Ch 110: The World’s Number One Resort

Sookhyun Midnight in Korea, China’s ‘Blood Petition’…

Half an hour later, Tang Huai finally understood what had transpired. In just one day, the Korean internet had become quite the battlefield.

“Hello, I am Zhao Jiang, an international student at Seoul National University. Although this request might seem abrupt,…” Tang Huai had just woken up and washed up when he received another message on Weibo. It was another one from a Chinese student in Korea. This time, instead of the “poetic plea for battle,” it was a sincere request detailed in over 200 characters.

In the seven hours since Sookhyun Midnight aired, more than a hundred threads had been created on Korean forums about the topic of “China’s poverty.” The core message was simple: while there are some wealthy individuals in China, 90% of the population still lives in misery. These people are poor and pitiful, and they get overly excited about imported fruit…

Korean netizens were making fun of China.

This was a blatant case of distorting the truth.

After an entire night of heated arguments, the international students had one request: they wanted Kim Sookhyun to issue a formal apology on Sookhyun Midnight for mocking China. When approached about this, Kim Sookhyun had just finished her ramen and, upon seeing the students’ posts, she responded decisively: “It’s the truth, so I refuse to apologize. If possible, I’d love to try this ‘imported fruit’ from China.”

Her reply was dripping with arrogance.

Zhao Jiang and the others were fuming, so they decided to prove her wrong. Hence, they flooded Great Tang Resort with fervent messages.

Although they hadn’t tasted Great Tang fruit themselves, the recent uproar over the resort’s fruit sales, combined with almost 100% positive reviews, led them to believe that the fruit’s taste must be exceptional.

“This is a matter of pride. We hope Great Tang Resort can send an airmail package to Seoul. We are willing to cover all expenses,” Zhao Jiang explained. Their expectations weren’t too high; they just hoped that Great Tang fruit would outshine 90% of other fruits.

They were placing their hopes on the taste of Great Tang fruit to make the narrow-minded Korean netizens realize that Great Tang fruit was worth all the buzz!

They wanted to force Sookhyun Midnight to issue a sincere apology!

“I can send the package. But how can you ensure that Sookhyun Midnight will provide an honest review?” Tang Huai read Zhao Jiang’s request carefully and raised a crucial point.

The issue stemmed from Sookhyun Midnight‘s mockery, and now they wanted Kim Sookhyun to taste and review the fruit. That didn’t seem like a wise move. Sookhyun Midnight was a flagship talk show on Korea’s ACC network. Even if the fruit successfully arrived, getting it featured on the show would be a challenge.

Though young, Tang Huai was thorough in his considerations.

“We have already reached out to professors in Seoul for support…” Zhao Jiang responded briefly. They had spent the whole night planning and had thought through various possible scenarios.

Tang Huai remained silent.

Although Great Tang fruit was just a small venture under the resort’s umbrella, it represented the Great Tang brand. If anything went wrong on the talk show, it could damage the brand’s reputation. From a rational standpoint, Tang Huai had no reason to send Great Tang fruit there.

But…

Tang Huai switched to the Korean forum. The latest episode of Sookhyun Midnight was already pinned as a top post, and below it were threads filled with sarcastic comments from Korean netizens, as well as arguments from Zhao Jiang and other international students.

Through their words, Tang Huai could sense the students’ anger.

The private message discussion was at an impasse.

In the Seoul student dormitory, Zhao Jiang stared nervously at the message screen. After a night of arguments, his patriotism was fully ignited. Great Tang Resort was in the Pacific Ocean, a neutral zone. He wasn’t sure if contacting them was the right approach.

“No discounts on the price,” Tang Huai replied. Zhao Jiang, who had been deep in thought, finally received the message when he was about to lose hope.

Only then did Zhao Jiang breathe a sigh of relief.

Back at Great Tang Resort, after sending the message, Tang Huai gave a helpless smile. From a business perspective, the best course of action would have been to ignore it. But as a Chinese person, he felt he had to do something.

