Chapter 245: Trouble in Mingsha City
by xennovel“How could Mingsha City possibly fail?”
Ding Xiaoping glared.
When he had someone post it online, he even wondered if he was being too conservative—but he never expected it to backfire so badly.
“The problem is, netizens simply don’t believe it. They argue that the pre-Qin era was a time of taboos, when architecture completely defied conventional logic!”
Bai Ming offered a bitter smile.
In hindsight, the last post succeeded because all the timing, location, and people were just right.
“Taboo era? It’s just a period of history, nothing more.”
Ding Xiaoping glared again.
To him, it was nothing more than some netizens twisting facts with their own interpretations, making it all seem mystical. “Netizens are unanimous on this—they even brought up the Shan Hai Jing! They claim it was compiled during the Spring and Autumn period, regarded as legitimate history in the Qin-Han eras, transformed into a novel in the Tang-Song, and eventually mythologized.”
Bai Ming sighed and added,
“Anyway, it’s too late. The post has completely sunk. Even if we repackage and repost it, I doubt the netizens will fall for it again.”
“Shan Hai Jing? It’s a pity those netizens don’t write novels,”
Ding Xiaoping casually ran his few remaining fingers through his hair, unconvinced.
“President, what now? Should we go ahead with the post on traditional medicine?”
After a moment of silence, Bai Ming spoke in a low tone,
“Besides the ancient architecture showcase project, they also planned a traditional medicine showcase. Originally, the idea was to launch the architecture post as the first big reveal and the medicine post as a follow-up, but the first one was a complete dud.”
As for the traditional medicine showcase—
“They’ve compiled material to display every branch of the Long Kingdom’s traditional medicine, including all the herbs and ingredients, for both domestic and international visitors in Mingsha City.”
“Its nature is similar to that of traditional cuisine.”
“We’re not posting it! This time, netizens dug out our IP address. From now on, every post related to Mingsha City will be scrutinized, unless our people actually go to Mingsha City!”
“And after last time, Mingsha City has definitely tightened security. If they find out it was us, things will be even worse!”
He shook his head.
Ding Xiaoping frowned and said,
“Then…”
“Let’s settle for this. The traditional cuisine showcase and the palace festival are enough to rile them up! When the Cultural Expo and H Country events hit simultaneously, we’ll steer public opinion by claiming these two failed miserably. Let’s see how Mingsha City handles the fallout.”
Coming back to the matter at hand,
Ding Xiaoping continued,
“Alright then!”
Days passed—before they knew it, over a month had gone by.
Tourists still flocked to Mingsha City; despite the lingering buzz from A Chinese Odyssey, visitor numbers didn’t drop. In fact, as summer approached, they only grew.
Besides those who always planned to visit, many study-tour summer camps from first- and second-tier cities even arrived!
Especially the middle school students.
Both schools and parents hoped they could wander through a real-life Qingming Scroll, seeing firsthand what it’s like—and even visit the Protectorate of West Liang to catch a glimpse of the Yeguang Cup. Simply perfect!
With the crowds booming, Mingsha City’s revenue soared.
Beyond the guesthouse earnings, tourist spending reached staggering figures. Not to mention, two major patrons held extravagant traditional weddings that pushed revenues to the peak.
Of course,
as Mingsha City’s income skyrocketed, its daily expenses surged to terrifying levels.
Not to mention,
the total daily wage expenditure for all personnel exceeded five million. One can only imagine how many workers they employ.
And the money spent in Mingsha City was certainly put to good use!
Many projects had gradually taken shape.
On the morning of August 20th, some tourists who got off the bus planned to head toward the Protectorate of West Liang along Qing Brick Avenue. But while waiting, they noticed that on the south side of Qing Brick Avenue outside the City Gate, workers had begun dismantling the barrier.
Curious,
a throng of tourists gathered around.
Since Haofang Culture hadn’t announced any new film or TV projects, dismantling the barrier in Mingsha City was as intriguing as unboxing a mystery box. Tourists and onlookers were genuinely curious about what was being built this time. Soon,
once the barrier was removed, a new building revealed its true form.
“A Traditional Cuisine Street?”
Behind the barrier stood an impressive jade slate archway nearly nine meters tall, boldly inscribed with “Traditional Cuisine Street.” Beyond it, ancient-style shops in Ming and Qing fashion lined both sides. Instead of Qing bricks, they used bluestone slabs, stretching endlessly. Even more surprising, flagpoles were planted at intervals along the street, each displaying a large banner bearing names like Yan City, Haishi, Yun Province, Su Province, and Ning An.
“Excuse me, what is this street?”
