Chapter 1 The First Round
After the first round of touring the Blue Star tourist area with the tourists, Lu Mingming did indeed discover some issues.
In a nutshell, including the unreleased projects, there were too few elements that truly showcased the local culture of Blue Star.
Lu Mingming had to discuss adding some new projects with the chief, and they had to be completed within a month.
After long and careful consideration, the two of them finally undertook a major renovation of the Blue Star tourist area.
For instance, a stage was built on the side of the palace, and students from a professional dance school were specifically hired. Lu Mingming, with her half-baked skills, collaborated with the interpersonal resources provided by Olannar to create something that resembled traditional opera.
The costumes were also redesigned and iterated upon multiple times, with ten sets of magnificent opera costumes finally being finalized.
In addition, Lu Mingming enhanced the immersive atmosphere of Blue Star.
A towering evergreen tree was transplanted onto the wooden bridge crossing the river and named the Marriage Tree.
Sparse red wood and red ribbons were hung on the tree, symbolizing wishes and blessings. Beside the bridge was a perfect spot for releasing sky lanterns and guessing lantern riddles.
According to Blue Star's solar terms, the official opening of the tourism festival coincided with the local Reunion Festival.
For this occasion, Lu Mingming specially prepared many red paper cuttings to paste onto paper lanterns, and also developed mooncakes in various flavors.
These projects would require a considerable amount of time for the craftsmen to construct.
The time to purchase tickets was drawing closer.
The previous live broadcast had a massive impact. After watching the entire broadcast, most people, still craving more, forwarded it to their family chat groups or team-building groups, discussing where to go for their next gathering.
Cactus ball and cactus flower were among them.
The two of them had argued for a long time about the "battle" between Lu Mingming and the new streamer.
Until the Blue Star tourism live broadcast was announced, the two of them unified their front, officially declaring a truce, and synchronously upgraded all their home internet to the fastest in the interstellar era, determined to secure tickets to Blue Star.
Three days before the countdown.
People began to construct forums, discussing how to snatch tickets and the rules for purchasing them.
Two days before the countdown.
Most people had already found or reserved the most suitable viewing positions.
Hotels near the research institute were almost fully booked, followed by special private rooms in high-end internet cafes.
Without any prior preparation, the fastest network installation across the entire interstellar era had completed a year's worth of targets within a month.
Everyone was just waiting to snatch tickets.
At this very moment, everyone was full of confidence, believing they would definitely be able to make this trip to Blue Star.
On the last day of the countdown.
Most people couldn't wait and set dozens of alarm clocks.
On the streets, everyone was discussing ticket snatching, and occasionally passersby would join the conversation, expressing their excitement and fantasies.
One second before the countdown.
Snatch!
Across the interstellar regions, countless hands pressed the [Buy Ticket] button at the exact same time.
Simultaneously, a chorus of curses could be heard from every location.
Without hardware support, the moment they clicked into the interstellar network, it froze into a white screen. Once it slightly improved, the progress bar remained stuck in the middle of the computer screen.
Finally, after a long wait, it jumped to the ticketing interface. Upon clicking, they discovered with devastation that not a single ticket was left.
For every person who rejoiced overnight, there was one who despaired.
Blue Star had strictly limited scalper purchases, as promised to the tourists. Yet, at this moment, they hated these useless scalpers, as not a single one of them had managed to grab many tickets.
The next day, Blue Star tourism tickets selling out in two seconds became a top trending topic on the interstellar network, announcing the fastest ticket sales speed in the tourism galaxy.
Receiving such fortunate good news, the people of Blue Star worked even harder, and the efficiency of the masters increased day by day.
As soon as the first batch of construction was completed, witnessing ancient culture awaken from their hands and be loved by everyone, the satisfaction of being recognized was incomparable to anything else.
…
On this day, Lu Mingming distributed a special small gift to everyone living on Blue Star.
A strong aura of reluctance and sadness permeated the air.
"The auction festival is handled by Wang Tianhai, and it's held every three months. Remember, you must not be discovered.
The new batch of staff I've hired will arrive next month. You need to train them thoroughly then; you cannot let these people tarnish Blue Star's reputation.
Oh, right…"
Lu Mingming gave instructions one by one.
Behind her, a completely black, luxurious, and elegant aircraft was docked, and burly men were moving all the luggage from Blue Star.
