Chapter 289: Tensions Rise Over Revolutionary Magic

“Can’t we come up with something new for the reveal? There are still three months until the competition!”

The Leader in his fifties frowned deeply.

“Leader, you might not fully grasp the current state of our Long Kingdom’s traditional magic. Most performers are merely stacking tricks—altering two into three might work, but if they try to invent new illusions, even if successful, three months isn’t nearly enough time. There would be too many flaws!”

Xie Feiyang glanced timidly at the Leader.

As head of the Long Kingdom Magic Association, he knew the ins and outs of traditional magic in Long Kingdom all too well.

“No innovation? Then what are we to do! We can’t simply forfeit everything! And sure enough, the foreign media will soon spin this into a narrative.”

Smack! The Leader slapped the desk.

“Leader, if all else fails, we can send our modern magicians to represent Long Kingdom! Our performers comprise both traditional magic and modern illusions—it would still be a valid representation.”

A brief silence followed.

Only then did Xie Feiyang muster the courage to whisper his idea.

“Modern magic?”

The Leader raised an eyebrow. “Yes. Modern magic is versatile. Even if a trick is unraveled, there are always new moves to deploy. Once one secret is exposed, another will soon follow.”

Noticing a slight softening in the Leader’s expression, Xie Feiyang quickly added,

“That may be, but traditional magic is a legacy that has been nurtured in Long Kingdom for generations—and we are hosting the event, after all.”

After a moment of contemplation,

the Leader turned his attention back to Xie Feiyang.

“It’s simple! Isn’t there a slot in Mingsha City’s main competition roster? If needed, let their chosen participant present Long Kingdom’s traditional magic, while entrants from elsewhere perform modern illusions.”

“This way, the public pressure will be eased, and as long as our modern magicians achieve good results, our pride remains intact.”

Xie Feiyang continued,

“Having Mingsha City perform traditional magic? Their focus is inherently traditional—so that should work!”

The Leader slowly leaned back in his chair, visibly relaxing.

“The key is that domestic netizens know the Mingsha City entrant was hastily selected. So even if their traditional magic has been deciphered, the people of Long Kingdom will understand.”

“Indeed.”

“So, what do you think?”

“Alright, I’ll make a call later—but on one condition: the modern magicians you select must perform flawlessly. No slip-ups.”

“Rest assured, Leader!”

In H Country, Park Qi Ye, delicately cradling a coffee cup, stood by the full-length window and gazed out at the bustling traffic, exuding calm confidence.

“President, the magic scene over in Long Kingdom is in chaos!”

From behind him,

Cui Xiaozhong, after reading a message, laughed excitedly.

“Chaos, you say? Thanks to Chairman Chen’s materials, we’ve got a handle on Mingsha City! Without him, we’d be at a loss.”

Turning around,

Park Qi Ye returned to his desk.

Indeed, the videos leaking online that exposed Long Kingdom’s traditional magic were orchestrated by them. The plan was twofold: to undermine Long Kingdom’s traditional culture and to completely sabotage Mingsha City’s fallback plan.

To be honest, as soon as they learned that Mingsha City had secured a competition spot, their first instinct was to cause trouble.

Mingsha City has always defied expectations. If another unexpected twist arises, it could derail their entire plan. So they convened a think-tank overnight and finally devised this clever, two-birds-one-stone strategy.

Now that all of Long Kingdom’s traditional magic has been exposed, Mingsha City has no room left to maneuver.

And what about the new venue?

This year’s theme is magic. Even if Mingsha City’s new arena is impressive, it won’t outshine the Magic Competition.

“President, as expected, Long Kingdom might send some modern magicians to the competition!”

After sipping his coffee, Cui Xiaozhong added,

“Modern magicians? Ha! Long Kingdom takes pride in its traditional magic. Sending modern magicians would essentially negate the essence of our heritage.”

(He waved his hand dismissively.)

A hint of disdain flitted across Park Qi Ye’s face.

“Exactly!”

“By the way, when will our competing magicians head to Long Kingdom? Yesterday, Master Jin called to say his ‘Chuan Yun Cave’ illusion has finalized every detail, but the only drawback is that the setup requires about ten days in advance.”

After a brief pause, Park Qi Ye turned and asked,

“President, that might push the timeline to around the 20s of April!”

After some thought, Cui Xiaozhong replied,

“The 20s of April? Is that fast enough?”

Park Qi Ye furrowed his brows.

“President, the schedule is set! All competitors must check into Mingsha City by April 28, with the main event kicking off on April 30. The competition starts with close-up magic, then moves to mid-scale illusions, and finally to grand illusions—with fifteen days of preparation, that should be sufficient!”

