Chapter 62: Blueprints and Bold Visions

Brother Hao, what type of courtyard are you planning to build this time? This morning, when Zhang Chi was live-streaming, his tone was incredibly cocky. It looks like the investment involved won’t be small.

After a pause, Zhu Qiang murmured softly.

Although Tianchen Culture isn’t directly connected here, there’s no denying that the fans and viewers have already polarized into opposing camps. If they gain the upper hand, it will definitely dent our popularity.

And popularity is the very foundation of homestay tourism.

“Big investment? Some things aren’t solved by just throwing money at them!”

Xu Hao’s eyes narrowed.

Originally, he had planned to build a spacious residence—either a large quadruple courtyard or a paired courtyard—based on the fenced courtyard. But when he heard about Tianchen Culture’s move, an irresistible idea burst into his mind.

Some structures can be imitated, while others simply can’t be replicated no matter how much you spend.

For example, constructing an authentic Tengwang Pavilion—because nothing fits better than that.

He remembered that in this world the Tengwang Pavilion mirrored the current state of affairs on Earth, being built from eight blueprint sketches drafted by a famed architect in the last century, inspired by a Song Dynasty court painting.

Moreover, when the new Tengwang Pavilion was built, the architects even incorporated numerous techniques from the ancient treatise Yingzao Fashi, which paved the way for our modern concrete and steel version.

Of course, Xu Hao wasn’t toying with the idea of the Tengwang Pavilion just to vent or create a gimmick.

Back on Earth, he had been fortunate enough to see the original Song Dynasty court painting under his mentor’s guidance. In this world, although he lacked any special shortcuts, his understanding and memory had grown remarkably extraordinary. With just a few minutes of thought, he could recreate the exact details—and even grasp deeper insights, sometimes deducing internal structures from the external form.

And it wasn’t just with ancient architecture; the same applied in other fields. That’s exactly why constructing the Desert Pavilion had been such a breeze.

“What about the budget?”

Seeing that Xu Hao already had a plan, Zhu Qiang stopped pressing further. After all, he wasn’t the expert; whatever Xu Hao wanted next, he would simply provide.

“We’ll stick to the original plan and start with the homestay at Oasis No. 2. I’ll need a few more days to draft the blueprints,”

Xu Hao calculated before speaking.

This time, the plan for the Tengwang Pavilion was to construct it entirely out of wood. In the desert, wood is far cheaper than concrete, and more importantly, only an all-wood structure can truly capture the essence of the original Tengwang Pavilion.

“Sounds good!”

“By the way, Brother Hao, one more thing: When I was in the Shadou area today, a few tourists asked me about claiming spots on the grass lattice and what the fee was. They want to plant a couple of acacia trees.”

After settling the ancient building project, Zhu Qiang raised another matter.

“Other tourists claiming spots on the grass lattice? Here’s how it is.”

Without delay, Xu Hao briefly explained the situation with Han Xiaoqing.

“What do you all think?”

“Brother Hao, I think this is brilliant. Tourists love it, and it brings many benefits for us. The only caveat is that we can’t let them claim spots freely—too many trees might ruin our own landscape experience.”

Luo Peng was the first to voice his opinion.

“Yes, and how about we designate a specific area just for grass lattice claims?”

Xu Hao nodded slightly.

In truth, that was exactly what he had in mind.

“That works. We could even tailor different zones based on visitor demand—perhaps a ‘love zone’ for couples, a ‘memorial zone’ to commemorate someone or something, or even a ‘hope zone’ akin to that Time Tree idea you mentioned earlier.”

It must be said that Zhu Qiang, with his international prestigious education, has exceptional business acumen; he managed to devise a complete plan in just a very short time.

“Perfect! And what about the pricing?”

“Brother Hao, I propose two pricing options: one at 100 yuan per grass lattice with our management included, and another at 50 yuan each without our management.”

“Is that on an annual basis?”

“If the trees thrive, the claim is permanent; if they perish, there’s a six-month grace period before the spot must be relinquished.”

