NOVPUBUntil he stepped onto this cruise ship that resembled a fortress on the sea, Old Man Zhang’s still-active-for-his-age brain couldn’t quite wrap around the logic of "the rental fee for the world’s largest cruise ship is too expensive, so we might as well buy it outright."
But as soon as he entered the room assigned to him, he quickly stopped pondering that logic.
This room… was enormous.
It even had its own bathroom, dining area, and every feature a proper house should have.
If he’d never been on a ship before, he might have just marveled at the sheer size. But Old Man Zhang had sailed before—he knew what ordinary sea vessels were like.
In his initial expectations, given the ticket price, a room of even ten square meters would have been considered quite decent.
After all, on a cruise ship, every inch of space costs money.
Yet here he was, standing before this massive room that was practically the size of his own home—at least 130 square meters!
Old Man Zhang: "…"
He looked down at the ticket in his hand again, half-convinced he was still dreaming.
Did this ticket price really entitle him to all this?
"Is this huge room really just for me?"
The staff member who had escorted him looked puzzled. "This is a family suite. Didn’t you come with a relative?"
Old Man Zhang was equally confused. "Family suite?"
"Due to the size of the rooms on the Starlight, we only assign them to families traveling together. When we processed your reservation, we confirmed this in advance. According to our records, this room is shared by you and your son, Zhang Hua. Didn’t you discuss this with your family?"
Old Man Zhang froze for a second, suddenly recalling the barely suppressed smirk on his son’s face before the trip.
The staff member kindly added, "The ship is quite large. If you’d like to explore, you can refer to the guidebook and map on the table."
But Old Man Zhang’s mind was already flooded with thoughts of That little rascal, I knew he was up to something! He had no attention left for any guidebook.
…Well, maybe just a glance. After all, he’d be stuck here for ten days—might as well get familiar with the place.
Two hours later—
Zhang Hua, having successfully tricked his father onto the ship, finally boarded as well. He crept to the door, braced himself for a few seconds, then pushed his luggage forward with a look of grim determination.
"Dad! I’m here! Go ahead, yell at me!"
—Silence.
Zhang Hua: "? Dad??"
He opened his eyes to find his father sitting on the sofa, engrossed in a thick booklet, completely oblivious to his arrival.
Zhang Hua: "…What are you reading so intently…?"
Old Man Zhang, who two hours ago had been mentally rehearsing a scolding, reluctantly tore his gaze away from the pages and shot him a dismissive glance.
"You’re here, so just settle in. Stop making noise—I’m trying to read."
Zhang Hua: "…"
The entire journey, he’d been strategizing how to smooth things over—whether to play the emotional card ("I just wanted you to relax!") or the shameless one ("Yell all you want, we’re stuck here anyway").
Yet here was his dad, too absorbed in some brochure to even acknowledge him.
Growing up in a single-parent household, Zhang Hua had an innate craving for his father’s attention. Grumbling under his breath, he walked over, ready to criticize the booklet—only to be immediately distracted by the photos inside.
"Holy—this ship has a swimming pool?! And a shopping street?? Wait, is that a golf course?!"
"Ow! Dad, stop hitting me! Fine, I won’t say ‘holy’ anymore!"
The Zhang father-son duo weren’t the only ones in shock.
Among the equally stunned was the current owner of this cruise ship: Sheng Quan.
"Golf course, movie theater, shopping street, library, amusement park, climbing wall, hot springs, sauna…"
It was practically a floating city.
Honestly, it paired quite well with the already well-equipped "entertainment island," Kara Island.
Sheng Quan: [006, your prize draws are getting more and more outrageous.]
006 was quite pleased by its host’s praise: [Host, as long as you’re happy! It’s all thanks to your diligent support of those you sponsor that the prize pool keeps expanding!]
Sheng Quan knew this well. As her career achievements grew, so did the value of the prizes.
First, she’d drawn Kara Island—and now, the world’s largest luxury cruise ship.
Of course, its value couldn’t compare to Kara Island, but the mere ability to purchase it was a statement in itself.
Now, the world knew that acquiring the largest private island wasn’t enough for Sheng Quan—she’d gone ahead and bought the largest luxury cruise ship too.
And she’d bought it… just to transport concertgoers.
The sheer audacity left people speechless.
While she was still browsing the ship’s features, calls were already flooding the company that had built it.
For years, this cruise line had taken immense pride in constructing the world’s largest luxury vessel, treating it as their crowning glory.
"What did she offer you to make you sell your company’s flagship?"
The cruise company’s chairman leaned back in his plush office chair. "Money, my dear friend. Just money."
"She offered 10.8 billion yuan. Tell me, under what circumstances would I refuse to sell the Voyager? Oh, wait—it’s been renamed the Starlight now. Nice name."
The caller: "10.8 billion…"
Many in the world could afford that sum, but as always, few would spend such an amount on a single cruise ship.
Sheng Quan splurging on a luxury vessel was one thing—but then using it not for elite gatherings, but as a mere transport for ordinary concert attendees?
10.8 billion—a figure that would make most wealthy people’s hearts skip a beat—seemed like pocket change to her, as casually spent as buying a toy.
"So… will you be attending that concert?"
After a full thirty seconds of mental calculations, the caller finally asked, "You know if we go, it’ll be seen as endorsing Starlight."
"She’s our company’s greatest partner. If she’s throwing a concert, I’ll be there. If she wants to slide down a cliff, I’ll bring the sled."
Whether the chairman had always felt this way was unknown, but after selling the ship, he’d instantly become Sheng Quan’s most ardent supporter, backing her every whim without question.
The caller: …Figures.
