Ch 138: The World’s Number One Resort

“Decline… wait … Let’s wait for a moment.” Chris was so frustrated that he wanted to slam the table. He had initially intended to refuse Great Tang’s offer, but upon closer inspection, he noticed that Great Tang’s requirements were different from what he had expected.

It seemed Great Tang wanted to establish its own airline routes. These routes stretched across dozens of destinations, all ending at Sora Island.

Chris was a bit taken aback. An airline route is not as simple as it looks; beyond the cost of the planes, it involves investments in airports, flight attendants, maintenance personnel, and other operational costs.

According to Great Tang Resort’s plans, the upfront investment would exceed $300 million, with Sora Island as the sole destination. If visitor numbers didn’t match expectations, Great Tang Resort would find it hard to recover the costs.

Having been in the airline industry for many years, Chris was well aware of the difficulties in running an airline.

“Get ready. We’ll be visiting Great Tang Resort tonight.” After some thought, Chris instructed his secretary. The proposed routes wouldn’t impact Inda Airlines directly, but to be cautious, he decided a face-to-face discussion would be best.

The secretary responded and quickly relayed Chris’s instructions.

Though the current economic situation wasn’t favorable, Inda Airlines still had its private jets.

After a brief preparation, Inda Airlines contacted Great Tang Resort. By 2 p.m. that same day, Chris and his secretary set off for Great Tang Resort.

“Enigmatic background, commercials filmed for CC, and around 30,000 daily visitors.”

“Global patents acquired for technologies like Bianjing Ancient City and Sky Forest…”

“Founded in 1901, the FillTech Company is one of the earliest environmental simulation companies in the world.”

Aboard Inda Airlines’ private jet, Chris reviewed Great Tang’s background information.

He knew that Great Tang was not simple, but he hadn’t expected it to be far more complex than anticipated. Not to mention the mysterious FillTech Company, just the photographs of Great Tang Resort’s scenery alone were astonishing.

A 40-meter-tall statue, a green island suspended mid-air, wild rides at speeds of 300 miles per hour… Was this really a resort and not a Hollywood sci-fi studio?

Chris felt somewhat bewildered.

“Mr. Chris, Great Tang Resort is just ahead,” the secretary reminded him, breaking his reverie. They had departed from Brasília, and being on the same hemisphere, it only took five hours to reach Great Tang Resort.

“Got it.” Chris nodded, leaning towards the window. They were now flying 100 nautical miles east of Sora Island. From Chris’s perspective, he could see layers of white clouds, with a faintly visible island beneath.

He couldn’t make out the specifics of the island, but the patches of green suggested that its vegetation was quite lush.

Chris looked forward to the upcoming negotiations.

Ten minutes later, a red flag was raised below Sora Island. The plane circled in the air for a while before descending onto the island.

…

“Beep—”

“Manager Tang, they’ve arrived.” At Sora Airport, Tang Huai was discussing the pre-sale status of Great Tang’s VR glasses with Xie Yunshu when the radar sounded.

Tang Huai and Xie Yunshu looked up.

Great Tang had sent their letter that morning, and they expected it would take a company like Inda Airlines at least three days to respond. Surprisingly, not only did Inda reply immediately, but their executive president had come in person. This was unexpected.

“Mr. Chris.” The roar of the plane grew louder as Chris and his secretary disembarked, and Tang Huai stepped forward. Chris was a well-known figure at Inda, and Tang Huai had seen his photo before.

“Manager Tang?” Chris was surprised. Great Tang had been developing well, but photos of Tang Huai were rarely seen. Chris had assumed that Great Tang’s manager would be a seasoned professional in his forties. To his surprise, he was so young.

Though Chris maintained his composure, he began to doubt Tang Huai’s capabilities.

“Has Inda given it some thought?” Tang Huai paid no attention to Chris’s doubts and, after bringing Chris and his team to the airport office, got straight to the point.

“Inda can allocate part of its flight routes to Great Tang, with Great Tang covering 20% of the maintenance costs. Additionally, the price of $12 million per aircraft is too low. It should be at least $14 million…” Chris took a sip of coffee.

Great Tang’s cooperation model was straightforward.

Inda had partnerships with airports around the world. For example, Inda had an agreement with Los Angeles Airport for three weekly flights. If they cooperated with Great Tang, one of these flight slots would be allocated to Great Tang, which would inevitably affect Inda’s interests.