“That’s clever—it’ll prevent situations where couples plant trees in the first year and then cut them down the following year after a breakup.”

And so, the three of them discussed until nearly 10:30 in the evening, sorting through all the details.

“Qiang, tomorrow when you get to Mingsha County, see if you can find out whether Tianchen Culture has any other new projects in the works.”

Just as they were about to call it a night, Xu Hao casually mentioned,

“Tianchen Culture projects?”

Zhu Qiang was momentarily taken aback but quickly replied, “It seems they’re planning a historical light comedy soon.”

Ever since Tianchen Culture started stirring things up, he had been closely following their every move.

“A historical light comedy? Excellent!”

“Brother Hao, are you thinking of diving into film projects now?”

Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng exchanged glances, their faces lighting up with excitement.

Ever since Xu Hao first suggested creating an IP attraction, they’d been eagerly awaiting further details—it was impossible for them to be patient.

“If we’re allowed Tianchen Culture to invest in our project, why can’t we experiment with theirs? But we should tackle that once we’ve transformed the fenced courtyard.”

With one last remark, Xu Hao left the private lounge.

“True enough. There’s simply no time right now.”

He offered a wry smile as the other two’s excitement faded, and they followed him out.

Moonset, sunrise—the next day, in Haishi at the Tianchen Culture Headquarters.

Yang Yuan frowned while reviewing a project blueprint at the office. Across from him sat a middle-aged man, and Operations Manager Liu Qing stood nervously by, unwilling to speak.

“Mr. Zhao, isn’t your company’s quote outrageously high?”

After a long pause…

Yang Yuan turned his gaze toward the middle-aged man.

The man, Zhao Fei, was the head of a company specializing in ancient-style architecture.

They had brought him in to help Zhang Chi create the ancient building courtyard, but his quote was far beyond expectations—averaging 3,500 yuan per square meter.

“Yang, it’s not that our quote is high—it’s that costs are through the roof these days, especially labor. Skilled workers for ancient structures now charge around 350 yuan a day, and their wages are settled every ten days. If they don’t get paid, they’d just quit on the spot. How can it be cheap?” Zhao Fei explained as he leaned back, hands spread. “Honestly, your plan for just 1,000 square meters of ancient building courtyard is below our usual scale. We only managed the blueprint out of favor for Manager Liu Qing.”

After this, Zhao Fei glanced up at Liu Qing.

Ancient building courtyards have always favored scale—the larger, the better the impact!

If it’s only 1,000 square meters, it just won’t have the same effect.

“Then what about that crescent-shaped ancient homestay? Can’t you cut costs a bit? For fewer than 50 rooms, you’ve quoted 15 million yuan.”

After a brief silence, Yang Yuan frowned and pointed to another set of blueprints.

To maximize profits, Tianchen Culture and Ning An Cultural Tourism have agreed to replicate Xu Hao’s Shadou area exactly, splitting all costs equally, with the eventual homestay profits being divided equally as well. Tianchen Culture will handle construction, while Ning An Cultural Tourism will oversee operations.

This ancient building courtyard is planned at a scale of 1,000 square meters. In Yang Yuan’s and Qi Haoyong’s view, considering the terrain, Xu Hao’s maximum scale was around 600 to 700 square meters—so building 1,000 ensures a clear win.

Yet, they were still astonished by the pricing of the crescent-shaped row homestay—it was significantly more expensive than the ancient building courtyard.

Remember, that homestay was put together by Mingsha Tourism in just two days.

“These costs have been squeezed to the extreme. For the ancient building courtyard, we have a proven template. But homestays are different! Mingsha’s project used a lot of advanced techniques, consuming an enormous amount of concrete, steel, and labor.”

He added, “Of course, if Yang opts for another style, the price is negotiable.”

Mentioning the homestay, Zhao Fei shook his head firmly. It seemed there was no room for negotiations.

As a seasoned veteran, the moment he saw the overall look of the Mingsha homestay, he knew the level of expertise involved was extraordinary.

“High costs for concrete and steel? Then why not use all wood like they do over there?”

Yang Yuan’s frown deepened even further.