Chapter 256: Unexpected Setbacks and Unraveling Plans

This

Swish! At that, Ding Xiaoping and Bai Ming’s faces drained of color. They had long forgotten about that earlier post—they believed everything had been flawless. Who would have thought old issues would be dredged up now, and by none other than the Su Province authorities!

“Let’s go, you two,”

the middle-aged man declared as several staff members quickly moved in to flank Ding Xiaoping and Bai Ming.

“Wait a minute! Isn’t this leader using Mingsha City’s commission to pin blame on us as revenge?”

“Yes! And so what if we posted online? It was just a Cultural Expo. Haofang Culture even stirred up trouble at our Film Festival—why aren’t they the ones being targeted?”

Coming to his senses,

Ding Xiaoping hurriedly interjected, trying to break free from the staff.

“It’s only a Cultural Expo! I still can’t believe you ended up as a leader in the Director Association. When has a film festival co-hosted by several associations ever measured up to a national Cultural Expo?”

“Want me to show you the Long Kingdom authorities’ document?”

Hearing this, the middle-aged man decided not to argue further and signaled for the staff to take them away.

“This”

left Ding Xiaoping and Bai Ming utterly dumbfounded.

Especially Ding Xiaoping, whose anger had clouded his judgment—his thoughts were solely on sabotaging Mingsha City, without a care for anything else.

“Take them away!”

Unfortunately, Ding Xiaoping not only lost his chance to explain or execute his plan, but the two wall guesthouses he’d booked for 6,000 yuan were now doomed to go to waste.

Time flew by, and before they knew it, it was 10 p.m.

Mingsha City remained vibrant, as if everyone were eagerly awaiting tomorrow’s grand event, while Xu Hao had already arrived in Nanzhao Ancient City.

Just moments ago,

he had finished dinner with Dong Liping, Li Jue, and others.

He had come to Nanzhao Ancient City to meet someone!

Knock, knock, knock! Soon, Xu Hao found himself at a guesthouse door, knocking insistently.

“Come in!”

“Uncle Han!”

Upon opening the door, Xu Hao greeted the man standing there.

It turned out that the resident was none other than Han Lijun, the director of Yan City TV. Originally, Xu Hao had arranged for him to stay at the Ancient Building Courtyard, but Han insisted on exploring the Xianxia Zone to check out the Thunderbolt Demon-Locking Tower, so he was reassigned to Nanzhao Ancient City.

“Xiao Xu’s here! Have a seat!”

Han Lijun smiled as he spoke.

“Uncle Han, are you comfortable living here?”

As Xu Hao stepped inside, he asked.

“Isn’t it great? It’s really nice here!”

Han Lijun replied.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Han got down to business.

“Xiao Xu, don’t you think it’s a bit sudden for our food show to launch tomorrow?”

He raised his tea cup, taking a small sip as he looked over at Xu Hao.

A few days ago, when Han learned that Mingsha City’s traditional food performance wouldn’t be held on the snack street, he began to scheme.

Since his previously approved food show no longer needed to compete with the Food Festival, he wondered if it could even snag a prime-time slot.

Before he could call Xu Hao, Xu Hao had already phoned him to discuss the airing time for ‘A Taste of the Long Kingdom,’ and they settled on a tentative schedule.

And that led to today’s situation.

“Uncle Han, I think airing it tomorrow morning would be perfect! And our first episode should feature the Sichuan Pickles special!”

Xu Hao shook his head.

“Sichuan Pickles?”

A spark of mischief lit Han Lijun’s eyes.

“Well, if they’re bold enough to mess with us, why not give them a little taste of what’s coming?”

Xu Hao added.

Everyone assumed Xu Hao was too wrapped up in infrastructure projects to worry about anything else, but he knew full well the true purpose behind this Cultural Expo.

Especially after a call from his Third Brother, he felt it was crucial to let them know that certain people and matters were off limits. “Was that post also their mischief? It’s absolutely disgusting!”

Hearing this, Han Lijun immediately grasped Xu Hao’s intent, his tone growing grave.

“No! I initially thought it was just them. Who knew there’d be developments today? A Su Province leader called this afternoon, saying that the Director Association has already taken statements from the involved personnel!”

Xu Hao shook his head, his expression turning complex.

“What, the Director Association? This is…”

Clang! Han Lijun sprang to his feet.

The tides rise and fall.

