Chapter 352: Mingsha City: New Beginnings

“Alright, alright! When is our announcement coming out?”

After a brief pause, Gao Shang whispered.

“It’ll be released once the Technology Expo wraps up! This Expo has been brought forward by quite a bit—Mingsha City shouldn’t cause as much of a fuss as the Cultural Expo or the International Magic Competition. The public will understand this timing!”

“Of course, when we issue the announcement, we must clearly explain why Mingsha City doesn’t meet the evaluation criteria.”

Qin Yuwen raised her teacup and took a sip. “Even though Mingsha City’s attitude leaves much to be desired, we can’t deny that it has a lot of devoted fans. If we don’t persuade them, we’ll probably trend again.”

“Understood! I’ll detail all the reasons.”

“Alright!”

Tides ebb and flow.

For the tourists, three days in Mingsha City barely felt long, but for the city’s construction team and thousands of workers, it was pushing their limits.

Their usual three-shift system was nearly turning into an all-day marathon.

They managed only five or six hours of sleep each day!

Of course,

no one’s hard work goes unnoticed or is wasted.

On the first afternoon, cheerful shouts and the clanging of huge gears echoed from the barricades north of the Protectorate of West Liang.

On the second night at 7 PM, the barricades along the Qing Brick Avenue leading to the exhibition hall began to be dismantled. A ten-meter-wide Qing Brick Avenue emerged on the west side of the Protectorate.

Moreover, this avenue connected directly to the Qingming Scroll’s brick street.

Simply follow the Qingming Scroll northward, pass by the Protectorate of West Liang, and you’ll finally reach the exhibition hall.

On the third night at 10 PM, the tall barricades north of the Protectorate were taken down in sections, revealing a dark building that briefly lit up against the night.

However, since it was very late,

and given that the current tourist hotspots in Mingsha City were at Wuzhuang Temple and two Entertainment Cities, the visitors hadn’t noticed what was happening here.

If any visitor did catch sight of the lit-up scene, they’d be left in utter astonishment.

Still, just because the tourists missed it doesn’t mean there wasn’t hushed discussion about Mingsha City in the background.

In Lanshi, inside a five-star hotel, Li Yan and his team stood by a full-length window, admiring the river view and the boats gliding along the waterway.

“I have to admit, the city’s night view is quite stunning!”

After a short pause, Li Yan remarked.

“After all, it’s the only provincial capital that the Yellow River runs through.”

Beside him, Ma Wenchun chimed in.

That very night, after agreeing to set up the exhibition in Mingsha City ahead of schedule, they immediately began preparations and contacted many participating companies.

Over half of the company representatives and installation teams had already arrived in Lanshi.

According to the schedule, they would reach Mingsha City by noon tomorrow and start setting up the exhibits in the afternoon.

“By the way, Xiao Liu, since tomorrow the Science Association from Su Province will be bringing some staff along, should we go over with them?”

Turning around and sitting on the sofa,

Li Yan took another sip of tea before looking at a young man.

“Mr. Li, the notice we received said that once we arrive in Mingsha County tomorrow, local staff will guide us to the exhibition hall.”

At this,

the young man hurriedly spoke up.

He then promptly retrieved a document from his briefcase and handed it to Li Yan.

“Local staff? From Mingsha City?”

Li Yan furrowed his brow.

“That’s what they said!”

“Did they mention the exact location of the venue in Mingsha City? Is it a new build or an old structure from before?”

Beside him, Ma Wenchun asked.

“Old Ma, what are you thinking? It has to be an old building! With schedules being moved up repeatedly, even Mingsha City can’t possibly construct a new venue in time.”

Hearing this, Li Yan smiled and waved dismissively with confidence.

“Besides, I’ve already asked the relevant department’s staff. Odds are, Mingsha City will use the Ancient Architecture Complex on Lutai as the venue for this Technology Expo.”

“An ancient complex on Lutai? That’s great! That means we can gather at Zhaixing Pavilion later!”

At that, Ma Wenchun let out a slight breath of relief.

He was nearly driven crazy by Mingsha City, constantly worrying whether it would trend on social media and steal the spotlight.

“Yeah, we’re spending a long time here in Mingsha City. We might as well try every one of the Four Great Banquets.”

Mentioning Zhaixing Pavilion, Li Yan’s tone carried a trace of nostalgia.

Although cautious, deep down he admired Mingsha City—especially its unmatched prowess in traditional Long Kingdom culture.

