Ch 169: The World’s Number One Resort

“This is unbelievable! Was this really man-made?”

“A miracle, an absolute marvel in ocean history…”

“Click, click—”

…

The tourists disembarked one by one, and when they saw the scene before them, they were struck speechless. In front of them stood a massive transparent glass structure, arched and finely crafted, resembling a giant, clear pigeon egg.

They were all encased within this “pigeon egg.”

Outside this structure was a colossal underwater castle, its walls a dreamy sky blue. Due to the distance, the castle appeared hazy, adding to its mystical allure.

Closer to them lay a vast “ocean garden.” This garden was made up of seaweed, kelp, and sea algae, with countless fish darting through the middle. The garden stretched out for tens of square kilometers, creating a magical and fantastical scene.

The Underwater Ancient City occupied half of Sora Island’s area, and this was just a glimpse of its underwater beauty.

“Click, click, click—”

“Uh… how do we get over there?”

The tourists snapped more photos. The special glass of Great Tang separated the scene into two parts: the dreamlike ocean world on one side and the modern, high-tech train on the other. It was a scene straight out of a sci-fi movie.

“My God! Is this really the view 1,500 meters underwater?”

“It’s not going to leak, is it? This is making me so nervous…”

“My first time ever…”

As they stood in awe, Great Tang Line 3 arrived. This train had departed from Sora Port. Though these passengers didn’t encounter any sharks along the way, they were still amazed by the various wonders of the ocean world.

Everything outside the train was simply magical.

The passengers disembarked one by one. Now, over 7,000 people were gathered inside the “pigeon egg.” The stark contrast between the visitors inside the glass and the ocean world outside was stunning.

“Dear visitors, welcome to the Underwater Ancient City. The city covers 70 square kilometers and is divided into 12 unique ocean areas…” Just as the crowd was buzzing with excitement, a pleasant female voice rang out from the platform’s broadcast.

It was an introduction to the background of the Underwater Ancient City, and everyone listened attentively.

“Visitors may now follow the staff’s guidance to change into diving equipment…” Five minutes later, the broadcast ended, and the female voice began explaining the rules for exploring.

The tourists noticed a large storage box on the south side of the platform, where they could place their personal belongings. Next to the storage box was a cylindrical dispenser containing numerous black packages.

These were the diving equipment boxes.

The equipment was automatically dispensed, making it extremely convenient.

“I don’t know how to dive… are we just supposed to go in like this?”

“This seems a bit too much. What if we encounter a shark?”

“Forget about sharks; we’re 1,500 meters underwater…”

The tourists exchanged uncertain glances. They had tried sky bungee jumping before, which required no skill—just close your eyes and jump. But now, diving was a whole different challenge that required technique.

They were hesitant.

“Dear visitors, Great Tang’s diving gear is made from HQ-09 materials, resistant to pressure and with built-in automatic defense mechanisms. Additionally, it offers auto-navigation, usable only within the safe zones. The equipment can last for up to a month, so there’s no need to worry about safety,” a staff member explained, noticing their uncertainty.

After some hesitation, the tourists used their access cards to collect their diving boxes.

The Great Tang diving suits consisted of a helmet and a full-body suit, available in various colors. They resembled the spacesuits from sci-fi movies but were much lighter in material.

“Ding! Successfully equipped. Non-professionals cannot remove the suit.” Following the instructions, they put on the suits. The moment they fastened the belts, a system notification sounded.

Now, only professionals could unlock the suits, ensuring they wouldn’t fall off during the dive.

One by one, the tourists began putting on their diving suits.

Zhou Shanyue put on a blue diving suit, expecting to feel heavy and suffocated. However, the suit was so light and comfortable that it felt just like wearing casual home clothes.

“Old man, can you hear me?” Zhou Shanyue asked Zhang Jiansheng, feeling perfectly at ease.

“Loud and clear,” Zhang Jiansheng replied without hesitation. He was wearing a black diving suit, which was equally comfortable.

“The underwater gate is about to open. Visitors heading to the ancient city, please line up at the entrance. During your visit, sea cars will be patrolling around the ancient city. Visitors can use the sea cars to return.”

Zhou Shanyue helped Zhang Jiansheng adjust his helmet as the glass door in front of the station slowly opened.

The tourists felt a wave of nervousness.

Contrary to their expectations of seawater rushing in, when the station’s gate opened, there seemed to be a thin film separating the underwater station from the sea, dividing them into two different worlds.

The glass door was over 50 meters long and nearly 20 meters high, allowing nearly a hundred people to pass through simultaneously. As the door opened, more than 20 staff members skillfully swam out.

Judging by their movements and expressions, the staff swam with great ease.

The tourists hesitated, but some brave ones swam after the staff. Upon touching the water’s surface, they first felt a slight pressure, then were enveloped by seawater, which was surprisingly comfortable.

“Is this like learning to swim in a second?”

“Amazing technology, really…”

“Oh my god, I’ve never gone this big before as a non-swimmer!”

