HLM – Chapter 65 Zhuang Ding Rides a Sheep

The Mastiff Zhuang Ding was indeed the king of dogs. The ram was quickly cowed and didn’t dare resist anymore.

Once the ram settled down, Zhuang Ding stopped biting. Then, pressing its front paws on the ram’s neck and lifting its rump, it began to thrust rhythmically against the ram’s belly…

Seeing this scene, Wang Bo was dumbfounded!

Zhuang Ding’s hips moved in a precise rhythm, in and out, up and down. Thankfully, it was still a young dog and couldn’t actually mate—so this was a twisted kind of small mercy.

“Dear god!” Wang Bo cried, covering his face in anguish. “What the hell is this? What is Zhuang Ding doing?!”

Bowen was also seeing this behavior for the first time and blurted out in disbelief, “Could this be… love that transcends species?”

“Love your damn head!” Wang Bo cursed. He knew exactly what this was—clearly, Zhuang Ding had picked up the behavior from watching D-A-V. It was copying what it had seen.

Still, this guy’s learning ability was terrifying. The Soul Heart’s influence was no joke.

Wang Bo couldn’t let Zhuang Ding go on like this, so he quickly walked over. But Zhuang Ding happily wagged its tongue at him, clearly expecting praise.

Wang Bo wanted nothing more than to give it a good smack. In the end, he raised his hand high… and brought it down gently on its rump with a pat. “No riding sheep, got it?”

Thanks to the Soul Heart, Zhuang Ding had grown much more intelligent. Over the course of the morning, although it tried a few more times to mount the sheep, Wang Bo followed close behind and gave it two slaps. Eventually, the dog behaved.

After a full morning of training, Zhuang Ding had become an excellent herding dog—responding swiftly and forcefully, establishing its dominance among the livestock with barking and brute force.

From then on, Wang Bo stayed at the ranch handling the cattle and sheep, passing time while waiting for Christmas—it was only a few days away now.

Charlie thought he looked too idle and said, “Wang, if you’re bored, you should start thinking about how to develop the town. Becoming the world’s best town—wasn’t that your goal?”

Wang Bo did have a plan. He said, “Here’s what I’m thinking: first, we build roads. Once Highway 8 is done, we’ll zone the land on both sides of it for commercial use and build shops there for rent.”

Charlie asked, “And before the road is done?”

Wang Bo shrugged. “We just wait. Without a road, there’s no foot traffic. No foot traffic, no business. No business, no money. Without money, who’s coming here?”

Charlie shook his head. “That’s not how it works, damn it. I think I need to sign you up for a leadership course. Listen, first thing you need to do is recruit your staff. Build your leadership team. Only then can you start real development.”

According to the New Zealand constitution, towns with fewer than 100 people could establish three main departments: the Administrative Committee, the Oversight Committee, and the Audit Committee. Altogether, the town could have four civil service positions.

The Administrative Committee, as the name suggested, handled management and planning for town development. The top official was the mayor—which was Wang Bo.

The Oversight Committee handled public safety, fire protection, discipline, and records. Its two main positions were sheriff and recorder. Currently, Wang Bo was serving as sheriff. As for the recorder—responsible for documenting all aspects of the town’s operations—Wang Bo had no intention of doing that himself.

Then there was the Audit Committee, which had to be independent from the mayor and was the only role the mayor couldn’t double up on. This position—usually held by an honest accountant—was responsible for finances, education, welfare, healthcare, taxation, and also had the authority to supervise the mayor’s power.

Wang Bo was already familiar with all this. A whole manual on civil servant duties had been mailed to him along with the town charter. He read it nearly every day.

Charlie looked disappointed. “Wang, you can’t keep living day to day like a monk hitting a bell at noon. You need to channel that ambitious energy you had back when you worked in the bank. You haven’t even started doing real work yet, have you?”

Wang Bo said, “Of course I have. I’ve already hired an employee—my assistant, Bowen.”

The cowboy, sipping coffee, shrugged. “Yup, I’m the mayor’s assistant. Howdy, partner—need any services?”

Charlie’s expression eased a little. “Well, even if the guy you hired is a little… unreliable, at least you’ve taken the first step.”

“Shit, what’s that supposed to mean?” Bowen was annoyed. “You’re underestimating me, partner. Underestimating a cowboy. Let me tell you—me, Bowen Ronald, a real cowboy from Texas, USA—I’m not as simple as I look, got it?”

Charlie replied, “Sorry, partner. I just don’t see what makes you so amazing.”

Bowen’s face darkened. He turned to Wang Bo. “Boss, aren’t you going to introduce your impressive assistant to this gentleman?”

Now fully stepping into his “work persona,” Bowen had switched how he addressed Wang Bo.

Wang Bo sighed. “Fine. My assistant is a legend. He could run by age 1, mow grass by 3, herd sheep by 5, ride horses by 7. By 12, he was a poker master—Texas Hold’em included. At 14, he was smoking weed, at 16 he hunted wolves, and at 17, bears. By 18, he was drag racing across North America. Impressive, right?”

Charlie: “……”

Bowen wanted to add more bragging rights, but Wang Bo pushed him aside. “Alright, enough clowning around. Charlie, let’s hear your plan.”

Charlie took a sip of coffee. “Here’s what I think—you’re still short two important staff members. So, you need to think about recruiting them. And right now, a perfect opportunity is coming up—next week’s Christmas holiday.”

“During Christmas, the nearby cities will have big parades and celebrations. That’s your chance to promote Sunset Town. Let people know there are job openings here. I guarantee you—after Christmas, you’ll have plenty of applicants.”

Wang Bo nodded. “That works. I’ll make a plan to organize a recruitment fair.”

Charlie shook his head. “Not a job fair—come on, man. Who goes to a job fair during the holidays? All you need is some promotional materials—like signs and flyers—to let people know, and more importantly, remember Sunset Town.”

Wang Bo looked at Bowen. “Hey, Assistant—this is on you. No problem, right?”

Bowen had wanted to say “problem,” but under Charlie’s skeptical gaze, he sneered and said, “Of course not. I’ll contact a print shop right away and get the materials ready!”

Charlie asked, “Need help coming up with a slogan?”

Bowen puffed out his chest. “Please. Leave it to me.”

Wang Bo gave him some guidance. “Bowen, the slogan should have a clear theme and a vivid vibe. Respect other towns, but make ours stand out. Add a bit of temptation, but don’t make it sound flashy. Got that?”

Bowen snapped his fingers. “No problem at all. I’ve got this!”