Chapter 104

Perhaps because the topic of civil service exams was too sensitive, Jiang Baili coughed and proactively changed the subject, asking Wei Sheng to explain the situation he just mentioned about Haitangyuan Street.

Having held a high position for so long, he sometimes could only rely on…

Wei Sheng quickly explained the situation of “The Wage Earners” program crew filming at the Haitangyuan Street Elderly Care Service Center.

After finishing, his social boldness flared up. This guy, unbelievably fearless, took out his phone and said he was worried that his explanation wasn’t vivid enough. He asked to add Jiang Baili as a friend so he could send him the program link for “The Wage Earners.”

The provincial and municipal leaders accompanying them broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this.

This kid’s guts are bigger than the sky! None of them had dared to ask the big boss to add them as a friend, and here he was… asking directly?

Even Jiang Baili froze for a second.

At his level, hardly anyone dared to add him as a friend anymore—not that they didn’t want to, but they simply didn’t dare.

For subordinates, the biggest taboo was putting pressure on the leader face-to-face. Now here you are, just whipping out your phone… Is the leader supposed to add you or not? For people who don’t move in the same circles, forcing a friend request would just be awkward for both sides…

Wei Sheng regretted it the moment he pulled out his phone. How did he dare? This was a real heavyweight. Even people in their ** probably didn’t have Jiang Baili’s personal WeChat. How could he possibly add a nobody like him?

Awkward, right?

Just when he was about to put his phone away, Jiang Baili unexpectedly smiled, pulled out his own phone, unlocked the screen, and offered his QR code: “Scan me?”

Holy crap! This guy actually got Jiang Baili on WeChat?

The surrounding officials were dumbfounded, their eyes nearly turning red with jealousy.

They wanted to add Jiang Baili too! (╥﹏╥)

This was a real top-tier boss!!

These days, the energy system was incredibly important. Every city, during peak electricity demand, would practically beg and grovel for a bit more electricity allocation. If they could get direct access to someone like Jiang Baili… The way the officials now looked at Wei Sheng was getting increasingly intense.

Word was, this guy was just a contract worker at the TV station? What was the station doing? With someone this “uniquely talented,” how had they not locked him into a proper position?

What if he signed up for the national civil service exam this year and actually passed?

For a moment, the leaders in charge of various departments couldn’t help but start scheming…

“Weird… It’s broad daylight, not even nighttime, why do I suddenly feel like I’m being watched?” After adding Jiang Baili on WeChat and sending him both the main episode and the behind-the-scenes clips from “The Wage Earners,” Wei Sheng suddenly felt a chill all over, like he’d bumped into a ghost.

Jiangdong Town really did have something spooky about it. He’d better hurry back and grab a bowl of ginger sugar water from Auntie Zhang’s stall!

Wei Sheng’s idea of the “Time Travel-Themed Senior Tour Group” was just too fitting for Jiangdong Town!

After all, while most cities across the country were busy tearing down the old and building the new, Jiangdong Town, because of the enormous cost of subsidence control, hadn’t attracted any developers willing to take the risk. Though it missed out on the national wave of old city redevelopment, as the saying goes, “What’s lost in the east may be gained in the west.” These leftover old streets and houses, full of mid-20th-century style, were a nostalgia bomb waiting to go off.

Thinking about it, maybe Wei Sheng was onto something—besides niche tourism projects for young people, why not develop a nostalgia-themed sightseeing program targeting retirees?

“I think Xiao Wei’s idea is worth discussing. Let’s all weigh in…”

With a single word from the big boss, the room exploded into lively discussion.

Wang Qun, sweating profusely, quickly signaled the cameraman to stop filming.

Couldn’t they see the big shots were now discussing serious matters? No way this could be casually filmed and aired.

But even though the meeting couldn’t be filmed, with a directive from the boss, did Wang Qun not know what he should be shooting instead?

“Let’s go! We’re heading to the Jiangdong Coal Mine Old Factory Area for a walk!”

This time, because Jiang Baili was present, the crew didn’t dare livestream. Unexpectedly, this air of secrecy only made the fans even more curious—could it be that the Mine Mountain Theme Park was already built?

Of course not that fast. Inspired by Wei Sheng, and with a directive from the big boss, Wang Qun—who had originally planned to shoot an episode about planning concepts—immediately pivoted and decided to go film the old Jiangdong Coal Mine Living Area instead!

However, getting into that place to film wasn’t going to be easy.

Decades ago, when Jiangdong Town hadn’t yet suffered large-scale subsidence, the miners never anticipated such problems. When dorms were assigned, everyone schemed and pulled strings to get a spot closer to the mine for easier commuting. Even when building their own houses, they chose locations as close to the mine as possible.

Because of this, when the entire underground of Jiangdong Town was hollowed out, the first places to collapse—aside from the factory area—were the former miners’ residential zones.

“Director Wang, this really isn’t allowed! I know the show means well for Jiangdong Town, and that’s all the more reason we can’t let you risk this!” The town’s officials desperately tried to stop Wang Qun’s reckless idea.

“Wait! Director Wang, you want to film in the residential area? Then hire me! I know a way in.” Jiang Weiguo suddenly squeezed out from the crowd, eagerly volunteering to the production team.

Ever since reconciling with his daughter, Jiang Weiguo had become even more obsessed with making money. He suddenly realized that although he had managed to replace his granddaughter’s gold bracelet, back when his daughter got married, he and his wife had only given her a few new quilts and some cheap pots and pans as a dowry. Thinking back, sending their daughter off with such a meager dowry… who knew how much the Qiao family relatives had laughed at them.

The more Jiang Weiguo thought about it, the guiltier he felt.

