RBCT Chapter 196 The Ticket to Bliss
Chapter 196 The Ticket to Bliss
(Thanks to "I left it here" for the author's certification! Thank you to "Du Saiya" for the author's certification! Thank you to "me" for the author's certification! Thank you to "Merciful Father Hannibal" for the author's certification! Thank you to "Xingxing's End" for the author's certification! And thank you to all the readers for your donations, thank you for your support! However, due to the back-to-work season, I probably won't be able to guarantee two chapters a day starting this month. I'm just too busy, and I'm also working on a new book, so I really can't update too much. But I will still guarantee at least 4000 words a day. If the morning chapter isn't 4000 words, I'll add an extra chapter in the afternoon.)
October 15, 1989.
Nikkei Average: 30,120 points
Nine o'clock in the morning. On the highway from New Chitose Airport to Niseko in Hokkaido, a blizzard is raging.
A silver-gray "SA Resort" exclusive luxury shuttle bus is smoothly traveling across the snowfield, where a lane has been cleared. The cabin is well-heated, and the air is filled with a subtle lavender scent. The spacious airline-grade leather seats minimize the fatigue of a long journey.
Yumi and Kana sat by the window, holding the hot coffee that the flight attendant had just brought them.
They were employees of a trading company in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. Both were wearing high-quality cashmere coats, had exquisite makeup, and carried the latest travel bags at their feet.
Yumi placed the hot coffee in the cup holder and pulled out two hard cards with gold-stamped edges from the inner pocket of her Hermès handbag. The upper left corner of the cards was printed with the left three-point crest of the Saionji family, and in the center was a line of neat black text: 【Niseko Gokurakukan Single-Day Experience Ticket】.
"I'm so lucky! I actually got a spot in the first round of the draw." Yumi's fingers gently traced the raised texture on the card's surface, her voice filled with undisguised excitement.
"Thanks to your quick hands." Kana leaned closer, staring at the two exquisite cards. "I heard that to ensure the best experience inside, only 3,000 people are allowed in each day across Japan. It's so great that we don't have to squeeze in with others! And the price of 15,000 yen is less than a fraction of my winter bonus. It's such a bargain..."
"The admission tickets are surprisingly cheap."
Yumi picked up her coffee cup and took a sip.
"However, I heard from the section chief of the planning department who went to the preview that there are many places inside that cost money. A cup of the most basic Hawaiian specialty drink is priced at 3,000 yen, and a surfing trip in the artificial waves starts at 5,000 yen."
Kana's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"That expensive? In a Roppongi bar, 3,000 yen is enough for two top-notch cocktails."
"What does it matter if it's expensive?"
Yumi turned her head, her gaze passing over the large bus window to the raging blizzard outside. The sub-zero winds were whipping up ice crystals, violently pounding against the bus windows.
She stretched out her long, slender fingers, which were meticulously manicured, and pointed to the snow-covered landscape outside.
"Just imagine, Kana. When we step into that huge glass dome, we'll take off these heavy coats, put on the latest bikinis, and walk barefoot on the white sand beach with a constant temperature of 28 degrees Celsius."
Yumi withdrew her hand, leaned back in the wide leather chair, and her eyes gleamed with an almost fanatical longing.
"One second you're freezing in hell at minus fifteen degrees Celsius, the next you're lying in a tropical rainforest drinking an ice-cold cocktail. Paying money for this kind of out-of-season experience makes it seem like a great deal no matter how you look at it."
She held her coffee cup, gently blew on the steam, and spoke with an air of nonchalance.
"Besides, money is so easy to make these days. The special allowance for the next quarter is coming out soon, and I can easily double my expenses by buying a couple of lots of NTT stock. Since we've finally managed to get on vacation, who wants to fuss over those boring bills? Of course, we should enjoy ourselves to the fullest."
"What's wrong with us women treating ourselves well?"
As Kana listened to these words and imagined the scene, she couldn't help but laugh, her anticipation growing stronger.
"You're right. We can always earn more money. We're going to Hawaii in Hokkaido!"
The shuttle bus drove into the massive, fully covered drop-off area outside the main entrance of the Paradise House. With the sound of air brakes, the bus came to a smooth stop.
The pneumatic doors slid open. Even with the huge windproof glass canopy providing shelter, a bit of early winter air from Hokkaido still rushed in through the passageway. Yumi and Kana wrapped their coats tighter and stepped off the bus.
