Chapter 359: New Beginnings in Mingsha City

Wasn’t the promise President Luo made finally fulfilled? What good news indeed!

Daoist Master Cangshan furrowed his brow.

Recently, the flow of pilgrims at Wuzhuang Temple had stabilized. Although the daily numbers were still impressive, they could never compare to the frenzy seen during the sandstorm’s peak.

This made him even more attentive to the developments at Mingsha Fudi.

Sure enough, if Island No. 1 near Biyou Palace were opened to the public, countless pilgrims would be drawn away.

“No!”

Canghai shook his head.

“Then what is it?”

Daoist Master Cangshan immediately asked.

“This afternoon, the City Master convened a meeting for all mid-level and above leaders of Mingsha City. He not only outlined the future direction for Mingsha City but also granted numerous powers to various directors – including our team at Wuzhuang Temple, allowing us some leeway to make our own improvements.”

Canghai passed a cup of tea to Daoist Master Cangshan.

“Free rein to innovate? Seriously?”

It was all well and good until Cangshan heard the details; his eyes lit up instantly.

“Absolutely true! Besides, Wuzhuang Temple already has its own flow of pilgrims, meaning we can make decisions on many matters independently.”

“That does sound like great news! So, what’s the downside?”

“The bad news is that the major directors in Mingsha City now have their own projects, and President Luo won’t have time to help us anymore. I suspect he’ll even hire new staff to focus on Entertainment City Nos. 3 and 4!”

At that, a trace of regret crossed Canghai’s face.

Across Mingsha City, there were plenty of managers, but none were as formidable as Luo Peng.

“Is that all? It hardly counts as bad news!”

Daoist Master Cangshan was puzzled.

With the authority at Wuzhuang Temple, we can always figure something out.

“Senior, it might not be outright bad news, but do you know why the City Master suddenly handed over so much power to the major directors?”

At that, Canghai instinctively scanned his surroundings.

“Why?”

“Because the City Master has channeled all available resources to personally lead a massive project.”

Shortly thereafter,

Canghai leaned in and whispered something to Cangshan.

“For God’s sake, what could have pushed the City Master? Is it because Mingsha City didn’t get a 5A rating?”

After a long pause, Daoist Master Cangshan slowly snapped back to reality.

“No! I heard it’s the production of a TV series! Even a 5A rating wouldn’t normally warrant such measures from the City Master.”

Canghai shook his head.

“A TV series? That’s a pretty big gamble. And if he actually pulls it off, what will become of Mingsha Fudi and Wuzhuang Temple? Most pilgrims would likely flock to the central area.”

“Exactly! Remember the stir caused by his Mo Mechanism City? You can only imagine the uproar if this project takes off. One thing’s for sure—even if the mark appears on his right arm, this project is going to take ages!

He even doubted whether the final result would meet expectations, given that this build isn’t ordinary at all. Capturing not just its form but its very spirit is an immense challenge.”

After a brief silence, Canghai continued.

“No! If the City Master is determined, he’ll definitely pull it off. I once caught a glimpse of a mark on his left arm.”

Daoist Master Cangshan shook his head in disbelief.

“What? Another mark?”

“Yes! A Qing Ding!”

Gasp! At those words, Canghai drew in a sharp breath.

Others might not know what that mark meant, but they understood very well – especially when combined with the one on his right arm. “Senior, what do we do now?”

Coming back to his senses, Canghai’s face was etched with worry.

“Here’s the plan: Tomorrow, I’ll meet with President Luo. We must give Wuzhuang Temple a comprehensive upgrade. Even if we can’t match the City Master’s project, we can’t fall too far behind – only then will we secure a share of the pilgrims.”

After a moment’s thought, Daoist Master Cangshan spoke up.

“What? Meet with President Luo again?”

“Don’t forget – we promised President Luo our help with Entertainment City Nos. 3 and 4. Without us, his vision for those projects would be nearly impossible to achieve.”

Thus,

if we assist President Luo, he will surely repay the favor.

“That makes sense!”

But moments later, Cangshan suddenly recalled something, dropped his teacup, and stood up abruptly.

“No! Tomorrow is too late. I’m going to see President Luo right now.”

“Now?”

“Exactly. I almost forgot about You Gong. If You Gong reaches President Luo before us, we’re doomed.”

This left Canghai momentarily stunned. Regaining his composure, he too stood up and pulled a talisman from the sleeve of his robe.

“Then what are we waiting for!”

“Stow it away! This is Mingsha City – a place of science, not one for your feudal superstitions. Let’s ride over on horseback!”

Seeing this, Cangshan glared sharply.

“Oh! I got a bit carried away just now. My apologies.”

Under the deep, starry sky,

while Mingsha Fudi and Wuzhuang Temple were busy hatching their own plans, by the railing near Lutai,

Zhu Qiang and Director Zhuang Yang of Mingsha Tourism’s Engineering Department were gazing out into the distance.

