Chapter 221: New Horizons in Mingsha City

“Not in the xianxia zone, but in the Desert Zone!”

Fang Hou shook his head.

“Desert Zone? A myth film set in the Desert Zone? That scene…”

Xu Xin was instantly stunned.

Now, the zones in Mingsha City are clearly divided, and visitors choose their destinations with purpose. History buffs head straight north to the Qingming Scroll and the Protectorate of West Liang; martial arts enthusiasts make for Qixia Town, Wudi City, and the Langya Pavilion; and those chasing magic flock to the xianxia zone.

Logically, a myth film should be placed in the xianxia zone.

“Even though this film has a mythic theme, it fits the Desert Zone better. Placing it in the xianxia zone would seem out of place. Haozi even warned that the scenery in the xianxia zone must be extraordinary, magical—and leave visitors in utter awe.”

Fang Hou added.

In truth, it seems he’s managing two projects on his own, though many details were already arranged when Xu Hao went to Yan City.

“Oh, so have you finalized the film’s female lead? Would you like Haofang Agency to recommend someone?”

After a pause, Xu Xin asked again.

Although both Haofang Agency and Haofang Culture belong to Xu Hao, they work closely together while remaining largely independent.

Not every production by Haofang Culture stars talent from Haofang Agency, and the agency’s artists aren’t limited to Haofang Culture projects—they also take on variety shows, major dramas, and films.

Just like the actor from Haofang Agency who starred as Bai Zhantang in Wulin Wai Chuan and is now hailed as a variety star! “The female lead is a Long Port artist recommended by Zhou Xing. I took a look, and she perfectly fits the role!”

Mentioning the female lead,

Fang Hou’s expression took on a trace of sentiment.

Although he had only met Zhou Xing a few times, it was clear that the artist was truly visionary.

“Oh!”

“Mr. Xu, rest assured. As long as there’s a role that suits Haofang Agency’s talent, we’ll secure it.”

“I’m just asking—if nothing here works, I’ll contact another cultural company to see if we can push Liu Fei.”

Xu Xin nodded.

Haofang Culture always prioritizes quality. Forcing Haofang Agency’s talent could compromise that, which would be counterproductive.

“Hmm!”

Night fell.

At 9 PM in Yan City, neon lights flickered amid bustling traffic and vibrant nightlife.

Inside a chic café in the Second Ring, Xu Hao and Han Xiaoqing sat facing each other, deep in conversation.

“How have you been these days? Aren’t you exhausted?”

Looking up, Han Xiaoqing glanced at Xu Hao.

Since Xu Hao took charge of renovating the 49 Imperial City, meeting up had become rare. Today, he even managed to steal a few minutes.

“Not bad!”

Xu Hao shook his head slightly.

Over time, his comprehension and memory grew almost superhuman. By the time he reached the West Sixth Palace of the Imperial City, even the Long Kingdom’s finest ancient structures revealed their secrets clearly.

In fact, on his very second day on the job, he already had a complete blueprint in mind.

However, renovating the Imperial City wasn’t simply about tearing it down and building anew. Every material had to be carefully matched to the original, so most of his time was consumed with these meticulous tasks.

Fortunately, progress was steady, and he was confident the work would be completed within two months.

“That’s good—don’t overdo it! By the way, I caught two episodes of Xianxia Qixia last night. They were amazing—the Demon-Locking Tower looked so mystical. When you have time, you must visit it.”

Upon hearing Xu Hao say he was fine, Han Xiaoqing visibly relaxed.

“Right now, the magical scenes in the xianxia zone are pretty sparse—only the Blood Lake and the Demon-Locking Tower add a touch of intrigue. Once there’s more time, we’ll shoot a few more xianxia dramas and craft even more breathtaking scenes.”

Xu Hao shook his head slightly.

“You want even more breathtaking scenes?”

Han Xiaoqing was taken aback.

In her view, those two spots were already incredibly magical compared to other attractions in the Long Kingdom, yet Xu Hao still seemed unsatisfied. She couldn’t imagine what truly mesmerizing scenes would meet his standards.

“I see that Haofang Culture has just announced a period light comedy and a myth-themed movie. So does that mean the myth film is still set in the xianxia zone?”

Coming back to reality, Han Xiaoqing quickly inquired.

“Oh, not this time! I’ve handed these two projects over to Monkey—one in Qixia Town, and one in the Desert Zone.”

Xu Hao chuckled.

“Oh!”

Han Xiaoqing felt an inexplicable twinge of disappointment. At some point, like countless netizens online, her anticipation for the settings had grown even greater than her expectations for the dramas.

“By the way, I did some inquiries about Mingsha Academy. The Environmental Studies professors should be fine, but for the Traditional Culture and Ancient Architecture Institutes, you might need to recruit more people to figure something out.”

After a pause, Han Xiaoqing continued.

A few days ago, when Xu Hao mentioned plans to build Mingsha Academy—and even set up an Environmental Studies Institute—she was nearly overjoyed and immediately declared she’d love to teach there.

Although Yan City University is the premier institution in the Long Kingdom, she preferred Mingsha Academy! Of course,

the most important thing was that Xu Hao was the dean of Mingsha Academy.

“We can figure this out gradually. Even if the Academy is completed this year, formal admissions won’t begin until June next year.”

Xu Hao nodded.

Since Mingsha Academy is a done deal, we have to make it work!

