Chapter 81: Ancient Ambitions in the Desert

“Rent? Did we refund all the vendors’ fees from the market area?”

Zhu Qiang pondered for a moment before replying.

“Yes, we did. Since we’re temporarily constructing a big compound here, all extra fees were refunded!”

“Alright. Except for the shops reserved for Mingsha Tourism’s self-operation, all other spaces will be leased at standard rates. But there’s one thing we need to make clear before we start leasing.”

“What’s that?”

“Brother Hao mentioned that since this area is defined by its ancient town charm, we should go all out with it. Tenants can design their own distinctive signs, but they must have an antique flair! Vertical hangings are fine too.”

“Also, when reporting for work, it’s best to wear traditional Hanfu.”

Zhu Qiang outlined the leasing standards.

Step by step, with ancient architecture, old institutes, and historic pavilions already defining the signature of 256, why not commit fully to the theme?

“Alright, that should be fine.”

Luo Peng’s eyes lit up.

Even though the Shadou area hasn’t been too busy recently, the number of tourists hasn’t dropped much. Plus, with inspection teams from the Provincial Tourism and Cultural Heritage departments, we’re averaging about 500 visitors a day.

This time, Qixia Town built nearly a hundred courtyard houses. Each courtyard contains eight guest rooms. Tourists can rent an entire courtyard or individual rooms. How many visitors can 800 rooms accommodate?

At least over a thousand.

Consequently, many merchants in Mingsha County have spotted the opportunity, constantly calling about shop rentals. Offering to design unique ancient-themed signs isn’t even an issue.

“Yeah. With Brother Hao away and so much work pending, Mingsha County’s water and power are nearly delivered to our border. We need to start early so that once they arrive, we can hook them up to Oasis 1.”

“So, we must prepare manpower in advance! Also, the fire department team will be visiting the desert soon to set up a branch. When that happens, President Luo, you’ll handle the reception.”

“And don’t forget about the artifact selection for Tengwang Pavilion!”

Zhu Qiang took a deep breath.

“I dare not dwell on it—the more I think, the more unfinished tasks I see.”

“Take the artifact screening, for instance. We expected locals to be reluctant, keeping their treasures private. But now, many are willing to display heirlooms at Tengwang Pavilion. Rental income plus potential sales from interested collectors has sparked a surge in enthusiasm. Many even brought out cherished family treasures, and word has it that several people from Wei City sent in their desert-themed antiques.”

With so many items coming in, we’ll need to carefully select what to exhibit. Some locals even brought an old stone trough used for feeding cattle. We can’t possibly display everything.

In short, the workload is enormous.

“Alright! When is Brother Hao leaving and how long will he stay in Yan City?”

“He’ll probably head out in a day or two. As for how long he’ll remain, that’s hard to say—he mentioned this trip to Yan City is mainly about the Ancient Architecture Institute.”

“Oh!”

“Forget about the details. Let’s aim to complete the preliminary work before Brother Hao returns.”

“Alright!”

Meanwhile…

At the upper corridor of Tengwang Pavilion, Xu Hao rounded a corner. At his side walked a young man about 1.8 meters tall, dressed casually and roughly his age.

“Haozi, you’re unbelievable. How many things did you manage to do in college behind our backs?”

Gazing at the scenic view and the ancient structures of Oasis 1, the young man couldn’t help but exclaim.

It was none other than Fang Hou, Xu Hao’s college roommate who had agreed to star in the upcoming drama with him.

“It’s all for the sake of making a living!”

Xu Hao laughed.

After all, ancient architecture is now his trademark—whether he admits it or not is beside the point.

“Impressive! So, how much money has been invested in this desert project overall? Two guesthouses at the oasis, an ancient town, and a wooden Tengwang Pavilion?”

Fang Hou asked in amazement.

He had arrived in Hongsha Gang Village at 7 this morning and had overheard plenty of local chatter along the way.

“It all comes from survival bonuses at first; then, as money came in, we reinvested bit by bit. Besides, the Mingsha Tourism account doesn’t hold much these days.”

Xu Hao didn’t hide the share structure of Mingsha Tourism.

Fang Hou and he were college dorm brothers, inseparable for life. Apart from the time he was known as one of the Xu Family’s six sons, they shared almost no secrets.

“Mingsha Tourism really makes that kind of profit?”

Fang Hou was utterly stunned.

If an outside company were to develop this desert, the cost for so much ancient construction would easily approach a billion. But Mingsha Tourism has only been around for less than two months since its registration.

“Current income is steady, but expenditures on desert construction are even greater. Next, we need to extend electricity, water, and roads. The road alone, though only five kilometers and free of demolition or difficult tunneling, has bids starting at fifty million from construction companies.”

Xu Hao forced a bitter laugh.

He had hoped to complete the road early, but the bids far exceeded what Mingsha Tourism could bear. So, road construction will be postponed until after water and power are sorted out.

The new ancient town is a large-scale project; water and power can no longer rely on underground water from the oasis or diesel generators.

“There’s no way around it—every project these days starts at tens of millions!”

“Wait a minute. With such limited funds in the company, how are we going to shoot the drama?”

Fang Hou was still lamenting the challenges and costs of the desert project when he suddenly snapped back to reality.

On the way here, Xu Hao had already briefed him about the plan.

Like Mingsha Tourism, they intend to launch a new cultural company. Xu Hao’s Haoran Investment Company will hold 90% of the shares, Fang Hou will serve as the legal representative with 5%, and the remaining 5% will be reserved for talent recruitment and equity incentives.

As for content production:

Xu Hao will handle directing and scriptwriting, while Fang Hou manages casting, production approvals, and other tasks.

“There’s definitely money for this drama! I’ll take my share separately, so as not to affect the cultural company’s equity structure with Mingsha Tourism funds.”

Xu Hao declared.

“There is? How much?”

Fang Hou asked eagerly.

“Two million!”

Xu Hao glanced toward the guesthouses, making it clear that these two million were entirely separate from Mingsha Tourism’s funds—saved from live-streaming gifts and official bonus incentives over the past month.

Of course, the two million had already been taxed and withdrawn into his private account.

“What? Two million? Didn’t you say that as long as we avoided big-name actors the funds would be ample? Now our budget is only two million, and half of it might be spent on renting a professional camera.”

Fang Hou almost jumped out of his skin.

Seeing the scale of the desert guesthouses, he had thought the investment would be at least tens of millions, but it turned out to be just two million.

With two million, you can barely afford a third-rate actor in today’s market.

“What’s wrong with two million? We can rent the camera equipment, and since the script and locations are in-house, there’s no extra cost. Essentially, our biggest expense is hiring five lead actors.”

Xu Hao laughed and patted Fang Hou on the shoulder, trying to ease his rising frustration.

Xu Hao’s chuckle lingered as he reassured his friend, determined to make the most of their limited budget.