Chapter 86: Desert Transformations and New Challenges

Ninety to a hundred per square meter? The cost is totally acceptable! So how will you pull off that advanced vegetation spraying technique? Will Mingsha Tourism need to pre-order special equipment, or does your school have its own designated company?

Hearing the price, Xu Hao couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement. Earlier, when Fang Ya mentioned high costs, he thought it would be several hundred per square meter, but it turns out it’s only around a hundred.

Frankly, over at Mingsha it’s just equivalent to the expense of claiming a grass lattice.

“Brother Hao, are you really sure about this?”

Han Xiaoqing’s expression grew increasingly serious.

“Of course. Since when have I ever tried to fool you?”

Xu Hao spread his hands in exasperation.

“Actually, you only need to purchase a grass-seed slurry sprayer. In ordinary areas, you lay down one layer of slurry; in the desert, you apply three layers. With a bit of water added, even short-rooted grass can sprout. You simply choose the seeds you want to plant, and they’re quite inexpensive.”

Han Xiaoqing pulled out her phone, snapped a picture, and handed it to Xu Hao.

The image displayed a before-and-after comparison of a restored barren mine.

“Spraying grass-seed slurry and watering? That simple? But there’s no water in the desert—even for short-rooted grass, I doubt it—”

After studying the picture, Xu Hao was pleased with the restored view, though several questions began to surface.

After all, a desert is nothing like a mine; the differences are too many.

“Of course it’s not that simple. If it were, why would we even need scientists?”

Han Xiaoqing glanced at the earnest Xu Hao and couldn’t help but laugh.

“I told you so!”

“Here’s the deal: in the desert, before you spray the grass-seed slurry, you must first apply a special ecological waterproofing agent. With it, the water won’t seep into the shifting sands.

And the best part is that this waterproofing agent degrades automatically after three years. By then, the turf will have developed its own ecosystem, making the soil as hospitable as regular earth for planting other trees.”

“So, where can we buy this ecological waterproofing agent?”

The more he listened, the more Xu Hao felt hopeful about the prospects at 256 Hongsha Gang Village.

“Right now, this agent isn’t available on the market. But don’t worry—this patent belonged to my doctoral advisor. With a fee, you can get the exact formula. Then, you can set up a water tank in the desert and mix in the raw materials yourself, following the patent instructions.”

After a moment’s thought, Han Xiaoqing added, “However, you’ll need to discuss the exact cost with my advisor; she’s scheduled to give an academic lecture in Long Kingdom soon.”

“A lecture in Long Kingdom? Isn’t she from our own Long Kingdom?”

“Well, she’s actually from Country D and is currently teaching at MS Institute of Technology.”

Han Xiaoqing nodded.

“Alright, no problem! Just help me set up the appointment, and once it’s sorted, there’ll be a handsome reward.”

“Heh, does that mean two big meals on me?”

“Absolutely!”

Time flew by; in the blink of an eye, ten days had passed.

At the junction between Hongsha Gang Village and the desert, inside an underground utility tunnel, two massive PCCP pipes—each 1.5 meters in diameter and fitted with valve joints—were slowly being connected.

Next to them lay another equally thick pipe, covered in lightning-bolt markings.

Amid low murmurs among the workers, they began welding, applying corrosion inhibitors, and so forth. “Is it done?”

Two hours later, a middle-aged man wearing a hard hat called out.

“It’s done!”

The workers in the tunnel flashed an OK sign.

“Good! Open the valve, let the water flow!”

The middle-aged man addressed another worker.

“Understood!”

Immediately, the man nodded and slowly began to turn the valve.

As the valve turned, the rushing sound of water in the pipe grew distinctly loud.

“Engineer Wang! Engineer Wang! The valve is open!”

Seeing this, the middle-aged man grabbed his walkie-talkie and pressed the talk button.

“Understood!”

Soon a voice mixed with electromagnetic static crackled over the radio.

After a minute, then two, the middle-aged man’s expression grew increasingly tense, his fist unconsciously clenching.

Only when the radio crackled again did his face relax with relief.

“Engineer Jin! Engineer Jin! Water has reached Oasis 1! Pressure is normal, and there are no leaks!”

“Engineer Jin! Engineer Jin! Water has reached Qixia Town! Pressure is normal, and there’s no leakage!”

“It’s done!”

The middle-aged man immediately stood up and climbed out of the tunnel.

This marked the near-completion of the underground utility work.

“Water and electricity have been delivered?”

Outside the tunnel, a crowd had gathered along the road. Many onlookers were villagers from nearby areas. One villager remarked,

“It looks like they’ve delivered it. Over there, they’ll never have to worry about water or power again!”

Wang Jianhuan, the village chief of Hongsha Gang Village, exhaled deeply.

Since Mingsha Tourism invested in the desert, Hongsha Gang Village has undergone a transformational change. If anyone hopes for the Mingsha Tourism Group to prosper, it’s the villagers of Hongsha Gang Village.

Over the past two months, the income from villagers working for Mingsha Tourism has already exceeded their annual earnings from previous years—this doesn’t even include the money earned from renting out camels.

In the past, villagers barely spent anything in the county town, but now they always return with pockets overflowing.

And that’s not all.

Previously, villagers from Hongsha Gang would feel a tinge of inferiority when compared to more affluent neighboring villages; now, even outsiders can’t help but admire them. Even county residents sneak extra glances at someone from Hongsha Gang Village.

That sense of satisfaction and pride is truly unprecedented.

“Sigh… Mingsha Tourism may no longer have to worry about water or power, but what about the tourists?”

Beside him, a burly man let out a deep, resigned sigh.

“Tourists? What’s wrong with tourists?”

Wang Jianhuan furrowed his brows.

“Haven’t you noticed that the number of visitors to 256’s guesthouse has dropped significantly lately?”

The burly man scanned his surroundings and whispered, “With an investment as vast as Mingsha Tourism’s, you’d expect more tourists, not fewer. If this continues, the revenue won’t cover the costs, and Mingsha Tourism is headed for disaster.”

“Why are there fewer tourists? I heard a new ancient town has been built in the desert, exquisite and beautiful.”

A chill ran down Wang Jianhuan’s spine.

On closer reflection, apart from weekends, it truly seems the number of tourists is dwindling.

“Why? Well, obviously it’s because Tengwang Pavilion hasn’t opened! Many tourists came specifically for Tengwang Pavilion, and now that it’s temporarily closed to the public, what’s the point? As for the ancient town, it really lacks appeal—everyone’s tired of those kitschy, antiquated streets!”

The burly man turned his gaze toward the desert.

Although it was five kilometers from Shadou, if you stood high on Shaji, you could still just glimpse half of Tengwang Pavilion’s tower.

“Is Tengwang Pavilion closed because its exhibits aren’t ready yet?”

After a brief silence, Wang Jianhuan asked.

“It seems so. I heard that Mingsha Tourism recently shortlisted a batch of items, but the results were disappointing—many of the goods were nowhere near worthy of Tengwang Pavilion. In fact, the damage to the wooden elements during transportation was even more severe than damage to the items themselves!

To put it bluntly, no one was willing to show their genuine antique treasures. What ended up being displayed were just useless items meant solely for rental income.”

The burly man glanced at Wang Jianhuan and then suddenly added,

“By the way, isn’t Luo Peng holding a high position at Mingsha Tourism? Ask him—you’ll get the full picture.”