Ch 155: The World’s Number One Resort

Tang Huai and Yu You swam vigorously towards Sora Island. At the port of Sora, tourists were enjoying their time near the shore as usual.

The warm sun, the small island, the sea—it was a leisurely vacation scene.

“Boom—”

Tourists were happily playing, preparing to get into the water when they suddenly heard a loud wave crash from the distance. Immediately, wave after wave surged toward them.

“A tsunami?” The sudden change caught everyone off guard, and the tourists quickly retreated from the shallow sea to the safe zone.

“Boom, boom—”

The sound grew louder as the waves rose higher. The scene before them resembled the mighty floodgates of the Three Gorges Dam opening—majestic and powerful. The tourists, now panicked, fled back to Sora Town. From the high ground, they watched as the enormous waves formed what looked like a massive curtain of water.

This was a scene straight out of a disaster movie, and some worried about the safety of Sora Island.

Looking at the situation, it certainly didn’t seem safe…

Amidst this tense atmosphere, the waves surged one after another. Then, due to inertia, they gradually dissipated about 500 meters away from Sora Island.

The phenomenon was limited to the distant sea.

“The weather seemed fine, so why did the waves suddenly appear?”

“The power of nature.”

“Let’s take some pictures first…”

…

The entire incident lasted only three minutes. After three minutes, the port of Sora returned to its original state.

Sora Island suffered no damage in the incident.

People saved the videos they had just taken and returned to the beach. They thought they were about to witness a catastrophic hurricane like those on TV, but apart from the crystal-clear sea, nothing else seemed to have changed.

“Huh, an octopus?”

“Shrimp! Sora red shrimp.”

“Look, there are two ribbonfish here…”

It was now 5 p.m., and as everyone returned to the beach to pick up the items they had left behind, they noticed the tide had receded, leaving behind many unexpected guests—an abundance of marine life.

A Chinese man in his thirties picked up a large shrimp from the ground. The shrimp was about 30 centimeters long, bright red all over. As he held it by the back, its two large pincers moved slightly.

The bright red shrimp looked incredibly enticing.

The man thought, “…Time for a nice meal.”

And so, for the next two hours, the tourists busied themselves with gathering the fish and other sea creatures. The nearby sea of Sora Island seemed clearer than ever, as if it had been naturally cleansed. As tourists dipped their feet into the cool, refreshing water, they felt utterly delighted.

…

[Upgrade Items]:

1. Vertical expansion of the sea area.
2. Clearer sea water.
3. Marine life enhancement.
4. Completion of the FillTech Company’s logic chain.
5. Maximum level defense for Great Tang.

While the tourists enjoyed themselves, in the southern waters of Great Tang Resort, Tang Huai rode the waves back to the vicinity of Sora Island. As he stood up on the shore, the system’s notification sounded again.

This time, the system had upgraded five items.

Besides the expansion of the underwater area and the enhancement of the island’s defenses, Tang Huai’s main focus was on the fourth item.

According to the system’s built logic chain, the FillTech Company was established in 1905, a century-old simulation company with nearly 10,000 leading patents worldwide… This was the system-arranged background. Apart from being registered in the Indian Ocean region, the FillTech Company was shrouded in complete mystery.

Tang Huai thought for a moment, opened the search interface, and entered the keywords: “FillTech Company.”

1905, a century-old simulation, Indian Ocean.

Aside from what he already knew, the entire FillTech Company remained shrouded in mystery.

“What about the logic chain?” Tang Huai closed the search interface and asked FD730. He didn’t see any changes.

“Requires Island Points to unlock,” FD730 replied precisely.

Only then did Tang Huai notice a small note beneath the fourth item.

[Note]: Due to the cost of the logic chain, a total of 2 billion Island Points is required to unlock it.

Tang Huai: … 2 billion? That’s even more expensive than the cost of camouflage labor in China.

He opened his personal dashboard.

