Aiko had not been optimistic about her nightclub being set up by next month. Or anywhere close to that in fact. Making a club out of a natural cave is one thing. Even artificially-made caves could work if they're built right. But abandoned mines are notorious for instability, which is precisely why children are told to never play in them. She'd hardly be able to run a business if the whole thing caves in on them. Yes, mines can be reinforced, but that was very time-consuming and expensive. Money was arguably no problem, but Aiko hated to live on other people's charity in the meantime.
But then she got the offer of a lifetime, a small tropical island that she could turn into a resort. The island is located in the East China Sea, a little further south of the Senkaku Islands that China and Japan have disputed for sovereignty for centuries. This particular island was too small to be useful as a long-term port or trading post, especially considering how remote it is, so it's been left unclaimed and often uncharted for years. Though even with more efficient sea transportation, it was still too small to be a colony. And it was far too small for an airstrip to be used by commercial airplanes, so seaplanes and helicopters were far more viable for air travel. But it was big enough to construct a resort hotel to be staffed by Animalians. And given the general sexual appeal of Animalians and her extensive knowledge of the adult entertainment industries, Aiko seemed like an ideal person to run the place.
Aiko was embarrassed to admit later that when she was given the offer, she squealed like a schoolgirl who parents had just given a brand new car. Excitement ruled most of her emotions for a while. When she calmed down, a little bit of annoyance crept in. Mostly in the form of 'now you tell me' after she had sunk so much effort into that abandoned mine. She had to call the contractor and surveyor she hired to tell them the project was off. That involved a bit of arguing and Aiko had to shell out more to get out of the agreement. She wasn't sure what will become of the mine after that. Maybe it'll be made into a museum or something. Whatever it'll be, it was out of her hair until someone tries to buy it from her.
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Of course, before Aiko could even get started on anything, she had to survey the island herself. That's pretty much the first rule of real estate. And as long as she was doing that, she might as well take a small vacation. She checked ahead to make sure if there were storms expected in the area (none) and packed up all she needed for a few days camping on the beach, including a laptop with satellite uplink, a small generator, tent, basic provisions, and changes of clothes, mostly bikinis. On the seaplane flight there, she went over the basic survey data the government had already done. The island was volcanic, but the volcano is extinct. There was no known native fauna asides from migratory seabirds and the occasional sea turtle nest. The island had a fair amount of tropical jungle, mainly at the base of the volcano, which was shaped a lot like a cooling tower from a power plant. Aiko made a note to get a geology team to see how hollow that volcano is or how stable. The last thing she wanted was losing her new island to a volcanic eruption.
Eventually, Aiko was dropped off at the island. Assuring the pilot that she will send a message if she needs to be picked up early and that she'll be expecting him in a few days, he left. Aiko looked around. This was her island, half sandy beach, half tropical jungle. A good blank canvas to work with. First off, she head to the volcano's base to set up her base, which amounted to little more than pitching up her tent. After that, she changed into her bikini and went to go exploring. She got about a few feet before she realized she was completely alone on the island, no one to see her except the birds. She looked down at herself and said, "Oh, what the hell." She took off her bikini, leaving her clad in nothing but her fluffy white fox fur. "One thing I'll need to do is find a secluded enough area for a 'clothing optional' beach. And someplace more private like Lover's Lagoon. But first thing's first. I need to find a source of fresh water so we're not entirely dependent on imported water or desalination machines."
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The next few days were probably some of the most enjoyable ones of Aiko’s life. Having a tropical island all to herself was invigorating, though she still had her laptop and phone to keep her from going mad from boredom. The only way it could have been better if she had someone to have sex with while exploring the scenic spots of the islands. She had found plenty of secluded areas where two lovers can sneak off to for some fun. Perhaps the best place for that was a grotto she found tucked away behind the volcano. The grotto had a small beach that was flanked on all sides by cliffs and sea stacks. The grotto could certainly work as a 'clothing optional' beach, seeing as it was pretty much inaccessible except by boat, unless you were an Animalian that's either a good swimmer or a flyer.
Aiko also had plenty of time to work on some initial drafts for the hotel itself. She wasn't an architect, but she had some basic ideas. The one thing she was having trouble most with was figuring out a name for the island and the hotel. She had looked what 'Zack Island' was referring to and while she found it amusing, she was not going to go that route. "If only I were egotistical enough to name it after myself," muttered Aiko as she went over her list of names. She thought of different names, both Chinese and Japanese. Currently, she was favoring 'Ao Guang Island' after the mythological Dragon King of the East Sea.
Of course, building the resort won't happen in a week. Aiko highly doubted she'd able to have it done by next month. But she could potentially have the place ready to open by summer. It was just as well the Animalia Games weren't this year or she wouldn't have nearly enough time. And once it's open, Aiko will need to have some prominent guests check in. She had heard that Tuxing of the Five Elements was getting married this summer. She and her groom might appreciate a stay here. Aiko also considered Li-Wei. The two-headed snake was a rather good neighbor and they could a little help with winning Muxing over. And there were others like the cast of Animalia Ambassadoria. Aiko was going to have her hands full with drawing up plans, hiring contractors, and everything else before her resort could officially open.