Chapter 380: A Treasure from Afar

It was a Christie’s auction! Nothing much to it at first, but this time one of the lots was said to be a long-lost treasure of the Long Kingdom, now overseas, and it’s drawing plenty of attention.

The middle-aged man continued.

“A treasure?”

The fifties man raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah! It seems to be three volumes from the Yongle Encyclopedia!”

“The Yongle Encyclopedia?”

Clang! Perhaps too stunned to speak—so much so that the fifties leader immediately stood up in shock.

This really does qualify as a treasure of the Long Kingdom!

“So, do our domestic antiques dealers have a shot this time?”

Snapping back to reality, he asked immediately.

Besides being incredibly rare, the Yongle Encyclopedia also, in a sense, represents a whole chapter of Long Kingdom’s history.

“The leaders are anxious now. They’ve already called several collectors, but none of them are confident about snagging this treasure! As expected, if any foreign financial syndicate shows up, they’ll join in, and this treasure won’t easily return to our homeland.”

“Plus, with the economy not doing so well these past few years, whether it’s domestic collectors or entrepreneurs, cash flow isn’t exactly abundant.”

The middle-aged man shook his head.

Whenever such a treasure pops up overseas, they never dare to dream too big—let alone hope that a patriotic collector might buy it and donate it to the Dragon Kingdom Museum. All they want is for it to land in the hands of their own people, rather than continue wandering abroad.

“What about Wenmo Group?”

The fifties man slowly seated himself.

“I heard the boss dispatched someone to contact Wenmo Group. We don’t know the details yet, but frankly, in the whole world of collecting, perhaps only Wenmo Group has the clout to participate.”

The middle-aged man let out a slight sigh.

“Oh! Then I understand. Since the leaders have made arrangements, let them handle the contacts. We just focus on our own tasks. Tomorrow, follow up with the other cultural TV stations to make sure they put in a bit more effort! We can’t end up like that one station where not even a ripple was made with the project funds.”

“Understood, boss!”

Time flew by and before long it was noon.

Online, discussions about Mingsha City and the live broadcast from Yan City TV were still going strong.

Just as before! The staff at Mingsha City stood on a high platform, tirelessly educating the on-site visitors with various scientific tidbits. While onlookers were plenty, hardly any tourists dared to step in and take on the challenge.

Of course.

The visitors coming to Mingsha City and the online audience hadn’t complained about it.

After all, the project was as thrilling as Mingsha City had promoted; it’s just that the tourists didn’t have the nerve they were imagined to.

Surprisingly, at this moment, attention for Dino Park was on the rise.

Simply because

some on-site visitors who entered the Entertainment City and experienced all the attractions ended up winning a reward worth one thousand yuan. Compared to the various mystical arrays at Mingsha City, the attractions at Dino Park came with far fewer uncertainties.

Heh heh heh! Talk about shooting yourself in the foot! This is it!

At Dino Park Headquarters,

after browsing the countless online comments and the barrage of messages in the live chat, Cole wore a proud smile as he looked at Adam.

He had expected a crushing defeat today, but at the crucial moment, a last-minute comeback emerged.

“Making Mingsha City mysterious again? Perfect! With the mystique and the buzz, the tourist numbers are up—and now no one dares to mess around.”

Adam nodded and added.

After years in the business, it was the first time he’d seen tourists so intimidated that not even Mingsha City’s guarantee could lure them in.

What’s even funnier were the netizens’ comments.

Some said that because Mingsha City’s Entertainment City flopped so miserably, ending up as the so-called Mingsha No-Go Zone, it was the worst disaster in Entertainment City history!

“By the way, boss, did we still decide to send those challengers from Headquarters to Mingsha City?”

After a pause, Adam continued,

“Last night I urgently contacted Headquarters. They rounded up a dozen top talents who are now lodged at the Haishi International Hotel.”

“No need!”

Cole immediately waved his hand.

“Even though Mingsha City keeps assuring us, what if something goes wrong? We’d be hard-pressed to explain. Besides, we’ve already won—we don’t care if we miss out on houses in Haishi or Yan City.”

“True enough! Trust in Mingsha City is a luxury we can’t afford. Safety comes first!”

Upon hearing that,

Adam nodded.

Cole wasn’t wrong. No matter how passive they were before, they’d triumphed this time! Now, in the wake of this blow, Mingsha City would surely adjust their strategy—probably never again resorting to flashy mysticism.