Cui Xiaozhong then retrieved a stack of documents from his briefcase and handed them to Park Qi Ye.

Due to the varied nature of the acts, this Magic Competition is divided into three groups, each crowning its own champion. Their Mirror Maze and Chuan Yun Cave are categorized as grand illusions, while “Characters in the Painting Come to Life” falls under mid-scale magic.

For small-scale magic, they have prepared a visual trick where a pair of chopsticks pierces through the palm.

“As long as it’s achievable, that will do!”

Park Qi Ye exhaled in relief.

“By the way, yesterday the Deputy Director of the International Investment Department from the Ross Consortium in M Country called. He asked us to invest fifteen billion M gold to secure a stake in the second park of Dino Park in Haishi.”

After Park Qi Ye reviewed the Magic Competition materials, Cui Xiaozhong retrieved another bundle of documents from his briefcase.

“Fifteen billion M gold? Dino Park’s second park?”

Park Qi Ye was taken aback.

“They mentioned they plan to build a Western fantasy world in Haishi, featuring a distinctly Western magical vibe!”

“So the Ross Consortium wants to mimic Mingsha City’s profit model?”

“It seems they’ve recognized Mingsha City’s revenue potential. A financial firm estimated that Mingsha City’s profitability now far surpasses that of Dino Park.”

Cui Xiaozhong nodded in agreement.

“And what does that mean for us?”

“Mr. Smith said that Dino Park’s second park will offer more than just a Western fantasy theme. If the opportunity arises, they’ll reserve an area for us to integrate some of our blockbuster IPs! You know how popular some of our dramas are in Long Kingdom—often, the local celebrities have even more fans here than in their home country!

Not capitalizing on that would be a real shame!”

“Expand our TV series further?”

“Exactly!”

“But even so, it won’t require as much money. Besides, we haven’t had any breakout series in recent years—and most of our dramas are romances, which simply can’t generate ancillary revenue!”

“President, Mr. Smith said this is our chance! If we don’t grab it, they won’t cooperate with us culturally in the future. He stressed that our current focus is on the investment, with our major series being integrated gradually later, though initially their projects will take precedence.”

Seeing Park Qi Ye hesitate, Cui Xiaozhong quickly interjected,

“This…”

Unable to hide his anxiety, Park Qi Ye took a deep breath as his expression turned tense.

After a moment, he asked again,

“So, when exactly do they need it?”

“Mid-March! Mr. Smith mentioned that the first IP to be developed for the second park is that sprawling fantasy drama—something akin to Harry Potter. They’ll even build a magic academy. This series is hugely popular in Long Kingdom; it not only boosts cultural exports but also promises hefty profits.”

Cui Xiaozhong explained further.

“How exactly will the magic academy operate? Did Mr. Smith provide any details?”

“Mr. Smith didn’t go into details, but one thing’s for sure: the academy will mirror the experience from the IP, letting visitors try out some ‘mini magic’ tricks.”

“Alright then! I’ll submit an application to the higher-ups right away!”

“Okay!”

Time flew—it was already evening.

As videos exposing the cracks in traditional magic began circulating across major forums, netizens exploded in reaction!

Some online commentators furiously condemned what they saw as despicable behavior, while others lamented the decline of Long Kingdom’s traditional magic, blaming its inability to innovate for the loss of legacy.

Of course,

there were also those, sharing Xie Feiyang’s viewpoint, who believed that Long Kingdom, as a modern nation, need not cling to traditional magic—modern illusions were perfectly acceptable, provided the performers were Long Kingdom natives.

Just as Long Kingdom’s folk and modern music coexist, its pianists and violinists can bring glory to the nation. Not every musician is expected to play the suona or guzheng.

Admittedly, this perspective has won substantial public support.

Yet, it was clear that the public’s interest in this International Magic Competition was waning.

The reasoning was simple: without anticipation, who would bother following the event? The more you tune in, the more frustrated you become. It’s better to cut ties than to feel continually disappointed.

As for Mingsha City? Netizens remain fixated—not hoping for a miraculous comeback, but eager to see what new surprises they can conjure!

Especially with that enigmatic ancient costume sci-fi drama looming on the horizon! Mingsha City is stirring up big plans—perhaps another must-see hotspot is on the way.

Meanwhile, Xu Hao stood at the construction site, scrutinizing the progress while continuously revising the blueprints.

Though the overall design is inspired by Penglai Pavilion and Overseas Three Immortals Mountain, they couldn’t simply replicate every building and attraction—the character of Mingsha City had to remain unique.

If everything were copied, not only would the public have complaints, but the attractions in Eastern Province would also be dissatisfied!