Chapter 198: A New Challenge in the World of Banquets

“Ah? You’re coming in person?”

Ren Long was genuinely surprised.

Honestly, for a live broadcast, a department head is sufficient—there’s really no need for the channel director to lead the team himself.

“Yeah, besides handling the forum live broadcast, I’ll also swing by and discuss a project with Haofang Culture!”

Han Lijun nodded in agreement.

“Leader, wasn’t that xianxia drama already approved? A while back, Mr. Fang called and confirmed it would air on our station. It’s just that the filming locations were only finalized recently, so shooting won’t begin until after March.”

Ren Long continued,

By the way, when Mingsha Tourism’s outlandish mounts trended online, he immediately contacted Fang Hou and received a confirmation.

Haofang Culture and Mingsha Tourism are all about professionalism—once they commit, they never go back on their word.

Besides, our station knows that Haofang Culture’s xianxia drama is a serious endeavor; its budget per episode far exceeds typical market rates for this genre.

“This time, though, we’re not talking about a xianxia drama!”

Han Lijun shook his head slightly.

“Not a xianxia drama?”

“Exactly. I want to join forces with Haofang Culture on that traditional cuisine show we discussed at the meeting the day before yesterday.”

“Leader, are you thinking of setting up a contest site over there?”

Ren Long asked hurriedly.

Recall that a few days ago, the station held a meeting about launching a culinary show called the Chef King Championship. However, due to various issues, its framework is still not finalized.

“No! Today’s audience craves novelty. An ordinary chef contest would be totally uninteresting. So I plan to turn it into a challenge contest—with our station sourcing the contestants and Mingsha Tourism providing the venue.”

Han Lijun cast a brief glance at Ren Long.

“A challenge? Do you mean the production team will set tasks involving famous dishes?”

Having spent a lot of time with Han Lijun, Ren Long knew the only puzzle was that even for a dish challenge, there was no need for Mingsha Tourism to provide the venue. Any star-rated hotel in Yan City would suffice.

“Not famous dishes—famous banquets!”

Han Lijun waved his hand dismissively.

“The Four Great Banquets.”

Ren Long was instantly stunned.

“Exactly. Only the Four Great Banquets can grab attention! And to present them perfectly, only exquisite, high-end ancient buildings will do.”

Han Lijun nodded.

Somehow, if it were the old approach, he wouldn’t have dared to even dream of such ideas. But after witnessing the moves from Mingsha Tourism and Haofang Culture, his immediate reaction was that if they’re doing it, they should do it big! In Long Kingdom, there are four legendary banquets.

The first is the renowned Manchu-Han Feast—grand in scale, noble, intricate in procedure, blending northern and southern flavors with over 300 dishes. Calling it the top banquet is no exaggeration.

The second is the Kong Family Feast, a banquet that encapsulates the entirety of Chinese banqueting traditions with comprehensive ceremonies and strict protocols, epitomizing ancient feasts.

The third is the Literary Gathering Banquet. This was a crucial event for ancient scholars to express themselves through poetry and song—with lavish delicacies and fine wine, it even birthed the famous Lantingji Xu.

The fourth is the Roast-Tail Banquet—a celebration held when scholars pass the imperial exams or officials receive promotions. Every detail, even the method of taking the first bite, is meticulously prescribed.

In short,

none of these four legendary banquets are easy to organize.

“Leader, are you thinking of using the Vermilion Bird Building from Mingsha Tourism as the contest venue?”

Snapping back to the point, Ren Long quickly added,

If that’s the case, this show would definitely have its highlights.

And what about the contestants?

With the right promotion and prizes so extravagant they scare people, finding top chefs won’t be a problem—after all, not every culinary master is confined to Michelin standards.

“Ideally, each banquet should have its own venue. That means we need four ancient buildings!”

Han Lijun shook his head.

“Four? Leader, I worry that Mingsha Tourism might also—”

Ren Long hesitated for a moment.

Mingsha Tourism boasts plenty of ancient buildings and IP-famous mansions, but Tengwang Pavilion is mainly used for exhibits, Tingchao Pavilion for scenic views, and Langya Pavilion resembles a library. The only building truly set up for banquets is the Vermilion Bird Building.

“That’s exactly why I want to have a detailed chat with Haofang Culture. If it works out, don’t confine yourselves to old frameworks. Think bigger.”

Han Lijun gave Ren Long a long, meaningful look.

To be honest, Ren Long still had room for improvement—or maybe he just didn’t understand the mastermind behind Mingsha Tourism and Haofang Culture.

As long as Xu Hao agrees, not three ancient buildings but even ten might be on the table.

“So, do you plan to head there ahead of time? I heard that because of the Ancient Architecture Heritage Forum, nearly all the rooms at the Mingsha guesthouses are almost booked up!”

Chastened, Ren Long’s face flushed with embarrassment as he hurriedly replied.

