Chapter 169: Blueprints of a Riverside Dream

“Considering the Riverside Panorama?”

Xu Hao’s expression shifted subtly.

Beside him, Fang Hou and Zhu Qiang gazed at Luo Peng with awed admiration, as if a new world had opened before them.

They mused that only someone with Luo Peng’s outlandish imagination could conceive drawing inspiration from a building scene in the Riverside Panorama.

No ordinary person would dare think that far.

“The only drawback is that while the structures in the Riverside Panorama are from the Song Dynasty, the Protectorate of West Liang hails from the Tang Dynasty,” Luo Peng remarked.

Luo Peng continued.

Were it anyone else, they’d never dare to dream so boldly—but sitting across was Xu Hao, whose previous actions made it clear he had the capacity to restore those ancient edifices.

“It’s fine. The scene depicted in the Riverside Panorama could probably be recreated over a ten-kilometer stretch, and the architecture isn’t overly complex. But what about the river? Without that flowing water and the figures lining its banks, the entire street would lack soul!”

Xu Hao leaned back in his chair, lost in thought.

“Huh? Even the river in the painting needs to be reproduced?”

Both Zhu Qiang and Fang Hou were stunned—and even Luo Peng. He had only intended for Xu Hao to reference the ancient buildings, not to revive the entire panorama.

Especially Zhu Qiang and Fang Hou!

They had assumed Luo Peng was daring enough, but they hadn’t expected Xu Hao to be even more audacious.

If they could recreate the Riverside Panorama to perfection, the street would draw its own hype without any need for promotion! Plus, with the Yeguang Cup from the Protectorate, tourists might flock here just as much as to Qixia Town or Wudi City.

“Brother Hao, are you serious?”

After a long pause,

a composed Zhu Qiang couldn’t help but glance at Xu Hao.

“If a better plan comes along, we can design something else. But for now, this long street fits the Riverside Panorama perfectly!”

Xu Hao crossed his arms and nodded in agreement.

“Then perhaps we can try something with the inner river! When they were repairing the underground heating pipeline, the engineering team discovered that just outside the planned city wall, beneath a dried-up oasis, there might be an underground river.

We could drill a well there to channel water into our plot. As for the riverbed, we’d simply waterproof it in advance. We might even need to notify the authorities, since that area isn’t part of our plot,” Zhu Qiang hastily explained.

Zhu Qiang quickly interjected.

As long as we bore into the underground river—especially if its current is strong—the water would burst out along the drilled path, forming a new stream or even a small lake.

“An underground river in the desert?”

Both Xu Hao and Fang Hou turned to look at Zhu Qiang.

Numerous reports claimed that beneath the Tengli Desert lay an underground river; some even said that the famous Shiyang River eventually disappeared underground to become the desert’s hidden flow.

Yet during the foundation work for Oasis 1 and Oasis 2, nothing unusual was found. It was dismissed as mere speculation.

“The engineer at the time mentioned it in passing. Since that area isn’t part of our plot, he didn’t emphasize it. But he was a seasoned pro—the odds are pretty high it’s true,”

he added, “And judging by the map, the sand could cover it in twenty or thirty years, making an underground river highly likely.”

Zhu Qiang nodded in agreement.

“Brother Hao, if that’s the case, we can really attempt to replicate the Riverside Panorama. In construction, why not push the limits?”

Luo Peng’s excitement broke through as he exclaimed,

“Alright then, let’s start gathering intel about the underground river!”

A spark of inspiration lit in Xu Hao’s mind.

The water from the Hongyashan Reservoir had already been diverted into the plot. With an underground river, it would be even better—if not, a bit of creativity could still capture the essence, since the water level needn’t be deep; it only has to set the mood.

“Alright, Brother Hao, I’ll contact that engineer first thing tomorrow.”

“Mm!”

And just like that, the discussion carried on until the early hours of the morning.

“Brother Hao, I heard next year’s Long Kingdom Film Festival will be held in the western region. Should we try to get a piece of it?”

Just as they were about to discuss business further, Zhu Qiang seemed to recall something and interjected,

“The Long Kingdom Film Festival?”

Xu Hao raised an eyebrow.

“The Long Kingdom Film Festival is the most influential and prestigious event in the Long Kingdom. International celebrities will grace the red carpet, and if we host it here, it would draw in a ton of tourists.”

Zhu Qiang added,

“When exactly is the Film Festival?”

“Brother Hao, by tradition it falls on the last day of March. The organizers probably finalize the venue before the Lunar New Year.

I’ve heard several western scenic areas have already applied—should we submit an application too?”

“March 31st?”

Xu Hao furrowed his brow.

“Mm!”

“If it’s March 31st, that might not work!”

Xu Hao shook his head.

“A while back, Director Li called to say that next year’s Forum on Cultural Heritage of Ancient Architecture and Intangible Culture is slated to be held here—also on March 31st!”

