HLM -Chapter 1107 Enjoying the Spoils of Battle

They found an open patch of ground. Without Wang Bo or the others needing to lift a finger, the bodyguards quickly got everything organized.

Unlike rough-and-ready fellows like Wang Bo, Lancaster and his group had a very refined way of doing a picnic.

First, they chose suitable ground and spread out a picnic mat. It was inflatable and made of premium calfskin. Sitting on it felt soft and cushy—just like sitting on a sofa.

Next came a full set of tableware: delicate ceramics with gilded gold and silver accents. From teacups to plates, knives, and soup spoons, each person’s set was different.

There was even a small instrument that looked like a Geiger counter. Wang Bo had no idea what it was for at first; only after seeing them use it did he realize it was for measuring the load of various bacteria and viruses…

As for seasonings, they had brought their own as well. Wang Bo gave a wry smile and put away his spice pouch—were they worried that store-bought seasonings might have certain substances exceeding acceptable limits?

Aside from the slightly overcomplicated preparations, they were actually quite straightforward. Everyone pitched in and started cooking together.

There were really only two dishes: various kinds of grilled wild boar, and various kinds of stewed wild boar.

While he was away earlier, Wang Bo had gathered some wild vegetables, and now they came in handy. Tossed into the pressure cooker to stew, they were perfect for seasoning the boar meat.

Of course, the key ingredient for removing the gamey smell was still the lemons he had prepared.

During his absence, the group had harvested quite a few black truffles as well. They found truffles under another five or six trees, filling a small bag.

As they grilled the meat, Lancaster laughed and said, “Not a bad haul, right? What did I tell you back then—this trip to Sunset Town was guaranteed to be a bumper harvest.”

Wendy raised his bottle to Wang Bo and said, “Even if we hadn’t found any black truffles, just getting to know Wang would already be a huge gain.”

Wang Bo clinked bottles with him and replied, “Same here. Being able to meet all of you is truly a blessing. Let’s thank Mr. Lancaster—he’s the one who helped make all this happen.”

Lancaster burst into laughter and downed an entire bottle of beer in one go, clearly a heavy drinker.

There were indeed plenty of black truffles in the mountains. Harvesting this much in a single morning, Wendy and the others discussed it and realized that even in Provence, the homeland of black truffles, this would be extremely rare.

Provence is the most important black truffle-producing region in the world, accounting for 90% of France’s output. The northern Tricastin area alone produces around thirty tons annually.

Wang Bo asked them to estimate the value of the truffles. Samir was an expert in this field—his family’s Kimbas Group was one of the world’s major food conglomerates, and black truffles played an important role in their business.

Samir said, “Pricing black truffles is very difficult. Moisture content, size, freshness—all of these affect the price. A tiny difference in quality can mean a world of difference in price.”

“Then give us an estimate,” someone said.

Samir thought for a moment and replied, “If I had to estimate, I’d say about twenty thousand.”

“Wow! We made twenty thousand in just one morning? That’s insanely profitable!” Williams exclaimed dramatically.

“Still not as profitable as the financial products your family deals in,” Samir shot back. “Those things are invisible and intangible—that’s where the real windfall is.”

Everyone laughed.

Lancaster reminded Wang Bo, “You’ll need to protect this stretch of forest. It can produce quite a lot of black truffles every year. Don’t let tourists ruin it.”

That made Wang Bo hesitate about whether to develop it into a tourist route. Black truffles have extremely strict environmental requirements—any slight damage and it would all be over.

The pot of stewed pork was still simmering. Black truffles could be used to enhance both flavor and nutrition, so after washing and soaking them, Lancaster selected some smaller ones, cut them in half, and tossed them into the pot.

The larger truffles could be ground into truffle powder. Sprinkled over grilled pork as a finishing touch, it greatly elevated both the presentation and the value of the dish.

Wang Bo hadn’t finished the truffle powder he’d ground last time, so he contributed it. After the pork chops were grilled, he sprinkled it on top.

*Whoosh—*the pressure cooker began to vent, and a rich, dense aroma spread out with the steam.

Several hunting dogs started licking their lips, but they obediently sat still.

Williams and the others cut up some scraps of pork, along with lungs and liver, and tossed them to the dogs. The dogs didn’t eat them right away, instead looking toward Zhuang Ding and Queen.

Zhuang Ding and Queen didn’t even glance at the food. Only then did the hunting dogs swarm forward and devour everything.

“Looks like the king of dogs has been born,” Williams laughed. “But usually only one dog becomes the leader. Two appearing at the same time—this is incredible.”

Wendy said, “Since coming to Sunset Town, have we seen anything that wasn’t incredible?”

“That’s true,” Williams agreed with a nod, then cut some good meat and tossed it to Zhuang Ding and Queen.

Zhuang Ding and Queen still didn’t even look at it.

Wang Bo explained, “They don’t really like raw meat. They prefer cooked food. Maybe the aroma after cooking is what attracts them.”

Hearing this, Williams immediately shook his head. “No, no, my friend—you can’t do that. You might think letting them eat what you eat is love, but dogs and humans have completely different digestive systems and excretory organs. It would ruin their health.”

Wang Bo said, “I used to think the same way, until I took them to the vet. These two have incredibly strong digestive systems and exceptionally powerful absorption. A bit of oil and salt is no problem for them.”

Zhuang Ding, in particular, was domineering in this regard. It loved the cakes and pastries baked by Eva. Some of those inevitably contained chocolate—a known killer for dogs and cats.

But when Zhuang Ding ate chocolate, the only consequence was that its poop turned black. Its body showed no problems at all.

Anything harmful to the body simply wasn’t absorbed by it, which was why Wang Bo dared to let it eat and drink so freely.

Once the pork was fully stewed, Wang Bo scooped out a big bowl, let it cool a bit, and then divided it between them. Zhuang Ding and Queen ate until their mouths were glistening with grease.

There were ribs in the stew as well, and these were also given to Zhuang Ding and Queen. The two of them crunched and gnawed, crushing the bones. In just a few minutes, they had completely demolished a huge bone—every bit of it!

Williams looked at Zhuang Ding and Queen, then at his own dogs, and a dejected expression immediately appeared on his face.

This trip to Sunset Town had dealt him quite a few blows.

After the meal, the afternoon was still spent searching for black truffles. In southern England, looking for black truffles is also considered a form of hunting—and a distinctly aristocratic one at that.

Because of overexploitation, Britain’s native black truffle yields have dropped sharply, and they rarely get the chance to dig up so many at once.

So in the forest, everyone had a great time.

It was like fishing—some people can sit by a lake or the sea for an entire day. The enjoyment in it is something only they themselves can truly understand.

Wang Bo could understand the pleasure of fishing, but he had little interest in hunting for black truffles.

The next day, he decided to move his leisure activities to Lake Hāwea. But everyone refused—they wanted to go see the starry sky wormhole instead.