Host Name: Tang Huai
Current Task: [Jubilant Celebration], with a goal of 50 million total visitors and an 80% satisfaction rate during the task period.
Progress: 2%
Island Points: 1.56 billion
Reputation Points: 920 million

The Island Points were accumulated over the past year, while the Reputation Points came from the Global Conference.

“It really knows how to set limits,” Tang Huai muttered softly. Since the [Underwater Ancient City] was to be built underwater, it required 300 million Camouflage Labor Points. Including the cost for the Feier Company, that added up to 2.3 billion…

After some thought, Tang Huai clicked “Use.”

“Ding! Unlocking FillTech Company’s logic chain requires 2 billion Island Points. Confirm?”

“Confirm.”

Tang Huai clicked without hesitation, and in the blink of an eye, 2 billion points disappeared. He then clicked on the [Underwater Ancient City] to begin its construction.

There were still four months left until the Global Conference.

With the help of the speed-up cards, four months should be enough for it to be completed. Tang Huai calculated the timing—it was perfect.

Once everything was set, Tang Huai opened the search interface again and entered the keywords: “FillTech Company.”

1906, century-old simulation, Indian Ocean.

Just like before, the results were unrelated.

“The complete logic chain is being generated,” FD730 responded proactively this time before Tang Huai could even ask.

Tang Huai understood; everything took time…

He reviewed the upgrade details one more time, then closed the interface. Sitting on the reef, he gazed out at the sea. After confirming that there was nothing unusual on Sora Island, he noticed that Yu You had already left on his own. Due to the complex terrain, Tang Huai was the only one in the reef area.

The gentle sea breeze brushed past, and the sea surface was calm, as if the fierce waves from earlier had never existed.

“It’s cleared up.”

After watching for a while, Tang Huai turned his gaze to the sea. Thanks to the system upgrade, the waters near Sora Island had become two levels clearer. The water now appeared naturally pristine, much like a dusty gray table that had just been wiped clean. Although it still appeared grayish, it gave off a completely different feeling.

Crystal-clear water is devoid of fish. However, with Sora Island’s high-tech support, the fish population had doubled compared to before. Tang Huai threw a pebble into the water, and a school of small fish rippled around it.

There were now more marine creatures around Sora Island, but ensuring their safety was crucial. Tang Huai planned to establish a marine research institute. At the very least, they needed to identify which sea creatures were edible and which were poisonous. Otherwise, things could get problematic.

As the sun set in the west, Tang Huai lingered for a while before returning to the island owner’s courtyard. After a simple wash, he enjoyed a peaceful night’s sleep.

“Why can’t we stay in the treehouse if it costs the same 600 yuan?” Meanwhile, at Sora No. 1 Hotel, Du Zhiguo made himself a pot of plain water, grumbling in dissatisfaction.

Accommodations at Great Tang Resort were in high demand. Lodgings like the Blue Sea Treehouse and the Ice Snow Castle were booked out months in advance. With the increasing number of visitors to Sora Island, even the Bianjing Ancient Town now required reservations three days in advance.

After wandering around Sora Town, the three of them took Bus No. 7 to the scenic Snow Village.

They booked a room at Sora Hotel, costing $100 per night. The accommodation prices at Great Tang Resort were relatively affordable; aside from luxurious places like the Ice Snow Castle, most accommodations ranged between $100 and $300 per night.

The three had some bread for dinner.

Sora Hotel was a seven-star hotel offering budget-friendly rates, and this was Du Zhiguo’s first time staying in such a high-end establishment. In Shengze, he had never even seen anything like this, let alone stayed in one.

Although Du Zhiguo complained outwardly, he was quite satisfied on the inside.

“Yongzhao, didn’t you study international trade? When we meet Tang Huai tomorrow, ask him to arrange a job as a hotel manager for you,” Du Zhiguo said, sipping on some premium tea he had brought along, steering the conversation toward his main point.

