Chapter 365: Decisions and Schemes in Mingsha City

“What do you think?”

After sharing his thoughts, Adam pressed further.

“Well…”

Feng Xiangcai hesitated, struggling to make up his mind.

“Honestly, there’s no reason to waver. Remember during the lawsuit between Mingsha City and Gao Nan? You saw how Zhang San, the proxy lawyer for Mingsha City, performed in court—not at all like the legendary feats they bragged about. In fact, Zhang Yida was caught completely off guard.”

“Zhang San isn’t really up to par?”

Maybe it was because Adam had applied considerable pressure on him, or perhaps Adam’s words hit exactly where Feng cared most. After that,

Feng Xiangcai finally made up his mind.

“Alright then! We’ll sue sooner or later. At worst, we just skip the public hearing.”

In the very next moment, he declared.

“Exactly! We can keep the trial under wraps, but we must work the media hard. Otherwise, we won’t be able to seriously hurt Mingsha City!”

Seeing this, Adam’s face broke into a satisfied smile.

“Naturally!”

The next morning, as the sun rose at Mingsha Fudi, You Gong Taoist studied the blueprints in his hands and finally smiled in satisfaction.

“Master, have you decided?”

Across from the meditation cushion, Wu Yun was delighted to see You Gong’s expression.

“I’ve decided! Once we set this up on Island Three, even if the City Master develops the core district, we won’t be pushed around too badly.”

You Gong nodded confidently.

Ever since learning that Xu Hao planned a project in the core district, he had been mulling over the Island Three scheme. Just yesterday, inspiration finally struck.

“Master, when do we start construction? The incense flow at Wuzhuang Temple surged again yesterday!”

Wu Yun quickly interjected, confirming.

“No rush! This project requires a type of tree that you’d only find in myth—I’ll have to go scout for it myself.”

You Gong glanced over the sketches one more time.

“You’re really going out yourself? Then… what about Wuzhuang Temple…?”

Wu Yun was taken aback.

His master rarely left, and when he did, it was never just for a day or two.

Just like the last time when he came to Mingsha City for the competition—what was promised as a brief visit ended up with the dojo being set up permanently at Mingsha Fudi.

“Don’t worry! The surge at Wuzhuang Temple yesterday was due to Long Kingdom’s college entrance exams wrapping up a couple of days ago. With so many parents desperate for top scores and a secure future, the support there will naturally taper off once results are out.”

Seemingly understanding his disciple’s concerns, You Gong waved dismissively.

“College entrance exams?”

Wu Yun paused and said nothing more.

He had completely forgotten that for underprivileged students the leap to success was their only chance to change fate.

“Rest assured! I know my limits—I wouldn’t want to leave Mingsha City only to return and find Biyou Palace, Wuzhuang Temple, and Mingsha Fudi all splintered apart!”

Standing up,

You Gong patted Wu Yun’s shoulder and left the main hall with the blueprints.

“Wuzhuang Temple branch? Master, wait up!”

Seeing this, Wu Yun quick-stepped after him.

Early July in Long Kingdom was the peak of summer heat, with major cities feeling like ovens. Over at Dino Park,

Cole, after reviewing his documents, quickly jotted his signature on the last page.

“This event kicks off in two weeks! But we need to start a pre-event buzz. Our water park’s new ‘Underwater World’ will feature the most diverse range of ocean species ever seen,” he explained.

Gazing at the staff member across from him, he continued.

Despite ongoing issues with Mingsha City, Magic Academy was the main focus, though other projects weren’t neglected.

Especially in this blistering summer.

Whether it was the Ocean World or the Water Park, they were Long Kingdom’s favorite attractions—simply unmatched.

Thus,

How could Dino Park afford to miss out?

For this event, Haishi’s Dino Park had specially crafted an Underwater World where visitors, while strolling through glass tunnels, could marvel at a myriad of marine life—the effect was unprecedented.

“Alright, Boss!”

The staff member immediately nodded.

“By the way, has Adam returned?”

After a brief pause, Cole suddenly remembered something and asked again.

“He just got back this morning!”

“Alright, have him come to my office.”

“Sure thing!”

Within about ten minutes, Adam appeared in Cole’s office.

“How’s it going over at Fengdu Scenic Area? Have they agreed?”