Lutai had become a popular spot where numerous tourists admired the night views of Mingsha City. From here, one could see Wudi City, Nanking Capital, and even the grand city gate of Mingsha City – an unrivaled lookout.

“General Zhu, it seems I’ve held Mingsha City’s progress back this time.”

After a long pause,

Zhuang Yang looked at Zhu Qiang, his face filled with remorse.

“General Zhu, what are you saying?”

Zhu Qiang wore an expression of genuine surprise.

“General Zhu, if we were to complete the city walls of Mingsha City, there’s even a chance of earning a 5A rating!”

Zhuang Yang shook his head.

Since the announcement came out, he had read it countless times – one key point was that Mingsha City wasn’t a closed park, posing significant security risks! It was clearly pointing to the city walls.

As the head of the wall construction project, it was impossible for him not to worry.

“Mr. Zhuang, you’re overthinking it! If Mingsha City doesn’t get a 5A rating, there’s another reason – it’s not about the walls. Besides, whether it’s Mingsha Academy, Wudi City, Nanking Capital, Nanzhao Ancient City, or Mo Mechanism City, all those walls were built by your team.

For that alone, we shouldn’t demand any more from you.”

Understanding the point, Zhu Qiang smiled and patted Zhuang Yang on the shoulder, urging him not to overthink things.

“But…”

Zhuang Yang hesitated.

After a moment, he looked back at Zhu Qiang.

“General Zhu, I have an idea I hope you’ll support.”

“Hmm? Go on!”

“I plan to connect all four city walls by the end of this year!”

Taking a deep breath, Zhuang Yang stated earnestly.

“What? By the end of this year?”

Zhu Qiang was taken aback.

To be honest, he was genuinely startled.

“To have the entire city wall completed by year’s end is an ambitious concept. By my estimates, even finishing them by next year would be considered more than a success.”

“Yes! I hope you support me – I can’t bear to see Mingsha City disqualified for 5A once again because of its walls.”

Zhuang Yang continued.

“Mr. Zhu, I understand your concerns, but this matter cannot be rushed.”

Regaining his composure, Zhu Qiang quickly interjected, “General Zhu, rest assured – if you back me, I promise we’ll meet all deadlines without compromising on quality.”

Zhuang Yang’s resolve grew even stronger.

“Mr. Zhu…”

Perhaps moved by Zhuang Yang’s determination or convinced that the city walls truly needed early repair, Zhu Qiang finally spoke after a brief pause,

“Then, what kind of support do you require?”

After reading the announcement, Zhuang Yang had already taken responsibility. Meanwhile, the Mingsha County office building was illuminated.

Inside the spacious conference room, an oppressive silence reigned. Leading the meeting, County Leader Qin Xuan of Mingsha County scanned the attendees before speaking gravely,

“Mingsha City’s failure to secure a 5A rating weighs heavily on us! I truly don’t want to see Mingsha City sidelined again by this time next year. You all understand the importance of a 5A attraction for Mingsha County! Just look at the barbecue craze in that Eastern Province city – the government went to great lengths for the tourists. And what did you do?!”

Qin Xuan, although not versed in the intricate details of the 5A evaluations, believed Mingsha City had already done enough. He also knew that a major part of the blame lay with Mingsha County – especially the first point, which felt like it was calling them out by name.

“Leader, it’s my fault. Because of my negligence, the Mingsha City station project wasn’t delivered on time, forcing tourists to transfer through Mingsha County on their way to Mingsha City.”

No sooner had Qin spoken than a man in his fifties stepped forward to take responsibility.

“So, what are your plans for rectification?”

Qin’s expression darkened as he looked at the man.

“Leader, I promise that by early August the Mingsha Bus Station will be fully operational. At the same time, we’ll coordinate with the relevant departments to launch a shuttle service connecting Mingsha City to Wei City, Yin City, and Lanshi – with a bus running every forty minutes.”

The man said quickly.

“And if you fail to deliver?”

Qin listened while jotting down the man’s words.

“Leader, if we fail, I will step down immediately!”

The man gritted his teeth and wiped the cold sweat from his brow.

“Good! Next!”

Without looking up, Qin continued taking notes, “Leader, I too share significant responsibility for not liaising effectively with the railway authorities, which has slowed progress on the Mingsha City High-Speed Rail Station.”

After a brief pause,

another man spoke in a low voice.

“Rectification plan!”

“Tomorrow, I’ll coordinate with the relevant departments to ensure that by year-end, the Mingsha City High-Speed Rail Station is fully connected – rails, electricity, and signaling all in place!”

“Good! Next.”

There was no further discussion throughout the night.

The next morning, as the sun rose,

in Wudi City, Xu Hao got up early. By six-thirty, he was already at his desk, tinkering with blueprints for over two hours. Even Han Xiaoqing had quietly arrived at Mingsha Academy without anyone noticing.

Ding dong! After a simple cup of tea, just as Xu Hao was ready to resume his work, his phone rang abruptly.

He picked up immediately and answered.

“Uncle Han!”

It turned out the call was from Han Lijun.