“I’ll host the meal then!”

“No problem. Alright, everyone, get some rest tonight—there’s over four hours of driving ahead tomorrow.”

“Alright!”

The night passed in silence.

The next morning at 7 AM, Li Yan, Ma Wenchun, and the others left Lanshi for Mingsha City.

After a bumpy ride, they finally reached the parking lot on the outskirts of Mingsha City at 11 AM.

At that moment,

a manager from Mingsha City had been waiting for them for quite a while.

After a brief introduction, the manager led Li Yan’s group into Mingsha City.

“Alright, bosses, let’s head to the lodging area so you can all get some rest! This afternoon, take a stroll around Mingsha City, and tomorrow morning we’ll head over to the exhibition hall.”

The manager, whose name was Kang Tianhe, had just been promoted to operations manager and would be in charge once the exhibition hall officially opened to visitors.

“No need to rest! Let’s go straight to the venue.”

Hearing that, Li Yan and Ma Wenchun exchanged a knowing glance.

It was a silent consensus!

“Straight to the venue?”

Kang Tianhe hesitated for a moment.

“Don’t worry! Rest comes second. If we weren’t pressed for time, we wouldn’t be here ahead of schedule.”

Li Yan immediately responded.

“Alright then, bosses, feel free to check out the venue first. You can head to the hotel afterward if you wish. Please, follow me.”

Kang Tianhe smiled and said nothing more.

“Thank you! By the way, Manager Kang, how far is Lutai from the City Gate? Will we be riding camels, or…?”

As they proceeded, Li Yan glanced at the surrounding buildings in Mingsha City and casually asked.

Although he’d seen Mingsha City on TV many times, being there was an entirely different experience. Watching tourists in ancient costumes bustling along the Qing Brick Avenue really gave him the feeling of stepping into another era.

“Lutai? Weren’t you headed to the venue? If you’d like, after seeing the venue’s specifics, you can visit Lutai as well.”

Kang Tianhe was taken aback.

“Hmm? The venue isn’t at Lutai?”

Li Yan, Ma Wenchun, and the others froze in unison.

They were all sharp enough to catch the implication in Manager Kang’s words.

“Yes! This time, Mingsha City has built a new exhibition hall for the Technology Expo on the north side of the Protectorate. We can either take a boat or a sedan chair over. If you’re not comfortable with that, we can also hop on the electric tour bus atop the city wall.”

Still confused, Kang Tianhe quickly explained.

“A brand-new exhibition hall? Mingsha City’s new venue is already up and running?”

“Yes!”

In the next moment, an eerie silence fell over the group.

It wasn’t until many moments later that Li Yan slowly came back to his senses. “Then let’s go have a look. I must say, Mingsha City’s efficiency in construction is impressive.”

At that moment, he could only mask his shock while signaling subtly to his companions.

“Right this way!”

Kang Tianhe led the way, explaining Mingsha City to the others.

Meanwhile, Ma Wenchun quietly trailed behind Li Yan. “Mr. Li, what’s going on? Weren’t we supposed to use Lutai? How is it that the new venue is already ready? Do you think…?”

At this point,

Ma Wenchun’s face was etched with deep concern.

Everyone knew Mingsha City’s unpredictable nature—any new construction was bound to stir up a storm.

“Don’t worry! Even if a new venue has been built, it’s probably a rushed job and not as refined as the old structures on Lutai. It shouldn’t cause too much of a stir.”

Clenching his teeth,

Li Yan took a deep breath.

Although he claimed not to be worried, his unsettled expression betrayed his true feelings.

“I’m just concerned…”

“Let’s go take a look and decide.”

Time ticked by, and before they knew it, it was 1 PM.

The midsummer heat was already intense.

A large group of over a hundred disembarked from the boat and, led by Kang Tianhe, walked along the Qing Brick Avenue. After a few minutes, they passed by the Protectorate.

Then, Kang Tianhe turned to Li Yan.

“Mr. Li, this is the venue for the Technology Expo. It may not be perfect, so we ask for your indulgence.”

Yet, looking at the building before them, Li Yan and the others wore increasingly stunned and grim expressions.

“Mr. Li?”

It wasn’t until Kang Tianhe spoke again that Li Yan snapped back to reality. “W-wait a minute. You call this an exhibition hall? Isn’t that a bit much! If Mingsha City pulls a stunt like this, how are we supposed to operate?”