Author Archives: sandy

Ch 23: Guide to Feeding a Villainous Husband

Couple’s Date

Qin Xia initially resisted the urge to hold Yu Jiuque’s hand.

But the crowd on Banqiao Street was too overwhelming, and as they walked, they would occasionally get separated if they weren’t careful.

This was the first time Qin Xia had faced the bustling prosperity of Qinan County, and it truly lived up to its reputation as the largest county under the jurisdiction of Pingyuan Prefecture.

Yu Jiuque had also never been to such a place before. After almost being pushed aside once more, Qin Xia looked down and noticed the little ge’er holding onto the corner of his robe, reminding him of the hand that had grasped the corner of his blanket that night.

Oh well.

Qin Xia thought, it’s too late to distance himself from Yu Jiuque now; what difference would holding hands make?

“Hold on to me,” he said, extending his hand to Yu Jiuque. The little ge’er’s hand was smaller than his by a size, and they held on tightly.

And so, they walked more slowly.

They weaved through the crowd, occasionally stopping to look at some small stalls.

The “night market,” also known as the “ghost market,” was where many made their living, sleeping during the day and only starting their business when night fell.

Though it was called a “ghost market,” it didn’t mean that everything sold there was unfit for daylight.

There were all sorts of goods—fruits and vegetables, pots and pans, baskets and blankets, clay figurines and drums, needles and thread, and more.

And if you wanted something less mundane, you could also find antiques, paintings, calligraphy supplies, pottery, copperware, old coins, and ancient books. Whether or not you could find something worthwhile depended on your luck and skill.

They passed by a stall where a small table was laid out with a red cloth, displaying a variety of silver jewelry that gleamed under the light.

A silversmith was there with his tools, ready to make custom pieces on the spot or reshape old jewelry into something new.

Qin Xia couldn’t help but stop, pulling Yu Jiuque along as he picked up a silver hairpin and asked, “How much is this?”

“All the hairpins in that row are eight qian of silver, the ones below are five qian, and the bottom row is three and a half qian,” the silversmith replied, looking up from his work on a silver bracelet.

Night markets typically used lanterns to conduct transactions, preventing anyone from taking advantage or pulling any tricks with the silver or goods.

Qin Xia examined the hairpin in the light and realized the price likely reflected the purity of the silver and the intricacy of the craftsmanship.

“Brother, you’ve got a good eye, picking the most expensive one right off the bat. Is it for your husband?” the stall owner praised Qin Xia, who simply smiled and held the hairpin up to Yu Jiuque’s head.

The silver hairpin was exquisite, something any little ge’er would love, but Yu Jiuque shook his head. “Husband, this is too expensive; let’s not get it.”

One hairpin cost eight qian of silver, which was what they earned in two days of selling food.

Now that they were saving up for the shop lease, they could barely tighten their belts enough; there was no way they could afford to waste money on trinkets.

But Qin Xia had long found the wooden hairpin on Yu Jiuque’s head an eyesore.

That wooden hairpin was something the original Qin Xia had hastily bought on the street under Fang Rong’s urging on their wedding day, thinking that since he was marrying someone, he couldn’t just let them enter the house without any adornment.

The original Qin Xia had no idea what to buy, so he had chosen something that looked more like a chopstick than anything else, even getting swindled into paying a full qian of silver for it.

Later, Qin Xia was too busy and felt that giving someone a gift was too intimate an act for the “villain” in the book.

But tonight, he wanted to act on impulse.

“If I can afford it, it means I can earn it back.” Qin Xia gently pulled Yu Jiuque closer to the stall. “Take a look at what you like. If I pick something you don’t like, it would be a waste of money.”

Yu Jiuque couldn’t argue with Qin Xia, so he lowered his eyes to look, thinking that since Qin Xia insisted on buying something, he should at least pick the cheapest option.

He was about to reach for the lowest-priced row when Qin Xia caught his wrist.

“Not those. Choose from the ones above.”

Yu Jiuque looked at Qin Xia helplessly.

In the end, they compromised and chose a five-qian hairpin.

It was a style Yu Jiuque liked—a straight pin with a few carved branches on top, adorned with a small persimmon.

“This one’s called ‘Peace and Prosperity,’ perfect for wearing during the New Year,” the stall owner explained.

The silversmith accepted the payment, beaming with joy. It was a good day for him; he had just set up his stall and already made a sale.

After hearing what the vendor said, Yu Jiuque was even more reluctant to put the hairpin on immediately. “This is something valuable. What if I lose it? It’s better to save it for the New Year.”

Qin Xia couldn’t persuade him otherwise, so he let it go. The little ge’er carefully tucked the hairpin away, feeling the need to check it every few steps as they continued strolling through the market.

They stopped by a stall selling bowls and dishes and picked out two porcelain bowls to serve as food and water dishes for Da Fu. A few steps further, Yu Jiuque squatted down to select some embroidery threads, colorful strings, and a bundle of fabric scraps, which could be used to make small crafts or patch up clothes.

The night market stalls were organized into sections, and after passing the stalls selling miscellaneous household items, they caught the mouthwatering aroma of various foods wafting through the air.

“I noticed that the evening business here seems even more lively than our morning market,” Yu Jiuque remarked, amazed at the lines of people in front of many stalls, with vendors calling out their wares non-stop.

At this time of day, he and Qin Xia would typically be finishing their dinner and preparing for bed after a bit more work. In contrast, the bustling scene here suggested the market would be active until late into the night.

“Not only that,” Qin Xia added as they walked a bit further, paying attention to the various food stalls. “Listen to the vendors: roasted pork, crystal dumplings, lamb face meat, crispy fried fish, sugar-coated fruits, honey-glazed snacks… These rich dishes wouldn’t sell well at a morning market.”

That was the main difference between the two markets. Morning and midday markets were frequented by people like Xing Yiming, who, even if they enjoyed good food, were primarily looking to fill their stomachs as affordably as possible. Night markets, however, were a different story.

The people who toiled for their daily sustenance were either still working at this hour or already at home resting, preparing to rise early the next day. They weren’t the ones leisurely strolling through the night market in fine clothes.

“Those who come here tend to have money to spare.”

As Qin Xia spoke, a group of young men passed by, each accompanied by a lady. They were laughing and chatting, trailing the scent of delicate perfumes behind them. They were likely returning from stalls offering games like pitch-pot and archery, carrying lanterns, sachets, and other small trinkets as prizes.

One of the women was feeding a piece of honey-glazed fruit to the man beside her with a bamboo skewer.

“Well, since we’re here, we might as well try some of the food,” Qin Xia suggested. It had been a while since he’d eaten something prepared by someone else. While the food he made always suited his taste, there was a certain pleasure in tasting another cook’s creation.

They bought six fried dumplings, five steamed buns, a large serving of roasted pork, and a bowl of crystal jellies. Qin Xia carried these as they searched for a stall selling hand-pulled noodles and ordered two large bowls topped with minced meat sauce.

The small stall had a seating area covered by a bamboo-framed tent with felt cloth draped around it, providing some shelter from the cold. The stall owners, an elderly couple, were dressed neatly and worked skillfully. The noodles were swiftly prepared, spinning in the boiling water before being scooped out. The elderly woman ladled a generous portion of meat sauce over the noodles and asked, “Do you have any dietary restrictions?”

Qin Xia shook his head, and the woman quickly sprinkled the noodles with chopped scallions, cilantro, and fried soybeans. The noodles were served with a side of pickled vegetables and two cloves of raw garlic.

The first bite of the noodles revealed the quality of the dish. The noodles were chewy and smooth, the minced meat sauce was rich but not greasy, and the topping included diced eggplant and potatoes.

“Don’t just eat the noodles, try these too,” Qin Xia said, setting down his chopsticks and unwrapping the oil paper packages they had picked up along the way.

The fried dumplings, known as crystal jellies, were filled with chives; they tasted fine, though the chives were a bit tough. The buns, three with meat and two vegetarian, had thick dough and were rather ordinary but still edible. The roasted pork was excellent, grilled to perfection with a crispy exterior and juicy interior, balanced with just the right amount of fat and lean meat.

Crystal jellies originated from a dish in the previous dynasty and have been passed down to the present. They are somewhat similar to pork jelly, but instead of using pork skin, they use fish skin and fish meat, which are finely shredded, cooked, and then left outside to set into blocks. When sold, the jellies are cut into pieces and served.

The two of them were thoroughly enjoying the dish, taking turns picking it up with their chopsticks.

As the elderly woman at the stall was cleaning the table, she walked by and smiled, saying, “This must be Mrs. Han’s crystal jelly. That young lady is excellent at making this.”

She continued, “You bought the fried dumplings from the wrong place. You should have walked a bit further ahead to get them from Aunt Jin’s stall. The chives she uses in winter are homegrown, crisp and fresh. In autumn, she sells lotus root dumplings, which are also delicious.”

Qin Xia then struck up a conversation with her and learned that this noodle stall had been around for nearly twenty years.

“I dare say that the older generation in this city all know about our stall. You two are young; you must be here for the first time.”

She was quite talkative, and when she heard Qin Xia mention that he also sold food and was interested in doing business at the night market on Banqiao Street, she enthusiastically suggested, “The spots here are highly sought after, but every year around the New Year, some stall owners pack up early and return to their hometowns. When their spots are vacant for a good half-month, you can pay a bit of silver, borrow their spot, and then register with the street office.”

Learning about this insider tip, Qin Xia thanked her. When they finished eating and were about to leave, he paid a little extra, rounding up the 28-wen price to 32 wen.

Yu Jiuque was fully satisfied, having eaten five out of the six fried dumplings, four out of the five meat buns, a large bowl of noodles, and some other dishes. He felt a bit drowsy while sitting under the stall’s canopy, but the cold wind outside soon cleared his head.

“Are you thinking about doing business at the night market, husband?”

As they walked back along the route they had come, the hustle and bustle of the market gradually faded behind them.

Qin Xia shared his plan with him. “I’m thinking of stopping the breakfast business on Liubao Street and only doing lunch. Once everything’s sold out, we can go home, take a break, and then come to Banqiao Street. We won’t stay too late, closing around the hour of the pig (9–11 PM). The night market here is a place where we can sell higher-priced food, so it’ll help us save up for the shop rent more quickly.”

“So, you’re saying we won’t sell our usual three items?” Yu Jiuque asked.

Qin Xia had already thought it over. “We’ll keep selling them on Liubao Street, but at night here, we’ll offer some new items.”

He was confident about the foot traffic at Banqiao Street’s night market, but there was one downside.

“You’re not strong, and staying up late won’t be good for you. How about you only help me with the lunch business from now on, and I’ll hire Douzi to assist me in the evenings?”

“But…”

“No buts this time,” Qin Xia said firmly, a rare show of assertiveness.

Three months had already passed since the original timeline, and since Yu Jiuque was receiving treatment in this version of events, Qin Xia figured his recovery might be quicker. However, the truth was, he no longer cared if the story stuck to the original plot or if Yu Jiuque left sooner. His concern now was solely for Yu Jiuque’s health.

Yu Jiuque hesitated, wanting to say something, but ultimately, he didn’t argue further. However, it was clear he was preoccupied for the rest of the walk.

It wasn’t far from Banqiao Street to Furong Alley, only about the time it takes to drink two cups of tea.

Qin Xia took out the key to unlock the door, but after removing the lock and pushing the door open, he noticed that Yu Jiuque was still a few steps away, lost in thought.

The moonlight bathed the little ge’er in a soft glow, casting a melancholic shadow on his expression.

“Ah jiu?” Qin Xia called softly.

Yu Jiuque snapped out of his reverie. He lifted the hem of his winter robe, which fell to his ankles, and took a few steps forward, crossing the threshold.

Qin Xia turned back to bolt the door and lock it from the inside. Although theft was rare in Furong Alley, it was better to be cautious.

Yu Jiuque stood beside him, hesitating before he spoke. “I was just thinking, the night market is busy, and you and Douzi might not be able to handle it alone. If you don’t want me to stay up late, how about I go with you and come back early?”

Qin Xia couldn’t help but laugh. “So you’ve been quiet all this time because you were worried about that? Alright, we’ll do as you suggest.”

Qin Xia had realized by now that Yu Jiuque was stubborn. If he didn’t agree, Yu Jiuque would probably be too restless to sleep.

Yu Jiuque smiled, dimples appearing on his cheeks, making him look both obedient and innocent.

After securing the door, they walked side by side through the courtyard. As Qin Xia started toward the kitchen, Yu Jiuque’s smile faded, replaced by a complex and conflicted expression.

He gently pinched the bridge of his nose before heading to the main room, his back weighed down with a heavy burden.