After serving coffee to both Adam and himself, Cole said,

“Boss, it’s all set! As long as Mingsha City is truly strapped for cash, we can deal them a serious blow.”

Adam nodded in agreement.

“Are we confident about this lawsuit? I’ve been asking around—Mingsha City is indeed short on funds! The Ross Consortium is busy convincing bank staff to drastically reduce their credit line to Mingsha City.”

At this, Cole’s expression shifted noticeably.

The Ross Consortium, as an international heavyweight, had far deeper connections in Long Kingdom’s financial circles than most imagined.

“Boss, I caught a very promising tone from General Feng at last night’s dinner. He mentioned that their county has been known as Fengdu for over 1900 years. But unfortunately, the trial won’t be public, meaning we won’t see the proceedings.”

Adam replied.

To him, this trip to Chongshi had reaped significant rewards.

“As long as we have a chance, that’s all that matters! Whether we witness the trial doesn’t really matter either! By the way, have you heard anything from Mingsha City lately? Especially about Entertainment City Three and Entertainment City Four?”

At that,

Cole simply waved his hand.

Right now, he was only after the results. The trial’s details were Fengdu Scenic Area’s problem, not theirs.

“Entertainment City Three? Why do you ask?”

Adam paused for a moment.

“Here’s the thing: In two weeks, our Dino Park will launch a new ‘Underwater World’ project within the water park. The promotion starts tomorrow. I’m worried Mingsha City might try to stir up trouble! After all, Entertainment City Three and Entertainment City Four were projects before the Technology Expo. Now that the Expo’s second half is underway, those two sites should be buzzing.”

Cole nodded in agreement.

Although he was determined to take down Mingsha City, he knew full well they were not pushovers. Strategically, they could be underestimated, but tactically, Mingsha City deserved full attention.

“Boss, what do you think? I haven’t heard a bit about Entertainment City Three and Entertainment City Four. Our new project should go off without a hitch! Besides, it’s an underwater attraction. Mingsha City is in the desert—even if they launch Entertainment City Three, it won’t affect us.”

“Of course,

more importantly, Mingsha City is cash-strapped and might not even have the funds to launch Entertainment City Three and Entertainment City Four.”

After a moment of thought, Adam stated firmly,

“Oh, I understand now!”

Time passed swiftly—in just ten days, countless events unfolded that would take tens of thousands of words to describe.

Meanwhile, in a construction shed along the core district’s perimeter in Mingsha City, Xu Hao studied the engineering blueprints in front of him. Only after a long while did he finally look up at the middle-aged man across from him.

“Engineer Li, how much longer can the current materials hold up?”

“Boss, aside from Pillar One at the east side—which can last another 20 days—the pillars on the west, south, north, and center should hold for about a month.”

Looking up,

Li Shaoqing met Xu Hao’s gaze.

“Twenty days? That’s manageable!”

Xu Hao let out a small sigh of relief.

During this period, an enormous amount of steel, cement, and gravel had been delivered to the core plot. The concrete mixer trucks at South City Gate had been running non-stop! Yet,

the basement of the core district still had a long way to go.

“By the way, how much money is left in the account?”

After a brief pause, Xu Hao asked again.

He had been so focused on the construction site and perfecting the blueprints that he barely had time for anything else—not even the admissions matters following the college entrance exams in Mingsha City.

Even the post-exam admissions in Mingsha City had not gotten his attention.

“Boss, there are currently 650 million left on the books!”

Li Shaoqing responded quickly.

“650 million?”

After a moment’s thought, Xu Hao glanced at the blueprints and continued, “Alright, let’s use this 650 million to reinforce the east side’s Pillar One with more steel and cement! In a month, we should be able to secure another batch of funds.”

In one month, Mingsha City could get a lot done.

Most importantly, increased foot traffic would significantly boost revenue.

“Alright!”

Ding-ring, ding-ring. Just as Xu Hao was about to assign more tasks to Li Shaoqing, his phone suddenly rang.

Glancing at the caller ID, Xu Hao answered immediately. The call was from Zhu Qiang; before Xu Hao could speak, an excited voice came through.

“Brother Hao, good news. Good news.”

“What’s up?”

Xu Hao’s expression changed.

He was curious to know what could have made Zhu Qiang so thrilled.

