Chapter 217: Decisions and Dramas Unfold
by xennovelMove the Xu County Bureau there?
Qin Xuan suddenly realized—the man had been waiting for him here all along.
“Yes, Leader, the business branch built in Mingsha City is much larger than our county bureau. Moving it won’t be a problem—I can leave a branch here dedicated to other towns.”
The man quickly added.
“That may be, but have you considered that the bureau employs many staff whose children attend school here? If we move, how will we sort out their schooling?”
Qin Xuan furrowed his brow and pressed on.
Previously, when assigning personnel there, we only sent young staff or those whose children were already in college, so it never became an issue.
“Leader, I believe we can propose a solution to Xu County. You mentioned that Mingsha City is building a university—do we really need to worry about an extra kindergarten, elementary, and middle school? Over time, it’s not just our staff who will face this issue. The workers from Mingsha Tourism and Mingsha Labor will, too!”
“Unless Mingsha Tourism goes under in a year—but look at the current state: both the Protectorate of West Liang and the Qingming Scroll have been enduring attractions. How could they simply vanish?”
“In that case, why not build all the necessary schools while we’re busy constructing the university?”
The middle-aged man immediately responded.
“Well…”
Qin Xuan was momentarily stunned.
For a moment, he was at a loss, but upon reflection, it made sense.
After a long pause,
Qin Xuan finally spoke, saying,
“Alright then, I’ll contact Xu County and we’ll decide later.”
“Okay, thanks, Leader!”
Day after day,
In just two days, everything had proceeded as usual—netizens were gossiping and binging shows—until an 8 PM preview aired on Yan City TV, suddenly sparking heated online discussions.
Especially on drama forums, where posts exploded in number.
“It’s sudden, yet not at all unexpected!”
“I told you Haofang Culture wouldn’t flake, but you never believed me! Now you do—the xianxia drama will premier in the prime slot on Yan City TV on March 31st.”
“Isn’t it because Mingsha City is preparing for a traditional culture expo that the xianxia drama was expected to be delayed?”
“Traditional culture forum? I bet Mingsha City is already laid-back about it, focusing on their own projects.”
“Why argue over this now? By the way, have you seen the preview from Yan City TV?”
“Huh, there’s a preview this time? Has Haofang Culture changed its ways?”
After reading one drama fan’s comment, many netizens were taken aback.
Remember, the previous collaborations between Haofang Culture and Yan City TV were abrupt—there was never any talk of a preview.
“Don’t you know? My goodness—I suggest you hurry and watch it. Mingsha Tourism really pulled out a major move this time. I’ve already booked my train ticket to Wei City on June 1st.”
Another netizen replied.
“You mean the xianxia setting? Damn, how did I forget about that?”
In a flash, other drama fans had a realization and started furiously typing away.
It’s well known that
while most other cultural companies’ dramas are watched for the story, Haofang Culture’s productions are all about the plot and the visuals—with this one being unlike any of their previous works.
Fans are eager to see how Mingsha Tourism’s xianxia setting stacks up against the old martial arts backdrops.
A few minutes later,
many fans returned to the forums after watching the one-minute preview; their first comment was just two words,
“Damn!”
The second read, “When will Mingsha City open up that area?”
A third comment stated,
“How come these idiots were so quick? My ticket to Wei City on June 1st is already sold out.”
That was the trend on drama forums; other entertainment forums were just as abuzz.
Almost everyone was asking the same question: “When will Mingsha City open that area?”
Online, that was exactly the sentiment.
At nine in the evening,
At Haishi, at Eggplant TV, Cai An watched the continuously looping preview for the xianxia drama on screen with a mix of emotions.
“Are these settings all real?”
After a while,
Cai An turned to the channel director opposite him.
Finally, the long-anticipated storm arrived right on schedule! Though we expected a fierce reaction, no one anticipated it would be even harsher than we imagined—every show vying for ratings now had to step back.
After Yan City TV aired the xianxia drama preview, it accumulated over two million views on their official website in less than half an hour.
Such hype was nothing short of terrifying!
With a preview like this, how could the premiere ratings be low? It might even set a new record. Even more crucial were the filming locations showcased in the one-minute clip.
This sparked endless online discussions and created a phenomenon in Long Kingdom’s TV history—the background even outshone the plot for the first time.
“Leader, it must be real! Mingsha Tourism never pulls any punches!”
The director sighed deeply.
It turned out our leader was indeed far-sighted—if not for the schedule change, the show premiering on the 31st would have been doomed without a clue.
“But that’s just too fantastical!”