Under normal circumstances, Chris would have refused such an arrangement. However, Inda’s current financial difficulties had left 70% of their weekly flights with empty seats. Instead of merely surviving, it made more sense to lease some of the slots to Great Tang. This arrangement was somewhat like subleasing a storefront.

Inda Airlines would renegotiate contracts with various airports on Great Tang’s behalf, saving Great Tang a lot of hassle. Alternatively, Great Tang could bypass Inda and negotiate directly with each airport, but that would be a complex and time-consuming process.

In short, Inda would use its years of networking to pave the way for Great Tang’s flight routes.

“Manager Tang, the Inda QA model aircraft was purchased three years ago. With a total flight mileage of only 100,000 miles, $14 million is already the lowest price,” Chris added, his expression unchanged.

In business, Chris was just trying to secure the best possible deal for Inda.

“Sorry, $12 million is Great Tang’s highest offer. Mr. Chris, what Great Tang values are Inda’s relationships with various airports… Although it might be more troublesome, Great Tang doesn’t mind negotiating with each airport individually,” Tang Huai replied, not intimidated by Chris.

The meeting room fell silent for a moment after Tang Huai spoke.

Chris was taken aback by Tang Huai’s firm stance. He hadn’t expected this young manager to be so tough at the negotiating table.

“Can Manager Tang make decisions on behalf of Sora Island?”

“Of course.”

“There are currently 19 aircraft with Inda. How many does Great Tang intend to purchase?”

“Nineteen.”

“All of them?”

“Yes.”

Their conversation continued. Chris had been casually probing, but when he heard Tang Huai’s answer to buy all the planes, he nearly spilled his coffee. Chris had previously inspected Sora’s airport. The newly built facility was limited in space and could only accommodate five small aircraft.

Chris had estimated a maximum order of five. Now, Tang Huai was offering him an unexpected surprise.

“What’s the payment method?” Chris tried to maintain his composure as he asked.

“A deposit first, and the remaining payment upon satisfactory inspection of the aircraft,” Tang Huai responded decisively.

At this point, Chris’s mental defenses completely collapsed. If it were just five planes, Inda wouldn’t need to give up any of its routes. But for 19 planes, a $220 million deal… Chris didn’t need to hesitate.

Tang Huai smiled.

The two parties signed a preliminary letter of intent.

The next morning, Great Tang’s technicians would accompany Chris back to Inda. If the aircraft passed inspection, they would proceed with the final contract.

According to the contract, Great Tang would acquire 19 QA-series aircraft and gain access to Inda’s established flight routes. In exchange, Inda would receive $220 million. This was a win-win deal.

“Pleasure doing business with you.” After signing, Chris extended his hand. He felt as though a heavy weight had lifted from his shoulders.

Given Inda’s current struggles, perhaps cutting down its operations by transferring some flight routes could be a viable self-rescue strategy.

“Pleasure doing business with you.” While Chris was contemplating various thoughts, Tang Huai extended his hand as well.

With the flight route issue settled, the next matter on Tang Huai’s agenda was the launch of Great Tang’s VR glasses.

Today was June 30th, and Great Tang’s glasses were set to officially launch on July 1st. During this period, 30,687 units of the “Standard Edition” of the Great Tang glasses and 5,021 units of the “Rainbow Edition” had been pre-ordered.

The total pre-order amount for Great Tang’s glasses was $20 million, equivalent to the cost of one QA aircraft. If the sales of these glasses proved to be successful, it would provide a strong revenue stream for Great Tang.

Tang Huai arranged accommodations for Chris and his team, then headed to Sora Port. There, Sora’s AIs were busy loading crates onto Great Tang No. 2.

Great Tang’s glasses will first be shipped to the Hawaiian port and then distributed globally. Once Great Tang’s airline routes are established, the delivery process will become even more convenient.

“Manager Tang, the Great Tang glasses have been packed and are ready for shipment.” After walking around the port area, Captain Desai reported, swirling a glass of red wine.

Captain Desai, with his gentlemanly appearance and elegant demeanor, had become well-regarded during his two-plus voyages. He was voted the most elegant captain in the Pacific by tourists and was given the title “Star of the Pacific.” His popularity and following were steadily increasing, something Captain Desai greatly enjoyed.

“Thank you for your hard work.” After listening to Desai, Tang Huai nodded.

It was now 8 p.m., and Great Tang No. 2 was expected to reach Hawaii by early morning the day after tomorrow. Including customs inspections, the glasses would likely reach customers by the 5th…

As Tang Huai disembarked, the Great Tang No. 2 set sail. Amid tourists’ photography, it moved toward the horizon.

