Ch 111: The World’s Number One Resort

“In the recently concluded EU Photography Competition, ‘Green of White’ won the first prize, followed by ‘Pacific Warmth’ and ‘Island of Serenity’ in second and third places, respectively.

‘Island of Serenity’ was captured by photographer John Bruce. John Bruce was born in a lawyer’s family in Arkansas and has loved photography since childhood. He currently works as an outdoor photographer for HG Magazine and has provided photography for several travel magazines like ‘Holiday Travel’ and ‘Backpacker.’ He stated that making it into the top three of the Phoenix Photography Competition was within his expectations…

Surprisingly, the material for ‘Island of Serenity’ was sourced from a newly emerging island in the Pacific Ocean. Similarly, ‘Green of White’ and ‘Pacific Warmth’ were also shot on this island. This is the first time in the 32-year history of the Phoenix Photography Competition that such a phenomenon has occurred…”

…

At Great Tang Resort, Tang Huai woke up and, as usual, opened Twitter. He expected the Great Tang Twitter page to be as quiet as yesterday, but he was stunned when he saw the recent views and retweets.

The promotional video for Blue Sea Lake had 790,000+ views, 2,039 comments, and 20,000+ likes.

The Blue Sea Lake promotional video was posted yesterday afternoon, just 16 hours ago. Tang Huai was completely confused. Was this a gift of clicks from Twitter?

He opened the comments section.

“Oh my God, this looks exactly like the scenery in ‘Pacific Warmth.’ Is this really an island and not movie special effects?”

“Great Tang Resort… This is the first time I’ve heard of this island.”

“I’m sure Great Tang Resort must have bribed the bald judges of the Phoenix Exhibition!”

…

In just a short while, the number of comments had increased to 2,050. Tang Huai quickly browsed through them. Most of the comments were centered around the Phoenix Photography Competition.

Tang Huai then opened an international webpage and searched for the keyword: Phoenix Photography Competition.

“At the moment I captured ‘Island of Serenity,’ I had a premonition that I would win. I think the other two photographers felt the same. We all chose the same theme; it’s a photographer’s instinct. Believe me, if you stand on Sora Island, you will undoubtedly be captivated by the island’s beauty…”

The first result was a three-minute interview video. Tang Huai clicked on it. In the video, a tall, somewhat elegant man spoke confidently to the camera. Tang Huai recognized him; his name was John Bruce, a German photographer who had visited Sora Island with Li Yuan and others…

After watching the video, Tang Huai followed the video link to the official website of Phoenix Photography.

In the center of the website was a vibrant image.

In the serene scene, a pure white sheep stood there blankly, with a clear blue lake in the background, surrounded by lush angel oak trees.

Sheep, lake, angel oak.

Although the elements in the picture were simple, under the light of dawn, they exuded vitality, embodying the essence of spring.

This photograph, titled ‘Green of White,’ was the winning piece of the Phoenix Photography Competition.

Currently, ‘Green of White’ had received 70 million likes, and the download count had surpassed 100 million.

Tang Huai scrolled down from ‘Green of White.’ Below it were ‘Pacific Warmth’ and ‘Island of Serenity.’

‘Pacific Warmth’ featured a composition of ochre canyons, the Pacific Ocean, and the bright sun, while ‘Island of Serenity’ showcased the snow-covered mountain under the Ice Castle.”

The scenes in these three photographs were all captured on Sora Island. Following these were other scenic images from around the world.

“Oh my God, I feel a spiritual awakening; this is the seed of hope.”

Below the photography website was the visitor comment section, with the top comment coming from a senior user. Judging by the profile picture, it seemed to be a woman in her fifties with blonde hair.

Tang Huai glanced at the middle-aged woman’s comment… feeling a bit awkward.

“Spiritual awakening,” “seed of hope”… As a traditional Chinese person, hearing this kind of exaggerated praise was both pleasant and a bit embarrassing.

After browsing through the comments, Tang Huai started to ponder about the Phoenix Photography Exhibition.

From the name alone, it seemed like an ordinary photography competition. However, judging by the website’s popularity and the visitors’ comments, it seemed far from simple.

While lost in thought, Tang Huai headed to his office on Sora Island.

“Ding, ding, ding—”

“Manager Tang, there’s a call for you.”

Tang Huai had just opened his work computer when the landline outside rang.

The call was from France.