Cai An slowly closed his eyes, recalling a scene from the xianxia drama preview—a pitch-black Demon-Locking Tower emitting a dim green glow in the dark night, its surface covered in talismans, with lightning striking it intermittently. The fantastical effect was off the charts.
If this weren’t a Haofang Culture production, he would’ve swore those were just computer-generated effects.
“Leader, while the lightning around the tower was likely added in post-production, the tower itself is undoubtedly real.”
At those words, the director immediately replied,
“Sigh, even without the lightning, this Demon-Locking Tower is breathtaking! And what about that Blood Lake beside it—does such a miraculous place really exist?”
Cai An brushed his hair back.
As for Mingsha City, he was completely convinced—after watching the preview, he himself was eager to see it in person, let alone the netizens and viewers.
Sure enough, this wave of excitement from Mingsha City would surely attract as many visitors as the Qingming Scroll.
“There should be! Besides, Leader, you’re right—I even heard a rumor that Mingsha City is using this as a chance to blow off steam!”
After a pause, the director added,
“A rumor?”
Cai An frowned.
“You can tell from the xianxia drama’s backdrop that Mingsha City is using this opportunity to blow off steam. If they focused on traditional culture shows instead, their projects might skyrocket.”
But what does that rumor matter? “Hmm, did you catch those ancient building shots in the preview?”
“I did!”
“These aren’t just any old structures.”
The director couldn’t help but chuckle dryly.
“Not ordinary? Then what are they?”
Cai An was immediately stunned.
“Leader, these clusters of ancient buildings should be the original setting of the Nanzhao Ancient Kingdom’s capital.”
“Nanzhao Ancient Kingdom? Are you saying Haofang Culture has recreated an authentic Nanzhao ancient capital for the xianxia drama, not a fictional one?”
Cai An could no longer hold back—he stood up abruptly.
“It’s not fictional! Over two months ago, Xu Hao from the Ancient Architecture Institute visited Yun Province and obtained the original map of the Nanzhao Ancient Kingdom. The ancient scenes should mirror its capital.”
The director nodded.
“Is your info reliable?”
“Leader, this info is extremely reliable. I’ve even heard that Yun Province plans to apply for intangible cultural heritage status for the recreated Nanzhao Ancient Kingdom in Mingsha City!”
The director continued,
“Yun Province is applying for intangible cultural heritage for a TV set? Is this a xianxia drama or a historical drama? One moment it’s a Demon-Locking Tower with lightning, the next it’s an intangible cultural asset!”
Cai An’s eyes widened as he let out an expletive that his status should never utter.
“Yes! People in Yun Province said that even though they have the original map, they can’t reconstruct it. Since Mingsha City has built it, it’s also promoting the local culture for Yun Province!
And most importantly, after experiencing the Nanzhao Ancient Kingdom in Mingsha City, the people of Long Kingdom will have a more vivid image of it when they visit Yun Province, enriching their travel experience!”
At that, the director’s face showed a hint of envy.
After this,
Yun Province TV will likely become one of Mingsha City’s partners, ensuring a multitude of projects. If the heritage application succeeds, Mingsha City will add another historical and film location—and Yun Province gets great exposure. Truly a win-win! “Well…”
Cai An slowly sat down. What could he say at this point? For some reason, he even felt a pang of sympathy for Jinlong Ancient City.
Even though they were both from Long Kingdom, their fates were vastly different.
Just as Cai An couldn’t hide his emotional query, both Cui Fangshan and He Ruozhou from Yun Province TV sighed deeply after watching the promo!
“Leader, it looks like our decision was the right one!”
Regaining composure,
He Ruozhou remarked.
After watching the Haofang Culture xianxia drama preview, he had one thought: if this drama tried to compete with the network’s ‘Qingyue Song,’ that show wouldn’t even create a ripple—over 300 million in investment would surely go down the drain.
“Yes, not only did we salvage ‘Qingyue Song,’ but we also secured a project with Haofang Culture and fostered a collaboration between Yun Province and Mingsha City—a triple win.”
Cui Fangshan also nodded emphatically.
Sometimes, success hinges on one decision! “But Mingsha City really dares to make waves—filming a xianxia drama on actual locations, something other film cities wouldn’t even dream of.”
After a pause, He Ruozhou continued,
“Actual locations? Wait—are you saying the lightning on the Dark Night Tower in the preview wasn’t CGI?”
Cui Fangshan was taken aback.
“No! When the preview dropped, I messaged Mr. Fang from Haofang Culture. He confirmed that the shot wasn’t CGI, though he admitted it took a lot of effort to capture.”
He Ruozhou nodded.