Chapter 308: Heat, Hype, and High Stakes

“What kind of rubbish explanation is that? It’s meant to fool ordinary people! Is this even something a magic trick can pull off?”

Cole glared at the staff member in obvious irritation.

He could feel the sheer impact of the Huanglong crash into the lake even through the screen!

If this were just about light and shadow, then how do you explain that huge splash? Many of the onlookers by the lake nearly got soaked—can light and shadow really do that?

“Leader… but what about the Long Kingdom’s Taoist arts…”

Although Cole’s words were firm, the staff member hesitated for a moment.

The so-called Taoist arts of the Long Kingdom only exist in a few ancient texts; even the people of the Long Kingdom dismiss them as feudal superstition.

You can’t possibly believe it’s Taoist arts just because they pulled off some odd magic trick over there!

Even if it were true, how would they still operate? Rumor has it that Western magic is on par with Eastern Taoist arts, but in reality, many things are exaggerated in order to pit themselves against Long Kingdom’s supposed Taoism.

If it were real—and knowing the personalities of the major conglomerates—they would have long suppressed other nations by now. There’s just no way they’d wait until now.

“Quit your whining! So what if that contestant from Mingsha City uses Taoist arts? We aren’t afraid of them!”

Clearly reading the staff member’s mind, Cole shot another dissatisfied glare at them.

“Leader, but that’s clearly Taoist arts…”

The staff member was momentarily stunned again.

“This is the age of technology! Whatever Taoist arts might achieve, technology can replicate. And if technology can’t do it, then Taoist arts wouldn’t be able to either!”

“Not to mention, no matter how impressive Long Kingdom’s Taoist arts are, they can’t launch a shuttle into space. A single gun is still enough to deal with those who rely on Taoist arts!”

Cole pulled out a cigar and lit it.

Then he looked back at the staff member, his eyes burning with defiance.

“Mingsha City might be a traditional leader on the Long Kingdom front, but in technology they’re completely lacking. So why should we fear them? And most importantly, Taoist arts aren’t recognized by the people or the authorities in Long Kingdom. They can only use flashy tricks because they dare not show anything concrete.”

“Leader, so what’s the plan now?”

The staff member’s tense expression finally eased as they gradually accepted that the performance was indeed a Taoist act by the Mingsha City contestant.

“Our top priority is to steal the spotlight back. Even if the buzz isn’t on us, we can’t let the online attention remain with Mingsha City.”

Cole pounded the table with his finger.

He had originally expected David, the world’s leading grand illusionist, to crush the competition and put Mingsha City in its place. But ever since You Gong’s performance, the whole contest has been thrown into disarray.

Even though the competition restored order after some adjustments, the later contestants failed to capture any attention.

Neither Ma Qian from the Long Kingdom nor David managed to make even a splash.

Especially David—his act even featured a “fatal mistake” where his magic had no visual impact at all. The so-called small island remained unchanged; not even the drifting clouds around it moved.

Of course…

Even if David hadn’t “erred,” his disappearing island trick and Ma Qian’s “Temporal Tunnel” simply couldn’t hold a candle to what Mingsha City produced.

“Leader, how do we counter this?”

The staff member nodded vigorously, in complete agreement.

A large part of the international magic audience consists of foreign friends. If we don’t act to suppress it now, soon the buzz around Mingsha City will spill over—not just affecting Haishi’s Dino Park, but every Dino Park in the entire star system.

“Alright then. Later, get in touch with those Long Kingdom actors eyeing an international film career. See if they have any big scandals to share! If they do, release the news! In exchange, we can refer some resources their way.”

After a moment’s thought, Cole continued.

Even though he’s from Country M, the rule of celebrity scandals applies everywhere.

“Understood, Leader!”

“As for our Magic Academy, let’s hit the pause button for now. Once this storm dies down, we’ll ramp up a full-scale promotion.”

“Got it!”

At 8 p.m., Mingsha City was bathed in the glow of streetlights.

Although the magic contest officially ended that afternoon, the number of visitors didn’t drop one bit. In fact, thanks to You Gong’s performance, more and more tourists swarmed into Mingsha City.

Especially around Mingsha Fudi—nearly every corner by the small lake was packed with people livening up the place. Even though most security had been stationed there, the sheer volume of visitors meant that splashes of water were being lost with every turn.

