Chapter 92: Nightfall in Haishi

Nightfall.

At Haishi Airport Hotel, Xu Hao had just finished his discussion with Fang Hou.

After arriving in Haishi, Xu Hao not only visited his old apartment to retrieve all his personal belongings and settle accounts with the landlord, but also met all the actors for “The Outlaws of Martial Arts” that Fang Hou had lined up.

One must admit, Fang Hou’s casting skills are truly top-notch.

The actors he assembled bore an uncanny resemblance to those leading roles on Earth, and all had signed management contracts with Haofang Culture. This move will save Haofang Culture a significant amount on their upcoming projects.

Beyond the actors, the costumes, makeup, props, and cinematography crew were all fully arranged.

They will return to Mingsha County tomorrow, and the filming of “The Outlaws of Martial Arts” will officially kick off the day after.

With everything so well-planned, the shooting schedule is expected to progress swiftly.

Ding-ling-ling. Just as Xu Hao poured a cup of coffee and was about to fine-tune the filming plan, his phone suddenly rang.

He picked it up to see it was Zhu Qiang calling.

“What’s up, Qiangzi!”

“Brother Hao, a friend just introduced someone—his friend, a formidable litigator named Zhang San! I spoke with him on the phone, and his logic is so meticulous that I barely dared exchange a few words,” Zhu Qiang explained.

Zhu Qiang elaborated further.

Ever since the incident in Mingsha County trended online, they couldn’t just stand by and watch Mingsha Tourism be defamed. Xu Hao meant to skip the small talk and get a lawyer, so he reached out to several friends, and one recommended this Zhang San.

“Zhang San?”

Xu Hao was taken aback.

He recalled that back on Earth there was a fierce guy named Zhang San. It remains unclear if this is the same person—but if it is, Mingsha Tourism could secure substantial compensation.

By the tone in Zhu Qiang’s voice, it was evident that this Zhang San was just as formidable.

“Brother Hao, what do you think?”

“Fine, let’s hire him!”

Snapping back to reality, Xu Hao didn’t hesitate.

“I’ll call him shortly. He mentioned that if we really go to court, now is the perfect time to secure evidence,” Zhu Qiang added.

Zhu Qiang confirmed his plan.

Xu Hao replied immediately, “Mm!”

“Qiangzi, about tomorrow—we’re scheduled to arrive in the desert near Qixia Town around 5 p.m. How are the preparations coming along?”

“The reserved areas in Qixia Town are all set; the crew can move in immediately. By the way, Brother Hao, after this afternoon’s press conference in the county, the Long Kingdom TV News Channel will broadcast the investigation live tomorrow. They might even track down our company. What’s our line of defense?”

After a brief pause, Zhu Qiang continued.

He is currently the president and legal representative of Mingsha Tourism—there’s no evading him.

“Don’t worry. Just stick to the truth,” Xu Hao responded without hesitation.

Xu Hao’s decision was swift.

Mingsha Tourism’s initiatives are all aimed at boosting local tourism. Sure, the county provided water, electricity, and roads to the desert plot, but that’s precisely what the local investment department is supposed to do!

“Understood!”

“My flight tomorrow might require me to turn my phone off for a few hours. If any issues arise, you and Little Luo handle it.”

“Mm!”

Time flew by, and before long it was the next day. Around 10 a.m., a government car adorned with a news sticker appeared on the streets of the county town.

“Hello, viewers. I’ve arrived at the county town of Mingsha County. Here’s an overview of the area!”

Anchor Zhang Xue stepped up to the car with her microphone, instructing the camera crew to capture the surrounding scene.

“This county is ridiculously poor!”

“It looks just like our town.”

“Exactly!”

“If the county town is really this small, it shouldn’t have cost a fortune to restore ancient buildings.”

Meanwhile, millions of viewers were tuning in live on Long Kingdom TV News Channel, and the audience numbers kept climbing.

When they saw the county’s construction standards, the live chat exploded with a flood of criticisms.

Besides ordinary citizens, numerous media outlets that couldn’t make it on-site were also watching the live broadcast.

Sun Da from Nanjiang News was among them.

At that moment,

he, along with all the viewers, was convinced that the county’s construction standards validated the earlier headlines.

“Viewers, according to today’s plan, we’ll start with a general interview in the county town, then head to the ancient building site, and finally speak with local authorities and related companies.”

Reporter Zhang Xue, ever the professional, wasn’t swayed by the live chat’s frenzy.

To her, it was hardly surprising that a poor county in the northwest differed so much from a prosperous southern town.

“There are a few locals up ahead; let’s hear their thoughts on this issue!”

Glancing at the street, Zhang Xue walked over with her microphone.

“Sir, hello. Do you know about 256 Hongsha Gang Village?”

“What about it?”

At the steps, a few elderly men were conversing. Noticing Zhang Xue’s appearance and the camera trailing behind her, they couldn’t help but eye her curiously.

“Sir, hello! We’re reporters from Long Kingdom TV News Channel. We’d like to ask you about the poverty alleviation project over there!”

Zhang Xue explained.

She posed the very question that the live audience was eager to know.

“Poverty alleviation project? What poverty alleviation project? Since when did Mingsha County have any poverty alleviation project? Journalists must be careful with their words,” one old man retorted, frowning in perplexity.

One elderly man glared, utterly confused.

The other men shared the same bewildered expression.

“No poverty alleviation project? Then… what about the ancient building tower at 256?”

Zhang Xue hurriedly pressed on.

The live chat filled with question marks! This investigation focused on how the so-called poverty alleviation project was nothing more than a facade—there wasn’t any such project. Proving this would directly discredit the news report.

“Are you referring to that ancient building tower? That’s solely an investment by Mingsha Tourism—it has nothing to do with any poverty alleviation project!”

At the mention of the ancient building, one of the elderly men suddenly understood and added,

realizing the situation and continuing further.

“Are you absolutely sure about that?” Zhang Xue inquired.

As a professional journalist, she refused to take sides.

“It’s no secret. Everyone in the county knows!” the old man replied.

“Alright, thank you very much!”

After nodding to the elderly men, Zhang Xue returned to the camera.

“Viewers, current reports from Mingsha County indicate that there is no such thing as a poverty alleviation project. Next, we’ll visit the ancient building site in the desert to get the full picture.”

“So it’s purely an investment by Mingsha Tourism? This…”

In the live chat, many viewers flooded the screen with question marks.

The expressions on the elderly men’s faces appeared genuinely candid. Could it be that Mingsha County was truly being misrepresented this time?

Meanwhile, at Nanjiang News Headquarters, Sun Da frowned, his expression growing darker.

“How could a company invest in a barren desert without any poverty alleviation funds or projects? It’s impossible! They must have prearranged something with the locals to get them to say this.”

Muttering to himself, he fixed his gaze on the live broadcast screen.

“Once the county residents are settled over there, the local villagers will surely speak the truth!”

PS: Brothers, my health is gradually improving. As long as it doesn’t relapse, I’ll resume regular updates starting tomorrow.