Chapter 338: The Lawsuit and the Sandstorm
by xennovel“I’m sure!”
At these words,
Gao Nan wore a look of absolute certainty.
Just yesterday, he received a summons from the authorities – Mingsha City has officially filed a lawsuit against him, demanding a record-breaking compensation of up to 500 million yuan for damages, including reputation loss and compensation for declining visitor numbers.
The first trial is scheduled for a month from now.
With that,
how could he not be anxious? Besides, he doesn’t have that kind of money – even if he did, he simply couldn’t pay! “If that’s all they demand, your case is a cakewalk. I guarantee you won’t have to pay a single penny.”
After a moment, a man’s voice crackled through the phone again.
“Really? But the opposing lawyer isn’t someone to mess with. Lawyer Zhang, are you absolutely sure?”
Gao Nan beamed with delight.
“Of course. I’m heading to Yan City the day after tomorrow; we can meet and discuss the finer details. But you must tell me everything—nothing can be left out, or else this case…”
“Rest assured on that!”
“Alright!”
“Okay, then we’ll talk in detail when we meet.”
A minute later, Gao Nan hung up and let out a long sigh of relief.
“Looks like Lawyer Zhang isn’t an ordinary guy! If he didn’t have his way with these things, he wouldn’t have answered so decisively.”
He mumbled to himself.
Then, looking much more relaxed, he sat at his desk and sent a message to Chen Yuan: “Chairman Chen, the lawyer is sorted! Wait for my good news!”
Time flew by, and soon dusk fell; the sky blazed with gorgeous twilight hues, completely masking any sign of a sandstorm.
Wudi City, Ancient Building Courtyard
“Brother Hao, by 4 PM nearly half of the guests had already cancelled their reservations at the guesthouses. The rest are trickling out. By tomorrow noon, over 95% of the guests will have left Mingsha City.”
Sorting through the documents, Zhu Qiang looked at Xu Hao with deep concern.
Although Mingsha City’s top brass had already made arrangements for this rare sandstorm earlier that morning, the reaction from the tourists far exceeded Zhu Qiang’s expectations.
At this rate, when the sandstorm hits Mingsha City the day after tomorrow, it’s entirely possible that the guesthouses will be completely empty.
Of course,
he understood the tourists’ mindset.
Once the sandstorm strikes, unless you can weather a two- or three-day ordeal, you’re in serious trouble!
If you linger in Mingsha City for two or three days, not only can you go nowhere, but you’ll still be paying for your stay. Better to head home.
“So scared?”
Xu Hao couldn’t help but be surprised.
Last night, he had met with You Gong, Daoist Master Cangshan, and Canghai; after hearing about the sandstorm, none of them showed even a trace of alarm. They simply replied in a relaxed tone, “City Master, rest easy! Even if Mingsha City loses a single branch, it’s all on account of their incompetence.”
With that,
Xu Hao said nothing further, though he made sure to maintain a composed demeanor.
So, that morning he didn’t organize any additional plans for the tourists – instead, he instructed Mingsha City’s staff to halt construction the day after tomorrow and granted three days of paid leave!
Everything would return to normal once the sandstorm passed.
Yet, the tourists fled faster than rabbits.
“Brother Hao, the tourists are hurrying away partly because of our ‘Longmen Inn’. Didn’t its final scene get blown away by the desert storm? So…”
Beside him, Luo Peng interjected with a helpless tone.
One must admit that both tourists and locals are quick to follow trends. Perhaps someone initially merely teased Longmen Inn, but many took it seriously. Even the guests at Mingsha Fudi’s guesthouses have now joined the exodus.
“You know, the final scene at Longmen Inn does resemble a sandstorm quite a bit.”
Hearing this, Xu Hao chuckled and shook his head. “Tourists choose to leave of their own free will. We must never interfere. Refund every room charge and cancel any reservations for entertainment activities.”
“Got it, Brother Hao!”
“By the way, Qiangzi, have you finished drafting the ticket plan for Mingsha City?”
After a brief pause, Xu Hao raised his tea cup and glanced at Zhu Qiang.
“Brother Hao, we’ve drafted a preliminary plan. The ticket price is set at 288 yuan. Children under 1.2 meters, seniors over 80, military personnel, and their families get in for free. It’s about half the price of Dino Park.”
Zhu Qiang immediately replied.
“288? That price works!”
Xu Hao sipped his tea and nodded slightly.
To him, the price was more than reasonable – almost a bargain. Many domestic attractions charge over a hundred yuan even for a modest film location. How many IP attractions does Mingsha City have? And that’s not even counting the gradually opened entertainment projects.
“Brother Hao, then…”
“Tonight, deliver the ticket plan to the relevant officials at Mingsha County Government Affairs Hall. Once it’s filed, official ticketing begins.”
Xu Hao added.
As Mingsha City grew larger, most of Mingsha County’s government offices had relocated to Qixia Town along both sides of Qing Brick Avenue leading to Oasis 2, and a new government affairs hall had been established.
Many departments now operate out of the government affairs hall.
