HLM -Chapter 1412 Time Has Arrived

The last two races were the most exciting. The fourth race was the alpaca race.

Alpacas run quite fast. They have great endurance and a calm—or rather, adorably dumb—temperament. They didn’t even need blinders; once they were on the track, no matter how chaotic the surroundings, they just stood there chewing cud.

The fifth race was for the senior students, and the knights riding were all high-grade students, riding Icelandic horses. This was already approaching the level of a proper race.

These two races pushed the event to its climax. Especially the final Icelandic horse race—these teenagers performed just like professional riders: the start, the acceleration, the sprint—all stages executed with proper form.

When all five races concluded, it was already noon. Under the guidance of the police and security, the audience gradually left.

Finally, it was time to count the funds. The total betting pool raised during the races was about 6.8 million. After deducting the payouts, nearly 4 million remained.

Seeing the results, Wang Bo was astonished: “That much?! How could there be so much left in the end?”

“If we hadn’t given these horses such high payout ratios, we could have earned even more,” Hani explained. “In gambling, the house always wins.”

Indeed, the odds for these horses were very high—many at 4-to-1 or 5-to-1. Normally, wealthy participants entering the race would only get odds of just over 1-to-1.

This horse race was unlike ordinary horse racing. The public didn’t know the riders or horses, so bets were mostly blind. And with only one winner among ten horses, statistically, only one out of ten bettors would win.

If this hadn’t been a charity event, the betting amounts wouldn’t have been this high. Many people were just joining for fun, casually betting a few dozen dollars, which effectively became donations.

Adding ticket sales and merchandise, the total revenue from the event came to around 4.5 million. Wang Bo, along with the Sunset Ensemble, Oakley, and others, gathered additional funds to round the total to a neat 5 million, which they donated to the IKEA Foundation and the Red Cross.

To acknowledge this, the Red Cross held a press conference in Sunset Town to thank the children, including Little Dale, for their contributions to the charity event.

Although there were fifty participating children, the town’s elementary and middle schools had all contributed. Other children who didn’t compete directly participated in performances or volunteered to assist at the venue.

Thus, the press conference felt more like a school assembly—all the children attended, and Dale and a few winners represented them on stage to receive thanks from the foundation and Red Cross officials.

Representatives from the New Zealand Parliament and the National Aid Center also attended, alongside many internationally renowned media outlets.

The biggest name was Time magazine. They sent reporters to cover the event, and Wang Bo was stunned when he saw their press badges.

Sunset Town had been covered by famous media before, but being featured by Time was a different level. Previously, the town had been mentioned for tourism; this time, the focus was on culture and education—a completely different nature.

Wang Bo arranged a room for an exclusive interview. The reporter smiled: “One room is too small. We need to take a large group photo of the children involved—they’ll be on our magazine cover.”

Wang Bo was stunned: “The charity event could make the cover of Time magazine? Oh my, I didn’t hear that wrong!”

The reporter nodded: “This is no ordinary charity event. It was organized by your children. Our magazine believes this is the purest and most untainted activity we’ve ever seen. The kids simply wanted to help those in need. That’s a remarkable idea and action.”

Wang Bo agreed: “You’re right. The children performed exceptionally, especially a girl named Jin Dale—I’m sure you know she came up with this idea. She also contributed a lot during the event.”

Naturally, he wanted to ensure Dale had a prime spot on the cover.

During the event, Dale had high visibility, with many media reports mentioning her. Wang Bo also had an interview, primarily about his experiences with charity and children’s education. For the latter, he immediately brought his wife into the discussion.

The interview then became an exclusive with Eva, while Wang Bo sat beside her, adding a few remarks. Eva’s polite demeanor and fluent explanations perfectly met the reporters’ expectations.

In the afternoon, Time’s photographers took pictures of the children. Wang Bo helped select the central square as the background. With so many kids, only the square could accommodate them.

A Time magazine cover shot couldn’t be done casually. Though they sent only one reporter, their photography team had five people and brought a mobile photography vehicle.

Dale was placed in the center, and all fifty young riders wore racing uniforms. They were spread out among the students and completed the photo shoot.

That evening, Wang Bo hosted a party for the children. Hundreds of kids attended with their parents, and the atmosphere was lively.

Among them, the youngest son of Somali immigrant Suradi had participated in the alpaca race—and won first place.

At the start of the party, Suradi brought his son to thank Wang Bo personally: “Mayor, I’m so grateful. I heard that Valvilly will appear in Time magazine. It feels like a dream.”

Wang Bo shrugged: “The credit belongs to the children. No need to thank me. Valvilly did brilliantly—he’s amazing at handling alpacas.”

The thin black boy excitedly said, “Mayor, I love alpacas. I love cattle and sheep. I love grasslands. I want to study at Lincoln University and then work on your ranch.”

Wang Bo smiled: “I’d be more than happy to have you.”

He paused, then added jokingly: “You don’t need to thank me. I feel like I’ve become a medieval nobleman, and you’re my tenants—haha.”

Suradi said, “You’re definitely not a nobleman. You’re the best mayor. I’m proud of Valvilly. He’s helping the weak, while we used to be the ones receiving help.”

He almost cried. Wang Bo, feeling a bit awkward, quickly patted him on the back: “Valvilly will make you even prouder in the future. He’s an exceptional child.”

The boy straightened his chest, his face glowing with a confidence his father had never possessed.