Chapter 47: A New Oasis in the Desert

“By the way, Li Gong, round up a few more people to clear out all the trash. We need the area completely cleared before six in the afternoon.”

After a moment’s thought, Xu Hao added another instruction.

Although the carpentry side had no issues, there were still heaps of broken blue bricks and discarded plastics and cardboard boxes from the dismantled interior. At present, the Shadou area couldn’t process them, so they had to be packed up and taken away.

“No problem, we have plenty of hands.”

The foreman nodded hurriedly.

“I’ll go check other areas for any issues.”

Once the foreman was settled, Xu Hao finally left the loft and headed toward the log cabin. The remaining tasks were simple enough that he didn’t need to keep a constant watch.

After almost a sleepless night, he truly needed a good rest now.

Time flew by during the busy hours until, in the blink of an eye, dusk had set in. A camel caravan slowly advanced under the setting sun, each camel burdened on both sides with loads that from afar resembled an ancient merchant troupe.

“Mr. Zhu, when will you arrive?”

At the very front of the caravan, seven or eight people were steadily trudging over the sandy terrain.

A plump middle-aged man glanced back over his shoulder and then out at the endless yellow sands, his face etched with regret.

The man was Tan Mianhua, a chef by trade.

He used to run a unique open-air diner, but when Mingsha County failed to attract upscale customers, he closed shop and switched careers. That was until Luo Peng approached him last night, asking him to cook at the Shadou retreat.

Initially, he had refused. However, when they offered him double the salary of Mingsha County’s head chef, Tan Mianhua couldn’t resist! He even called in two former apprentices.

But as he proceeded, his regret grew. It wasn’t the harsh desert that bothered him—it was the thought of a retreat so remote that its environment would be nothing special. Who would show up? If business was slow, he’d be packing up in days, and he wasn’t even sure how the pay would be calculated.

“Master Tan, don’t worry. Once we pass that dune, we’ll be there!”

Mr. Zhu smiled.

After several trips back and forth, they had pinpointed the exact location of the Shadou area. Even if some lost travelers ended up in Hongsha Gang Village, they could still find their way here.

Thanks to the repeated trips hauling equipment, the camel caravan had carved out a small path through the desert.

Tan Mianhua grunted in acknowledgement. He didn’t say much, but it was clear his mood wasn’t the best.

“Really, Master Tan—don’t rush!”

Nearby, Luo Peng glanced over and chuckled.

“Not rushing? How can you not be? We agreed that even if things fell through, today’s pay was guaranteed, especially since you mentioned that you’d be tasting the dishes upon arrival.

It’s only because you’re a local that I believed you. If you were from elsewhere…”

Tan Mianhua shot Luo Peng a sidelong glance.

“They’ll definitely pay you, I promise!”

Luo Peng patted Tan Mianhua on the shoulder.

Since the labor company was registered, Luo Peng had taken on the role of general manager and legal representative. The shareholding structure mirrored that of Mingsha Tourism Company: Haoran Asset Management Company held 90%, Luo Peng 5%, with the remainder allocated as employee incentive shares.

Similarly, the shareholders still opted not to disclose this information publicly.

“Alright, I’ll trust you for now.”

And so, they walked and talked, soon cresting the dune. “Look, this is our… I mean, this is…”

At the edge of Shaji, Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng were about to brief Tan Mianhua on the location of the retreat when the astonishing scene before them left them momentarily stunned.

Zhu Qiang, in particular, rubbed his eyes several times, trying to ascertain whether he was witnessing a mirage or if his vision was playing tricks on him.

No exaggeration.

The transformation between the Shadou area they knew just two days ago and what now lay before them was simply too drastic.

A row of crescent-shaped ancient buildings now stood by the small lake at the bottom of Shadou. The weathered wood and gray tiles faced an expanse of poplar groves and reed marshes that perfectly framed the lake.

And as if that weren’t enough, at the base of Shadou there was now a roughly two-meter-wide pedestrian path paved with gray bricks.

The path started at the head of the ancient structures, meandered along the periphery for half a circle, cut through the poplar grove, and finally connected with a wooden walkway leading to Shaji. On top of that, the entire perimeter of Shadou had been decorated with grass lattices, within which many saxaul trees and poplar saplings had been planted.

Looking out over the view,

this was no longer just a barren area—it felt like an ancient martial arts sanctuary hidden away from the world.

The only out-of-place element was the wooden cabin and fenced yard, built on the north-facing slope. Had that been redeveloped in the style of the ancient architecture, it would have been truly spectacular.

“Mr. Zhu, your retreat’s ambiance is simply amazing!”

Beside him, Tan Mianhua was equally taken aback by the sight, his earlier concerns almost entirely dissipated.

“Come on, let’s go meet Brother Hao!”

Taking a deep breath, Zhu Qiang looked over at Luo Peng.

Honestly, although Xu Hao had mentioned putting together the retreat in just two days, he hadn’t paid much mind at the time. He simply figured that if everyone gave their all, two days might suffice; if not, three or four days would be fine too.

And the result?

Just two days! No, not even two full days, and it was already like this. It was almost unbelievable.

“Hmm!”

Meanwhile, in Office No. 1 on the third floor of the Mingsha County Government Building,

a man in his fifties slowly put down his phone. After a brief moment of contemplation, he picked it up again and dialed another number.

About ten minutes later, Qin Xuan from the Mingsha County Investment Promotion Department arrived at the office.

“Secretary, you wanted to see me!”

“Old Qin, have a seat. There’s something you need to know.”

The man nodded in acknowledgment.

“What’s the matter?”

“We just got a call from the provincial authorities. They said that Director Li Jue from the Long Kingdom Ancient Architecture Research Institute will be coming to Mingsha County. We need to host him properly.”

“The Ancient Architecture Research Institute?”

Qin Xuan’s expression turned serious.

The Institute is a significant department-level entity, with leaders ranking even higher than local officials. We must give them our utmost respect. But Mingsha County isn’t known for ancient architecture. Why would their director suddenly come here for an inspection?

“Director Li is scheduled to visit No. 256 Hongsha Gang Village—the very site you enthusiastically recommended for development by the Tourism Company. He’ll land tonight at Lanshi Airport, stay for one night, and likely be there by tomorrow morning.”

He paused, then continued.

Apparently, the county had just registered a company with a paid capital of about five million. That wasn’t a trivial matter. He knew about it immediately, and many of the subsequent policies were signed off by him.

“Huh? What is he planning to do there? No facilities for food, drink, or lodging have been set up at No. 256 Hongsha Gang Village. Could it be that there’s some ancient architecture there?”

Qin Xuan’s confusion deepened.

Ever since the Mingsha Tourism Company was established, he had been keeping a close eye on them. They’d even been approved as a key enterprise by the county. But even with their capabilities, causing such a stir in the desert within a few days seemed impossible.

“I found it odd too, so I called Director Li. He mentioned that there’s a Level-3 researcher at the Institute—a department head level—named Xu Hao. He wants to come over and take a look.

And Director Li was adamant that even if we aren’t in the county, we don’t need to host him after all.”

The leader leaned back in his chair, massaging his temples.

Sometimes, what you dread most are those superior officials who oversee matters without getting directly involved.

“Xu Hao? A Level-3 researcher from the Institute? Since when did he become part of the Ancient Architecture Research Institute? Wasn’t he the vlogger who took on the wilderness challenge?”

Before he could finish, Qin Xuan was rendered speechless once again.