HLM – Chapter 205 The Happy Beast

They drank coffee beer and ate purple sweet potato coconut duck and spicy roast duck.

Kurau’s ducks were famous throughout Oceania—one-fourth of New Zealand’s ducks came from there. Mostly land-raised ducks, which amused Wang Bo as he ate: after all, he was a “land duck” too, despite growing up in a coastal fishing village.

The spicy roast duck wasn’t bad. It was a recipe invented by a Chinese chef, served with Chinese cabbage and lemon juice. The duck’s fat was roasted out, and when lemon juice was added, it tasted even less greasy.

As he ate, Motak sighed, “This dish should be enjoyed by the sea, listening to the waves crash, sipping delicious dark beer… ah, that would be perfect.”

Wang Bo blinked. He couldn’t understand what roast duck had to do with the ocean—this wasn’t seafood, after all.

Once they were full, it was time for business. The auction would start tomorrow, and today was the day for participants to gather. New Zealand was a small country, and ranchers generally knew of each other even if they hadn’t met, so there were lots of social gatherings.

Wang Bo was the odd one out. After Motak introduced him to a few people, they heard the alpacas had arrived, so they all rushed to the temporary ranch on the outskirts of town to take a look.

The rancher had arranged for cowboys and friends to help greet visitors. As Wang Bo walked in, a distinct livestock smell greeted him, and then came the sight of the alpaca herd.

These alpacas stood nearly a meter tall at the shoulder and were close to two meters in length. Because of the season, their wool was at its longest—up to half a meter. Their curled fleece was so fluffy they looked round and pudgy—absolutely adorable.

In this unfamiliar setting, the alpacas stretched out their long necks, blinking in confusion at the outside world. When someone approached, they bleated and ran off.

Seeing this, Wang Bo felt a pang of sympathy. “Damn… how can anyone eat something this cute?”

“It’s actually really tasty. I’ve had it,” Motak said, smacking his lips as if savoring the memory.

Though he’d eaten it, he’d never raised alpacas before, so he wasn’t sure about the details. He asked, “You sure you want to raise these things? They’re not easy to keep—and they might not be profitable.”

Wang Bo smiled and said, “Let’s give it a shot. My ranch has plenty of empty space. If I can raise them well, wouldn’t that be great?”

Bowen, who had seen alpacas in Texas, knew more about them and explained, “The ones raised here are mostly Huacaya alpacas. I heard there are also Suri alpacas in New Zealand, but they’re rare—we probably won’t get to see any.”

A young man in cowboy attire came over and asked, “Hey there, fellas. Interested in my alpacas?”

Motak went up to chat with him while Wang Bo stayed back, watching the so-called “divine beasts” from the internet—mighty alpaca.

Alpacas were naturally gentle creatures and very timid. If a person offered them food, they wouldn’t eat until the person left—even with familiar owners.

But one yellow-haired alpaca walked up to the fence as Wang Bo approached. It stared at him with wide, curious eyes.

Wang Bo reached out to pet it, and the alpaca didn’t shy away. It just blinked those big eyes, pulled its lips back slightly, and gave what looked like a smile—like a genuinely happy beast.

Seeing this, Bowen laughed. “Boss, it likes you.”

Wang Bo turned to the cowboy and asked, “Hey, are they for sale yet? Can I ask how much this one costs?”

The cowboy walked over, a hint of sadness on his face. “You want to buy an alpaca? Any of the others, sure—but not this one. Sorry, it’s not for sale.”

“Why not?”

With a sigh, the cowboy said, “You see, friend, alpacas are terrified of loneliness. They’re one of the few animals that can literally die from depression if left alone. That’s why we always sell them in pairs—to keep them from getting too lonely.”

He paused, the sadness on his face deepening. “This one lost its companion recently. If we sold it alone, it would be bad for both the alpaca and for you.”

Wang Bo nodded, understanding. Juan said, “So… it came close to us because it’s just too lonely?”

“I’m truly sorry,” the cowboy said.

Motak chimed in, “That’s fine though, Wang, didn’t you say you were going to buy a whole herd? It won’t be lonely then.”

The young cowboy looked at Wang Bo, surprised. “You’re buying a whole herd? Not just one or two?”

Wang Bo nodded.

Immediately, the cowboy beamed. “Oh! In that case, I misunderstood. Go ahead and choose—pick any you like, including this one.”

Juan asked emotionally, “So now that it’ll have companions, it won’t be lonely anymore?”

Just then, a chubby white guy walked over, laughing loudly. “Are you guys telling stories? Can’t you see? He was clearly trying to trick you into buying them in pairs.”

The young cowboy gave an awkward laugh. “Pang Geer, you joker. Didn’t expect to see you here!”

The chubby man snorted. “Of course I’m here. I came specifically to buy alpacas. These babies will definitely end up mine!”

Wang Bo thought to himself, Who’s this guy? So full of himself, why not ride a North Korean rocket into space while he’s at it?

He looked at the young cowboy, who misunderstood the look as blame for his earlier little trick. The cowboy chuckled awkwardly. “Honestly, sir, alpacas really can’t live alone.”

“I’m buying over a hundred,” Wang Bo said grumpily. Truth be told, he felt a bit ashamed—he’d actually been outplayed by this kid.

“Well, then you’ll have to wait till tomorrow,” the cowboy said with an embarrassed smile. “Today we’re only doing individual sales. I thought you just wanted one or two.”

The auction officially started tomorrow. While trades were allowed today, they were usually small-scale.

This was all about pricing. Bulk livestock sales fetched lower (wholesale) prices, which didn’t make sense now—just transporting the animals here cost a fortune. Selling them cheap would mean a loss.

At the auction, competition might drive the prices up. But selling individuals always fetched a higher price—any time. Of course, if someone was willing to buy in bulk at individual prices, every rancher would jump at the chance to sell now.

Wang Bo patted the happy alpaca’s head and said, “Set this one aside for me. I’m definitely taking it home tomorrow, alright?”

The fat white guy, Geer, watched for a moment, then suddenly asked, “How much is this alpaca? I want to buy it.”

The young cowboy froze. Wang Bo froze too. What was this? Picking a fight with Wang Bo on purpose?

_{Huacaya alpacas}

_{Suri alpacas}