HLM -Chapter 1271 Meeting the Queen

Unsurprisingly, the green chili pork cracklings were the most popular dish.

As soon as it was served, Hou Haibo grabbed a piece and popped it into his mouth. His face lit up in pure delight. “Wow! So fragrant, so delicious! If I hadn’t seen you make it myself, I’d swear it was my grandma’s cooking.”

Wang Bo helped him pick up a large chunk of crackling. “Here, good grandson, eat well, eat more. Look at you, so skinny. If we don’t fatten you up, you’ll really start looking like a monkey.”

Hou Haibo waved him off. “Get lost! No, leave the cracklings for me!”

Qingyang didn’t speak much but kept piling cracklings onto his plate, carefully picking out the chilies and placing them in Li Xing’s bowl.

Li Xing angrily kicked his chair with his foot. “What’s your problem, hissing!”

Qingyang said, “Fight poison with poison, fight poison with poison. Eat up—the chili kills germs and toxins. Have a few more pieces, your mouth sores will heal in no time.”

Li Xing was so irritated that he muttered, “Damn, I actually have no response, hissing.”

Zhang Rui and Zhao Xiaohui stayed out of their banter the entire time. They were focused on eating, mainly enjoying the green chili pork cracklings. They weren’t picky—one bite of chili, one bite of crackling, one bite of rice—and they devoured it with relish.

The cracklings were exceptionally aromatic. Cousins had chosen the best pork fat and fatty meat chunks. These pigs were free-range native Chinese pigs; their lard had a fragrance that feed-fed foreign pigs could never match.

For the next two days, Wang Bo continued to serve them cracklings, though he felt it was too greasy to eat excessively in a row. But Zhang Rui and Zhao Xiaohui didn’t care—they were on leave and could spend a full four days in Sunset Town over the weekend, so they indulged in green chili pork cracklings as much as they liked.

“This stuff—I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it,” Zhang Rui would always remark during meals.

Taking advantage of the crisp autumn weather, Wang Bo suggested, “Shall we go hiking? You’ve eaten so many cracklings that all that energy will turn to fat if we don’t burn it off.”

Zhao Xiaohui nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, yes! Let’s go hiking!”

Li Xing waved his hand. “You two go ahead; I’m not coming. I’ve already explored all the mountains here.”

Qingyang also didn’t want to go. “Yeah, I wander the mountains a lot, especially when I stayed in the castle.”

Wang Bo said, “Let’s not hike in Sunset Town this time. Let’s go to Queenstown and experience the charm of the Star of the Southern Hemisphere. How about it?”

Li Xing looked at Eva awkwardly. “How can we? You have to take care of Teacher Eva. Maybe another time.”

Eva waved her hand. “Oh, it’s fine. You guys go ahead. I suggest Wang take a trip while the baby isn’t born yet. Once the baby is here, he won’t have time to travel as a father.”

Hou Haibo said enviously, “Wang Bo must have saved the galaxy in a past life; otherwise, there’s no way he could have found such a wife.”

Wang Bo pondered for a moment. It wasn’t just Eva—it was the Heart of the Lord. If he could have that, maybe he really did save the galaxy in a past life.

Zhao Xiaohui frowned. “Better not go to Queenstown. It’s too far. Let’s just have fun here.”

Wang Bo replied, “Don’t worry. We won’t stay long—just two days and one night. I still want to come back and be with my wife.”

Eva shrugged. “Dad, Mom, and Dale will be with me. I don’t need you.”

Zhuang Ding and the queen rubbed their heads against her pants, so she added, “And these furry kids too. In short, I don’t need you.”

Wang Bo laughed. “But I’ll only be gone for two days and one night, then I’ll come back and smother you with attention.”

Before boarding the helicopter, the couple shared one last passionate kiss. Qingyang shouted, “Here, feeding dog food! Line up, everyone—Wang Bo is feeding dog food!”

Zhao Xiaohui and Zhang Rui hugged each other, laughing, “Sorry, we bring our own dog food.”

Li Xing looked at Hou Haibo and chuckled self-deprecatingly, “Looks like there aren’t many single dogs left.”

Hou Haibo shook his head. “Sorry, Xing ye, I’m not a single dog either—my other half just hasn’t arrived yet.”

Li Xing lit a cigarette and sighed, “Damn, looks like solving the single problem has to be a priority.”

Sunset Town didn’t yet have flights to Queenstown, but Wang Bo had a helicopter—the new EC-145, luxurious, fast, and spacious.

The two towns weren’t far apart. The helicopter flew for two hours, crossing Lake Wanaka and passing Cardrona, and then Queenstown appeared below.

Autumn in Queenstown was like a fairyland: deep blue skies, cotton-white clouds, golden trees. From the air, the view was even more dreamlike.

Compared to Sunset Town, Queenstown was larger and more populous, but they shared similarities: both backed by mountains and facing lakes, both lush with green grass, both expansive and open.

As the helicopter prepared to land, it passed over a large bridge.

Wang Bo introduced, “This is the Kawarau Bridge—the world’s first commercial bungee jumping site. Its operation dates back to 1988.”

“It was inspired by bungee jumping on grapevines in Vanuatu. Two New Zealanders created this unique tourist attraction, which then became a global sensation.”

“Today, Queenstown boasts three famous bungee locations, including one in the city equipped with a runway that can launch jumpers from 400 meters above the ground.”

Hearing this, Zhang Rui exclaimed, “Wang Bo, you really know your stuff!”

Wang Bo smiled. “Queenstown is Sunset Town’s competitor in tourism. Know your enemy, know yourself, and you’ll never lose. Of course, I’ve studied them.”

“Compared to Queenstown, how’s Sunset Town doing in this regard?” Zhao Xiaohui asked curiously.

Wang Bo shook his head. “Not as good. Queenstown has been developing for 200 years; we’ve only been at it for less than six. The gap is huge.”

Qingyang added, “Wang Bo, you’re being modest. Sunset Town has carved its own path—Christmas Park, the Starry Wormhole, the Lakeside Runway, farm tourism, vast flower fields, and the Road of Birth Flowers—Queenstown can’t match that.”

Wang Bo chuckled, “It’s also the Highway 8 effect. Many travelers pass through us, bringing in some revenue.”

As the helicopter descended, Qingyang took charge of this short trip, choosing a resort at Blanket Bay.

Blanket Bay sits at the northern tip of Lake Wakatipu and is recognized as one of New Zealand’s finest boutique resorts. It’s renowned for stunning scenery, luxurious rooms, world-class cuisine, and highly attentive custom services for each guest.

Nestled between lakes and mountains, small, exquisite estates hide among the landscape. A river runs through the property into Lake Wakatipu, with lush shrubs, vibrant flowers, and greenery along the way, as if lifted from a painting.