Chapter 321: Clashing Titans in Mingsha City

“Boss, what about our project?”

At the desk, the middle-aged woman looked equally shocked.

“Let’s try reaching out first. If that fails, we’ll contact some other cultural production companies. I doubt our chances here.”

After a long silence…

Cai An looked toward the Channel Director and the middle-aged woman.

“Doubtful? Boss.”

The middle-aged woman paused.

“Yeah! Dino Park’s total assets exceed 200 billion M gold—it’s a world-famous cultural and tourism conglomerate with immense strength! Meanwhile, Mingsha City is the rising cultural force in Long Kingdom. These two are now openly at odds. This isn’t just a simple tit-for-tat; there’s a lot more simmering underneath.”

There’s bound to be a lot more action coming.

Cai An waved his hand with unwavering confidence.

Some things are obvious—you can guess that Dino Park and Mingsha City aren’t clashing over a mere title. There are hidden grudges involved.

If memory serves, when Mingsha City’s weekend fireworks show was being questioned by netizens, they even mentioned Dino Park. But last time, even though Dino Park was at fault, they dared not speak up.

Alright.

Just as Eggplant TV’s Cai An received the news of Mingsha City’s announcement, the internet was already ablaze with speculation.

“What did Mingsha City announce?”

“In three days, the newly built amusement park on the east side of Wudi City will open to visitors, with an invitation to come and experience it.”

“Three days? That soon?”

“Yeah! It’s pretty clear they’re responding to today’s trending topic.”

“Looks like Mingsha City isn’t backing down at all!”

“Of course not!”

“By the way, what exactly are the amusement attractions like at Mingsha City? Since they’re setting up to go head-to-head with Dino Park, they must be matching their projects.”

“Their announcement didn’t detail the activities—it seems they want to keep some mystery, like Lanruo Temple. The less visitors know, the more will flock there.”

“I must admit, Mingsha City really knows how to draw in visitors!”

“That’s true, but you can’t deny that Mingsha City has some serious chops—their films and attractions have never let visitors down.”

“So what now?”

“Let’s just sit back and watch the show. Honestly, I’m excited by this situation; no matter which side puts in the effort, visitors will get an unprecedented experience. A monopoly always loses its edge.”

“Fair enough! Let’s see if Mingsha City’s park is as fun in three days. If it is, we’ll take it for a spin.”

“Alright!”

“A new amusement park opening in three days? So secretive—there isn’t even a theme! I can’t wait to see how long this gimmick lasts!”

At Haishi, in the Dino Park President’s Office, Cole curled his lips in a cold smile after reading the netizens’ comments.

When it comes to attractions, Dino Park might not rival Mingsha City, but in terms of entertainment, who can beat Dino Park? “Boss, should I fetch some fifty-cent commenters?”

Across the desk, a staff member hesitated before speaking.

To be honest, he was extremely pleased with today’s engineered public opinion. The narrative of ‘East Dino, West Mingsha’ had caught on, and under the weight of public pressure, Dino Park was even outshining Mingsha City.

The only unexpected twist was that Mingsha City directly announced its entertainment project.

“More fifty-cent commenters? For what?”

Cole raised an eyebrow.

“Boss, it’s simple! Mid-September, Mingsha City is hosting a tech expo. Since they love to respond, we’ll keep flooding them with our outputs. They’ll be so bogged down by their entertainment projects, they won’t have time for the expo. Once it starts, Mingsha City will face a storm of criticism.”

The staff member quickly shared his idea.

After hearing this,

Cole remained silent, staring thoughtfully at his computer before finally looking up at the staff member.

“Hold on—what if we push Mingsha City too hard? Could that backfire?”

To be fair,

regardless of his anger and disdain, sometimes he just couldn’t predict Mingsha City—they certainly played by their own rules.

“Boss, rest assured—our entertainment projects are well established, while Mingsha City is just starting out! Even if we let them loose for the next few months, they won’t manage to deliver many attractions.”

The staff member immediately replied.