He and his wife had already discussed it: while they were still healthy and able to work, and with all the small businesses booming in Jiangdong Town lately, they were determined to save up another 200,000 yuan. Together with the 300,000 they had already saved, when their time came, they’d leave it all for their granddaughter as her wedding dowry. It would be their way, as grandparents, of making it up to her… Their daughter’s dowry couldn’t be redone, but at least they could make up for it with their granddaughter.

The high salary the production team offered last time had left a lasting impression on Jiang Weiguo. When he heard they were back, he didn’t even bother with the small shop at home, left it to his wife, and rushed over—just in time to catch the team looking for help.

Hearing that Jiang Weiguo was bold enough to venture into the miners’ residential area and even planned to lead the crew inside, the township officials nearly fainted.

“Ridiculous! This is pure nonsense! Jiang Weiguo, do you want money or your life?” Two township officials, furious, rushed forward, ready to drag Jiang Weiguo away.

Making money was fine, but not at the cost of one’s life.

“Wait! Let’s hear what Old Jiang has to say first. What if he really has a way in?” Wang Qun, who also had a history of risking it all for good footage, grabbed Jiang Weiguo’s arm and wouldn’t let go.

Wang Qun still remembered Jiang Weiguo’s impressive underground tunnel navigation during the last shoot. As the saying goes, an old horse knows the way. The township officials who sat in offices all day might actually know less about the subsidence zone than people like Jiang Weiguo who’d worked the mines.

Surprisingly, Jiang Weiguo really did have a way.

“Heh~ You probably don’t know this, but back when the first collapses started at Jiangdong Coal Mine, the mine management held meetings to discuss it. They eventually decided to re-survey the underground tunnels and designate a safe area where they built a new batch of dorms. Originally, those were meant for the leadership to live in, but who would’ve thought…”

Jiang Weiguo rubbed his nose and continued, “Subsidence spreads like a chain reaction. When one area collapsed, others followed. But that new dorm area was definitely safer than the old miners’ quarters.”

“I know a route that can take you inside. Don’t let the term ‘new dorms’ fool you though—those buildings are over twenty years old now. A few have already collapsed, so the place looks about the same as the old quarters.”

“Also, back when the mine was sending people underground to survey, I went along too, so I know which areas don’t have tunnels underneath…”

“Wait! Old Jiang, if you knew this, why didn’t you tell us?” The township officials were about to lose it.

Why hadn’t they heard of such critical information?

“You never offered me 500 yuan a day as a guide…” Jiang Weiguo muttered under his breath.

The officials: “…”

Money really can make the devil dance! This old guy was even more cunning than a fox!

Wang Qun was grinning ear to ear.

“Brother Weiguo, I’ll give you a raise! 1,000 yuan a day! We’re filming in Jiangdong Town for three more days—3,000 yuan total. If you can guide us through the entire old miners’ residential area and factory zone, when we’re done, I’ll personally give you another 1,000 as a bonus!”

Four thousand yuan in three days?

Forget Jiang Weiguo, even the township officials were turning green with envy.

This was a poor township—most of them barely earned just over 4,000 yuan a month!

Amid the fans’ eager anticipation, the “Retracing the Path of Poverty Alleviation” Jiangdong Coal Mine Special aired on schedule at 8:05 PM Saturday night.

Just like a hit novel that keeps releasing bonus chapters thanks to reader demand, this season of “Retracing the Path of Poverty Alleviation” had become so popular that one special episode followed another. By the time this season ended, the number of specials would probably outnumber the main episodes.

What’s more, the view counts for these specials stayed impressively high!

Especially the Jiangdong Coal Mine episode—everyone was curious: with a collapsing, abandoned mine everywhere, how did the production team manage to bring new life to such a poverty-stricken township?

After the last episode aired, online discussions exploded. Many, unfamiliar with things like live-action roleplaying or escape rooms, were skeptical—some even pessimistically believed that by the time Jiangdong Town finished building their immersive game venue, the trend would already be over… Wouldn’t all that investment just go down the drain?

But no one expected the show to directly address this concern in this special episode!

When a township official casually hinted on-camera that in Phase Two of the Mine Mountain Theme Park they’d be launching a “nostalgia-themed series,” not just the elderly, even many young viewers got excited!

Especially veteran web novel readers who loved retro-themed fiction—hearing that Jiangdong Town planned to build a “Retro Fiction Theme Park” in Phase Two? Wow! The hype was real!

Just imagine—before, they could only read about how their grandparents lived decades ago. Now, with just a ticket, they could literally “time-travel” back to the last century…

Look at these authentic miner dorms!

Look at this perfectly retro-looking Supply and Marketing Cooperative storefront!

And the miners’ cafeteria, the public bathhouse, the barber shop, the old bookstore, the post office…

“Nowadays when young people play games, don’t they love NPCs? We plan to recruit a batch of retired local miners and their families, dress them up in the clothes and shoes from that era, and turn this entire neighborhood into a fully immersive retro street.”

“Everything sold in the shops, even the snacks from the street vendors, will all be authentic to that time period.”

“Oh, and we’re also planning to partner with the post office to reopen one here. We’ll print a batch of vintage-style coal mine-themed envelopes, stationery, and stamps. Visitors can write letters here and mail them to their relatives or friends. I bet anyone receiving such a time-traveling letter would be thrilled.”

Netizens: “…”

Thrilled, for sure… but the problem is, their mailboxes downstairs had been rusty for years, and no one even knew where the keys had gone (╥﹏╥)

So before they visit Jiangdong Town’s “Retro Fiction Theme Park,” do they need to fix their own mailboxes first?