Chapter 371: Antiques, Auctions, and Ambitious Projects

“What’s wrong, Director Fu?”

Snap out of it.

Xu Hao spoke.

The call came from Fu Qiong, President of Qiansheng Investment, a subsidiary of Mingsha Group.

Although this investment firm belongs to Mingsha Group, it operates independently from Mingsha City. Fu Qiong reports solely to Xu Hao, with no direct ties to Zhu Qiang, Luo Peng, and the others.

Since the company was originally founded to invest in the chip subcontracting factory of Xu Family’s Grandfather, aside from a few top leaders in Mingsha City, hardly anyone knew Xu Hao even had such an investment firm.

To better coordinate with Grandfather’s projects, Qiansheng Investment established its headquarters in the financial tower in Haishi, where Fu Qiong and all the staff work.

“Boss, I have something to report!”

In the next moment, Fu Qiong’s voice echoed over the phone.

Fu Qiong, a high-level executive headhunted by Zhu Qiang from a major investment bank and also Zhu Qiang’s senior, is recognized as one of the top experts in investment and finance.

“Go ahead!”

“Boss, I was chatting with a friend today—he mentioned that in three months, Christie’s will auction off a collection of antiques that have found their way overseas. A few items seem to be connected to Mingsha City. Should we consider joining the bidding?”

Fu Qiong replied hurriedly.

“Antiques from overseas in Long Kingdom? What exactly are they?”

At these words,

Xu Hao’s expression changed noticeably.

“One item is a rare, approximately 3500-year-old Western Zhou bronze tiger vessel, another is a Silk Road Landscape Map created during the Ming Dynasty, and there’s also something called a Minfang Lei. The other two are less remarkable—especially the Silk Road map, which seems perfectly suited for Mingsha City.”

Fu Qiong’s voice resounded once more.

According to Long Kingdom records, the Silk Road Landscape Map, painted on silk, measures 0.59 meters in width and stretches an astonishing 30.12 meters long. Created in the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty as a vibrant handscroll, it depicts the vast area from Jiaguan in the east to Tianfang City in the west. Crucially, it marks 211 geographical coordinates of key cities along the Silk Road, making it extremely valuable, especially since Mingsha City lies on the ancient Silk Road.

Upon hearing its name, she immediately thought about bringing this treasure to Mingsha City.

As for the Minfang Lei, a wine vessel from ancient Long Kingdom dating back over 3000 years to the late Shang Dynasty and lost after the Warring States Period, while precious, it doesn’t match the cultural resonance of the Silk Road map for Mingsha City.

“Silk Road map? Are these the only three Long Kingdom artifacts on offer at the auction?”

After a brief pause, Xu Hao continued.

He had considered bolstering Mingsha City’s heritage. Although Mingsha City already boasts the Protectorate of West Liang and Tengwang Pavilion, the exhibits within these relics don’t truly represent the city. With one thing after another, there was never time to improve matters.

As Fu Qiong noted, acquiring the Silk Road map for Mingsha City would be a tremendous coup.

“Boss, my friend only mentioned it in passing. I’m sure there will be additional antiques at the auction.”

“Alright, then. If conditions allow, bid for as many as possible. By the way, is the cash flow from the investment company sufficient?”

At this, Xu Hao immediately made the arrangements.

“Boss, the company’s current cash flow is robust—it should suffice!”

Speaking of funds, Fu Qiong quickly responded.

After Qiansheng Investment was established, Xu Hao allocated 2 billion out of over 3 billion yuan from land sale proceeds to it—1 billion was invested in Grandfather’s company while the remaining 1 billion was reserved as cash flow for promising projects.

Since several projects have gradually started yielding returns, Qiansheng Investment is far from cash-strapped.

Had Xu Hao not been keen to keep the relationship between Qiansheng Investment and Mingsha City under wraps from Grandfather, Qiansheng Investment would have provided substantial support to Mingsha City this time.

“Alright, handle it as you see fit.”

“Boss, will you be attending the auction in person?”

After a brief pause, Fu Qiong inquired again.

Although she managed the investment company, auction matters were beyond her authority.

“I won’t be going! For one, it’s inconvenient with travel restrictions and approvals; for another, Mingsha City’s core project is at a critical stage and I can’t leave.”

Xu Hao instinctively glanced at the stack of blueprints on his desk.

“But if you don’t come, who knows…”

“Don’t worry! Everyone knows auction prices are uncertain. As long as you feel an item is valuable for Mingsha City and our funds allow, just bid and secure it.”

“Understood, Boss!”

Hearing Xu Hao’s words, the tension in Fu Qiong’s voice eased noticeably.

“Anything else?”

“Nothing more, Boss! Get some rest early.”

A minute later, after hanging up, Xu Hao stepped out.

Under the night sky, large machinery continued to roar. At the center of the construction site, dozens of massive concrete-pouring machines were parked, as if a bottomless pit were devouring endless amounts of concrete.

“This pace is already at its limit! Even if we bring in more equipment, there’s nowhere else to park! Once the main pillar is finished, things should speed up.”

