Chapter 50: A Day of Tasting, Plans, and Surprises

As expected, but our guest reception skills are still too weak!

Xu Hao nodded in agreement.

Judging by the frenzy in the live stream, over twenty guesthouses have surely been completely booked.

“Let’s eat first—Master Tan has been waiting for a while!”

Mentioning reception skills, Zhu Qiang’s excitement quickly faltered.

“Hey, Brother Hao, try Master Tan’s cooking and see if our dining quality is up to par.”

Luo Peng chimed in from beside him.

“Alright, let’s eat!”

Xu Hao made no pretense; after days of non-stop work without a proper meal, he was nearly at his breaking point.

“Master Tan, serve the food!”

Once Xu Hao, Zhu Qiang, and the others were seated, Luo Peng headed toward the staircase to call out.

“Brother Hao, the first dish is sour and spicy camel tendons!”

With the sound of his steps echoing upstairs, the first dish soon arrived at the table.

Shortly after, local specialties like braised lamb from Mingsha County began to appear one after another.

“Everyone, give it a try!”

At the table, Tan Mianhua declared confidently.

“Master Tan, please join us.”

Even without tasting, the vibrant red spicy sauce, stewed camel meat, and tender green desert scallions already rivaled a five-star dining experience.

“No worries, Brother Hao and President Luo, you enjoy. I’ll note any flavor issues to adjust later,” he added.

With a cheerful wave, Tan Mianhua explained, “Today’s just a tasting—after all, a chef must maintain his professional integrity.”

“That works!”

And so, everyone began to dig in.

In no time, an hour passed and the plates were cleared, leaving only a few satisfied faces at the table.

“Brother Hao, this is simply amazing! Especially the camel meat—I’ve never tasted anything like it before!”

Wiping his hands with a wet wipe, Zhu Qiang beamed with admiration.

They had come to test the food, but with the first bite, all thoughts of ‘testing’ vanished as they devoured everything in a whirlwind.

“This flavor is incredibly authentic!”

As a local, Luo Peng gave a hearty thumbs-up.

“So, it’s settled then? Our flavor seems to suit the masses, and Master Tan’s skills will surely impress our guests.”

Xu Hao looked over at them.

Honestly, having lived two different lives, this was the first time he’d tasted camel meat—and it really was something different.

“Absolutely. I bet many guests will fall in love with our cuisine.”

Luo Peng immediately jotted it down in his notebook.

“By the way, what are our food service gross margins like?”

After a brief chat, Xu Hao steered the conversation to serious matters.

“Brother Hao, I’ve already had Master Tan crunch the numbers. At market prices, our gross profit margin is around 60%, and after expenses, it’s about 20% of our turnover.

However, with only around twenty rooms, even a full house of a few dozen guests won’t generate much revenue.”

Zhu Qiang remarked regretfully.

The biggest hurdle right now remains the number of tourists.

Of course, he knew Xu Hao was planning to work on the octagonal pavilion painting instead of building new guesthouses, and the current ones are just enough—building more would mean relocating to another shadou area or an oasis.

“No worries, we’ll take it slow. But there’s another matter!”

Xu Hao did some quick mental math—the profit margin was acceptable.

“Brother Hao, what’s the issue?”

“It’s about the entertainment options for our visitors. Initially, the live stream viewers tuned in out of curiosity, but without activities, tourists won’t feel compelled to return.”

“Brother Hao, why not borrow a page from other desert attractions? We could set up activities like sand sliding, archery, desert off-road racing—simple enough and requiring no special equipment, all ready before the first guests arrive.”

Zhu Qiang quickly nodded in agreement.

He had noticed that tourists wouldn’t want to spend the whole day wandering the shadou area snapping photos—the area isn’t large, after all—one could tour it in just over an hour.

“These activities are a must, but we also need a few unique attractions—something only we can offer.

That would skyrocket our competitiveness.”

Stroking his chin, Xu Hao added,

“Something that only we can offer?”

Both Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng fell into thought.

“Alright, let’s roll out these common activities over the next couple of days—though not too near the shadou area—and brainstorm for unique ones. Any viable idea, and we’ll implement it.”

“Alright then, Brother Hao, when do you start processing the wood tomorrow?”

Bringing himself back to focus, Zhu Qiang asked.

“Tomorrow morning, I’ll host a few important guests, and then in the afternoon, I’ll start processing the wood. As for assembly, that must wait until the first tourists arrive.”

“Is that for the few rooms you mentioned keeping aside?”

Zhu Qiang hesitated, ultimately choosing not to press further.

He was genuinely curious about what kind of person would have Xu Hao personally reserve rooms and greet guests.

“Alright! Just focus on your work—you don’t need to worry about me!”

“Okay.”

With the moon set and the sun risen, the next day arrived swiftly. By 8:30 a.m., Haishi Main Street was buzzing with activity—a scene of vibrant hustle. Yet at the floor-to-ceiling window of Tianchen Culture, President Yang Yuan just couldn’t shake his gloom.

“What? The buzz isn’t as high as expected? Why?”

Turning, he looked at Liu Qing.

It was the second desert survival show hosted by Tianchen Culture, and although it was the launch day, Operations Manager Liu Qing reported that ratings and traffic were several notches lower than the first show. Had it not been for those challenge streamers with their built-in followers, the numbers might have been even worse.

“President Yang, our official platform’s live stream went online today and drew a ton of viewers. They say desert survival has lost its charm—when it comes to adventure, no one does it like Xu Hao. In fact, they find desert construction far more appealing.”

Some viewers even claimed that desert survival is child’s play compared to desert construction, which challenges both your wits and wallet.

Zhu Qiang mumbled softly.

“Desert construction? What’s that all about?”

Yang Yuan was taken aback.

“That’s typical of you, Yang. Just yesterday, Xu Hao went live—transforming that shadou area in just two days and erecting a row of historic guesthouses. No wonder viewers are calling it ‘desert construction.'”

“Two days to build a row of guesthouses? Seriously?”

Yang Yuan’s eyes widened—it sounded almost too fantastical.

“It’s true! During Xu Hao’s live stream yesterday, a viewer recorded everything. The short video shows that row of guesthouses looking pretty impressive.”

Liu Qing looked down, avoiding Yang Yuan’s gaze.

“Pretty impressive? Xu Hao managed all that by himself? How does he come up with these tricks!”

Coming back to his senses,

Yang Yuan couldn’t help but curse under his breath. Ever since clashing with Xu Hao, his luck had taken a nosedive.

“President Yang, I looked into it—it was handled by a company called Mingsha Tourism Culture, with Zhu Qiang as its legal representative! Given Zhu Qiang’s background in commercial trade, it’s very likely the company is his.”

Seeing his boss’s temper rising, Liu Qing quickly offered his own deduction.