HLM – Chapter 150 Catch the Thieves!

Because he’d been busy integrating the ranch and developing the town lately, Wang Bo hadn’t really touched his phone. It had been a while since he last logged into QQ, and to his surprise, there was a huge pile of unread messages.

He first replied to a few old classmates, then sent some photos to Chen Luoxian—scenic shots he’d taken from the mountainside, including grasslands, rolling hills, Twin Lakes, and picturesque nearby towns.

It turned out Chen Luoxian was online. When he apologized for not being on QQ for a while, she simply sent back a smiley face. But once the photos were sent, the smileys came flooding in one after another.

After looking at the photos, Chen Luoxian messaged: “Can we video call? I saw a castle in one of the pictures, I really want to see it (pleading).”

Wang Bo replied: “Not right now. It’s nighttime here, you won’t be able to see anything even with a video call (shrugs, helpless).”

Chen Luoxian: “(Suddenly enlightened) I forgot about the time difference. I was too mesmerized by the scenery. It’s beautiful there.”

Wang Bo: “Most rural towns on New Zealand’s South Island look like this. If there’s a chance, we should collaborate on a tourism venture. Seasons here are the opposite of China’s.”

Chen Luoxian: “Looking forward to it, absolutely! I’ve got a feeling—if I hitch a ride on your thick thigh, my career’s bound to take off! (sly laugh)”

Wang Bo chatted with Chen Luoxian for a while, and soon messages from the classmates and friends he had replied to earlier began rolling in. Things got hectic, with over a dozen chat windows popping off at once.

Coincidentally, it was afternoon in China, and his friends had nothing better to do—they pulled Wang Bo into nonstop chatter. Since he felt a bit guilty for not responding earlier, he pushed through his fatigue to keep them company.

They chatted all the way until 6 p.m. China time, when most people were getting off work. Finally freed, Wang Bo quickly said goodbye and exited QQ.

He glanced at the time—it was nearly midnight. As usual, he opened his sandbox to check on the town before going to sleep.

But when his gaze moved to the ranch area, he suddenly noticed the deer herds were fleeing in panic, the cows and sheep were also moving restlessly, and unfamiliar silhouettes had appeared on his property.

These people were moving around busily on the ranch, and several trailers were parked near the edge. Some of them were already herding the sheep toward the trailers.

In an instant, Wang Bo understood—his ranch was being raided by livestock thieves! But why hadn’t the cowboys in the apartment reacted? Had something happened to them?

At that thought, a shiver ran down his spine and all his drowsiness vanished. He quickly got dressed, grabbed his pistol, and prepared to head to the ranch to catch the thieves.

But when he reached the door, he suddenly paused. He couldn’t just rush out—how would he explain how he’d discovered the intruders?

Thinking quickly, he called over Zhuang Ding, pointed toward the ranch, and whispered,
“Go out there and bark. Bark loudly. Then run toward the ranch, got it?”

Zhuang Ding stared at him blankly, big eyes filled with confusion, his doggy face written with a big fat “???”

Wang Bo sighed and pointed toward the ranch again, then opened his mouth and barked: “Woof woof woof!”

Though the Pet Heart didn’t grant animals human intelligence, it did make them a lot smarter. After this brief performance, Zhuang Ding finally understood.

He used his big paw to push open the door, then dashed outside, head held high, howling and barking at the top of his lungs: “Awooo! Woof woof woof! Woof woof woof!”

The first to rush out was Bartier from the third floor. Dressed in pajamas, he yelled: “Hey, Zhuang Ding! Stop that barking! It’s sleep time!”

Zhuang Ding gave him a condescending side-eye and continued howling even louder. Seeing Wang Bo’s encouraging gesture, he barked more fiercely, his doggy face beaming with excitement.

Right on cue, Wang Bo stepped out and said in a low, serious voice: “Buddy, calm Bartier down. I’m going to check things out—something seems wrong. Zhuang Ding wouldn’t bark like this for nothing.”

The commotion drew out Charlie, Juan, and Bowen, all yawning as they appeared.

“What’s going on?” they asked.

Wang Bo subtly signaled with his hand, and Zhuang Ding took off running. Wang Bo shouted:  “Something’s up! Follow Zhuang Ding! Move, move, move!”

Though confused, the others saw Wang Bo’s serious expression and had no choice but to follow, asking questions as they ran.

Wang Bo frowned and didn’t explain. He jumped into the Land Beast, started the engine, and the armored urban SUV roared like an angry beast, tearing through the night as it sped downhill.

While driving, he opened the sandbox interface to monitor the ranch.

The thieves, apparently watching the castle as well, saw the lights come on and began herding the animals faster.

Wang Bo couldn’t let them escape—he had to catch those damn thieves. But he couldn’t just charge in blindly either. His group had no weapons apart from the small pistol he carried, and the thieves’ firepower was unknown.

Fortunately, like the castle, the ranch was also within his control. Without showing any expression, he silently started hunting down the thieves using the sandbox system.

Just then, one of the thieves holding a metal rod approached the cattle. But Bull Demon King, empowered by the Heart of the Beast, wasn’t about to go quietly. He let out a loud “Moo!” and charged straight at the thief, sending him flying!

A chilling scream pierced the night. The thieves panicked instantly.

“What happened?! What’s going on?!” someone yelled.

Bull Demon King raised his head and kept bellowing. The previously timid Simmental cattle, huddled together, suddenly seemed to hear a call to charge and followed him in a dense mass.

Simmental bulls could grow to over a thousand kilograms. Forget their usual docile temperament—physically, they were undisputed kings of the land. With thousands of adult bulls moving together, they were like a tank battalion!

Wang Bo’s eyes lit up at the sight. “Good job, Bull Demon King!” he thought, and began to fish in troubled waters.

The thieves realized things were going south and tried to flee in their vehicles. Wang Bo, like a god tapping chess pieces, used his fingers to press down on their tiny forms in the sandbox view.

On the sandbox ranch, the thieves appeared as toy soldiers only a few centimeters tall. Wang Bo’s finger tapped their backs, easily knocking them over.

With the chaotic night, panicked herds, and the fact that his hand or body didn’t appear in the sandbox interface, the thieves had no idea what hit them—they just toppled over in confusion.

Wang Bo had no mercy for thieves. And with the cowboy apartment still silent, he feared the worst for the cowboys, so he struck decisively.

Once he knocked a thief down, he’d tap their leg next, ensuring at least a broken bone so they couldn’t escape.

The thieves were terrified. They thought they’d been trampled by the cows—screaming and howling, crawling away as fast as they could, afraid the stampede would crush them to death…