Chapter 208: A New Dawn in Mingsha

We’re going to be busy for a while!

After saying this,

Fang Hou turned to glance into the pitch-black depths of the endless desert behind him.

Within the desert area there are a total of thirty-two oases, but only three have been developed. Even if you include Oasis 23—soon to be the set for an xianxia drama—that makes just four.

Transforming the remaining oases into major attractions is a daunting, long-term endeavor.

Likewise, urban development lags behind. Many tourists believe that with the Protectorate and the grandeur of Qingming Scroll, Mingsha is already impressive, but in reality, the built-up area covers only a tiny fraction of the district.

Qing Brick Avenue stretches only eight kilometers to the west, leaving thirteen kilometers to the center of the zone – just a modest portion.

Not to mention the city walls! Out of the four cardinal gates, only one has been constructed, and the 250-kilometer peripheral wall has extended barely sixteen kilometers in total. No wonder Haofang Culture and Mingsha Tourism are working overtime.

But most importantly,

he had also heard that approval had been granted to build a new Mingsha Academy in this area.

If it were anywhere else, fine—but would someone like Xu Hao really build such an ordinary imitation academy?

There was a feeling that

if the Mingsha Academy actually gets underway, it would surpass everyone’s wildest expectations.

Even a film set can leave people in awe; imagine an ambitious project like this.

“Mr. Fang, whenever you need the Mingsha Troupe in the future, just say the word. We’re more than obliged to help!”

Qi Haoyu glanced at Fang Hou.

News of events or films in Mingsha has the troupe buzzing with excitement! Not only do they get exposure at such high-profile venues, but Mingsha Tourism also offers generous compensation. Who wouldn’t be thrilled?

“Absolutely!”

“Right on!”

The night passed in silence.

The next day, as dawn broke,

at 7 a.m. live broadcast teams from three TV stations began testing their equipment in front of Tingchao Pavilion, while ticketed visitors gradually started arriving at the perimeter.

Key figures Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng arrived early at Tingchao Pavilion to set up the event.

Since the small plaza at Tingchao Pavilion is much larger than that at Tengwang Pavilion, and with the stage built on a lake, 800 audience seats were arranged.

The method for selecting the live audience was the same as before—randomly chosen from the guests staying in Mingsha.

In terms of scale, the forum’s opening rivaled even the Mingsha Tourism Festival.

By 8:30 a.m., the audience was steadily taking their seats, everything was set, and they awaited the arrival of officials to kick off the cultural program.

As the event took shape, viewers were tuning in early on TV and via their phones.

Besides the simultaneous broadcasts from three TV stations, Mingsha Tourism was live streaming on the KuaiDou official account. Coupled with the buzz around Qingming Scroll, there was no shortage of viewers.

Yun Province TV Headquarters

Cui Fangshan and He Ruozhou had also arrived early in the conference room, where a large projection screen displayed real-time ratings on the left and live event footage on the right.

“Boss, Mingsha Tourism is absolutely incredible!”

Glancing at the live rating numbers on the wall, He Ruozhou couldn’t help but exclaim.

It’s Saturday! Normally, workers would be sleeping in at this hour, and Yun Province TV’s ratings rarely surpassed 0.5 – but now they’ve reached 0.8.

And that’s with three TV stations broadcasting simultaneously; if only Yun Province TV were on air, the ratings would be unimaginable.

“We should be grateful!”

Cui Fangshan casually brushed back his hair.

Thanks to their timely response and Xu Xin’s eventual understanding, Haofang Culture managed to stagger the launch of its upcoming xianxia drama from Yun Province TV’s prime time – otherwise, it could have been disastrous.

“Boss, I heard that the director of Yan City TV personally visited Mingsha Tourism this time. I wonder if they discussed a new project?”

After a pause, He Ruozhou continued, his tone filled with envy.

Although Yun Province TV is broadcasting the forum, its ties with Haofang Culture remain too distant for collaboration.

“It must be, or else Han Lijun wouldn’t have gone personally.”

“So, should we give it a try?”

He Ruozhou was intrigued.

Sure enough, aside from that xianxia drama, Yan City TV might be planning another blockbuster project.

“We can’t compete with Yan City TV! Our only option is to gradually build relationships – once that’s in place, collaborative projects will naturally follow.

But for now, it’s a tough challenge!”

Cui Fangshan waved his hand dismissively.

“A tough challenge?”

“Last time, we could even recommend artists to Haofang Agency. But haven’t you noticed that they’ve already signed a lot of talent, both overtly and covertly? How do we maintain our edge?”

“Boss, if we really want to maintain the relationship, there are ways.”

He Ruozhou straightened up.

“Hmm?”