Lately, his nightmares had eased somewhat, but they hadn’t entirely disappeared. The fragments of dreams were slowly piecing together into coherent scenes, leading to persistent headaches during the day.

Understanding that this issue couldn’t be solved by just a few doses of medicine or some medicinal food, Yu Jiuque decided not to trouble Qin Xia with it.

He knew that Qin Xia was concerned about his health and wished for his speedy recovery to spare him from suffering. But all of this didn’t change the fact that Yu Jiuque feared the day he fully recovered, the day his memories returned.

He also feared that the memories in his dreams might be based on real experiences.

In those dreams, there were palaces with nine layers.

He rubbed the calluses on his thumb, feeling that his past and future were both shrouded in fog.

Ch 7: The World’s Number One Resort

The salty sea breeze blew across the deck as Tang Huai rinsed off and lay down to bask in the sun, feeling utterly content. After ten days of living like a wild man, it had been a long time since he’d felt this relaxed.

The cargo ship had now sailed out of Sora Island’s waters and was heading towards Hawaii. According to FD730, because the system wasn’t fully bound before, the waters surrounding Sora Island were always shrouded in mist, making it a blind spot for marine radar. Outsiders had no way of finding the exact location of the island. Sora Island had always been shrouded in mystery… But now that the system was fully bound, and as Tang Huai completed more tasks, the island would gradually appear more fully to the outside world.

Tang Huai remained indifferent to this information.

After lying on the deck for a while, Tang Huai decided to open his personal panel. If he remembered correctly, he had heard the task completion notification when the cargo ship arrived.

Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the beginner’s task. You have been awarded 1000 island points and one spin of the Lucky Wheel.

Updating personal panel…

Unique Host: Tang Huai
Occupation: [Main] Island Owner of Sora Island. [Secondary] Owner of Great Tang Fruit Store.
Unlocked Area: Blue Sea Lake, 1/50
Current Task: None
Inventory: –
Island Points: 1700. Note: The Grand Island System is activated. Island points are equivalent to US dollars at a 1:1 ratio, but only applicable to profits generated from Sora Island.

…

The personal panel refreshed, updating the data. In addition to the two task rewards, the method for earning island points had also been revised.

To upgrade the island, various island cards would be needed, and these cards could only be purchased using island points. After reviewing the task details, Tang Huai now had a clearer understanding of how the Grand Island Owner system worked.

He then focused on the task reward: the Lucky Wheel. Although he had no idea what kind of prize he would get, the thought of a spin was exciting in itself.

Tang Huai activated the Lucky Wheel.

In an instant, a large 3D spinning wheel appeared before him. It looked just like the ones found in amusement parks, with a long pointer in the middle and evenly sized segments around the edge, each representing a reward. There were fifty slots in total.

Next to the wheel, there was a refresh option, allowing the rewards to be randomized again. Since there were no descriptions for the rewards, refreshing didn’t seem that important to Tang Huai.

His number of spins was listed as “1.”

After studying the 3D wheel, Tang Huai pressed the start button. Thirty seconds later, the wheel slowly came to a stop.

Ding! Congratulations to the host for acquiring a character card: [Boatman Ah Lang – Beginner Level].

The system notification rang out, and a small, palm-sized card appeared before Tang Huai. It was a character card, depicting an endless sea with a small boat calmly sailing on it. Standing on the boat was a rugged man wearing a hat—though the card was too small for Tang Huai to make out the man’s facial features. Beyond this, there was no additional information on the card.

At the bottom of the card were two options: [Use Now] and [Store in Inventory]. Since Tang Huai was currently aboard a cargo ship en route to Hawaii, it wasn’t the right time to use the card. With a hint of regret, he chose to [Store in Inventory].

After this, the inventory refreshed.

Inventory: [Boatman Ah Lang]

Tang Huai glanced at his personal panel for a bit longer before closing it.

…

“Tang, I talked to Captain Scully. A few Arab businessmen are quite interested in Sora Island,” Hank said as he approached, wearing floral shorts.

“Middle Easterners are all wealthy. With Sora Island’s size, it should fetch a good price,” Hank added, sitting down beside Tang Huai and handing him a can of beer.

On the way to Sora Island, Tang Huai had briefly mentioned to Hank that he was considering selling the island.

“After this near-death experience, I’ve changed my mind. I’m not planning to sell it anymore; I want to develop the island properly,” Tang Huai said with a hint of resignation as he cracked open his beer can. Now that the Grand Island system was bound to him, selling the island wasn’t even an option.

“Tang, I’m glad you’ve come to this realization! You survived a shipwreck and were miraculously washed ashore on Sora Island. It’s a sign, a gift from Mr. Tang to you. You should pass this island down for generations!” Hank, a devout Christian, gave Tang Huai a thumbs up, believing that surviving a 300-mile drift was nothing short of a miracle in maritime history.

Tang Huai smiled, clinking his beer with Hank’s. Sora Island was indeed a gift from Tang Wangchun, though the nature of this gift remained questionable. As their conversation expanded, they moved from discussing the Pacific Ocean to talking about Mexican culture, enjoying the chat.

The cargo ship sailed steadily at a constant pace, and by the third evening, it finally reached the Hawaiian port. Tang Huai disembarked, and after Hank helped him check into a hotel, they bid each other farewell.

Hank had been at sea for over 20 days, far beyond his original plan, and needed to return to Mexico City.

Hawaii, a romantic archipelago and vacation destination, was indeed beautiful. Tang Huai took a stroll around the hotel area but didn’t linger and soon returned to his room. Hawaii, while picturesque, seemed rather ordinary to him after spending ten days at Blue Sea Lake. More importantly, after the shipwreck and losing his money, Tang Huai was left without a penny.

Though Tang Wangchun had left him a million dollars, Tang Huai’s passport and visa were still at the Guerrero Hotel in Mexico City. He needed Hank to return and have them airmailed over before he could access his funds.

With only the $500 Hank had given him, Tang Huai was short on options.

However, one small thing brought Tang Huai some comfort the following evening. While out buying some essentials, he encountered an older Chinese couple in their sixties, dressed neatly and looking like they were part of a tour group. At the time, their guide wasn’t with them, and they were in the middle of buying coral souvenirs. A minor misunderstanding due to the language barrier had led to a bit of tension between the couple and the shopkeeper.

Thanks to the Universal Fluency skill, Tang Huai could now understand English and most common dialects. At first, when he heard the sailors talking on the cargo ship, it had been novel, but over time, all the foreign languages felt just as natural as Chinese.

Seeing his fellow countrymen in a bind, Tang Huai felt a sense of familiarity. After listening in for a bit, he understood the situation. The couple had mixed up the numbers “7” and “9.” The shopkeeper was selling seven coral necklaces for $200, but the couple thought it was nine necklaces for $200… and so the dispute had arisen.

It was a simple misunderstanding caused by the language barrier. Tang Huai stepped in and explained the situation. The couple felt embarrassed, and the shopkeeper, realizing they weren’t trying to cause trouble, cheerfully settled on selling eight necklaces for $200.

Both sides were happy with the outcome.

“Thank you! My wife and I didn’t have much education, and we crammed in some English for this trip. We didn’t expect to make such a silly mistake,” the elderly man said sheepishly as he packed the necklaces into their travel bag. The necklaces were gifts for their friends from the square dancing group.

“No worries,” Tang Huai replied casually. They started chatting, and through the conversation, Tang Huai learned that the couple’s names were Xiao Shengguo and Zhao Hongxia. They ran a clothing business in Guanghai. Now that they had some savings, their son had signed them up for a Hawaiian tour group.

Normally, they had a guide with them, but due to a delayed flight, the tour’s activities had ended early, and the guide had suggested they stay at the hotel. Feeling bored, the elderly couple had decided to wander around on their own. They didn’t expect to run into such a misunderstanding during their short outing.

Tang Huai smiled and kept the conversation light. The older they were, the more they liked to chat, and since Tang Huai had nothing else to do, he was more than happy to sit and shoot the breeze with them.

“Young man, there’s a translation gig—interested?” After chatting for a while, Xiao Aiguo gave Tang Huai a once-over and suddenly made the offer.

Tang Huai was a bit surprised. The “translation gig” that Xiao Aiguo mentioned was essentially accompanying the elderly couple around and translating when necessary, with the couple covering all the transportation and ticket costs. The pay was twenty dollars an hour.

Tang Huai was amused. He had joked before about becoming a translator after completing the Grand Island Owner tasks, and now the opportunity had arrived sooner than expected.

With nothing better to do, Tang Huai accepted the job as their temporary translator.

By the time he returned to the hotel that evening, Tang Huai had earned an extra 120 dollars—enough for a hearty meal.

Over the next three days, Tang Huai toured most of the nearby attractions and then holed up in the hotel, enjoying some rare downtime. On the third evening, his passport and visa finally arrived. During this time, Tang Huai had truly come to appreciate the importance of having legal identification. If it weren’t for Hank’s backing, he wouldn’t have even made it to Hawaii!

Once he had his passport and visa back, Tang Huai went to a local international bank. After going through a series of procedures, he was finally able to access the million dollars left by Tang Wangchun. In an instant, Tang Huai had officially become a millionaire.

However, with the system tasks constantly looming over him, the excitement of becoming a millionaire had dimmed considerably. Once everything was settled, Tang Huai booked a ticket back to China.

After all this time, he had been gone for almost a month.

By 10 p.m. China time, Tang Huai was back at his apartment in Zijin Residence. He turned on the lights, looking around at the familiar surroundings, and felt a strange sense of nostalgia, as if a lifetime had passed.

After some light tidying, Tang Huai fell into a deep sleep.

A peaceful night’s rest.

…

The next morning, Tang Huai dressed in casual, comfortable clothes and drove over to the Great Tang Fruit Shop. With no new system tasks yet, he had plenty of leisure time on his hands.

The store’s operating hours were from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., with a rotating lunch break. When Tang Huai arrived at Yuhai Garden around 11 a.m., he found Zhao Xingkai diligently sweeping outside. After parking, Tang Huai headed toward the store.

“Boss.” Zhao Xingkai had just finished taking out the trash when he saw Tang Huai. He froze for a moment. Tang Huai had mentioned going on a trip, and Zhao had expected him to return after a few days, not after more than a month.

Tang Huai’s sudden return had caught Zhao Xingkai off guard, leaving him unsure of how to react.

“Where’s Du Yueyue?” Tang Huai asked, not paying much attention to Zhao Xingkai’s surprise. After making a quick round inside the store, he frowned. Although Tang Huai had been away, Zhao Xingkai had been sending him the staff schedule via WeChat. Today wasn’t supposed to be Du Yueyue’s day off.

Zhao Xingkai looked at Tang Huai, hesitating as if he had something to say but didn’t know how.

Tang Huai didn’t press for answers. Instead, he sat down at the cashier’s counter and pulled up the store’s surveillance footage. In the year since Great Tang Fruit Shop had opened, this was the first time Tang Huai had ever needed to check the cameras.

Half an hour later, his frown deepened.

It turned out that in the month he had been away, Du Yueyue had started off working diligently, but after the first few days, she had begun arriving late and leaving early. Eventually, she would only show up briefly in the morning or evening and then disappear. In some cases, she didn’t even show up at all for an entire day.

Tang Huai thought to himself, Well, I didn’t hire an employee—I seem to have hired an ancestor.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

Ch 6: The World’s Number One Resort

Tang Huai slid the roasted fish off the wooden skewer. He had quite a bit of experience grilling fish, so the timing was just right. The fish wasn’t charred; instead, it had a slightly crispy, golden exterior with a tender look, making it quite appetizing.

He sighed. Without salt or seasoning, he had braced himself for some bland and unappealing food.

After letting the fish cool slightly, he took a bite without much expectation.

Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and incredibly flavorful. Tang Huai had expected the fish to taste like flavorless cotton, but instead, it had a rich, smoky, tender flavor that activated all his taste buds. Tang Huai enjoyed fish, but he had never tasted anything this fresh and delicious in his life!

“What species of fish is this?” Tang Huai took another bite, feeling every cell in his body revel in pleasure. In just a short while, he had devoured half of the two-pound fish.

“Blue Lake Fish, only found in Blue Sea Lake. This is the lowest grade of Blue Sea Fish. If the host completes the tasks diligently, you can upgrade it to a higher grade of Blue Sea Fish…” FD730 answered diligently. For some reason, Tang Huai felt a faint sense of pride in FD730’s tone.

After learning the scientific name of the fish, Tang Huai continued eating. FD730’s words piqued his curiosity. If the low-grade version was already this delicious, how much better would the upgraded version taste?

