Half an hour after @ChiguadaYuanzai’s exposé, @Yangxiezi hastily deleted all sixteen of their posts.

Tourists were left speechless. Although @Yangxiezi had backed down, discussions about Great Tang and the large-scale counterfeit incident continued.

@Li Yuan: “A heartfelt request to Great Tang: Please increase the fruit supply. [Hmph] [Hmph]”

As the tourists were actively discussing, Li Yuan updated his Weibo. After half a year of legal battles, he finally terminated his contract with Red Fruit Entertainment. Freed from his previous constraints, Li Yuan transformed from a fair-skinned idol into a 160-pound, slovenly uncle.

Li Yuan had truly let himself go.

Ever since this drastic change in image, Li Yuan’s acting career had been challenging, yet he still retained a loyal fan base. Now, as everyone looked at his Weibo post, they teased him lightheartedly.

Looking at the situation, why was Great Tang Vacation being criticized? Simply because of limited stock — people wanted to buy but couldn’t. It felt like they were waving wads of cash, chasing after Great Tang to give them a chance to spend their money… only to be denied. Frustrating!

This pent-up resentment had turned once loyal fans into critics. With Li Yuan now expressing his support in his post, the heated debate between the rational group and the haters slightly calmed, entering a brief period of peace.

“Two people writing in blood, begging Great Tang to increase fruit stock.”

“Three people writing in blood, begging Great Tang to increase fruit stock.”

…

People shifted their focus to Li Yuan’s Weibo, joining in on the “blood petition” trend, an old internet joke. Initially, it was a spontaneous move by Li Yuan’s fans, but as it spread to casual onlookers, the reposts for the blood petition surged past 500,000, and it continued to grow…

By 10 PM that night, “Li Yuan’s Blood Petition” silently made it onto Weibo’s trending list. Along with “Great Tang Anti-Counterfeit,” two of the top five trending topics were now related to Great Tang Vacation.

Meanwhile, brands like Dabai Mobile, Pear S3, and Gur’s limited-edition watches watched the trending topics “Great Tang Anti-Counterfeit” and “Li Yuan’s Blood Petition” with speechlessness. They had been monitoring Great Tang Resort for a day, thinking it might face a downturn. Who could have predicted such twists and turns, with their Weibo popularity index even climbing three percentage points higher than before?

They too adopted a limited-sales marketing strategy, but this level of attention… the gap was stark.

…

While the Great Tang topic was creating a buzz on Weibo, on Sora Island, Tang Huai and Abel spent half a day negotiating, eventually finalizing the advertisement contract.

The contract stipulated that CC would rent Great Tang’s location at a rate of $100,000 per day, during which Great Tang would only need to provide necessary security. Other expenses, such as accommodation and food, would be calculated at market prices.

Although $100,000 per day wasn’t particularly high, CC’s reputation made this a mutually beneficial collaboration.

After signing the contract, Tang Huai took a stroll through the town.

In the original design, Sora Town was to develop a commercial district centered around the cinema. Stores like Pizza King and Big Burger were all decorated with CC as the focal point. Now, after three days of overseas shipping, various products were fully displayed. The only thing left was the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony tomorrow.

“Manager Tang.”

In front of Pizza King in Sora Town, Han Tao was directing the placement of signs. Seeing Tang Huai, he greeted him with a smile.

The “Great Tang Pizza Lucky Koi” promotional event had been very successful. Although Han Tao didn’t get a promotion, his popularity in the company had soared, which was unexpected for him. Since then, Han Tao had been working with even more enthusiasm and had volunteered to organize Pizza King’s opening process this time.

With all this experience, he seemed more mature than before.

“Sigh, if only Sora Island could be moved to Bohai Bay,” Han Tao sighed after the greeting. He couldn’t help but feel that the air on Great Tang was fresher than before. It was the natural air of the great outdoors!

“Does Great Tang sell land? Houses would work too,” Han Tao took a deep breath, already contemplating the idea of buying overseas property.

He didn’t have high demands; he could accept land priced below 50,000 yuan per square meter. Owning a property on Sora Island would be a great place for future vacations and retirement…

“Not at the moment,” Tang Huai replied, not paying much attention to Han Tao’s small scheme, and shrugged. Sora Island was still in development, and he had no plans to welcome more tourists just yet.

“Is the Blue Sea Treehouse for sale?” Han Tao persisted.

Tang Huai just smiled without saying anything.

