Chapter 363: The Grand Gamble of Mingsha City

“Mingsha City short on funds?”

Adam paused, mulling it over for a moment before speaking up.

“Boss, how could Mingsha City ever be short on funds?”

In his mind, there was no way Mingsha City could lack money! In the Long Kingdom, other attractions have peak and off-peak seasons – sometimes just a few busy months can generate an entire year’s revenue, which shows just how profitable these spots can be.

Moreover, Mingsha City has no off-season at all. From spring through winter, it’s always bustling; even on New Year’s Eve the crowds don’t thin out. And now that the city even boasts permanent residents along with several major commercial streets, “Mingsha City’s profitability is solid! But don’t forget – their infrastructure projects are extensive. More often than not, it’s an issue with those projects,”

Cole continued.

“Infrastructure projects? You mean they’re building more check-in spots over there?”

Adam’s expression turned serious.

“That could be, but it’s definitely not the main reason! When they built those check-in spots before, I never saw such a scramble.”

“Then what is it?”

“I suspect they’re starting a subway project in Mingsha City! When the Evaluation Committee rejected Mingsha City’s 5A rating, one statement was blunt – the city’s tourist transportation is problematic! And the only true solution is to build a subway.”

“Given Mingsha City’s current scale, at least three or four subway lines would be needed, and each one would be quite long.”

Cole explained his reasoning.

“Everyone knows the cost of building a subway – even a kid could understand that. Only a project like this could really strain Mingsha City’s funds.”

“Three or four subway lines?”

Phew! Adam instinctively gulped.

In reality, although Dino Park and Mingsha City are competitors nowadays, when you look at it from another angle, they aren’t even on the same level.

After all, many third- and fourth-tier cities in the Long Kingdom don’t even have a subway.

“So, what’s your plan?”

Snapping back to reality, Adam pressed on.

“I’m going to confirm things first. If Mingsha City really is short on funds, it’s a golden opportunity for us. If we can find a way to disrupt their cash flow – consider, if a multi-trillion company in the Long Kingdom were to collapse it would be disastrous, let alone Mingsha City.”

A flash of cold determination crossed Cole’s eyes.

Not long ago, the Ross Consortium had tried to invest in Mingsha City, but the investors were pushed back before they even spoke. Now, it’s time to settle old scores.

“By the way, give Fengdu Scenic Area a call tomorrow! Weren’t they planning to sue Mingsha City? I think now’s the perfect time – as long as we can force Mingsha City to cough up a huge sum.”

“Boss, got it. I’ll contact the head of Fengdu Scenic Area shortly.”

“Good!”

The world is full of brilliant minds – far more than just Cole. In Yan City, at the second-floor office of the Ancient Architecture Institute,

Vice Dean Liu Shan poured a cup of tea for Li Jue before settling his own cup on the sofa. “Old Li, is Xiao Xu short on funds recently? Why are there so many press releases from Haofang Agency’s artists? It just seems off. If they’re in a pinch, should we step in? I know someone high up at Long Kingdom Bank who could arrange low-interest loans.”

He said this matter with a sigh.

“Ah, can you ever not be short on money? Old Cao went to Mingsha Academy a few days ago and mentioned that on the west side of Langya Mountain they’ve erected a massive barricade – roughly three kilometers on each side! And besides that area, the Xianxia Zone has seen many new barricades too.”

Li Jue shook his head wryly.

“Three kilometers on each side? That barricade area doesn’t seem that huge… How does—”

Liu Shan frowned.

“Look at the Qingming Scroll or Mingsha Fudi – those areas span well over two kilometers and don’t even come close.”

“The barricaded area might not be the largest, but don’t forget – this is the core district of Mingsha City! You think Xiao Xu wouldn’t take that seriously?”

Li Jue pressed on.

“The core district?”

Liu Shan instinctively glanced at the wall; at some point, Li Jue’s office had even hung a topographical map of Mingsha City.

“So, what’s Xiao Xu planning to build?”

Snapping back to focus,

Liu Shan admitted, half perplexed and half hopeful.

Once again, it involved the core district and hefty investments. He was genuinely curious what Xu Hao would come up with this time.