While pondering this, Tang Huai quickly finished the two fish and, still unsatisfied, grilled a third one. After eating his fill, he checked the time—it was now midnight in Mexico.

Tang Huai filled a jug with some lake water and headed back toward the treehouse.

Lying on the wooden bed in the treehouse, he gazed at the starry sky. The temperature difference between day and night on Sora Island was significant, but thanks to the beginner perk of “strengthening the body,” Tang Huai didn’t feel cold at all. Thinking about this, he opened his personal panel.

He had two beginner perks: (1) Strengthen the Body: This improved physical fitness, agility, strength, and resistance by tenfold. (2) Universal Fluency: This enabled him to understand and communicate in 3,026 global languages effortlessly.

Strengthening the body was straightforward, but when Tang Huai saw the description of Universal Fluency, he was taken aback. According to the system, he had essentially “learned” over 3,000 languages. Tang Huai wasn’t sure how many languages there were in the world, but 3,000… that was an incredibly vast number.

Once the Grand Island Owner mission was over, maybe he could find a job as a translator? Tang Huai chuckled at the thought. After a brief moment of reflection, he decided to rest. He’d had a long day—surviving a shipwreck, climbing two mountains, and then binding with a system… he was understandably tired.

After taking a couple of sips of lake water, Tang Huai settled in for sleep.

Ding ding, ding…

Just as he was about to drift off, his phone rang again. Tang Huai picked it up and saw a new friend request on WeChat. There was no note attached, and the requester’s nickname was “Nightfall,” with a scenic travel photo as the profile picture.

Tang Huai declined the request. Thirty seconds later, another verification message arrived: Song Qing.

Tang Huai paused, surprised that Song Qing had reached out. Aside from the old love letter mix-up, he and Song Qing hadn’t had much interaction. After thinking it over, Tang Huai accepted the request.

“Long time no see,” Song Qing greeted first.

“It’s been a year since graduation.”

“Are you abroad?”

“Just wandering around.”

“I’m getting married next month.”

“Congratulations.”

…

The conversation between Tang Huai and Song Qing was casual and sporadic. They hadn’t been close in school, and even less so after graduation.

“The wedding will be held in Luohai, not far from Shengze. I hope you can make it.”

“… I’ll try to arrange it.”

At the end of the conversation, Song Qing invited Tang Huai to his wedding. Tang Huai was a bit surprised and gave a vague response. Their relationship wasn’t close enough to warrant attending the wedding, and he doubted Song Qing cared about receiving a few hundred yuan in wedding money from him…

After finishing the brief chat with Song Qing, Tang Huai turned off his phone. A gentle breeze blew in, and in the peaceful little wooden house, Tang Huai fell into a deep, restful sleep.

…

“Who are you chatting with?” As Tang Huai fell into a peaceful sleep, in a high-end villa in Luohai, Song Qing was dressed in casual home clothes, looking at the chat history on his phone with a thoughtful expression, as if reminiscing. Just then, the bedroom door opened, and a delicate-looking young man walked in and asked.

“Discussing wedding arrangements with some classmates,” Song Qing casually replied, seamlessly switching the chat screen.

The young man, his fiancé, was Zhou Xingzhao. Since the announcement of the Same-Sex Marriage Protection Law, more and more people had come to accept same-sex marriages. Song Qing and Zhou Xingzhao had known each other since childhood, and their families were well-acquainted. Both sets of parents were happy with their marriage. Song Qing was a year older than Zhou Xingzhao, and now that Zhou had graduated, their wedding was on the agenda.

“How many people are coming? I’ve already sent out all the invitations on my side…” Zhou Xingzhao, very satisfied with Song Qing, sat beside him and started chatting naturally.

Song Qing answered thoughtfully. As the conversation continued, they ended up in an intimate moment.

It was now 2 p.m. Afterward, Zhou Xingzhao went out to have dinner with some friends, while Song Qing lit a cigarette and went back to scrolling through the earlier chat history. The cheerful profile picture of “Great Tang Fruits” appeared prominently in his friend list.

Song Qing hadn’t interacted much with Tang Huai, but their dorms were next to each other, so they frequently crossed paths. Over time, Song Qing had started to notice Tang Huai. Tang Huai’s appearance and personality were exactly the type Song Qing liked, but Song Qing was a pragmatic person. He knew that Tang Huai’s parents were both working-class, and his family’s financial situation was average. In contrast, Song Qing’s family was in the steel business, and their assets were far beyond what Tang Huai’s family could compare with.

Song Qing wasn’t very old but lived a realistic life. He knew there could never be anything between him and Tang Huai, and gradually, his interest in Tang Huai faded. When Song Qing learned that Tang Huai ended up selling fruit after graduation, he felt a sense of inevitability. The saying “it’s hard for those from humble backgrounds to rise to prominence” had always struck him as harsh, but it was a truth he couldn’t deny.

Compared to Tang Huai, Zhou Xingzhao was the best choice for him. After that realization, Song Qing stopped paying attention to Tang Huai altogether.

Today’s contact was purely accidental. Song Qing had been lurking in the class group chat when the topic unexpectedly shifted to him and Tang Huai. And then… Tang Huai himself showed up. Song Qing felt complicated. Tang Huai had been like his “white moonlight” during his university years. But now, the version of Tang Huai he could accept was not the one traveling leisurely abroad as a cultured young man, but rather the one selling fruit from a cart at a neighborhood market.

Tang Huai living an ordinary life only served to validate Song Qing’s decision as the right one.

After repeatedly scrolling through the chat history, Song Qing finished his cigarette and lit another, his thoughts inscrutable.

…

While Song Qing was feeling conflicted, on Sora Island, thousands of miles away, Tang Huai woke up from a restful sleep, refreshed and ready to start his day.

Tang Huai opened the task panel. The current tasks were in two parts: [1] Survive on Sora Island for ten days. [2] Familiarize yourself with the culture of Sora Island.

These were beginner tasks, both extremely simple.

Tang Huai had already asked FD730, and the ultimate goal of the Grand Island Owner system was to build the world’s best ocean resort island. To be the best in the world, it would have to surpass others in terms of economy, culture, geography, popularity with tourists, and more…

As Tang Huai pondered the tasks, he began climbing the hill again. In no time, he reached the top once more. Looking out, aside from Blue Sea Lake, the surrounding land stretched barren and desolate as far as the eye could see.

Tang Huai switched his interface to the island sandbox view.

Currently, the Blue Sea Lake area was the only one lit up, while all the other areas were still covered in a grey mist, divided into low, medium, and high categories. Tang Huai would need to plant trees, attract residents, build houses, and draw in tourists to develop the island. Thinking about the long road ahead, Tang Huai couldn’t help but feel a heavy sense of responsibility.

After wandering around the area for a while, Tang Huai returned to the small wooden house.

For the next nine days, Tang Huai settled into a routine of lighting fires, grilling fish, and strolling around. Much like the area near Blue Sea Lake, the other 49 system-designated zones were barren yellow land due to being “undeveloped.”

Blue Sea Lake was located in the southernmost part of Sora Island, classified as a low-level zone. Tang Huai designated it as Zone 1, and the other areas were numbered accordingly. Sora Island was vast, so Tang Huai only explored the surroundings of Zone 1.

During his downtime, Tang Huai enjoyed observing the island sandbox map. After watching it for a few days, he noticed something unusual—a small section between Zones 36 and 39 seemed to be faintly illuminated. Zones 32 to 39 were located in the high-level area.

Tang Huai asked FD730 about it, but FD730’s main role was to issue tasks, and it didn’t have knowledge beyond that. Tang Huai could only keep his curiosity to himself, planning to investigate the high-level areas once his permissions increased in the future.

…

On the morning of the tenth day, after waking up, Tang Huai placed the key and bank card from the metal box into his bag. Then, after crossing two mountain ridges, he sat leisurely by the coastline.

At 10 a.m., a light-colored ship appeared on the horizon.

“Tang! Oh my God! You’re still alive!”

Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the beginner’s task…

At 10:20, the ship was just 200 meters from Tang Huai. It was a large cargo ship, and Hank stood on the deck, waving frantically at Tang Huai.

Seeing Hank, Tang Huai let out a huge sigh of relief. Since his phone had regained signal, Tang Huai had been trying to contact Hank, but all he got was a busy tone. Just when Tang Huai was about to give up on Hank and reach out to Ma Chuan for help, Hank’s phone finally connected.

After Tang Huai fell into the water, Hank and the others were lucky enough to escape unharmed. The Storm had sustained some damage, but it wasn’t enough to prevent short-distance travel. Due to Tang Huai’s disappearance, their previous route had to be canceled, and the Storm returned to Clipperton Island.

Hank and Captain Reno had mixed feelings about Tang Huai’s presumed death. The ocean was merciless, and they had accepted his fate. After resting at Clipperton Island for two days, Hank was preparing to return to Mexico when Tang Huai’s call came through.

Hank was shocked to hear that Tang Huai was still alive, but the Storm needed repairs and couldn’t head to Sora Island immediately. Feeling helpless, Tang Huai offered to pay $50,000 for Hank to rent a passing cargo ship… one bound for Hawaii. The process was complicated, but Tang Huai was finally rescued.

Looking at Hank’s blonde hair, Tang Huai felt a wave of emotion. As the ship approached, the system notification chimed, mentioning something about a “task reward.” However, Tang Huai wasn’t interested in any rewards right now—he just wanted to return to China.

When Hank came ashore, Tang Huai gave him a big, heartfelt hug. It felt so good to see a familiar face!

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

Ch 5: The World’s Number One Resort

The parchment was placed there two months ago, and its content was simple. Tang Wangchun had stayed on the island for three days, and it was during that time that he decided to pass the chip down to Tang Huai.

Tang Wangchun had been connected with the system for fifty years. Over that time, he became increasingly amazed by the chip’s power. He had achieved his current success using only two island-related technologies, yet the Grand Island Owner system contained countless such technological advancements. Tang Wangchun had wanted to study the system in-depth, but the punishment for breaking his promise was far more severe than he had imagined.

In the moment when the punishment for breaking his promise hit him, Tang Wangchun deeply regretted his decision. Perhaps he should have completed the system tasks within those fifty years. However, he knew that even if he could go back and relive it, he still wouldn’t have continued the tasks. Tang Wangchun had always been a free spirit—he enjoyed the feeling of being admired and respected, not being trapped on Sora Island completing missions.

While Tang Wangchun didn’t like doing the tasks, he couldn’t deny the far-reaching implications of the Grand Island Owner mission. He had a feeling that after completing the tasks, the host might be able to travel through the universe just like the chip. This was only his speculation.

Tang Wangchun’s decision to leave the system to Tang Huai was driven by both personal interests and family considerations. He wanted this kind of advanced technology to stay within the Tang family. But no matter the intentions, Tang Wangchun had certainly put Tang Huai in a tough spot.

The letter began with “Sorry” and ended with “Sorry.”

After reading the letter, Tang Huai examined the contents of the metal box. Inside, apart from the parchment, there was a key and a bank card. The key was for a property in Mexico, and the bank card held 10 million US dollars under Tang Huai’s name. Both the property and the money had been obtained through other means, not through the system.

Tang Huai closed the metal box and placed it on the stone table in the wooden house. Three days ago, the thought of owning an overseas villa and 10 million dollars would have filled him with excitement.

But now, the system tasks hung over him like a Damocles’ sword, dampening any sense of joy. Tang Huai gathered some firewood from the forest and found a few flexible tree branches. After weaving the branches into a simple basket, he headed toward Blue Sea Lake.

The lake was crystal clear, with colorful fish swimming around.

Tang Huai wasn’t a biologist, and his knowledge of fish was limited to common ones like carp, grass carp, and Qingjiang fish—those you’d usually find on the dinner table. He didn’t recognize the fish in Blue Sea Lake, but he suspected that they were unique to Sora Island.

Reaching the lake’s edge, Tang Huai rolled up his pants, found a shallow spot, and jumped in, using the basket to try catching some fish.

As a child, Tang Huai had caught fish in the rivers of his hometown, but he had since forgotten most of those skills. His fishing technique was clumsy, but fortunately, the fish in Blue Sea Lake hadn’t faced much danger before. When they saw the basket, they swam straight toward it, thinking it was something fun.

Tang Huai: …

And just like that, within five minutes of entering the water, Tang Huai climbed back out with a basket full of small fish. He released most of them, keeping only two.

Tang Huai sat by the lakeside, intending to start a fire using the wood he had gathered. It was a delicate skill, and after thirty minutes of trying, he hadn’t even managed to produce a single spark, let alone a flame.

