HLM – Chapter 154 Armed Reinforcement

With the funds in place, Wang Bo—never one to sit on his cash—decided to start spending immediately.

Sharp had his own transport team, so Wang Bo didn’t need to worry about moving the livestock. Sharp would use trailers to send the cattle and sheep to Dunedin, and from there ship them by sea to Auckland, his home turf in the North Island.

After helping load the selected livestock onto the trailers, Wang Bo’s involvement in the deal was essentially over. He gathered the cowboys for a big shopping trip.

“We’re buying guns and dogs. If possible, we’ll install electronic surveillance on the ranch. We absolutely need to strengthen ranch security,” Wang Bo said at the meeting he held with the cowboys. The first item on the agenda was prevention.

Bowen thought for a moment and said, “Boss, let’s also buy some alpacas. If we’re stepping up security, they can help too.”

Wang Bo asked in confusion, “Really? Aren’t those silly things pretty timid? How could they help?”

He had actually considered raising alpacas before. They were a gem in the agricultural world—if well-raised, they could be even more profitable than cattle or sheep. For one, alpacas were ornamental animals. Second, their fleece was highly valuable, used to make premium garments. And finally, they could be eaten—their meat was a type of red meat, low in fat and mostly composed of unsaturated fatty acids, which made it nutritious and easy to digest.

Bowen explained, “Their role in security is as sentries. Alpacas have incredibly sharp hearing—at least ten times more sensitive than cattle or sheep.”

“That good?” Wang Bo was surprised.

“Definitely. They rely heavily on hearing to detect threats and choose escape routes early. They’re hyper-alert. Even when grazing, they’ll always assign a few to stand guard. At the slightest disturbance, they flee immediately.”

“That means, if thieves or intruders show up, the alpacas can act as an early warning system. Plus, for some reason, other livestock instinctively follow them when they run—so they kind of lead the whole herd to safety.”

The cowboys all nodded at this. Ian added, “Also, boss, alpacas can sense weather changes. When storms or heavy rain are coming, they’ll move to a safe place ahead of time—which can serve as a warning for us too.”

Wang Bo had no idea alpacas were this capable. Had he known earlier, he would’ve bought a bunch from the start.

In fact, alpacas had many uses. They were clever and almost human-like in their behavior. The Indigenous peoples of the Andes once widely used them as pack animals. Although draft animals had fallen out of use, alpacas were now often used to carry children. Both New Zealand and Australia held alpaca competitions every year.

First on the list was buying guns. Except for the six new cowboys who couldn’t due to visa restrictions, everyone else could legally apply for a firearms license in New Zealand.

For regular folks, getting a gun license could be a hassle. But not for Wang Bo—after all, he was the head honcho of the town’s police department.

In New Zealand, most steps for a gun license are done at the police station. First, applicants are required to attend a firearm safety course, and pass an assessment issued by the local station. Wang Bo blatantly abused his authority here—no training, everyone passed.

Next, they had to fill out a firearms license application, which could be downloaded online. Hani took care of this step—he’d done it many times before.

With the forms ready, the next step was to pay the application fee at a post office. Since their town didn’t have one, they had to head to Oak City’s post office.

The payment part was simple: the standard firearms license fee was NZD 125. Wang Bo paid for four people—himself, Kobe, Juan, and Bowen.

He handed over NZD 500. The lazy accountant at the counter tapped the desk and asked, “Want certification too? That’ll be another NZD 200 per person.”

“Certification? What’s that?” Wang Bo looked at Charlie.

Charlie explained in a low voice, “Basically, it’s like tiered licensing. Different certification levels let you legally own different types of firearms—pistols, rifles, semi-automatics. Each has its own classification.”

Wang Bo understood and decided to go ahead with certification—money wasn’t an issue. Another NZD 800 gone. He received four payment receipts.

The final step was the police review, which typically involved an officer visiting the applicant’s home to check for secure gun storage, and asking neighbors about the applicant’s social behavior.

Wang Bo handled this part himself too. No questions asked—everyone passed. They were all upstanding citizens. Certified good guys. Approved for firearms licenses.

The licenses were issued by the police headquarters in Wellington. Once Sunset Town’s station submitted the approval email, applicants would receive a digital copy first. The physical license would arrive by courier within a week.

But even just having the digital version meant they could start buying guns. Buying a gun in New Zealand was easier than buying alcohol—many gun stores had online shops, and purchases could be delivered by courier.

It’s no exaggeration. According to New Zealand law, private gun sales are legal. Sellers need a valid dealer license; buyers just need a firearm license.

Even if someone breaks the rules, the penalties aren’t particularly harsh. Sellers face a maximum NZD 1,000 fine or up to three months in jail. Buyers face up to NZD 5,000 in fines or four years in prison—not too severe.

Wang Bo opened the website for New Zealand’s biggest online gun store: “GUN-CITY.” The name could be translated as “City of Guns.” The site was packed with listings—guns, holsters, ammunition, and more.

Wang Bo browsed aimlessly but couldn’t decide on a gun. Frustrated, he said, “Let’s just go to a physical store. I can’t tell which gun suits us just by looking online.”

Charlie nudged him aside and pulled up a specific listing. “Done. Just pay. This gun’s perfect for protecting the ranch.”

Wang Bo leaned in. The gun was beautiful—sky-blue enamel finish, sleek polymer body, compact frame, and smooth curves. A great-looking firearm.

But he’d never heard of the model: SL8. The description said it was a German rifle, though it didn’t specify which lineage it came from.

Charlie was the expert in this area. Since he’d chosen it, Wang Bo had no objections. He bought four—NZD 1,800 each, totalling NZD 7,200.

GUN-CITY was running a promotion: for an extra NZD 200, each purchase came with a two-year service card, 200 rounds of ammo, a scope attachment, a pair of fingerless gloves, and a box of gun maintenance oil.

Wang Bo was planning to buy ammo anyway. This bundle was perfect. He paid another NZD 800, spending NZD 8,000 in total on four SL8 rifles. With these, the ranch’s security would greatly improve.

But guns were mainly for deterrence. Even if thieves came, the goal was to avoid pulling the trigger. That’s why buying guard dogs for the ranch was now top priority.