Chapter 152: Before the Apology?

Is Mingsha Tourism holding a media conference in two hours?

Qin Xuan let out a deep sigh of relief.

“Yes, Leader!”

The new staff member nodded emphatically.

“Great! Now that General Zhu is finally speaking, immediately notify the PR department. Tell their key leader to contact Mingsha Tourism to see if they need any additional hardware support.”

Coming back to reality, Qin Xuan added.

“Understood, Leader.”

In reality, Qin Xuan exhaled in relief; online, many netizens supporting both Wu Nan and Mingsha Tourism had already grabbed their phones. As expected, the media conference livestream was soon engulfed in a barrage of insults.

Hangzhou

Inside an office building near the city center, a man in his fifties in a suit caught the news, a cold smirk tugging at his lips. “Finally, an apology, huh? It wasn’t easy to push Mingsha Tourism to this point!”

Leaning back in his chair, he lit a cigarette before turning to the assistant across the desk.

“We’ve been stirring the pot nonstop these past few days. Who knows? They might even try to play it cool and sweep it under the rug.”

The female assistant added,

“Play it cool? Not a chance once it hits trending lists… It’s just a matter of time.”

Wu Nan glanced at his watch, paused, then asked,

“So, on which platform will Mingsha Tourism hold the media conference? Is it on the KuaiDou platform or Mingsha County’s news platform?”

With the rise of short video platforms, many organizations have revamped their media conference styles.

“General Wu, Mingsha Tourism’s official Weibo stated that this event will be held both online and offline. The physical meeting will take place in the lobby on the first floor of their office building, while the online broadcast will be on their official KuaiDou account.”

The assistant paused before adding,

“Sigh, it’s such a pity—I wish I were there in person, because watching a livestream means you can’t interact or ask questions.”

Wu Nan frowned.

“General Wu, it’s fine. Ever since Mingsha Tourism kept trending and Haofang Culture dropped two hit dramas, many media outlets have set up branches in Mingsha County to get the most accurate news immediately. Some paparazzi are even eager to catch glimpses of the leads from Wulin Wai Chuan and the Snowy Series. Even with only two hours of prep, these outlets will surely be there, and their questions will be sharp and direct!”

The assistant continued,

“That eases the situation a bit. It’ll all depend on how the livestream unfolds.”

Wu Nan said no more.

“Mm!”

Usually, Mingsha Tourism releases news on its official website or Weibo; its official KuaiDou livestream account was rarely used, and it had few followers.

Yet by 11:50, with just five minutes to go, the livestream audience had already reached 500,000 and was still skyrocketing—a testament to the high interest and buzz.

“A media conference? More like an apology meeting!” “An apology? On what grounds? If Mingsha Tourism has to apologize, then Diniland in Haishi should start apologizing first.”

“Heh, don’t forget—Mingsha Tourism isn’t just about firework shows; they also offer outrageously priced wedding services!”

“Relax, Mingsha Tourism’s plans are far more thought-out than your empty boasts.”

Although the livestream hadn’t started yet, many reporters were already seen taking their seats in the venue, while the chat room online had already erupted.

The comments were as garbled as a computer infected by a virus—if not for the pause, it would have been impossible to read.

Minutes slipped by in a flash!

At 11:55, the media conference officially began.

At that moment, the livestream viewer count had already exceeded two million and was still climbing. Many close to Mingsha Tourism were tuned in—media from the Ancient Architecture Research Institute, Yan City TV, Feng Wancheng from Su Province, Dong Liping, among others, had their phones at the ready. Even Yang Yuan from Tianchen Culture and Qi Haoyong from Ning An Cultural Tourism were watching.

Especially, Qi Haoyong was watching with keen interest.

“Good afternoon, media friends. I am Zhu Qiang, the head of Mingsha Tourism. I will now address some of the online rumors, and I welcome any questions from the media.”

Taking his place at the podium, Zhu Qiang began.

Only Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng attended this press conference; Xu Hao and other senior officials were absent.

“Friends, on November 20 our company released several new activities on our website. Immediately after, a couple of these events sparked heated debates. Then, well-known online influencer Wu Nan led an attack against Mingsha Tourism, claiming our activities were inappropriate.

Therefore, I will now respond on behalf of Mingsha Tourism to Mr. Wu Nan’s accusations, and we reserve the right to pursue compensation for defamation since he baselessly smeared our company without any on-site investigation.”

Surveying the room of media professionals, Zhu Qiang spoke in a calm, steady tone,

“This…”

His tone hushed the room and even silenced the once chaotic livestream chat.

No further words were needed.

That tone felt all too familiar—it had been nearly six months since we last heard something like it.