The town, the castle, the star-rated hotels—they all belonged to Tang Huai. As the close family of Tang Huai, wasn’t it reasonable to ask Tang Huai to arrange a job? After all, managing such a vast business on his own would be easier with some relatives helping him.

In his mind, this was for Tang Huai’s benefit.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen Little Tang. I wonder what he’s thinking now…” Du Yongzhao said, taking off his shoes, a hint of something more in his words.

“What could he be thinking? The whole thing with Yueyue is over, so let’s just move on. It’s not like he won’t acknowledge us,” Du Zhiguo waved his hand dismissively. In his mind, Tang Huai was still the little boy in open-crotch pants from years ago.

Du Yongzhao smiled faintly. The three of them chatted briefly before turning off the lights to sleep.

To save costs, they had booked a triple room.

Du Zhiguo and Zhao Caixia soon fell asleep, but Du Yongzhao stared at the ceiling light, his gaze deep and unclear. He hadn’t expected Tang Huai to get so lucky and inherit such a vast estate.

Du Yongzhao was the same age as Tang Huai. They had gone to school in the same village, and in Du Yongzhao’s memory, Tang Huai was always the smart one, excelling in his studies and constantly praised by teachers. No matter how hard he tried, Du Yongzhao could never catch up. When it came time for the middle school entrance exam, Tang Huai got into a county school, while he had to settle for one in town. Later, Tang Huai went to a prestigious university in China, while he only made it into a third-rate college…

Though Du Yongzhao worked as a manager in a trading company, there were over twenty managers in the company. In reality, he was just another salesman. His monthly salary of 7,000 yuan was on a good month; usually, it was only three or four thousand.

Du Yongzhao’s struggles outside the family made him resent Du Zhiguo for not providing him with a better financial foundation. If the family had a bit of money, he wouldn’t have to suffer so much… Since graduation, he hadn’t returned home in two years, not even when Du Yueyue got into trouble.

Du Yongzhao wanted to escape his family. But then, news of Tang Huai inheriting an island went viral.

Du Zhiguo had been mediocre all his life, but he had a good sister. And that sister had a wonderful grandson… No matter how much Du Yongzhao disliked Tang Huai, he couldn’t resist the urge to use Tang Huai’s fortune to change his own destiny.

Tang Huai was so wealthy that even the crumbs from his fortune would be enough for Du Yongzhao to live on for the rest of his life.

Suddenly, Du Yongzhao felt a mix of jealousy and anticipation.

The next morning, the three of them washed up quickly and took a bus directly to the Sora office building. They sat down at the same spot they had occupied the day before, preparing to wait for their chance.

As the sun rose, by nine in the morning, a figure was slowly approaching the office building.

The three of them stood up quickly.

“Tang Huai—”

In the clear morning air, Tang Huai was walking while thinking about the construction details of the Underwater Ancient City. Just as he was about to enter the building, he heard a loud male voice from the front.

Tang Huai looked up and saw two men and a woman dressed in typical Chinese short-sleeved shirts. It was Du Zhiguo and his family.

“What are you doing here?” Tang Huai was surprised to see them.

“Ungrateful! You make it big and forget your poor relatives?” Du Zhiguo immediately put Tang Huai on the defensive, as if Tang Huai had committed some grave crime.

“What’s the matter?” Tang Huai didn’t bother to engage and went straight to the point.

“Let’s forget about what happened with Yueyue. She was in the wrong, after all. This is your cousin Yongzhao; you two used to sit at adjacent desks in school. Now that you’ve inherited the island, why not build a hotel and let your cousin manage it?” Du Zhiguo cut straight to the chase.

He had thought about hotel management yesterday, but then figured that since the land belonged to Tang Huai, building another hotel would be even better.

Du Zhiguo’s tone was too matter-of-fact. Tang Huai was stunned at first, his expression turning quite peculiar.

“We’re family, after all. Your cousin can help you out,” Du Zhiguo continued, oblivious to Tang Huai’s reaction.

