HLM -Chapter 1272 Remarkable

“This river is beautiful,” Zhao Xiaohui said after jumping out of the helicopter.

Wang Bo nodded. “The Kawarau River is indeed amazing. It’s a world-famous rafting destination—you can raft here all year round. We’ll try it this afternoon too.”

Zhang Rui said, “Aren’t we supposed to go mountain climbing? We’ve done plenty of rafting.”

Wang Bo shook his head. “This isn’t ordinary scenery. You’re used to drifting in a raft, right? Here, we’ll be riding jet boats. I’ll let you see just how thrilling it is.”

Qingyang waved at them, signaling them to follow into the resort.

At that moment, another helicopter descended. Hou Haibo remarked, “Does New Zealand really have this many helicopters?”

Wang Bo explained, “Queenstown’s helicopter sightseeing industry is very developed. Some of these helicopters aren’t private; they belong to rental companies here.”

As they chatted, they walked into the resort. A white man came toward them, paused when he saw Wang Bo, and asked, “Mayor Wang?”

Wang Bo didn’t recognize him, so he politely nodded. “Hello. And you are?”

The man shook his hand and smiled. “I’m a former visitor to Sunset Town. It’s beautiful, and I’m glad to run into you here. I hope you enjoy Queenstown.”

After a brief chat, the man waved and left.

Wang Bo had grown used to the feeling of being recognized as a celebrity; it happened often wherever he went.

On the way to their rooms, Li Xing asked, “Wang Bo, do you think we can surpass Queenstown?”

Wang Bo said, “Not now, but give me five years. Even if we can’t surpass it, we can at least be on par.”

Qingyang nodded. “Exactly. Judging by the development momentum, Sunset Town is unstoppable. Especially since we’re building a university and leveraging the influence of celebrities like boxing champions, famous musicians, and renowned authors. Queenstown has nothing comparable.”

Queenstown was famous worldwide for its stunning natural scenery and thrilling outdoor sports. Sunset Town could never surpass it in this regard.

In Wang Bo’s development plan, Sunset Town would focus on natural landscapes and cultural attractions, which was why he was so keen on relocating the old buildings from Tahiti Town.

Their accommodation was a small wooden lodge, only two stories, but exquisitely built. A stone path led directly from the front door to Lake Wakatipu.

Inside the lodge, there were eight rooms, all cleaned and neatly arranged. The décor was simple but tasteful.

Wang Bo chose a room on the second floor. Opening the window, he could see Lake Wakatipu. Unfortunately, winter had set in, and the cold breeze from the lake was biting; otherwise, it would have been a perfect view.

The resort manager, showing them around, asked, “Are you here for the Winter Festival?”

Qingyang replied, “Not really. We’ll check it out, but we won’t stay long. Queenstown’s beauty isn’t just about one festival, right?”

The manager smiled and nodded. “You’re a true tourist, yes, exactly.”

The Queenstown Winter Festival was New Zealand’s largest winter celebration, held annually from late June to early July for ten days to welcome winter.

There were over 60 activities, spanning sports, arts, music, comedy, food, wine, and all things related to the mountains.

One reason Wang Bo chose to visit Queenstown was to observe the festival. Now that the Winter Festival was ending, it was the perfect opportunity to see it and learn something. Sunset Town only had a Warehouse Auction Day and Arbor Day; there weren’t any major festivals yet.

Hearing his thoughts, Li Xing chuckled. “As far as I know, Queenstown also has a Gay Ski Week. Maybe you could study it and create a Gay Regatta Day here.”

That really was another popular Queenstown festival, held from late August to early September. It was the largest LGBTQ+ high-altitude gathering in the Southern Hemisphere, attracting tourists from all over the world.

Wang Bo gave him a sideways glance. “I notice you’re really interested in LGBTQ+ events.”

Hou Haibo instinctively covered his rear. “Master Xing, I’m your loyal comrade! Our friendship is unbreakable. Don’t do this to me.”

Li Xing lifted his foot to kick both of them. Wang Bo shouted, “Getting angry out of embarrassment, huh!”

They laughed and joked all the way out, then took a taxi to Queenstown to check out this world-renowned tourist destination.

The driver was talkative and asked as soon as they got in, “Are you Chinese?”

“Yes, Chinese. Hello.”

The driver said, “You Chinese are incredible. You know about a guy called Wang Ba? He built Sunset Town single-handedly. Really amazing.”

They all laughed. “Yes, yes, we know. Wang Ba is incredible.”

Wang Bo smiled wryly; foreigners often mispronounced the “o” sound.

The driver continued, “If I were you, I’d be proud too. Remarkable. He turned a wasteland into what it is today. If he became Prime Minister, could he turn New Zealand into a superpower?”

Wang Bo continued his wry smile. “That might be a bit of a stretch.”

The driver sighed. “He should have been Queenstown’s mayor. He developed Sunset Town, which diverted tourists. Now Queenstown doesn’t see as many visitors. Some of my colleagues went to drive in Sunset Town instead—they say it’s smaller, has more tourists, and people are willing to pay for taxis.”

That was true. The number of taxis in Sunset Town had surged. Wang Bo had thought the locals were doing it as a side job, but even professional drivers from Queenstown had moved over.

Entering Queenstown’s city center, tidy, well-designed small buildings lined the streets.

Sunset Town had begun to learn from Queenstown in this regard. Houses reflected culture, which was why Wang Bo valued Wendy’s design of the Scottish-style power district so highly.

After a quick tour of the town, it was time to eat. They went to the Winter Festival site, where many food stalls offered a feast.

Besides food, there was wine. Gibbston Valley in Queenstown was the southernmost grape-growing region in the world, famous for producing fine Pinot Noir.

The two most famous dishes here were puff pastry rolls and roasted lamb. Wang Bo ordered two large plates. The pastry rolls were sweet and delicate, but the roasted lamb was mediocre.

Hou Haibo noticed immediately: “This lamb isn’t as good as what we roasted yesterday. Not much aroma.”

Li Xing, not picky, ate heartily and muttered, “Come on, guys. Do you know how much Wang Bo’s lamb costs per pound? I’ll tell you—you could eat beef and lamb every day, and even with your salary, you’d only afford a few pounds a month.”

“Salary’s that low?” Hou Haibo pretended to be disappointed.

“Consider yourself lucky to get food and lodging. Salary? Dream on,” Wang Bo said.