Chapter 177: Commercial Schemes and New Ventures

“Brother Hao, what should be the main focus for leasing out that commercial street?”

At these words,

Zhu Qiang urgently asked.

Ever since the guesthouse gained recognition, inquiries about leasing have poured in daily from all sorts of merchants.

Less than two hours after the leasing details for the shops on the ground floor of Vermilion Bird Street went live, every spot was snapped up.

Moreover, merchants are arriving not only from Mingsha County, Wei City, and Lanshi but even from other provinces.

“The focus should be on attracting large-scale supermarkets, modern brand restaurants, branded apparel, even cinemas. We should include several beef noodle shops from Lanshi as well!”

Without hesitation, Xu Hao replied.

The guesthouse is expanding rapidly, with more employees moving in; their daily needs must be catered to.

Thus, the large-scale ancient building commercial street at Oasis 3 is designed like a comprehensive business center in a first- or second-tier city, only its exterior showcases traditional architecture with a structure of three buildings outside and six inside.

“Alright, Brother Hao. We’re in desperate need of this kind of leasing over at the guesthouse!”

Zhu Qiang shot a glance at Luo Peng instinctively.

Luo Peng was probably the one most eager for this news since most of his people are laborers who currently have the inconvenience of having to travel to the county town just to shop.

It wasn’t that they were unwilling to spend money, but neither Qixia Town, Wudi City, nor even the shops lining Vermilion Bird Street offer what they need – mostly just specialty goods.

They simply can’t find everyday essentials.

If the large commercial street at Oasis 3 were built, this problem would vanish, and it might even satisfy the needs of other visitors. After all, not everyone enjoys camel meat or braised lamb with spices, and not every visitor is keen on wearing ancient costumes. A coffee break at a quaint café in Oasis 3 would be a welcome respite after a day of sightseeing.

“Alright, it’s up to you to arrange it! As for that big commercial street, let’s temporarily call it Langya Street.”

“Got it, Brother Hao!”

Time flew by – it was already 11:30 in the morning.

After finishing his boxed lunch,

Xu Hao didn’t rest; he walked over to the workshop and dialed a number – this was Xu Chen’s new line.

Beep, beep, beep… After about ten seconds, the phone finally connected, with a faint background clamor audible.

“Old Six, what’s up?”

At the same time, Xu Chen’s voice came through.

“Third Brother, I need over 800 types of ancient costumes from the Qingming Scroll – five samples for each style,” Xu Hao stated directly.

Xu Hao made his request without delay.

“Huh? Over 800 types from the Qingming Scroll?”

Upon hearing Xu Hao’s order, silence fell on the other end of the line.

“What’s wrong, Third Brother?”

Before Xu Hao could add more, Xu Chen’s voice floated back softly.

“Old Six, why do you need those? For the previous order of thirty thousand ancient costumes, my sewing machines were nearly overworked. Just yesterday, Second Sister messaged me about a new drama called Langya List that requires a lot of period costumes for the characters.

And now you want over 800 types of ancient costumes from the Qingming Scroll. That means studying old paintings and redrawing designs – it’s incredibly demanding!”

It was clear that Xu Chen was utterly exhausted.

Though this clothing factory used to be a major player in branded apparel manufacturing with significant capacity, period costumes differ greatly from modern attire – each design is unique and handcrafted without mass production.

Most styles only run into a few dozen pieces.

Perhaps only for soldiers or constables do the numbers swell a bit.

So when Xu Chen said his machines were nearly smoking, he wasn’t exaggerating.

Currently, to meet Mingsha Tourism’s order of thirty thousand ancient costumes, they’ve halted all other productions to focus entirely on this project, with an air of complete dedication to Mingsha Tourism’s needs.

There was no other reason.

Mingsha Tourism signed standard business contracts with the factory – not only is there a profit margin, but it also ensures the factory’s prosperity.

“Third Brother, we’re eager but can ease up on other items. I know that with your skills, you can produce the Qingming Scroll costumes in record time,” Xu Hao said with a smile.

“You think I’m that capable?”

“Of course!”

“Alright then, when do you need them?”

After a pause, Xu Chen let out a long sigh.

“Before mid-March on the new calendar – ideally right after the Spring Festival!”

Xu Hao specified the deadline.

This year, the Spring Festival falls on February 20th by the new calendar – a relatively late celebration, especially with only about ten days until the start of spring, yet the festival hadn’t even kicked off.

Once the Spring Festival passes and spring blossoms, time will fly by until March 31st.

Shouldn’t the costumes be tested by extras in rehearsals upon arrival?

“Understood! By the way, Old Six, what are your plans for the Spring Festival? Will you and Second Sister be coming to New Country?”

After handling business, Xu Chen added casually.

“Spring Festival? Sigh, it’s unlikely I can leave – Second Sister probably can’t make it either, as we have another movie scheduled for the festival season.”

Xu Hao sighed.