The next morning at 8 a.m., numerous citizens and online viewers had already switched on their TVs, tuning in to the Long Kingdom Comprehensive Channel.

A gathering of this magnitude would certainly be broadcast on the Long Kingdom Comprehensive Channel rather than a variety channel.

At the main venue, the outskirts of Jinlong Ancient City were packed with people, and access to the venue was temporarily cordoned off. They awaited the arrival of domestic leaders and international guest delegations.

This time, the main venue in Jinlong Ancient City was set up at the square in front of the city gate. Like other grand events in the Long Kingdom, the scene was impressive even by ordinary standards.

Yet, in focusing too much on grandeur, they neglected Jinlong Ancient City’s unique charm. The venue’s décor resembled a technology expo rather than showcasing traditional Long Kingdom elements.

“Are the honor guards and all the on-site staff ready?”

In a nearby temporary operations room at the venue,

a man in his fifties glanced at Niu Hongchang, who sat nearby.

There was no way around it—in an event of this level, even Niu Hongchang had to step aside. They were preparing, but the day would soon see department leaders arriving to fully coordinate the proceedings.

Moreover, the middle-aged man was flanked by several higher-up leaders, all there to manage the coordination.

“Leader, everything is ready! By 8:30, the leaders and international guests will be seated, and at 9, the event officially begins.”

Niu Hongchang nodded hastily.

“That’s good!”

The man nodded with a serious expression.

Phew! Niu Hongchang exhaled deeply.

He knew that at that moment, all of Lanstarr’s media eyes were fixed on Jinlong Ancient City. As for the branch venue in Mingsha City, it wouldn’t attract media attention until all performances in Jinlong Ancient City had concluded.

If everything went smoothly, Jinlong Ancient City would be triumphant! “All staff, keep your spirits up—especially for the first performance after the opening act. H Country’s Cultural Expo kicks off with a traditional wedding; if we get outdone right out of the gate, it will be a huge disgrace!”

After a pause, the middle-aged man added,

“Leader, rest assured—we’ve prepared our first act meticulously. There’s no way we’ll be outshone by H Country.”

Niu Hongchang quickly responded in assurance.

This time, Jinlong Ancient City planned to showcase a traditional wedding using sixteen sedan chairs. He had even wanted more, but learned that additional sets would resemble certain local funeral customs involving dragon-bearing sedan chairs, so they settled on sixteen.

He also believed that sixteen sedan chairs were the pinnacle of traditional wedding palanquins.

“Mm!”

Ding-ding-ding. Just as Niu Hongchang was about to add more, his phone rang urgently.

“You handle that first!”

The leader glanced at Niu Hongchang and waved him off.

“Alright, Leader!”

With the nod of permission, Niu Hongchang quickly stepped aside to answer the call.

“What’s wrong? Mr. Zhang!”

It was Zhang Si, his deputy, on the line.

“General Niu, it’s over—everything’s ruined!”

In the next moment, Zhang Si’s voice, quivering with tears, came through the phone.

“What’s wrong?”

Niu Hongchang’s heart sank.

“General Niu, when the performers were getting their makeup and costumes on, someone—who knows which staff member—managed to spray a large patch of hideous white paint onto our painstakingly prepared floral palanquin, and the sedan chair poles even had minor issues!”

Zhang Si’s voice echoed once again.

“What? White paint? This is…”

Cold sweat immediately broke out on Niu Hongchang’s forehead.

Traditional weddings are all about red celebrations; if a floral palanquin smeared with white paint were to appear, it would be condemned before even taking the stage.

“What on earth do you do for a living?”

Regaining his composure,

Niu Hongchang was nearly overcome with anger.

If it weren’t for the leader nearby, he would have cursed Zhang Si’s entire lineage. Such a critical mistake was simply unforgivable.

“General Niu, everyone was busy with their own preparations today. The palanquin was stored in the storage room—no one expected any issues.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Didn’t we also have a backup palanquin?”

In a burst of urgency, Niu Hongchang exclaimed,

“General Niu, our backup palanquin has a problem too. I already sent someone to check it out, and it turns out someone placed an electric heater beside it, roasting the decorative elements to a scorched yellow!”

Zhang Si’s voice trembled, unable to stop.

“What? The backup palanquin is ruined as well?”

Niu Hongchang went pale, his legs turning weak. Had it not been for a staff member a few steps away noticing the issue and coming to support him, he would have collapsed on the spot.