Chapter 294: Naming Dilemmas and Metro Developments

“Naming?”

Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng couldn’t help but exchange a look.

The truth is, neither the lakeside mountain around Penglai Pavilion nor the three islands in the lake had received an official name. Calling them directly Penglai or Yingzhou would not only spark debates but also feel inappropriate.

Each of the new ancient halls in Mingsha City has its own unique flair. Take “Penglai Pavilion” for instance – the pavilion here in Mingsha City, even more magnificent and ethereal than the one in Eastern Province, makes the name Penglai completely unsuitable.

“Brother Hao, how about we name it Wanshou Mountain? There’s a Wanshou Pavilion on the mountain, which fits nicely!”

After a few minutes of pondering, Luo Peng turned to Xu Hao.

“Wanshou Mountain? No way, that won’t do!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Xu Hao shook his head to dismiss the name. After a pause, he explained his reasoning.

“Wanshou Mountain is being reserved for Wuzhuang Temple. It wouldn’t be appropriate to use it here.”

By the way, the foundation for Daoist Master’s Wuzhuang Temple on Cang Mountain is now completely finished. Construction will soon officially begin. In fact, Wanshou Mountain is actually an integral part of the Wuzhuang Temple complex. According to legend, Wuzhuang Temple is nestled within Wanshou Mountain.

So without Wanshou Mountain, Wuzhuang Temple wouldn’t feel complete.

“Brother Hao, then what about calling it Mingsha Dongtian?”

Seeing that Wanshou Mountain was off the table, Zhu Qiang thought for a moment and added,

“The ‘Tian Di Gong Fu Tu’ records: ‘Ten Great Dongtian, thirty-six minor Dongtian, seventy-two blessed lands—ordered by the heavens among the famous mountains,’ and in ‘Fuzhai Weiyi Jing’ it states: ‘Ten Great Dongtian, twenty-four zones, thirty-six Jing Lu, seventy-two blessed lands, three hundred and sixty-five famous mountains…’ Our mountain, with its exceptional environment and ancient architecture, combined with a mystical haze that transforms it into a fairyland, could very well be named Dongtian!”

“Mingsha Dongtian?”

Both Xu Hao and Luo Peng instinctively looked toward Zhu Qiang.

“Moreover, if we call it Mingsha Dongtian, it can encompass the entire artificial lake and its three islands. Later, when tourists mention Mingsha Dongtian, they’ll know exactly which area we mean.”

Zhu Qiang continued,

“That idea isn’t bad, but it feels a tad grandiose! Mingsha City still seems a bit overpowered. What about calling it Mingsha Fudi instead? In legends, a blessed land is a notch below Dongtian. We can always work on enhancing the area’s quality later by introducing exotic flora. Besides, with Biyou Palace situated on that central small island, Fudi fits perfectly!”

After a brief pause,

Xu Hao considered for a moment and offered his opinion.

He agreed that while Zhu Qiang’s idea had merit, the term Dongtian seemed too ambitious. Ancient texts usually describe Dongtian as being supported by natural, towering mountains—like those of Wangwu and Luofu. The artificial mountain of Mingsha City, even with its original sand beam, couldn’t compare, making Fudi a much better fit.

“Mingsha Fudi? That works. Honestly, when I stand atop Langya Mountain compared to here, the difference is striking. Here, you can truly relax – it might very well be what an ancient blessed land felt like.”

Listening to the explanation, both Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng nodded in agreement.

“Alright then! It’s settled: This area will be named Mingsha Fudi, the pavilion itself will be renamed Mingsha Ge, and we’ll install a white marble archway by the mountain’s base. As for the three islands in the lake, we won’t give them individual names.”

Xu Hao turned to glance at the artificial islands in the lake.

Although each island features ancient architecture, only the central one with Biyou Palace has a dedicated Daoist Master, while the other two lack any notable overseers. Besides, they aren’t major tourist draw cards, so they won’t attract many visitors.

“Got it, Brother Hao!”

“By the way, Brother Hao, isn’t our Metro Line 1 scheduled to officially launch tomorrow?”

After a brief pause, Zhu Qiang suddenly recalled something and added,

“Yeah, you should hold an inauguration ceremony at the City Gate tomorrow, and introduce the station stops and ticket fares to the visitors.”

Xu Hao nodded in agreement.

Mingsha City’s metro had been under construction for over a year, and now finally bore fruit! Though the first phase is merely eight kilometers long, the project was massive—especially with the underground parking and maintenance stations that extend right beneath the City Gate.

Returning the metro also demanded considerable effort.

But now that the initial work is completed, extending the lines will be much easier.

“I’m going? Won’t you join, Brother Hao?”

At the mention of having to host the ceremony himself, Zhu Qiang quickly asked,

“I have to make a trip to the county tomorrow. Yesterday, the county called to say that the preliminary plans for Mingsha City’s high-speed rail station have been approved. They just need to finalize a few details before breaking ground!”

Xu Hao turned to glance at Luo Peng, “Little Luo, you’re coming with me tomorrow!”

“Me?”

Luo Peng was taken aback.

“Yeah! The high-speed rail station for Mingsha City is tentatively planned to be located in Hongsha Gang Village, which might mean that the entire village will have to relocate! The new housing for villagers might even be built right within Mingsha City!”