Cui Fangshan’s expression changed. “Got an idea?”

“Boss, the fact that Mingsha Tourism is rolling out Qingming Scroll suggests they’re taking a historical angle. Didn’t our province unearth an ancient map of the Nanzhao capital over twenty years ago? Unfortunately, it’s been gathering dust at the Yun Province Museum with barely any attention. If we can help Mingsha Tourism bring it to life, we’d all reap huge benefits.”

He Ruozhou shared his idea.

“Mingsha Tourism will undoubtedly be interested in this map, but our higher-ups might not approve.”

Cui Fangshan frowned slightly.

“Boss, that’s not a given! If they manage to recreate the Nanzhao ancient capital there, tourists will flock to Mingsha while also paying attention to Yun Province – they might even visit the original site!

It would essentially serve as free promotion for our province! Keeping it locked in the museum only dooms it to obscurity.”

He Ruozhou quickly interjected.

“This…”

Cui Fangshan hesitated; indeed, He Ruozhou had a point.

“Boss, why don’t we raise this with the higher-ups? If it works, it’s a win-win-win for us, Yun Province, and Mingsha Tourism. I think getting the green light won’t be too hard.”

“In that case, I’ll give them a call!”

After some thought, Cui Fangshan nodded.

Just as He Ruozhou had said – better to seize a new opportunity than let it gather dust.

“Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests,”

by the time Cui Fangshan and He Ruozhou had finished their conversation, it was nine o’clock and the cultural forum had officially begun.

At that moment, Yun Province TV’s ratings had soared to 1.3, setting a new record and shattering the past three years’ figures for that timeslot.

“Let’s just watch the show! We’ll talk afterwards.”

“Alright, boss!”

The opening ceremony for the cultural forum was much like any other event – it started with a speech from an official! However, unlike before, this time the host was not a leading figure from Mingsha County but Li Jue from the Ancient Architecture Research Institute.

In addition, as the face of the event, Mingsha Tourism, the organizer, had Zhu Qiang take the stage for remarks.

Of course,

these details were only of interest to insiders; the general public cared only about the upcoming program!

They cared only about what came next! About half an hour later, when the two hosts from Mingsha County returned to the stage, the program officially kicked off: “Up next, please enjoy the song ‘Qingming Scroll’ performed by Li Yu.”

“Qingming Scroll? The song is named ‘Qingming Scroll’? That’s interesting!”

Upon hearing the opening song’s title,

both the live audience and viewers at home were taken aback.

None of them expected the song title to be so apropos—it was a perfect match.

. Silks fluttered, shrouding the western sunset

to the tune of an aching ancient melody; the scene was breathtakingly beautiful.

Little did they know whose brushstrokes had created it.

Yet when the mellow strains of the song filled TVs and phones, many netizens’ first reaction was that the tune was beautiful, followed by admiration for the singer’s talent. Once the shock subsided, they couldn’t help but applaud Mingsha Tourism! On its own, the song is great, but paired with a live rendition of Qingming Scroll, it instantly became a classic. Imagine strolling through ancient alleys reminiscent of the Qingming Scroll, headphones on, immersed in melodious tunes that transport you across millennia.

“Absolutely in love!”

“That singer, Li Yu, is phenomenal—we must become fans!”

“Mingsha Tourism never disappoints me—this song truly matches their previous blockbusters.”

“Too bad Mingsha Tourism doesn’t have any guesthouses; otherwise, I’d rush over right now.”

When ‘Qingming Scroll’ ended, many viewers declared it the most in-sync song with reality ever. But this was just the beginning—soon,

the host returned to the stage to announce the second act.

“Up next, enjoy the dance ‘Feitian’ performed by the Mingsha County Troupe!”

“Next, please enjoy the song ‘Blue and White Porcelain’ performed by Zhou Lun.”

Haishi, Eggplant TV

Cai An sat at his computer, shaking his head repeatedly, before coming to his senses after a long moment.

“How on earth did Haofang Culture pull that off!”

Although it was anticipated that Mingsha Tourism’s program would be impressive, this was beyond expectations!

Every segment was so spectacular that any one of them could headline a Spring Festival Gala, especially the song ‘Qingming Scroll’ and the dance ‘Feitian’—they were a perfect fit.

Whether juxtaposed with a modern Qingming Scroll or the desert backdrop, the synergy was flawless! “With both the prowess and marketing savvy, it’s impossible not to succeed here. Although Mingsha still has room for improvement – the urban zone is modest and there are fewer than 5,000 guesthouses – it’s destined to become the leading ancient city in the Long Kingdom!”

Muttering to himself, Cai An picked up the landline and dialed an extension. “Hello, Director Zhang? Please come to my office – I need to discuss something with you.”