Chapter 361: Stirring Movements in Mingsha City

This Mingsha City sure knows how to put on a show—one quick stunt and it’s trending, drawing in a flood of tourists.

After what felt like an eternity,

once the staff left the office, Feng Xiangcai finally turned his attention to Shi Yun.

“Who said otherwise?”

Shi Yun cast an envious glance at the computer. Imagine if their Fengdu Scenic Area stirred up this kind of buzz every now and then—even a few ‘paranormal incidents’ like those at Mingsha City’s Lanruo Temple would be a treat.

But no matter how much they hyped up the creepy vibe, the tourists simply weren’t scared—they even ended the tour with cheerful smiles.

After a brief silence,

Shi Yun spoke up, “President Feng, while Mingsha City’s ruckus isn’t huge, it’s nothing to sneeze at. Every visitor who goes to that God of Wealth Temple for incense will likely check out the other attractions. And by the way, my friend got back to me yesterday with news of a pretty good lawyer!”

In his view,

if Mingsha City kept these constant antics, Fengdu Scenic Area was bound to self-destruct eventually.

“A pretty good lawyer?”

Feng Xiangcai’s expression shifted noticeably.

“Yeah!”

“Let’s hold off on suing Mingsha City for now. It’s just not the right time.”

After a moment’s thought, Feng Xiangcai added,

“President, should we wait a bit longer? I’m concerned about what Mingsha City might do next…”

“We have no choice! Our Fengdu Scenic Area is still reeling from the 5A rating debacle, and now there’s the God of Wealth Temple. Suing now would only spark more controversy!”

“Then when?”

Shi Yun subconsciously rubbed his temples.

“No rush! First, book that lawyer for a meeting in Chongshi so I can see him—can’t afford another Gao Nan incident!”

Feng Xiangcai fixed his gaze on Shi Yun.

The lawsuit involving Gao Nan and Mingsha City had really opened his eyes; he never imagined a lawyer could go to such lengths.

“In that case, I’ll set up the meeting,” he conceded.

“Great! By the way, our new project with Dino Park kicks off bidding next week. Let’s head over together,” Shi Yun proposed.

“Alright!”

As the sun dipped over Yan City, the working crowd wrapped up their day, packed up, and headed home.

Inside the Third Ring, however, the staff at the Long Kingdom Scenic Rating Committee remained hard at work, with no plans to leave.

In the President’s office, Qin Yuwen stared at his computer screen. A flicker of disdain crossed his face, quickly masked by a barely perceptible sigh of relief.

“Two weeks of waiting for this? Just a gimmick! Only netizens would fall for it. It shows that Mingsha City has completely run out of tricks.”

Truth be told, ever since the fallout from Mingsha City losing its 5A rating, the Evaluation Committee had maintained a tough stance. They stopped contacting the Su Province authorities, but deep down, they were nervous—afraid Mingsha City might pull off another unique stunt to win favor, only to have the media turn against them. Now, although they’re making a fuss, it’s nothing as big as feared, so the worry has lessened.

“Exactly! This time, Mingsha City is just riding high on a God of Wealth Temple in Mingsha Fudi. At best, it’ll lure a few fortune-seekers. Once this hype fades, things will go back to normal. More importantly, the buzz from the temple hides their 5A rating failure.”

Across the desk, Vice President Gao Shang wore a relaxed smile.

He and Qin Yuwen shared the same opinion.

If Mingsha City had another ace up its sleeve, it would unveil a grander project rather than just a God of Wealth Temple.

“It looks like the whole issue of Mingsha City losing its 5A rating is finally behind us. Let’s just go about our work as usual.”

Qin Yuwen nodded in agreement.

“Mm!”

“But one thing—if Su Province makes any more moves to upgrade their scenic spots, let’s hold off. If they don’t call us proactively for even a day, we put those projects on hold.”

“Got it!”

Night deepened.

At the backyard of Wuzhuang Temple, beneath an ancient cypress, Daoist Master Cangshan and Canghai sat facing each other.

After a moment of silence,

Cangshan finally couldn’t hold it in and said,

“You Gong! To drum up incense offerings, you even brought over that contraption—and now Biyou Palace is honoring the God of Wealth, Zhao Gongming.”

Thanks to a slew of online videos and word-of-mouth from Mingsha City tourists, Mingsha Fudi was nearly packed today. Especially at the God of Wealth Temple on the Second Island, even security staff couldn’t resist lighting incense and kowtowing.

As a result, Wuzhuang Temple was left eerily quiet.

“Senior, that stunt You Gong pulled is just a gimmick. It’s all about the tourists’ own fortunes—if luck strikes, they’ll encounter the Golden Toad by chance!”

Canghai glanced in the direction of the ‘Big Pear Tree.’

Though the hollow pear tree had been planted for less than two months, the entire ambiance of Wuzhuang Temple had transformed—both the backyard and its surroundings were lush and vibrant, almost like a primeval forest, devoid of any artificial touch.

Give Wuzhuang Temple some time, and it will become even more ethereal.