Han Tao felt a bit disappointed, though he had expected this outcome.

It was truly frustrating.

While Han Tao was feeling down, Tang Huai took a stroll around and then headed back to the Island Master’s Courtyard.

…

“CC, PEA diving equipment, SUC cosmetics… What’s going on? All these big brands are gathered here.”

“I noticed this area being renovated a few days ago, but I didn’t expect so many top brands.”

“Why are there so many flower baskets here… Is it a grand opening?”

…

The next morning, after their usual breakfast, the tourists headed to the Stroke of the Brush attraction. They were planning to experience some high-tech fun, but as they walked onto Third Avenue, they noticed something different.

The plywood boards lining both sides of the street had been removed, revealing the signs of major brands like CC and PEA. To match Sora Town’s overall style, all these signs were designed in a fresh, natural green. In front of each store, there were numerous flower baskets and banners, creating a lively atmosphere.

The tourists were astonished. They had often strolled around this area over the past few days. Each store had been enclosed by plywood boards, signaling renovations, and everyone assumed these stores would be similar to Stroke of the Brush, just more entertainment venues by Great Tang. Who would have thought that these were actually globally renowned brands?

Apart from Pizza King, it was the first time the tourists had seen Great Tang collaborate with so many brands.

“Welcome, come on in.”

As the tourists stood in shock, the doors of the stores opened, and rows of uniformed staff, both men and women, emerged. Despite the different uniforms, they all wore warm smiles, as refreshing as a spring breeze, making visitors feel at ease.

Excellent service had always been a signature of Great Tang Resort.

The tourists grew even more curious. Within moments, firecrackers and flower balls — props commonly associated with Huaxia celebrations — came into play.

At 9 AM, each store was adorned with flowers, and the various brand representatives stepped forward for a simple ribbon-cutting ceremony, officially marking the opening of the stores.

It had been nearly a year since Great Tang Resort opened, with an increasing number of scenic spots, but only two shopping places: Delicious Restaurant and Sora Supermarket. It was monotonous, to say the least. While tourists disliked being forced to shop during trips, it was also frustrating to visit a destination and only be able to buy bread from the supermarket.

Now, with the opening of these new stores, the tourists eagerly entered to show their support. Although brands like CC and Hill were luxury labels, their prices were transparent. The tourists who could afford to travel abroad weren’t short of money. In no time, the shops were bustling, and the tourists went into full shopping mode.

“Manager Tang, I’m starting to have some regrets,” said Wang Hai, approaching Tang Huai, who was taking photos along the shady side of Third Avenue. Wang Hai wore a wry smile.

Wang Hai was CC’s negotiation representative who had signed the agency contract. According to the agreement, they provided products to Great Tang at the contract price, while Great Tang bore the profits and losses. This agency model applied not only to CC but also to brands like PEA and Hill. Although this setup minimized the brands’ risks, it also capped their profits.

Wang Hai had been satisfied with his contract before, but now, seeing the bustling scene in Great Tang, he was beginning to feel uncertain. The shops were thriving, partly due to the grand opening, but it was worth noting that Great Tang Resort itself hadn’t been open for long. With over a thousand tourists having such high purchasing power, Great Tang clearly had limitless potential if it didn’t falter.

“Seafood feast for lunch?” Tang Huai smiled, understanding Wang Hai’s concern, and casually changed the subject. He had already booked a celebration banquet at Delicious Restaurant to commemorate the simultaneous opening of eight stores.

“Make sure there’s king crab,” Wang Hai’s eyes lit up. Tang Huai had caught quite a few crabs in the sea two days ago, and after tasting them, Wang Hai and the other representatives had been craving more.

Tang Huai relayed the request to Aunt Miley over the phone. Since the CC store was busy, Wang Hai went off to act as a temporary manager. Tang Huai organized the photos and prepared to visit PEA.

“Ding! Task updated: As a world-class island, a diverse range of tourists is essential.

Intermediate Task: Host at least ten different nationalities of tourists within one month, with at least 1,000 visitors from each country.

Task Reward: A mysterious gift box (per instance).”

Tang Huai had barely taken two steps when he heard the long-missed system notification in his ear.

He focused. It was the first task in three months, but compared to rewards like [Scenic Area Cards], [Building Cards], and [Entertainment Project Cards], the “Mysterious Gift Box” as an intermediate reward didn’t sound as enticing. The word “mysterious” made it seem somewhat underwhelming.

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