HLM -Chapter 1156 Tit for Tat

This meeting was scheduled for an hour, and it was all serious discussion. Principal Sarlins didn’t give the usual formalities; instead, he carefully inquired about the sentiments of the people in Sunset Town and tried to anticipate the potential impact of establishing a campus there.

What impressed him most was the rapid development of Sunset Town over the past five years. Elizabeth brought a development memorandum of the town, filled with numerous photos.

Looking at the images showing how Sunset Town had changed, Principal Sarlins repeatedly exclaimed, “This is nothing short of a miracle!” “Incredible, Mayor Wang!” “You are a born leader!”

The scheduled one-hour meeting extended to an hour and a half, ending sometime after three in the afternoon.

This meeting was not Sunset Town reporting to Lincoln University, but rather a mutual understanding. Wang Bo also gained a more comprehensive view of the university.

Principal Sarlins leaned toward establishing a branch in Sunset Town—not only because among the candidate locations, Sunset Town showed the most sincerity and enthusiasm, but also because Wang Bo’s Chinese heritage added some extra favor.

Among all universities in New Zealand, Lincoln University hosted Chinese national leaders the most. They also had partnerships with China’s largest dairy companies.

After the discussion, Principal Sarlins personally accompanied them on a tour of the campus.

Wang Bo, feeling slightly annoyed, said, “Principal, you must be busy. We can just walk around ourselves.”

Principal Sarlins laughed heartily. “It’s summer break, young man. How busy could I possibly be? Research work isn’t something that happens all at once. You are esteemed guests of Lincoln University, so I must treat you with proper courtesy.”

The campus was vast, covering thousands of hectares. The area Wang Bo had planned for the Sunset Town branch was similarly expansive, also thousands of hectares.

He wasn’t just planning a simple branch campus; he aimed to gradually attract the main body of Lincoln University to the town.

The campus architecture was classic and dignified, with many buildings over 150 years old, carrying a sense of historical gravitas, yet very well preserved. Workers were busy repairing some of the buildings.

As evening fell, Principal Sarlins invited them to stay overnight at the university, which had guest rooms for visitors.

Wang Bo declined politely, saying, “We’ve already taken up your morning. Perhaps we can meet again another time.”

Principal Sarlins smiled. “I’m not being polite, Mayor Wang. I sincerely invite you to stay another night. There will be a small evening program for you to observe—it’s my gift.”

Wang Bo felt a little intrigued. An evening program?

Bowen cleared his throat, glanced at Eva, and whispered, “With a woman present, maybe this type of program isn’t suitable?”

Wang Bo nearly choked. Brother, are you trying to ruin this for me? You think they prepared… schoolgirls? This is a formal occasion!

Principal Sarlins obviously understood Bowen’s implication, but he gestured dismissively. “The program might surprise you. Others may not be interested, but I suspect Mayor Wang will be.”

Dinner was simple: steak, vegetable salad, fried fish, and chicken nuggets.

Eva remarked, “Principal, I guess all this food is from your own campus cultivation?”

Sarlins nodded. “Correct. These are all species we’ve cultivated ourselves, and we’ve improved them. Can you tell?”

Atulu, who was eating voraciously, was surprised. “You can even raise dragon-tipped fish on campus?”

In New Zealand, every large supermarket sells fresh fish, with prices ranging widely from a few dollars to tens of dollars per kilogram.

Actually, the variety of fish consumed in New Zealand is quite limited. The dragon-tipped fish ranks among the top favorites.

This fish is not well-known internationally; few know it, and even fewer have eaten it. Its natural habitat is very restricted, only in the Southern Hemisphere near the coasts of New Zealand, southern Australia, and southeastern South America.

In other words, the Northern Hemisphere has none, and in the Southern Hemisphere, it only lives near Antarctica.

Lincoln University is located inland near Christchurch, not connected to the coast, so Atulu was puzzled—how could freshwater ponds raise seawater fish?

Principal Sarlins didn’t explain. “Let’s eat first. I’ll take you to a place afterward, and you’ll understand.”

During the meal, Bartier started a conversation about international food cultures. At the table were New Zealanders, Maori, Chinese, Ukrainians, Mexicans, and British guests, making the topic quite lively.

After finishing, Principal Sarlins arranged a small bus, and under the moonlight, they drove northwest across the campus.

There was a small lake in Lincoln University’s northwest section, which was also a research area for aquatic species.

It was only a few kilometers away. They arrived quickly, and at the entrance, a person was waiting for them: Professor Sandra Angus, familiar to Wang Bo, the principal of the new campus.

“I knew you were coming to Lincoln University, but I had some urgent matters this afternoon and couldn’t leave. I asked Riddian to host you here overnight and come see you in the evening,” said Sandra apologetically.

Principal Sarlins said, “My old friend Sandra, take them to see the gift we prepared.”

The lake area, divided like farmland by fishing nets, had several sections. They boarded a small boat and headed toward the center. The cool moonlight reflected on the water, making the lake look like a huge, glistening mirror.

The night was windless, but the lake rippled, and countless waves reflected the moonlight in silver.

But upon closer inspection, the silver gleam didn’t come from the water—it was from fish even more silver than the moonlight, swimming near the surface.

The fish swam around the boat, some even leaping. When Professor Sandra turned on the boat’s front light, the fish revealed their true forms.

The leaping fish were mostly 20–30 cm long, silver all over, with a half-moon shaped black band behind their heads. Their pectoral fins were unusually long compared to ordinary fish.

Voices exclaimed in surprise: “Hey, dragon-tipped fish!” “No, dragon-tipped fish are in the sea. What are these?”

Wang Bo realized what was happening and asked in astonishment, “How did you do it? These dragon-tipped fish have adapted to freshwater? They can live in freshwater now?”

“If this is the gift for us, it’s truly a grand one,” Eva added.