He couldn’t say that every recruited professor was a Nobel laureate or a leading figure, but they couldn’t be subpar either. So he planned to poach promising young talents from some of the country’s top universities.

To attract these talents, each would be provided with their own four-courtyard guesthouse, along with additional perks.

In short,

although Mingsha Academy was a fledgling institution with a shortage of professors, it wasn’t open to just anyone.

Xu Hao’s philosophy was ‘better few than mediocre!’ “So, how are the preparations for the Traditional Cultural Expo at the end of this year? And with two film and TV projects slated there, will there be enough time?”

Han Xiaoqing nodded.

Since the academy hadn’t been completed and outsiders had never seen it, recruiting professors might be challenging.

Perhaps once it’s finished, it will be an entirely different story.

“The Traditional Culture performance projects are progressing smoothly—nothing’s hindered. It’s just that recruiting Traditional Medicine doctors is taking a bit longer.”

Xu Hao spoke candidly.

Han Xiaoqing, being an insider, didn’t need to hold anything back.

“Need to find Traditional Medicine doctors? How many are we short?”

Xu Hao hesitated, but as soon as he mentioned it, Han Xiaoqing quickly asked,

“We’re quite short! Qiangzi and the others called saying they’ve only confirmed one so far.”

Xu Hao continued.

“Oh, I see. I heard that at the end of last year, Yan City University of Traditional Chinese Medicine saw many veteran professors depart. One of them, a former vice president, is apparently a national master of Traditional Medicine. If possible, we should try to talk to him.”

Han Xiaoqing looked at Xu Hao.

Incidentally, while Yan City University’s Medical School is the Long Kingdom’s top medical institution, it excels in modern medicine; when it comes to Traditional Medicine, Yan City University of Traditional Chinese Medicine is second to none.

She had first heard about this by chance during a conversation with her uncle.

“The former vice president of Yan City University of Traditional Chinese Medicine?”

Xu Hao’s mind stirred.

Although geniuses sometimes emerge from humble beginnings, reaching such a level meant he couldn’t be bad—and his theoretical expertise would be top-notch.

“So, how about it?”

“Sounds good, but how can we arrange a meeting?”

Snapping back, Xu Hao hurriedly said,

“Alright, I’ll call my uncle tomorrow. He’s quite familiar with this field. If all else fails, I’ll ask him for an introduction.”

After a moment’s thought, Han Xiaoqing replied,

“That would be wonderful.”

At 9 PM in the Long Kingdom, it was 10 PM in H Country.

At that hour, like those in the Long Kingdom, most people in H Country were still awake—nightlife had only just begun.

At that moment,

in a tall building in the heart of H Country’s capital,

a few middle-aged men in suits were sipping coffee and chatting.

“Have you seen the news from Long Kingdom? They’re hosting a Traditional Culture Expo too—and it’s scheduled at exactly the same time as ours!” (in H Country language) A middle-aged man with small eyes, single eyelids, and a large face surveyed the group before speaking in a deep voice.

The man was named Park Qi Ye, the head of the Traditional Culture Expo in H Country at year’s end.

“I saw it! They’ve even set up two sub-venues—one at the Jinlong Main Venue and one at the Mingsha City sub-venue.”

Upon hearing this,

a long-faced man with small eyes nodded.

This man, named Cui Xiaozhong, was Park Qi Ye’s deputy.

“Mm! We thought Long Kingdom would entrust the Expo to Mingsha City this time; instead, it’s been assigned to Jinlong Ancient City. That really takes a load off our shoulders.”

Park Qi Ye nodded.

Though they were from H Country, they had plenty of friends in the Long Kingdom, and whenever Mingsha City showcased Long Kingdom’s traditional culture, interest from here soared.

Especially the video of that classic traditional wedding and the appearance of the Wan Gong Sedan Chair left them astonished.

They had even labeled Mingsha City as the toughest hurdle in H Country’s bid for intangible cultural heritage—none comparable! “I just can’t understand why, and why they’ve only given five projects that aren’t really important to us.”

After saying that,

Cui Xiaozhong still looked puzzled.

If Mingsha City were hosting the Expo, many projects might need adjustments; but as it is, most projects are proceeding as planned.

“The exact reasons remain unclear. Friends in Long Kingdom say that once the announcement was made, Mingsha City seemed unhappy and shifted all their focus to film and TV production.”

Park Qi Ye shook his head slightly. “But either way, it’s a huge win for us—it’s like knocking out their star players. Jinlong Ancient City is much easier to deal with than Mingsha City.”

If only he were in the Long Kingdom, he’d definitely get to the bottom of it.

After all,

Mingsha City’s decision to skip this Expo doesn’t mean they won’t stir things up in the future. If they continue to focus solely on film and TV, ignoring traditional culture, that would be ideal.

“That’s true! Out of the five exhibition projects Mingsha City received, we’ve already handled four as part of our intangible cultural heritage efforts—only the traditional costumes remain. Even if that project goes to Mingsha, so what?”

“As long as we nail the remaining twenty-five projects, we’ll still come out on top!”

As Cui Xiaozhong spoke, he glanced at the wall plastered with over a hundred project proposals for intangible cultural heritage, thirty of which were specially marked.

A closer look at the Expo projects revealed they were strikingly similar to many in Long Kingdom—merely rebranded with different names or descriptions.