Chapter 108: Neon Nights in Lanshi

Nightfall descends.

On the bustling streets of Lanshi, the Beef Noodle Capital, neon lights flicker as cars whiz by, creating a lively scene.

In a private room at a restaurant, Feng Wancheng looked at Xu Hao in disbelief. “What? This year they’re assigning the tourism festival to Mingsha County? Isn’t that a mess? Your area isn’t even fully developed enough to handle it!”

Besides Feng Wancheng, high-ranking officials from the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Department, Dong Liping and Qin Xuan, were also present.

Because of Li Jue, Dong Liping and Feng Wancheng had already come to regard Xu Hao more as a junior than merely a poverty-alleviation officer for Mingsha County. That’s why this meal in Lanshi was a must.

As for Qin Xuan, he was there purely to smooth things over.

At that moment…

Both Feng Wancheng and Dong Liping were shocked upon hearing about this year’s cultural tourism festival.

“I can’t accept this. I need to call Old Peng and get the facts straight!” he exclaimed. “If you say Mingsha County can manage it, so be it, but as it stands, Mingsha County hasn’t even fully been built up yet.”

Known for his quick temper, Feng Wancheng immediately pulled out his phone and dialed Peng Yuan’s number.

Meanwhile…

Just as Qin Xuan had resigned himself to the situation, a glimmer of hope rekindled within him.

Beep beep beep. Soon the call connected, and Peng Yuan’s calm voice came through, “What’s up, Old Feng?”

“Old Peng, why is this year’s tourism festival being handed over to Mingsha County?”

Feng Wancheng got straight to the point.

“Old Feng, the moment I saw your call I knew you’d ask about it. I honestly had no choice.”

Peng Yuan let out a resigned sigh, clearly exasperated.

“No choice? What do you mean by that?”

“You know how everyone wants to hold a grand festival every year. But you’re aware of our financial situation these past two years. This year, only two million was allocated in support fees, whereas in previous years it was at least tens of millions. How are we supposed to manage?”

“Only two million?”

Feng Wancheng and Dong Liping exchanged dismayed glances.

“Exactly! And from now on, the annual support fees will shrink even further. That’s why I can only announce that our province must return to its roots by supporting new attractions without insisting on star-studded opening ceremonies. But not everyone understands that.”

Peng Yuan could only offer a wry smile.

Some truths, though obvious, simply cannot be stated to the subordinates.

“You chose Mingsha County not because you expected them to pull off an exceptional festival, but just to lower the standards for the event, right?”

Feng Wancheng’s brows furrowed.

These men had weathered many storms together; with just a nod, everything was understood.

The sudden cut in funding indicated one thing: the higher-ups had noticed the festival’s shortcomings and, though reluctant to cancel it due to tradition, had to find another way.

If this festival turned out mediocre, future events would become ever more uninspired until eventually, no one cared about it and it was openly axed.

“You’re right, Old Feng! Mingsha County only just started its renovations this year—it could have been acceptable even if it didn’t turn out brilliant. And by the way, once you’re done, tell Xiao Xu not to stress over it. Just do your best and make sure the opening livestream isn’t embarrassing.”

Peng Yuan explained.

He was crafty; since Feng Wancheng had called, it was clear he’d already met Xu Hao.

“Alright, I got it. Once you’ve finished, let’s grab a drink with Old Dong,”

Feng Wancheng replied promptly.

After hanging up, Feng Wancheng sighed deeply and turned to Xu Hao.

“Xiao Xu, you heard that. The province handed over the festival not just because they see potential in Mingsha County, but for other reasons too.

In short, do your best! Even if it doesn’t turn out spectacular, they won’t say much about it.”

“No matter what, since we’ve taken it on, we give it our all!”

Xu Hao glanced at Qin Xuan.

Qin Xuan’s face had noticeably lightened compared to before.

It seemed that the higher-ups were deliberately targeting Mingsha County. Now it appeared that the officials were perfectly aware of the situation; they probably never intended for Mingsha County to deliver an outstanding festival.

That naturally eased the pressure.

“Xiao Xu, you’re absolutely right. Whatever the reasons, since we’ve committed, just do your best! Even if it’s not spectacular, don’t let it be a disgrace.”

Beside him, Dong Liping gave Xu Hao an approving nod.

“Indeed!”

A gentle summer breeze carried the warmth of the night, making a stroll along the banks of the Yellow River in Lanshi a true pleasure.

After dinner with Feng Wancheng and Dong Liping, Xu Hao didn’t return to the hotel.

No—while the higher-ups had their plans, Mingsha County had to give its all. If things went badly this time, the county’s reputation would suffer, and it would be nearly impossible to recover.

“What’s the plan?”

Rubbing his temples, Xu Hao pulled out his phone and dialed Zhu Qiang’s number.

“Brother Hao!”

The call connected quickly.

“Have you heard about the tourism festival?” Xu Hao asked.

“Yes, the county called this afternoon and mentioned the festival is set for October 20. They asked for Mingsha Tourism’s ideas. I said, ‘No problem!’ And then the county handed the entire planning over to our company,” Zhu Qiang replied in a rush.

Mingsha Tourism’s status in Mingsha County was on the rise, and Zhu Qiang’s own standing soared correspondingly. He was well accustomed to the county’s various briefing sessions.

“Brother Hao, your connections never fail. You even managed to secure a prime spot for official promotion for our guesthouses.”

After a brief pause, Zhu Qiang added,

“Secured? I’m not here to secure anything—”

Xu Hao was taken aback and couldn’t help but chuckle wryly.

He recalled how Zhu Qiang had so calmly taken over all the planning earlier. Did he think he had personally clinched this festival?

“It wasn’t your doing? I might have been a bit rash.”

Detecting a hint of discrepancy in Zhu Qiang’s tone, it became clear what had happened. This afternoon, he had assumed everything was Xu Hao’s arrangement and agreed to whatever the county said. He even ended up taking on the entire opening ceremony.

“No, it isn’t!”

“Ah, well…”

“Never mind. It doesn’t really matter now. We’re the ones handling it! Starting tomorrow, we’ll kick off construction on Wudi City and Tingchao Pavilion, and also add some traditional guesthouses along both sides of Qing Brick Avenue!”

Xu Hao took a deep breath and began coordinating the work.

After returning to the hotel that afternoon, he gathered a substantial amount of information on the Su Province tourism festival. Although the festival spanned ten days and had seen dwindling visitor numbers in recent years, it still averaged around ten to twenty thousand people daily.

This meant that the guesthouses needed to accommodate roughly 200,000 visitors over the span of the festival.

By that standard, the current guesthouses were far from sufficient.

“Brother Hao, based on what standards should we build the traditional guesthouses along Qing Brick Avenue?”

After a brief pause, Zhu Qiang asked hastily.

“Just follow the model of the guesthouses at Oasis 2. Their blueprints are already prepared, and the wood—just like last time—is stored at the entrance of Hongsha Gang Village. I’ll handle the assembly later,” Xu Hao explained.

After a moment’s thought, he continued,

Although five dormitory buildings and three traditional office buildings have been erected along Qing Brick Avenue, there’s still plenty of space left. If we build full-scale traditional wooden guesthouses in the remaining areas, we could offer between two and three thousand rooms.