The tourists swam up and down. Most of them had never formally learned how to swim, but with the Great Tang diving suit, they mastered it effortlessly. They didn’t need oxygen tanks; they felt as if they had become sea creatures.

“Let’s go explore. If it feels uncomfortable, we can always come back…”

With the first adventurous tourist leading the way, more and more people swam out. In the blink of an eye, only about 3,000 people were left at the underwater station.

Zhou Shanyue looked up and saw tourists swimming around the glass walls.

“Shall we go too?” Zhou Shanyue was eager to join. At 72 years old, she had grown up in a time when even landline phones were rare. Now, in less than 50 years, the world had developed so miraculously.

Technology had changed too much.

Zhang Jiansheng approached the gate. The underwater entrance opened once an hour, each time for ten minutes. The separation between the underwater station and the underwater world resembled a barrier from a fantasy anime.

“Let’s go have a look.” Zhang Jiansheng touched the “barrier” and then pulled Zhou Shanyue out. They both felt tense at first, but soon they were swimming outside.

Though both were in their seventies and generally healthy, they suffered from shoulder pain, rheumatism, and similar ailments. Before coming, they had already prepared for a flare-up of their rheumatic conditions. But now, aside from the initial challenge of finding their balance, they felt no discomfort at all.

“Seaweed, kelp, little crabs… The lighting in this place is incredible. This is an underwater city that never sleeps!” They attempted to swim around.

Aside from the absence of sunlight, it felt like an entirely new world.

“Let’s check the map. We are currently in Zone 2. Up ahead is a small castle, and there’s a larger shipwreck adventure area in Zone 9…” Zhou Shanyue swam five meters forward and then opened her Sora access card.

The Sora access card was waterproof and their only piece of equipment.

They opened the map on the card. The entire underwater area was divided into twelve irregular sections, and they were on the outer edge. A red line encircled the map, indicating the boundary of the safe zone. The Great Tang diving suit had an automatic protective system, so even if visitors wanted to go beyond the boundary, they couldn’t.

Aside from the red line, there were nearly a hundred small green dots on the map. These represented the sea cars, the only mode of transportation in the Underwater Ancient City. Visitors could ride a sea car to return or explore other areas. Of course, they could also try to tame marine creatures for a ride, though that was no easy feat…

The ocean garden was incredibly vast. The two swam for a while and continued forward. With the diving suit’s assistance, they felt like free fish, enjoying a unique experience.

Zhou Shanyue and Zhang Jiansheng were having the time of their lives.

“This must be a movie; it can’t be real, right…?”

“Sharks, the underwater world, a magical castle. Even movies don’t dare to film this way now!”

“It’s not that they don’t dare—it’s that the special effects just can’t keep up. I’m crying here; I looked it up, and Great Tang’s travel package starts at 20,000. Not something an average person can afford.”

The tourists explored cautiously, while viewers around the world were left in awe after watching the live streams.

Using waterproof cameras and their excellent photography skills, Great Tang’s streamers captured the underwater world in stunning beauty.

Today marked the first day of the opening of the Underwater Ancient City.

From the underwater castle to the ancient shipwreck to the underwater café… with video clips pieced together from various live streams, viewers worldwide were able to get a comprehensive view of the Underwater Ancient City.

The ocean garden and the underwater castle were just appetizers.

The highlight for most tourists was the ancient underwater ship. The ship, 300 meters long and over 20 meters high, had the appearance of a traditional Chinese vessel. Visitors could participate in adventure and puzzle games on board. Additionally, the interior had been transformed into nearly a hundred modern rooms. With the water pumped out, visitors could sit by the fireplace and enjoy the breathtaking view through the windows.

If they felt like it, they could even have a close-up photo session with the fish swimming past their window.

The Underwater Ancient City housed nearly a thousand species of fish, all of them friendly and safe for visitors to interact with. Dangerous creatures like sea snakes and stonefish were kept outside the city’s boundaries.

Dangerous species couldn’t get in, and visitors couldn’t go out. Tourists speculated that Great Tang might be using ultrasonic barriers or similar methods for separation. Regardless, they were having an incredible time. This was their first real exploration of the ocean.

A room on the ancient ship cost $500 per night. It was a hefty price, but the tourists didn’t mind.

Given how in-demand Great Tang’s rooms were, they knew that if they didn’t book now, they might not get another chance, even if they had the money later. Within five hours of the city’s opening, all the ship’s rooms were fully booked.

The tourists geared up with excitement; underwater exploration was a truly unique experience.

The Underwater Ancient City was vast, and everyone eagerly looked forward to the adventures ahead.

While tourists indulged in their exploration, social media platforms like Douyin, Weibo, and Twitter were buzzing due to the overwhelming traffic from Great Tang’s live streams. For the first time, viewers felt that being a streamer was such an exciting profession!

The streamers covering the Underwater Ancient City were highly motivated by the flood of tips and support from viewers.

It was as if they had taken a shot of adrenaline, vowing to present an even more perfect image of the Underwater Ancient City to the world.

Let’s go, go, go!

Tourists interacted with various marine life and explored the underwater castle. Zhou Shanyue and Zhang Jiansheng swam around for a while before arriving at the castle hotel.

