HLM -Chapter 1103 A Quick Harvest

Wang Bo looked at the sows they had released and asked, “Is it really okay to let them roam like this? What if they run off?”

Samir shook his head. “They won’t. Look at my iPad—tracking works. Each of them has a chip embedded in its ear. Even deep in the wilderness, we can locate them.”

“And they can actually find black truffles? Are pigs’ noses really that powerful?”

Samir laughed. “Of course. Don’t underestimate them, my friend. In nature, inheritance is a top priority—and these sows are extremely fixated on mating.”

Wang Bo chatted with them briefly. When everyone split up to prepare for the hunt, he went off to find something to do on his own.

Before long, he spotted wild bracken and purslane on the mountainside, so he took out a shovel and patiently began digging.

Zhuang Ding was always full of curiosity. Seeing Wang Bo digging wild vegetables, it started pawing through a pile of rocks like a dog digging furiously, then dragged over a big clump of weeds and proudly dropped them in front of Wang Bo as an offering.

Wang Bo laughed, wrapped an arm around its neck, and praised it. “Very good, buddy. You did great—but I don’t need these. Just stick with me.”

Zhuang Ding had no intention of sticking with him. It was far more interested in several female hunting dogs.

Last night, the fellow had wanted to sneak off and make a move, but Wang Bo knew its temperament and had locked it up, so it never got the chance.

After showing off its loyalty, its mind started to wander. It stole a sideways glance at Wang Bo and, seeing him fully focused on searching for wild vegetables, quietly trotted toward William’s Dogo Argentino.

The Dogo Argentino is one of the finest hunting dogs in the world, and William’s was truly top-tier. Its bloodline had been specially selected, and it had received intensive training, so whether in appearance or temperament, it was outstanding.

The dog was powerfully built, with balanced proportions and a tall frame. Its overall appearance was harmonious, energetic, and muscular, with tough yet elastic skin.

What’s more, it had a stunningly pure white coat. Under the sunlight, it shimmered, making the dog look even more beautiful.

The Dogo Argentino had no idea it was being targeted. It moved steadily and lightly along the mountain path, quick and rhythmic in its steps, head held high and tongue lolling—its joyful nature on full display.

It was utterly captivating. Zhuang Ding was completely smitten.

Then, as soon as it got close, Zhuang Ding suddenly burst forward and pounced, knocking the Dogo Argentino flat in one move!

The Dogo Argentino yelped in panic. It was a confident and courageous dog, but faced with Zhuang Ding—who outweighed it by several sizes—it was utterly terrified.

Hearing the barking, Wang Bo instantly knew something was wrong. The Dogo Argentino was usually calm and composed; it wouldn’t make that kind of sound without reason.

He spun around at once and, sure enough, saw Zhuang Ding about to mount the other dog.

Without a second thought, he grabbed a stone and hurled it, roaring, “Zhuang Ding, you bastard—get over here! I swear I’ll deal with you today!”

Zhuang Ding shuddered at the shout, released the Dogo Argentino, and bolted, disappearing into the woods in the blink of an eye.

Fortunately, William wasn’t nearby and didn’t witness his beloved dog being bullied.

Wang Bo knew that a purebred Dogo Argentino like that would only ever be paired with the finest of its own kind—there was no way it would be matched with a mastiff like Zhuang Ding.

Though Zhuang Ding looked incredible, William might not be willing to let his dog accept its genes. Mixed-breed hunting dogs, even if fierce, weren’t popular and had especially little standing in high society.

This mountain forest was rich in wildlife. Thanks to the presence of a secondary-level Heart of the Mountain Forest, the air was exceptionally fresh, and the vegetation grew with unusual vigor.

And sure enough, there really were black truffles here.

One black-and-white sow found an oak tree and immediately began digging.

Seeing this, the group rushed over. After driving the sow away, they examined the surroundings. Lancaster smiled and said, “Very good. We’re off to a strong start.”

“You’re that confident in the sows?” Wang Bo asked with a smile.

Lancaster nodded. “Of course—but that’s only part of it. There’s another reason. Look at the soil here. How is it different from other places?”

Wang Bo examined the area around the oak and quickly noticed something odd. “Huh? There’s hardly any grass growing under this tree. What’s going on?”

Samir smiled. “When truffles begin to enter their mature stage, the surrounding grass gradually withers and dies. Over an area of more than one meter in diameter, the soil is left bare, like scorched earth.”

“This phenomenon can start as early as spring, when truffle mycorrhizae begin forming on the tree’s fine roots. But when truffles stop growing beneath the tree, weeds will gradually return and grow again on that once-burned-looking land.”

Wang Bo asked, “What causes that? And if this is such a good way to find black truffles, why do we still need sows?”

Lancaster replied, “To answer your first question: the cause may be some hormone released after the truffles form a symbiotic relationship with the oak tree that destroys other plants, or it could be that the truffle mycelium releases some kind of antibacterial substance. But none of these theories have been scientifically proven.”

“And to answer your second question—”

“Okay, no need,” Wang Bo laughed. “I’ve figured it out. You keep emphasizing truffles and oak trees. Obviously, if the truffles are growing with other trees, you won’t see this phenomenon.”

Lancaster snapped his fingers. “Bingo. Exactly.”

“In fact, truffles growing on oak roots aren’t all that common. Your place is an exception. It looks like quite a few truffles grow in your oak grove. Hugo told me you found truffles near oak trees last time too, didn’t you?” William said.

“That’s right.”

Lancaster and Uncle Bing carefully cleared away the soil around the roots. Sure enough, before long, they uncovered a black truffle about the size of a small child’s fist.

After admiring it briefly, Lancaster handed it to Wang Bo. “This is for you. I hear you and Eva are hoping for a child? This will help.”

Wang Bo said in surprise, “How did you know?”

Uncle Bing shrugged. “Boss, the night you proposed, your whole family was talking about it pretty loudly. The entire town knows.”

“Shit!” Wang Bo was speechless.

“Then you really do need this,” William said as well, handing over the black truffle in his own hand.

When Lancaster had obtained black truffles before, Wang Bo had looked into them and learned a bit about their uses.

Europeans’ enthusiasm for this delicacy has little to do with its nutritional value. Rather, since ancient times in Europe, it’s been widely believed that truffles enhance intimacy between the sexes.

As far back as ancient Greece, Athenians offered truffles to Venus, the goddess of love. The Greek physician Leukada even regarded them as a prescription beneficial to amorous “play.”