Chapter 71: A New Chapter in Su Province

Brother Hao surely had his reasons. Hey, Mr. Zhu, has the guesthouse occupancy rate suffered at all? I just hope that once this ancient building is completed, it will recapture the audience’s attention.

Luo Peng pursed his lips and cast a glance around the perimeter of Oasis 1.

In less than a month, who knows how much money has been poured into this area? More importantly, it has quietly become the beacon of hope for Hongsha Gang Village and several nearby settlements. Some families have already pocketed several thousand yuan from Mingsha Tourism. Earning such money right on their doorstep was once unthinkable. If business here falters, the local people will be hit the hardest.

“The guesthouse occupancy hasn’t taken a hit. Orders for Oasis 2 are booked up even a month out.”

Zhu Qiang shook his head.

This time, many netizens and new fans had this sense of misplaced loyalty. They insisted that even in defeat, one must lose with dignity. The long-time supporters, however, largely understood Xu Hao.

“Not bad! I hope Brother Hao’s ancient project can bring renewed attention…”

Ding, ring, ring. Just as Luo Peng was about to add something, Zhu Qiang’s phone suddenly rang.

He pulled it out and, after nodding to Luo Peng, answered the call.

“Xiao Ma, what’s going on?”

The call was from a newly recruited operations manager at Mingsha Tourism.

Originally Zhu Qiang intended to move his office to the Shadou area, but now that they can’t even manage the tourist influx, there’s no way they can house their staff. They had no choice but to rent a few offices in the county town.

“Mr. Zhu, county officials just arrived saying that the provincial leaders are very interested in Brother Hao’s new project and want to visit Oasis 1 to observe the construction firsthand. I told them you had already headed over!” A sweet voice quickly chimed in through the phone.

The staff at Mingsha Tourism only knew that Zhu Qiang was the company’s legal representative, unaware that Xu Hao was the true mastermind. Hearing Zhu Qiang call him ‘Brother Hao’ day in and day out, they eventually started doing it themselves.

“Provincial leaders want a site visit?”

Zhu Qiang was taken aback.

“Yes, the county officials mentioned that quite a few are coming. Let’s see if we can accommodate them.”

“Understood! I’ll call Qin County in a bit!”

“Alright then, Mr. Zhu, I’ll hang up now!”

“Mm!”

“What’s the matter, Mr. Zhu?”

Seeing the troubled look on Zhu Qiang’s face, Luo Peng quickly asked.

“Officials from Su Province’s relevant departments are coming to inspect Brother Hao’s construction. Despite all the online criticism, the leaders seem very interested.”

After tidying up his phone, Zhu Qiang scratched his head.

“Huh? What now? How did we suddenly manage to attract the attention of the provincial leaders?”

At the mention of provincial visitors, Luo Peng immediately grew extremely nervous.

All his life, the highest-ranking official he had encountered was at the township level. He had never seen a provincial, let alone a city, leader.

Of course,

Luo Peng and Zhu Qiang had previously missed the chance to meet Li Jue, Feng Wancheng, and others, and he wasn’t even aware that the plaque in the Desert Pavilion was inscribed by the director of the Ancient Architecture Research Institute, Li Jue himself. Besides, Xu Hao had never mentioned any of these details, only that he had hosted a few friends.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be this anxious.

“Don’t worry! When they arrive, we’ll greet them first. They’re probably just here to observe Brother Hao’s construction and won’t stay overnight!”

Zhu Qiang, seasoned by experience, remained much more composed.

“Should we inform Brother Hao?”

“Brother Hao is busy. We’ll tell him once the leaders are here.”

“That works.”

Little did they know, as soon as Zhu Qiang ended the call, two minibusses slowly pulled away from the county town of Mingsha County.

Inside the buses,

Feng Wancheng and a man in his fifties were engaged in casual conversation, accompanied by several middle-aged men, among them Wang Xun, the top official of Mingsha County.

“Director Peng, when you meet Xiao Xu on site, please try not to get too excited. You wouldn’t want him distracted and messing up the setup!”

Feng Wancheng said to the man opposite him.

The man, named Peng Yuan, was a senior official at the Su Province Tourism Bureau. In theory, he was Feng Wancheng’s peer, but in reality, his responsibilities far exceeded Feng’s.

At their level, a province only had a handful of such officials. Peng Yuan, Dong Liping, and Feng Wancheng had long been acquainted.

“Director Feng, rest assured that once it’s finished, it will undoubtedly be a major tourism asset for Su Province.”

Peng Yuan laughed.

“A tourism asset? Don’t get too excited—you might end up getting a call from our colleagues in Gan Province. Ha ha ha!”

Feng Wancheng laughed along.

“A phone call? Not likely! They have a deep cultural heritage. With the Tengwang Pavilion inscription backing them up, no one can take their status away. I’m just worried they might send someone over to snatch Xiao Xu, and if he ends up constructing an all-wood pavilion there, it would be a disaster!”

“That may be true. It’s inevitable,”

replying, “For now, our goal is simply to attract more tourists to Su Province.”

Peng Yuan smiled and then turned his attention to Wang Xun.

“Secretary Wang, Xiao Xu has done wonders for your county this time. Your county originally had little in terms of tourism resources, and now you have a significant asset—a major card for future tourism development.”

“Sir, that’s our plan! We’ll make sure to coordinate closely with Mingsha Tourism moving forward.”

Hearing this, Wang Xun nodded briskly.

Last night, he had been in the dark about the developments until after getting on the bus today, when he learned of the recent stir in the desert. Honestly, when he heard it was about an all-wood Tengwang Pavilion, it took him a full thirty seconds to process it.

“Mm, I also heard you recently built a road solely for Mingsha Tourism! Well done. This is exactly the proactive approach we need for investment. Retaining these golden opportunities is what will boost your county’s economy.”

Peng Yuan nodded slightly.

“It’s all part of our responsibility! Ever since Mingsha Tourism was registered, it has not only solved numerous local employment problems but also attracted many visitors from outside, significantly boosting local consumption. Moreover, its future tax revenue will greatly ease our current financial strain.”

Hearing Peng Yuan’s praise, Wang Xun immediately straightened his posture.

Once something reaches Peng Yuan’s ears, it’s only a matter of time before other Su Province officials catch wind of it. That’s common sense.

“By the way, the road reaches the edge of the desert. What about water and electricity? Remember, Asia’s largest desert reservoir, Hongyashan Reservoir, is only thirty kilometers from Mingsha County. Besides serving the locals, it must also support these economic projects.

Otherwise, how can you expect an enterprise to thrive if you don’t deliver water and power right to its doorstep? That’s our commitment!

After all, expecting a company to manage its own water and electricity is a bit unreasonable.

Glancing out at the passing scenery, Peng Yuan continued,

“Sir, we already have plans in motion. Hongyashan Reservoir is located southwest of 256 Hongsha Gang Village, only about twenty kilometers away. With extra shifts, we can have water delivered to the site entrance in just two months.

As for electricity, once the highway is officially opened, the power grid will extend right to the desert site’s entrance. Whether Mingsha Tourism opts for overhead lines or underground conduits will depend on their planning.”

Wang Xun hesitated for a moment before promptly agreeing.

Whether the county had prepared in advance was something only he truly knew.

“Two months? That seems a bit too long. I think we could shorten that time. What do you think?”

At that moment,

Peng Yuan considered further, his eyes fixed on Wang Xun.