Chapter 277: New Beginnings in Mingsha City

At dusk, the setting sun slanted down!

Mingsha City Walls

Xu Hao and Zhu Qiang had just descended the steps. Time flew by, and almost two years had passed since work began on the first small log cabin—city wall construction has now been going on for a year and a half!

Nevertheless, the eastern side of the Mingsha City Walls still hasn’t reached its end. At the current pace, the entire eastern wall of the district won’t be fully completed until around April or May next year.

By then, they can start renovating either the northern or southern walls.

“Brother Hao, our first subway segment will be done by April next year—a significant breakthrough!”

As they walked, Zhu Qiang spoke up.

Outsiders might think that for the past several months, Mingsha City has mostly been busy finishing Lutai and Zhaixing Pavilion while other projects stalled, but in reality, investment here hasn’t dropped one bit.

Especially the Line 1 that runs all the way from the City Gate to Mingsha Academy, which has never stopped—not even during performance periods.

“Done by April?”

Xu Hao paused, his expression unreadable.

Once Line 1 is operational, it will greatly ease traffic pressures in Mingsha City, particularly around the popular spots along Qing Brick Avenue.

“Brother Hao, it’s not as quick as that. The construction team opted for a new shield tunneling machine. The eight-kilometer stretch was originally slated to open in March next year, but now it’s already April.”

Zhu Qiang continued without missing a beat.

Since the subway plan was introduced, it has undergone three design revisions, finally settling on five major stations: City Gate, Vermilion Bird Street, Qixia Town, Mingsha Academy, and Langya Pavilion.

These five major stations form a straight line—no more, no less—covering exactly eight kilometers! And although the major stations are here, subway riders can reach many destinations; for example, at Qixia Town Station, Entrance A leads to Qixia Town, Entrance B to Oasis 1, and Entrance C to Taiyi Hospital.

“Is the funding secure?”

After a brief pause, Xu Hao asked.

“Brother Hao, our cash flow is robust. During the Cultural Expo alone, our daily net profit has long exceeded twenty million! We can easily support not just this subway segment but also future lines.”

Mentioning the profits, Zhu Qiang’s tone held a hint of sentiment.

Mingsha City’s earning power has reached a staggering level. Beyond ticket sales for attractions like the city walls and the Protectorate, just the daily income from ancient costume rentals is phenomenal.

Although many restaurants have been brought in through external investments, ancient costume rentals remain Mingsha City’s exclusive business.

In most domestic attractions, ancient costume rentals run about 30 to 50 yuan an hour.

But in Mingsha City, they’re fixed at 10 yuan. Even so, the city makes much more here because wearing ancient costumes has become the norm—nobody really has a choice.

If visitors want to hit all the hotspots in Mingsha City, just renting ancient costumes can cost between seven to eight hundred yuan per person, not to mention other spending.

It’s why many online reviews of Mingsha City use extreme language—despite the low prices, overall expenses end up being much higher than other attractions!

“The Cultural Expo really did bring in a wave of visitors!”

Xu Hao nodded.

“Oh, and speaking of big events, come the end of April next year, we’re hosting an International Magic Competition here!”

“An International Magic Competition? Brother Hao, seriously? By then, our subway will be operational and our project with Yun Province TV will have wrapped up. It’s the perfect chance to showcase Mingsha City’s newest developments!”

Zhu Qiang was momentarily stunned, then broke into a smile.

He knew about the International Magic Competition—even if it’s a niche event, it draws plenty of young fans, and it’ll likely spark another surge in visitors.

“Yes! This Magic Competition is being held out of necessity due to the Zhu You Technique, though its pull might not match that of the Cultural Expo. So next year, attracting visitors will still primarily rely on establishing film and television backdrops.”

Xu Hao remarked casually.

During his recent break, he had carefully mapped out Mingsha City’s upcoming development plans.

After all, the annual targets aren’t that high.

He planned to complete the construction of Wuzhuang Temple, develop three Oasis IPs, and work on the central district of Mingsha City.

Especially the central district! Stretching four kilometers west from Langya Mountain lies the heart of the area, where the new architectural ensemble must dominate all other buildings.

This is set to be a major project.

As for competitions, performances, or tourism festivals, Mingsha City will take them on if possible—but never at the expense of existing projects.

“Brother Hao, however, having this Magic Competition is better than nothing. By the way, should we prepare anything in advance for it?”

At this point, Zhu Qiang replied,

“The competition is essentially designed to counter the influence of the Zhu You Technique, so we don’t need to prepare much. The opening ceremony and everything else are outsourced to the relevant departments—we only need to provide the contest venue.”

Xu Hao waved his hand dismissively.

“Only the contest venue?”

