Chapter 235: Steps and Schemes in Mingsha City

“Not taking a plane? Aren’t you in a hurry?”

Over here, Xu Hao’s mind was still on the two books; he hadn’t noticed the slight change in Daoist Master’s expression when he looked up.

“I’m afraid of heights!”

Daoist Master couldn’t help but shoot Xu Hao a disapproving glance.

“Then…”

“Let’s go. When building the temple, don’t rush—instead, take it step by step and follow the cultivation procedures. And remember, for these two books, burn a page each time you memorize one. Keep it secret; it’s our sect’s rule.”

Even as he spoke, Daoist Master had already packed his belongings.

He didn’t explain the route to Yucheng, but reiterated his instructions.

“Daoist, rest assured.”

Xu Hao said no more, casually stowing the two books. Since Daoist Master didn’t need his help, there was no point in asking further—it might just be another Daoist rule.

Minutes later, Daoist Master’s figure gradually disappeared into a narrow alley in Nanzhao Ancient City, while Xu Hao set off for Wudi City with the two books in hand.

Upon returning to the Ancient Building Courtyard, Xu Hao found Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng already waiting at the main gate, clearly expecting his return.

“Brother Hao, has Daoist Master left?”

Luo Peng was the first to ask as he saw Xu Hao.

“He’s gone!”

Xu Hao nodded in confirmation.

“Were you worried we might let another daoist take over Wuzhuang Temple?”

“Not exactly worried, but this temple is really complicated; rebuilding it quickly would be nearly impossible.”

As Xu Hao signaled them to come inside, he couldn’t help but sigh.

According to Daoist Master’s instructions, not even a standard construction crew—or even the researchers from the Ancient Architecture Institute—could manage it. Only he could.

“I knew it! Gathering all that material is going to take a lot of time!”

Luo Peng exhaled a relieved breath, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

From now on, Daoist Master would personally handle temple matters, sparing him the daily head-scratching over it.

“Let’s not dwell on the temple. The immediate priority is building Mingsha Academy and Taiyi Hospital!”

They reached the living room.

Xu Hao poured tea for the two before moving to the table with the sand model.

“Brother Hao, so construction starts tomorrow?”

Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng joined him at the sand model. Their office model had been updated with the A Chinese Odyssey area and a channel connecting Oasis 1, whereas Xu Hao’s model was still as it had been two months ago.

“The day after tomorrow!”

At these words, Xu Hao waved his hand dismissively.

“The day after tomorrow?”

“I need to meet Director Meng tomorrow first, get them prepped for a trial project!”

Xu Hao nodded in agreement.

Although Meng Yuan and his team had learned much during the 49 Imperial City restoration, when it comes to actual work, they wouldn’t be as nimble as Engineer Li’s crew.

“A project? You mean having Director Meng oversee the river and guesthouse project?”

Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng, having worked with Xu Hao long enough, quickly grasped his intent.

“Exactly. The guesthouses along the river are mostly individual courtyards. Minor flaws here and there are no big deal—unlike Mingsha Academy and Taiyi Hospital!”

Xu Hao glanced at the sand model.

“But can Director Meng agree to that?”

“On my way here, I already mentioned it to him. He’s on board—after all, our Mingsha Academy isn’t just a college; it’s also a venue for Cultural Expos and heritage performances. If you really let him handle projects within Mingsha Academy, he might lose control.”

Xu Hao waved his hand, reassuring the two.

“Then it’s settled!”

“After construction begins the day after tomorrow, I’ll take charge of the non-teaching areas of Mingsha Academy. You two will manage the teaching and student life zones. Even though these areas are modern inside, the exteriors must be flawless. Nowadays, high school students care about both the school and the dorm environment.”

“Brother Hao, don’t worry. I guarantee that once high schoolers read Mingsha Academy’s brochure, they’ll immediately love our dormitories and classrooms.”

Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng exchanged a knowing look.

They were experts at blending an ancient look with modern interiors.

“Exactly!”

“By the way, Brother Hao, regarding the establishment of a kindergarten, elementary school, and middle school in Mingsha City—where do you think they should be located?”

Luo Peng paused, as if suddenly recalling something, and quickly added,

“Oh? What did the county say?”

Xu Hao’s expression shifted as he looked at Luo Peng.

“Brother Hao, Secretary Qin said that while the elementary and middle schools can be set up as public schools, the kindergarten and high school in Mingsha City can be arranged as private institutions.”

Luo Peng continued,

“Elementary and middle schools are part of compulsory education, so the county can straightforwardly invest in Mingsha City. But kindergarten and high school aren’t compulsory. Additional investment might prompt objections from townships farther away.”

“Public or private doesn’t matter—as long as the educational system is established.”

Xu Hao wasn’t surprised. After all, Mingsha County comprises several townships, not just Mingsha City. If everything were public, many county teachers might be reassigned to Mingsha City, forcing the city to recruit its own staff for kindergarten and high school, and reducing complaints.

“Then…”

“I think we should situate these schools to the west of the employee dormitory building.”

After a moment’s consideration, Xu Hao pointed to an area on the sand model.