Of course, the largest was the Mingsha County Fire Department. The Mingsha City team has expanded into a brigade, with plans to set up another unit on Ancient Snack Street.
“Got it, Brother Hao!”
“So, when will the announcement be made?”
“The announcement can be made tonight or tomorrow morning.”
“Okay, Brother Hao!”
As night deepened, by 11 PM the internet was abuzz with chatter.
By 8 PM, the sandstorm had officially entered the Long Kingdom, and footage of its passage was circulating online.
Massive walls of sand, hundreds of meters high, blocked out the sun, creating an apocalyptic scene.
Not only were many attractions forced to close, but several cities also had to halt operations, declaring half-day holidays to deal with the storm.
“Oh my God, can Mingsha City withstand this?”
In response,
a netizen couldn’t help but express concern.
Once the topic was raised, the comments began pouring in.
“Other structures in Mingsha City should be fine! But Mingsha Fudi, Qingming Scroll, and the Xianxia Zone are in serious jeopardy.”
“Oh?”
“It’s simple! Whether it’s Wudi City, Mingsha Academy, or the two newly opened entertainment cities, all have sturdy walls that keep the sand out. But Mingsha Fudi is different – once shifting sands hit, not to mention the mist on the lake, even the red-crowned cranes will likely be blown away.”
“That’s such a pity!”
“The facts prove that establishing such attractions in the desert comes with huge risks.”
“No wonder so many tourists left Mingsha City early today.”
“If it were me, I’d leave too. Even if I came for sightseeing, you’d need a miracle to survive a few days!”
Just when netizens were debating the impact of the sandstorm on Mingsha City, a new post suddenly grabbed everyone’s attention: “Big news, friends! Just now, Mingsha City issued an announcement! In one week, a ticketing system will be implemented – you’ll need to buy a ticket to enter. Ticket price: 288 yuan.”
“What? Charging an entry fee?”
When the post surged to the top, many netizens were stunned.
People are like that – even if they expected Mingsha City to eventually charge admission, when the day finally arrives, it’s hard to accept, especially for those who haven’t been there yet.
At the news, many felt they had been shortchanged.
“Isn’t this fine already? Why start charging a fee now!!!!”
Coming back to reality,
one netizen immediately replied, peppering his message with exclamation marks.
The netizen’s IP address revealed he was from Gu County in Wei City, Su Province.
“Rumor has it that after Entertainment Cities 1 and 2 opened, tourists staying in Mingsha guesthouses lodged numerous complaints, demanding that Mingsha City prioritize their rights. The entry fee might be due to this.”
Observing this, another netizen explained.
“Heh, ridiculous. Only those staying in Mingsha City deserve protection – what about the interests of nearby tourists? Without our locals, Mingsha City wouldn’t be so popular! Besides, honestly speaking, without neighboring people, the city’s commerce would surely collapse!”
Then,
a netizen from Gu County responded again, his words dripping with discontent.
Of course,
one could sense not only his dissatisfaction but also a sense of urgency.
As time went by, residents of Wei City and several nearby counties began treating Mingsha City as their go-to spot for weekend leisure, sightseeing, and shopping. New entertainment projects meant morning visits to Ancient Snack Street, lunch at Langya Commercial Street, and afternoon shopping sprees. Plus, if friends or relatives dropped by, they’d be taken along for a spin.
But now, entering the city costs 288 yuan! How can they leisurely enjoy their weekends? How can they relish the Long Kingdom’s best traditional cuisine or shop as they please?
Their hard-earned good life has suddenly been upended.
Who can accept that?
And most importantly, how will they ever brag to out-of-towners?
“Without Mingsha City’s commercial street, the city wouldn’t collapse—that’s a bit exaggerated.”
But once that comment appeared,
a netizen immediately shot back,
“Heh! Don’t believe it? Then just wait and see!”
“Fine, let them charge for tickets! I’ll simply stay away, alright? Besides, after this sandstorm, Mingsha Fudi will be nothing more than ruins. There’s no point going there. And trust me, you haven’t seen the last of this mess.”
“Whether you like it or not, the announcement is out. A week from now, ticketing begins – it won’t be scrapped just because you object.”
“Alright…”
Forum discussions were widespread. By 11:30 PM, the official Mingsha City website had become a battleground.
Waves of protests and curses against Mingsha City flooded in, as though the city had committed an unforgivable sin.
They seemed determined not to rest until Mingsha City retracted the announcement.
In the dark of night, in Chongshi and Fengdu Scenic Area, General Manager Feng Xiangcai showed no sign of rest.
“General Manager Feng, isn’t Mingsha City really courting disaster?”
Across the desk, Deputy Director Shi Yun looked up from his phone, his face lit with excitement.
“What’s going on?”
At these words, Feng Xiangcai was startled and quickly looked at Shi Yun.
“General Manager Feng, just an hour ago, Mingsha City astonishingly announced that ticketing would begin in a week, right as the sandstorm approached. The internet has exploded; the official website is nearly crashed from all the backlash.”
Shi Yun quickly handed the phone over.
“Charging a fee? Isn’t that normal?”
Feng Xiangcai took the phone in astonishment, reading the unfolding news.