With Great Tang No. 2 leaving, Tang Huai took another stroll around the nearby town before returning to the island owner’s residence.

Now, in the silence of the night, Tang Huai contemplated the development direction of Sora Island. The island was gradually maturing, but there was still a long way to go to achieve the goal of being “the world’s best.”

Great Tang still had much work ahead.

After some brief reflection, Tang Huai turned off the lights and went to sleep.

…

While Tang Huai slept peacefully, Sora’s Third Avenue was brightly lit. Since many shops, including CC, Hemis, and Pizza King, operated 24 hours a day, their lights remained on throughout the night. Now, two new shops had joined their ranks.

The first was “Great Tang Fruit Mix.” This store was independently run by Great Tang and mainly sold fruit-based desserts, including fruit mixes and yogurt blends, priced between $10 and $20, which were highly popular among tourists.

The second was the “Great Tang VR Glasses Experience Store.” As the name suggests, this was a local factory store for in-house production and sales.

“11:55 p.m., five more minutes.”

“Haha, this is a perk for tourists. You don’t even need to go online; just come to the store!”

“Great Tang vacation experience is amazing. These glasses are a must-buy!”

…

At this moment, the Great Tang Glasses Experience Store was preparing for the day and had yet to open its doors. Similar to the lines for new phone releases in China a few years ago, a crowd of over 200 tourists had already gathered outside the store.

Globally, the search volume for Great Tang glasses wasn’t as high as that for their fruit products. However, thanks to the endorsement from the variety show “Treasure Travel,” Great Tang was generating considerable buzz, especially in China.

Great Tang Resort gained popularity through Lazy fish Live, followed by promotion on platforms like Douyin, Weibo, Great Tang Fruits, and various Chinese variety shows. Although the resort is located abroad, the “Great Tang” name and scenic advertisements have made it highly recognized among Chinese tourists.

While tourists elsewhere awaited their deliveries, those on Sora Island had no such hesitation.

“They’re opening!” The Great Tang Glasses Experience Store’s doors swung open amidst the eager anticipation.

Situated next to CC, the store featured a building with alternating blue and yellow hues. Its sign, “Great Tang VR Glasses Experience Store,” was similar to other storefronts, displaying a cheerful and welcoming vibe. Although the shop didn’t seem large from the outside, the combined first and second floors offered a spacious 300 square meters of space.

Inside, the decor followed a sleek silver-gray theme, with warm-light glass tiles covering the floors and ceiling. At the center stood several irregularly shaped silver display stands.

Glasses stands were neatly arranged on the tables.

The store’s design was simple, yet everything from the lighting to the displays exuded a luxurious feel, making it even more upscale than other high-end boutiques.

“Not bad at all.”

“High-end, sophisticated, and stylish. Suddenly, $388 seems like a bargain…” After a moment of awe, the tourists began to chat amongst themselves.

Anyone traveling abroad typically had a solid financial background. The sight of the store’s opulence made them feel like Great Tang’s glasses, even the basic version, were underpriced.

This was the effect of brand value and a premium environment.

After taking in the surroundings, they shifted their focus to the glasses on the display stands.

There were three AI assistants in the store. A man in his thirties, with a shrewd appearance, was currently examining a pair of glasses.

He worked as a personal shopper. In addition to sourcing Great Tang fruits, he had received orders for ten pairs of the glasses.

However, the clients had specific requirements: he had to test the glasses first. If they lived up to their reputation, he could make the purchase. If not, they would switch their orders to fruit instead.

Many tourists preferred buying items in person over purchasing through the Great Tang website.

“Can I try these on?” the man asked, holding the glasses up and gesturing to the sales assistant.

“Of course.” The AI assistant pointed to a nearby testing area, her smile warm and friendly. The man nodded and, following her instructions, walked toward the experience zone. His movements caught the attention of many tourists, who turned to watch.

Like the man, they were curious about the real-life performance of the glasses. Since the product’s advertisement, information had been shrouded in mystery, with details limited to what was provided on the website.

Amid this crowd’s eager anticipation, the man reached the experience zone.

The platform was raised slightly, about ten centimeters higher than the surrounding floor, and featured a high-end massage chair positioned neatly at its center.

Glancing around, the man sat down.

“Test identity: visitor. Test duration: five minutes.” The AI assistant picked up a pair of trial glasses and helped him put them on.

The man was a bit confused, not fully understanding what “visitor” meant, but he nodded in agreement.

Moments later, the assistant pressed the start button. Instantly, the man was plunged into darkness…

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