Chapter 331: Plans and Schemes in Mingsha City

“Three days later? Fine! We’ll officially open to the public then. The opening policy will be as we discussed before.”

Xu Hao nodded.

“Alright, Brother Hao!”

“By the way, Qiangzi, let’s have another meeting tonight to discuss Line 2 of the subway.”

He put away the blueprints and glanced back over his shoulder.

Ever since the opening of Line 1, Mingsha City’s transport capacity surged, earning rave reviews from tourists and providing a remarkably pleasant travel experience. However, with the city’s constant developments and the increasing number of tourists and residents, the capacity provided by the first phase of Line 1 has clearly fallen short.

Especially around 8 a.m., the rush inside the subway rivals that of a major metropolis in Long Kingdom. Once Mingsha Academy resumes in September, the crowds will be even larger.

Thus,

the matters of Line 2 and the second phase of Line 1 must be put on the agenda.

Especially Line 2!

According to Xu Hao’s plan, the first phase of Line 2 will run north to south, with the main tunnel located to the left of the Qingming Scroll and to the right of Mingsha Fudi, stretching south to the currently under-construction immigrant site at Hongsha Gang Village and north to the newly built Technology Expo venue.

The total length will be around 25 kilometers, eventually connecting directly with the north and south city walls to enable seamless commuting.

Once completed, this project will link the five-kilometer-long snack street, Mingsha Fudi, the Protectorate, and the Qingming Scroll, offering tourists an even better travel experience.

“Brother Hao, should we call in the project leader?”

At the mention, Zhu Qiang thought for a moment before replying.

Despite the myriad of ongoing projects in Mingsha City that have led many to believe that other infrastructure work was halted, in reality, the city walls and the subway have been under intense construction.

Especially the subway! Line 1 didn’t stop at Mingsha Academy but continued extending westward, now piercing through the central point of the Mingsha district.

“Call him in! After all, since Line 2 will tunnel beneath the Mingsha River, we must ensure it does not disturb the feng shui of Mingsha Fudi.”

After a moment’s pause, Xu Hao spoke.

“Understood!”

“Are our account funds sufficient now?”

“Brother Hao, the funds are absolutely fine! Even if we were to launch another line, it wouldn’t be a problem.”

Mentioning funds brought a hint of pride to Zhu Qiang’s face.

Ever since the Cultural Expo, Mingsha City has been nearly overflowing every day, with a net profit exceeding 20 million daily.

Plus, with the recent compensation from H Country already in place — aside from the portion allocated to the investment company — the account still holds around 3 billion.

And that’s not even counting the revenues from Haofang Culture, Haofang Agency, and Taiyi Hospital; if those are added to Mingsha City’s accounts, the cash flow will be even more abundant.

Combined with fixed assets, Mingsha City is undoubtedly a hundred-billion-level cultural tourism group, steadily progressing toward being a thousand-billion-level industry magnate.

Therefore,

a major project like the subway, which doesn’t require full upfront payment, is well within Mingsha City’s capability.

“As long as the funds are sufficient — if not, let me know.”

Xu Hao nodded again.

“Alright, Brother Hao!”

The weather at the end of May was extremely hot, especially around noon.

“What about the meteorite?”

In the Xianxia Zone near Wuzhuang Temple, tourists had been searching since morning, sweating profusely and intermittently wiping beads of sweat from their foreheads.

With the blazing sun overhead and the crowd so dense, it was nearly unbearable.

“You all search; I’m done.”

Finally,

around a little past noon, some tourists decided to forgo this sudden chance at wealth.

Continuing on might not only mean missing out on riches but could also lead to premature expenses at Taiyi Hospital.

“Exactly, I’m done too! With so many people, even if there were a meteorite, it might already be lost to the masses. And of course, there’s also the chance that someone found it but kept quiet to keep the fortune for themselves.”

“It’s too hot! I need to get a bottle of water.”

“Yeah, I need to find a place to rest for a while.”

One minute… Two minutes…

As time wore on, more and more tourists chose to give up. Yet a new problem emerged. Looking around, they realized there wasn’t a single spot to rest or buy water. To take a break or get some water, they had to go to Nanzhao Ancient City, which was quite a distance from Wuzhuang Temple.

“I’m so thirsty.”

After swallowing hard, many tourists who felt they couldn’t go on any longer leaned against the outer wall of Wuzhuang Temple, while others sat by the closed main gate, seeking shade and rest.

Unbeknownst to them, as the tourists grew increasingly exhausted, high up in the backyard of Wuzhuang Temple, Cangshan and Canghai were observing the scene.

“Senior Brother, your idea is genius! In just one night, you’ve made Wuzhuang Temple the most talked-about spot in Mingsha City.”

After a moment of silence,

Canghai turned and gave Cangshan a thumbs-up before glancing at the stacks of over ten thousand bottles of bottled water piled up beside the main hall of the temple.

No doubt about it,

last night’s meteorite incident was indeed a setup executed by him and Cangshan. In truth, there was hardly any meteorite at all.

