Chapter 346: Clashing Ambitions

Alright, since that’s settled, there’s no need to submit any supplemental materials. When the disqualification reasons are announced, they’re announced as such. I only hope you treat every scenic spot fairly, instead of playing favorites!

Confirmed.

Dong Liping had nothing more to say.

“That’s a given! Our evaluations have always been fair, and we never bend the rules just because a scenic spot is popular. But let me remind you—are you absolutely sure you’re not submitting any supplemental materials? Without them by the end of June, Mingsha City will lose its 4A rating qualification.”

After a brief pause, the voice on the phone spoke again.

“No need! For a city like Mingsha, chasing a 4A rating is an insult.”

Dong Liping said this before hanging up.

The call was made to the Long Kingdom Tourism Scenic Area Quality Evaluation Committee, an agency under one of Long Kingdom’s cultural departments. Though this agency ranks a notch higher than the Ancient Architecture Research Institute, to Dong Liping they were on equal footing—no need for extra politeness.

“I really can’t understand what these people are thinking! Any one of the ancient buildings in Mingsha can be displayed for decades as an intangible cultural heritage, yet they are considered inferior to those ancient structures that have been remodeled innumerable times?”

He paced for a moment.

Once his emotions calmed, Dong Liping picked up his phone again and dialed Xu Hao’s number.

Beep. Beep. Beep. The call connected quickly.

“Xiao Xu, I have something to discuss with you.”

Tides rise and fall; days passed by.

It had been a week since the dust storm completely cleared. After the ticket system was introduced, visitors to Mingsha City actually increased.

The old street food market and Langya Commercial Street remained unaffected.

Both the Number One and Number Two Entertainment Cities, as well as Wuzhuang Temple, remained extremely popular. Especially Wuzhuang Temple, where incense filled the air all day. Not only did exam-bound students from Wei City and Lanshi flock there, but even visitors from other provinces made special trips to burn incense.

Before anyone knew it,

Wuzhuang Temple had become a destination rivaling Mingsha Fudi.

Even locals who once boycotted Mingsha City over the ticket system fell silent—in fact, they were the first to rush to Wuzhuang Temple to burn incense and kowtow when they heard the news.

Because of this, discussions about Mingsha City never ceased.

On a top-tier forum, nearly half the posts were about Mingsha City.

“Why has there been no word about the feud between Mingsha City and Dino Park these days?”

An inquisitive netizen posted the question.

“Exactly. Didn’t Mingsha City mention two entertainment projects? Given their usual method, they should be rolling them out back-to-back, completely outdoing Dino Park.”

“I guess we’ll have to wait until after July!”

Seeing many uncertain comments, several informed netizens replied.

“July? Why? Isn’t that just building suspense?”

“Exactly! Whether it’s Dreaming of the Past or The Long Road of Life—or even the previous Lanruo Temple project—they’re all incredibly thrilling! I’m seriously excited to see what two entertainment projects Mingsha City unveils next.”

Another comment followed.

“There’s nothing we can do about it! Due to the dust storm, the Technology Expo was suddenly moved up by two months, catching Mingsha City off guard. They’re probably scrambling to prepare for it now.”

“Ah?”

“So, you can expect little from Mingsha City until after the Technology Expo.”

“What about Dino Park? Won’t they try to strike back after Mingsha City launched several projects in a row?”

That reply left many netizens feeling a bit disappointed.

In their view, the clash between Long Kingdom’s two major entertainment cities was far more intriguing—each representing opposite directions, promising more exciting and stimulating projects.

“Dino Park is dealing with its own issues. Their Magic Academy appears to have run into trouble and is undergoing a major rebuild, plus Long Kingdom’s annual scenic area rating is underway. Dino Park is likely busy applying for a 5A rating this year, leaving them no time for new projects.”

“So does that mean we can only look forward to the Technology Expo in July?”

“The Expo? Don’t get your hopes up. With the event being moved up two months, insiders say that the requirements for the host city have been relaxed—as long as the venue doesn’t hinder science and tech companies from setting up their booths.”

“Really? That’s just frustrating.”

Time flew by, and soon it was 9 PM.

While forum users were embroiled in animated discussions, one post suddenly caught widespread attention.

The post’s title was unmissable.

“Haofang Culture’s historical sci-fi drama ‘Celebrating the Remaining Years’ will premiere in prime time on Yan City TV in three days.”

Good heavens! Within less than ten minutes of its posting, hundreds of replies flooded in.

“Is that for real?”

“Yes! Yan City TV has already released a trailer.”

“Honestly, if it hadn’t been for the recent ad on Yan City TV, I’d be losing it—Mingsha City also has a top domestic cultural and management powerhouse.”