“Is there any fire source on Sora Island?” Tang Huai threw the stick aside, frowning as he asked FD730. He had already accepted the fact that he had to live like a wild man for ten days, but with no other food sources available on the island except for the colorful fish in the lake, and after searching the forest without finding a single fruit, he didn’t want to eat raw fish.

Tang Huai wasn’t ready to resort to eating raw meat.

Now, with the full moon overhead, the lake was bathed in moonlight, giving it a peaceful and tranquil glow. But despite the beautiful scenery, Tang Huai’s mood was far from serene.

“Everything must be obtained by the host independently. A gentle reminder: the host can browse the system store,” FD730 responded, as precise as ever.

Tang Huai opened the system interface.

[Jackfruit Seeds], [Basic Helicopter], [Labrador AI Dog]… The system store’s interface looked much like an online shopping site. But when Tang Huai clicked on any item, the response was always the same: “No permission.”

Tang Huai thought for a moment and adjusted the search filter to show “items within permission.”

The page refreshed.

At the top were three icons: [Spiritual Herbs and Plants], [Modern Miscellaneous Goods], and [Rare Spiritual Livestock], while everything else remained grayed out.

Curious, Tang Huai opened each one.

Coconut Tree: 500 island points
Passion Fruit: 300 island points
Fertile Duckling: 800 island points
…

The store offered a wide variety of items, and after browsing for a while, Tang Huai finally found what he needed.

Modern Lighter: 200 island points
Unlimited Internet: 1GB/100 island points

Along with modern items, Tang Huai even spotted Kang Shuaifu instant noodles… at a steep price of 50 island points per cup.

Tang Huai had 1,000 system points as a gift. After some thought, he purchased a lighter and 1GB of unlimited internet.

His account balance dropped to 700.

After he clicked to make the purchase, the 3D interface transformed, and both a lighter and a “network signal” icon appeared in front of him, with options below them: [Use Now] and [Store in Inventory].

Tang Huai clicked [Use Now], and a lighter materialized out of thin air.

It was an ordinary lighter, but it did the job. Tang Huai lit the firewood, which quickly caught fire. He cleaned the fish and placed them over the flames. Without salt or spices, he’d have to make do.

The two fish would take about half an hour to cook. With nothing else to do, Tang Huai took out his phone. He had just purchased 1GB of unlimited internet, and he was curious to see if it would work…

The chip’s advanced technology proved powerful. Tang Huai turned on his phone, which still had 51% battery left. Both the signal and wireless icons were full bars.

Ding ding, ding— The phone’s notification tone started ringing continuously. Apart from the usual marketing texts, there were also many WeChat notifications.

Most of the messages were from the “T University Communication Class 6 Alumni Group.”

Tang Huai opened the group chat.

“Congrats to Old Song! I didn’t expect that out of all of us, Old Song would be the first to get married after graduation.”

“Haha, neither did I. But Song Qing and Xing Zhao really do make a great couple. Congrats, congrats! I’ll definitely be there next month.”

“Time flies… By the way, did anyone tell Tang Huai?”

“About Tang Huai and Song Qing’s situation… better not mention it to him.”

…

When Tang Huai entered the chat, the conversation was buzzing. He scrolled through the messages, feeling slightly speechless. The group had over a hundred people, and Tang Huai had always been a lurker. Over time, everyone just assumed he didn’t read the group chat…

Right now, the entire discussion revolved around Song Qing’s upcoming wedding.

Song Qing had been the student council president, tall and broad-shouldered, with long legs and a strong family background. He was well-liked at T University. During their university years, Song Qing had lived in the dorm next to Tang Huai. They weren’t particularly close, just nodding acquaintances.

In their junior year, a shy, short-haired girl in their class had asked Tang Huai to pass a love letter to Song Qing. Tang Huai had been on good terms with the girl, so he helped her out without much thought.

Song Qing opened the letter right in front of Tang Huai. Not remembering the short-haired girl, he rejected her. Tang Huai hadn’t thought much of it either. The matter could have ended there, but a few classmates had seen Song Qing open the letter. Soon, the story spread, and somehow it became known as Tang Huai delivering the love letter to Song Qing.

Tang Huai wanted to explain the situation, but the short-haired girl, heartbroken by the rejection, spent the night crying on the school rooftop. Tang Huai, worried about her mental state, decided to take the blame for the whole thing. Now, a year after graduation, he was surprised to find that people were still bringing it up occasionally.

“Sigh, he might not have been the top heartthrob of the school, but Tang Huai was at least the most handsome guy in our communications class. Now selling fruit after graduation? That’s a bit tragic.”

“Quit your gossiping! What does Song Qing’s wedding have to do with Tang Huai? Talking about people behind their backs, is that fun?”

“Heh, Tang Huai hasn’t said a word yet. What are you showing off for, Ma Chuan?”

…

The group chat continued, but Tang Huai found it uninteresting and was about to close it when he noticed something in the latest messages. To his surprise, the conversation had spiraled into an argument between Ma Chuan and another classmate.

The one arguing with Ma Chuan was a classmate named Lu Dayu or something similar—Tang Huai didn’t remember him well. But since Ma Chuan was standing up for him, Tang Huai felt it wouldn’t be right to stay silent.

@MaChuan “So Song Qing is getting married? Haha, it’s been a year since we last met, we should have a get-together.”

“Whoa, Tang’s not lurking anymore? Haven’t seen you in a while, how are things?”

“Big class heartthrob! Post a video, let the girls feast their eyes.”

“What’s he up to? Probably manning the fruit stand.”

Tang Huai had just replied, but before Ma Chuan could respond, several classmates, mostly girls, started chiming in. Of course, Lu Dayu threw in his usual sarcastic remarks.

Tang Huai frowned. He couldn’t figure out what he had done to annoy Lu Dayu so much.

Just then, a gentle breeze blew, creating ripples across the lake. The moonlight, Blue Sea Lake, and the Angel Oak trees made the surrounding scenery incredibly beautiful.

Tang Huai thought for a moment, then adjusted his camera and turned on the recording mode.

Half a minute later, a 10-second video was uploaded to the chat group. Everyone opened it.

It was 11 a.m. in China, with the sun high in the sky. But the short video showed a night scene. In the video, a full moon hung in the sky like a giant jade disc, surrounded by twinkling stars, creating a scene that looked straight out of an animated movie.

The camera shook slightly, panning from the sky down to a pool of deep blue water. The lake was calm and serene, surrounded by the dreamlike Angel Oak trees. After a slow turn, the camera showed a small campfire, a stick with fish roasting on it… then finally, Tang Huai’s large, handsome face.

“Roasting fish,” Tang Huai said with a bright smile, showing eight gleaming teeth.

The video ended.

“Wow, where is Tang Huai? This environment is amazing!”

“Oh my gosh, are those fish in the lake? It’s a bit dark, but it’s beautiful!”

“Aren’t those Angel Oak trees? I saw them in Magical Dreamland. I’m done for… my inner fangirl is melting.”

The chat group fell into a brief silence, with everyone stunned by Tang Huai’s video. The campfire and the fish weren’t too surprising, but the background… that clearly showed he was in a different time zone. After the silence, the group exploded with even more animated discussions.

Tang Huai didn’t say much else. He simply posted a set of GPS coordinates. No one knew where Sora Island was, but based on the coordinates, it seemed to be in the Pacific Ocean?

None of them were bumpkins, but for international trips, most had only been to Southeast Asia, Japan, or Hawaii. Seeing Tang Huai on a remote, unheard-of island—it was as niche as it could get.

The more exclusive the travel destination, the higher the prestige. More importantly, everyone had assumed Tang Huai, who ran a fruit shop, was living a modest life, like a fruit vendor at the neighborhood market.

But the video he posted completely shattered those assumptions.

Tang Huai didn’t care about their thoughts. After posting the location, he turned off his phone.

Just then, a delicious aroma wafted through the air—the fish were ready.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

Ch 4: The World’s Number One Resort

If Tang Huai’s world were a novel, the title would probably be something like “The King of Soldiers in 1970,” “South American Palm Oil Tycoon,” or “My Black Tech Chip.” In such a story, Tang Wangchun would undoubtedly be the main protagonist.

The novel would follow a classic upgrade plot: Tang Wangchun joined the Vietnam War at age 15, starting as a low-ranking soldier and rising to the rank of platoon leader within ten years. Tang Wangchun was ambitious and hardworking, and once the war ended, his career would have marked a significant turning point.

He had already mapped out his future. However, just before the end of the war, Tang Wangchun and his 12th platoon were ambushed near Cambodia in a brutal battle. In his final moments, Tang Wangchun discovered a black chip—a chip containing the spirit of the Grand Island Owner system. The chip offered to save his life in exchange for one condition: Tang Wangchun would have to develop Sora Island to its full potential.

Tang Wangchun agreed.

After narrowly escaping death, Tang Wangchun left China and set off for the Pacific. Never one to be content, Tang Wangchun’s ambitions grew as he learned more about the chip’s abilities. Exploiting loopholes in the system, he built a thriving palm oil business.

In a typical story, by the end, Tang Wangchun would have wealth, many romantic interests, and would reach the pinnacle of life.

But this wasn’t a novel, and the system wasn’t that easy to outwit. After fifty years of prosperity, the backlash came. First, his business began encountering frequent setbacks. His close companions left him one by one, and, most terrifyingly, he suffered daily from the system’s backlash—unable to live fully, but unable to die either.

At 76, having lived a colorful life, Tang Wangchun feared dying in such a pitiful state. He remembered the chip and the system. After fifty years of exploiting the system and breaking his promise to complete the Grand Island Owner tasks, he had cut off contact with the system for decades.

But the system wasn’t something to be used at will. It had given him fifty years, but Tang Wangchun had entirely broken his end of the bargain.

Not only did he face physical suffering, but the system’s punishment for breaking trust was far worse. The current backlash was only the tip of the iceberg.

A tug-of-war ensued between Tang Wangchun and the system. Due to their accidental binding fifty years ago, the system could only serve those with the bloodline of the Tang family. Now, Tang Huai was the only remaining heir, and after a series of events, this is how things had reached their current situation.

“…What happened to Tang Wangchun?” After listening to FD730, Tang Huai frowned and asked. It was clear that FD730 was the spirit of the system from all those years ago.

“He passed away last month from illness.”

“The system’s power was withdrawn, and he died a natural death,” FD730 explained, adding, “Tang Wangchun was 76 years old, which is a natural end according to Chinese traditions.”

Tang Huai fell silent.

“This has nothing to do with me. I have no reason to clean up Tang Wangchun’s mess,” Tang Huai said, after a moment of thought, casting a complicated glance at the statue of Tang Wangchun.

Setting aside the talk of “Tang family bloodline” and other dramatic conditions, Tang Wangchun had died naturally, and now Tang Huai had been brought to Sora Island because of him… It was clear that his presence here was tied to Tang Wangchun. In a way, Tang Huai had become a scapegoat for his granduncle’s deeds.

“The host has the right to refuse. The shipwreck event was not caused by the system. If the host declines, the timeline will rewind fifteen hours,” FD730 stated methodically.

Tang Huai: …

Fifteen hours earlier… that would mean he’d be back drifting in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Now, two paths lay before Tang Huai: First, he could cooperate with the system, knowing that failure to complete tasks could lead to his death. Second, he could refuse the system and die immediately.

Tang Huai didn’t regret his trip to Mexico. With Tang Wangchun’s abilities, even if he hadn’t come willingly, his granduncle would have found other ways, like hiring mercenaries to drag him here.

The thought amused Tang Huai. Mercenaries… he really was imagining a scene straight out of “The Soldier King in 1970.”

“What’s the purpose of the Grand Island Owner mission?” After a brief silence, Tang Huai continued.

Ten minutes later, Tang Huai had a grasp of the whole situation. The Grand Island Owner system originated from a distant planet called Felstar, a product of advanced civilization and technology. FD730 was the spirit of the chip, an intelligent AI. After millions of years of interstellar travel, it eventually arrived on ancient Earth. FD730 had explored much of the universe, and the completion of the Grand Island Owner mission would allow it to return to Felstar.

Fifty years ago, after a careful selection process, FD730 chose Tang Wangchun as its host.

Tang Wangchun, a soldier by training, was mentally resilient and physically fit—a perfect candidate. The two entered into a contract, and FD730 thought it would complete the mission within ten years. However, it never expected Tang Wangchun to break his promise and use the pretext of building the island to trick the system into giving him two advanced technological products.

Using those high-tech devices, Tang Wangchun became a famous palm oil tycoon in South America. The system could only issue tasks, not enforce punishments arbitrarily. Due to atmospheric damage to the chip, a bug extended the first mission’s time limit to a maximum of fifty years.