This spot lies west of the new employee dormitory, south of Qing Brick Avenue, and east of Vermilion Bird Street.

It can easily accommodate four schools.

Most importantly, it’s close to the staff apartments, making it convenient for employee child drop-offs and pick-ups.

“Brother Hao, that works! Besides, vegetation spraying is already underway around this area, so the environment is excellent!”

Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng examined the area and instantly approved.

This year,

netizens and tourists thought Mingsha City was all about the Qingming Scroll and a xianxia drama, but in reality, desert greening has always been a major project here.

Now, the grass lattice has nearly reached the center axis of the entire plot, and the new vegetation has completely covered last year’s built-up area, extending toward the Protectorate of West Liang and the Xianxia Zone!

“Then it’s settled!”

Xu Hao casually grabbed a small flag from the sand model and planted it in that area.

“Any more questions about the school area?”

After a brief pause, Xu Hao asked again.

“Brother Hao, no more issues with the school area. Even once built, admissions won’t start until spring tomorrow!”

“Hmm!”

“By the way, what’s the current status of the subway project?”

“The subway project has already started with the shield machine. Thanks to our ample funds, construction is moving faster than expected.”

“Good!”

The next day, as the sun rose, Mingsha City visibly transformed with Xu Hao’s return—staff even moved noticeably brisker, a fact clearly sensed by tourists.

And that wasn’t all.

Some areas that were nearly complete now even featured small barriers.

Meanwhile,

a middle-aged man with a backpack exited the parking lot and lingered in front of the Mingsha Tourism office building for a long while before finally mustering the courage to approach a guard.

“Boss, I’d like to ask: where is the recruitment office for Mingsha Tourism? Is it here?”

The man asked in a low voice.

“Recruitment?”

The guard looked him up and down before replying,

“What kind of job are you seeking? If it’s ordinary labor, carpentry, or NPC roles at various checkpoints, you should check with Mingsha Labor.”

The guard explained in detail.

That was all.

Every day, many people come to Mingsha City seeking work—whether it’s as a guard, feeding elephants in the Xianxia Zone, playing an NPC, guarding the city walls, or even transporting tourists by boat.

In short, Mingsha City now offers far more job opportunities than most would imagine.

“Oh, so if I want to apply as a chef, do I also need to go to Mingsha Labor?”

At this, the man quickly asked.

“Chef?”

The guard was taken aback. Clearly, he hadn’t expected the man to mention that position.

Incidentally, besides the Vermilion Bird Building, Oasis 1 Restaurant, and Oasis 2 Restaurant—which are directly managed by Mingsha City—all other restaurants are run by private merchants.

So Mingsha City rarely recruits chefs.

“I think if you’re looking for chef work, you might want to inquire at restaurants in Qixia Town or Wudi City. Alternatively, try Langya Commercial Street—there are modern eateries and even dessert shops! Of course, it mainly depends on your specialty. Qixia Town and Wudi City focus on Mingsha-style cuisine.”

Regaining focus, the guard continued,

“Specialty cuisine? So, is there a restaurant that specializes in traditional banquets?”

The man thought for a moment, then shyly looked at the guard.

“Traditional banquets?”

The guard scratched his head, clearly unfamiliar with the term since he usually only heard about Sichuan or Hunan cuisine.

“Yes, I mean ancient-style feasts! With Mingsha City known for its old-world charm, they might require someone to manage traditional banquets.”

The man quickly nodded.

“Then perhaps someone upstairs can call and check if Mingsha City has a restaurant dedicated to traditional ancient banquets?”

Refocusing, the guard thought for a moment and said,

The man looked honest; after all, being a wage earner isn’t easy. He assured, “I’ll ask around.”

“Then thank you so much!”

The man’s face brightened as he hurriedly expressed his gratitude.

“Not at all!”

The guard then pulled out a cell phone.

Meanwhile, in Xiang Province at Jinlong Ancient City, Niu Hongchang and Zhang Si had no idea that Mingsha City was gradually evolving into a comprehensive urban center.

At that moment, they were enthusiastically high-fiving over some news they had just received.

“General Niu, I really didn’t expect the higher-ups to approve. If Mingsha City finds out, they’ll be so mad they might puke blood!”

Zhang Si laughed.

Ten days ago, they had worried that Mingsha City would steal the spotlight at the Cultural Expo’s opening ceremony, so they proposed their ideas to the higher-ups. They had never expected it to be approved!

At the opening ceremony, the Cultural Expo in Jinlong Ancient City will host the main event, while Mingsha City gets a sub-venue slot with two minutes of a panoramic display and a three-minute performance introduction.

How could they not be happy? At last, the heavy uncertainty was lifted.

“Then surely they’ve removed their best features. What’s left in Mingsha City?”

General Niu chuckled.

“By the way, boss, today someone posted an interesting thread online!”

Pausing, Zhang Si added,

“An interesting thread? About Mingsha City?”

General Niu’s expression changed as he became genuinely interested in the news about Mingsha City.

“Yes, this thread spilled a lot of insider details about Mingsha City. It seems the leaker is someone from inside.”