Ch 123: The World’s Number One Resort

“There’s nothing wrong with it. Treasure Travel has had high viewership, but that was in the first two seasons. Now, the variety show industry is flourishing. Here’s the market survey.” After the assistant finished speaking, Zhao Haigang extinguished his cigarette and handed over a document.

The assistant took it.

Zhao Haigang is the third in command of Pure Cheese, a company specializing in cheese slices, cheese sticks, and reduced-fat cheese products. Pure Cheese holds a 39% market share in cheese sticks.

Pure Cheese sticks are relatively pricey but packed with quality protein and high calcium, making them a staple snack in the refrigerators of young parents. The target audience for Pure Cheese cheese sticks overlaps significantly with Treasure Travel’s viewership. Thanks to two seasons of advertising placement, the partnership has been very successful.

But that was then. Now, the cheese stick market is nearing saturation, and Pure Cheese is not content with its current achievements. After market research, the company has shifted its focus to “reduced-fat cheese.” With national living standards on the rise, obesity rates have doubled, making “weight loss” one of the most frequently mentioned topics among young people.

As people become more conscious of fitness and weight loss, “reduced-fat cheese,” known for its high fiber and low-calorie content, has become a favorite among those on a diet.

Pure Cheese has decided to change its development strategy to focus on promoting “reduced-fat cheese.”

“Romantic Brotherhood… Mr. Zhao, are we investing in Romantic Bro instead?” While Zhao Haigang poured himself a cup of water, the assistant skimmed through the folder, clearly surprised.

Romantic Brotherhood is a youth variety show produced by Hushi Satellite TV, featuring popular young male celebrities traveling together. Though not a single episode has aired yet, it has garnered significant interest from investors and media outlets alike. Given the boom in the entertainment industry, young male idols are a surefire draw for traffic.

The target audience for Romantic Brotherhood is young women aged 15 to 40, which perfectly aligns with Pure Cheese’s target market for reduced-fat cheese.

“And Treasure Travel?” the assistant asked.

“We haven’t signed the official contract yet. Handle it—if we can recover the 20 million, great. If not, we’ll convert it into advertising placement,” Zhao Haigang replied with a wave of his hand.

Pure Cheese has been partnering with Luo Hai TV for years, and Zhao Haigang doesn’t want to sour their relationship. But since Treasure Travel has been delayed, and the Reduced-Fat Cheese project plan has just been finalized, he has no choice but to withdraw from Treasure Travel.

Both Treasure Travel and Romantic Brotherhood are slated for the summer season. If Treasure Travel had started production a week earlier, Pure Cheese might have continued their investment, but things never go as planned.

Seeing that there was no way to turn the situation around, the assistant left to handle the matter. Zhao Haigang was left alone in his office.

He looked out the window.

Outside, the bustling scene of Shen City unfolded, and Zhao Haigang lit another cigarette. Pure Cheese’s goal this year isn’t too ambitious: just to stabilize the cheese stick market share at 30% and raise the reduced-fat cheese market share to 25%.

With the groundwork laid over the past two years and a clear goal for the future, it shouldn’t be difficult.

…

Pure Cheese made a quick and decisive withdrawal, but things were chaotic at Luo Hai TV.

Luo Hai TV is a national network, and with the strong performance of the first two seasons of Treasure Travel, securing investments isn’t typically difficult. However, with only a little over a month left before the summer season, there’s just not enough time to both prepare and shoot the show.

Liu Ke held an all-night video conference, and in the end, the network decided to do what they could to secure more funding, defer celebrity appearance fees, and leave it to Liu Ke to resolve the location issue. If all else failed, they’d have to go back to filming within the country.

After one sleepless night, Liu Ke felt like he had lost even more hair.

“Director Liu, what now?” It was 8 a.m. in Sora, and Liu Ke was descending from the 20-meter-high round table in Bianjing. Standing at the elevator door was Zhang Min, who asked cautiously.

They were staying in a shared space in Bianjing, and none of them had slept well.

It’s hard for even a hero to function without a penny. They were truly worried.

“I’ll go visit Manager Tang,” Liu Ke sighed. At this point, he wanted to make one last effort.

In the midst of the tense atmosphere, Liu Ke arrived at the Sora office.

“Manager Tang isn’t here?” Liu Ke asked hesitantly, but when he heard the secretary’s response, he was taken aback.

Manager Tang isn’t here?

Indeed, Tang Huai wasn’t there.