“A Forum on Cultural Heritage of Ancient Architecture and Intangible Culture?”

Both Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng were taken aback.

“Yes, the forum is held annually by the Long Kingdom Ancient Architecture Research Institute. It’s known only within heritage and cultural circles, and while a few social figures are invited, attendance is minimal.”

Xu Hao added.

“Brother Hao, does that mean we can’t apply for the Film Festival?”

After a pause, Zhu Qiang replied,

“Even though the forum is small, it’s hosted by the Long Kingdom Ancient Architecture Institute. For the sake of prestige alone, we can’t let it overshadow our bid for the Film Festival. I mean, if both events were held here, the attention would surely be stolen by the festival—who cares about a small forum?”

“Mm. Though the forum can’t match the Film Festival in scale, it’s still our own project. We can’t sacrifice our own event to support one organized by others.”

Xu Hao nodded in agreement.

At that moment, after Li Jue had finished speaking without further comment, he had promised that all necessary preparations for the forum would be handled impeccably.

“If we don’t go ahead now, there will be other opportunities. Besides, once you perfect the Riverside Panorama, how could we possibly run out of buzz?”

Luo Peng added enthusiastically.

“Mm!”

Days turned into nights as time passed.

Before anyone realized, the New Year’s three-day holiday was over, and the workers returned to their daily routines.

“In the bustling throng, we are all part of this scene.”

At 7:30 in the morning, someone was heard humming that tune while heading into the subway station.

In a spacious apartment on Yan City’s Third Ring,

Feng Xuan and Li Ying glared at their computer screens, their expressions etched with displeasure.

“How did we gain so many followers in just three days?”

After a long moment of silence,

a frustrated Li Ying complained, her tone a mix of irritation and envy.

The screen displayed the trending stats. At that moment, the Tiger Leopard Band’s following had soared to twenty-six million—just four million short of thirty million! Hit thirty million, and they’d become bona fide top-tier stars! In contrast, Feng Xuan’s following was just over eight million—only two million shy of top-tier status.

In terms of clout, the Tiger Leopard Band had long outpaced Feng Xuan.

“It’s probably because a few of Tiger Leopard Band’s songs were available for free download, boosting their popularity,” Feng Xuan remarked with a wry smile.

Nearby, Li Ying seethed.

Ever since the Tiger Leopard Band exploded in popularity on New Year’s Eve, Li Ying’s Weibo had been bombarded by criticism—comments claiming, “Haofang Agency’s artists are nothing but washed-up stars; it’s only that their fans have grown old.”

And that wasn’t even the worst of it.

Since Li Ying’s Weibo post went live, though her popularity had surged, not a single cultural company had approached her for acting roles.

In the end, Li Ying had no choice but to make inquiry calls,

only to be met with a curt reply: “We can’t risk having your artist audition—if they don’t land the lead, the backlash will be relentless.”

It could be said that this incident completely ruined Li Ying’s reputation in the industry; she had gained popularity but lost trust.

“Sister Li, whether Tiger Leopard Band is hot or not isn’t the issue. The real question is, what do we do here? And hasn’t the court already called you? They said Haofang Agency has filed a lawsuit!”

“If this matter got out, I might really…”

Feng Xuan paused, his words trailing off.

Too much negative publicity could completely derail his acting career.

“What can we do? All we can do now is apologize!”

Li Ying rubbed her temples in exasperation.

“Apologize?”

Feng Xuan was taken aback.

Not long ago, the scandal had exploded online, with many netizens joining in the assault on Haofang Culture and Mingsha Tourism. Would an apology even be accepted now?

“This really seems to be a personal feud between Xu Xin and me. Xu Xin was our former boss—a fact! If we can smooth things over with an apology and Xu Xin accepts it, Haofang Agency should drop the lawsuit.”

Li Ying glanced at Feng Xuan.

“Sister Li, that’s what you say, but last time we went too far. Xu Xin might not forgive us.”

Feng Xuan sighed heavily.

He had feared as much, and now his worries were coming true!

“I’ll call her first thing tomorrow. If she rejects the apology, I’ll find a mediator—a sort of aid program with someone on camera mediating the dispute. Once Xu Xin agrees to mediation, all our troubles will be solved.”

Li Ying added,

“A help program? Sister Li, Xu Xin isn’t an ordinary person; and with Yan City TV and Mingsha Tourism’s connections, how could our little help program land this role?”

Feng Xuan paused,

caught off guard by the thought.

“Just because Yan City TV might not take it doesn’t mean others won’t. Besides, I approached Xu Xin as an ordinary person seeking help to mediate a dispute—there’s no issue with that.”

Li Ying waved her hand dismissively.

At this point, no matter what, they had to resolve their conflict with Xu Xin.

“So, Sister Li, which TV station are you planning to approach?”

After a long pause, Feng Xuan asked.