“Yes, along with accommodations and meals for the contestants. Those expenses will be covered by the relevant authorities.”

“That does simplify matters! We already have plenty of venues available, so there’s no need to build another.”

Zhu Qiang fell silent.

He cared more about visitor traffic; whether Mingsha City hosted the opening ceremony was secondary.

“Venue? This time, we actually need to build a new one!”

Xu Hao shook his head instinctively.

He knew exactly what Zhu Qiang was thinking. Right now, the only suitable spot for major competitions is the grand hall behind the Langya Pavilion altar.

But how could that hall possibly accommodate magic performances for the contestants?

Thus, constructing a new performance venue is essential.

“A new build? Brother Hao, do we have enough time? Today is already January 6th, and before long it’ll be February after the New Year.”

“No problem. I’ve already assigned Little Luo to take full charge of this project,” Xu Hao stated.

Since the higher-ups have already set the tone for this Magic Competition, Mingsha City’s role is simply to complete its part without meddling in other matters.

If it weren’t for concerns about seeming too shabby, he’d even considered letting Luo Peng set up a competition hall at Fireworks Square.

“Little Luo? Agreed! We’ll entrust it to him so everyone can be at ease.”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Qiang immediately nodded.

“For the next few days, aside from essential staff, everyone should be given leave. We’ll discuss other matters after the New Year.”

“Oh, and last year, due to the projects, we barely had a day off. Since there’s free time this New Year’s Eve, let’s arrange a New Year’s dinner and an annual meeting!”

Xu Hao considered this for a moment before adding.

Even though the construction crews will take a break, Mingsha City will continue operating, meaning many staff members will be on duty during the New Year.

“Brother Hao, I’ve already begun planning this year’s annual meeting. It’ll serve as both an employee recognition event and a celebration of our successes!”

Speaking of the annual meeting, Zhu Qiang quickly commented.

Last year, although bonuses were given, there wasn’t an awards selection for outstanding staff. For any enterprise, that kind of corporate culture is both essential and indispensable.

“These past couple of years, everyone’s worked hard. The rewards for outstanding employees can be even more generous.”

Xu Hao nodded.

“Brother Hao, I’ll draft a rewards tier list tonight for your review.”

“Alright!”

Time flew, and before they knew it, it was 8 PM.

Mingsha City was ablaze with lights!

Although Xu Hao intended for all Mingsha City staff to enjoy a well-earned break, inevitably some employees couldn’t rest.

Between the staff apartments and the office building, within a fenced area, about seventy to eighty workers were laboring diligently under spotlights, their pace matching that of daytime.

“Engineer Zhao, can we finish this by tomorrow?”

Spotting a foreman in the distance, Luo Peng couldn’t help but ask.

“President Luo, don’t worry! It’ll be done by, at the latest, tomorrow morning!”

The foreman responded quickly.

“Great. Once this section is finished, we’ll move to the Mingsha City Fire Station.”

Luo Peng added.

“President Luo, why the rush? Our project isn’t scheduled to start filming until early February after the New Year, and one site is already complete. The filming won’t be affected much.”

Nearby, Fang Hou couldn’t help but comment.

It turned out that the project they were building in collaboration with Yun Province TV was exactly that. Since the Longmen Escort Agency is handling Mingsha City’s express logistics, there are numerous sub-stations.

At the City Gate alone, there are two, plus an ancient architectural food street—with three escort agencies lining the five-mile-long snack street!

Once the Longmen Escort Agency goes online, visitors to Mingsha City will be able to order meals via its dedicated public account, making the experience far more convenient than before.

“Mr. Fang, you don’t know I have to finish this before the New Year! After the New Year, another major project awaits.”

Luo Peng sighed.

“Another major project? What could it be?”

Fang Hou was momentarily taken aback.

Just a few days ago, Xu Hao had mentioned that after the New Year there wouldn’t be any major projects—just a light ancient costume comedy. He even planned to go home soon to bring his parents over so he could experience celebrating the New Year in the Ancient City.

“Mr. Fang, this project was personally assigned by Brother Hao. Do you think I can afford to take it lightly?”

Surveying his surroundings, Luo Peng then asked,

“So, what exactly is the project?”

Luo Peng’s expression prompted Fang Hou to be taken aback once again.

“Brother Hao mentioned that after the New Year, in April, Mingsha City will host an International Magic Competition that requires a dedicated competition venue!”

Pausing, Luo Peng looked expectantly at Fang Hou.

“The Magic Competition?”

Fang Hou looked utterly surprised by the sudden news.

“Yes! And it’s international! Brother Hao emphasized the word ‘international’ so strongly when assigning this project. Can you imagine—if we cut corners on the venue, wouldn’t we be letting down the people of Mingsha City?”

Luo Peng spoke with earnest determination.