Chapter 1153 Shelly Sand (1/2)
The hotel that Li Du and his group checked into was named Shelly Beach Hotel. Shelly
Beach, from which the name derivated, was situated right behind the hotel. The beach
there looked like snow, striking in its pure whiteness. In travel magazines, Shelly Beach
was described as the only beach in the world formed by thinly crushed shells. The name
Shell Beach described exactly what it was: a beach of powdered shells that looked and
felt just like sand.
The sand was really made of delicate, thinly crushed shells. However, its creation had
not been a natural process but was helped by man.
The hotel would never admit that. In the past, the beach was really full of large shells
that had been washed onto the sand. Weather, waves and the rain had broken those
shells down.
At that time, few people would come to the beach because of two reasons. One, the
shells emitted a stench. Second, the crushed shells had the texture of glass and cut
people easily.
However, the hotel saw a business opportunity. The service arm of JP Morgan Chase
bought the infamous beach in Sydney at a very low price. Then they removed all the
pungent shells and replaced them with shell powder.
As the shell powder did not have rough edges, it did not hurt people's bare feet. The
hotel mixed the powder with real sand and dispersed it all over the beach. Then it gave
the beach a beautiful name and the landmark was born.
After that, JP Morgan started to advertise aggressively by paying many travel
magazines and websites to recommend the beach. They even isolated the beach and
made it private.
Just like that, Shelly Beach became a well-known romantic spot after being a trashy
area that nobody had wanted to visit.
After a few years of growth and development, Shelly Beach had really become
stunning.
There were coconut trees, colorful flowers, and green plants growing close to the
beach. The view was vivid and beautiful.
There were some loungers and massage chairs placed in the shade of the coconut
trees. An endless stream of handsome men and pretty ladies in beachwear strolled by.
They seemed to be enjoying the sunshine, view, and the drinks they held in their hands.
It was the first time Li Du's parents saw such a scene and they felt embarrassed.
Hence, Li Du found a place for them to sit down and rest. Li Du's mother asked, ”Do we
need to pay for the chairs?”
”Nope,” Li Du said, grabbing two bottles of cooling salt water.
It was a special kind of sea salt soft drink that was popular in Australia. It tasted better
than other drinks and was actually spring water sprinkled with some sea salt, topped
with mint and lemon zest.
The waiter smiled and bent lower, making it easy for him to grab the salt water. Sophie
placed a ten-dollar note on the tray as a tip.
Seeing that, the waiter bowed even lower and asked, ”Anything else I can help with? I
am at your service.”
Sophie said, ”Thanks, not right now. If we need anything, we will call you.”
”I am here for anything you might need,” The waiter retreated before he turned to walk
off.
Li Du's father said, ”This drink isn't expensive.”
Li Du passed him the saltwater and smiled. ”This is free too.”
Li Du's father wondered, ”All free? This hotel must be an expensive place to stay in!”
Li Du replied, ”You're not the one paying. So just enjoy yourself, all right?”
As it was a private beach, they were free to walk their pets. There were a couple of
dogs playing around. They were all large breeds like Labradors, Huskies and Great
Danes.
Like Americans, Australians preferred raising big dogs. Smaller breeds like poodles and
Chihuahuas were less popular.
The weather was scorching hot and the five small animals were seeking shade under a
tree. A husky noticed them and crossed over, sniffing at them curiously. Ali immediately
sprang up and punched it and the husky ran away with its tail between its legs.
However, it did not leave the area after running off. It stayed at some distance away,
observing them. Or, to be exact, it was staring at Ah Ow.