Chapter 94: The Hidden Charm of Mingsha County

Time flew by, and another half hour had passed.

Just as the live stream viewers were beginning to savor the desert’s scenic beauty, Han Zi glanced toward a glimpse of a blue-brick path far off and then spoke.

“Comrade Reporter, we’re about to reach Oasis 1. Which way will you go—Qixia Town or Tengwang Pavilion? If you’re heading to Tengwang Pavilion, you’ll need to climb an extra sand ridge; if it’s Qixia Town, just turn at the sand bend on the small road ahead.”

“Qixia Town?”

Zhang Xue was taken aback.

“Yes, it’s a newly renovated ancient town invested in by Mingsha Tourism and led by Brother Hao. It’s beautiful!”

“Does the ancient town have a road leading to Tengwang Pavilion?”

After a moment’s thought, Zhang Xue asked.

“It does! There are several wooden walkways!”

“Alright, let’s head to the ancient town first!”

Zhang Xue explained, “After all, it eventually connects to Tengwang Pavilion. An interview there should reveal the most authentic story.”

“Alright!”

A few minutes later, Zhang Xue and her interview team appeared in front of an archway on the streets of Qixia Town.

“This…”

As they took in the full view of Qixia Town, not only Zhang Xue but even the members of her team stood speechless.

They had never imagined that such a pristine, distinctive ancient town would be hidden in the heart of the Sandy Depression.

Looking around,

the streets were lined with various antique signs—Zui Xian Lou, a general goods store, a wine shop, and more. It seemed you could find every type of traditional shop except for brothels and gambling dens.

The entire perimeter of the Sandy Depression was filled with grass lattices planted with various saplings, their lush greenery forming a stark contrast with the endless desert beyond.

Especially when they saw shopkeepers in traditional attire coming in and out at the street entrances, it almost felt like stepping back into ancient times.

“This place really looks amazing!”

Coming back to her senses,

Zhang Xue suddenly realized she’d almost forgotten her duty as a reporter and quickly corrected herself, “Dear viewers, let’s walk into one of these shops and get the full story!”

With that, she headed toward the largest sign reading ‘Zui Xian Lou.’

In truth,

it wasn’t only Zhang Xue who was astonished—live stream viewers were equally amazed.

“My goodness, this ancient town is so unique! Even the storefront owners dress in traditional garb! I haven’t seen any other ancient town quite like this in the country.”

“Exactly! Some merchants might dress that way, but an entire street? That’s a first.”

“It makes me want to visit even more!”

“I can’t understand it. With such beautiful desert scenery and a uniquely styled ancient town, why are there so few tourists? I even heard a waiter shout ‘Welcome, please come in’ when the reporter walked in—it’s like an immersive trip back in time.”

“Maybe it’s just poor promotion!”

While the live stream viewers were buzzing with conversation, Zhang Xue had already found the owner of Zui Xian Lou.

The owner, a man in his forties with a neatly trimmed beard and dressed in traditional attire, looked every bit the classic tavern keeper from old times.

“Hello, Boss. I’m a reporter from Long Kingdom TV News Channel. May I ask you a few questions?”

Zhang Xue quickly began.

Although there were no diners on the ground floor at the moment, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was out of place in such an environment.

“A reporter from Long Kingdom TV News Channel? Are you here because of that trending topic?”

The owner glanced at the camera behind Zhang Xue.

“Yes, and this interview is being broadcast live in its entirety.”

“Alright. Since you’re state media, I’ll speak frankly. This time it’s those unscrupulous outlets deliberately smearing Mingsha County and labeling us unfairly!”

Hearing that the entire interview was live, the owner grew agitated. “Let me make one thing clear: every project here is solely invested by Mingsha Tourism and led by Brother Hao. This isn’t some poverty alleviation project! Every new merchant on this street can attest to that! I just don’t understand—why is it acceptable for other regions to demolish and rebuild, but for Mingsha County, it’s forbidden? Are we so poor that we don’t deserve investment? All based on one video—what nonsense!”