As for the Korean market, it would be great if it could be maintained. If not… well, it wasn’t the end of the world. Tang Huai had no intention of desperately clinging to the Korean market.

After tidying up, Tang Huai checked the data on Twitter. The likes and comments on Great Tang Resort’s posts were still in the single digits, almost lost in the vast sea of tweets.

Tang Huai edited another post:

@GreatTangResort: “Blue Sea Lake is located 20 kilometers southwest of Sora Island, featuring stunning landscapes and unique treehouse views… [Video]”

This was the second tweet from Great Tang Resort on the international platform, posted entirely in English. After publishing it, Tang Huai didn’t pay it much more attention. With 27 days left to complete the task, he knew that Twitter and traditional promotional methods might be too slow. It was time to think long-term. With that in mind, he wandered around Sora Town, pondering strategies.

Most tourists were currently gathered at the Snow Village and Bianjing Ancient City attractions. With fewer visitors in Sora Town today, Tang Huai strolled around and eventually arrived at the Stroke of the brush Commercial Center.

Named by Tang Huai himself, the Stroke of the brush Commercial Center was a commercial area extending outward from the Stroke of the brush Theater and the Sora Cinema. The area already housed Pizza King, PEA Diving Gear, and other stores. Additionally, the Sora Fire Station and Hospital were under construction, expected to be completed by April, progressing much faster than Sky Forest.

After wandering until 7 PM, Tang Huai called Hank. Currently, Hank was still working on a fishing boat in Mexico; he was Tang Huai’s first friend in a foreign land. After parting ways with George, Tang Huai had invited Hank several times, but with it being the peak fishing season, Hank hadn’t had the time to visit. He planned to bring his family for a trip after the busy season.

“Hank, I’ve brought you some local specialties. Of course, I also need a small favor…” When the call connected, Tang Huai exchanged some pleasantries before getting straight to the point. That afternoon, the Great Tang No. 1 had loaded 50 pounds of fruit, including oranges and mangosteens.

Tang Huai’s request was simple: he would send Hank 20 pounds of fruit, but he hoped Hank could help pack and ship the remaining 30 pounds to South Korea.

“Is it fruit from behind Blue Sea Lake? Haha, George couldn’t stop praising the tomatoes from that area…” Hank was processing fish products when he heard Tang Huai’s offer, his eyes lighting up. He and George had visited Sora Island last year, where there was a farmland behind Blue Sea Forest. George had raved about the fruit from that area.

As soon as Tang Huai mentioned the fruit, Hank immediately thought of the back hills of Blue Sea.

“It’s from the Fruit Kingdom, a newly established scenic area. If you want to get more in the future, you can ask Captain Reno to help deliver it,” Tang Huai replied with a smile. He had tried sending fruits before, but Hank was either in Los Angeles or Great Tang No. 1 was in Hawaii, so even though Fruit Kingdom had been open for three months, Hank had yet to taste a single orange.

“Haha, then I won’t stand on ceremony,” Hank laughed heartily. He loved Sora’s fruits and regarded Tang Huai as a friend, so he had no reason to decline.

After chatting for a bit longer, Tang Huai hung up the phone.

Returning to his office, he began browsing Hollywood celebrity news. In this era of global entertainment, Great Tang Resort was well-known in China, but on the international stage, it was like a pebble in the vast Pacific Ocean—silent and unnoticed.

Even good wine fears no customers if it is hidden too deep. Since the conventional Twitter promotion had shown little effect, Tang Huai decided to turn to traditional promotional methods, such as hiring celebrities or running a “Pizza King Koi Fish” event.

However, he needed to think carefully about which specific approach to take.

…

“Professor Park, thank you for your help.” Meanwhile, in an office at Seoul National University in South Korea, Zhao Jiang stood in front of a desk, bowing gratefully.

Behind the desk sat a man in his fifties, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, a suit, and a white shirt, looking both refined and distinguished.

