HLM -Chapter 1244 The Little Matter of Anesthesia

The simplest way to catch these rare birds was to send in Zhuang Ding and the Queen. Their keen sense of smell could track the birds’ scent and capture them.

But Wang Bo worried that these two might be too rough. If they accidentally killed one or two birds, it would be such a shame. Even if they didn’t, they would definitely frighten the takahē, and Wang Bo didn’t want to see that happen.

Atulu was sharper in this regard. “Boss, you said these wild chickens sneak into the corners at night to eat the white cherries, right? That’s easy. Just spray some anesthetic on the cherries. When they wake up, they’ll be right by the lake.”

Wang Bo snapped his fingers. “Good idea.”

New Zealand has very strict controls over psychedelic drugs. Fortunately, Lincoln University was under construction, and some expert professors had moved their labs over early. The College of Agriculture naturally had access to these drugs. Wang Bo borrowed some and used Dale’s water gun to spray them on the cherry trees.

While spraying, Zhuang Ding kept bouncing around. Annoyed by the interference, Wang Bo mischievously sprayed some on its face. Zhuang Ding sneezed, felt fine, and actually became more excited, wagging its tail and jumping at Wang Bo to play.

Wang Bo flicked it away with a sharp motion and then pondered, asking Atulu, “Is the concentration too low? The hallucinogenic effect isn’t working well.”

Atulu replied, “Zhuang Ding weighs eighty kilograms, but these wild chickens only weigh three. But yes, the hallucinogenic effect is weak. Should we increase the dosage?”

These hallucinogenic pesticides are non-toxic, only temporarily numbing the nervous system, so slightly higher doses wouldn’t be harmful. Wang Bo decided to double the amount.

He wasn’t worried about the takahē overdosing. When he sprayed Zhuang Ding, it was all on its head, but spraying the fruit trees dispersed the drug over a wide area, so each cherry only absorbed a small amount.

However, the takahē didn’t get knocked out first. The elementary school caused trouble before that.

In the afternoon, the teacher called Wang Bo, asking him to come immediately. Apparently, Dale and her classmates had been using water guns, and some kids got sprayed and toppled over.

Wang Bo drove to the school and saw Dale crying heavily. He guessed what happened and reached out to touch her head—but the girl thought she was about to be scolded and quickly closed her eyes.

Wang Bo smiled, “Don’t be afraid, Dale. It’s nothing serious.”

Dale, terrified, said, “I didn’t use hot water this time, nor did I pour syrup in. I just let Ron spit a little saliva in. Is his spit poisonous?”

Ron shouted, “Dale, we agreed not to tell anyone!”

Wang Bo didn’t have time to joke with the children. He went to the teacher, where two kids sat listlessly playing with Lego—they were clearly the victims.

Their parents had also arrived and were talking to Doctor Yi. Seeing Wang Bo, they frowned. One man bluntly said, “Mayor, what kind of guardian are you?”

Dale started crying again. “Uncle, it was Dale’s fault…”

Wang Bo said, “It’s not your fault, Dale. Your water gun contained anesthetic. I used it this morning and forgot to empty the leftover solution. That’s why you sprayed it on the other children.”

Doctor Yi nodded. “Yes, I just detected MP mixture and enflurane. I’ve explained to the parents that these are harmless anesthetic components. It’s not serious.”

Wang Bo scratched his nose. From a medical standpoint, Doctor Yi was right—it wasn’t a problem. But from a parent’s perspective, this was serious.

He first apologized to the two children: “I’m sorry. Mayor did something foolish that hurt you. Mayor wants to make it up to you, is that okay?”

The two kids were innocent and unconcerned. One nodded, and the other asked, “Mayor, can you make sure Dale is more careful with the water gun? She’s already used hot water and anesthetic. Will she use a real gun next?”

Dale swore, “I won’t play this game again.”

Wang Bo said, “Dale, just remember the lesson. The game’s intention was good, but our carelessness caused trouble. From this, we learn that no matter what we do, being careful is most important.”

Dale nodded and became obedient.

Once the children were settled, Wang Bo spoke with their parents. Using sincere apologies and Doctor Yi’s professional explanation, the parents gradually calmed down. After all, Wang Bo was the mayor, the landowner, and they had to show some respect.

Wang Bo offered compensation: “The white cherries are about to ripen. I’d like to invite you and your children to pick some. Also, this anesthetic was to protect a few takahē. If you’re interested, you can come see them tomorrow.”

The two couples, being immigrants, didn’t know much about takahē, but Doctor Yi and the teacher were astonished and almost in unison said, “What? There are takahē in Sunset Town?”

Wang Bo nodded.

Doctor Yi explained the rarity of takahē to the parents. These birds are extremely rare; ninety-five percent of New Zealanders never see them. Finally, the parents forgave Wang Bo.

The teacher asked, “Mayor, can we organize students to see the takahē later?”

Wang Bo considered and said, “How about this: you can organize the kids to participate in cherry picking. The takahē can’t handle too many visitors yet, but once they’re settled, we can arrange visits. Okay?”

The teacher agreed.

The night operation was a success. Six takahē were found at the edge of the cherry orchard. Wang Bo carefully collected them and brought them to the under-renovation castle, which had a Level 2 Nest Heart capable of healing the anesthetic’s effects.

At midnight, the six takahē woke up. They were expected to sleep through the night, but the Nest Heart could also counteract anesthesia.

Wang Bo had prepared white cherries for them. Seeing the cherries scattered on the ground, the birds happily devoured them, leaving a mess in the castle.

He fenced off the lakeside area of the ranch and released the six takahē inside. The ranch already had a Level 4 Ranch Heart, a very powerful facility. The takahē were quickly tamed, no longer wandering, and stayed calm.

Seeing this, Wang Bo was relieved. The six takahē were safe and would thrive in Sunset Town.