The little boy who liked Lu Mingming the most tightly gripped her palm, his small, soft hand refusing to let go.
"If you have a large quantity of tea, you can sell it on the interstellar network. I used to make small biscuits with tea in the Alliance. With so much product, the tea quantity is likely the largest."
Lu Mingming spoke with meticulous detail.
Blue Star had now achieved some scale, and Lu Mingming was genuinely satisfied, naturally not wanting all her hard work to go to waste.
"Also, you need to regularly distribute the videos I recorded. They must last until I return. The next tourism festival will depend on your efforts. I've taught you everything you need to know; you must make Blue Star better and better.
After picking up the little cub, I'll hurry back to supervise you."
Lu Mingming gently stroked the head of the little cub by her leg.
"Are you really leaving?"
Aunt Shi, standing in the crowd, asked calmly.
"Yes, I've received very important news and must return quickly to verify it."
Lu Mingming replied earnestly, her attitude firm and unwavering.
"Alright."
Aunt Shi ultimately said nothing more, only embracing her tightly.
"Don't worry, although my strength isn't what it used to be, I still have some experience in raising cubs."
After the embrace, Aunt Shi pulled over the little boy, who was crying rivers of tears and snot.
"You're allowed to cry this one time today. From now on, you'll train well with me."
The little boy's cries intensified, his chubby face scrunched up, unsure if it was because of the training or because Lu Mingming was leaving.
"Everyone, you don't need to see me off; I'll be back soon."
Lu Mingming, touched by their emotions, felt a gnawing soreness rise in her heart.
She held back her tears and decisively turned her head, never looking back.
On the aircraft's flagpole, a giant banner fluttered in the wind.
The center of the banner had a bright background, with a skull wearing a magnificent pirate captain's hat holding a telescope and looking forward, inexplicably bringing a sense of eeriness and pressure.
This was the plan provided by the bald man, designed to deter most pirate teams who might want to attack to the greatest extent.
"Alright, it's not like you're not coming back. Go back to Blue Star and work hard after you find the little cub."
The little boss suddenly appeared beside Lu Mingming.
He seemed oblivious to these emotions, pouring cold water on them.
"This time you've gathered all three keys to the Mermaid Treasure, so we have nothing to worry about!"
The little boss was ambitious, wishing he could teleport to the Phantom Sea.
Lu Mingming ignored him and quietly stayed by the railing to calm her emotions.
"I'm just boring myself."
The little boss muttered, turning to leave.
Suddenly, he saw three men walk towards Lu Mingming at the entrance of the aircraft.
The little boss's round eyes darted, and he abruptly started a new topic.
"So, have you decided who to choose? Those three men."
With his peripheral vision, he clearly saw the men's movements pause for half a beat.
This was truly interesting.
The little boss, with a spectator's mentality, wanted to watch a good show.
As the words reached Lu Mingming's ears, she immediately snapped back to attention and glared at the little boss exasperatedly.
Lu Mingming immediately turned around and nearly bumped into Olannar.
The fresh and rich scent of cedar hit her nose, and she inexplicably thought of Olannar's words from earlier, quickening her pace with a blush.
"What is it, you're not saying anything at all. I really wanted to know if I guessed correctly..."
The little boss sheepishly rubbed his nose, then smiled and faced the three death stares behind him: "Shouldn't we discuss the Mermaid Treasure?"
Back in her room, Lu Mingming immediately lay down to sleep, banishing all distracting thoughts.
She slept until she reached the vicinity of the Phantom Sea.
This time, they were fortunate enough to encounter no issues with the warp point, and the journey was smooth and uneventful.
The Phantom Sea was a region where the sea was truly the main territory.
Inside the cities were lakes of various colors reaching up to the abdomen, usually navigated by boat.
Aircraft were of no use here; they needed to be replaced with airships or local fishermen had to be hired.
Xianluo Qibu, being wealthy and extravagant, unhesitatingly chartered an airship, transitioning to a more comfortable environment.
The little boss and Lu Mingming were squeezed together again.
After not seeing him for an afternoon, the little boss had become much more docile. His eyes occasionally drifted towards the trio in the back seats, and he couldn't stop his nagging: "What does this mean... the three of them are restraining each other, pushing me out to be the fall guy... and they threatened me because they were unhappy."