Tang Huai thought for a moment and signaled the assistant to transfer the call.

“Hello, it’s an honor to speak with you…” As soon as the call connected, a polite middle-aged male voice came through.

Half an hour later, Tang Huai understood the situation. The caller was Clerk, an assistant to the organizers of the Phoenix Photography Exhibition. The purpose of the call was straightforward. The exhibition had just ended, and the organizers wanted to collaborate with Great Tang Resort to offer a short-term Europe-Sora Island tour group.

The entire tour would be conducted in multiple batches over a period of three months.

“Why collaborate?” Tang Huai was confused. Did a pie just fall from the sky while he was asleep? It seemed too good to be true.

“Congratulations, as Great Tang’s sceneries have taken the top three spots in this year’s Phoenix Photography Exhibition. I suppose Mr. Tang may not be familiar with the exhibition’s significance in the EU…” Clerk chuckled on the other end of the line.

The Phoenix Photography Exhibition has been around for thirty-two years. While it might seem like a niche entertainment contest to outsiders, it holds an extraordinary position in European countries. If the photography world were likened to the film industry, the Phoenix Photography Exhibition would be its Oscars.

Due to its simple entry process and transparent judging, the exhibition is highly popular among European residents. Traditionally, Europeans choose their annual travel destinations based on the winning entries of the exhibition.

Over time, the Phoenix Photography Exhibition started offering a “Phoenix Travel Recommendation Service.” The organizers would provide official travel routes, allowing residents to join group tours or travel independently according to the official recommendations.

The exhibition is held in March, with most residents traveling between March and June.

“The fact that the top three photos came from the same place… It’s truly an unexpected outcome.”

Clerk explained briefly, sounding a bit amazed. In previous years, the top three of the exhibition were usually iconic places like the Grand Canyon in the USA, New Zealand’s South Island, or the Rocky Mountains in Canada. The annual exhibition had become something of a world travel guide.

The organizers had speculated about this year’s top three locations, only to find out that an obscure overseas island had secured all three spots.

The photography exhibition concluded the day before yesterday, and the winning entries indeed stood out. As visitors saved the photos and set them as wallpapers, they became highly interested in the locations featured.

Sora Island officially opened last year. Although there have been sporadic international tourists, it has largely remained unknown in Europe. Amidst this information gap, Great Tang Resort made a significant impression among potential European tourists.

Based on a day’s survey, the interest of European tourists in Sora Island far exceeded that in other destinations.

Given this trend, the Phoenix Photography Exhibition organizers decided to reach out to Great Tang Resort.

“Is the Phoenix Tour Group targeting all 27 EU countries?” Tang Huai asked seriously after hearing Cherk’s explanation. This really was a big pie…

“Yes, all EU member states,” Cherk replied, slightly puzzled. The EU was already a unified bloc.

“What’s the estimated number of participants?”

“Based on past experiences, the total is expected to exceed 30,000 people.”

The two continued their conversation. Half an hour later, they cheerfully hung up the phone.

The Phoenix Photography Exhibition is a responsible official organization; naturally, it wouldn’t decide on a large-scale tour based solely on three photographs. After their conversation, they specifically mentioned that they would send an inspection team to discuss the cooperation.

The Phoenix Photography Exhibition values efficiency. They have a flight scheduled for tomorrow morning and expect to arrive the day after tomorrow in the afternoon.

Tang Huai had no objections.

After hanging up the phone, he entrusted the pickup arrangements to Alang, then carefully considered the feasibility of collaborating with the Phoenix Photography Exhibition. Involving 27 countries and an estimated total of over 30,000 tourists… If this deal could go through, completing the “ten countries” task should be effortless, right?

This might be the most nerve-wracking yet potentially easiest intermediate task he had faced…

The Phoenix tour group was unexpected, yet it made sense.

Tang Huai set aside his previous advertising plans and began to thoroughly research the Phoenix Photography Exhibition.

…

“Professor Park, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Meanwhile, in the ACC broadcast studio in South Korea, Kim Sook-hyun, dressed in a fiery floral dress, greeted Park Yoo-chang politely.

It was 11:30 p.m., just half an hour before the live broadcast. Other staff members were busy preparing the lighting and microphones. In addition to Professor Park, the special guests were two middle-aged men with glasses, both professors from Seoul University.