Although FD730 was frustrated by Tang Wangchun’s betrayal, there was nothing it could do…

“Rest assured, host, the system can sign a trust agreement with you. As long as the Grand Island Owner mission is completed, the system will automatically disappear. During the mission, the host will also receive rewards from higher planes of existence…” FD730 added after explaining.

“What happens if I refuse? Will you be stuck here forever?” Tang Huai asked instead of responding directly.

“Yes.” FD730 fell silent before responding with difficulty. According to the Grand Island Owner system’s rules, in a small plane like Earth, it could only choose one host or someone with the host’s bloodline.

Tang Huai was the last descendant of the Tang family. If he didn’t agree, FD730 would be trapped on ancient Earth forever. Without a host, the chip would be nothing more than a piece of scrap metal.

Tang Huai needed the system, but the system also needed Tang Huai.

“I accept,” Tang Huai said casually, just as FD730 thought he might refuse.

Tang Huai felt resigned. Faced with immediate death, he figured he might as well try to save himself.

“Ding, system re-integration… Integration successful.

Sole Host: Tang Huai Occupation: [Primary] Island Owner of Sora Island, [Secondary] Owner of Great Tang Fruits. Unlocked Area: Blue Sea Lake, 1/50 Current Task: Live alone on Sora Island for ten days to familiarize yourself with its culture. Inventory: 0 Island Value: 1000 [Initial Reward]”

After accepting the task, the system prompt rang out again, and “host” was replaced by “sole host.”

In front of Tang Huai appeared a cyan-blue 3D interface. Besides the personal panel he had seen earlier, there were various odd icons like “System Store,” “Inventory,” and “My Islanders.” At the center was a large island icon.

Tang Huai clicked on it, and the 3D interface gradually faded, transforming into a large island model. The island was irregularly divided into fifty areas. Aside from Blue Sea Lake, all the other areas were covered in a grey mist. Compared to the rest of the island, Blue Sea Lake was tiny, making up only about 1% of the entire map.

The first task was to live on Sora Island for ten days. On the surface, it didn’t seem too difficult. Tang Huai had already asked: if the task couldn’t be completed for any reason, the host would face punishments ranging from level one to ten.

A level one punishment was something mild, like numbness or temporary silence. The severity would increase with each level, and at level ten, the host would face the punishment for breaking the system’s trust.

The difficulty of the task and the rewards are proportional.

Tang Huai studied the system interface for a while before closing it.

Blue Sea Lake wasn’t very large, probably covering an area of a little over a thousand square meters. Tang Huai looked around and then moved forward. When he saw Tang Wangchun’s statue, his expression turned complicated. He had never met this granduncle, so he had no deep emotional connection. After the recent system binding, whatever lingering respect he had for his elder had completely vanished.

In fact, the only reason he hadn’t kicked the statue was because he was exercising remarkable restraint.

He had already made up his mind: once other visitors arrived on Sora Island, he would hire someone to throw Tang Wangchun’s statue into the Pacific Ocean!

Out of sight, out of mind. After passing by the statue, Tang Huai began contemplating the rules of the Grand Island Owner system.

The system’s tasks mainly relied on upgrading with “Island Cards.” These cards were categorized into Scenery Cards, City Building Cards, Plant Cards, Island Resident Cards, Special Island Resident Cards, and over a hundred other types.

Island cards could be obtained through mission rewards, lucky draws, or direct purchases—similar to a city-building simulation game.

Blue Sea Lake was part of the beginner’s reward. Once Tang Huai acquired more island cards, he could allocate and combine them however he liked.

Tang Huai circled around Blue Sea Lake once, then walked toward the Angel Oak by the lake. There was a wooden house built into the tree, part of the perks that came with Blue Sea Lake.

Tang Huai climbed up the tree trunk. The trunk of the Angel Oak was about as wide as eight people holding hands, with lush, expansive branches that looked like something straight out of a fantasy movie—only even more verdant and magnificent than those in Western fantasy films.

The wooden house wasn’t large, roughly 30 square meters. Inside was a wooden bed, a stone table, and next to the stone table were a stone pot and bowls.

According to FD730, Tang Wangchun had stayed on Sora Island for three days. However, because Tang Wangchun had faced the system’s level ten punishment, his energy was so drained that he couldn’t complete the task. On the third night, his private boat arrived, and he left the island in regret.

In the month following his departure, Tang Wangchun passed away. His wealth and status had been granted by the system, and to mitigate the punishment for breaking his promise, Tang Wangchun had no choice but to donate everything as he approached death. All that was left for Tang Huai was this small island.

Tang Huai walked around the wooden house. Whether it was a trick of the mind or not, he felt as if the air here was several times fresher than outside. After resting for a bit, he decided to go catch a couple of fish by the lake. Now that the system’s timer had started, he needed to live on Sora Island for ten days…

“Huh?” As Tang Huai stepped outside the wooden house, about to climb down, he felt something strange as his right hand brushed against the tree trunk—an empty spot inside.

He knocked twice and confirmed that the inside was indeed hollow.

Tang Huai pulled out an outer piece of wood, revealing a small black metal box hidden within the trunk. He struggled a bit but eventually managed to pull it out. The box was quite new, meaning it had likely been placed there recently.

Tang Huai opened the metal box, finding a piece of brown parchment on top.

“Sorry—”

The parchment was unfolded, and as soon as Tang Huai saw the word “Sorry,” he knew this box had been left by his granduncle.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

Ch 22: Guide to Feeding a Villainous Husband

NEW NOVEL: The World’s Number One Resort

The Shop on Banqiao Street

As the officers continued their questioning, Qin Xia listened closely and managed to piece together the entire story.

It turned out that Liu San’er, who had harbored a grudge ever since being beaten up after harassing Yu Jiuque, had been repeatedly passing by Liubao Street, growing increasingly envious of the Qin family’s thriving business. His jealousy boiled over, leading him to plot against Qin Xia.

The old man spilled everything, revealing that Liu San’er had hired him to buy a sausage and sprinkle croton seed powder on it before feeding it to the child. He also admitted that Liu San’er had promised him a tael of silver as a reward once the deed was done.

The official’s brow furrowed deeply.

“Do you realize how dangerous croton seeds are? Even an adult could be seriously harmed, let alone a child. How could you be so cruel to a child?”

The old man awkwardly replied, “Sir, this child isn’t actually my grandson. He was a beggar that Liu San’er, I mean, Master Liu, found on the street.”

Hu Lao Si, who was standing close to the child, asked, “Kid, where are you from?”

The beggar boy clutched his stomach and shook his head, leaving the old man to nervously explain, “Sir, this child is mute and cannot speak.”

“You really are doing heartless things!”

Had it not been for the presence of the higher official, Hu Lao Si might have kicked the old scoundrel right then and there.

The official in charge, equally enraged, slammed his hand down on the table and immediately ordered Hu Lao Si and the others to go arrest Liu San’er.

Liu San’er was already a frequent guest of the Street Patrol Office, having been involved in numerous street brawls, so no one could even keep track of how many times he had been brought in.

Ordinarily, a common street thug like Liu San’er wouldn’t even need to be brought before the county court; the Street Patrol Office had the authority to deal with him. However, this time, his crimes were more severe—framing the Qin family for selling unclean food, forcing a mute beggar to consume croton seeds, and bribing a physician to falsify testimony and deceive the authorities.

With multiple charges against him, Liu San’er was immediately sent to the county court for trial.

According to the laws of the Dayong Dynasty, Liu San’er, being the main culprit, was sentenced to thirty lashes in court and six months in prison. The two accomplices couldn’t escape punishment either, each receiving twenty solid strokes, which would likely leave them bedridden for at least a month. The physician, Sun Lin, who was originally a resident doctor at the Changji Clinic in the city, was also expelled from the clinic following this incident.

As for the confiscated tools from the food stall, they were all returned to Qin Xia. To retrieve them, however, he first had to sign some documents.

While waiting at the Street Patrol Office, Qin Xia asked a familiar officer, Hu Lao Si, about the fate of the young beggar. Both he and Yu Jiuque had felt a deep sense of compassion for the child, who was so small and unable to express his suffering.

Hu Lao Si replied without hesitation, “You don’t need to worry about that. Old Doctor Xu from Chengyi Hall has decided to take the beggar back to the hall for treatment. Once he recovers, he will be sent to the Ciji Orphanage.”

The Ciji Orphanage, run by the Dayong government, was specifically established to care for homeless infants and young children.

Relieved by this outcome, Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque pushed their cart and left after a short while.

…

The next day, the familiar food stall reappeared in its usual spot after a half-day absence.

Xing Yiming arrived early that day and ordered one of everything. “I came looking for you yesterday to discuss something, but then I heard you’d been taken to the Street Patrol Office. It gave me quite a scare! I wondered who could have been so blind, and it turned out to be that rascal from last time!”

When Xing Yiming learned of the incident, he immediately contacted someone he knew at the yamen to gather information. He intended to help out if anyone tried to harm Qin Xia. However, once he heard that the yamen had already uncovered the truth and cleared the Qin family’s name, he decided there was no need for further action.

As Qin Xia flipped the grilled noodles on the iron plate, he said, “Such a petty person is naturally vindictive. It’s partly our fault for not being cautious enough and falling into his trap.”

Xing Yiming, holding a steaming sausage, took a bite and swallowed it before saying, “That’s not quite right. You can’t always guard against thieves. Besides, when you sell food, you’re bound to run into people with ill intentions. When I was a child, someone once bought pastries from our shop, put rat droppings in them, and then tried to extort money by claiming the food was unclean.”

After finishing the sausage, Xing Yiming tossed the bamboo skewer into the holder on the stall and glanced at the empty space next to them. “Strange, it’s already this late, and the pickle seller next to you still hasn’t set up his stall?”

Qin Xia smiled but didn’t speak, so Yu Jiuque explained, “That man’s pickles grew moldy, and the Street Patrol Office took him away. We’re not sure what happened afterward, but he probably had his license revoked and was fined.”

Xing Yiming smirked and shook his head, saying, “No wonder. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had some connection with that rascal Liu San’er. He got what he deserved.”

Qin Xia had similar thoughts. However, there was no need to delve further into the matter. It was just a minor character, and they might not even recognize him if they saw him again on the street.

After finishing the last grilled noodles, along with the jianbing guozi and a pot of burgers, Qin Xia asked Xing Yiming, “You mentioned you wanted to discuss something yesterday. What was it?”

Xing Yiming slapped his forehead. “Look at me, I almost forgot.”

He took the heavy oil-paper boxes and packages and said, “Didn’t you mention before that you wanted to rent a shop to open a restaurant? Well, I have a brother who owns a few shops in the city, and one of them has just become available. The rent is ten taels a month, and it’s on Banqiao Street. If you’re interested, you can go take a look anytime.”

Qin Xia was surprised, not expecting Xing Yiming to take his casual remark seriously. “Ten taels a month on Banqiao Street—that’s not expensive.”

Because he was interested in renting a shop, Qin Xia had already inquired about the prices of street-facing shops in Qinan County. Banqiao Street was the county’s top “commercial street.” The shops there that could house restaurants generally rented for at least 500 taels, with the highest going up to 800 taels.

For an ordinary family, that was an astronomical figure.

The monthly rent was similarly not cheap. Generally, it cost at least a dozen taels of silver per month. Renting for a few years would almost be enough to buy the property outright. However, even though everyone knew that “buying is better than renting,” those who couldn’t afford to buy still couldn’t manage it. The only ones truly happy were those landlords who had the foresight to buy property early on and now rented it out, making money effortlessly.

Xing Yiming laughed and said, “If it weren’t for this, I wouldn’t have bothered bringing it up with you. The shop is currently a tea house, but they’ll be moving out by the end of the month. There are a few tables and chairs inside, though they’re a bit small—I’m not sure if they’ll be sufficient.”

Knowing that anything Xing Yiming recommended would be of decent quality, Qin Xia said, “Thank you, Shopkeeper Xing, but I don’t have enough money right now.”

Xing Yiming waved his empty hand dismissively. “No worries. The current tenants won’t leave until a month from now, and even after they do, it’s not like the shop will be rented out immediately. If necessary, you can pay part of the rent upfront, and I can help you negotiate the rest.”

Xing Yiming was genuinely eager for Qin Xia to open a restaurant soon. Although he could still enjoy the food now, the stall’s limited offerings and occasional absences due to various reasons frustrated him. He felt like a donkey going in circles at home, eagerly waiting.

After a quick calculation, Qin Xia was somewhat tempted. He quickly agreed with Xing Yiming that after closing the stall today and returning the equipment home, he and Yu Jiuque would visit the shop.

