HLM – Chapter 1018 Stone Oven Barbecue

Back at the castle, Little Meng jumped down from his hatching tray, chirping as he staggered over.

Wang Bo lifted him onto his shoulder. The little guy’s claws were strong, gripping firmly as he continued chirping away.

Seeing this, Wang Bo’s face darkened as he shouted, “Commander, are you bullying Little Meng again?”

Falcons are naturally not very intelligent, but thanks to the Soul Heart artifact, Little Meng was smarter than ordinary birds. Coupled with the nurturing of the Nest Heart, he was growing quickly.

The commander heard him chirp and flew down from upstairs, looking displeased: “Ah, the commander is being good… ah, the commander listens!”

“You listen my foot! You definitely bullied Little Meng again. Come here and look at his back—whose feathers were ripped out here?” Wang Bo asked sternly.

The commander pretended not to hear, standing on a railing and preening himself.

Wang Bo’s frustration boiled over: “You little bastard! I’m doing this for your own good! You think bullying Little Meng is fun now, huh? Wait a couple months, and you’ll know what hell is!”

Falcons hold grudges even more than eagles. The commander didn’t yet realize how strong Little Meng was. Normally, he’d seize any chance to bully him, but soon he would be in for a harsh lesson.

At dinner, Wang Bo fed Little Meng some tomatoes. Falcons need regular vitamin supplements, or they risk developing rickets.

Little Meng had a hearty appetite; he ate whatever Wang Bo offered—even chili peppers—like a greedy little puppy.

Like a puppy, he was loyal; even at this young age, he knew who his master was. Only Wang Bo and the political commissar could feed him; anyone else trying would fail.

However, he was still too small to launch attacks like his parents. When faced with trouble, he would simply run. For now, everyone in the castle had to tread carefully—if they accidentally stepped on him, they could imagine how furious Wang Bo would be.

By early May, the hot spring pavilion was completed.

By this time, the weather was already quite cold. It hadn’t snowed yet, but winter had essentially arrived. Wang Bo, having nothing to do over the weekend, decided to soak in the hot springs.

The pavilion was open to the public. It cost twenty dollars per person for unlimited soaking in a day, which Wang Bo considered very cheap.

During construction, the team discovered a larger hot spring area than expected, so the final pavilion was quite expansive, with a large lakebed dug out to expose more springs.

Wang Bo emulated what he did when the mountain monster had tricked him—he brought food along. While soaking, he enjoyed the delicious aroma of beef and lamb, an irresistible temptation.

The hot spring tickets were cheap, but the food wasn’t. Even a modest meal cost at least a hundred dollars per person, and a more lavish meal easily ran two hundred.

On Saturday morning, the sky was overcast, heavy clouds looming—rain seemed imminent.

Since Wang Bo was treating everyone to the hot springs, almost all of his staff came. The government had expanded its personnel to a total of twenty-five staff members.

Each pool in the pavilion had running water. Wang Bo tested one and, upon sitting down, was enveloped by the warm water—extremely comfortable.

When Atulu stepped in, water immediately overflowed.

Wang Bo opened his eyes: “Can you pick a pool for yourself?”

Atulu laughed: “I like to follow the boss’s lead. Where the boss goes, I go. By the way, the boss’s wife has a really good figure.”

“Get lost! Right now!” Wang Bo scolded, laughing.

Li Xing brought a plate of fried lamb slices to the poolside. He sat down and wiped his hands, asking, “Want some?”

Wang Bo glanced at the plate: “That’s all? Give me two pieces.”

Li Xing quickly dipped the slices in cumin and popped them into his mouth. “Here, if you want more, get them yourself.”

“I really am… defeated by you guys,” Wang Bo said helplessly.

Li Xing leaned against a smooth stone with springs bubbling up on both sides—like a natural massage, very pleasant.

“How’s it feeling? My hot spring pavilion is pretty good, right?” Wang Bo said proudly.

Li Xing nodded: “Not bad, but it’d be even better if there were those little fish that nibble dead skin.”

Wang Bo paused: “Oh, I forgot about that.”

While chatting, Tuhao Jin walked over. Li Xing whistled: “Hey, inspector, your physique looks great—nice muscle lines.”

Tuhao Jin smiled proudly: “I train every night now. I feel like a young man again, very strong.”

Wang Bo said, “You should thank me. If I hadn’t brought you to Sunset Town, you’d probably be wandering around by now.”

Tahiti Town had nearly collapsed. Many residents had moved away, leaving the government almost paralyzed. In the latest election cycle, Tahiti Town didn’t even appear on the list of township leaders—likely to be replaced.

Tuhao Jin said: “Not completely displaced, but health would have suffered, and family life wouldn’t be great.”

“Still, you should thank me.”

“Of course I do! This year alone, I’ve helped you save at least two million New Zealand dollars in taxes!”

After chatting for a while, a large stone near the pool began to emit steam, and the surrounding temperature rose.

Eva brought two plates of thinly sliced meat: “The stone oven is hot enough. Do you want to barbecue?”

Wang Bo: “Yes, and bring me some wine too.”

The stone oven barbecue was Atulu’s suggestion, a Maori method of grilling.

The mountains of the Otago region produced a hard granite with excellent heat conduction. After carving it and hollowing out the interior, charcoal could be placed inside. Once heated, it could cook meat.

Before grilling, it needed to be rinsed with water. Wang Bo poured water from a kettle over the stone. Instantly, the surface sizzled and steamed rapidly.

“This looks a bit dangerous,” Li Xing said.

Wang Bo: “Exactly. If customers use it, they should sign a waiver—any burns are on them.”

After cleaning, he placed high-quality beef belly slices on the stone. With sufficient fat, the pieces quickly began to release droplets of oil.

The aroma spread quickly. With no seasonings, the pure meat fragrance alone made one hungry.

Pure meat can be greasy, so Wang Bo followed Korean style and wrapped it in fresh lettuce from his garden. The thick, crisp leaves balanced the fat’s richness perfectly.

Unfortunately, the stone oven couldn’t reach very high temperatures, so the beef could only be cooked medium-rare to medium, like eating a steak.

“Next time, prepare some black pepper sauce. Dipping it would be better,” Wang Bo said.

Li Xing stuffed lettuce-wrapped meat into his mouth, muffled: “Back in college, how did I never realize you’re such a foodie?”