“Absolutely! It feels like Haofang Culture hasn’t produced a TV series in ages—they’ve been churning out film projects back-to-back.”

“Then what are we waiting for? This show is a must-watch!”

“Yeah, this time we can only hope for an engaging plot. As for the settings, a historical sci-fi drama isn’t exactly promising.”

“I agree!”

“No choice. Ever since we witnessed Mingsha Fudi and Wuzhuang Temple, it seems Haofang Culture can only deliver wuxia or mythological dramas that leverage a compelling backdrop.”

Night deepened.

In Haishi, neon lights flickered. Even at 10 PM, the streets were alive with bustling traffic and energy.

At the TV station, after reading the news on his phone, Cai An slowly leaned back in his chair.

“Good thing Yan City TV gave us a heads-up, or else the drama we just acquired might have ended up as disposable filler.”

After a long while…

Cai An glanced toward the Channel Director.

His eyes revealed not only admiration but also a trace of jealousy.

“Boss, I heard that Mr. Fang from Haofang Culture visited Yan City before the dust storm. Looks like they’ve inked another new project with Yan City.”

After a brief silence, the Channel Director murmured.

There’s no denying it—Haofang Culture has become a brand, and with Mingsha City’s current buzz, even an ordinary TV series would score high ratings!

Moreover, nothing produced by Haofang Culture is ever ordinary.

As expected, this drama was destined to be a hit.

The only difference this time was that its settings might not become as iconic as previous filming spots, simply because Mingsha Fudi and Wuzhuang Temple had raised the bar and so had audience expectations.

But that didn’t stop Mingsha City from adding yet another must-visit destination.

“Another new project? Is this part of the cultural export mission handed down from above?”

At these words…

Cai An frowned, sitting up straight, frustration clear in his eyes.

He recalled that earlier this year he had asked the Producer to closely follow up with Haofang Culture for a genuine collaboration, but nothing had materialized.

The Producer explained that Mingsha City had too many ongoing projects to spare any time.

Now that Mingsha City suddenly announced another partnership with Yan City TV, how could he just sit back?

The Channel Director whispered, “I’m not entirely sure what the project is, but it likely relates to the cultural export task. Yan City TV was the second to receive the assignment and is definitely troubled by it now.”

“That Director Zhang is completely indifferent! Does she really think remaking Journey to the West is that simple? Just relying on her own abilities isn’t enough.”

Cai An squinted, his irritation deepening.

“Boss, from what I know, Director Zhang only contacted Haofang Culture once and then stopped following up, while she’s been in close touch with Tianchen Culture. I suspect she’s aiming to collaborate with them on a remake of Journey to the West.”

The Channel Director instinctively glanced back before continuing.

“Tianchen Culture? Didn’t the Chef Detective learn his lesson last time?”

Cai An glared.

“Boss, when I bumped into Director Zhang a few days ago, I subtly hinted at it. But you know how she is—relying on her brother-in-law in key positions sometimes.”

The Channel Director trailed off.

Some things need not be spelled out—everyone gets the point!

“She…”

Cai An frowned.

“And remember, when the project was assigned, you said the cultural export task would be handled by the production department, entrusted entirely to Director Zhang. It wouldn’t look good if we got involved.”

The Channel Director added.

“But clearly, there are better options.”

“Boss, the fact is, Mingsha City has no shortage of projects these days—from entertainment cities to the Technology Expo—and with time so tight, we really can’t keep baiting on a single tree.”

“Sigh…”

Silence hung in the office.

After a long while, Cai An leaned back once more.

“Then let’s leave it to her. Let’s see what version of Journey to the West she cooks up with Tianchen Culture.”

“Mm!”

Meanwhile, at a construction site north of the Protectorate of West Liang in Mingsha City,

Xu Hao was standing before a large crane, talking on the phone.

“Yan City TV has set the premiere date?”

He glanced at the roaring crane behind him, and after walking a good distance, he continued.

“Yes! Prime time in three days.”

In the next moment, Zhu Qiang’s voice came through the phone.

“Got it!”

“Brother Hao, what about Nanquing Ancient City?”

“Since it’s been set, tonight in Mingsha City we’ll also issue an announcement stating that Nanquing Ancient City will open in three days—but only if all staff there are in place. Under no circumstances should tourists arrive to find the service lacking.”

After a moment’s thought, Xu Hao replied.

“Brother Hao, rest assured—the service team and managers at Nanquing Ancient City have been preparing for this for a long time.”

Zhu Qiang immediately responded.

“Alright, just arrange things as you see fit.”

“By the way, Brother Hao, there’s one more thing…”

After a brief pause, Zhu Qiang seemed to recall something and continued.

After a moment’s pause, Zhu Qiang seemed to have remembered something and spoke again.