Chapter 283: The Turning Point in Mingsha City

President, I need to take a call first!

Picking up his phone, Cui Xiaozhong beamed with joy. He nodded at Park Qi Ye and left the office with the device in hand.

After about ten minutes, Cui Xiaozhong returned to the office. “President, great news! We’ve wrapped up the final piece! Just now, Mr. Jin called. Thanks to his arrangements, we can now see preliminary displays of the Chuan Yun Cave phenomenon. With some fine-tuning, it might even surpass the ancestral rites at Mingsha City!”

Before anyone could settle, Cui Xiaozhong quickly interrupted.

“Mr. Jin got it done?”

Snap! Even though he pretended not to listen, Park Qi Ye leapt up in excitement as soon as he caught wind of it.

The ‘Mr. Jin’ in question is actually Mr. Jin Shanfú, H Country’s most renowned large-scale outdoor magician and one of the seeded champions in the upcoming International Magic Competition.

Half a month ago, Park Qi Ye and Cui Xiaozhong approached him, hoping he could decipher the secrets of Chuan Yun Cave during the Long Kingdom competition. He agreed! They expected Jin Shanfú would need at least two or three months to master such a grand meteorological magic act.

But to everyone’s surprise, he made significant progress in just half a month! “Yes, and he’s even dubbed the act ‘Sunlit Gold.’ When the time comes, he’ll find a way to have the golden light shine on one of our national emblems, completely sidelining the Mingsha City altar.”

Cui Xiaozhong nodded vigorously.

“Sidelining the altar? Brilliant! I’ve heard that every tourist from the Long Kingdom heading to Mingsha City makes a stop at the altar to pay their respects. Once this act is unveiled, they’ll feel utterly manipulated by Mingsha City exploiting their ancestral pride!”

That will be the final nail in the coffin for Mingsha City!

Park Qi Ye enthusiastically waved his hand once more.

“Absolutely! And with the two magicians we secured earlier—one performing the Mirage Palace act and the other making bodies vanish in a theatrical display—even the labyrinth of the Mingsha Academy North Campus and the memory glitches in the grand exhibition hall’s ‘Eighty-Eight Immortals’ will be doomed.”

Cui Xiaozhong instinctively glanced at his computer.

They were just reviewing performance videos of the first two magicians.

“Hehe, as long as we nail the ‘Sunlit Gold’ act, those two routines become secondary. The people of the Long Kingdom hold their ancestors in the highest regard—any tampering in that area is simply unacceptable.”

With a dismissive wave,

Park Qi Ye said.

“By the way, you mentioned Mingsha City might repurpose that exhibition hall. What are they planning to do with it?”

After his excitement subsided, Park Qi Ye recalled their earlier discussion and asked.

“They haven’t specified any plans—only that it will no longer be open to the public or host any future shows. The main hall’s doors are already locked, and even staff are barred entry.”

After a moment’s thought, Cui Xiaozhong added.

“Barred from the main hall? What does that mean?”

Park Qi Ye raised an eyebrow.

“It’s not entirely clear, but in my view, Mingsha City might be crafting a gimmick to make the hall seem mysterious, tapping into tourists’ curiosity. After all, that hall once experienced a collective memory anomaly.”

Cui Xiaozhong looked at Park Qi Ye.

“You’ve got a point. Now that Mingsha City has tasted the allure of creating enigma, they’re likely to push further down that path.”

“Probably!”

“Enough! No matter how Mingsha City misbehaves, this International Magic Competition will be its final act!”

“Indeed!”

Time flew by, and before they knew it, it was eight in the evening.

Mingsha City was already illuminated. At that moment, a group strolled slowly along Qing Brick Avenue: Xu Hao and Xu Chen flanked the Grandfather, followed by Xu Xin, Xu Hui, Zhu Qiang, and others. Beside Xu Xin was a fair-skinned, beautiful woman—Xu Chen’s girlfriend.

This afternoon at five, the Grandfather and his party arrived at Lanshi International Airport, and then Xu Xin escorted them into a special vehicle.

Ten minutes ago, they had just reached Mingsha City.

“Old Six, this place is fantastic! You must run it well—steady and methodical. Don’t be hasty.”

Looking at the bustling tourists on Qing Brick Avenue and the vibrant traditional snack street across from the parking lot, Xu Hongfei’s face was filled with satisfaction and emotion.

He truly never expected his once underachieving son to accomplish so much in just over two years.

Walking beside Xu Hao now, he felt an inexplicable pressure.

“Dad, don’t worry!”

Xu Hao nodded in response.

The Grandfather had nothing but praise for him; had he not invested in the desert years ago, there’d be no Mingsha City today.

“Yeah, I also saw your Mingsha City’s presentation at the Cultural Expo. A few things were really impressive! And what about Taiyi Hospital?”

After a slight nod, the Grandfather continued.

Clearly, he had been silently keeping an eye on Mingsha City.

“Dad, let’s grab a meal at Zhaixing Pavilion. After eating, you’ll rest up for today, and tomorrow, Second Sister will give you a proper tour!”

Xu Hao promptly said.

