HLM -Chapter 1423 Beneath the Heavy Snow

At this point, the effectiveness of publicity became crucial.

Wang Bo asked Elizabeth to draft the upcoming publicity plan, focusing on the theme of building a harmonious community. He contacted the schools, explaining the situation and requesting that children be encouraged to participate in more friendship-building activities.

For families with children, the children were the center of attention. If the kids could let go of racial prejudices, the whole family could be positively influenced.

By July, New Zealand had turned very cold. In the first ten days of the month, a heavy snow began to fall, drifting down in large flakes. There had already been some light snow in late June, but by July, this snowstorm persisted for a week, spanning from the latter part of the first ten days into the early middle of the month.

New Zealand’s climate had been unstable for several consecutive years. Last year was manageable, and meteorological forecasts had predicted good weather this year. A timely snow was considered a good omen, so during the first couple of days of snowfall, people across New Zealand were still happy.

But after three or four consecutive days, people began frowning. By the time the week-long snow ended, the New Zealand government had already started issuing calls for disaster relief efforts.

Sunset Town was heavily affected by the snow. Beyond the farms and ranches, even the closure of roads caused significant damage to tourism, and the various communities also suffered considerably.

After the snow ended, the town government had already given everyone four days off. Wang Bo quickly called everyone back to work. The town’s snowplows, cleaners, and firefighters all mobilized. They first used the snowplows to clear the roads, creating paths for vehicles, and then moved on to community rescue efforts.

Due to the heavy snow, preparations for his wedding were also put on hold. Fortunately, there were still over two months left, so there was no urgency.

Peterson called him, saying, “Boss, the snow at the ranch is too heavy. Can we requisition the town’s snowplows to clear it?”

Wang Bo replied helplessly, “No, buddy. You’ll have to manage on your own. The whole town needs the snowplows; I have to allocate them to the communities.”

At this moment, no one could help anyone else. Wang Bo had hoped to get snow-clearing assistance from Oak City, but they also lacked snowplows. This snowstorm had arrived so suddenly that the meteorological station had issued no warnings, leaving everyone unprepared.

At noon, Wang Bo returned home with a headache for lunch. The little one waved her hands, shouting, “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!”

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!”

Sighing deeply, Wang Bo said, “Darling, it seems our daughter needs a diaper change again. Can you go and take care of it?”

Eva replied, “Oh, sorry. She’s calling for Daddy, so she probably needs your help.”

Wang Bo felt extremely frustrated. The little one had been calling for him for over a month. For the past month, any problem meant he had to handle it. Now he finally understood why Eva had taught her to say “Daddy” first. This wasn’t love—this was strategy!

But today he was a bit annoyed. “I’m really busy right now. You help her—go on.”

Eva smiled. “I know what you’re busy with. No worries—I’m busy with this too. I’ve arranged for five road-clearing machines.”

“Huh?” Wang Bo was momentarily stunned.

Eva shrugged. “You need to make the best use of the resources available to you. Leyton Company definitely has road-clearing machines, so I called Thomas. He said he’d mobilize them to help clear the roads.”

Wang Bo hugged and kissed her, excitedly saying, “Darling, you really are my perfect partner!”

Meanwhile, the little one kept shouting, “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!”

The little general, suspiciously darting left and right, noticed no one was responding. She strutted over in front of the little girl and said, “Ah, here I am. Ah… what are you doing?”

The little girl was nearly one year old. She had developed quickly and was quite strong. As soon as the general’s voice fell, the girl swung her hand, striking the general and sending her sprawling under the sofa.

“Daddy! Daddy!”

Eva brought a fresh diaper and changed the little girl, calming her down. She then sucked her pacifier attentively.

In the afternoon, Wang Bo allocated the snowplows to the communities for rescue operations.

“What about the roads? We need to open them first,” Saludi said.

Wang Bo firmly waved his hand. “Start with the communities. Other vehicles will take care of the roads tomorrow.”

The snow in the communities was waist-deep, but the children were delighted. Once the snow stopped, parents busied themselves repairing roofs and doors, giving the children freedom to play.

As soon as Wang Bo entered the community, he jumped out of the car and had barely stabilized himself in the snow when a child poked his head out, laughing: “Mayor, look! Am I like a groundhog?”

“You scared me, Kevin. You look more like a Ninja Turtle,” Wang Bo laughed.

“Then I’m going to the sewer! I want the groundhog master to guide me. I want to become a hero Ninja Turtle!” The child was thrilled and dove back into the snow.

Other children were having snowball fights, with snow flying everywhere at the community entrance. Some parents joined in. Wang Bo saw Barbara and Mr. Anderson playing with their kids.

Their three children lay in the snow as Barbara waved her arms up and down: “Now you’re angels. Move your arms slowly but powerfully. Imagine these are your wings…”

“Remember to keep the rhythm; don’t flap wildly. Remember the black cranes we saw? Move your wings like them,” Anderson added.

Wang Bo smiled wryly. “You two are in high spirits. Are you having fun here?”

“Boss,” Anderson greeted him, “of course! This is the once-in-twenty-years snow in New Zealand. I have to make sure the kids enjoy it.”

Wang Bo spread his hands helplessly. What else could he say? He was in utter despair.

Once the snowplow entered, it quickly cleared a road, leaving the snow on either side thicker and higher.

But the children were displeased. The cleared path was dirty, as the snowplow had swept up mud as well.

A boy of about ten ran up, fuming: “Mayor! Stop your monster machine! We won’t allow it to ruin our home!”

“Kid, hush!” His father picked him up and gave him a smack on the backside. “Step aside! Don’t obstruct the mayor’s work.”

Many families’ houses had been damaged under the weight of the snow. Once the snowplow cleared a path, they drove into town to collect planks for repairs.

Cafes and hot drink shops were packed. By the time Wang Bo finished work, he had to get a cup of hot cocoa himself. An entire afternoon of outdoor labor had exhausted him.

However, the roads in several communities were finally cleared, allowing vehicles to move freely. The crisis was temporarily resolved.