That is undoubtedly a huge win for us! “By the way, how’s our project doing online?”

Leaning back in his chair and lighting a cigar, Cole continued.

“Our reputation online…”

Adam paused.

“Hmm? Is there a problem?”

Seeing Adam’s expression, Cole furrowed his brow.

“Boss, I checked! It’s not terrible, just not as fantastic as we expected. Many tourists don’t seem as receptive to elements like dragons, knights, and angels. Long Kingdom visitors seem less keen on our angels when compared to their own Zhong Kui.”

Adam quickly responded.

This time, their park focused on role-playing as little ghosts and demons; tourists could dress up as knights or various indigenous mythical figures from the Long Kingdom.

But in terms of abilities, the Western characters were far superior.

“That’s fine! Given time, the people of the Long Kingdom will gradually get used to it. After all, our cultural elements are meant to surpass local ones. As long as the Long Kingdom accepts our characters, this project isn’t in vain.”

Upon hearing that,

Cole’s expression finally relaxed.

In his view, as long as everything else checks out, it’ll be fine!

“Alright!”

“By the way, President Peter might inspect Dino Park next month. Get ready—especially highlight our performance facing off against Mingsha City. If Headquarters isn’t satisfied, we’re in trouble.”

After a pause, Cole suddenly remembered something and added,

“Boss! I forgot to mention—when I contacted Headquarters the day before yesterday, one of their staff casually noted that President Peter’s schedule might change, possibly delaying by half a month.”

Adam quickly replied.

“President Peter’s schedule is shifting?”

“Yeah!”

“What for?”

“He got a last-minute notice to attend Christie’s auction! Rumor has it there’s a fantastic antique up for bid, and Headquarters is determined to get it!”

“An antique? Got it!”

At Dino Park, everyone was in high spirits. At Fengdu Scenic Area, General Feng Xiangcai and Shi Yun shared the same sentiment.

“Who would have thought Mingsha City would get its comeuppance today? Let’s see if you dare play the mystical act again now that you’ve been bitten by your own tail!”

Sipping his tea, Feng Xiangcai looked as if a massive burden had been lifted and spoke.

Up to now, the number of visitors trying out the new project has already surpassed those at Fengdu Scenic Area, and the revenue has far exceeded his expectations.

Even though many tourists had mixed opinions about the power of Long Kingdom’s mythical figures,

in his eyes it wasn’t a major issue.

No one ever said that Long Kingdom’s mythical characters had to be stronger than Western ones—as long as they aren’t portrayed as villains, it’s acceptable.

In short,

as long as there’s ticket revenue, nothing else really matters.

“I originally thought some tourists would give it a try after hearing the explanations from Mingsha City’s staff. After all, when they set up Lanruo Temple last time, a lot of people went in. Turns out, even with the loudspeakers out, no one dared to enter this time.”

Shi Yun let out an unconscious sigh of relief.

In terms of popularity, they were far behind Mingsha City; as for Entertainment City, Mingsha City’s No.4 Entertainment City was an utter failure.

An entertainment venue with no tourists can hardly be called one at all.

“Heh, it’s precisely because their Lanruo Temple went overboard—plus the deliberately hyped-up Mingsha Fudi and Wuzhuang Temple that created psychological barriers for tourists. Everyone’s thinking, ‘Better to believe than risk it.'”

Feng Xiangcai’s lips twitched into a smirk.

Not only did the tourists, but even when he saw the detailed challenge setup for No.4 Entertainment City, a chill ran down his spine.

I wouldn’t try it even if Yan City or Haishi offered me a house—if they offered two, I still wouldn’t risk it.

“Boss, what’s our next move? Mingsha City’s project flopped—there might even be a backlash.”

After some thought, Shi Yun added,

“Backlash? Ha! Rest assured, they’ll surely adjust their strategy next—they won’t dare continue with the mystique. We just stick to our plan.”

Feng Xiangcai raised an eyebrow and waved his hand.

“Stick to our plan? You mean we’re officially going to sue Mingsha City?”

“Yeah! Start making the preparations!”

“Alright, General Feng.”

At eight in the evening, in Mingsha City,

the various attractions began lighting up, and the city’s tourists finally loosened up a bit compared to daytime.

Although no one dared to challenge No.4 Entertainment City, many still felt the visit was worthwhile, with several even trying out the first three entertainment venues on the way.

