Chapter 76: Desert Dilemmas and Design Dreams

“The caravan can earn that much?”

Xu Hao was taken aback.

“Yes, before only the guesthouses in Courtyard 1 were open so there were few tourists! But now, many tourists come and go daily—even some who arrive in the morning leave by afternoon and no longer stay in the desert.”

The caravan crew was operating at full capacity.

Luo Peng, standing nearby, agreed.

He added, “In the past few days I’ve arranged for forty extra camels, planning to run another caravan under the labor company’s name.”

“Won’t that drive the costs up? It looks like we can’t delay the highway project any longer!”

Xu Hao furrowed his brows slightly.

“Brother Hao, we only charge 100 yuan per 5 kilometers. It’s quite cheap compared to other attractions, and tourists really enjoy riding camels through the desert.”

Luo Peng hurried to explain.

“That’s true, but tourists need a choice. When the road is finished, they can choose to drive, take a bus, or ride a camel. Right now, only camel rides are available, which feels a bit like forced upselling.”

Xu Hao lifted his teacup and took a small sip.

In fact, the road connecting to Oasis 1 had deteriorated to a point where repair was inevitable. Once fixed, it wouldn’t just boost the tourist experience—it would also ease the transport of building materials.

“Understood, Brother Hao! I’ll instruct the caravan to cut the fees by half starting tomorrow, and once the road is open, we’ll restore them to current levels.”

Luo Peng looked down, a hint of remorse in his expression; his perspective still felt limited.

“Alright, Qiang. Over the next few days, work on drafting a tender announcement to see what construction companies are quoting. We’ll rework the budget, and of course, funds from the company account will first cover the Ancient Building Courtyard.”

Xu Hao nodded as he turned his gaze toward Zhu Qiang.

“Got it, Brother Hao!”

As night deepened, a corner of the Ning’an Desert remained brightly lit. Dozens of bricklayers were busy constructing a blue brick wall under the lights, while in a small nearby shed, Zhang Chi was live streaming and chattering nonstop.
  ”What? Xu Hao says he’s about to build an Ancient Building Courtyard spanning over 9,000 square meters?”

Seeing the comments on the live chat, Zhang Chi’s face darkened.

“Yes, and he claims it must be completed in fifteen days. Chi, I think he’s doing this just to humiliate you.”

“So infuriating! It’s just a wooden Tengwang Pavilion, isn’t it?”

“Chi, we can’t just let it slide! What if we build a wooden Tengwang Pavilion on our side too? Even if we can’t outdo him, at least we’d be on equal footing.”

Soon, a fan commented.

Zhang Chi hesitated for a moment.

He admitted that during his downtime he often dropped by Xu Hao’s live stream. As a craftsman in traditional building, he was well aware of how challenging constructing a wooden Tengwang Pavilion could be.

Now, with fans urging him to build another Tengwang Pavilion, the task seemed nearly impossible—no matter what he promised to Tianchen Culture, it just wouldn’t fly.

“Hahaha, what? Scared now? Where’s that swagger from a few days ago? You kept saying Brother Hao was so ordinary, and now you can’t even dare to build a Tengwang Pavilion.”

In the live stream, not only Zhang Chi’s fans but plenty of Xu Hao’s fans appeared. The two groups began mingling in each other’s chat rooms.

Seeing Zhang Chi in a tight spot, Xu Hao’s fans weren’t about to let him off easily.
  ”Don’t get too cocky, Chi! Hurry up and agree to it!”

Frustrated, Zhang Chi’s fans could only pester him via the live chat.

“I… I can’t!”

After a brief hesitation, Zhang Chi spoke up.

“Can’t? Why not? Chi, is your ability really inferior to Xu Hao’s? You once said you could build anything Xu Hao can—if he can’t do it, you still can!”

Before Xu Hao’s fans could even respond, Zhang Chi’s own fans jumped in, typing,
  ”Chi, you’re really hurting our brotherly feelings!”

“Exactly—just build the Tengwang Pavilion!”

“Folks, please, let me finish! If you’re here to be negative, you can leave my stream.”

Sensing the situation was spiraling, Zhang Chi quickly adopted his streamer persona.

“Alright, speak up!”

Before long, similar comments began flooding in.

“It’s not that Zhang Chi isn’t as good as Xu Hao or can’t build an all-wood Tengwang Pavilion—it’s just that the Ancient Building Courtyard is about to become crucial. I have major matters to attend to there.”

Zhang Chi straightened his posture, completely unfazed.
  ”Handling the Ancient Building Courtyard? What’s there to handle? It doesn’t even stop you from building a wooden Tengwang Pavilion.”

The fans continued to press for answers.

“There’s no other option! The Ancient Building Courtyard is set to be the filming location for a historical light comedy series directed by renowned theater director Wan Shan, starring Deng Liang as the male lead and Wang Ran as the female lead.”

Zhang Chi deliberately wore an expression of exasperation.

“What? A historical light comedy by Director Wan Shan, with Deng Liang and Wang Ran? Chi, are you serious?”

“Director Wan is one of the top directors in the country, and Deng Liang and Wang Ran are top-tier superstars.”

“Chi, don’t kid me—I’m a huge Deng Liang fan.”

“Exactly!”

The livestream’s atmosphere froze in shock—Zhang Chi’s revelation was too unexpected.

“I’m not joking! This series is produced by Tianchen Culture. Even though it’s a historical light comedy, the cast makes it a major production with high set requirements. Do you think I can afford to quarrel with Xu Hao at a time like this? What about delaying the shoot?”

Zhang Chi feigned a sigh.

“Alright, my dears, then what’s the name of the show?”

“The Culinary Detective!”

“Good heavens! No wonder Chi kept reworking the Ancient Building Courtyard—it was all because of this! Support Chi!”

“I really love Wang Ran. It’d be amazing if fans could visit the set during filming!”

“If backstage visits were allowed, I’d be the first to head to Ning’an!”

“Me too!”

The three stars mentioned by Zhang Chi are major figures in Long Kingdom’s entertainment scene. In no time, the live stream’s mood shifted completely. No fan was urging Zhang Chi to build an all-wood Tengwang Pavilion anymore.

To these fans, constructing a wooden Tengwang Pavilion paled in comparison to attracting a major film crew.

“So, do you all understand now?”

Zhang Chi returned to his earlier tone.

“Understood!”

“And what about Xu Hao’s fans? If you’re still watching, get back and tell Xu Hao that sticking solely to construction is a bit low-end. If you’re capable, have a major domestic company shoot a movie in his Ancient Building Courtyard—that’s true power!”

“Building a bunch of wooden scraps without cultural backing isn’t worth a thing.”

Leaning close to the camera and squinting, Zhang Chi declared,

“Chi is absolutely right: A true ancient building is one that top productions endorse!”

Immediately, his fans echoed,

“Don’t get too cocky. We’re not just talking about a film here—Brother Hao’s all-wood Tengwang Pavilion is one of the best in Long Kingdom. Who’s worried about a lack of shows?”

Soon, a defiant comment appeared on the screen.