“That may be so, but this tactic really works! We must act swiftly on our end!”

Cangshan shook his head.

In today’s science-obsessed world, it’s all about results—the process doesn’t matter nearly as much.

“Act quickly? Senior, should we stir things up like You Gong did? According to your plan, it might take us another year or so, and meanwhile, our partner President Luo’s Number Three Entertainment City is at a critical juncture these days.”

Canghai paused.

Ten days ago, Wuzhuang Temple and Luo Peng reached a ‘comprehensive cooperation agreement,’ effectively binding them together.

They agreed to first help Luo Peng quickly sort out Number Three and Number Four Entertainment City, and then he would help upgrade Wuzhuang Temple.

“Stir things up? Unnecessary!”

At that, Cangshan waved his hand decisively.

“Senior, are you sure it’s unnecessary? Just look at the current scene in Mingsha Fudi.”

Canghai looked on in surprise.

“Of course. We need to have a long-term vision. Do you think I’m in this solely to snatch incense from Mingsha Fudi?”

Cangshan sighed softly.

“Senior.”

“To be frank, we’re building this to counter the project the City Master is rolling out in the core district. You Gong’s little stunt isn’t worth emptying our pockets over.”

“That’s true!”

Mentioning the core district, Canghai murmured in awe.

“Then…”

“Alright, let’s stick to the original plan and speed up. We cannot let You Gong’s change of strategy derail us—especially since Number Three and Number Four Entertainment City are at a crucial stage, and President Luo has strong opinions about Dino Park.”

“Mm!”

Meanwhile, at Mingsha Fudi and Biyou Palace,

after a hectic day, You Gong and his disciples finally got a breather. Yet, while the disciples relaxed, You Gong remained at a square table, deep in thought. “Master, today our God of Wealth Temple saw an incredible rush. Shouldn’t that make you happy?”

Noticing his master’s odd demeanor, disciple Wu Ming whispered,

“Exactly! Today’s incense offerings were at least ten times greater than at Wuzhuang Temple!”

Beside him, Wu Yun echoed,

“So you think Mingsha Fudi can now afford to be complacent?”

At these words,

You Gong turned to his two disciples.

“Master, people only crave wealth! Now that our reputation is out, fortune-seekers will flock to Mingsha Fudi. Wuzhuang Temple only managed to attract one person chasing prospects—no matter how vibrant they become later, they won’t steal much of our incense blessings.”

Wu Yun was taken aback and quickly replied.

In his view, Mingsha Fudi would undoubtedly secure the top spot for incense offerings. Even if new sects emerged later, they wouldn’t be able to usurp Biyou Palace’s share.

“We’re talking wealth or prospects? If the City Master’s core district project gets built, liquor, women, wealth, and power won’t be a problem at all.”

You Gong took a deep breath.

“The core district? Master, you mean the Third Island?”

Wu Ming glanced thoughtfully at the square table.

“Exactly. We can’t afford to slack off now. We must push Mingsha Fudi to new heights. Otherwise, once the core district is developed… Never mind, you’ll understand later!”

Halfway through his explanation, You Gong paused and pulled out an aged blueprint from his pocket to examine it.

Meanwhile,

in the Ancient Building Courtyard of Wudi City,

Xu Hao frowned as he reviewed a financial report. “Ninety-seven billion?”

Just this afternoon, besides setting aside funds for other projects and operational needs, Xu Hao had nearly funneled every available yuan from Mingsha City’s subordinate units into Haofang Culture.

While ninety-seven billion in cash flow is a hefty sum even for top domestic companies, for Xu Hao’s plans to build the core district of this very building, it’s far from enough.

“Haozi! Today I called every cement factory in Su Province. Even if we secured all their cement, it still wouldn’t meet your requirements. Besides, these factories won’t supply only to us.”

Across from him, Fang Hou looked on with worry.

Even now, Fang Hou thought Xu Hao had really bitten off more than he could chew—being short of an entire province’s cement supply spoke volumes about the scale of this construction.

“If Su Province falls short, then we’ll source from neighboring provinces!”

At these words,

Xu Hao waved his hand dismissively.

“But sourcing from nearby will rack up transport costs! With gas prices soaring, it’s a real issue.”

Fang Hou couldn’t help but add,

“If all else fails, we transport the cement by rail—ship it to Wei City’s rail freight station and then we pick it up from there.”

Xu Hao picked up the financial report once again.

“Alright then!”

“By the way, how’s the steel supply?”

After a pause, Xu Hao casually inquired further.

“Steel isn’t an issue. Su Province has several large steel mills, and with the current market slump, I contacted them. They assured me that our first batch is ready immediately—plus, once the subsequent contracts are signed, the second and third batches will be fully secured.”

At that,

Fang Hou immediately retrieved a document from his briefcase and handed it over.

“But even if steel isn’t a problem, what about our funds? Roughly calculated, just the first stage’s cement and steel bars require over eight billion—not to mention the sand and gravel for the concrete, plus an enormous amount of wood.”