Now, all the tourists have been drawn here. Shortly, the temple will open its doors to visitors, handing out free bottled water. By then, while experiencing Wuzhuang Temple, tourists will also snag a refreshing bottle, ensuring the temple leaves a lasting impression!

With a strong first impression secured, the continuous flow of believers will follow in due course.

“That’s still not enough!”

Cangshan scanned the surroundings.

“Not enough? Senior Brother, this morning when we met You Gong at Mingsha Fudi, there wasn’t a single tourist there.”

Canghai was taken aback.

Earlier that morning, they had even taken the time to visit Mingsha Fudi for a heartfelt, face-to-face negotiation with You Gong. In the end, they extorted a considerable amount of Kunlun Jade from Biyou Palace before returning to Wuzhuang Temple satisfied.

“Not a single tourist? That fellow You Gong is incredibly cunning. I bet there will be some movement over there in a few days!”

Cangshan smirked.

During this morning’s “friendly exchange”, he and You Gong reached an agreement.

Old friends remain friends; their bonds don’t break easily. But when it comes to attracting worshippers, everyone relies on their own capabilities—no holding back or deliberate leniency.

“Senior Brother, what’s happening over there? I feel if there’s any more movement, the City Master might have to start explaining to the authorities. Didn’t the City Master instruct us to keep things as low-key as possible?”

Canghai paused.

Although the exchange that morning was cordial, the three of them ended up discussing a lot of matters in detail.

“Hehe, Junior Brother, you’re still a bit naive! You Gong is full of fluff—nothing should be taken at face value! His point is to limit us while he stirs things up on his end. Just wait and see!”

Cangshan cast a sidelong glance at Canghai.

“Huh? That guy…”

“So, we need to keep pace. At Mingsha Fudi, there are red-crowned cranes and white deer. What do you think we should do on our side?”

“What exactly should we do?”

Canghai furrowed his brows.

“Red-crowned cranes and white deer, Senior Brother—you know, if we could get them here, it would definitely surpass what Mingsha Fudi has to offer.”

After a brief moment of thought,

a spark of inspiration lit up in Canghai’s mind as he suddenly thought of something.

Ding, ding, ding. Just as Canghai was about to share his idea, his phone rang sharply.

“Someone’s calling?”

Both Cangshan and Canghai were momentarily stunned. Normally, they only used phones to contact worldly people or devotees.

“You take it.”

Coming back to his senses,

Cangshan nodded, signaling Canghai to answer the phone first.

A few minutes later, Canghai frowned as he approached Cangshan. “Senior Brother, it’s an old worldly president from the temple. He said he needs me to go to Haishi’s Dino Park to help out. Something’s come up over there.”

He explained.

“What? Dino Park?”

Canghai’s face darkened as he instinctively glanced at the Demon-Locking Tower.

Earlier this morning, before heading to Mingsha Fudi, he had made a special trip to the Demon-Locking Tower, checked out that witch’s image on the first floor, and even added a few talismans to its defenses.

“Yeah! No specifics were mentioned. I’d bet most likely it’s some kind of supernatural mischief.”

“In that case, I’ll go find the City Master later! Opportunities like this shouldn’t be missed, if things turn out in our favor.”

After a brief moment of contemplation, a cold glint flashed in the eyes of the Daoist as Cangshan spoke.

“Good!”

Time flew by and before long it was evening.

Haishi

Online influencer Gao Nan sat in his office, holding a teacup while occasionally glancing at his computer screen. A fleeting, smug smile crossed his face as he muttered, “Did he really think that a sudden meteorite could cover this up?”

He murmured to himself.

After setting down his teacup, Gao Nan casually lit a cigar.

Although he was initially caught off guard by the news this morning, he didn’t panic. Instead, he immediately rallied his fans and several other public figures to strike back.

After more than ten hours,

while the meteorite incident over Mingsha City still had its buzz, as tourists gradually abandoned their hunt for the meteorite, claims of discrimination against foreign tourists resurfaced.

If the trend continues, as long as there’s no further movement in Mingsha City, at the latest by the day after tomorrow, the narrative blaming foreigners will once again dominate public opinion.

“This time, you’re not only going to get hurt – you’ll be skinned alive!”

Gao Nan took a deep drag and, with even more smugness, continued.

“If this incident goes through, I’ll be hailed as the one who toppled Mingsha City. Not only will I get an extra reward, but my status will soar to new heights.”

Ding, ding, ding. Just as Gao Nan was lost in his own thoughts, an urgent phone call snapped him back to reality.

“Hm?”

Glancing at his phone, Gao Nan’s expression shifted as he answered.

“Chairman Chen, hello!”

It was Chen Yuan on the line.

“Gao Nan, where are you right now?”

A moment later, Chen Yuan’s voice came through, filled with urgency.

“I’m in my office! What’s wrong, Chairman Chen?”

Gao Nan was taken aback.

“Quick, check the official website of Mingsha City. Mingsha Tourism has just issued two announcements!”

Chen Yuan’s tone grew even more anxious.

“Ah? Mingsha Tourism released two announcements back-to-back? What are they about?”

Gao Nan shifted in his seat.

Chen Yuan, a seasoned veteran, surely meant something serious if his tone was like this.