Tang Huai glanced at Du Yongzhao, who was looking at him eagerly.

“Well, what do you think?” Du Zhiguo pressed on when he noticed Tang Huai wasn’t saying anything.

“No space, no vacancies, not possible,” Tang Huai replied, uninterested in continuing the conversation. The way Du Zhiguo made such a demand—did he think Tang Huai had “pushover” written on his forehead?

“You… Ah!”

Just as Tang Huai finished speaking, Zhao Caixia lunged at him. However, before she could get close, the bodyguard behind him restrained her.

Zhao Caixia winced in pain from her right hand.

“You sold a few pieces of fruit, and you insisted on sending your cousin to prison. Now your brother asks you for help with a job, and this is your attitude? Why didn’t that car crash kill you too…” Zhao Caixia, bitter about Du Yueyue going to prison, lashed out more recklessly, especially after being stopped by the bodyguard.

But as she continued, Zhao Caixia suddenly felt that something was off.

She looked up to see Tang Huai’s expression turn exceedingly somber.

Tang Huai’s parents had died in a car accident.

“The Tang family owes you nothing. If we really want to calculate, you owe my grandmother a life. As for Du Yueyue, she turned out the way she did because of how you raised her.” Tang Huai’s eyes were calm.

Tang Huai’s grandmother, Du Chang’e, was the only sister to Du Zhiguo. With a large age gap between them, in an era that favored boys over girls, Du Chang’e had been both a sister and a mother figure, a classic self-sacrificing person. Even after getting married, she never lost her selfless nature.

Du Chang’e’s death was, in fact, related to Du Zhiguo. When Tang Huai was seven years old, Du Zhiguo had borrowed 5,000 yuan from the Tang family under the pretense of starting a business. Grandfather Tang had been reluctant to lend the money, but Du Chang’e secretly lent it to him.

Back then, 5,000 yuan was a substantial sum.

Du Chang’e thought that, as Du Zhiguo had promised, it would only be for a month. Who would have guessed that he would never return it? Not only did the business fail, but he also squandered the money at a nightclub…

In his youth, Du Zhiguo had been quite the playboy.

That year was a poor harvest, and the Tang family struggled for a whole year. Grandfather Tang said nothing, but Du Chang’e was filled with guilt. It weighed on her heart, and she would cry every now and then.

Eventually, due to health issues, Du Chang’e passed away early. On her deathbed, she held Tang Huai’s father’s hand, asking him not to hold any grudges against Du Zhiguo.

Tang Huai’s parents didn’t like Du Zhiguo, but they maintained a semblance of peace on the surface.

Tang Huai had little connection with the Du family to begin with and would have even less in the future.

“From now on, tighten the security around the office building. If anyone trespasses, ban them from the island,” Tang Huai instructed the bodyguard at his side before turning away and walking into the building without looking back.

The aura Tang Huai exuded left Du Zhiguo and the others in shock. At this moment, they couldn’t reconcile this Tang Huai with the one they had known back in Yunlai Village…

“That was quite something,” commented Xie Yunshu, who had witnessed the scene while on his way to work. He teased Tang Huai.

“Not a big deal,” Tang Huai replied, waving it off. Unlike his parents, who preferred not to burn bridges, he had no such concerns.

He hadn’t been bluffing just now.

Tang Huai opened his computer to get back to work while Xie Yunshu organized some documents nearby.

“Hmm, alright. We’ve received a fax.”

Five minutes later, after answering a phone call, Xie Yunshu printed the fax and placed it on Tang Huai’s desk.

“From who… the FillTech Company?” Tang Huai glanced at it casually, assuming it was a cooperation proposal from an advertising partner. However, upon seeing the details, his expression changed to one of surprise.

The fax was brief: to foster friendly cooperation, the FillTech Company was dispatching an inspection team to visit Great Tang Resort.

The FillTech Company’s logic chain had begun operating?

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️