HLM – Chapter 1039 The Sunset Town Bridge

Lancaster and Wang Bo shared some similarities in culinary skills. Wang Bo excelled at Chinese cuisine, while Lancaster was skilled in Western cooking. For example, he made truffle honey quite well.

The “truffle” in truffle honey actually referred to truffle oil. Making it was simple: slice the truffles and deep-fry them in olive oil. After frying, the truffle slices were pressed hard with a spoon to extract every last drop of oil.

Once the truffle oil was ready, the truffle slices themselves were useless—completely flavorless, like dry wood chips.

The truffle oil had a yellowish color. Wang Bo sniffed it and detected a hint of rotten egg mixed with olive oil—but it wasn’t just a foul smell; there was also a subtle aroma of dried fruits, making the scent complex.

The truffle oil was then simmered with beeswax and honey over high heat. While heating, Lancaster added fine salt and other ingredients, making the process look quite intricate.

After cooking, the finished truffle honey resembled honey citron tea in appearance but tasted sweet and delightful.

It could be used in various ways: as a dip for cookies or bread, or spread over fruit. Wang Bo particularly liked pairing it with fruit—the sweet and slightly tart flavor was something he had never experienced before.

Truffles had a unique flavor, and when turned into truffle oil, they acted as a harmonizing agent for food. When combined with different foods, they could transform the original taste, creating entirely new flavors.

After spending three or four days in Sunset Town, Lancaster and Princess Eugenie departed by car—they were returning to the UK.

Wang Bo had always assumed that being a princess or prince was a carefree life: traveling around, meeting people, and occasionally networking as royalty. But reality was different. Take Princess Eugenie, for example—though she received a royal allowance, she also had to work to earn her own income. Currently, she worked at a low-level position in a London auction house.

Count Lancaster’s life was much easier. He had powerful connections in both the military and political spheres across the EU, particularly within the military. His family had served the British royal army for generations, giving him access to abundant resources.

Externally, Lancaster was the general manager of a security company; internally, as Uncle Bing explained, he was one of the UK’s top ten military brokers—in other words, an arms dealer.

The couple claimed they were vacationing in Sunset Town, but after a few days, Wang Bo realized their true purpose: they were here to win him over.

New Zealand’s general election was in full swing. The National Party no longer enjoyed the voting advantage it had maintained for the past decade. The British government had likely assessed the election and deemed it possible for the Labour-Green coalition to defeat the National Party and form the next government, making the coalition’s key members quite important.

As the global economic crisis continued, Britain’s influence in the EU declined. Eventually, they even had to leave the EU to maintain their position as Europe’s “big brother.”

As a result, Britain’s ties with the EU weakened, so they had to strengthen relations with other countries. Among them, former British colonies were the most favorably disposed toward Britain. They needed more support from these governments.

Due to historical issues, the relationship between the UK and New Zealand wasn’t ideal. Eugenie and Lancaster sought to use Wang Bo to improve ties with the Green Party.

That was the real reason they were willing to help establish a high school in Sunset Town. Any claims about wanting to see the town grow or improve were just a pretense. For the British, whether Sunset Town thrived or not was irrelevant.

Wang Bo and his subordinates analyzed this and came to this conclusion. Qingyang noted that if the Labour-Green coalition ultimately won, Sunset Town could receive more support from the British government.

This wasn’t just wishful thinking. Sunset Town held a unique position in the UK–New Zealand relationship. The town’s predecessor had once been the “Sun Never Sets” estate. The estate’s name alone reflected the deep connection the Roberts family—the previous owners—had with the British royal family. Wang Bo also recently learned that the Roberts family’s noble title had been conferred by the British crown.

Perhaps due to Uncle Bing and Gerald, Lancaster had developed some feelings toward Wang Bo. Before departing, he spoke with Wang Bo, confirming their suspicions.

Lancaster told him, “The British government wants to deepen its ties with New Zealand. To do that, they need your help.”

Wang Bo was a bit flattered but incredulous: “You mean I’m just a town mayor, so how do I suddenly become a bridge between two governments?”

He spoke the truth—he had little influence in politics. For the British government to place such expectations on him seemed either foolish or reckless.

Lancaster smiled. “To be honest, Wang, we’re not choosing you personally. We’re choosing the mayor of Sunset Town, or rather, the lord of the Sun Never Sets estate. Do you understand?”

Wang Bo nodded. “But I don’t think I have that kind of influence.”

Lancaster said, “You don’t need influence. You just need to act as a bridge between the two sides. As a bridge, you’ll face some pressure, but you’ll also gain many benefits.”

Finally, he looked at Wang Bo. “I’ve always had one question and hoped you could answer it.”

Wang Bo asked, “What question?”

“Why did Sir Roberts change his will, leaving this estate to you—a complete stranger—to inherit everything?”

This wasn’t just Lancaster’s curiosity—it was shared by both the New Zealand government and the British royal family. It was an unsolved mystery that concerned everyone interested in the Sun Never Sets estate.

Wang Bo smiled. Of course, he couldn’t reveal the real reason. He shrugged and said, “Honestly, I don’t know. Perhaps fate somehow connected Sir Roberts and me.”

Seeing he didn’t want to answer, Lancaster didn’t press further. After shaking hands, he and the princess left Sunset Town under escort.

Watching the convoy disappear, Wang Bo sighed, “A person’s destiny…of course it depends on one’s own efforts, but history plays a part too. I truly have no idea how a mere town mayor became a key figure in strengthening ties between two major countries.”

“What?” Hani and the others were stunned, while Qingyang and Li Xing laughed—they had seen this scenario play out before.

Wang Bo relayed the information Lancaster had shared. Hani perked up and said, “Who cares why they chose you? This is great news. Want to know who earns the most in a deal like this?”

“The middleman!”

“Yes. The biggest advantage of being the middleman is you don’t have to worry about losing anything.”