Chapter 107: Tourism Festival Troubles

“What the heck is going on?”

A few minutes later

At the building’s entrance, Xu Hao encountered Qin Xuan, his face etched with bitterness.

It seemed that none of the tourism festivals were supposed to involve Mingsha County, so why were they suddenly assigned to them?

“Xu County, when the leaders were setting the venue for the second session, they initially ruled out those three popular scenic spots, saying they’ve hosted many festivals already—this time, the chance must go to a new site!”

“After that, the leaders began calling names!”

“But we don’t even have a tourism emblem.”

“True. When they named us, I said the same thing, but the leader brushed it off as a minor issue that would be handled specially. I had no choice but to reluctantly agree.”

Qin Xuan couldn’t bring himself to meet Xu Hao’s eyes, as if he’d committed a massive mistake.

In truth, it was his first time attending such a meeting, and his presence was so meek that when the leader started naming names he couldn’t muster a rebuttal.

If Xu Hao had been there, things might have turned out differently.

But Xu Hao had been pulled away at the last minute by another leader—what a twist of fate!

“Xu County, what do we do now? The higher-ups want us to meet with the Tourism Bureau tomorrow to sort out the details.”

After a moment of silence, Qin Xuan murmured further.

“Forget it, Qin County—don’t overthink this. At this point, all we can do is figure out how to pull off this tourism festival.”

Xu Hao shook his head at the narrative.

These matters had already been settled; there was no one to blame now.

There was no need for any more complaints.

Perhaps the higher-ups had long intended to base this festival in Mingsha County—otherwise, they wouldn’t have treated it as a special case. Not even Qin Xuan, or anyone else, would have been able to refuse such orders.

“Force it? But our county’s capabilities—”

“Don’t worry; we’ve got three months to prepare. By the way, has Secretary Wang been informed?”

Xu Hao glanced back at the building.

The festival was tentatively set for October 20th—exactly three months from today.

“I just called him!”

“Alright, let’s head over to the Tourism Bureau for the meeting, and then we can discuss our next move!”

Ningwozhuang was massive, filled with countless meeting halls. In the third-floor reception room, fresh from a meeting, Peng Yuan—a top leader from the Tourism Bureau—was deep in discussion with several other officials. “Peng, are we really handing this year’s festival over to Mingsha County? As far as I know, all they have is that wooden Tengwang Pavilion. Sure, they boast some ancient guesthouses and old-town charm, but nothing extraordinary—and certainly nothing on a grand scale!”

One official turned his gaze toward Peng Yuan.

“Exactly! And let’s not forget, Mingsha County is a poor county without the funds to host such a large event. Even though tourism festivals aren’t as hot as they used to be, they still draw some visitors.

Mingsha County’s town barely has enough hotels! Just look at how the manager reacted—it was clear he never intended to take on this festival.”

Soon another official chimed in.

“Don’t worry. The main goal of this festival is promotion. I’ve been there, and the place has a unique charm! In the past, our festivals were all about the spectacle, neglecting genuine recommendations.

From now on, the tourism festival should get back to its roots; as long as we can highlight a new attraction each year, it won’t be a wasted effort!”

Peng Yuan shook his head.

In fact, he had his eye on Mingsha County for this festival from the start.

After seeing the wooden Tengwang Pavilion, he was convinced that the site had enormous potential—if only it weren’t so precarious.

“That may be so, but effective promotion requires real capability.”

One official continued to shake his head.

“As long as Mingsha County puts in some effort to attract provincial tourists, it should be fine. Besides, this festival isn’t about star-studded lineups or extravagant displays—if visitors leave happy and think Mingsha County is worth a visit, that’s enough.”

Peng Yuan glanced around at the others before adding,

“But—”

“Enough. The plan is set; we just need to execute it. If this tourism festival in Mingsha County turns out to be a fiasco, it’s on me! Everyone, get your preparations in order—no slacking!”

After Peng Yuan’s words, a heavy silence fell over the room.

The other officials said nothing more, gradually rising to leave even as faint murmurs trailed behind.

“Without major stars, this festival might end up with very low turnout. And even if it isn’t required, the lower ranks might still try to pad the guest list.”

“The opening ceremony of the Su Province tourism festival has always been broadcast live on Long Kingdom Television’s variety channel. If we mess this up, aren’t we just embarrassing Su Province?”

“Exactly—if it were just a local festival, it wouldn’t matter so much.”

“Sigh, who knows what the higher-ups are thinking. Even if we shift the task to those three major scenic spots, it might be acceptable.”

“Promoting new attractions? That’s no easy feat!”

Meanwhile, in Mingsha County

In a meeting room, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Wang Xun leaned back in his chair, massaging his brows continuously until, after a long while, he finally addressed the others, “What are we going to do now?”

Just an hour earlier, discussions had centered on other matters—but after Qin Xuan’s call, the focus shifted entirely to the tourism festival.

“Leader, about Xu County earlier—”

A middle-aged man couldn’t help but glance at Wang Xun.

His name was Li Heng, and he was chiefly responsible for Mingsha County’s publicity.

“Xu County was pulled away by another leader, so he wasn’t at the meeting.”

Wang Xun sighed deeply.

For some reason, he felt that no matter how well you plan, fate always has its own way of intervening.

“This is just too frustrating!”

Li Heng exhaled, saying nothing more.

“Alright, everyone, perk up. Since this issue has landed on us, there’s no dodging it—we might as well figure out a solution.”

After all, Wang Xun was a top leader.

Troubled as he was, he knew now wasn’t the time to brood or to let other counties mock them.

“Leader, the biggest challenge in hosting a tourism festival isn’t just welcoming visitors—it’s the opening ceremony! And that event is broadcast live the entire time!”

After a brief pause, Li Heng couldn’t hold back any longer.

Every year, not being able to attract major stars for the festival is simply unacceptable. Moreover, the demands for the opening ceremony’s performances are sky-high—it requires a professional team.

The county’s cultural workers simply aren’t on that level.

“Exactly, even a second-tier star now costs nearly a million.”

After Li Heng’s comment, the others couldn’t help but murmur among themselves.

Just thinking about the festival makes you imagine endless expenses—almost every plan seems to demand a hefty budget.

“Let’s put the opening ceremony aside for now. I’ll call General Zhu from Mingsha Tourism after this meeting so he can share his thoughts. After all, the main venue for this festival is definitely Tengwang Pavilion.”

Wang Xun took a deep breath and waved his hand dismissively.

He knew all too well how crucial the opening ceremony was—with live broadcasts and leader attendance, every issue had to be solved one step at a time.