As they watched Xing Yiming leave, Qin Xia felt invigorated. He casually scraped the leftover crumbs off the iron plate and said to Yu Jiuque, “Let’s close the stall early today. Banqiao Street is lively, and there’s a night market after dark. We’ll have dinner outside and then take a stroll.”

They had never experienced something like this before, so Yu Jiuque was delighted and smiled as he nodded.

Around the time of You (late afternoon to early evening), Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque were led by Xing Yiming to Banqiao Street, where they met the shop’s owner, Master Zhao.

The tea house primarily did business during the day, so it was quiet around dinnertime, making it the perfect time for a viewing. The shop had a front room and a backyard setup. The front room wasn’t large, with just enough space to fit two eight-immortal tables on each side, accommodating about twenty people if they squeezed in. With the counter included, there wasn’t much space left.

The second floor was even smaller, with just two rooms, though they were tastefully decorated. The backyard had a kitchen, a woodshed, and three back rooms. The kitchen had two stoves, and the back rooms were currently occupied by the shop’s staff—two people, each with their own room, and one room was empty. When Qin Xia opened the door to the empty room, he found it filled with tea leaves and other goods, used as a storage space.

Though the overall size wasn’t impressive, it was more than adequate for a “small but beautiful” restaurant.

Since the tea house hadn’t officially closed for the night, they didn’t stay long. After leaving, they stood in a nearby alley for a moment.

The first inspection didn’t lead to any decisions; both sides remained noncommittal. After parting ways with Master Zhao, Xing Yiming asked for Qin Xia’s thoughts.

Qin Xia pondered for a moment and said, “The shop is small, but it’s sufficient, and it’s in a prime location on Banqiao Street—there’s really nothing to criticize. If it weren’t for my limited funds and shallow pockets, I’d sign the lease right now.”

Xing Yiming laughed, “Don’t worry about the money. Old Zhao and I have been friends for years. He’ll definitely give you some leeway on my account.”

Qin Xia felt a bit embarrassed. “I can’t just keep troubling you, Shopkeeper Xing.”

Xing Yiming didn’t mind and waved it off, saying, “These are just minor details, nothing to worry about. Like I said, once things are settled, if you want to thank me, just make me some new and interesting dishes!”

Xing Yiming wasn’t the type to exchange too many pleasantries, so after a few casual remarks, he left, still hurrying home for dinner.

This left Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque standing there. Noticing that Qin Xia’s collar was a bit askew, Yu Jiuque reached out to straighten it for him.

A smile briefly flickered on Qin Xia’s lips, then quickly faded, becoming subtle and almost imperceptible.

Yu Jiuque tucked his hands back into his sleeves and glanced at the high-hanging banner of the tea house. The thought that they might one day have the chance to open their own food shop here, with “Qin’s Eatery” written on the banner, made him feel that all the hard work would be worthwhile. However, he also expressed his concerns.

“The rent for this shop is ten taels, and the renovations will easily cost another dozen or so. We only have four or five taels right now, and we still need to set aside money for buying ingredients and daily expenses.”

Looking ahead to the next month, it wouldn’t be difficult to earn ten taels from the stall if all went well, but aiming for over twenty taels seemed a bit ambitious.

Qin Xia didn’t respond immediately but instead looked at Banqiao Street, now illuminated by evening lights. Even the winter chill couldn’t dampen the excitement of the city’s residents, eager to go out and enjoy the festivities as the New Year approached.

He exhaled a breath of white mist, turned to Yu Jiuque, and said, his expression relaxed, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Let’s not worry about those troublesome matters for now. Come on, tonight, let’s take a break and enjoy ourselves.”

Ch 3: The World’s Number One Resort

“I didn’t die, but it’s close enough…” Tang Huai muttered softly. The tsunami had been overwhelming, but his luck had been even greater. Not only had he avoided becoming part of the Pacific, but there wasn’t a single scratch on his body. After carefully checking himself again, Tang Huai found that apart from being completely soaked, he was as healthy as ever.

Tang Huai felt a mix of emotions, unsure if he should consider himself unlucky or fortunate for surviving the tsunami…

He stood up, his waterlogged pants feeling heavy.

Tang Huai reached into his pocket, where his black wallet had swelled from soaking in the water. The thousand dollars inside had been thoroughly soaked, falling apart, and his bank cards were no longer usable.

Thankfully, he had left his passport and visa at the hotel storage; otherwise, he wouldn’t even be able to return to China. But the first step to getting back to China was leaving this island. He had gone down near Clipperton Island, and since he had survived, he must not have drifted far. He wondered if Hank and the others had made it out safely…

They had successfully lowered the sail together, and Captain Reno had plenty of experience. There were many ships passing near Clipperton, so if Tang Huai had survived, Hank and the others should be fine too, right?

As these thoughts ran through his mind, Tang Huai began thinking about his next steps while wringing his clothes half dry.

“It still works!” Tang Huai emptied his pockets. Apart from the black wallet, there was also a pear-brand smartphone. He had been swept into the Pacific in the early morning, and now the sun was high in the sky. He had been submerged for at least eight hours. Without much hope, Tang Huai pressed the power button—and to his surprise, the phone turned on!

He had never heard that pear-brand phones were waterproof. Glancing at the screen, he saw the battery was at 52%, but there was no signal. Emergency numbers like 119 couldn’t be dialed. Disappointed, Tang Huai put the phone away again.

Clipperton Island had a tropical marine climate, with an average annual temperature between 25°C and 28°C and abundant rainfall. By normal logic, this kind of plateau terrain shouldn’t exist, but the valley before him was riddled with ravines, and it seemed as though all the moisture had been sucked out of the land.

Tang Huai stepped barefoot onto the yellow soil. As soon as his foot touched the ground, he quickly pulled it back. The ground was freezing, with temperatures between -3°C and 10°C, while the air above was over 25°C, creating a temperature difference of 30 degrees… What kind of strange terrain was this?

Tang Huai seriously doubted whether this island had any human inhabitants.

If it were truly a deserted island, without food or fresh water, Tang Huai wasn’t sure how long he could survive.

At this point, he could only take things one step at a time.

Tang Huai placed his recently removed shoes on a nearby rock. They were still damp, and when he shook them out, a few small shrimp wriggled out.

Tang Huai: …

The terrain in the valley was bizarre, but the coastline seemed relatively normal. He found a large open space to lie down and placed his shoes upside down beside him. As the sea breeze blew gently, Tang Huai couldn’t shake the feeling that the day’s events were just too surreal.

Strictly speaking, the strangeness had begun the moment he inherited that unbelievable estate.

After an hour of basking in the sea breeze, Tang Huai’s clothes and shoes were mostly dry, so he put his shoes back on. He had been in the water, then exposed to the wind, yet his body felt perfectly fine.

Tang Huai couldn’t help but give himself some credit. Back in Shengze, he hadn’t realized his physical condition was this good.

With his shoes back on, he stepped onto the yellow soil again. The ground was slightly cool underfoot, but still within tolerable limits. After adjusting to the sensation, Tang Huai began making his way toward the top of the valley.

Tang Huai didn’t have a specific destination in mind, but staying here was not an option.

While sunbathing earlier, he had already made up his mind: first, see if there were any tourists on the island. If there weren’t, he would try to build an “SOS” signal at the highest point and start a fire using friction… hopefully, a passing ship or plane would notice.

His emotions were mixed. The valley in front of him wasn’t too tall, with a vertical height of about 800 meters. After hiking for three hours, Tang Huai finally reached the top of the valley just before sunset.

As he reached the summit, Tang Huai once again realized something different about himself.

In the past, he had hiked numerous famous mountains. Even with a smaller hill of 300 meters, he would usually have to stop and catch his breath several times. But this time… he climbed the whole way without a break.

Feeling his body, Tang Huai didn’t even feel tired. He stomped his foot—if not for the cool sensation underfoot, he would have suspected that his body had been modified by some oceanic creature.

Looking around, the scene was similar to what he had seen from below: endless ravines and valleys. Aside from the dark brown hills, there wasn’t a trace of greenery in sight.

The power of nature was immense.

…

Ahead of him was an even taller dark brown mountain, towering at about 1,000 meters. Perhaps he had been too focused on the path earlier, as Tang Huai hadn’t noticed it before.

Estimating the time, Tang Huai took a deep breath and began walking toward the mountain.

Each mountain was higher than the last, and Tang Huai could only hope there wouldn’t be another even taller one beyond this one…

With the previous climb under his belt, Tang Huai managed to reach the peak in just two hours. By now, the sun was setting, merging with the ocean to form a rust-colored scene. Standing at the top, he had a clear view of this stunning sight, but he wasn’t in the mood to admire it. Before him was an even more striking scene.

Below the mountain, directly opposite the setting sun, lay a crystal-clear lake, its water a vibrant blue. The entire lake was transparent, and the scene at the bottom was clearly visible. A few red koi swam leisurely within it. Standing at over 1,000 meters high, Tang Huai could still see the lake bottom?!

Tang Huai had always been calm, but at this moment, he had to admit he was encountering something supernatural. A faint breeze brushed past, causing him to quickly turn around. As the sun set, a black curtain seemed to sweep in from the ocean toward the island, rapidly engulfing the direction from which he had come.

Yet, the lake before him remained a brilliant blue.

The lake wasn’t large, and surrounding it were vibrant Dragon Blood Trees, fairy-like Angel Oaks, and eerie Dark Hedges… Trees from various parts of the world gathered here in a strange but harmonious way. Combined with the blue lake, it looked like a paradise.

But Tang Huai didn’t feel like he was in paradise. Instead, his scalp tingled.

He wanted to go back, but night had quickly fallen, and the path behind him was now shrouded in darkness. His phone still had 52% battery, but the coast at night might not be safe.

After thinking it over, Tang Huai headed toward the lake. Alone and having come this far, he had no choice but to continue.

The lake sat at the foot of the mountain. After another hour of descending, Tang Huai finally arrived at the lake’s edge.

The blue lake was encircled by trees, with a total area about the size of a small garden. Apart from the green trees, there were no animals, birds, or flowers—just an overwhelming sense of greenery.

Carefully moving through the forest, Tang Huai approached the lake. Up close, the lake was just as clear and calm as it had been from the mountain top.

Tang Huai froze for a moment. Besides the blue lake, he also saw something unexpected.

In the open area between the lake and the forest stood a human-sized statue. The statue depicted an old man, around seventy years old, wearing a wide-brimmed, high-crowned felt hat, multi-pocket jeans, and cowboy boots with spurs… The overall look resembled a western cowboy, though there were slight differences in the clothing details.

The entire statue was a deep bronze color, incredibly lifelike.

Upon seeing the statue, Tang Huai stood still, his expression turning peculiar.

The figure depicted on the statue was none other than his granduncle, Tang Wangchun. Although Tang Huai had never met him in person, he had been frequently looking at photos of Tang Wangchun recently. Compared to the photos, the statue of Tang Wangchun appeared full of vigor, like a sprightly old man.

In the statue, Tang Wangchun held a book in one hand and a hoe in the other, his pose both strange and animated.

There were a few white spots on Tang Wangchun’s hat. Out of respect for his elders, Tang Huai used his sleeve to wipe them away.

Once the spots were gone, three large, flowing characters appeared underneath, spelling out “Sora Island.”

“Ding, system unlocking… 37%, 62%, 85%… Unlock complete, mission update.”

Host Name: Tang Huai Age: 21 years

Occupation: [Primary] Island Owner of Sora Island, [Secondary] Owner of Great Tang Fruits.
Unlocked Area: Blue Sea Lake, 1/50.

Current Task: Live alone on Sora Island for ten days to familiarize yourself with the island’s culture.

Task Progress: 0.002%

Task Reward: Unknown

Newcomer Benefits: Holistic understanding, physical enhancement.”

Before Tang Huai could process what was happening, a string of cold system prompts echoed in his mind.

Tang Huai: … He must be hallucinating.

“Ding, system mission has been issued. Please claim it promptly.” The voice came again.

“Who are you?” Tang Huai asked once more. Suddenly, he remembered hearing a similar voice when he had fallen into the water.

“Welcome to the Grand Island Owner System. I am FD730, your personal assistant.” The voice responded.

Tang Huai realized he wasn’t hallucinating.

“I refuse,” Tang Huai said, frowning.

Outwardly, he appeared calm, but inside, he was highly alert. The intensely green forest, the brilliant blue lake, and the statue of Tang Wangchun… Having grown up under the red flag for 21 years, everything he had experienced today was shattering his worldview. Whether it was the system or the title of “Grand Island Owner,” Tang Huai knew he had to leave this place.

