HLM – Chapter 1007 Flames Across the Land

From sunset onward, the group roasted food over the fire and kept eating all the way until midnight.

They drank baijiu this time—according to them, it was real aged Moutai that Yang Zhilong had someone deliver yesterday. Wang Bo drank two cups; after warming it slightly over the fire, the aroma indeed filled the air.

The two of them stayed in Sunset Town for three days before leaving. Before they left, Ye Qipeng pointed at the villa and said, “That one—yes, the one facing the flower fields—I’m buying it. Once the price comes out, contact A-Lang.”

Though he only stayed in Sunset Town for a short time, he felt completely at ease. Especially during these three days in the castle—every sleep was so restful that he woke up each time feeling refreshed and invigorated.

When he first arrived at Sunset Town, he still had heavy eye bags and a tired gaze. Three days later, when he left, he looked spirited and energized again.

Yang Zhilong had also rested well. He said, “Then I’m going to be old Ye’s neighbor. I’ll take the one on the left. Left is superior to right—I’ll pick a spot just a bit more prestigious than his.”

The villas were nearing completion, and Porter had gone to design the promotional plans. But before any promotional campaign even began, two villas were already sold.

Wang Bo laughed, “You two aren’t joking, right? If you’re really buying, I’ll really reserve them for you.”

“A-Lang, leave a deposit for Xiao Wang. You pick one as well—the one to my right,” Ye Qipeng said cheerfully. “Two villas—when we retire someday, we’ll come live here long-term.”

A-Lang smiled warmly. “Alright, Boss Ye. Then I’ll gladly bask in your good fortune.”

Wang Bo secretly clicked his tongue. Ye Qipeng really was rich. Sunset Town wasn’t Wellington, the political hub, nor was it a big city like Auckland—but the villas here certainly weren’t cheap.

These villas were built with top-tier materials. The marble was shipped all the way from China, and materials from Greece, the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, and Australia were also used.

Just the cost price alone for one villa was around 400,000 NZD. After Wang Bo’s initial discussion with Porter, they planned to list each villa for at least 2 million NZD!

Yet Ye Qipeng casually spent 4 million NZD—20 million RMB—without blinking. A truly massive gesture.

After spending these few days with them, Wang Bo also noticed how unusually close he and A-Lang were. A-Lang wasn’t just his assistant—he was also his steward and brother-in-arms.

If his relationship with Yang Zhilong could be called deep camaraderie from their school days, then his bond with A-Lang was that of brothers who had fought through trenches together.

Yang Zhilong laughed as well. “I’ll transfer the deposit when I get back. I’m definitely buying a villa here as a vacation home. Sunset Town is great—the scenery and the climate are both amazing. I didn’t even get constipated these three days!”

After sending the two off, Wang Bo sighed lightly.

These two were undoubtedly powerful, wealthy tycoons—but he himself didn’t want to live that kind of life.

Over the three days, maybe they felt they were on vacation—but in Wang Bo’s eyes, they still seemed to be fighting a business war. It wasn’t about their constant phone calls, but their state of mind. Everything they did was measured by the minute.

Climbing mountains to watch the sunrise—racing against time. Boating and fishing—racing against time. Drinking at the bar or listening to music at a café—still racing against time.

Only during those two hours inside the glowworm cave did they completely forget the clock. The two of them sat there quietly, immersed in thought—that was their one true moment of relaxation.

The glowworm cave was now ready for trial operation. The feedback from all visitors who went in gave Wang Bo immense confidence. This attraction would definitely become Sunset Town’s signature.

There was no need for firecrackers or loud announcements. In late April, a frost descended, and the glowworm cave officially opened for trial runs.

To protect the insects’ survival and reproduction, Wang Bo set a cap of one hundred visitors per day. Reservations were required to enter.

Sunset Town’s tourism industry was already booming. The town had hired a large number of service personnel, many of whom were locals—solving a major employment issue.

It also helped raise his approval rating. But now, he wasn’t sure he even needed to worry—there were still six months before the election, and no one seemed interested in competing against him.

In the morning, Wang Bo went to check things out—and found not a single visitor.

The entrance to the glowworm cave had triple-layer security, ensuring absolutely no accidents. The outside was decorated with informational panels about luminous fungus gnats and even had VR simulations of the cave interior—though the real thing was far superior.

Seeing him arrive, the person in charge gave a bitter smile. “Boss, we need publicity. Our marketing isn’t enough, and the price is too high…”

“A hundred dollars is high? You can stay inside for up to two hours,” Wang Bo said.

The man continued to smile wryly. One hundred dollars—in almost any theme park in New Zealand, that would get you an all-day pass. Naturally, that price scared off many people.

But Wang Bo refused to budge. If people didn’t want to visit, that was fine—better for the fungus gnats to thrive.

Since the glowworm cave wasn’t meeting expectations yet, he didn’t worry. He turned his attention to the farm’s construction preparations.

The Ministry of Environment had approved it—he could now burn off the dry grass within the farm boundaries.

New Zealanders were extremely strict about such matters. The ministry even assigned two staff members to supervise the burning’s area and timing.

Since frost made ignition difficult, Wang Bo chose the evening.

A full day of sunlight had evaporated the melted frost and surface water.

At dusk, as the sun set behind the mountains, fiery clouds lit up the sky, half of it glowing red—a beautiful sight.

More than ten pickup trucks drove onto the farm. Behind these trucks were “fire scythes”—not the ignition tools Wang Bo remembered from his hometown, but thick braids of highly flammable plant fibers. Once lit, they burned fiercely.

As the trucks moved forward, the burning “braids” swung behind them, spreading flames across the dry grass.

Because these fiery bundles swayed wildly as the trucks moved, they looked like the god of fire swinging a giant scythe—hence the name.

A dozen fire scythes ignited at once. As the trucks roared forward, the burning braids swept powerfully across the fields. Wherever they passed, flames surged violently!

Wang Bo watched with a group of kids. The commander shouted, “Ah! Fire burning the butt! Ah! Fire burning the butt!”

The commissar blinked, unable to comprehend what was happening—its intelligence wasn’t that high.

The little princess was startled by the flames and immediately dove into Dale’s arms—but since it had grown much larger, its impact knocked the girl to the ground.

Seeing this, Zhuang Ding was overjoyed. He rushed forward, trying to climb on top of the girl.

Dale executed a perfect “rabbit kick,” her now-long legs shooting out hard and kicking Zhuang Ding right in the mouth, making him suck in cold air in pain.

“Get lost!”

Zhuang Ding tucked his tail and ran off.