He muttered to himself.

After surveying the surroundings, Xu Hao headed toward the construction area.

No further explanation.

Constructing the core zone’s building required not just reinforced concrete but also several other special materials for the foundation pillars.

Time passed in tidal waves; before long, half a month had gone by.

Mingsha City’s No.3 Entertainment City remained a hot spot. In the sweltering summer, it had become a must-visit landmark for tourists coming from afar.

Thus,

the footfall in the Xianxia Zone of Mingsha City once again surpassed that of the Historic District.

Meanwhile,

Fengdu Scenic Area painted a different picture. Throughout Fengdu City, tourists were scarce; the only resemblance to Mingsha City was the occasional roar of machinery from outside the city.

“How’s the progress on that Dragon’s Nest?”

Wearing a white safety helmet, Feng Xiangcai first glanced at the blazing sun overhead before turning to Deputy Director Shi Yun.

“General Feng, the overall structure of the Dragon’s Nest is complete. Only the interior setup remains!”

Seeing this,

Shi Yun handed Feng Xiangcai a bottle of water before continuing.

“No matter what, it must be finished within a month and a half! Otherwise, Dino Park will pull out according to the wager agreement.”

Feng Xiangcai let out a slight sigh of relief.

This time, he had bet everything on the new project in collaboration with Dino Park.

In Feng Xiangcai’s view, the new project seamlessly blended Long Kingdom’s traditional ghostly and xianxia elements with a hefty dose of Western fantasy—sure to draw a wave of visitors once launched.

“Rest assured! It’ll be done within two months!”

Shi Yun turned his gaze to the distance.

Alongside the Dragon’s Nest and the Vampire Castle, they were also constructing a building reminiscent of Mingsha City’s Demon-Locking Tower. When tourists embark on their adventure, it promises to be an exhilarating experience.

“That’s great. Just yesterday, Adam from Dino Park called to say they’ll soon launch a comprehensive promotional campaign for our project! The publicity will be massive—probably even more than for the Underwater World.”

Feng Xiangcai nodded subtly.

“More publicity than Underwater World?”

Shi Yun was taken aback.

“Yes. Mingsha City’s No.3 Entertainment City caught Dino Park off guard—no doubt they’re upset! Plus, I heard the Dino Park Headquarters has also taken notice and is putting pressure on Cole and Adam.

“That figures—Mingsha City can be incredibly underhanded.”

“By the way, has there been any recent news from Mingsha City? We’ve been busting our tails here, and then we end up clashing with Mingsha City’s No.4 Entertainment City again.”

After a moment’s thought,

Feng Xiangcai spoke again.

Unknowingly, Mingsha City had become his personal nightmare—every few days he felt compelled to check in on their latest developments, especially concerning No.4 Entertainment City, which loomed like a guillotine waiting to drop.

After all, Mingsha City’s No.4 Entertainment City project had been announced long ago.

“General Feng, I doubt it’ll happen so coincidentally. No.3 Entertainment City is still riding high—tourists, especially from overseas, keep pouring in. Starting No.4 Entertainment City now might not be the best move.

Also, a friend mentioned that yesterday afternoon Mingsha City held a groundbreaking ceremony.”

After pondering for a bit, Shi Yun replied,

“A groundbreaking ceremony? So Mingsha City still has funds?”

Feng Xiangcai’s expression fell; his eyes were filled with disappointment.

Since rumors surfaced that Mingsha City was short on cash, the news he most longed for was a project halt due to funding issues.

Instead, not only has there been no sign of suspension, but they even held a groundbreaking ceremony.

“It’s the production of the ‘Fengshen Yanyi’ in collaboration with Yan City TV! ‘Fengshen Yanyi’ is a mythological drama, and traditionally, Mingsha City would construct photo spots in its Xianxia Zone. Moreover, the launch of No.3 Entertainment City has brought in substantial visitor numbers and increased ticket revenue!

Combined with the handsome payouts for the artists from Haofang Agency, it should be enough to fund the TV series!”

Shi Yun shook his head in exasperation.

While other large enterprises might go bankrupt or collapse overnight upon a rumor, once word gets out about Mingsha City, it’s confirmed within a month—just like the Xu Family back in the day!

Mingsha City, on the other hand, keeps generating rumors of collapse yet never goes silent. Honestly, it’s something else! At least this way we won’t have to worry about No.4 Entertainment City.

“Mm!”

“Oh, and General Feng! This morning our lawyer called—apparently, the court has reached out to us!”

A few minutes later, after wrapping up business, Shi Yun suddenly remembered something and quickly added,

“The court? What do they say? Didn’t we already request a postponement of the trial?”

Feng Xiangcai frowned.

Although we had made all the necessary preparations, after a call from Dino Park, he felt that postponing the trial made sense—better to focus on the new project’s promotion.

Otherwise, once the lawsuit begins, it would undoubtedly affect the publicity for the new project.

“We did apply for a postponement, but the court said it can’t exceed six months. What do you think?”