At that moment, on the southern side of Sora Port, Tang Huai was directing AI to clear a space in front of him. CC had just called to inform him that Amanda had arrived.

Amanda had come on her private plane without notifying CC. It was only when she departed from Hawaii that she gave a last-minute notice. She arrived two days earlier than expected, fitting her distinct personality of being unconventional and going her own way.

“Manager Tang, it’s 8:10,” said an AI assistant as they approached. This assistant was one of Xie Yunshu’s aides, primarily responsible for administrative tasks.

“Let’s wait a bit,” Tang Huai replied, glancing at his phone to check the time. The flight from Hawaii to Sora Island by helicopter takes about two hours, so it should be arriving soon.

“Whirrr—” Just as Tang Huai was about to head to the Sora management office for a bit, the sound of rotor blades came from the sky. Tang Huai looked up to see a sleek black helicopter, about ten meters long, circling in the air. Tang Huai signaled the AI assistant to wave the flag, and three seconds later, the helicopter began to slow down and descend.

The helicopter door opened, and two assistants in their twenties, dressed in black, stepped out.

“Landing is secure.”

The assistants placed the luggage aside and skillfully set up a small stool. Then, a woman in her twenties stepped out of the helicopter. She wore a sequined leather jacket, had wavy blonde hair, and wore oversized black sunglasses. She was slim but exuded an aura of presence and attention.

This was none other than Amanda Cruz, the Hollywood star who shot to fame last year with Future Mirage.

“Manager of Great Tang Resort?”

Amanda scanned her surroundings and then walked toward Tang Huai. Her features were striking and her gaze fierce. Though she didn’t come across as intentionally overbearing in conversation, her tone and body language conveyed a clear message: she’s not someone to mess with.

“Tang Huai,” he replied simply, unfazed by her attitude.

“Your English is decent. Let’s unload the luggage first.” Amanda nodded, then put her sunglasses back on and led the way.

“Manager Tang, Amanda has a bit of a temper,” said one of the assistants, who was slightly chubby, as he followed Amanda. The other assistant walked up to Tang Huai, looking somewhat apologetic. Since her rise to fame, Amanda had always done things her way. She behaved the same way, not just with Tang Huai, but also with advertisers and her management company.

Amanda’s behavior was supported not only by her fanbase but also by her wealthy father, who founded Global Entertainment and held considerable sway in the media industry.

“It’s fine,” Tang Huai replied, waving it off. He had already anticipated this scenario when he reviewed her profile. Amanda’s reputation for being difficult wasn’t without reason.

Besides the helicopter pilot, Amanda had brought only two assistants, which was quite a modest entourage for a Hollywood star. CC had specifically requested that Great Tang Resort provide adequate security, agreeing to cover the additional costs for security and the extra days.

Tang Huai arranged Sora access cards for the four of them and instructed two AI security guards to follow along. While Amanda might be a big star, Tang Huai wasn’t into celebrity culture, especially foreign ones. After a brief meeting, he went on to handle his own affairs.

He was quite confident in the capabilities of the Sora security team. As for what he had to do… Tang Huai checked the time—it was 8:20. Breakfast time.

…

While Tang Huai enjoyed his breakfast, many Chinese tourists on Sora’s main street were reluctantly dragging their luggage toward the port. The arrival of Great Tang No. 2 at 9:00 meant that their holiday had come to an end.

Bianjing Ancient City, Fruit Kingdom, Sky Forest… Just thinking about the adventures they had over the past few days, the tourists felt a deep sense of reluctance.

It was simply not enough!

“Looks familiar, have we seen her somewhere before?”

“I feel the same… Isn’t she the one who had that rumored affair with Robin?”

…

While the tourists were walking and editing their social media posts, they heard a commotion up ahead. Looking up, they saw a woman wearing sunglasses striding forward confidently, followed by two assistants and two bodyguards. Though the entourage was small, their aura was no less imposing than the Middle Eastern tycoon they saw the previous day.

“Oh my, it’s Amanda! Amanda from Future Mirage!”

The crowd was unsure at first, but then a man’s voice rang out in surprise. They quickly pulled out their phones and searched for the keyword: Amanda.

Amanda Cruz’s information popped up immediately. Westerners might look quite similar to some, but Amanda’s distinct features and rebellious aura made her easily recognizable.

After confirming that the person in front of them was indeed the same as the one on their phones, the tourists were stunned. They had been enjoying their seven-day vacation, and just as they were about to leave, they encountered a major celebrity!

After a brief moment of surprise, they took out their phones and began taking pictures.