In the end, after hanging up, he turned to his butler and said:
"Dig out that invitation from Starlight’s Chairwoman Sheng. Clear my schedule—I’ll be attending."
Starting a new era is never easy.
But Sheng Quan's purchase of Kara Island wiped away more than half of that difficulty in an instant.
When she then bought a luxury cruise ship worth billions as casually as picking up a small toy, the old-guard "powers" who had been hesitating could only clap and cheer, "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"
Sheng Quan wasn't privy to these conversations, but she could guess.
Right now, she was comfortably lounging in a top-tier suite, scrolling through videos.
Limited resources at sea mean cruise cabins are usually cramped?
Not for luxury liners. The suite she was staying in spanned a whopping 900 square meters—more than enough space for Sheng Quan to throw a grand party if she wanted.
Watching the flood of videos uploaded by passengers showcasing the ship's lavish interiors, along with the envious, green-eyed comments from onlookers, Director Sheng smiled faintly, her achievements hidden but undeniable. 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝔲𝔟.𝔠𝖔𝖒
Yes, just like this—keep the discussions going.
Under the world's watchful gaze, the Starlight set sail.
At the same time...
In "Guoxinghai," the contestants who had secured spots for the private island concert were leaving the program set under the jealous gazes of their peers, boarding vehicles en route to their flight.
The live stream, of course, continued.
So viewers happily watched as these contestants, led by their mentors, chatted excitedly and nervously in the car.
"Will there really be ten million people?"
"If the show says so, then yes."
"But it's an island—how are ten million people supposed to get there?"
Jing Tiangao, whose imagination knew no bounds, leaned against Tu Zhu and suddenly sat up straight upon hearing the conversation behind him:
"What if the show is tricking us? Like, some prank where we think there are ten million people, but when we arrive, it's just one guy named 'Qianwan' waiting for us?"
The other contestants: "...That actually sounds possible."
While the group spiraled into doubt, only Lan He and Tu Zhu exchanged a knowing glance, their eyes filled with confidence.
"If Director Sheng says there will be ten million, then there will be," Lan He declared.
Tu Zhu nodded. "Exactly. She wouldn’t lie to us. If she promised it, she’ll make it happen."
[LOL, these two Sheng Quan fanboys are at it again.]
[Honestly, I’ve always suspected Lan He and Tu Zhu get along so well because they’re both hardcore Sheng Quan stans.]
[I once saw them eating and practicing dance together and got excited about shipping them—turns out they were just gushing about how amazing Sheng Quan is.]
[HAHAHA most contestants don’t believe in the ten million crowd. Meanwhile, I’m already on the cruise and can’t wait to see their faces when they see us!]
The thread, initially harmonious, quickly devolved.
[Ugh! Someone kick this ticket-holder out!]
[Who brags about having tickets in the live chat? Disgusting!!]
[I’ve seen so many cruise videos today—regret hits hard. Should’ve fought for tickets.]
[The morning vlogs showed passengers swimming, afternoon had them feasting on buffets, nighttime was group board games, and at midnight? A massive karaoke session. I’m so jealous I could turn into a rabbit.]
[People online mocked the "ten million fools" willing to sail for ten days just for a concert. I agreed back then—now I realize the fool was me.]
[Forget ten days—with all the activities on that ship, I’d stay forever!]
No matter how much criticism there was about traveling to a remote island for a concert, once passengers started posting videos, all the negativity turned to envy—global envy.
[With the concert date nearing, I’m dying imagining how amazing it’ll be for those ten million.]
[Same! I’m glued to the "Guoxinghai" livestream while binge-watching cruise vlogs and Kara Island scenery pics. Gotta get that virtual experience!]
[+1]
[+1]
Thanks to their relentless online engagement, "Guoxinghai Private Island Concert" dominated global trending lists.
Even a contestant’s offhand remark like "Wonder if the island has enough food" instantly made headlines worldwide, accompanied by photos of the island’s restaurants and markets.
Finally, after days of anticipation, the contestants' plane arrived over the island.
Peering down, the young stars saw it—a city rising from the endless ocean.
At its heart stood an awe-inspiring honeycomb-like structure, so colossal it dominated the skyline, unmistakably the island’s centerpiece.
Contestants who had prepared for a jungle concert gasped. "My god."
The scale was staggering, almost inhuman.
Only now did they grasp the magnitude of the show they were part of.
Below, Sheng Quan stood atop the "Honeycomb," wind tousling her hair, flanked by her towering bodyguards. From this vantage point, the island sprawled before her.
As the plane descended, she glimpsed the future—Starlight, standing at the world’s pinnacle.
Everything unfolded seamlessly.
Audiences stepped onto the island, wide-eyed with wonder.
Contestants shook off their shock and steeled themselves.
Staff buzzed across the island; monitors filled surveillance rooms. Free balloons floated through streets lined with red banners.
Mechanical dogs and sharp-dressed security patrolled alongside sleek robots, happy to give directions.
Children squealed in delight, "It’s so pretty! I love it here!"
Couples gaped at the mall: "This feels like a real metropolis."
A visitor walked out of the hospital, dazed, phone in hand:
"They even take insurance here. And I saw military barracks nearby. This is surreal."
The same surrealism gripped international reporters, scrambling to document every detail.
Before the concert even began, the world had already witnessed the pinnacle of entertainment.
"Entertainment Island—this truly is an Entertainment Island! It’s nothing short of a world-class marvel of a city!!"
Yet Sheng Quan stood quietly at the very top of the Honeycomb, gazing down below.
In truth, she could see nothing—it was simply too high.
—Good thing she had a telescope.
As people joyfully explored the island, the long-awaited moment finally arrived.
The Honeycomb Concert officially began.
