Chapter 392: A Stirring Festival Amid High Expectations

A king remains a king, even if he has experienced setbacks.

Although the No.4 Entertainment City project in Mingsha City faltered and faded for a while, its influence endures.

The post immediately caught the attention of countless netizens.

“So… what exactly was the announcement from Mingsha City?”

“Exactly! Instead of fretting over these petty issues, why not focus on Mingsha City? At least the city has always upheld the dignity of the Long Kingdom.”

“Spill the details! I’m really curious what new venture Mingsha City has in store after the No.4 Entertainment City mishap.”

Netizens inquired eagerly.

“Here’s the scoop: Just moments ago, an announcement was posted on Mingsha City’s official website declaring that in one month, a Peach Banquet will be held within the grounds of Wuzhuang Temple in Mingsha City. They invite the citizens and netizens of the Long Kingdom to come, admire the peaches, and make new friends.”

Soon

netizens who saw the announcement began spreading the news.

“Wait, what did you just say? A Peach Banquet? I must be hearing it wrong!”

Moments later, as more netizens digested the full details of the announcement, many were left utterly dumbfounded.

Checking the time, it was early September – meaning that in a month, the Long Kingdom’s annual Golden Week for tourism, National Day, would be in full swing! Naturally, people weren’t just surprised by the timing, but by the very nature of the event.

A Peach Banquet?

The name is incredibly grand and startling!

In the Long Kingdom, even elementary school kids have heard of the Peach Banquet—a pivotal event in a classic masterpiece.

So how could anyone not be amazed that Mingsha City was organizing one?

“No mistake at all! The announcement on Mingsha City’s official site stated it clearly. It also mentioned that alongside the Peach Banquet, a cultural relics exhibit would be held, inviting visitors to appreciate both simultaneously.”

Noticing some netizens’ doubts, an informed insider explained further.

“A cultural relics exhibit? Honestly, I’m far more excited about the Peach Festival itself!”

“Exactly! In movies and TV shows, the ethereal Peach Festival at the Jade Pool gathers immortals. Can Mingsha City really pull off something that grand?”

“I have my doubts too!”

“And what about the peaches? By October, many varieties will have been off the market. Can Mingsha City secure quality peaches? Or is it that they’ve been out of the spotlight for so long that they’re scrambling with this gimmick?”

“Even if they fall short, it sounds intriguing enough! I must see it for myself.”

“I feel the same way.”

And just like that, the forum exploded with discussion!

Some were deeply interested, while others remained skeptical. Yet, as time ticked by, whether due to the extravagant promise of the Peach Festival or Mingsha City’s own prestige, the post spread across major forums, with several portal sites reprinting the announcement.

Within an hour

the topic of Mingsha City hosting a Peach Festival on National Day rocketed to the trending list, landing in the top ten with hundreds of new comments appearing in rapid succession.

In this way

the disappointment over the failed auction was largely overshadowed. Although some netizens still nursed their grievances, the focus had certainly shifted.

Meanwhile

in Haishi, Cole at Dino Park was in the midst of signing documents when he casually glanced at his computer and then suddenly stiffened.

“What? Mingsha City is planning a Peach Festival for National Day? And a cultural relics exhibit too? What on earth does that mean?”

After muttering to himself for a moment

he instinctively looked over at the folder on his desk once more.

According to plan

Dino Park would host seven major events to warm up the Magic Academy during National Day – one event each day.

But now, of all times, Mingsha City decided to jump in, leading to an unavoidable clash of schedules.

“Is this a deliberate move by Mingsha City, or…”

After a long silence,

Cole picked up the office phone and dialed a number. Once connected, he said, “Adam, come to the office. And bring all the latest information on Mingsha City you can find.”

As the saying goes, onlookers watch for entertainment, while insiders look for clues.

Many outsiders were clueless as to why Mingsha City had dropped this bombshell, but how could insiders not know? At nine in the evening in Yan City’s Second Ring, Li Jue and Liu Shan stared at the computer screen in disbelief for several minutes before snapping back. “My goodness, Xiao Xu is planning a Peach Festival for National Day? This is…”

Li Jue swallowed hard and glanced at Liu Shan.

“Phew! Old Li, isn’t Xiao Xu overdoing it this time? Not only is he planning the Peach Banquet, but he’s also throwing in a cultural relics exhibit. However, since the public’s attention is firmly on the Peach Festival, the exhibit might fly under the radar.”

Liu Shan, standing nearby, bore a worried expression.

They hadn’t expected that the phone call to Xu Hao that morning would distract Mingsha City, and by evening, the city had pulled off this stunt.

Now, what a situation!

They had captured public attention, but in turn, handed Mingsha City a huge predicament.

“If the Peach Festival fails to impress, it could severely damage Mingsha City’s credibility. In the future, the public and tourists might never trust their announcements again!”

Li Jue rubbed his eyebrows, already thinking far ahead.

Just like the failed auction – if expectations soar only to be unmet, the backlash will be immense.

“Planning a peach exhibit in October? If it were held in August or September, it might have worked. By October, peaches in Su Province would have long been off the shelves.”

Rising to his feet, Liu Shan ruffled his hair.

In his view,

Mingsha City’s announcement for the Peach Festival was likely to be either an orchard-style experience—setting up various peach trees within the city for visitors to pick—or

a peach tasting contest—importing peaches from across the country for visitors to sample.

But neither option would fully satisfy the public’s craving; the term ‘Peach Festival’ evoked far too many exciting possibilities.

“So what do we do now? Should we call and ask Xiao Xu to change the name? Even downgrading it to a Peach Tasting Festival might help manage expectations.”

After a moment of thought,

Li Jue stood up as well.

In his view, this was the only way to dampen the public and tourists’ soaring expectations.

Knock, knock, knock! As fate would have it,

just as Li Jue and Liu Shan began worrying about Xu Hao, rapid knocking resounded outside the office door.

“Dean, it’s me!”

The knock came from none other than Bai Ming, Director of the Ancient Architecture Research Institute’s office.

“What’s the matter, Director Bai?”

Liu Shan stepped forward to open the door.

“Dean, Mingsha City is trending again. You need to check it out immediately.”

No sooner had the door opened than Bai Ming spoke anxiously.

“Trending? You mean it’s about Mingsha City’s Peach Festival?”

Liu Shan furrowed his brow.

Moments ago, they had been focused on that very news.

“No, no—it’s something else, though it’s somewhat related to the Peach Festival!”

At this, Bai Ming shook his head emphatically.

“Hmm? Not about the Peach Festival? Then what is it?”

Upon hearing this, Li Jue and Liu Shan were momentarily stunned before hurrying to the desk to pull up the latest trending topics on their computer screens.