HLM – Chapter 1008 The Alarm Appears

For countless years the land of the farm had never been cultivated. Thick weeds, bracken, and shrubs grew everywhere. In spring and summer, when Wang Bo stepped into the fields, the weeds could reach up to his upper thighs!

So once that thick layer of weeds was set on fire, the flames erupted with ferocious intensity!

Blazing flames surged skyward. The dry shrubs crackled loudly as they burned. Countless sparks danced, some drifting upward with the gentle wind, glowing like fireflies.

“It’s so beautiful,” Dale exclaimed from atop the vehicle.

Princess was nearly scared to pee herself—she hid behind Dale’s legs, gripping them tightly with her front paws. She would occasionally peek outside, only to shiver in fear.

In the distance, pickup trucks continued roaring across the fields, racing against the fire. If the flames caught up, the consequences would be disastrous. So yes, the job was dangerous.

But the flames could never run that fast. After all, these were dry grasses—not gasoline. The fire was fierce, but its spread wasn’t particularly fast.

However, with the pickup trucks pulling the fire-scythes, the leaping flames looked spectacular. No wonder the commander called this “fire chasing your butt.” The fire-scythes really did leave flames chasing right behind the trucks.

A single spark can start a prairie fire.

Now there were fire-scythes everywhere, and the land was covered in flammable dry grass and shrubs. Once ignited, the blaze was even more intense. Soon, tens of square kilometers had turned into a sea of fire.

Gradually, townsfolk and tourists came to watch. Someone shouted, “My god, THIS is the real Flame Mountain!”

This wasn’t Flame Mountain—it was a fire ocean.

Countless wild rabbits and mice fled from the depths of the grass. Their fur caught fire even more easily than weeds. Unless they were near the edges, everything inside was doomed.

The Māori spectators enjoyed the sight. They began playing “waiting by the stump”—holding clubs in their hands, smashing any rabbit or mouse that ran out.

Rabbits could be collected and eaten. Mice could also be gathered to exchange for money. The Māori men felt delighted at the thought.

Unfortunately, Wang Bo wasn’t stupid. He told Atulu, “Go tell your people—any mice burned by fire can’t be exchanged for rewards.”

Atulu was holding a bag of mice himself; hearing this, he cried out miserably, “Don’t do this, boss! I collected the most!”

More rabbits and mice flooded out, but fortunately, a wide isolation trench had already been dug around the farm. The burning animals couldn’t escape; otherwise the entire Sunset Town would have turned into a massive bonfire.

The Māori didn’t mind. Since burned mice were useless, they switched to handling rabbits—bleeding them, skinning them, chopping off heads, removing organs, and roasting them over campfires.

As night fell, the burning fields became even more magnificent.

Tens of square kilometers engulfed in flames, thick smoke rising and blotting out the sky—the scene was unforgettable for a lifetime.

But the fire didn’t last long. Many areas burned for only about ten minutes. The entire ranch burned for barely an hour before everything turned black.

Wang Bo covered his nose, but he could still smell the ash of scorched vegetation. It would take two or three days at least for the smell to disperse.

The dry grasses and shrubs had all burned into ash—natural fertilizer. The next day, a large number of rotary tillers entered the farm to begin the first round of plowing.

This plowing was meant to uproot grass and tree roots and mix the ash into the soil. The real deep loosening would come later. Wang Bo left this to his subordinates.

Building a farm required lots of machinery—and lots of construction. For example, grain silos: at least twenty were needed for forty square kilometers, and each one cost 100,000 NZD!

Back in the office, Wang Bo reviewed the farm development plan. It required over ten million NZD. But considering the area was forty square kilometers, the investment wasn’t outrageous.

As he studied the booklet, the sand table suddenly opened on its own, and the warning-heart he had drawn during Easter began shaking in midair.

Since the new year, he had drawn several more Territory Hearts. One of the ranches had reached Level 3, while the other two had upgraded to Level 2.

The Lake Heart had also upgraded to Level 3. The café and residential district Territory Hearts had gone from Level 1 to Level 2.

But the most mysterious was this Warning Heart. Its function should be to give alerts—yet since acquiring it, Wang Bo had never seen it work.

The bell made no sound, but its flashing was extremely obvious.

After the sand table opened, the bell flickered for a moment, then traced a green line across the map.

Wang Bo followed the line. The alert stopped in a barren area near the west end of Highway 8. Several vehicles were parked at the roadside.

There was a box truck, an RV, and two SUVs.

He was startled. He hadn’t used any Territory Hearts on that region. Logically, he shouldn’t be able to see anything happening there.

But now he could. At least for this moment, because of the Warning Heart, he could temporarily observe the area.

With access to the scene, he watched someone unload a small box from one of the vehicles. When opened, it was full of cash!

Zooming in, he saw stacks of hundred-dollar bills—must be at least 400,000 to 500,000 NZD.

The men from the pickup truck counted headcount, then hugged a scarf-wearing man. They patted each other’s shoulders, speaking about something.

Surrounding them were four burly men, eyes alert. One lifted his jacket, revealing the outline of a handgun.

The sight made Wang Bo tense. These people looked like they were conducting some illegal business.

In fact, “looked like” could be removed. If the Warning Heart specifically alerted him, these men were definitely suspicious.

Soon after, the box truck continued west, leaving Sunset Town territory. Wang Bo could no longer see it. The other vehicles formed a convoy and headed toward town center.

He thought for a moment, then casually told his men:

“Everyone’s getting too lazy lately. Even if it’s cold, we can’t just stay cooped up in the office all day. Otherwise, how are we different from city cops?”

“You’re right, boss—we should get moving,” Atulu responded. “But… can we go after lunch?”

Wang Bo glared at him. “Eat, eat, eat… I knew you were waiting for lunchtime to slack off! No way. Grab your gear—we’re going out to take a look. See if any suspicious vehicles have shown up.”