HLM – Chapter 53 The Block Houses

“F**k! Bowen, do you have a death wish?!”

“Alright, alright, I swear I won’t laugh anymore. Listen, Wang—Wang, hahaha—okay, okay, I’m done laughing! Listen, buddy, this isn’t the end of the world. Things aren’t beyond saving. Actually, that slang meaning of ‘wang’ is rarely used. Only a few people even know about it. Julia clearly didn’t. I only know because I once did a road trip across the U.S., so I’ve seen more. Most people have no clue—really.”

Wang Bo shot him a dark glare, then crossed out “Wang” on the application form and replaced it with “Bo.”

Charlie chimed in, “That’s not great either. ‘B.O.’ is the abbreviation for ‘body odor.’”

“My grandfather lived to be a hundred, you know why?” Wang Bo slowly turned to look at him.

Charlie shrugged, “No idea. Was his name Bo too?”

“No. It’s because he never spoke too much, never meddled in other people’s business. F**k!” Wang Bo cursed, then crossed out “Bo” as well and replaced it with “WB,” the initials of his full name.

After paying and receiving the new phone, Bowen helped him set it up and register the SIM card.

Once it was ready, the first call Wang Bo made was to his family. He told his parents his new number and updated them on his situation, assuring them he was doing well.

The second call he made was to a man named Roger Rosen—a contractor.

There were many contractors on the South Island, but this one was different. His team specialized in building houses quickly using EPS energy-saving construction modules.

EPS construction modules are very popular in developed countries. Technically speaking, they are made of flame-retardant polystyrene foam, serving both as formwork and insulation. Concrete is poured into the core, then plastered or finished with paneling, creating a composite wall structure.

What are the benefits of this kind of wall?

First, it solves common problems such as hollowing, cracking, or detaching of exterior insulation, and internal walls suffering from dampness or condensation. It significantly improves the durability of insulation layers.

Second, the production equipment and process are advanced. These walls are manufactured using heat and pressure, formed in molds into EPS modules.

These modules are essentially oversized LEGO bricks. Building with them is like stacking blocks—every piece fits perfectly. Nothing goes to waste.

Thus, such houses are also called “block houses.”

Besides these two benefits, block houses have three more major advantages—ones that Wang Bo especially valued.

First, they drastically reduce construction time. For example, a two-story small house can be built in just a week by a skilled crew.

Second, the EPS modules come in various colors, so once assembled, the house looks pre-finished. No extra decorating is needed—saving both time and money.

Third, they’re cheap. These are essentially New Zealand’s version of “affordable housing.” Many young people without much money buy a plot of land and put up an EPS house on it.

But there’s one downside—a major one: the houses don’t last very long.

Wang Bo didn’t have much money at the moment, and he wasn’t expecting these houses to last decades. He just needed something functional for now—something to start drawing people to settle in his little town.

After placing the call, it quickly connected, and a thick Scottish accent came through, “Hello, who’s this?”

Wang Bo briefly introduced himself and asked how much it would cost to build a two-story house.

Ideally, he’d like to build color steel sheet houses on his foundation—those were even cheaper and faster.

Unfortunately, those didn’t have a market in New Zealand. Both the North and South Islands are on seismic belts, and steel sheet houses have poor earthquake resistance. People simply wouldn’t live in them.

Roger said he’d have to visit the site to give an accurate quote. The price depended on materials, layout, and size. These houses weren’t priced by square footage, but by the number of modules used.

Of course Wang Bo would visit. He’d already decided Roger would handle the initial phase of the housing project—only his team could build fast enough.

Roger’s office was in the town center. After getting the address, Bowen revved up his smoke-spewing motorcycle and off they went.

Along the way, they drew middle fingers from pedestrians and more than one shouted insult: “What the hell do you guys burn in that motorcycle? Corn stalks?!”

They weren’t familiar with the roads, so they had to stop at each intersection to ask for directions. Bowen, naturally, only approached pretty women. When he saw a busty long-legged girl waiting at a red light, he roared over.

Wang Bo knew this guy couldn’t be trusted and rushed to speak first. “Hi, ma’am, excuse me—can I ask for directions?”

The beauty looked them over, then nodded, “Where to?”

The cowboy grinned shamelessly and said, “The road to your heart.”

The woman gave a cold smile. “Sorry, that’s a CBD pedestrian street. No motorcycles allowed.”

With that, she flicked her hair and walked away.

The cowboy turned to Wang Bo and asked, “Buddy, is she looking down on my bike?”

Wang Bo snapped, “Of course not. She’s looking down on you! Okay? Shut up and just ask for directions!”

“How can I ask if I keep my mouth shut?”

“F**k, I’ll ask! From now on, I’d rather take a commander with me than bring you!”

After asking two more people, they finally arrived at Roger’s construction company—located in a three-story building made of EPS modules. That’s another drawback: block houses can’t be built too tall. Fifteen meters is the upper limit.

They were received by Roger’s secretary, who handed Wang Bo a photo album catalog for pricing reference.

After browsing for a while, Wang Bo saw that the prices were quite reasonable. A two-story house with a 60m² footprint could be built for just 100,000 NZD. Compared to traditional wood or concrete houses, this was a steal.

After a quick review, Wang Bo nodded and said to the secretary, “No problem. I’d like to order six houses to start—two of the EH-005 model, and four of the EH-011 model.”

The EH-005 model was smaller—just under 50m²—and would be used for fast food outlets, priced at 80,000 NZD each. The EH-011 was larger, about 80m², and could function as both a restaurant and a small hotel, priced at 140,000 NZD each.

The total order came to over 500,000 NZD, a medium-sized order for block houses—enough for the secretary to go call the boss, Roger.