“Boss, please calm down. It might be that the few tourists in the video have led to some misunderstandings among the public.”

Seeing the owner becoming ever more agitated and referring to himself as ‘old man,’ Zhang Xue quickly tried to soothe him.

“Fewer tourists? Humph! It’s not that there are fewer of them—it’s just that our guesthouses can only host a limited number! To be honest, ever since the guesthouses in Qixia Town started accepting reservations, my Zui Xian Lou has been packed at meal times.”

“Besides, Mingsha Tourism is planning to develop more guesthouse projects. Once that happens, how could there ever be a shortage of tourists?”

The owner sneered slightly.

Be it Oasis 1, Guesthouse 2, or even Qixia Town—the guesthouses are booked solid in advance. How many visitors could Tengwang Pavilion possibly attract?

“Oh, so it’s the guesthouse capacity limiting the number of tourists.”

Zhang Xue nodded slightly. Although the owner had a fiery temper, he had cleared up many doubts among the public.

“That’s why the media’s selective reporting is so despicable. As soon as you post your news, the views climb. What image does that give outsiders about our guesthouses?”

“Boss, things will be clarified soon. Once the investigation proves the allegations baseless, everything will be fine.”

Zhang Xue added.

“Once they prove it, does that mean we’re exonerated? Are we being framed for nothing?”

The owner glanced at the camera once more.

“This…”

Zhang Xue was momentarily at a loss for words. After a brief pause, she said,

“If the investigation confirms that Mingsha County has been falsely accused, we should be able to pursue legal action.”

“Legal action will certainly be taken.”

The owner still showed some resentment.

“Alright then, Boss, take care of your business. I’ll go check out some other shops.”

Glancing at the other team members, Zhang Xue stood up and said,

“Oh, are we leaving already? Did I get too worked up? I assumed you were state media and ended up complaining a bit—hope that’s okay.”

Seeing this, the owner gave an awkward smile.

“No worries! No worries! That’s the only way to get the real story.”

“Alright then. By noon, you can come have a meal at my place—for free. We serve camel meat, braised lamb, and other Mingsha specialties that taste just like those at Tengwang Pavilion’s guesthouse restaurants. We’re all connected.”

“The boss over there, Tan Mianhua, is my cousin. My name is Tan Mianxian.”

Time flew by, and before they knew it, it was already 7 PM.

At the conference room of the Mingsha County Government Building, Wang Xun echoed sentiments similar to the owner’s.

“Comrade Reporter, regardless of how Mingsha Tourism decides to handle this, our department will definitely pursue legal action! This matter has had huge repercussions—it’s even affected future investments in our county!”

After the morning interviews were done, Zhang Xue had also spoken with other shop owners, whose responses were almost identical.

Finally, she met up with Zhu Qiang from Mingsha Tourism.

Zhu Qiang’s business acumen was unmatched. Besides answering Zhang Xue’s questions and presenting numerous invoices proving that everything was solely invested by Mingsha Tourism, he even managed to inadvertently advertise the guesthouses.

He led Zhang Xue to Tengwang Pavilion and the Desert Pavilion, and even gave a detailed introduction to the ‘adopt-a-grass-lattice’ initiative—

In short,

the live stream viewers became more and more captivated by Zhu Qiang’s interview, finding it increasingly fascinating—especially the ‘adopt-a-grass-lattice’ project, which seemed both entertaining and meaningful.

The viewership of Long Kingdom TV News Channel’s live stream far surpassed that of even the biggest internet influencers, totaling around 900,000.

As the interviews continued,

Mingsha Tourism’s booking hotline was bombarded with calls, and its official Weibo fans surged by 800,000, reaching a total of 900,000.

This kind of fan growth was equivalent to running a top-tier advertisement during prime time.

After Zhang Xue finished her meal of Mingsha specialties in Qixia Town and hurried back to Mingsha County, it was already 6 PM. She then rushed to the County Government Building, leading us to the scene before our eyes.