Meanwhile, in Wudi City and the Ancient Building Courtyard,

Zhu Qiang and the others appeared at Xu Hao’s private office, their faces laced with guilt.

“Brother Hao, this is my fault. I shouldn’t have used the arrays from Investiture of the Gods! I should have chosen something simpler.”

No sooner had Luo Peng taken his seat than he was the first to admit his mistake.

In his mind, today’s opening of No.4 Entertainment City was a total failure—he expected tourists to flock into the challenge area, eventually growing to love the thrill of facing arrays. This would later attract visitors from all over the country, even overseas, to come try out the ‘Zhu Xian Array’ at Mingsha City.

He envisioned it turning into a timeless test of wits and courage.

But what actually happened? The only gains today were a flood of ticket sales and a spike in ratings at Yan City TV.

And as expected, after today, the popularity of Mingsha City’s No.4 Entertainment City will quickly fade. Later, tourists might mention it in passing, but getting them to come all the way just to check it out? That seems unlikely.

“Brother Hao, the blame is mainly on me! I didn’t consider the impact that the first three entertainment venues and Mingsha Fudi would have on the visitors. That’s why—”

At that moment,

no sooner had Luo Peng finished speaking than Zhu Qiang jumped in.

In Zhu Qiang’s view, he was the primary culprit! If Mingsha City hadn’t overhyped themselves in advance, the tourists wouldn’t have felt such overwhelming pressure.

“It’s nothing! It’s just an entertainment project. Besides, the project isn’t a total loss—those Investiture of the Gods scenes might come in handy later!”

At that, Xu Hao glanced at Fang Hou, who seemed about to speak, and quickly waved his hand.

Truth be told, he hadn’t expected the tourists to react this way, but the project itself was flawless.

“Brother Hao, what about the revenue? How about this—should I change it to another experience project?”

Luo Peng hesitated, wanting to contribute further.

In his mind, nothing in Mingsha City should be unappealing.

After all, this project was meant to rival the new attractions at Dino Park and Fengdu Scenic Area.

“Since it’s already built, let’s operate it. But we need to talk to Yan City TV to see if they’re still willing to broadcast. If they are, we’ll continue under the original collaboration model. If not, we’ll terminate the deal and refund what’s due.”

Hearing that, Xu Hao immediately waved his hand.

Others might not know just how much effort Daoist Master Cangshan and Canghai put into setting up this area, but he did—tearing it down now would be a real loss! And having this zone in Mingsha City might prove useful someday.

“Brother Hao.”

“Alright, that’s it! Don’t let anyone feel burdened—whatever comes next, we’ll manage it!”

Seeing the lingering guilt on everyone’s face, Xu Hao decisively put an end to the matter.

A single No.4 Entertainment City doesn’t define everything—core zone development and filming Investiture of the Gods are what truly matter.

“Alright, Brother Hao!”

Hearing that, the guilt among them began to fade.

Yet a moment later, Luo Peng couldn’t help but look at Brother Hao again and say,

“Brother Hao, are we still going to have Daoist Master Cangshan and Canghai help with the Investiture of the Gods scenes? The tourists are already so intimidated.”

He really feared that if Mingsha City continued with this overly mystical setup, No.4 Entertainment City would become even more inexplicable!

In the end, as some netizens have already predicted, it could very well turn into a ‘Mingsha No-Go Zone’, especially since this project features Investiture of the Gods scenes and even some rather bizarre mounts. Tourist reactions could end up being exactly the same as today’s.

We can’t have the entire Xianxia Zone turn into a No-Go zone.

“No worries! Just go ahead and set it up. Worst case, we’ll steer clear of such overly thrilling projects in the future—and our core zone might be even better…”

Xu Hao’s words trailed off.

“Understood, Brother Hao!”

At that, Luo Peng and Zhu Qiang exchanged glances.

In the blink of an eye, the moon hung over the willow tips in Yan City.

Inside a high-end hotel along the Third Ring, a few sharply dressed men clinked red wine glasses as they chatted.

“Mr. Sun, I heard someone from the Long Kingdom’s authorities contacted you? What’s your plan? Are you really going to bid on the Yongle Encyclopedia?”

After a brief pause, a middle-aged man in traditional Long Kingdom attire with a mustache glanced at another man in his sixties.

“P.S. Guys, I’ve lost my voice from all the shouting and my throat is still sore. I’m feeling quite drained, but in a couple of days I should be fine.”