“Refusal will result in execution by the Pacific Ocean.” FD730 stated precisely. Though the voice was calm, Tang Huai’s pupils shrank slightly at the word “execution.” From the markings on the statue and the label on the hat, it was clear that this island was indeed Sora Island.

Sora Island was over 500 nautical miles from where he had fallen into the water—roughly the distance from Beijing to Luohe.

By any normal reasoning, he shouldn’t have survived the shipwreck.

“Host, the ultimate goal of the Grand Island Owner System is to assist you in building a world-class ocean resort island…” FD730 continued to explain the mission rules, paying no attention to Tang Huai’s reaction.

Tang Huai steadied himself and didn’t interrupt.

Half an hour later, Tang Huai had a clear understanding of the mission’s structure. Additionally, he now knew the reason why he had become the “chosen one” of the system. After the system finished explaining, Tang Huai looked at the statue of Tang Wangchun with a complicated expression. It was clear that his granduncle Tang Wangchun had played a key role in these events that had dramatically changed his life.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

Ch 2: The World’s Number One Resort

“Tang.” Upon seeing Tang Huai, Hank put down the newspaper and stood up to greet him. Tang Huai nodded, and the two checked the necessary items before heading to the City Hall.

A gentle breeze blew as their red Ford drove past the solemn and majestic Constitution Square, and before long, they arrived at Mexico City Hall.

Tang Huai and Hank got out of the car. There were many tourists with cameras around the City Hall, and Tang Huai even spotted a few Asian faces. Hank went to the security office and spoke in Spanish. Shortly after, Hank gestured to Tang Huai. Tang Huai took out his visa and passport. After everything was verified, they were led by security into the office hall.

Inside the hall sat a middle-aged man in his fifties, dressed in a dark uniform. After Hank explained the purpose of their visit, the man efficiently handled the island transfer.

Verifying the will, signing and stamping, copying documents… the entire process took only an hour.

After carefully putting away the documents, Tang Huai looked at the small brown booklet in his hand. His previous temporary visa had now been converted into a permanent one—one of the benefits of his inheritance.

“Congratulations, you can now officially establish your own country,” Hank said with a wink as they walked out of the City Hall.

Tang Huai smiled. Sora Island was now entirely his, and technically speaking, he could establish a country. However, establishing a country required more than just land; it needed an army, a government, a constitution, and a declaration of independence to the world. Tang Huai had only fulfilled the first step. Plus, establishing a new country could trigger legal disputes and even military actions.

Tang Huai was just a fruit store owner and had no ambitions of founding a nation. He knew Hank was joking.

After exchanging a few jokes with Hank, the two set off in the direction of Guerrero.

Three hours later, they arrived at a small port called Fede.

The port was rather chaotic, with many shirtless workers unloading goods. The containers at the port gave off a strong fishy smell, as the port mainly dealt with seafood transportation.

Following the damp sea breeze, the two weaved their way through the port and arrived in front of a fishing boat.

A muscular man in a gray tank top stood on the boat, loudly giving instructions. At his feet were wet fishing nets and a few sardines flopping around.

Hank walked over, speaking fluently in Spanish. The muscular man glanced at Tang Huai with curiosity as they talked.

Tang Huai felt a bit helpless; the language barrier was truly frustrating.

“Tang, this is Captain Reno. He’s made all the preparations, and we can set sail now,” Hank said after a moment.

“This fishing boat… is it okay?” Tang Huai asked, choosing his words carefully.

The fishing boat in front of him was about ten meters long, with three levels—upper, middle, and lower. The boat looked old, with yellowing and peeling paint. It appeared to be at least twenty years old, and there were fish scales and nets scattered across the deck.

Tang Huai had serious doubts about whether this fishing boat could survive five days on the Pacific Ocean. After all, the distance from Mexico to Sora Island was around 2,000 nautical miles, equivalent to the distance from Mohe to Chongqing.

“Captain Reno has thirty years of sailing experience. This boat has made round trips to Hawaii with him. He’s in need of a large sum of money, which is why he took this job… Tang, Sora Island is not on any established shipping routes, and large ships rarely pass through there,” Hank explained.

There were many boats in Guerrero, but they all followed fixed routes. If Tang Huai wanted to reach Sora Island, he could only rely on small, privately-owned fishing boats like this one.

“Alright,” Tang Huai said reluctantly after thinking it over. At this point, he had no choice but to take things one step at a time. His trip to Mexico had already cost him 200,000 yuan, and backing out now would mean wasting all the preparation of the past few days.

He could only hope Captain Reno’s sailing experience would see them through.

The group bought some bread, compressed biscuits, mineral water, and other essentials near the port. After all the preparations were complete, at 3 p.m. Mexico time, the Storm set sail.

The Storm is the name of the fishing boat, symbolizing fearlessness in the face of storms and the conquest of the ocean. Aside from Captain Reno, the crew consisted of a helmsman, three sailors, and a repairman. Reno himself took on multiple roles, including captain, head chef, and chief engineer.

The Storm is divided into three levels. The lower level is the sleeping area, the middle level houses the cockpit, living room, kitchen, and deck, while the upper level consists of the lookout and bridge.

As the salty sea breeze blew by, Tang Huai stood on the deck, taking in the vast, endless blue ocean. It was his first time seeing the sea.

“Care for one?” Hank leisurely approached with a can of beer in hand.

“No, thanks.” Hank leaned on the railing and handed Tang Huai a white pill. Tang Huai glanced at it and politely declined with a smile.

It was seasickness medication, a necessity for seafaring.

Tang Huai was surprised by his resilience—he hadn’t gotten seasick, nor had he experienced motion sickness on the plane.

“Reno is a great navigator. My dream is to lead my own fleet across the Atlantic, just like him,” Hank said with a shrug, opening his beer and speaking wistfully.

Tang Huai nodded. Over the past two days, he had learned that Hank was born in Oaxaca, Mexico, and had graduated from the University of Washington. His family had been fishermen for generations. After graduating, Hank gave up a high-paying job in New York and returned home… to fish.

Hank’s life philosophy wasn’t easy to understand, not just in China but even in Mexico. He’d had many arguments with his family over his choice to pursue fishing, but he was fearless in his pursuit.

Hank’s family wasn’t wealthy, and building a fleet was no easy task. So Hank made a living by fishing and doing translation work.

Hank loved the sea.

After chatting for a while, they returned to the cabins to rest. Over the next three days, they spent their time aboard the Storm. At first, Tang Huai enjoyed watching the sea from the deck, but he quickly grew bored.

Compared to the endless ocean, lying in bed reading a magazine was far more entertaining. If his phone had a signal, he’d have posted on social media.

…

Tang Huai’s first adventure at sea passed uneventfully.

“Beep beep, beep beep…” On the fourth day, early in the morning, Tang Huai was jolted awake by a loud alarm. On top of that, he felt the fishing boat shaking violently.

“What’s going on?” Tang Huai hurriedly threw on a coat and rushed to the deck. The temperature difference between day and night on the sea was significant, and the Pacific Ocean at 3 or 4 a.m. was cold.

The deck was in chaos. Tang Huai’s pupils contracted when he saw the scene before him. In the distance, layer upon layer of waves were crashing in. Around the boat, countless fish were leaping out of the water.

The wind howled, and Tang Huai felt as if the sea breeze had become even saltier.

“It could be a tsunami! Damn, there was no warning!” Hank cursed, his hair disheveled, as he took in the scene before them.

The Storm had just passed Clipperton Island, and they were still more than 500 nautical miles away from Sora Island. If nothing went wrong, they would have reached it by tomorrow evening. But now, at this critical moment, they had encountered a tsunami!

There were eight people aboard the Storm. Amidst the chaos, everyone gathered in the cockpit.

Inside the cockpit, Captain Reno was sternly steering the boat. Various modern instruments—such as the radar, weather fax, and navigation system—were all emitting continuous warnings. As the group approached, Reno barked orders in Spanish.

Although Tang Huai couldn’t understand what was being said, it was clear that the situation was dire. He glanced around the cockpit and saw that the compass was spinning wildly.

This was a bad sign.

“Tang, it’s definitely a tsunami. An unexpected one with no warning…” Hank turned to Tang Huai after two minutes, speaking seriously. With today’s advanced technology, ocean disasters like tsunamis, rogue waves, and storm surges are usually detected in advance.

Although the Storm was a small fishing boat, it was equipped with all the necessary detection gear. Yet this time, there had been no warning signs whatsoever.

After Captain Reno gave some further instructions to the crew, Hank and the sailors ran outside. The automatic sail control was broken, so they had to manually lower the sails.

With a pipe in his mouth, Reno continued to solemnly operate the controls.

Tang Huai looked around and realized that in the face of this sudden disaster, he had become somewhat useless.

The ocean’s surface churned violently, and the ship tilted by 30 degrees. The sail seemed stuck, and the crew was struggling. Gritting his teeth, Tang Huai ran toward the sails.

If the sails couldn’t be lowered, they’d all end up in the ocean.

The second-level deck had already taken on a lot of water, soaking Tang Huai’s pants. Another wave crashed over, leaving half of him drenched. In the midst of the boat’s rocking, Tang Huai finally reached the sails.

Standing next to a crew member, Tang Huai mimicked their actions, pulling the ropes attached to the mast. His hands were quickly blistered, but he didn’t have time to worry about it. Another wave hit, and the ship tilted even more. Everyone gritted their teeth and kept working together until, at last, the sails were lowered.

“Tang, we should grab life vests… Tang!” The boat stabilized, and the crew breathed a sigh of relief. Hank turned around, about to say something, but his tone suddenly became urgent.

Tang Huai looked in Hank’s direction, following his gaze instinctively. After the recent commotion, Tang Huai had ended up standing at the edge of the boat. The railing was loose, and at that moment, a massive wave came crashing down without warning. Under the force of the wave, Tang Huai was swept overboard.

Hank reached out, trying to grab him, but missed.

Tang Huai thought, …As expected, there’s no such thing as a free lunch.

That was his last thought before losing consciousness.

…

[Ding, system update in progress. Body status: normal, identity: normal, fusion rate: normal…]

[35%, 62%, 86%… Update complete.]

Tang Huai was awakened by a cold, mechanical voice. His mind was hazy, and his body felt endlessly heavy and soaked. He wanted to raise his hand, but had no strength.

He didn’t know how much time had passed before his consciousness fully returned. Tang Huai opened his eyes, and a blinding ray of sunlight hit him. He squinted. The waves were gone, the storm was gone, the boat was gone.

Turning his head slightly, Tang Huai found himself locking eyes with a palm-sized black crab.

Tang Huai: …

With great difficulty, Tang Huai sat up, feeling that if he didn’t, the crab’s pincers would soon get a little too close for comfort.

After sitting up, Tang Huai surveyed his surroundings. He was now on a long, sandy shoreline. In front of him stretched a calm, mirror-like sea. Behind him was a jagged valley, with a dark, eerie atmosphere. The terrain behind him reminded him of China’s Loess Plateau—deeply eroded ravines and not a hint of greenery.

This was the landscape Tang Huai could see. As for what lay beyond the valley… that was unknown.

The soil of the valley was a deep brown, running from the coastline inward. The dark valley contrasted sharply with the bright blue sea in front of him, creating a striking and powerful visual.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

Ch 1: The World’s Number One Resort

“Tang Huai, 21 years old, from Yunlai Village, Shengze City, Huning Province, currently residing in Shengze. Owner of the Great Tang Fruit Store… Mr. Tang, this is your information, is everything correct?”

“Yes.”

“Great. The information has been verified, and here are the details of Sora Island. As long as you complete the inheritance procedures at the City Hall in Mexico City, you can officially take over Sora Island. Do you have any questions?”

“Just one… Did I really inherit an island?”

“Yes, Mr. Tang.”

…

Tang Huai walked out of Zhongtian Law Firm holding a thick stack of documents. The July sunlight was a bit blinding, and as he looked up, his expression became slightly dazed. Did he really just inherit an overseas island?

Tang Huai is the owner of the Great Tang Fruit Store. After graduating from university, he opened a fruit supermarket in Shengze City, specializing in high-end fruits. While he didn’t have the impressive title of working for a Fortune 500 company or a government office like his classmates, he still made a monthly profit of 20,000 to 30,000 yuan. Life was going pretty well.

Three days ago, he received an overseas call informing him that his granduncle had passed away. Tang Huai found it amusing at first, thinking it was just another scam call with an elaborate story. He hung up immediately. Then… a group of bodyguards in black suits and lawyers showed up at his home.

Looking at the English documents, Tang Huai finally understood that his granduncle had indeed passed away.