“Brother Hao, Fengdu Scenic Area in Chongshi has filed a lawsuit against us. We just received a court summons alleging that Mingsha City has infringed on their rights with a claim for 5 billion in compensation!”

Zhu Qiang exclaimed excitedly.

No one knew better than him how short on cash Mingsha City was. He had even considered establishing a tent zone in Mingsha City to boost revenue. Who would have thought that the ‘God of Wealth’ would show up at the door? How could he not be thrilled! “Infringement? Is this just a stunt for attention?”

Xu Hao furrowed his brow.

To be honest, there wasn’t much overlap between Mingsha City and Fengdu Scenic Area; if there was any connection, it was only the recent 5A evaluation incident. As for infringement, it seemed utterly far-fetched.

“According to Fengdu Scenic Area, our Entertainment City Two’s ‘The Long Road of Life’ used elements like Ghost Gate, Fengdu, and the eighteen levels of hell without proper authorization—everything.”

Zhu Qiang’s voice came through quickly.

“That really counts as infringement?”

Hearing the reason, Xu Hao was momentarily at a loss for words.

After all, these elements are part of Long Kingdom’s traditional culture. Must we really let Chongshi preemptively build a Ghost Gate and claim it as theirs?

“Brother Hao, this is how scenic areas operate. There were even two other projects that fought bitterly over Pan Jinlian’s hometown. Right now, our Entertainment City Two offers an unbeatable experience, and Fengdu Scenic Area just doesn’t want to see any similar projects.”

Zhu Qiang continued.

“What did Lawyer Zhang say?”

“Lawyer Zhang said this case is a cakewalk—unless Fengdu Ghost City can prove that their version of Fengdu is the real deal, they’re doomed to lose.”

“Prove it’s genuine?”

Xu Hao raised his eyebrows, but shortly after, a new idea that had briefly surfaced was quickly suppressed.

It wasn’t that Mingsha City couldn’t do something,

but if they did, it might trigger an unprecedented public uproar and force various departments to intervene.

After a moment’s pause, Xu Hao finally said, “Fine. Since Lawyer Zhang is in charge, let him handle it completely.”

“Alright, I’ll speak with Zhang Lu and try to settle the lawsuit as soon as possible,” came the reply.

“Good!”

Meanwhile, as Xu Hao and Zhu Qiang discussed the Fengdu Scenic Area situation, in Yan City at Qinghua University, a man in his fifties looked at a staff member with disbelief.

The man, Wen Baozhang, was the Director of Admissions at Qinghua University.

In Long Kingdom, Qinghua University is one of the top universities, frequently competing with Yan City University for the top spot.

“Three top scorers from different provinces aren’t going abroad—they’re applying to Mingsha Academy? Are they crazy?”

He stated.

Every year during admissions, Qinghua University and Yan City University scramble for students. They even call the provincial top scorers and the top fifty students to confirm their intentions to enroll, to avoid the embarrassment of offering an acceptance letter only to have the student choose to study abroad.

But this year, two provincial top scorers have decided to apply to the newly established Mingsha Academy.

Frankly, even if he could accept them studying abroad, him applying to Mingsha Academy was simply unacceptable.

“Director, I have called those two students and their parents several times—they all gave the same answer!”

The staff member whispered.

“Then did you tell them that Mingsha Academy is a new undergraduate institution this year, not a 985 or 211 school, making it hard for graduates to be recognized by top employers or Fortune 500 companies? And that even if they go on to get a postgraduate degree, their first degree might limit them?”

Wen Baozhang frowned and continued,

“Director, I’ve laid all those factors out for them, but perhaps it’s just Mingsha City’s hype—and with Haofang Agency and Haofang Culture involved, the allure is too strong!”

The staff member replied in a low voice.

“High hype means they’ll apply to Mingsha Academy. It’s a case of internet fame ruining everything! I can’t let these top scorers have their lives ruined—I have to call them again.”

The more he spoke, the angrier Wen Baozhang became.

He then picked up a contact sheet from the table, scanned it for a moment, and dialed a number on the landline.

Beep beep beep. The call was answered quickly.

“Are you Zhen Ren? This is the Admissions Office of Qinghua University. I am Director Wen Baozhang,” he said.

And when he mentioned Qinghua University, his tone was especially harsh.