“I didn’t dare ask for specifics. After all, with Mingsha City growing so rapidly, it wouldn’t be appropriate for the Institute to pry. I suspect the barricades in the Xianxia Zone might be linked to film or TV projects, but one thing is certain – the core district project is no ordinary construction! Yesterday, Xiao Xu called asking if I knew any channels to source aged nanmu wood.”

Li Jue simply shook his head.

The Ancient Architecture Institute has long refrained from meddling in Mingsha City’s affairs. In his view, as long as the Institute can handle matters at Mingsha Academy, there’s no need or right to interfere further.

“Nanmu wood?”

Liu Shan was taken aback. “Could it be that they plan to replicate the 49 Imperial City?”

In Liu Shan’s eyes, only a construction like the 49 Imperial City could warrant the use of nanmu – or even golden nanmu.

“That’s unlikely! The 49 Imperial City spans 961 meters from north to south and 753 meters from east to west, while now the barricaded area stretches three kilometers in every direction!”

Li Jue shook his head again.

“Then could it be the legendary Epang Palace?”

Liu Shan added thoughtfully.

“That’s possible. It seems only Epang Palace has such a scale. Otherwise, I can’t envision any building large enough and requiring nanmu.”

Li Jue paused.

In fact, when he first heard the news, his initial thought was indeed Epang Palace.

“My goodness! If Xiao Xu really builds Epang Palace, it will be phenomenal! Frankly, the Forbidden City would pale in comparison to a Mingsha City with its own Epang Palace. And if they build it, even a 6A rating wouldn’t be an exaggeration.”

Liu Shan couldn’t help but gasp.

“Absolutely!”

“No wonder Xiao Xu’s been so tense lately! I’ll start making inquiries – with Mingsha City’s scale, their cash flow mustn’t falter.”

Coming back to his senses, Liu Shan picked up his phone and dialed a number. Beep, beep, beep! Soon, the call was answered.

“Old Gou, can you talk now?”

“Old Liu, what’s going on?”

“Here’s the situation.”

Unbeknownst to Li Jue and Liu Shan – who thought Xu Hao was planning an Epang Palace in the core district –

on the west side of Langya Mountain, the head of Mingsha City’s construction team reexamined his blueprints and the vast, cleared area formed by heavy machinery, so stunned he couldn’t recover for a long while until

a staff member in a yellow hard hat reminded him repeatedly, finally snapping him out of it: “Engineer Wang, should we dig or not?”

Phew! “Hold on, everyone! I’m going to check with the boss to make sure these blueprints are correct. We can’t afford any mistakes!”

The man shook his head.

“Alright then!”

The staff member quickly nodded.

As the man left with the blueprints, nearby staff gathered in small clusters to discuss.

“I’m telling you, something’s definitely off with these blueprints!”

“No kidding. I’ve been in construction for decades and have never seen such outrageous support columns! The underground part aside, the above-ground height is almost as tall as the Haishi Central Tower – what kind of design is this?”

“I’m convinced they grabbed the wrong blueprints! I just can’t imagine why anyone would design such an exaggerated column with a noticeable tilt and a massive bend underground.”

“Let’s wait; Engineer Wang will arrive soon and clarify everything.”

Minutes ticked by—one, two—until after half an hour

the man returned to the construction site.

“Engineer Wang, are we sure the blueprints are correct?”

One staff member asked urgently.

“Absolutely! The blueprints are exactly as shown. The underground section reaches the bedrock, and we’re building the surface portion to these exact, centimeter-precise plans. Any error would result in a catastrophic mismatch with other teams’ work!”

The man shook his head.

“Huh? We have to coordinate with other construction teams?”

For a moment,

the site fell into an eerie silence.

Time flew – in just a few days,

the Caishen Hall in Mingsha Fudi remained bustling. Every day, tourists flocked in hopes of glimpsing the legendary Golden Toad. But while visitors busied themselves with incense and check-ins, several news reports from within Mingsha City ignited heated online discussions.

“Really? Mingsha City is building four subway lines and, in the core district, constructing an Epang Palace that only exists in textbooks?”

Some netizens replied after reading the posts.

“It must be true!”

“Where did this information come from? Is it reliable? Don’t tell me it’s just another self-indulgent piece by some media outlet.”

“I’m not exactly sure of its origin, but think about it – everyone in Mingsha City knows the barricade on Langya Mountain’s west side is enormous, complete with towering isolation belts. And since that area is the core district, the only structure that could dominate it is the Epang Palace.”