With that,
numerous tourists turned to the on-site staff, eager for any information.
“Isn’t this the Traditional Cuisine Street?”
The staff member was momentarily taken aback, then pointed to the bold lettering on the archway.
“So, when will it open to the public?”
A tourist couldn’t help but ask again.
“Our notice says tomorrow morning!”
After a moment’s thought, the staff added,
“Tomorrow morning? Look at these empty storefronts… can that really work?”
“Don’t worry about that!”
“Oh!”
“And are all the foods on this street from Mingsha County or Su Province? There’s just too many!”
“I don’t have all the details. Wait until tomorrow, and you’ll see!”
At some point, tourism and posting on social media became inseparable—if you didn’t share your trip online, the whole experience felt wasted.
Once the staff cleared out with the barrier, photos of the Cuisine Street quickly appeared on a forum.
“What’s going on? Has Mingsha City just opened a new food street?”
“Hmm? Is it local Mingsha cuisine?”
“Doesn’t seem like it. Local cuisine wouldn’t need such an endless street—many tourists walked nearly a kilometer and still hadn’t reached the end!”
“Then what is it?”
“If I’m not mistaken, it’s meant for the Traditional Cuisine Showcase. The street is lined with flagpoles representing different counties; each flagpole probably signifies that county’s culinary specialties.”
“All counties?”
“That’s right! So far, though, only Yan City, Haishi, Yun Province, Su Province, Ning Province, and similar areas have set up flagpoles. According to the staff, only these regions’ traditional cuisines might open tomorrow.”
“Oh!”
“So, Mingsha City is planning to reveal its traditional cuisine openly?”
“There’s no other way now!”
“I think it’s all that tipster’s doing! If he hadn’t posted it, imagine the spectacle—a heritage street almost showcasing all of Long Kingdom’s traditional dishes, suddenly thrust into the spotlight. It must be breathtaking!”
“Sigh…”
“Personally, I kind of like it this way. Sure, the mystery is gone, but an open reveal lets visitors try out the dishes to see if they’re authentic—even if it dampens some of the anticipation for the Cultural Expo.”
“Who could argue? Put aside the Expo—the food street is a paradise for any foodie! Imagine a single street where you can try every traditional dish from the Long Kingdom, with recipes different every day for a whole week!”
“Alright, enough talk. I’m starting to feel like I want to live in Mingsha City for a while now.”
“Exactly!”
“Losing the allure of mystery but gaining a foodie haven isn’t such a bad deal!”
Little did they know,
just as netizens thought the Traditional Cuisine Showcase had lost all suspense and was about to be fully revealed, in the large conference room of the Mingsha Tourism office building, Zhu Qiang was hosting a meeting.
Nearly a hundred people attended—senior employees from Mingsha Tourism, judging by their attire.
“Manager Tan, is there any issue with the Traditional Cuisine Street opening to the public tomorrow at 10 AM?”
After a brief pause, Zhu Qiang looked toward a middle-aged man.
That man was none other than Tan Mianhua, one of the first chefs at Oasis 1. Now, he had stepped away from cooking to manage food supplies for Mingsha City, making him the natural choice to oversee the opening.
“General Zhu, everything is ready. At 10 AM tomorrow, the contracted merchants from various regions will move into their shops, and by the afternoon they’ll start prepping ingredients. Opening tomorrow morning won’t be a problem.”
At that,
Tan Mianhua quickly added,
“All the traditional cuisine merchants coming to Mingsha City were recommended from various regions and have signed contracts. They even arrived at Mingsha County a few days ago.”
“Moreover, to ease their concerns, Mingsha Tourism has set aside two employee dormitory buildings exclusively for these vendors.”
“That’s great! The first batch of merchants is crucial. If they succeed, everything else will follow smoothly!”
Zhu Qiang nodded slightly.
In fact, the Ancient Architecture Cuisine Street isn’t finished yet; only the traditional cuisines from Yan City, Haishi, Yun Province, and neighboring areas will open tomorrow.
The plan is to turn this street into a genuine culinary avenue rather than a mere gimmick for a traditional cultural showcase.
“Understood, General Zhu!”
Tan Mianhua quickly nodded.
As a veteran in the restaurant industry, he knew how important opening day was.
He promised to personally oversee the merchants, ensuring that taste, hygiene, and pricing were top priorities.
Especially pricing—overcharging customers is absolutely unacceptable.
Although Mingsha City is regarded by the people of Long Kingdom as a tourist spot, its true function is different. Take Langya Commercial Street, for example—it mainly serves employees, residents of Mingsha County, and locals from nearby prefecture-level cities.