As they snapped away, they couldn’t help but be impressed. Great Tang Resort was really something. Despite Amanda being such a big star, her reception was surprisingly casual and down-to-earth.

A few fans wanted to go up and ask for a photo, but after a moment of hesitation, they decided against it. First, Amanda looked like someone who was not to be trifled with. Second, her bodyguards behind her looked even more intimidating!

The tourists knew these were Sora Island’s local bodyguards. Most of them were towering Russians or Africans whose massive stature naturally exerted a psychological pressure on people.

During their stay, with the constant patrols of Sora bodyguards, there had been no incidents of fighting on the island. Additionally, there was plenty of gossip among the tourists, with rumors suggesting that Great Tang Resort might have some international underworld connections, possibly dealings with Pacific pirates or the Mexican authorities… the speculations were getting wilder by the day.

Amid the flashing lights and curious gazes, Amanda and her entourage left Sora Town’s entrance and headed to the bus station.

“We need a private car,” the chubby assistant said, glancing at the bus schedule and addressing one of the Sora bodyguards. At the moment, he was carrying two suitcases while the other assistant had three… This was already considered light travel, as the rest of the luggage would arrive with the CC team.

As a Hollywood star, having a private car was the norm.

After making the request, the assistant waited for a response. However, after a long pause, the towering Russian bodyguard simply glanced at him without replying.

Chubby assistant: !!!

With the imposing figure of the bodyguard looming over him, he didn’t dare to complain.

“Amanda—”

“No need to follow,” she cut him off.

Right as they were caught in a staring contest, Amanda casually put on a mask and hat, hopped onto a balance bike, and sped off into the distance.

The two assistants: !!!

“Follow her!” the chubby assistant snapped, ignoring how towering the Sora bodyguard was, and directly gave the order.

The Sora bodyguard merely glanced at him, took out a black walkie-talkie, and spoke into it.

Thanks to the highly efficient Sora security system, the island’s safety was top-notch. Amanda’s escort duties would now be handled by other Sora bodyguards.

The internal operation of the Sora bodyguard team resembled a powerful, well-oiled machine—efficient and robust.

…

At Great Tang Resort, after having breakfast at the Delicious Restaurant, Tang Huai took a stroll around the town. With the clear skies and sunny weather, the task of hosting tourists from ten countries had reached 79% completion. According to the news from Phoenix Photography, around five thousand European Union tourists were set to arrive in Hawaii by tomorrow afternoon. Once they were on the island, the task would be nearly complete.

Tang Huai was quite pleased with this progress.

After the inspection, he headed back to the Sora office building.

“Manager Tang…”

Tang Huai had just arrived at the entrance when he saw Liu Ke, looking utterly exhausted, getting up from the ground. The AI secretary was very dutiful and wouldn’t casually reveal Tang Huai’s phone number. Fearing he might miss him, Liu Ke had been waiting at the spot.

From 7 a.m. until now, Liu Ke had already been waiting for five hours. If he had to wait any longer, he felt he might lose a couple of pounds from hunger…

Thankfully, in the midst of the scorching sun, Tang Huai returned.

“Come in,” Tang Huai said, slightly surprised but inviting Liu Ke inside nonetheless.

“Director Liu, are you saying that Luo Hai Television agrees to Great Tang Resort’s terms but asks to delay the payment?” Half an hour later, inside the Sora office, Liu Ke was holding a teacup while Tang Huai tapped on the table, patiently asking.

He thought Liu Ke had come to haggle, but to his surprise, Liu Ke had brought such an unexpected proposal.

“Manager Tang, to be honest, our investors have withdrawn. The celebrities’ payments are currently delayed…” Liu Ke explained helplessly. At this point, there was no room for embarrassment.

After Liu Ke finished speaking, an awkward silence filled the room. He felt like he was waiting for Tang Huai to pass judgment on him. At forty-three years old, waiting for a young man in his twenties to make a decision… It really was an odd feeling.

“Is Treasure Travel currently looking for investors?” Breaking the silence, Tang Huai asked.

Liu Ke froze for a moment, nodding in confusion.

“How about Great Tang investing?” Tang Huai asked with a smile.

Liu Ke: ???

He wasn’t doubting Great Tang’s finances, but the resort catered to high-end tourism. Treasure Travel was a parent-child reality show—advertising there… wouldn’t that be pointless?

Author’s note:
Liu Ke: Is Great Tang just foolish with money? (:з」∠)
Tang Huai: You guess. ~O(∩_∩)O~

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️