HLM – Chapter 1016 Fancy Pickup

Compared to the concept car that looked like an iron fortress, the interior of the F650 was slightly inferior. It didn’t have genuine leather; the steering wheel, dashboard, and center console all felt a bit rough, though the functional zones were logically arranged.

George said, “This is the style of American pickups—rugged but lacking in refinement. No matter how tough the F650 is, it’s still just a pickup, so you shouldn’t expect too much luxury.”

In addition to the speedometer and tachometer, the F650’s dashboard also included gauges for engine oil temperature, water temperature, tire pressure, and fuel level, making it easier for the driver to monitor the vehicle.

The simple, rough interior also had a benefit: there were no unnecessary frills, so the cabin space was very spacious.

“Don’t be fooled by its bulky appearance. This truck actually pays attention to interior details. Look, you can control the cargo bed right from the cabin—it can raise and lower electrically,” George explained.

Motak nodded. “For a farmer, boss, buying a Ford F650 is indeed a good choice. It’s a reliable helper for daily work, and at the same time, it can serve as a comfortable family car.”

“What about the F750?” Wang Bo asked curiously.

George replied, “The F750 costs about 25% more than the F650. It’s not so much a performance upgrade as a showcase of Ford’s future design philosophy.”

“The F750 uses a plug-in hybrid system and can charge its lithium-ion battery with a 120V/240V AC power supply. The 28 kWh battery takes five hours to fully charge. But the hybrid system adds roughly 1,600 pounds. For a farm, it’s not really practical.”

Motak added, “Right. It’s designed for investing in environmentally friendly ventures. For a New Zealand farm, the F750 isn’t as practical as the F650.”

The F650 was powerful enough, and Wang Bo was very satisfied with it.

A farm wouldn’t use only one type of pickup. The F650’s fuel consumption was enormous, so for regular use, smaller pickups would suffice. He decided to get two mid-sized F450s as a transition.

Two F450s and two F650s—four large pickups in total—cost 500,000 NZD.

George included insurance and five years of maintenance for all four vehicles, and even threw in a Ford agricultural off-road vehicle as a courtesy from Kaplan.

The Ford farm off-roader was a bit like a dune buggy, costing over 4,000 NZD. It could traverse all terrains, though comfort was minimal. This vehicle could genuinely climb mountains; despite its simplicity, even professional off-roaders couldn’t match it in the mountains.

After a satisfying card payment, George treated them to another authentic Christchurch meal. In the afternoon, they attended an agricultural machinery exhibition.

Today, the value of networking was perfectly on display. Professor Brant had helped Wang Bo make contacts. One of the exhibition organizers had studied under him as a graduate student and came personally to welcome them when Wang Bo arrived.

Motak was genuinely impressed. “Boss, your connections are impressive.”

The exhibition was massive—New Zealand’s annual agricultural machinery expo. All major machinery manufacturers from Australia and New Zealand participated, and teams came from Europe, America, and Asia.

At the entrance, Wang Bo was surprised to see a brightly colored pickup. Its hood bore an International Red Cross emblem, and the side doors had Star of Life–Caduceus markings.

“What’s this? A collaboration between healthcare and agriculture?” he asked.

He noticed the truck because of its brand—a familiar one from China he often saw back home: Great Wall Pickup.

Brant’s former student, a Māori named Tūriahuratata (nicknamed Tuta), explained, “Although this is an agricultural machinery exhibition, equipment from other industries also participates. This is a medical emergency pickup produced by China’s Great Wall Motors.”

Tuta didn’t know much about Asia and couldn’t distinguish Asian ethnicities, so he didn’t realize Wang Bo was Chinese.

Seeing a vehicle from his homeland in New Zealand made Wang Bo feel a sense of familiarity, and he wanted to take a closer look.

At the Great Wall booth, a few Chinese-looking young men and women stared curiously. Most visitors were Australian or New Zealand farmers, who had no interest in emergency vehicles.

So when Wang Bo entered with his group, two pretty young women immediately approached, enthusiastically offering tea and asking, “Hello, sir, may I ask your name?”

“My surname is Wang. No need to speak English; Mandarin will do,” Wang Bo replied.

Hearing this, they were even happier.

One man, seemingly the leader, scrutinized Wang Bo and asked, “Your surname is Wang… are you Wang Bo, the mayor of Sunset Town?”

Wang Bo smiled. “Yes. Have we met?”

The man said, “A pleasure. I’ve seen you in computer news—Sunset Town is very famous. You’re a proud Chinese in New Zealand.”

Learning his identity, the young women’s eyes lit up. As the man said, Wang Bo was a source of pride for Chinese people in New Zealand and across Oceania.

“We were planning to visit Sunset Town after this event,” one girl said. “We didn’t expect to meet the mayor.”

“You’re very welcome,” Wang Bo replied. “But what kind of vehicle is this? I’m quite interested.”

When it came to work, everyone became serious and attentive.

The man introduced it personally: “This is an emergency response truck. Our Great Wall Motors pickup division only developed it last year, mainly for overseas markets. The goal is to use the flexibility and power of a pickup for small-scale medical emergencies.”

He continued, “In foreign countries, ambulance regulations are fairly loose. Any medical crisis can call for an ambulance, but some issues don’t actually require one, which wastes resources. So our company launched an intermediate solution—a pickup medical vehicle.”

Wang Bo looked at the sleek truck. “What can it do?”

The man led him closer: “Let’s look at the cargo bed. This vehicle doesn’t transport patients. The rear holds a portable battery pack that can power specialized medical tools, heavy lifting equipment, or other rescue devices.

“The battery pack uses Leaf EV technology. Each of the seven Leaf battery modules is encased in weatherproof aluminum. Each battery pack has two input sockets and five output sockets, capable of supporting multiple simultaneous rescue operations.”