Chapter 72: Desert Pavilion Developments

“The leader is right. With a few more adjustments, we might still catch up on time!”

Looking at Peng Yuan, Wang Xun quickly nodded.

“That’s great! We’ll be waiting for your good news.”

Hongsha Gang Village is only a few dozen kilometers from the county town. Two and a half hours later, Feng Wancheng, Peng Yuan, and the others had arrived in full force at the Desert Pavilion.

“Mr. Zhu, you’ve done an excellent job with these guesthouse tours! Not only have you boosted the locals’ income, but you’ve also made significant contributions to desert control.”

Glancing at the workers busy in the distance and the grass lattice stretching for hundreds of meters around the Shadou area, Peng Yuan said:

“The leader’s praise is too generous. This is all thanks to Xu Hao. Without his guidance in building the traditional guesthouse, the Desert Pavilion wouldn’t have developed this quickly.”

Zhu Qiang quickly replied.

Earlier, when he and Luo Peng went to the highway to greet the group, they had already learned the identities of these officials through introductions.

“Sir, should I notify Xu Hao?”

After a brief pause, Zhu Qiang added,

“No need! Let Xiao Xu manage things for now—they’re one of our own. We’ll visit him at dinner this afternoon.”

Feng Wancheng waved from the side.

“Xiao Xu? One of us?”

Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng exchanged a glance almost instinctively.

The way he was addressed and the tone used suggested that this official was very familiar with Brother Hao—the closeness between them was unmistakable. Could it be they knew each other?

Of course.

They had their suspicions but never dared to ask outright.

“Understood, sir!”

“By the way, Mr. Zhu, Peng and I will head over to Oasis 2, as you mentioned. You and Secretary Wang, please coordinate on-site; the county will soon deliver water and electricity to the plot.”

Feng Wancheng gave Zhu Qiang a knowing look.

“Water and electricity? Got it, sir!”

Zhu Qiang had been fretting over the water and power issues for some time, so hearing the news made him elated.

“Let’s go, Director Peng—I know this area well!”

Turning, Feng Wancheng looked toward Peng Yuan.

“Yes!”

Haishi was as bustling and vibrant as ever. At the Tianchen Culture Headquarters, Yang Yuan was enjoying a rare moment of relaxation by the expansive floor-to-ceiling window. He hadn’t felt so at ease in ages, and even his subordinate Liu Qing seemed considerably more pleasant than before.

“What’s going on with Xu Hao over there?”

After a long pause, he slowly settled on the sofa with his coffee.

“Yang, it’s just the same old story. Even though he started live streaming, he hasn’t interacted with the viewers. The studio audience has dropped below ten thousand, and his followers have dwindled to just over 600,000.

Not many care anymore about what exactly he’s planning to build.”

Liu Qing quickly interjected.

“Haha, this time he’s really shot himself in the foot!”

Yang Yuan laughed.

“Exactly! Today, Ning An Cultural Tourism even called to say that tourists are eager to book our desert guesthouses—their attitude has improved a lot compared to before.”

“Hmph, when things are going well, they think we’re great; when we falter, they doubt us! After this collaboration, we’ll never partner with Ning An Cultural Tourism on new projects again.”

At the mention of Ning An Cultural Tourism, Yang Yuan’s expression darkened.

Sometimes, just the thought of Qi Haoyong’s attitude made him angry.

“Yang, aren’t we supposed to shoot a costume comedy at their film city later? What if our relationship with them becomes too strained?”

Liu Qing whispered.

“Film city? Why shoot there? Wouldn’t the new Ancient Building Courtyard suffice? We own half the shares in that project, so we won’t owe anything to Qi Haoyong.”

Yang Yuan gave Liu Qing a cool glance.

Although the company’s focus has been on the desert challenge, other projects haven’t been neglected—especially this costume comedy. The script is finalized and it’s called ‘The Culinary Detective.’

Once the director and actors are chosen, shooting can begin.

“Shooting in the Ancient Building Courtyard? That works! Costume dramas don’t demand elaborate sets. Nine thousand square meters of that courtyard is more than enough, and once the series airs, it will also help promote the site.

Profit can be maximized!”

Liu Qing grew more animated.

Simply put,

ever since joining the company, Yang Yuan had promised to lead this costume comedy project.

“Alright, since you have some free time these days, why don’t you head to Jiangcheng, meet with the proposed directors, and check out their quotes? Once a director is confirmed, call Longhai Brokerage so they can send actors for auditions.”

Lighting a cigar, Yang Yuan added,

“Longhai Brokerage? We’re using them this time?”

At the mention of the name, Liu Qing was a bit surprised.

Longhai Brokerage used to be part of the Xu Group, sharing the same origins as Tianchen Culture. But after Xu Group collapsed overnight, the company was mysteriously sold off.

“When Xu Group left, they bundled Longhai Brokerage at a low price to Heyun Brokerage. The operations director there, Zhang Wen, is actually my classmate.

Heyun Brokerage was strong to begin with, and now that they’ve absorbed Longhai Brokerage, they’re the largest in the Long Kingdom. Who else would we choose?”

Yang Yuan flicked the ash from his cigar.

Heyun Brokerage now boasts a top-tier superstar, three leading artists, over a dozen second- and third-tier stars, and even more fourth to eighth-tier talent—truly unmatched.

“Alright, I’ll contact the directors tomorrow.”

“Good! This time, let’s not be as passive as in ‘Survival in the Wilderness.'”

“Don’t worry, Yang. This project’s a sure bet.”

As the sun set,

standing in the Desert Pavilion and feeling the cool breeze head-on was an absolute delight.

“Xiao Xu, this is Director Peng!”

Feng Wancheng cheerfully introduced Xu Hao.

“Director Peng, I’m Xu Hao from the Ancient Architecture Institute. Just call me Xiao Xu.”

Xu Hao immediately extended his right hand.

To be honest, he had no idea that so many people would appear in the desert today, even drawing the attention of high-level officials from Su Province’s Tourism Bureau.

“Xiao Xu, you managed to pull off something big without making a fuss.”

Peng Yuan laughed heartily as he also extended his hand.

On the way here, Feng Wancheng had already mentioned Xu Hao’s connections with Li Jue and Dong Liping, so he was completely at ease.

“It wasn’t a huge deal, just a sudden burst of inspiration. I wasn’t sure what else to do, so I settled on building Tengwang Pavilion.”

Xu Hao spoke honestly.

“Building a Tengwang Pavilion? You really dare to dream and act on it! A completely wooden structure—you must have some serious insight.”

Feng Wancheng and Peng Yuan shared a look of genuine admiration.

“We had no choice. To attract tourists to the desert, we need to offer something unique. By the way, I haven’t received any notice about hosting you gentlemen today. Please forgive our inadequate hospitality.”

Xu Hao continued,

“Today, there are two things. First, make sure you keep the Tengwang Pavilion blueprints safe; Director Li tried calling but couldn’t get through.”

At the mention of business, Feng Wancheng’s expression turned serious.

“No problem! I was planning to deliver the blueprints to the research institute once the building was complete.”

Hearing this, Xu Hao continued,

“Frankly, once Tengwang Pavilion is built, these blueprints won’t hold much value for me. Depositing them in the institute’s library might be their best fate.”

As for whether anyone will ever use them to build another Tengwang Pavilion, I’m not worried at all.

After all, these blueprints have unique, simplified markings. Without my personal guidance, no one else can replicate them.