Xu Hao continued,

Originally, the county planned to relocate the villagers near the county town. But during preliminary visits, many villagers were reluctant, insisting that if they were moved to Mingsha City, they’d have to sign relocation agreements without question. Everyone knows that Mingsha City is the county’s heart.

In fact, for Mingsha City this is a boon – it will bring in a permanent population! Permanent residents not only boost the city’s vibrancy but also stabilize and strengthen its internal economy. Relocating Hongsha Gang villagers only requires constructing a few extra traditional-style buildings behind the employee housing area by the southern gate.

“No problem, Brother Hao! Should I call the village chief as well?”

At once, Luo Peng quickly responded,

“Sure, let’s hear everyone’s opinions and see what conditions they have.”

“Understood!”

Time passed, and soon it was the next day.

In Haishi, at the television station, Cai An finished reviewing some documents, glanced at his computer screen, and furrowed his brow in thought.

After a long pause, he finally looked up at the Channel Director sitting across his desk.

“What do you think about this issue?”

“Boss, I believe we shouldn’t take it on. Clearly, Dino Park is targeting Mingsha City. Over there, they’ve been cramming traditional culture into every corner while constantly launching bizarre new trends. Dino Park’s business and reputation have suffered considerably!

Now they plan to launch a spin-off of Harry Potter on our network – clearly an attempt to boost their so-called magic academy while promoting their Western cultural agenda to undermine our Long Kingdom’s traditions.”

At these words,

the Channel Director immediately replied,

Just yesterday, they received a call from a cultural company in Haishi claiming they had an overseas drama that, if aired, would secure high ratings. They wouldn’t charge us a dime – in fact, they’d even provide some sponsorship.

At first glance, it seemed like a great opportunity! But free lunches rarely exist. After some inquiries, we uncovered quite a bit of hidden information.

There are already rumors online claiming that the Zhu You Technique at Taiyi Hospital in Mingsha City can cure ailments, and that their magic academy is even superior. Such claims are clearly manufactured.

What’s even more infuriating is that many Long Kingdom fans support these statements.

“I think the same! Are you certain that the investment company’s shareholders include representatives from H Country?”

While nodding, Cai An then looked back at the Channel Director.

“Boss, I’m sure! That H Country company holds a significant stake, and they have numerous branches overseas focusing on cultural tourism projects!”

“Alright, then contact Mr. Fang from Haofang Culture and brief him on the situation. Even if we don’t pick up this Western magical drama, other TV stations might, and online platforms are likely to too.

Once this Western fantasy drama airs, a wave of unthinking fangirl frenzy is bound to follow.

For these folks, the foreign moon will always seem brighter than the domestic one! More importantly, H Country has been stirring up trouble at the Cultural Expo ever since – if we don’t strike back, it’ll only look like Long Kingdom is easy prey.”

After a long moment of silence, Cai An said,

“Boss, do you mean that once Mingsha City learns of this, they’ll come after them?”

The Channel Director paused.

“Absolutely! Researcher Xu from Mingsha City is nothing if not formidable. Last time at the Cultural Expo, Mingsha City held back because Jinlong Ancient City lacked backbone. But this time is different – it’s clear they’re coming for Mingsha City. I suspect the premature exposure of our Long Kingdom’s Traditional Magic was orchestrated by those H Country sons of bitches.”

Cai An’s eyes narrowed slightly.

While high ratings are important for the TV station, some issues don’t revolve around ratings at all!

“Boss, I’ll contact Mr. Fang tomorrow.”

“Also, tell Mr. Fang that we need to be extra cautious during the International Magic Competition. The contestants from H Country might try to cause trouble – they could even be linked to that magic academy.”

“Understood!”

It must be said, those who reach the position of Director at Haishi TV always know a few tricks. Just as Cai An was about to call Mingsha City, on a minibus bound there, Cui Xiaozhong was discussing competition details with several participants. Seed contestant Jin Shanfú was even holding a few models of a black castle.

“Vice President, are you saying this model is for the second phase of Dino Park’s construction?”

After a brief pause,

Jin Shanfú looked at Cui Xiaozhong.

“Exactly! So during your performance, make sure to swap out our kimchi and Eastern Medicine Treasure with this model!”

Cui Xiaozhong nodded.

Originally, Jin Shanfú’s magic act was designed to have dark clouds part to reveal a golden ray of light that would illuminate some of H Country’s intangible cultural heritage—Eastern Medicine Treasure, kimchi, and more. This would not only playfully restore face for the Cultural Expo but also subtly expose that the mysterious weather during Long Kingdom’s Palace Festival was a sham.

But

Last night, he unexpectedly received a call from Park Qi Ye, stating that the intangible cultural heritage items should be swapped for the magic castle model.

“Vice President, isn’t our Eastern Medicine Treasure emblematic enough? Why change it for this old castle model now?”

Before Jin Shanfú could reply, another contestant couldn’t help but interject.

“There’s no other way – Dino Park’s second phase in Haishi is already underway. The first project is the magic academy! We’ve invested 1.5 billion M in total. Staging this act in Mingsha City is perfect for promoting the magic academy!”

Cui Xiaozhong immediately explained.