Ch 106: The World’s Number One Resort

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…

The cool sea breeze swept across as the Tequila sailed westward along its designated route. Yu You sat in cabin A-12, spending his days gazing at the sea or reading books and playing on his phone.

During this time, Yu You had communicated with Tang Huai once. Although he wanted to surprise Tang Huai, he was rather meticulous. To avoid his visit being too abrupt, he had finally informed Tang Huai about his arrival.

According to the schedule, he should reach Sora Island by tomorrow afternoon.

“Want to play bridge?” As Yu You was lost in thought, the cabin door opened, and his neighbor walked in. Through a brief introduction, Yu You had learned that the young man’s name was Ike, a resident of Colima. As he spoke, Ike rummaged through his luggage and eventually pulled out a box of Korean-style playing cards.

Ike’s friends were staying in cabins B-06 and B-08C, which were quite a distance from A-12. Over the past few days, Ike had spent most of his time in other cabins to pass the time.

“I’ll read for a bit, thanks.” Yu You waved the book he was holding. It was an English book titled The Kingdom of the Dwarfs, which he had been gradually reading over the past few days.

“Not coming back for lunch,” Ike shrugged, showing no sign of concern. After three days of interaction, he had realized that this Asian youth, who wore a mask all day, either read or spaced out. His life seemed incredibly monotonous.

Ike stuffed the cards into his pocket, sprayed some cologne on himself, and left. Five seconds later, Yu You was alone in the cabin.

Yu You put down The Kingdom of the Dwarfs, then cautiously approached the door and locked it from the inside.

As he locked the cabin door, his legs began to change shape, bending in a particular pattern. Within a minute, they transformed into eight jelly-like tentacles, four on each leg. Thanks to his loose-fitting pants, the four tentacles squeezed into each pant leg, still looking relatively normal. However… Yu You took off his shoes.

His legs were gone, replaced by the furry tips of the eight tentacles. Yu You touched the tip of one tentacle; it was soft to the touch. He felt an urge to laugh—he truly was a strange creature.

After long-term practice, his legs could only maintain their normal form for twelve hours each day. To avoid revealing his true form, he would revert to his tentacle state whenever Ike left. The eight tentacles looked bizarre but were much easier to move around with compared to his human legs.

Yu You returned to his bed and looked out the window.

Compared to three days ago, the sea was now even calmer. After gazing outside for a while, he picked up The Kingdom of the Dwarfs again. The book told the story of a dwarf who faced discrimination in a glitzy metropolis and later, during a thunderstorm, entered a world of little people, where he became a giant. The narrative had a fairy tale-like quality.

…

While Yu You admired the scenery on the Tequila, Tang Huai reviewed the task requirements and then turned his attention to Twitter.

Twitter, a U.S.-based social media platform, was one of the most visited entertainment sites worldwide. If Huaxia’s Weibo was a point, then Twitter was a circle made up of points, with a global reach and influence far exceeding that of Weibo.

After some thought, Tang Huai decided to use Twitter for promotion. It was a much broader battlefield.

“Fill in the information, register an account…”

Tang Huai opened the official website and, while filling in the necessary details, pondered the promotional strategy for Twitter. Great Tang Vacation had nearly zero global recognition, so figuring out how to gain attention in the shortest possible time was a real challenge.

Three minutes later, the Twitter account for Great Tang Resort was successfully registered. Tang Huai typed out his first post, then deleted it, his expression one of deep concentration.

“There are still twenty-seven days until the task deadline. No need to rush.” Xie Yunshu noticed Tang Huai editing and deleting and handed him a cup of coffee. Great Tang Resort’s Twitter presence was that of a newborn; its follower count and visibility were zero. No matter how beautiful Great Tang’s scenery was, without exposure, it was likely to remain unnoticed.

This needed a long-term strategy.

“Thanks.” Tang Huai took the coffee. He realized he was being overly cautious. It was now 5 PM, and since he was out of ideas, he decided to shut down the computer. Sipping his coffee, he gazed out the window.

The Pacific Ocean was calm and vast. Tang Huai pulled out his phone and checked his recent chat history with Yu You. He was genuinely surprised that Yu You had left the villa. Knowing Yu You’s temperament, this journey must have required a lot of courage.

Tang Huai calculated the time; Yu You was supposed to arrive tomorrow afternoon, which was now less than twenty-four hours away.

Five minutes later, Tang Huai finished his coffee and headed toward Blue Sea Forest. The forest had fifty treehouses, with forty-five available year-round and five reserved for emergencies. Tang Huai wandered around Blue Sea Lake and instructed the AI to clean the nearest treehouse. Yu You loved water, and this treehouse by the lake offered the best view.

As the moon rose and set, a day passed in the joy of preparation. The next afternoon, Tang Huai finished his work and strolled near Sora Port. Many tourists in shorts and bikinis were beachcombing along the port’s shore.

Compared to Huaxia’s coastal resorts, Sora Port had a pristine environment. There wasn’t a single piece of trash, not even a stray water bottle. The air was fresh, and the crystal-clear water lapped at the ankles, revealing small fish and sandy grains in perfect detail. The temperature was just right—pleasant, not cold. It was truly a blissful experience.