The non-slip flagstone pavement underfoot was dry and clean. The underfloor heating system was running at full power, instantly evaporating the snowflakes that drifted in.
"Hiss—the wind in Hokkaido is really biting." Kana hunched her neck, exhaled a puff of white breath, and her high heels made a crisp sound on the stone slabs.
"It's below zero after all. Hurry up, the entrance is just ahead."
Yumi adjusted her scarf and pulled Kana along the wide passageway. On either side of the passageway stood guides in sharp uniforms, smiling and directing the guests.
On the plaza outside the passageway, a large crowd of onlookers who had failed to win experience tickets and reporters from various media outlets gathered. Braving the wind and snow, they held up cameras and recording equipment, trying to witness the grand opening of the Paradise Pavilion. The cacophony of voices and camera shutters blended together in the snowstorm.
The noise was completely shut out by a sturdy metal fence and well-trained security personnel.
The strict visitor limit policy of the Paradise Pavilion demonstrated its commercial value at this moment. The spacious and clean lane for single-day pass holders was used to guide three thousand lucky people in batches, and the queue remained quiet and smooth throughout.
"There are far fewer people than I expected." Kana looked at the line, which was maintaining a comfortable distance between her and the others, and her tone was full of surprise.
"After all, it's only sold in limited quantities each day. If it's like a shopping mall where people are scrambling for lucky bags, then the ticket isn't worth 15,000 yen." Yumi linked arms with Kana, her gaze sweeping over the quieter area on the other side.
Several temperature-controlled shuttle buses were parked along the driveway separated by red velvet ropes. Several guests carrying high-end suitcases were being guided onto the buses by butlers.
"That... that must be the residents' passageway, right?" Yumi said, following Kana's gaze. "I heard they'll check in at the outer annex first... Oh well, never mind them. Let's go, it's our turn to go in."
The team moved forward in an orderly manner.
Outside the massive, dark glass curtain wall, the de-icing system emits visible heat.
Infrared sensors detected the flow of people. "Hiss—" The heavy metal door slid open smoothly to both sides.
Yumi and Kana followed the crowd into the first airlock buffer zone. The metal door behind them snapped shut, completely cutting off the cold from the outside.
The high-speed air curtain overhead emitted a deep roar, and a strong, dry airflow blew vertically down, instantly dispelling the residual cold air clinging to the surface of the coat.
The physical transition lasts three seconds. The high-transmittance, heat-insulating glass door on the inside opens automatically.
"Welcome to Niseko Paradise. May you enjoy the ultimate bliss in this world."
My footsteps crossed the threshold.
The warm air, with a constant temperature of 28 degrees Celsius and humidity of 65%, acted like an invisible wall, crashing head-on into the crowd. The extreme temperature difference caused Yumi to experience a brief moment of dizziness.
Ahead, tall, broad-leaved plants swayed in the breeze. The air was filled with the scent of coconut and sunscreen, the saltiness of the sea, and the distant sound of artificial waves crashing against the white sand.
"It's so hot..." Kana's forehead instantly broke out in a fine layer of sweat. She impatiently unbuttoned her cashmere coat, revealing a short-sleeved top underneath. "It feels like I've been transported to Hawaii!"
"Go and store the coat."
Yumi took off her coat, draped it over her arm, and pulled Kana toward the cloakroom on the right.
The electronic screen on the wall displays red numbers: 1,000 yen for the storage of each coat.
"That's expensive." Kana looked at the price tag and pulled out her wallet without hesitation. "But right now, all I want to do is change into my bikini and go to the beach for an iced cocktail."
The keypad of the cash register at the luggage storage area was being frantically tapped. "Beep—beep—beep—" A dense chorus of scanning sounds filled the air. Those black terminals were methodically devouring the cash from the tourists' pockets.
……
The third floor of "Feng Hua Bie Guan".
A personal baggage handler in a crisp uniform pushed open the heavy solid wood door, neatly placed two old suitcases with slight dents in the entryway, and then smiled and bowed before leaving.
Section Chief Tanaka led his wife into the room. His suit was still impeccably pressed, and not a single drop of snow water was on his leather shoes.
His wife followed behind, holding their five-year-old son, Kenta's, hand.