“That alone isn’t very convincing!”

“Of course not! More importantly, it all comes down to Mingsha City’s cash flow. Not to mention, Haofang Agency’s artists are hosting extravagant events, and some tourists even ran into Mingsha City’s head while visiting Caishen Hall in Mingsha Fudi.”

“What does that indicate? It shows Mingsha City is in dire need of cash! I can’t think of any project aside from four subway lines and the Epang Palace that would drain their funds so completely.”

“That does make some sense.”

“While building four subway lines is understandable given the increasing number of tourists – with novelty mounts and public carriages clearly falling short – pushing ahead with an Epang Palace at this critical juncture seems overly rash. If their cash flow is disrupted, all operations in Mingsha City will suffer.”

“Can’t you see the need for the Epang Palace? Haven’t you forgotten the previous 5A incident? Mingsha City is determined to use the Epang Palace to prove its worth. More importantly, if it gets built, the city’s capacity to welcome tourists will leap to a new level.”

“Oh, in that light, it might indeed work.”

“Either way, Mingsha City has reignited my curiosity. I really want to see what the textbook version of Epang Palace looks like.”

“Count me in! If Mingsha City builds the Epang Palace and still can’t secure a 5A rating, I’ll be right at the Evaluation Committee, blocking the door.”

“Let’s do it together!”

At the Mingsha Tourism General Manager’s Office in Mingsha City,

Zhu Qiang, after scanning the barrage of news and comments on his computer screen, couldn’t help but glance at Luo Peng.

“I have no idea where all this information is coming from—it’s detailed down to the last bit! Especially that Epang Palace; I’m kind of tempted just thinking about it! If it really gets built, Mingsha City could offer over fifty thousand guesthouses!”

“I’ve already taken a dozen calls this morning – everyone’s trying to confirm these rumors.”

Luo Peng spread his hands.

“So, what did you say?”

Zhu Qiang’s expression shifted.

“What else could I say? I managed to muddle things with half-truths. Brother Hao reminded us repeatedly. After all, the subway lines are being built for real, and the cash shortage is genuine.”

Luo Peng continued.

“Many of the project staff have signed non-disclosure agreements for this very reason.”

It wasn’t that the core district project had to be hidden, but if it went public it would not only spark unwanted scrutiny but also raise people’s expectations sky-high. If the outcome didn’t match, it could tarnish Mingsha City’s reputation.

“That’s why Xu Hao made special arrangements.”

“He even involved You Gong, Daoist Master Cangshan, and Canghai. With their fine-tuned planning, they’ll create a ‘dry ice CO2 fog’ effect over the core district – so that even without barricades, the tall buildings obscure what’s inside.”

“That’s good!”

Zhu Qiang nodded, paused briefly, then added,

“By the way, President Luo, how’s the progress on Sanhao Entertainment City? I noticed that Dino Park and Fengdu Scenic Area have apparently kicked off a new project together these past few days?”

“We’re almost there! Sanhao Entertainment City will officially open within a month at the latest. But frankly, Mingsha City still has too few guesthouses. Too many tourists end up having to buy new tickets because they have nowhere to stay. Imagine if we could build the Epang Palace in the core district – that would be fantastic.”

Luo Peng sighed.

To be honest, Mingsha City isn’t lacking photo spots; it’s massively short on guesthouses.

Even if Sanhao Entertainment City brings in tourist traffic, having nowhere for them to stay is a huge problem.

It’s like that popular barbecue spot in a certain city where the number of tourists exceeded capacity so much that people had to be redirected to other cities.

But Mingsha City is different – tourists come here solely for its unique projects and structures, with no real substitutes anywhere else in the country.

“Building an Epang Palace on the core district’s ground? No way! As for the capacity to accommodate visitors, we’ll crunch the numbers in the next few days. Whatever funds Brother Hao can muster for the core district, that’s what we’ll work with!”

Zhu Qiang shook his head.

“Why? I think once it’s built and layered with some white fog effects, it’ll be spectacular.”

Luo Peng was taken aback.

“Because Engineer Li received a blueprint from Brother Hao yesterday afternoon. Can you guess what they’re planning to construct on the surface?”