“First, Mr. Wu Nan claimed that setting off fireworks pollutes the environment. That generalization isn’t entirely fair—it depends on context. So, may I ask you, Mr. Wu Nan: since every living person needs oxygen and exhales carbon dioxide, does that mean we’re all polluting the environment?”

After a pause, Zhu Qiang addressed Mr. Wu Nan’s first critique.

“This…”

The livestream audience, ready to unleash insults once Zhu Qiang finished, suddenly went silent, feeling somewhat at fault.

After all, during major events, even the Long Kingdom stages grand fireworks displays. Blaming fireworks solely for pollution just doesn’t hold up.

“Second, Mr. Wu Nan said that as a popular attraction, Mingsha Tourism sets a bad example. So, let me ask: this year, in the desert, Mingsha Tourism has laid nearly one million square meters of grass lattice and planted hundreds of acres of various saplings. Our carbon reduction now ranks among the top hundred in the Long Kingdom. Has any other enterprise followed suit? What about those parks that frequently host fireworks displays?”

As the audience was still processing his words, Zhu Qiang directly addressed Mr. Wu Nan’s second point.

Once his reply was heard, the livestream chat turned into a dedicated fan zone for Mingsha Tourism. Wu Nan’s supporters were immediately silenced, and some even quietly exited the stream after only a couple of comments.

“That’s right, General Zhu hit the nail on the head. Mingsha Tourism has always been committed to desert greening and carbon reduction, so there’s nothing wrong with setting off fireworks!”

“I say those self-proclaimed online saints should pick on Diniland in Haishi instead—make them plant more trees every year before lighting up fireworks.”

“I agree. They profit from that place, yet instead of planting trees, they still set off fireworks. It’s simply inexcusable!”

“Heh, soon everyone will tag Wu Nan. Isn’t he all about positive vibes? Go have a word with Diniland.”

Finally, many Mingsha Tourism fans began tagging Wu Nan’s Weibo account—clearly,

Mr. Wu Nan’s camp had been utterly overwhelmed on that point!

At this moment, Zhu Qiang addressed Mr. Wu Nan’s third critique, “Media friends, regarding Mr. Wu Nan’s third claim, let me say this: personal property is inviolable! Whether it’s Tengwang Pavilion or Wudi City, these are assets of Mingsha Tourism. Even if we dismantle and rebuild them later, no outsider has the right to interfere.”

“That’s for sure!”

By then, both the media in the room and the livestream viewers nodded in agreement almost unanimously.

This reaction stemmed from many online who considered Mr. Wu Nan’s third point absurd—taking a sanctimonious stance that ignored basic property rights.

Just as Zhu Qiang noted, even if Mingsha Tourism were to tear down Tengwang Pavilion, what right would you have to comment?

“As for the fourth point, I now hand it over to General Luo from Mingsha Labor to explain further.”

After a brief pause,

Zhu Qiang passed the microphone to Luo Peng, who sat beside him.

“Good afternoon, everyone. I am Luo Peng from Mingsha Labor. Concerning Mr. Wu Nan’s claim that Mingsha Labor is guilty of deceptive pricing, I will now detail our thirty-thousand-yuan wedding service package. Media friends, audiences, and concerned authorities, please evaluate whether our prices are unjustifiably high. If they are, we will apologize, compensate, and accept legal responsibility. Otherwise, we reserve the right to countersue Mr. Wu Nan for defamation.”

After speaking, Luo Peng picked up a printed list from beside him.

This gesture piqued everyone’s curiosity—even Wu Nan’s most loyal supporters were keen to know what this extravagant wedding package included.

While Mingsha Tourism had already clinched victory with their overpowering fireworks display, all eyes were now on the outrageously priced wedding services.

“First, we provide the bride with a Wan Gong Sedan Chair! And what is a Wan Gong Sedan Chair? Many media outlets and viewers should know. If not, feel free to search online after the Q&A session. I will take a group of media friends to see our Wan Gong Sedan Chair, proving we aren’t misleading anyone.”

Luo Peng glanced at the assembled media before speaking gravely,

“What, a Wan Gong Sedan Chair? The one so luxurious and intricate it rivals top-tier cultural artifacts?”

Whoosh! As soon as Luo Peng finished speaking, many reporters gasped in astonishment, and the livestream exploded with wide-eyed emoji.

Clearly, no one had expected Mingsha Labor to offer a Wan Gong Sedan Chair of this caliber.

I recall a museum that once charged over a hundred yuan just to glimpse a Wan Gong Sedan Chair. Now that you can actually experience it, the thirty-thousand-yuan package suddenly seems worth every penny!

“General Luo, is… is this for real?”

Coming back to the moment, a young female reporter at the scene trembled as she asked,

She spoke on behalf of both the live audience and all the online viewers,

“Dear reporter, I made it very clear earlier. Shortly, I will take everyone to see our company’s Wan Gong Sedan Chair!”