"What incredible service!" The wife looked around, her gaze lingering on the warm, smooth North American walnut flooring. The underfloor heating throughout the house maintained a cozy, comfortable temperature. "From New Chitose Airport, a private car took us directly to the annex's temperature-controlled underground parking garage. We didn't even encounter a single snowflake, and our luggage was taken care of..."
"Of course. The brochure says this building is called 'Wind Flower,' and a night's stay costs 200,000 yen." Tanaka took off his coat and draped it over his arm, his tone carrying a kind of extravagance he would never show at the office. "These days, a few taxi rides in Ginza and a couple of drinks at an izakaya would cost more than that. Since we're on vacation, we might as well spend the money wisely and enjoy some chaebol-level treatment. Take off your coats, it's warm in here."
The wife helped her son take off his coat. Although it hadn't been soaked by snow, the coat still carried a bit of moisture from the long journey from Kanto and the stuffy smell of the airplane cabin.
Tanaka walked to the side of the entryway and opened a matte black built-in cabinet door. Soft motion-sensor lights illuminated the interior.
"Honey, give me your coat." Tanaka took the coat and hung it in the closet.
The moment the cabinet door is closed, the silent fan inside the wardrobe automatically starts. A slightly warm, drying, and deodorizing airflow circulates within the enclosed space, and a red light illuminates on the display panel.
The wife leaned closer and looked at the smart panel that had no buttons.
"A fully automatic, temperature-controlled care cabinet? They even thought of such a small detail..." she murmured in admiration. "In Tokyo's public housing, the musty smell on clothes never seems to go away in winter."
Tanaka changed into a thin short-sleeved shirt, walked to the French windows, and drew back the curtains.
Although this basic suite is located on the outermost edge of the Gokurakukan complex, and the edge of the view is inevitably cut off by the canopy of several tall fir trees, this does not prevent the massive and majestic outline of Mount Yotei from clearly squeezing into the view.
Outside the special double-layered insulated glass, a gale of minus fifteen degrees Celsius was whipping up swirling snowflakes, turning the entire northern wilderness into a vast expanse of silvery white. The icy snowflakes slammed against the outside of the glass, only to melt rapidly under the intense internal heat, leaving water streaks that trickled down the glass.
Within this transparent physical barrier, the whole-house underfloor heating system is quietly and continuously supplying a constant temperature of 25 degrees Celsius upwards.
The extreme visual coldness and the tactile warmth of spring created a stark contrast in Tanaka's senses. Standing by the window in a thin short-sleeved shirt, he felt not a trace of the northern chill, but even noticed a fine layer of sweat beading on his forehead.
"Let's go." Tanaka picked up the room key from the table, turned to his son who was rolling around on the carpet, and called out, "Kenta, let's go to the beach to play in the sand."
The family of three took the elevator directly to the basement level.
The elevator doors slid open.
Ahead is a completely transparent, temperature-controlled underground landscape corridor.
The corridor's ceiling is constructed of high-strength, transparent special glass. Thick snow piles up on top of the glass, yet the trajectory of falling snowflakes can be clearly seen through it. On either side of the corridor are enormous marine ecosystem display tanks. Jellyfish and deep-sea fish, transported from the Sea of Okhotsk, swim slowly under blue lights.
The room temperature is kept constant at 24 degrees Celsius.
Tanaka, dressed in summer clothes, walked side by side with his wife down the corridor, his hands in his pockets. Five-year-old Kenta ran ahead, leaning over a glass tank and excitedly patting the glass.
"Dad! What a big fish!"
Tanaka watched his son's excited back and then looked up at the thick layer of snow above his head.
Above you is a frigid temperature of minus ten degrees Celsius, beside you is the landscape of the deep sea, and in front of you is a tropical beach.
Tanaka reached out and took his wife's hand. The fatigue and frustration that had accumulated at the company for days due to the year-end evaluation were completely soothed at this moment by this "sense of privilege" built up with money.
The bonus for this entire quarter was absolutely worth it.
"Walk slowly, be careful not to fall."
At the end of the underground corridor, sensor-activated glass doors slid open to both sides.
The sound of the artificial waves amplified instantly, mingling with the laughter of the crowd. A humid sea breeze of 28 degrees Celsius caressed Tanaka's face.
Kenta cheered and ran forward, his sneakers making a rapid sound as they stepped on the non-slip teak floor.
A drop of melted snow slid down the curved edge of the glass dome above the passageway.
It crashed into the metal drainage grating at the bottom.
It shattered into countless tiny water droplets.