After a moment’s thought, Cole nodded slightly. “Alright, consider it an extra boost to the ‘East Dino, West Mingsha’ narrative. After all, our Magic Academy’s progress is slow, and we don’t have any new projects lined up for the next few months.”

“Alright!”

The tides of fortune—by the next morning at ten o’clock…

Whether due to online buzz or the lingering stupor at Lanruo Temple, the number of out-of-towners visiting Mingsha City had noticeably surged.

Especially on the small island in the center of Mingsha Fudi Lake where Biyou Palace is located.

Many visitors eager to challenge Lanruo Temple either first came to the island to burn incense at Biyou Palace or headed to Langya Pavilion’s Nine Cauldrons Altar for the same.

Whether it works or not, at least it comforts them in some way.

“Master, look at our incense offerings—they’ve multiplied compared to before! Do you think that once the entertainment project behind Fudi goes live, our incense will flourish even more?”

From a corner outside the main hall, Wu Yun looked at the continuous stream of visitors burning incense and kowtowing, his eyes filled with emotion as he turned toward You Gong.

Although he was in charge of Lanruo Temple, he only managed it at night. During the day, once Qing Brick Avenue to the temple was cordoned off, he and a few apprentices would return to Biyou Palace, as ordinary staff covered daytime duties.

“Will the incense flourish even more? Not necessarily!”

At these words,

the You Gong Taoist shook his head slightly.

“Not necessarily? Master, what’s being built behind Mingsha Fudi is—”

Wu Yun was taken aback.

Outsiders weren’t aware of Mingsha City’s amusement project, but both his master and he were involved, and they knew exactly what was being constructed behind Mingsha Fudi.

“Master, I’ve been uneasy these past couple of days—I have a hunch something’s about to go down.”

You Gong turned and walked toward the back hall.

“Something’s up, Master?”

Noticing this,

Wu Yun hurriedly followed.

“Let’s see—Daoist Master Cangshan is probably about to return. Once he’s back, given his nature, if he finds out we moved into Mingsha City first, he’ll stop at nothing to snatch our incense offerings.”

“And worst of all, he’ll likely bring along a super treasure. With that in play, Wuzhuang Temple might even look more celestial than Mingsha Fudi.”

You Gong continued walking as he spoke.

“Stealing incense? Master, Daoist Master Cangshan is just one man—even if he has something good, he’s outnumbered. Our Biyou Palace has a dozen people running things.”

“For our incense to thrive, besides a touch of the celestial, it also needs proper management. Can he handle it all alone?”

Wu Yun was taken aback and then added,

“We may be many, but Cangshan isn’t alone! He has a junior disciple named Canghai. That guy is no pushover—when it comes to strength, Canghai is on par with you, Master, and even with Daoist Master Cangshan.”

You Gong sighed.

“Really?”

“So, we need to step up our game! Otherwise, Biyou Palace’s incense just won’t outshine that of Wuzhuang Temple.”

“Step up further? Master, didn’t the City Master say that nothing more could be added to Mingsha Fudi to cool things down? How would you explain that to him if you ramp things up?”

Hearing his master’s plan, Wu Yun was filled with hesitation.

Though Mingsha City had ceded Biyou Palace to them, it was still Mingsha City’s territory—especially since City Master Xu Hao now felt an unprecedented pressure.

It was clear he harbored many secrets; it wasn’t as simple as having studied the Zhu You Technique for a few months.

“Don’t worry! As long as Cangshan returns, Wuzhuang Temple is likely to become the next hot spot. Then, the City Master will have his eyes fixed on it.”

“And as for us, we’ll operate quietly!”

At this point, You Gong glanced nervously toward the direction of Wudi City.

“So, what’s your plan?”

After a brief silence,

Wu Yun whispered,

Clearly, his earlier hesitation had been completely squashed by You Gong.

“First, we need to secure some Kunlun Jade. As for the money?”

You Gong paused mid-sentence.

Biyou Palace’s incense is booming—if we’re being realistic, the funds pouring daily into the merit box are substantial.

In the northern area of the Protectorate of West Liang, Xu Hao had no idea that the You Gong Taoist had already sensed a crisis and was secretly determined to safeguard Biyou Palace’s incense.

