Chapter 55: The Pavilion Showdown

Zhang Chi is a modern carpenter. Ever since he learned woodworking, he’s been accustomed to using various modern materials. Yet there’s no denying that drawing hundreds of thousands of fans proves he’s an exceptional craftsman.

At dusk,

he climbed to the ridge and began his elaborate preparations—hauling pre-cut, hidden lumber from the Hu Yang Forest over to Shaji repeatedly. Once night fell, he used his keen eyesight to nail and glue every joint that needed connecting.

After a night of hustle, by morning a roughly four-square-meter wooden pavilion base was complete. This move sent his livestream’s popularity soaring.

In response,

oblivious netizens and fans started sharing livestream clips on social media, with praises claiming that building such a pavilion by hand in the desert was nothing short of a miracle.

Especially by the afternoon, when four columns as thick as bowls were erected, Zhang Chi’s momentum peaked.

Some loyal fans even began tagging Xu Hao, suggesting that he should try something else since the pavilion had become Zhang Chi’s playground.

They claimed that even if Xu Hao built one, no one would watch.

And that wasn’t all.

Far away in Yan City, the Ziyun Live Stream Guild also began to lend their support.

Their top streamer, Yang Sanniu, lavished praise on Zhang Chi’s craftsmanship during his livestream, even saying that with Zhang Chi’s talent, he could easily get into the Long Kingdom Ancient Architecture Research Institute. Xu Hao, reliant on modern tools and prefabricated materials, simply couldn’t compare.

Fans went wild—especially those following top-tier streamers on KuaiDou.

With Yang Sanniu’s rallying call, by six in the afternoon Zhang Chi’s fan count had soared past one million; many even tagged the official account of the Long Kingdom Institute of Ancient Architecture Culture.

They insisted that such talent deserved a special recruitment into the institute.

Meanwhile, Xu Hao’s fans fell silent, unsure how to counter since the pavilion was a tangible achievement. They resolved to wait for Xu Hao’s turn to shine.

In any case,

this round of moves seemed to have given Tianchen Culture a major win.

On the other hand, Xu Hao, unaware of Tianchen Culture’s maneuvers, had been busy preparing pavilion materials all day—until Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng arrived at the Fenced Courtyard.

“Brother Hao, how’s the material prep going? Need any help?”

Glancing at the mound of wood in the courtyard—especially the massive pillars thicker than buckets—Zhu Qiang couldn’t help but exclaim.

“No need!”

Xu Hao wiped the sweat from his brow.

Even with modern tools, crafting intricate mortise-and-tenon joints was painstaking work.

“By the way, has the county’s road project been finalized?”

Taking a few sips from a water bottle, Xu Hao asked.

Yesterday, as soon as Zhu Qiang finished a call from the county, he phoned him.

“It’s set. The county will organize a crew to start work in the next couple of days with specially approved funds. Knowing our Long Kingdom Construction Maniacs, once the money is in, a five-kilometer road can be finished in less than half a month. However, while the county funds the construction, maintenance falls to us.”

Mentioning the road delighted Zhu Qiang.

With the company’s funds running low, this five-kilometer road was a major assist. Once more funds arrived, they could finally link the Shadou area with Hongsha Gang Village.

“Naturally—both sides of the road need grass lattice installations to ward off wind and stabilize the dunes. The county probably won’t have enough for that extra expense.”

After a thoughtful pause, Xu Hao continued,

“How’s that simple amusement park coming along? I also saw today that guests have already started arriving at Shadou on camels. What’s their feedback?”

“The park is ready—it’s right north of our guesthouse! It’s just a basic setup featuring desert off-roading, archery, sand sliding and other simple attractions, costing less than 100,000 in total. As for the visitors? Both the guesthouse and local snacks are receiving rave reviews. Their comment in two words: ‘Super satisfied!’ And many guests even mentioned wanting to see you, but I told them you were busy, so they’d have to wait until the pavilion was done.”

Zhu Qiang continued his report.

Even though our account balance has been dropping—now just over 500,000—with the steady flow of visitors, the situation should soon improve.

“As long as the visitors are happy, that’s what matters.”

“However, Tianchen Culture has pulled some petty tricks that might spoil our livestream’s impact.”

After a pause, Zhu Qiang murmured,

“Petty tricks? What did they do this time?”

Xu Hao frowned.

He was growing increasingly resentful of Tianchen Culture—if he had the chance, he’d wipe them out completely.

“Well, here’s the deal.”

Immediately, Zhu Qiang recounted how Zhang Chi had fast-tracked the pavilion construction and used various resources to generate hype at Xu Hao’s expense.

“I thought it was just a pavilion—no big deal!”

Hearing this, Xu Hao couldn’t help but chuckle.

“No big deal? But online right now…”

Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng exchanged glances, clearly anxious that Xu Hao might see the online comments and get disheartened.

“Don’t worry. We’ll stick to our plan. By the way, you mentioned earlier you had a brilliant idea to attract visitors—care to share the details?”

Xu Hao glanced at the wood markings and asked,

“A pavilion?”

Not every pavilion qualifies to be called an Octagonal Painted Pavilion.

“Alright then—Little Luo and I discussed it. How about you, Brother Hao…”

Night had fallen. At 256 Hongsha Gang Village, the lights shone brilliantly. With the first batch of guesthouse visitors checking in, the crescent-shaped guesthouse looked even more stunning.

In the dark, it truly resembled a moon embedded in the desert—breathtaking and surreal.

Room 1.

Dong Liping had been absorbed in his phone when he suddenly raised an eyebrow.

“Old Li, have you seen that online video?”

he asked.

“You mean the one from Ning’an with that carpenter called Zhang Chi being challenged?”

Li Jue smiled faintly.

“Yes, him! Many netizens even tagged your department, calling him a talent in ancient architecture.”

Dong Liping nodded.

“He’s nothing more than a show-off streamer—not worth a mention.”

Li Jue moved to the coffee table to top off his teacup.

“But look, his pavilion base does show some skill.”

“True. He’s a good carpenter, but he’s not the kind of talent our Ancient Architecture Institute needs. Sure, the pavilion looks antique, but the construction flaws are obvious; it’s just enough to fool ordinary viewers.”

Li Jue chuckled.

“Old Li wasn’t wrong. Zoom in on the video, and you’ll see it’s nothing more than a basic wavy joint structure. The key parts are all held together with wood glue.”

Just then, Feng Wancheng from the Cultural Relics Department piped up in agreement.

“Oh, I only had a quick look because the video was trending. I thought Old Li might even recruit some talent. Guess I was overthinking it.”

Dong Liping smiled and set his phone aside.

“By the way, plenty of netizens have been bashing Xiao Xu. Aren’t you going to defend one of your own?”

After a pause, Dong Liping added,

Xu Hao is regarded as a prized asset by Li Jue, who always protects his people. He won’t just stand by.

“Defend Xiao Xu? No need! Once those netizens see the robust pavilion pillars—each as thick as a bowl and half a meter in diameter—they’ll be silenced.”

Li Jue shot Dong Liping a sharp look.