Like the underwater station, the underwater castle operated in a dry, water-free mode. A transparent, high-tech glass dome surrounded the castle’s exterior, enclosing a dining and accommodation area with an ancient city theme, which greatly facilitated the tourists’ exploration.

After overcoming their initial nervousness, the visitors gradually adapted to the exploration model of the Underwater Ancient City. By the time Zhou Shanyue and her husband arrived, over seventy guests had already checked into the castle hotel.

The number was still growing.

With the help of the staff, Zhou Shanyue removed her diving suit and changed into the comfortable loungewear provided by the hotel.

“Phew, let’s take a break. The waterproofing and moisture control are excellent; it’s not stuffy at all,” Zhou Shanyue remarked as she entered the room and looked around.

They had booked a room on the top floor of the hotel, with a large transparent glass ceiling overhead.

The underwater hotel offered a privacy setting, allowing them to see the outside clearly, while those outside couldn’t see in. This was the hotel’s most expensive room, priced at $1,688 per night.

“Aren’t we being too extravagant?” Zhou Shanyue felt a twinge of guilt after expressing her amazement. They had money, but this was still quite a splurge.

“Extravagant, my foot! Our children and grandchildren will have their own fortunes. Do you really plan on taking the money with you to the afterlife?” Zhang Jiansheng shrugged it off. Both of them were highly educated, with a monthly pension of over 70,000 yuan. Their son and daughter were well-settled and didn’t need their support.

Zhou Shanyue nodded.

“Let’s enjoy this trip. In the future, even if we want to play, we might not have the strength.”

Zhang Jiansheng brushed his teeth and washed up before lying down beside Zhou Shanyue. Lively, playful little fish swam above them. Zhang Jiansheng wasn’t usually sentimental, but seeing Zhou Shanyue’s graying hair made his heart ache a bit.

The two had gone through so much together in life, and in the blink of an eye, they were already in their seventies. There would be no second set of seventy years in life.

“Who says we won’t have the strength? Let’s come back when we’re eighty!” Zhou Shanyue protested, clearly not willing to accept old age.

Zhang Jiansheng pulled the light summer blanket over Zhou Shanyue, and they lay together, watching the fish.

“Ding! Dear guests, it is now 9 PM Great Tang time. The grand starry sky performance is about to begin. Interested guests may head to open areas to watch.”

At 9 PM, the hotel broadcast came on. The sound of bustling footsteps could be heard from the hallway as people grew curious about the starry sky performance mentioned in the broadcast. Since Zhou Shanyue and Zhang Jiansheng had booked a premium room, they could watch it while lying in bed.

Amid the anticipation, layers of moonlight began to filter through the seawater above. Then, as if the sky was splitting open, the illuminated area grew larger and eventually settled in place.

Countless stars appeared in the sky above the sea, and under the backdrop of the starry sky, the ocean and the fish became even more ethereal and translucent.

The harmony between the starry sky and marine life was seamless, like a beautifully illustrated painting that was breathtakingly stunning.

“This is so beautiful. Is that a star chart?” The tourists were stunned by the scene before them. It was their first time realizing that one could see the stars even 1,000 meters underwater.

Deep-sea creatures are sensitive to light, but the starry sky they were witnessing had been filtered through advanced FillTech, ensuring it wouldn’t affect marine life.

If the tourists checked their Sora access cards, they would find that the Underwater Ancient City was enclosed within a giant arched dome.

This dome separated the city from the Pacific Ocean, with the starry sky forming the boundary between the two.

It was an artificial marvel, as brilliant as the crystal-clear scenery of the Arctic.

“Old man, let’s come again next year,” Zhou Shanyue said, gazing at the starry sky, suddenly feeling sentimental. Aging is just a state; in these seventy years, she had lived an extraordinary life. And the next seventy years would be just as wonderful.

“Every year from now on. Even if we can’t walk, we’ll still come…” Zhang Jiansheng held Zhou Shanyue’s right hand. Her hand was full of wrinkles, but he still couldn’t let go.

As they looked at the scene before them, they were reminded of the excitement they felt back in their university days.

Life is short; they just needed to make the most of every day they had left.

After one day of being open, the Underwater Ancient City received a 98% positive rating on the Great Tang Resort’s official website. FillTech once again became a trending topic that night.

In addition to the Underwater Ancient City, the Wildlife Park and Baby Kingdom also garnered rave reviews.

Especially Baby Kingdom, which was a paradise for children under ten.

“Boss Tang, the Chinese and French specialty groups have arrived. The food festival will officially open the day after tomorrow…” While the tourists enjoyed their adventures, back at the Great Tang office, the secretary was organizing work reports.

A total of 120 countries were participating in the Global Environmental Conference. Besides the various national leaders, the main attractions were the art and culinary groups from each country. The official guests had started arriving at Great Tang, with the food festival opening on March 5th and the art festival on March 10th, during the opening ceremony.

The opening ceremony of the Global Conference would be broadcast live worldwide, akin to the Olympics, drawing in a top-tier global audience.

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