HLM -Chapter 1253 Bugs Fly, Fill the Sky

The plan to turn the farm into a tourist destination had begun. The new farm was starting to take shape, and more houses were being built in Sunset Town.

This time, Wang Bo opted for the Māori-style thatched houses. Firstly, they would give visitors a sense of novelty; secondly, they were inexpensive and quick to build; and thirdly, they fit the farm’s natural aesthetic.

Even after being back in Sunset Town for several days, Wang Bo couldn’t forget that morning when he stood at the edge of the farmland. The sense of peace and tranquility he felt then was something he wanted visitors to experience. As long as a similar environment could be recreated, he believed it wouldn’t be difficult.

On Monday of the new week, Bowen handed Wang Bo a set of documents he had organized over half a week. He said, “These are materials we’ve compiled regarding the soon-to-be-disbanded township areas. I thought you might be interested.”

Wang Bo glanced at it and asked, “Tahiti Town?”

Bowen nodded. “Yes, Tahiti Town. Since the old Route 8 gradually fell out of use, many families moved away. Now, Tahiti Town is practically a ghost town with very few households remaining.”

Wang Bo had studied Tahiti Town carefully in the past. The town had a long history—over a century and a half—and had once been home to many artists and craftsmen. Even today, some buildings related to them still remained.

For example, Captain Barry’s House, the Summer Banquet, the Easter Festival Market, and the Labor Day Market. All of these were intangible cultural heritage—unregistered, but of the same nature.

Beyond these buildings, Bowen’s collected materials were even more comprehensive, including the ruins of old shops such as the London Stables, Cooper’s Trading, Belfast Trading, and Jule Grain Company.

The more Wang Bo looked through the materials, the more interested he became. He asked, “Can we acquire these?”

Bowen shrugged. “It will certainly be difficult, but who knows the outcome? Perhaps it’s possible if we put in the effort. We could move these buildings here.”

Sunset Town lacked historical and cultural flavor. If these buildings were brought in, it would greatly enhance the town’s rustic charm.

Wang Bo passed this task to everyone in the government, asking them to find ways to relocate the buildings. If anyone had resources to help, he promised rewards.

He was also using various means himself. Within two days, he had drafted a long proposal to submit to the Wellington government, seeking to acquire some of the buildings under the guise of preserving the historical and cultural heritage of Tahiti Town.

After carefully preparing the application, Wang Bo showed it to Na Qingyang. Na Qingyang skimmed it and said, “Since you’re applying to the government, requesting to receive valuable buildings and cultural heritage will be very difficult to approve.”

Wang Bo replied, “Nothing’s impossible. Maybe it will pass? After all, I’m a core member of the Green Party.”

Na Qingyang shook his head. “I don’t think that’s appropriate. It might be better to apply for a town merger—merge Tahiti Town with Sunset Town. But before doing that, we should first go to Tahiti Town to assess the situation.”

Wang Bo was stunned. He hadn’t considered this. The biggest conflict between Sunset Town and Tahiti Town had always been the idea of merging.

Four years ago, Mayor Robert had proposed this solution, but Wang Bo had refused at the time, fearing being overrun. He hadn’t expected that now he would actually want the merger.

Thinking about it, he sighed, “Fortunes turn. Four years… just over four years have passed so quickly.”

Na Qingyang asked why he was sighing. Wang Bo recounted what had happened in the past.

Hearing this, Na Qingyang laughed heartily. “Did you leave him a message back then: ‘Don’t underestimate the young and poor’?”

Wang Bo shook his head. “Why leave that message?”

Na Qingyang said, “Don’t you read novels? That phrase is very popular in them now.”

Wang Bo closed the application. “Let’s focus on Tahiti Town first, then worry about novels.”

However, before he could take people to survey Tahiti Town’s current state, an agricultural disaster struck.

A locust plague!

Starting from the northern slopes of the Southern Alps, swarms of locusts suddenly appeared, attacking farms around Christchurch at lightning speed.

It was harvest season, and the locusts’ damage to crops was devastating. They consumed leaves, fruits, and even stems. Several farms around Christchurch went bankrupt in a short time!

Wang Bo received the news immediately. At that moment, it hadn’t yet appeared online, but within the Quinoa Association, relevant materials were already circulating.

The association required farms nationwide to harvest crops quickly and coordinate with the government, requesting temporary relaxation of environmental laws to allow burning of dry crops.

Soon, news appeared online, accompanied by horrifying photos: locusts filled the sky, covered the fields, swarmed over vehicles, and even clung to people!

The locust outbreak had been sudden and intense. The sheer number in the photos was unlike anything Wang Bo had ever seen. He thought anyone with trypophobia would probably vomit at the sight.

Locusts are drawn to moisture and low-lying areas. Plagues often accompany severe droughts, as locusts migrate from dry regions to lower, flood-prone areas. In ancient China, there was a saying: “When drought is extreme, locusts appear; a long drought brings locusts.”

New Zealand had been experiencing droughts for three or four years. The country’s history had mostly been favorable for agriculture, aside from frequent earthquakes, so its early warning and response systems were less prepared for such disasters.

Experts responded quickly to explain the causes.

The main reason was that the dry environment benefited locust reproduction, growth, and survival. Locusts lay eggs in the soil; under dry conditions, the soil is firm, increasing hatching rates and making eggs less vulnerable to predators.

Droughts caused locust populations to explode. That same night, a program began reporting on the situation, with experts sampling at the foot of the Southern Alps.

They found that locust egg production in these areas had greatly increased. At peak times, each square meter of soil contained 4,000–5,000 egg pods, each pod holding 50–80 eggs—that’s 200,000–400,000 eggs per square meter.

Seeing the dense clusters of eggs on TV, Wang Bo swallowed hard.

Fortunately, the white cherries had already been harvested. He wasn’t planting much grain now; last week, he had finished harvesting at Motak. Both wheat and sweet corn were already stored.

But locusts don’t just attack farms—they attack all green plants. Wang Bo still had pastureland, which would be even more tempting for locusts, and he wasn’t sure if the “Heart of the Pasture” could repel them.