HLM -Chapter 1248 The Quinoa Association

The cherry countryside chocolate cake was the most complicated to make, but also the most popular once it hit the table.

This cake had a thick, rich layer made with butter, egg whites, chocolate, and cinnamon. Once baked, it turned a golden hue, fluffy and voluminous—truly a beautiful sight. It was also complemented with cocoa powder, crisp pineapple, and, of course, cherries, so even a single slice offered a variety of flavors.

Seeing the Thanksgiving breakfast prepared by the young couple, Father Bo and Mother Bo couldn’t help but comment on their politeness. But once they started eating, they chewed and swallowed heartily, enjoying it more than anyone.

Little Bartier enjoyed it just as much. Holding a slice of cake, he said, “Honestly, I personally don’t think fresh cherries are all that tasty because of their tartness, but once preserved and used in desserts, they taste sophisticated and delicious.”

The recipe for this cake was excellent. Even if made without cherries, it would still be delicious as a chocolate cake. Eva had added walnuts and crisp pineapple to the oven, making it even more perfect.

Making this cake was labor-intensive, and eating it required some care. Once baked, it was first stored in the fridge. Before eating, it was brought to room temperature, so that the chocolate chunks would just melt while still retaining some texture, blending with the rich chocolate flavor of the cake for a layered taste experience.

After such a breakfast, heading to work, Wang Bo couldn’t help but sigh at the beauty of life.

But life wasn’t just about enjoyment—it also involved work.

Besides the white cherries entering their harvest period, other crops were maturing as well. Wang Bo didn’t need to handle them personally; he just had to oversee things.

Not long after starting work, Leonard, general manager of the Stubborn Bull Club, called him. “Hi, Wang, good day.”

“Same to you. What’s up?” Wang Bo asked.

Leonard laughed, “Yes, there’s some good news. Do you know the Quinoa Association? Someone wants to bring you into the association.”

Of course, Wang Bo knew the Quinoa Association. It was New Zealand’s largest agricultural association, mainly composed of farm owners. It had more members and greater influence than Leonard’s Stubborn Bull Club.

Quinoa is a plant native to the Andean mountains of South America, the main traditional food of the Inca people. It has been cultivated and eaten for over 5,000 to 7,000 years. Because of its unique, rich, and comprehensive nutritional value, it nurtured the Inca civilization, earning it the title “Mother of Grains” in ancient times.

This grain seed reached Europe in the Middle Ages, but it was largely ignored and not widely cultivated.

However, among the early European settlers in New Zealand, some farmers wanted to grow this crop and created the association using the name “quinoa,” which later became influential nationwide.

Choosing quinoa as the association’s name also symbolized diversity, because quinoa seeds come in multiple colors: white, black, red, brown, yellow, etc. This represented the association’s inclusivity, accommodating whites, blacks, Asians, and Māori alike.

Today in New Zealand, given the vastness of agriculture, the Quinoa Association wields enormous influence. It is arguably the organization with the largest membership in the country, with influence everywhere.

Hearing this news from Leonard didn’t surprise Wang Bo. The Quinoa Association welcomed all agricultural talent. Owning such a large farm, it was natural he would be invited. In fact, he felt slightly disappointed that it had taken so long for him to receive the invitation.

Leonard, a clever man, guessed his thoughts and laughed heartily: “I bet you’re not excited about the news because you are Wang Bo—the illustrious Wang Bo, the King of Sunset Town.”

Wang Bo laughed and frowned. “Where did you come up with these ridiculous titles? ‘Illustrious Chinese’? ‘King of Sunset Town’? I’m just a regular farmer.”

Leonard said, “Alright, alright, no need to be modest. We all know how capable you are. Actually, Wang, the Quinoa Association has long wanted you. Your achievements in animal husbandry are well known. The day you established your large farm, the association became interested in you.”

“So why did it take them so long to invite me?”

“Because I was holding things back. I didn’t want you to join as an ordinary member. Wang, I know the potential you hold. I’ve been negotiating with some of their directors until they agreed to make you a director of the Otago branch.” Leonard said proudly toward the end.

Wang Bo was stunned. “What? They’re inviting me as a director of the Otago branch?”

“No, no—they initially offered you ordinary membership. It was me, your loyal friend Leonard Swiftwyn, who fought for this position,” Leonard said with some dissatisfaction.

Wang Bo laughed. “You know me, buddy—I’m not power-hungry. I do appreciate the position you got for me, but I’m not sure I could handle it well.”

Leonard said, “How can you conclude that without trying?”

The Quinoa Association differed from the Stubborn Bull Club. While both were associations, the former was much larger with broad influence, making it more like an official organization with many positions.

The Stubborn Bull Club followed a different model: Leonard, as general manager, was the leader. Under him were professional managers, including Leonard himself, who were not farm owners. Farm owners were members with no hierarchical distinction; management was handled by professional managers.

The Quinoa Association, however, was established long ago, before modern management ideas. It was managed by farm owners themselves, and generally, higher status, seniority, and greater assets meant higher positions. This system could be somewhat chaotic, but after over two hundred years, it was deeply entrenched and hard to change.

Wang Bo roughly understood the management structure. It resembled the gang system in Chinese wuxia novels, with a central headquarters and multiple branches. The Otago region was an important branch.

Leonard had secured him a director position at the Otago branch, equivalent to an elder of a branch in the gang—both status and authority were considerable.

Regardless, Wang Bo had to thank Leonard. In this regard, he owed him a big favor.

Leonard then sent him the membership documents by email, which Wang Bo needed to fill out, print, sign, and mail to the Quinoa Association’s central office in Wellington.

He didn’t have to handle this personally. With Kidd and Qingyang as his assistants, he delegated the work to them and simply signed the papers.

This was one of the perks of being a leader.