He had just put away the blueprints.

“Little Luo, how are the other three projects progressing, apart from the soon-to-open amusement park?”

After a pause, Xu Hao looked over at Luo Peng.

Originally, he thought that if they prepared all the expo pavilion components in advance and had a solid foundation, a month would suffice—but the designs went way overboard.

Now, it seems even two months wouldn’t cut it.

“Brother Hao, the second project is being worked on in shifts. Once it’s completed, the remaining two should move faster. I estimate everything will be finished by early July at the latest.”

After checking the time, Luo Peng replied immediately.

“Early July? Sounds good! If any issues arise, just say the word—I’ll handle them where You Gong can’t.”

Xu Hao nodded.

“Early July works perfectly.”

“Alright!”

“Also, the amusement park opening in three days might stir up some controversy. Prepare in advance so we won’t end up explaining over and over—a real hassle!”

“Brother Hao, don’t worry. I’ve got everything covered—no need for those experts to intervene, and our documentation is all in order!”

Upon hearing this, Luo Peng immediately offered his assurance.

In fact, several directors in Mingsha City—no, even the managers—have been subconsciously collecting scientific papers while working,

just to show the authorities that Mingsha City truly believes in science.

“That’s good!”

“Brother Hao, you keep busy. I’ll go over there to inspect and patch up any gaps in advance!”

“Alright!”

Time flew by—soon, two days had passed.

At 8 AM,

the south gate of Wudi City was crowded. Ever since the Xianxia Zone and Mingsha Fudi became hot, the southern part of Wudi City hadn’t seen such a bustle in a long time.

Simply because Mingsha City’s recent announcement revealed that the new amusement park would be located at Wudi City’s south.

Over the past few days, online debates over whether Dino Park or Mingsha City was more exciting never ceased, as tourists rushed to experience Mingsha City’s park and see if it could really rival Dino Park!

Thus, besides influencers trying to ride the hype, even journalists showed up.

In response,

Mingsha City didn’t object; an amusement park isn’t a secret facility—a filmed feature could actually serve as promotion.

“Is this really the amusement park Mingsha City is opening?”

Out of Wudi City’s south gate, many tourists were stunned upon seeing the building.

Before them stood a large, square wall—while it might not match Wudi City, its imposing aura was unmistakable.

The building was separated from Wudi City by a modest 100-meter square plaza, with Wudi City’s south gate facing its north entrance.

“This isn’t your ordinary amusement park—there’s only a pitch-black main gate with nothing written on it!”

Snapping back to reality,

a group of tourists steadily gathered at the gate.

Some assumed that Mingsha City’s inaugural park would feature towering rides like a Ferris wheel or roller coaster, similar to those in Long Kingdom.

After all, that’s standard!

But inside, there was clearly nothing of the sort. Even the gate lacked any signage—just a bare black door devoid of the vibrant flair expected of an amusement park.

“Excuse me, are we checking tickets here or…”

Seeing several staff members by the gate, a tourist approached and asked.

According to the announcement,

Mingsha City’s project remains free, though the exact procedures were not detailed.

“Hello, here’s the deal! Once the park officially opens, you’ll enter and choose attractions based on your own thrill level.”

A staff member glanced at his watch.

“Oh, I see!”

The tourists understood.

That made sense. For instance, those with acrophobia aren’t cut out for Ferris wheels—you can’t force a ticket on them or rigidly allocate spots.

If you reserve a spot and don’t ride, it just wastes resources.

After a minute, two minutes, as time passed, more and more tourists poured out of Wudi City’s south gate and gathered at the amusement park entrance.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please refrain from crowding—enter Mingsha No.1 Entertainment City in an orderly fashion!”

At that, a staff member pressed an electric button after giving instructions.

Creaking, the gate slowly swung open; its sound was heavy, like iron.

“It’s open! It’s open!”

Despite warnings, the tourists, long curious about the newly opened venue, surged inside in a stampede.

But just a few steps in, once they saw what lay inside, they froze in surprise.

Especially one of the frontmost, who couldn’t help but exclaim, “Damn, this is insanely thrilling!”