At that moment…

Zhu Qiang, Luo Peng, and a third man stood atop Mingsha Ge, watching the bustling crowd in the distance.

“President Luo, can you confirm if Fudi Guesthouse will operate normally tomorrow?”

After a long silence,

Zhu Qiang couldn’t help but look over at Luo Peng.

A couple of weeks ago, he had confidently assured his subordinates that hiking the prices at Fudi Guesthouse would be fine, but now he felt very uncertain.

Who knows if the tourists might start looting around Fudi Guesthouse?

Today they’re splashing the lake, and later they might start plundering the flora on the hills.

“We have no choice—Fudi Guesthouse is fully booked. Not opening it would hurt our reputation!”

Luo Peng shook his head slightly.

It was already predictable what Mingsha Fudi would look like tomorrow morning once it reopened, yet they were powerless to fix it. Breaking promises hurts even more.

“Sigh! I just hope the commotion is milder tomorrow.”

Zhu Qiang exhaled deeply.

At this rate, if the tourists haven’t even boarded the island yet, imagine what will happen once they discover there’s also a Biyou Palace—and it’s hosted by that contestant known for his so-called magic act!

No wonder they’d all be rushing in to worship there.

“Milder commotion? I doubt it! By the way, President Zhu, what’s Brother Hao’s word? Any plans in place?”

After a pause, Luo Peng looked over at Zhu Qiang.

Mingsha City had been active for nearly three years now. In the past, the influx of visitors, though exhausting, felt gratifying.

But this time, the burden was real.

“Brother Hao didn’t say much—only that if things go south, we should call Second Sister!”

Zhu Qiang added.

“Call Second Sister?”

Luo Peng mused thoughtfully.

“Second Sister used to be the president of Longhai Brokerage. She’s in the know about many things. Honestly, it’s not our fault—those artists have dirty hands; if they were clean, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“That’s true!”

“I’ll ring Second Sister later. Brother Hao suggests we drop the news at dawn—make it a bombshell.”

Zhu Qiang remarked.

“Alright, then I’ll work on recruiting more security. We’ll definitely need to ramp up measures around Mingsha Fudi.”

“Understood!”

Meanwhile, in Yan City at the Ancient Architecture Institute, Li Jue, Xu Hao, and others were deep in conversation.

After a pause, Cao Jun turned to Xu Hao.

Every detail of Mingsha Academy had been finalized, yet now Mingsha City was stirring such a fuss that they dared not make an official announcement! If the public learns that Mingsha Academy merged with Su Province Traditional Chinese Medicine College, then who knows what might happen when students come into contact with the Zhu You Technique at Mingsha Fudi!

“Let’s assess the situation tomorrow. If it falls apart, we’ll think of something else.”

Xu Hao slowly set down his teacup.

No matter what, higher-ups had covered their tracks with legitimate excuses. As long as the superiors were satisfied, the issues with the public and tourists should eventually be resolved.

“That works! I just worry about the future teaching arrangements.

If Mingsha Academy were still under our Ancient Architecture Institute, it wouldn’t be a problem. Now that it’s a joint provincial ministry project, the focus on its curriculum will surely intensify.”

Cao Jun nodded in agreement.

“Cao, that should be fine! Besides, Mingsha City is planning a movie, a TV drama, and a major amusement park. If we get those three projects off the ground, we can divert some of the tourist flow.

Besides, only about one-fifth of the Mingsha City site has been developed so far. There’s plenty more space for expansion!”

Xu Hao added,

“That’s reassuring!”

“Xiao Xu, when are you heading back to Mingsha City?”

Li Jue chimed in from nearby.

“In three days! I’ll be waiting for Xiaoqing; then we’ll head back together!”

Xu Hao immediately replied,

“Oh!”

Time ticked by, and before long it was the early hours of the next day.

In the past, at this hour most Long Kingdom citizens would have been deep in slumber, but now most were still tucked in bed, scrolling on their phones.

“Huh? What’s this…”

Just as some young people were watching short videos, several browser push notifications suddenly lit up the screen.

After reading the messages, one could only exclaim, “Holy crap!”

Many young people not only cursed but sat up straight in shock.

The notifications were all bombshell entertainment news,

“A top trending actor is under control by the authorities on suspicion of PC misconduct.”