Tang Huai had a granduncle, five years younger than his grandfather. When his grandfather was younger, he had often talked about his brother, whose real name was Tang Wangchun. He had a wild nature, fought in the Vietnam War, and then ventured overseas to South America to make a life for himself. During the ’80s and ’90s, international communication wasn’t well-developed, so Tang Wangchun sent two letters to the family, and after that, all contact was lost. When Tang Huai’s grandfather passed away, he still felt regret, never knowing whether his brother was alive or dead.

Looking at Tang Wangchun’s old photograph, Tang Huai confirmed it was the same as the family photo his grandfather had.

Tang Huai felt a bit emotional. If his grandfather were still alive, he would have been thrilled.

Tang Wangchun only had his brother, Tang Huai’s grandfather, and no children of his own. Tang Huai’s parents had passed away in a car accident a few years ago, leaving Tang Huai as the last of his line. Tang Wangchun made a small fortune in South America from the palm oil business. In his final days, he wrote a will, leaving all his wealth to international charities. The only thing he left for Tang Huai was a small island he had purchased on the eastern Pacific coast years ago.

Tang Huai checked the world map and saw that the island mentioned in the will was about 2,300 nautical miles from Mexico, near coordinates (10°N, 120°W). The island, called Sora Island, didn’t even appear as a dot on the map. Judging by the coordinates, Sora Island is located in the central eastern Pacific Ocean, truly in the middle of nowhere.

However, since it was something left to him by Tang Wangchun, Tang Huai didn’t see any reason to refuse. He hired a team from Zhongtian Law Firm to confirm the validity of the will and then signed the documents.

Sora Island is privately owned and protected under international property law. As long as Tang Huai is willing, he could pass it down for hundreds or even thousands of years without any issues. Now that the documents were signed, all Tang Huai needed to do was go to Mexico’s City Hall to complete the transfer, and he would officially become the island’s rightful owner.

Even though he had no idea what Sora Island looked like, being the owner of a private island sounded pretty cool.

Tang Huai got into the car, thought for a moment, and pulled out his phone.

@GreatTangFruits: “I’ve inherited a Pacific island! Fresh tropical fruits will be directly supplied soon, and pre-orders are now open. 😳😳”

Tang Huai posted on Weibo. @GreatTangFruits was a Weibo account he had registered earlier in the year. He occasionally posted fruit promotions from his Great Tang Fruit Store there, and he had a few hundred scattered followers, mostly locals from Shengze City.

“Old Tang’s fruit business is really booming, and now he even has his own island!” Five minutes after posting, his phone chimed with a notification.

Tang Huai glanced at it. The comment was from @YimaPingchuan, his college buddy Ma Chuan, who now worked at the tax bureau in the neighboring city.

Tang Huai had once had an embarrassing moment when he first registered his Weibo. He signed up with his phone number and accidentally clicked on ‘sync contacts’ right after. As a result, all 200 people in his contact list found out about it. Tang Huai was a bit embarrassed. That day, several unfamiliar Weibo accounts followed him, including Ma Chuan.

“I really did inherit an island, in the eastern Pacific Ocean.” Tang Huai, shaking off his awkward memory, steadied himself and replied with a smile.

“You’re bluffing. 😒😒” Thirty seconds later, another message came in with a character and two emojis.

Tang Huai chuckled. Inheriting an island… It wasn’t just Ma Chuan; even Tang Huai himself found it hard to believe. After exchanging a few jokes with Ma Chuan, Tang Huai hung his phone back onto the car mount.

As he approached the traffic light, Tang Huai planned to head toward his apartment. After thinking for a moment, he turned and headed east instead.

Yuhai Garden was a large residential complex in the southern district of Shengze, and one of the most expensive areas in the city. The complex housed over 5,000 units, with an occupancy rate of 85%. Compared to the high occupancy of Yuhai Garden, the supporting facilities around it were still incomplete. A high-speed railway station was being built in the northern area of Yuhai, and it would take about three years for the entire community to be fully developed.

Tang Huai’s fruit store was located on the ground floor of the southern area of Yuhai. It was a commercial property that Tang Huai’s parents had bought five years ago using all their assets. Back then, Yuhai Garden had just laid its foundation, and many people were hesitant. Tang Huai’s parents, however, had quite the investment foresight.

After arriving at the southern area of Yuhai, Tang Huai parked his car in the lot across from the shop. The car was a niche brand he bought last year, costing over 80,000 yuan, sturdy and reliable, and Tang Huai enjoyed driving it.

After getting out of the car, he glanced across the street. Among the chain stores like “Happy Sheep Supermarket” and “Spicy Chicken Stew,” the green sign of “Great Tang Fruits” stood out.

Great Tang Fruits covered more than 100 square meters, with grand and elegant décor, specializing in high-end fruits like horned melon and jackfruit. Tang Huai was strict about fruit quality, and now that he had added group delivery services and frequently introduced new fruit platters, the store’s prices were a bit higher than average. However, the quality was unmatched. The local residents didn’t mind paying more, and after visiting Great Tang Fruits a few times, they became loyal customers.

…

“Boss.” As Tang Huai entered the shop, a young man in his twenties, who had been playing on his phone, quickly stood up when he saw him.

“Where’s Du Yueyue?” Tang Huai asked as he looked around.

Great Tang Fruits had two employees. Zhao Xingkai, who was hired when the shop opened, was responsible for stocking, unloading, and cashier duties. He was honest and dependable. Du Yueyue was the daughter of Tang Huai’s maternal uncle. After graduating from vocational school, she had been idle, much to her family’s concern. When they learned that Tang Huai had opened a store in the city, they sent noodles and eggs as gifts, hoping to secure a job for Du Yueyue.

Tang Huai didn’t accept the gifts, but out of consideration for family ties, he arranged for Du Yueyue to work in the store organizing the shelves.

While Zhao Xingkai was dependable and straightforward, Du Yueyue was a bit restless and cunning. Tang Huai wasn’t too pleased with her, but since she hadn’t made any serious mistakes at work and given the favor owed to his uncle, he didn’t say much, only occasionally giving her some warnings.

Zhao Xingkai and Du Yueyue alternated days off, each having four days off a month. Du Yueyue had already used all her leave days at the beginning of the month, so it wasn’t her scheduled day off now.

“She had a friend come by, so she went out this afternoon,” Zhao Xingkai scratched his head and replied. Usually, Tang Huai didn’t visit the shop in the afternoons. When Du Yueyue left, she had told him not to report her absence. Zhao Xingkai wasn’t sure what to do, and now, unexpectedly, Tang Huai had come back…

“Have her fill out a half-day leave form,” Tang Huai frowned. It seemed like the next time he visited his hometown, he would have to discuss Du Yueyue’s behavior with his uncle.

Zhao Xingkai responded. Tang Huai, despite his young age, had a mature demeanor, possibly due to becoming independent early. Although Zhao Xingkai was three years older than Tang Huai, he still felt a bit intimidated by him at times.

Unaware of Zhao Xingkai’s thoughts, Tang Huai did a quick round through the Great Tang Fruit Store before driving away.

Tang Huai lived in a place called Zijin Apartments, about a 20-minute drive from Yuhai Garden, with relatively convenient transportation. After returning home, he freshened up briefly and then turned on his computer.

He opened the cloud map, but it didn’t show the exact location or any details about Sora Island. The inheritance documents contained no photos, only a set of coordinates. After some thought, Tang Huai began reviewing the process for obtaining a Mexican visa.

Given Tang Huai’s special circumstances and the invitation from the Mexican legal team, the process went smoothly… A week later, Tang Huai received his visa and passport.

During that time, Tang Huai visited the fruit store twice, and this time Du Yueyue didn’t skip work. Upon seeing Tang Huai, she explained and promised not to skip work again, subtly hinting that she hoped he would cancel her leave request. With her big eyes, round cheeks, and petite figure, her playful appeal boosted her appearance from a six to an eight.

Tang Huai remained indifferent.

Shengze City was a small inland city where the average salary was around 3,000 yuan. Tang Huai paid both employees a base salary of 3,500 yuan, which wasn’t bad for the local retail industry.

Tang Huai wasn’t a philanthropist, and Du Yueyue’s unapproved absence would be unacceptable anywhere.

Seeing that her charms weren’t working on Tang Huai, Du Yueyue eventually gave up in frustration, accepting that she’d lost half a day’s pay.

Tang Huai paid no attention to her sulking. After giving some work instructions to Zhao Xingkai, he took the high-speed train to Beijing.

Tang Huai needed to be away for a week, as the heir to Sora Island, it was time to see the island for himself.

…

Beijing and Mexico City had a 13-hour time difference. At 10 a.m. in Mexico, Tang Huai finally arrived in Mexico City. He had slept for 16 hours on the plane, so he felt refreshed when he got off.

Tang Huai was in good health, so jet lag and any discomfort from the climate were not an issue.

Following the crowd off the plane, he looked around curiously. Mexico City had a tropical climate, and most of the tourists around him were blonde, blue-eyed, dressed in sunglasses and short sleeves, exuding a trendy vibe.

“Tang!” As Tang Huai stepped out of the airport, a blond man in his thirties was holding up a welcome sign and enthusiastically called out.

“Hank.” Tang Huai put down his suitcase and gave the man a big hug.

The man’s full name was Hank Smith. He was a Chinese translator, and Tang Huai had met him once when he signed the previous documents. Tang Huai’s English was average, so venturing alone to Mexico required some preparation in advance.

“I’ve already booked the hotel. We’ll rest for the night and go to City Hall tomorrow for the handover. In the afternoon, we can head to Puerto Guerrero to set sail. Let me mention this in advance: there’s currently no short-distance flight route to Guerrero or Sora Island. There isn’t one now, and there might not be one in the future either…”

“If it weren’t for being involved in this inheritance, I wouldn’t have heard of Sora Island either. I’ve arranged a private boat for you. If there’s no storm surge, it should take about five days to get there,” Hank said seriously as he took Tang Huai’s suitcase.

Hank’s main profession was fishing, and translating was something he did on the side. There were plenty of islands, big and small, in the Pacific Ocean. Some of these islands were part of a country, while others remained undiscovered. In recent years, there had been a growing interest in buying islands, with many celebrities and wealthy businessmen purchasing islands in the Pacific and Atlantic. However, due to the oceanic climate and transportation challenges, these islands were often unsuitable for permanent residence. Most buyers just enjoyed the idea of owning one.

Hank had translated for many Chinese businesspeople before. Compared to them, Tang Huai was as ordinary as they come.

However, Hank had a strong sense of professionalism. Since he had accepted Tang Huai’s tip, he was determined to offer excellent service.

The hotel Hank had booked for Tang Huai was called the Guerrero Hotel, costing $100 per night—budget-friendly and within Tang Huai’s budget. After some casual conversation, they headed toward the hotel.

…

A gentle breeze blew as Tang Huai looked out the window. Mexican boys were skillfully showing off their soccer moves under the bright sun. He passed the towering, majestic Mexico City Cathedral and saw street performers wearing sombreros and playing the saxophone… As they drove through the streets of Mexico City, Tang Huai finally felt the reality of being in a foreign land.

Half an hour later, Tang Huai and Hank arrived at the Guerrero Hotel. After checking in, Tang Huai lay down on the latex mattress of the hotel bed.

With the curtains drawn and the door shut, silence enveloped Tang Huai.

Staring at the pale-white ceiling, Tang Huai still felt a sense of unreality. Just a day ago, he was in Shengze City, and now, a day later, he found himself 20,000 miles away in a foreign country.

Tang Huai took out the documents about Sora Island. There was a version in Chinese and one in English. The entire file was two inches thick. During this time, Tang Huai had thought things through. While the title of “Grand Island Owner” sounded grand, Sora Island was located far away in the eastern Pacific, out of sight and out of reach. This trip was mainly for him to inspect the island, take some photos, and assess its value.

Sora Island covered an area of 1,000 square kilometers, about one-sixteenth the size of Hawaii. Tang Huai had done some research, and if the island was as described in the documents, its starting price should be around 100 million dollars.

A hundred million… Even selling it for half that would be great.

Thinking of this, Tang Huai felt a surge of excitement and anticipation. He planned to contact an auction house as soon as he returned to China. However, one thing puzzled him—1,000 square kilometers wasn’t small, so why wasn’t there any information about it online or in geographical magazines?

The will was real, the documents were real. Tang Huai could only suppress his curiosity for now.

With that mix of curiosity and anticipation, Tang Huai soon drifted off to sleep.

He had a good night’s rest.

The next day, Tang Huai freshened up and headed downstairs. Hank was waiting for him, eating a sandwich and flipping through a newspaper.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️