Tang Huai rolled up his pants and joined a young boy, about seven years old, in building sandcastles. Time slipped from 2 PM to 3 PM, then to 5 PM.

At 6 PM, Tang Huai put down his shovel and looked into the distance. The sun was setting, and the Pacific horizon glowed with a serene orange hue. It was so peaceful, yet there was no sign of any approaching ship.

Checking his watch, it read 6:10 PM. Given the Tequila’s speed, they should have arrived at Sora Island around 5 PM.

Tang Huai thought for a moment and sent a WeChat message: “Where are you now?”

One minute passed. Then two minutes. Ten minutes… ten minutes later, there was still no response from the other side.

Tang Huai’s expression grew serious. Yu You usually replied instantly.

…

“Mr. Aubrey, where are we going?” Meanwhile, in the Tequila’s first-floor dining hall, Ike put down his tray and asked, his neck stiff with tension.

They had noticed something was wrong that morning. According to the Tequila‘s plan, they were supposed to head west toward Sora Island. However, when they checked the compass in the morning, they found that the Tequila was heading south instead of west.

They had asked Aubrey about this earlier, and he had laughed it off, explaining that there were underwater whirlpools to the west, so they needed to detour three hundred nautical miles. The group had reluctantly believed him and asked no further questions. However, they had just discovered that the Tequila was still heading directly south. Moreover, their phones had lost signal, leaving them unable to make any calls.

“Mr. Aubrey, we need to reach Sora Island by midnight. Please restore the phone signals,” Ike demanded, gritting his teeth. Although Aubrey maintained his cheerful demeanor, the recent developments only deepened Ike’s suspicions.

As Ike spoke, he signaled to the other three, who gathered around him, their faces tense as they glared at Aubrey seated at the head of the dining hall. The dining area on the first floor was simple; the crew ate on the deck, while Ike, Aubrey, Yu You, and a few others used the dining hall.

“This is the Pacific Ocean. It’s normal for phones to lose signal. As for Sora Island… the Tequila will go there, just not now.” Aubrey chuckled, his face still friendly. Three crew members walked past the dining hall’s entrance, each sporting a burly, tattooed look that made them seem anything but friendly.

“When will the Tequila arrive at Sora Island?” Ike asked, his voice trembling. After just a few words, his earlier bravado had faded considerably.

“When? Maybe next month, or the month after that,” Aubrey said casually as he cracked open a can of beer. Unlike the refined air of wine, he preferred drinking beer while sailing.

“What do you mean?” Ike was stunned by Aubrey’s nonchalant attitude.

“Our destination is Stanback Island, not Sora Island. As for you all… Vance of Stanback Island loves students like you. You’re a gift for Vance.”

Aubrey took a swig of beer. He had originally planned to wait until they were close to the Polynesian Islands to inform Ike and the others, but now that they had found out, it didn’t really matter. As he spoke, the three crew members from earlier entered, each holding a mechanical gun. They also carried five pairs of handcuffs.

“You’re drug traffickers…” Ike’s face turned pale upon hearing the mention of Stanback and Vance. He didn’t know Vance personally, but his father, a police officer in Colima State, had told him many stories about the notorious drug traffickers of Stanback—violent international fugitives.

“Seems like you know quite a bit,” Aubrey remarked as he approached. Vance was a well-known drug dealer on Stanback Island, and this voyage involved a transaction with him. While Aubrey hadn’t originally planned on dealing in human trafficking, Ike and his companions looked well-dressed and refined, just the type that Vance had a penchant for. So, he figured he might as well bring a “gift” along.

“Ike, I want to go home…” The only girl among them began to cry softly.

“Take them away,” Aubrey ordered, frowning at her sobbing.

Two crew members handcuffed the three and violently dragged them out. In no time, the dining hall was left with only the crew, Aubrey, and Yu You.

Aubrey walked toward Yu You, who was still seated at his spot.

“You’re very calm,” Aubrey remarked with some surprise.

Compared to Ike and the others, Yu You was excessively composed. As Aubrey looked at him, Yu You raised his head to meet Aubrey’s gaze.

He had just tried to send a message to Tang Huai… but failed.

“Are you Japanese, Korean? I’m really curious—why do you keep that mask on all the time…” Yu You was calmly contemplating his next move as Aubrey picked up a fork from the table. He traced it down Yu You’s face, gliding over his brow, nose, and tattoo before reaching the mask.

Since boarding the ship, Yu You had never taken off his mask, which only piqued Aubrey’s curiosity further.

“This is truly a work of art,” Aubrey said as he used the fork to remove Yu You’s mask. When he saw the half-tattooed right side of Yu You’s face, he was momentarily stunned, then grinned.

Aubrey’s arms and back were covered in tattoos, reflecting his love for tattoo culture. The intricate markings on Yu You’s right face resembled a special tattoo art—one of the most perfect works he had ever seen.

Author’s Note:

Gong: A whole chapter dedicated to my scenes~ Can I finally make my appearance now? O(∩_∩)O~

Shameless Author: I can’t bear to say it…

Gong: Huh?

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️