“A major pop icon is being investigated for inciting public disorder.”

“A leading film mogul is embroiled in an inappropriate relationship with a top-tier actress—evidence has been found by his wife and divorce is imminent.”

Each of these celebrities is a top-tier star in the Long Kingdom with massive fan followings.

The scandal immediately set off a storm of discussion.

Within ten minutes, it was trending online.

“My youth is over.”

“I just don’t understand—why? How can someone who’s rich and handsome end up in this mess?”

“He was such a great man in my eyes—how could it come to this?”

“Exactly! His roles were iconic.”

“Damn it, hurry up and download those classic movies—by tomorrow morning, they might be gone!”

Entertainment scandals always draw huge attention. While many fans were heartbroken and venting online, some level-headed netizens on a forum began posting calmly.

“Hahahaha! I knew it.”

“No doubt—when Mingsha City’s magic trick hit the trending list tonight, I had a feeling a mega scandal was coming. Sure enough…”

“Wait, are you saying these bombshells are connected to Mingsha City?”

“Of course!”

“I can only say the entertainment world’s really out of luck. Remember at the Cultural Expo, the Zhu You Technique performance wiped out a top star? And this time they hit three at once.”

“The entertainment industry really is cursed.”

“I agree; it’s a complete accident. Those stars never expected that the downfall would come from something so unrelated to them.”

“That just proves the stir in Mingsha City is real! They’re trying to use it to suppress the hype.”

“Right!”

“So what are we waiting for? I was hesitating before, but now I’m definitely heading to Mingsha City!”

As the moon set and the sun rose, it was 8 a.m. in Yan City’s Second Ring.

The Chief Leader had just taken his seat in the office when the Deputy Leader rushed in, looking flustered.

“How’s it going?” the Chief Leader asked, noticing the Deputy Leader’s haste.

“Leader, just yesterday we uncovered two more bombshells—they’re all trending thanks to the stir in Mingsha City.”

The Deputy Leader exhaled deeply.

“Still trending? That’s not bad!”

At this, the Chief Leader visibly relaxed.

“Leader, but now there’s another voice emerging!”

After a pause, the Deputy Leader said with a touch of exasperation,

“Hmm? What voice?”

“Some netizens claim that the authorities are deliberately suppressing Mingsha City’s buzz—trying too hard to cover it up. That, in itself, proves the stir is genuine.”

“Ah?”

The Chief Leader was momentarily stunned.

“And many say this is an indirect alert from the officials, urging the public to rush to Mingsha City before the good stuff is gone!”

“This…”

After a long silence, the Chief Leader finally looked at the Deputy Leader and asked, “So, what’s our move now?”

Yesterday, the authorities had issued denials and various countermeasures, but it seemed to have little effect—in fact, it might even have backfired.

“Perhaps we have to try something else!”

The Deputy Leader sighed again.

“Try something else? At this point, it’s nearly impossible to suppress the hype! Moreover, if Mingsha City cranks up promotions for films and new projects, the public’s excitement will only grow!”

The Chief Leader ran his hand through his thinning hair—a problem that had worsened since the Cultural Expo.

“Leader, if all else fails, why not count Mingsha City in as part of the Long Kingdom’s 10th Tech Expo? Last year, the innovations from major corporations at the expo drew massive attention!”

“Hmm? Mingsha City hosting a Tech Expo?”

The Chief Leader’s expression shifted.

“Mingsha City revolves around tradition. To be honest, they’re not strong in technology. Even if they get a booth, nothing significant will happen! Meanwhile, items from other tech companies are bound to attract notice.”

The Deputy Leader interjected urgently,

“Are you sure that’ll work?”

“Leader, I think it’s completely feasible! The public is eagerly awaiting news from Mingsha City. If they announce this now, the interest will skyrocket!

Combining tradition with technology is very appealing, and besides, Mingsha City can’t really put up a strong tech front!”

“But will Mingsha City go for it? If I recall, early August is the Tech Expo, plus they have their own projects lined up.”

“Leader, no need to worry. Mingsha City is just as anxious—if nothing is done, their tourist management will face serious issues!”

The Deputy Leader concluded.

PS: Brothers, I have some family matters to attend to. The next three days will be hectic; I might only manage 4,000 words per day. Expect full output on the 27th.