There was nothing that could be done. Especially during the Spring Festival, workers never take a break – not when you’re the one in charge.

“I figured as much. But I guess we must push ahead with production here.”

After a brief silence, Xu Chen continued,

“Old Six, one more thing!”

“Third Brother, what is it?”

“After I returned to New Country, I told Grandfather about your progress in Mingsha. He was thrilled – that very night, after drinking quite a bit, he decided that the clothing factory should be handed over to me the very next day!”

Xu Chen revealed.

“The factory is yours? But Grandfather—he—Grandfather isn’t…”

Xu Hao was taken aback, completely unexpected.

“Grandfather met some old friends a few days ago, and one thing led to another. He pooled some funds to venture into the tech industry!”

“Tech industry?”

“Yes. Grandfather plans to step into chip manufacturing. Two of his old friends are in the mobile and computer business. I suspect he secured orders from them; otherwise, he wouldn’t risk production again.”

“Chip manufacturing? That requires hefty R&D expenses. Do we have enough funds? If not, I’ll brainstorm another solution.”

Xu Hao’s expression shifted slightly.

Chip manufacturing isn’t as low-end as branded apparel production – it requires specialized equipment like photolithography machines.

“Grandfather has already reached out to some friends here and even secured a bank loan. The initial plant is nearly complete, though further investment will be needed for the more advanced production equipment. With additional investment, it should be fine.”

Xu Chen exhaled deeply.

“Then why not ease the investment strain by diluting shares? I could transfer some funds directly!”

After a moment’s thought, Xu Hao replied,

“To be honest, if it weren’t for Grandfather buying that desert land initially, there’d be no Mingsha Tourism now. With Grandfather embarking on his second venture, he insists on full support.”

“Don’t you know Grandfather’s temper? Now that he sees you finally making a breakthrough, he’s terrified that your cash flow might dry up. How could he possibly want your money?”

Xu Chen said, clearly exasperated.

“Third Brother, my finances are secure.”

“I know!”

“Then how about this: I’ll have Mingsha Tourism set up a subsidiary investment company here. We can then directly take part in Grandfather’s first round of financing. Whatever share he offers, we buy it. How does that sound?”

After a moment of thought, Xu Hao suddenly saw a viable solution.

This approach would indirectly support Grandfather’s venture while keeping the shares within our control. Although it might put Mingsha Tourism at a slight disadvantage,

Xu Chen happily agreed.

“Disadvantage? We’re already doing this to support Grandfather!”

Xu Hao continued,

Originally, when Mingsha Tourism established its company, Zhu Qiang was given a 5% stake, along with another 5% reserved for key employees.

However, as Mingsha Tourism’s investments increased, Zhu Qiang’s share gradually diminished.

It’s common knowledge that to maintain his 5% stake, Zhu Qiang would have to invest alongside Mingsha Tourism – for an investment project worth 100 million, he’d need to pony up another 5 million on his own.

With Mingsha Tourism’s numerous investments, Zhu Qiang’s stake now shrinks to just a fraction of a percent.

Yet, considering Mingsha Tourism’s current scale and assets, that fractional stake is worth far more than the original 5%.

“True. When Grandfather kick-starts the first round of financing, give me a call.”

“Alright!”

“And don’t worry about the Qingming Scroll costumes – they’ll be delivered to Mingsha Tourism on schedule.”

The sun set in the west.

In winter, the overall temperature in Haishi wasn’t as dry and cold as in the northwest, though fewer people wandered the streets compared to the spring and summer.

At Eggplant TV,

Cai An’s brows furrowed after listening to the Middle-Aged Man.

“What? The Director Association won’t grant Mingsha Tourism the film festival host slot directly?”

“Yes!”

The man nodded.

“Never mind. I’ll call Lao Ran directly to get to the bottom of this.”

Cai An had more questions in mind but eventually pulled out his phone and dialed Ran Xiangfei’s number.

Beep, beep, beep! The call connected quickly, and Ran Xiangfei’s voice came through:

“Old Cai, still at work?”

“No, Lao Ran! Let me ask—can’t the film festival hosting rights be awarded to Mingsha Tourism directly? I think continuing this squabble isn’t the solution. You saw the ratings for Haofang Culture’s third drama—why not bury the hatchet and let everyone be?”

With a deep, somber tone, Cai An replied,

“Old Cai, you’re being a bit too blunt. Besides, now that so many cities and film cities have submitted their applications, suddenly declaring Mingsha Tourism the host, do you really think that’s fair? Other venues will surely protest.”

Ran Xiangfei immediately countered.

In truth, as soon as Ran Xiangfei saw Cai An’s call, he knew exactly what it was about.

“Unfair? What’s unfair about it? What does submitting forms accomplish? This year, isn’t it the Director Association’s decision where the final venue is?”

Cai An’s brows tightened further.

Doesn’t the average citizen know? These so-called application forms are just for show – they don’t really matter.