Chapter 20: Unexpected Opportunities

If you still don’t believe it, how about getting the local police station to issue you a certificate?

No need!

Minutes later, Xu Hao finally accepted the other man’s identity, though his doubts only grew deeper.

He recalled how his ex-girlfriend Fang Ya, having failed to secure a civil service position, had chosen to pursue graduate studies and a career at a talent agency. Yet with nothing more than a log cabin built on joinery skills, the other party immediately granted him a department-level position. It felt surreal! That step alone equated to a decade’s worth of effort for an ordinary civil servant, and the unit even agreed to his ‘unreasonable’ requests.

“Why would you seek me out and offer such a generous deal?”

“What, not confident in your skills? Think you can’t restore ancient buildings? Or do you realize this isn’t a joke and now regret coming to our unit?”

Perhaps it was because he had been mistaken for a phone scammer, which made their tone less formal.

“Not at all!”

Xu Hao cast a glance toward the distant cabin frame.

Back on Earth, his talent for restoring ancient structures was widely recognized; his last assignment involved maintaining the Forbidden City.

As for joining this unit? When opportunity comes knocking, you can’t let it pass. And if the challenge fails, working at an ancient architecture research institute would still be a fine alternative. Whether busy with work or not, he could always return to tinkering in the desert.

“To be honest, we’re severely lacking in talent in this field. Otherwise, an opportunity to step right into a leadership role in the civil service wouldn’t fall in your lap.”

Whether explaining or half-joking, the man paused before adding,

“Uh…”

“Alright, I won’t trouble you any longer. My name is Bai Ming, Head of HR at our unit. The number you received is mine. If you have any questions on the form, feel free to call. The higher-ups are pressing for it, so please send it over by 8 PM tonight.”

The man introduced himself, clearly considering Xu Hao one of his own.

“Understood, Head Bai!”

The sun dipped below the horizon, nightfall settling, and birds returned to their nests.

In the city, after a busy day, workers began cramming into subways and buses, while in the countryside, many laborers started their journeys home.

At the desert’s edge, several donkey carts carrying a few dusty Northwestern men gradually appeared at the outskirts of Hongsha Gang Village.

“Uncle, the village is livelier than ever! Once things quiet down, I definitely want to venture into the desert to see how these folks really survive.”

Gazing at the lights now glowing at the village entrance, a young man tossed his spent cigarette butt to the side of the tracks.

That young man was named Luo Peng.

After his college entrance exams, he had a shot at a top-tier university. But due to his family’s dire poverty, he reluctantly dropped out and became the third-generation sand fixer in Hongsha Gang Village.

“No doubt about it! Since these people arrived, our village has drawn plenty of young folks from Wei City, the provincial capital, and Lan City, all eager to watch the spectacle. Some have even pitched tents on the outskirts to experience desert survival first-hand.”

Luo Peng finished his remark, and another middle-aged man added, “Not only that—when these young folks get hungry, they head over to local farmers’ homes for hearty meals, and several households have benefited handsomely.”

“If this continues, it’ll be fantastic!”

At the mention of profit, the men in the cart grew suddenly excited.

They had never imagined that making money would be so easy—cash in hand meant they could stock up on saxaul trees to protect the village.

“Calm down, though. The leaders over there said all these people might only stay for a month or two.”

Glancing back, the driver let out a long, weary sigh.

That driver was none other than the village chief, Wang Jianhuan.

“A month or two? Weren’t they supposed to be here for a hundred days?”

Luo Peng was taken aback.

“They say it’s a hundred days in theory, but the leaders doubt anyone could last three months. Once someone fails, everyone will be pulled out of Hongsha Gang Village.”

“Then did the town leaders consider hiring more outdoor challenge teams? I’ve heard desert survival is all the rage these days.”

Another middle-aged man’s spark instantly vanished.

Just when hope seemed near, it was dashed completely.

“The town leaders apparently spoke with the production team. But guess what the production team leader said?”

“What did he say?”

They all turned to look at Wang Jianhuan.

“The production team leader mentioned that numerous reports had been filed against this challenge, alleging that the production team had damaged the desert environment and disrupted the ecological balance. Eventually, they had to contact the relevant leaders in Su Province to secure approval. In any case, they won’t be organizing it again.”

“What? Damaging the environment? With things already in such disarray, what else could be damaged?”

“Exactly! How did no one ever mention the desert erosion over the decades?”

“Who has nothing better to do than make these reports?”

Wang Jianhuan’s words had barely left his mouth before the mood in the cart turned restless.

“I heard the town leaders mentioned it was a tourism and culture company from Ning’an County.”

“Ning’an County? We have no quarrel with them. Why would they report us?”

Luo Peng angrily slammed his hand on the cart pole.

Ning’an County isn’t in Su Province; it’s located at the southeastern edge of the Tengli Desert. The county is also bisected by the Yellow River, and although the northwest is desert, its geographical advantages far outweigh those of Mingsha County. With the Yellow River acting as a natural barrier, there’s no worry of the desert creeping eastward.

Moreover, tourism is well-developed there, and locals earn several tiers above those in Mingsha County.

“This is just a rumor—we’re not even sure if it’s true. I heard that the production team originally planned the challenge in their local desert, but budget issues led them to choose Mingsha County instead.

The locals felt that they were losing a chance to attract tourists, sell goods, and earn money, so they reported the production team.”

Wang Jianhuan looked up at the slowly setting sun.

When money is involved, everything changes—even people’s hearts.

“This is too harsh! They feast on meat while we can barely sip soup. It’s outrageous!”

“That’s why we must wait and see if the big boss who bought the desert decides to develop it. If not, we in Mingsha County will be stuck living as before.”

Crack! Wang Jianhuan snapped his whip forcefully in the air.

The startled donkeys quickened the cart’s pace noticeably.

Unbeknownst to the villagers of Hongsha Gang, just when a glimmer of hope for a better future began to appear…

In Haishi, a man in a suit with a small briefcase tucked under his arm stepped into the headquarters of Tianchen Culture.

After a few rounds of wandering, he arrived at the front desk in the office area, leaned over, and asked,

“Miss, I heard that Tianchen Culture has a new boss?”

“What’s the matter? And you are…?”

The female receptionist quickly stood up.

“Hello, I’m Qi Haoyong, Chairman of Ning’an County Culture and Tourism Group. I’d like to speak with your chairman about a business matter.”

Without hesitation, the man pulled a business card from his briefcase.