The man was named Park Yuchang, a botany professor at Seoul National University. He had published papers in renowned academic journals such as the American STQ Agriculture Journal and was regarded as an academic authority. Due to his achievements, he was highly respected in South Korea and was one of the few fair-minded professors without prejudice against China.

“No need to thank me. I’ve already contacted Professor Zhai. He is quite interested in the research on Great Tang fruits. I’m also very curious about their taste. I tried to buy some twice through contacts in China but wasn’t able to get any,” Park Yuchang said as he put down his work. The Zhai professor he mentioned was Zhai Rong, an academician from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The research data from the Academy’s Weibo post also included Zhai Rong’s findings. Park Yuchang and Zhai Rong were academic partners and cross-border friends.

Although this was meant to help Zhao Jiang and his fellow students, the main reason was his own curiosity about the taste of Great Tang fruits. His evaluation would be fair and objective. In addition to himself, Park Yuchang had also invited two other professors from Seoul National University to increase the transparency of the review.

As for Sookhyun Midnight Show, they had already issued an official statement three hours ago. Kim Soo-hyun claimed responsibility for her actions on the talk show and expressed her willingness to try the “fruits of the people’s blood and sweat” during the live broadcast, to see if the Chinese were really so unsophisticated.

Sookhyun Midnight Show welcomed supervision from other members of society.

It was a very provocative announcement, meant to mock the Chinese and please the South Korean public. Apart from the Chinese community, all other South Koreans applauded. Like last night’s heated forum debates, this was seen as a moral victory.

…

“Director Choi, Professor Park Yuchang has sent a message. The Great Tang fruits are already on their way via air freight. To ensure fairness, the fruits will be sent to a pickup point and delivered to the studio by a courier during the live broadcast.”

Sookhyun Midnight Show aired three times a week, with the next episode scheduled for Wednesday. Choi Yeong-na, the show’s director, was organizing key points for the next broadcast when an assistant came rushing in.

“What Great Tang fruits?” Choi Yeong-na asked, somewhat puzzled. Was this a new fruit brand?

“The brand involved in the ‘Blood Petition’ controversy,” the assistant explained patiently.

Choi Yeong-na understood.

Thanks to the ridicule of the “Blood Petition,” the previous episode of Sookhyun Midnight had a 10% increase in viewership ratings and a 35% rise in online searches, setting a six-month high. The show even hosted a celebration banquet. However, this was the first time Choi Yeong-na learned that the fruit brand in question was called Great Tang.

“What does it have to do with Park Yuchang?” After processing the information, Choi Yeong-na was still curious. Imported fruits and a midnight talk show didn’t seem to have much in common with a botany professor.

“Professor Park is very interested in Great Tang fruits. In addition to him, Professors Kim Seong-min and Son Ho-chai will also participate,” the assistant continued.

“They aren’t food critics… Is Professor Park still employed at Seoul National University?” Choi Yeong-na considered rejecting the idea but seemed to recall something.

The assistant nodded.

“Approve Professor Park’s request,” Choi Yeong-na decided. South Korea holds academia in high regard, and these well-known professors could pique the public’s curiosity much more than so-called food critics with impressive titles.

Besides, fruit tasting seemed quite laughable. While fruits in South Korea are expensive, there are still quality options available. How special could an apple or an orange be? Could it possibly taste as good as sea cucumbers or abalones?

“Prepare the program announcement. This episode of Sookhyun Midnight is going to break the ratings record,” Choi Yeong-na said, a smirk forming on her face as she asked for further details. She already envisioned the episode’s highlights: “Chinese Students Prove Fruit Taste, Only to Become Laughingstock” or “The Chinese Obsession with Imported Fruits.”

“Find all the information about Great Tang and send it to Soo-hyun,” Choi Yeong-na instructed casually after the discussion. Kim Soo-hyun was the star host of the show, so it was better to be well-prepared.

The assistant acknowledged and left.

Afterward, Choi Yeong-na glanced at the calendar on her desk, eagerly anticipating the next evening. She could almost feel the avalanche of advertising revenue coming their way.

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