Frankly, if this show goes ahead, it will set a new standard for culinary programs.

“Don’t worry. Just sort out the live broadcast venue. The place I’m staying isn’t your concern.”

“Understood, Leader!”

Days passed swiftly; before long, it was mid-March. With only half a month left until the Ancient Architecture Heritage Forum, excitement both online and offline had reached a fever pitch.

No other reason,

since ever since Mingsha Tourism issued a statement about the film festival, there’s been no further news—nor any announcement that any project would officially launch on March 31.

Several online streamers even tried to secretly film the construction site, but their drones were halted before they could take off.

In response,

the forum buzzed with speculation. Everyone wondered what major project Mingsha Tourism had planned this time. “Do you think they might be secretly building that Protectorate of West Liang mansion?”

One netizen remarked.

“Possibly, but it doesn’t quite add up!”

“Why not?”

“Simple! I saw last year’s excavation site—it was sizable yet not massive. With Mingsha Tourism’s capabilities, it should have been finished ages ago. They can’t take this long.”

“Then what are they building over there?”

“Maybe this time they’ve pre-constructed the set for that xianxia drama? Word is, all kinds of bizarre mounts have been silently prepped, and the set is already being arranged.”

“That’s a possibility!”

“A xianxia set is far more enchanting than a wuxia one. You have to see it for yourself on March 31.”

“Hey, wake up everyone upstairs! A xianxia set? That’s impossible!”

“Hmm?”

“Mingsha Tourism usually opens their sets only after the TV series airs. There’s never been a case where the set is shown first, because if visitors see it early, the drama loses some of its allure.”

“Then what do you think they’re doing over there?”

“How would I know? If I had relatives in Mingsha Tourism’s upper echelons, I’d spill the beans.”

“Uh…”

Little did they know, as netizens’ chatter escalated and the once-silent forum buzzed louder than ever, at the Stone Bridge in the Mingsha area…

Xu Hao stood on the stone bridge, gazing at the riverside buildings and the crystal-clear water below, and finally let out a long, relieved sigh.

After months of relentless, high-intensity work—with over two thousand workers on both banks at peak times and daily wages exceeding two million—the Qingming Scroll was finally completed!

While the details of the figures in the painting might be debatable, the buildings have been perfectly restored.

Moreover,

following this project, Xu Hao felt his memory and insight had reached legendary levels. Some ancient structures, he could decipher with a mere glance.

If he were to undertake Tengwang Pavilion’s reconstruction now, drafting the blueprints would only take a few days.

“Engineer Li, the next tasks here are in your hands!”

Xu Hao glanced at the man beside him.

“Leader, rest assured—we’ve got it covered.”

The man quickly assured him.

Although Xu Hao usually called him Engineer Li, the man’s real name is Li Shaoqing. Now the Deputy Director at Mingsha Tourism, he is in charge of all ancient building projects.

He is undoubtedly one of Xu Hao’s most trusted aides, second only to Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng.

“Alright! I’ll head over to Haofang Culture first—there are some matters to attend to.”

After a pause, Xu Hao added,

“Leader, you focus on your work. If any issues arise that you can’t resolve, call me immediately.”

Li Shaoqing promptly agreed,

“Okay!”

Minutes later, Xu Hao left the stone bridge and boarded a black boat.

After water was stored,

the river’s depth reached about a meter, and various boats had begun to memorize their routes. Many workers now relied on these boats for their commutes.

The waterway wasn’t slow. As Xu Hao arrived at the Haofang Culture CEO’s office, it was exactly noon.

At that moment,

both Fang Hou and Xu Xin were present.

“Second Sister, Monkey,”

Xu Hao greeted casually as he grabbed a disposable cup to pour himself some tea.

Where others might feel reserved, Xu Hao was completely at ease.

“Old Six, is everything finished over there?”

Xu Xin quickly took the tea cup, gestured for Xu Hao to sit and rest, then asked,

“Almost there!”

“That’s good. The internet is in an uproar already.”

Both Xu Xin and Fang Hou let out barely perceptible sighs of relief.

Even though they were from this side, they weren’t fully aware of the progress over there. If by March 31 nothing is done, it’ll be a huge problem.

“Rest assured, nothing will go awry!”

Xu Hao smiled.

“Very well, Old Six. Here’s the deal: for the cultural forum’s opening ceremony, do we need any special rituals or performances? If so, let’s get everything set up in advance.”

After setting the freshly poured tea before Xu Hao, Xu Xin asked,

“Performances?”

Xu Hao glanced at Fang Hou.

The cultural forum’s programs are typically aligned with the forum’s theme—but no one really knows how to pull off an event for an ancient architecture forum. Previous editions never featured any special events.

Yet if we don’t do anything extra,

the grand buildup of this forum might end up seeming half-hearted to both the public and experts in ancient architecture.

PS: Brothers, Old Ba is truly sorry—yesterday went too far. This is just one chapter; more will follow.