“Huh? Second Sister is taking us? And you? Aren’t you coming along to chat?”

Hearing this, Xu Chen looked puzzled.

“Third Brother, I have no choice. Have you seen the trending topics online? Mingsha City is now set to sponsor an International Magic Competition competitor and build a new competition venue. On New Year’s Eve and the first day of the lunar new year, I’ll take Dad on a proper tour around Mingsha City.”

Xu Hao glanced at Xu Chen.

If tonight, Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng finalize the plans for Penglai Pavilion and Three Immortal Mountains, the workload ahead will undoubtedly be intense.

Probably, only during the New Year and the first couple of days will they have a breather! “Oh! Alright.”

Xu Chen nodded.

“By the way, Old Six, you mentioned that Mingsha City is building an International Magic Competition venue. Are you short on funds? Should we bring in some venture capital to ease the financial pressure?”

Before Xu Chen could respond, Su Jie suddenly brightened up and quickly joined in.

“Short on funds? Brother-in-law, though Mingsha City’s projects are massive, it’s not lacking money. In fact, a small venture capital firm has already been established here. If you have any promising projects, we can invest a bit.”

Hearing this,

Xu Hao gave Xu Chen, the Third Brother, a meaningful look before turning his gaze to Su Jie.

“Ah? Not short on money?”

Su Jie was taken aback.

Throughout the walk, he had crafted countless pitches. Just as he found an opportunity to mention the Ross Consortium’s interest in investing in Mingsha City, his plans were abruptly shut down.

“Indeed! If we were short of funds, our projects wouldn’t be progressing this quickly.”

Xu Hao nodded seriously.

“Exactly.”

Thus, Su Jie could only offer an awkward laugh, saying, “That’s a good thing! It’s a relief we’re not short on funds!”

“Indeed, and Mingsha City won’t raise external funds in the future!”

“Old Six, that’s a bit too definitive. Even international consortiums wouldn’t dare.”

At this, Su Jie immediately wanted to retort to Xu Hao.

But just then, Xu Chen’s phone rang, interrupting Su Jie’s rhythm.

“Hmm?”

Glancing at the unfamiliar number nearby, Xu Chen hesitated but eventually answered the call.

“Hello, may I ask if you’re a family member of Xu Yue and Xu Wen?”

The next moment, a woman’s voice came through the phone.

“What’s the matter? And who is this?”

Xu Chen frowned.

Xu Yue and Xu Wen are actually the Fourth and Fifth children of the Xu Family.

“We sincerely apologize for disturbing you at this hour. We are staff from New Country International Airport.”

Soon, the female voice spoke again.

Xu Chen’s speakerphone was loud enough that even Xu Hao nearby could catch most of the conversation.

“What? The plane has lost communication with the airline?”

In a flash! Once he heard the latter part, Xu Chen’s face went pale. Xu Hao was stunned, and even Grandfather Xu Hongfei noticed something was off, quickly looking toward Xu Chen.

“Mr. Xu, we’re actively trying to reach them. If it’s convenient, please try calling Xu Yue and Xu Wen on their private lines.”

The female voice on the line grew softer.

“We’re calling them? They’re on the plane—you want me to call them?”

A surge of nameless fury rushed to Xu Chen’s head, accompanied by a foreboding sense of dread.

This morning, the Fourth and Fifth children flew back to New Country ahead of schedule, and later called to say they’d bought tickets for a six o’clock transfer to M Country. Now the airline is reporting that this flight is unreachable. Who could stay calm under such circumstances?

Losing contact between a flight and the airline isn’t trivial—even a minute can pose significant risks.

“Sir, please don’t worry. This flight has Wi-Fi, and we’re actively in touch. With a journey lasting over ten hours, there’s a chance we’ll re-establish contact with the plane soon.”

“You people.”

People, sometimes, are like that—when trouble comes, it arrives without any warning.

Earlier, Xu Hao’s family had just reunited, spirits high, but suddenly, this unexpected news wiped away their appetite. Xu Chen and Xu Hao had dialed Xu Yue and Xu Wen’s numbers countless times, only to be met with silence.

With no luck in contacting them, the Grandfather immediately decided to return to New Country to check on the situation! Helplessly,

Xu Hao had no choice but to urgently arrange transport, sending the Grandfather, Xu Chen, and others overnight to Lanshi International Airport. He knew that with such unexpected news, the Grandfather couldn’t possibly stick around.

“Third Brother, please don’t rush—there might be good news soon! Once I file the necessary applications, I’ll come to you again!”

Before boarding, Xu Hao pulled Xu Chen aside.

There was no other choice; given his relatively high administrative rank, handling international travel procedures would be cumbersome compared to Xu Chen and the others.

Moreover, despite the shock of the news, he felt no palpable dread—suggesting that the Fourth and Fifth children were likely fine.

Ever since the sudden blackout at the exhibition hall and after mastering the Daoist Master’s two books, whenever Mingsha City faced issues, an inexplicable premonition would grip him!

Even Mingsha City itself was on edge—if any family member were truly in danger, he would have been restless for days. How could he remain unruffled?

To outsiders, it might seem superstitious, but to him, it was as factual as science—if not more so!