“Hello.” Park Yoo-chang nodded and, following the director’s instructions, took his seat in the guest area. A new-style coffee table measuring 0.6×2 meters was specially added in front of them. On the table sat a dark brown courier box.

The package had arrived half an hour earlier, containing the fruit that Great Tang Resort had just sent over.

The “China Blood Petition” had caused a stir on Korean forums. Since Professor Park agreed to participate, the “Sookhyun Midnight” production team took the opportunity to hype it up. The program was still half an hour away, but the ACC TV station’s viewership had already increased by 30% compared to the same period, a truly encouraging result.

After Park Yoo-chang and the others were seated, Kim Sook-hyun touched up her makeup. Time ticked away.

“Dear viewers, welcome to the ‘Sook-hyun Midnight Show.’ I am your good friend, Kim Sook-hyun…” Right at midnight, Kim smoothly delivered the opening remarks.

The audience responded with enthusiastic applause.

“I’m surprised by China’s craze for imported fruit. Even more surprising, our program has received the same fruit shipped from the original source. Frankly, it’s a bit childish. However, I will keep my word. Our show has invited Professor Park, Professor Choi, and Professor Kim… The four of us will now conduct a live review of Great Tang’s fruit.”

After introducing Park Yoo-chang and the others, Kim Sook-hyun decisively moved on to the main topic.

The guests were curious, and Kim signaled to the staff. A staff member handed her a fruit knife, and Kim flashed a sweet smile before opening the box.

“Great Tang’s fruit originates from Sora Island… The packaging is quite thoughtful.”

“They’ve done an excellent job with shockproof and moisture-proof measures. Is this individual packaging? Very impressive.”

…

As she unboxed the package, Kim gave a brief description. The camera zoomed in, making Great Tang’s fruit the center of attention.

This time, Tang Huai had sent a variety of fruit, including Sora apples, Sora pineapples, and Sora bananas, totaling ten different types. There were three pounds of each. Although thirty pounds might sound like a lot, the net weight of Great Tang’s fruit was substantial, so each type of fruit wasn’t very abundant.

After a minute of unboxing, the thirty pounds of fruit were neatly arranged on the table.

“Looks good.”

“The packaging is indeed exquisite.”

As the fruits were laid out one by one, the scene was filled with the sound of lively conversations. Great Tang fruits, benefiting from even sunlight exposure and some technological enhancements, boasted an exceptionally attractive appearance, which surprised the crowd.

However, the decisive factor for fruit isn’t its appearance but its taste.

“There’s a QR code on it… Let’s scan it,” Kim Sook-hyun said as the program continued, picking up an orange to examine the pattern on its surface. The packaging of Great Tang fruits was refined and sophisticated, with a small QR code in the bottom right corner.

She scanned it with her phone.

“Great Tang Resort is located on Sora Island in the Pacific Ocean. It is a new, modern resort island…” As soon as Kim scanned the code, a short and refreshing video appeared on the central screen.

In the video, a golden orange rotated before sliding to the top right corner, revealing the enchanting scenery of Great Tang Resort.

This was the second-generation anti-counterfeit mark for Great Tang fruits, created to promote Sora Island to the fullest extent. Tang Huai had invested a total of three million island points into this.

On the program, Kim Sook-hyun stared at the suddenly appearing video, momentarily stunned.

It wasn’t just Kim who was taken aback; even the guests on the show and the viewers at home were caught off guard. This kind of advanced anti-counterfeit mark… was something they were seeing for the first time.

“Ahem, the anti-counterfeit mark is pretty good. Now, let’s officially start the tasting,” Kim cleared her throat. While there was no direct conflict between “Sook-hyun Midnight Show” and Great Tang Resort, the fruit currently represented the “China Blood Petition.” Naturally, Kim wouldn’t lavish it with praise.

Kim put on a pair of disposable gloves and cut the orange into five slices. She gave a slice each to herself and the three judges, then juiced the remaining portion and placed it in a device on the table.

This device was a small-scale component analyzer, designed to automatically break down the liquid’s content.

The show had specially prepared this piece of equipment. After all, during their research, they had found that two months ago, the Chinese Academy of Sciences had released a detailed breakdown of Great Tang fruit’s components.

Nutritional elements that were allegedly twenty to a hundred times that of regular fruits?

The academic community in China sure seemed rather lax with their claims.

Since this was a live show, they naturally aimed to maximize the number of sensational points.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️