HLM – Chapter 722 Catching a Green Wolf with Empty Hands

As the large moving truck rumbled into Sunset Town, the quaint yet timeworn saddlery arrived.

Wang Bo had reserved a plot of land on the east side of the town center. He instructed Porter to get the construction crew to level the land and compact the ground. There was no need to lay a foundation—since the Heart of Residence controlled this area, the soil was already ideal for building.

It was a pity that the first wave of tourists had gone to Queenstown. Otherwise, once the saddlery was completed, it would surely be very popular, Wang Bo thought confidently.

But he only felt regret for a moment. The second wave of tourists would arrive soon enough. The first wave had left glowing reviews, accompanied by numerous photos that had already been posted on domestic travel forums and tourism websites.

Sunset Town was beginning to gain attention in the domestic travel scene.

After work, under Mackson’s direction, the construction crew set up the saddlery. The old cowboy had come to accept the reality of being in Sunset Town and was now energetically working alongside the moving company staff.

As Wang Bo drove by, he asked, “Hey, old friend, Sunset Town isn’t bad, huh?”

Mackson placed his hands on his hips and laughed heartily. “Of course! Mayor, I don’t know why, but after coming here, I feel like this saddlery belongs in this town. Damn it, I should have come earlier!”

This was the effect of the Heart of Residence—it always gave people a sense of home.

Until now, no residents had moved away, nor had any businesses closed. Wang Bo knew this was unusual in New Zealand, where there was no household registration system. Many people enjoyed relocating, so moving was common.

Hani, Bowen, and Charlie believed it was because the town was well-located, with heavy traffic and lots of customers—making it profitable.

Wang Bo knew better. Now, two areas in Sunset Town were influenced by the Heart of Residence: the town center and a residential area. As long as people stayed there, the Heart of Residence made them comfortable, and naturally, they didn’t leave.

Smiling, he waved to Mackson and drove off to pick up Eva.

Passing by Kobe’s restaurant, he rolled down the window and called, “Hey, buddy, how’s the chef recruitment going? Expanding production? The bolder the people, the bigger the yield!”

Kobe, who had been instructing his staff in the kitchen, hurried out when he heard Wang Bo’s voice. “Boss! I was just looking for you—recruiting chefs is tough!”

Wang Bo got out of the car. “I know it’s tough. Then relax your requirements. Are you being too picky?”

Kobe looked aggrieved. “That’s impossible! As long as they have a chef’s certificate, it’s fine. I’m even willing to personally train them, as long as they’re experienced. But even so, it’s still hard to recruit.”

“Raise their salary!” Wang Bo suggested.

“I’m already offering a decent wage—$1,500 per week. I can’t pay them the head chef’s salary, can I?”

Wang Bo frowned. “What’s going on? Is it really so hard to recruit talent? Don’t tell me Sunset Town isn’t attractive because it’s rural.”

Kobe shrugged. “I have to admit, that’s a big reason. But the bigger reason is that New Zealand is currently short on chefs.”

Eva, overhearing their conversation, nodded. “Wang, Kobe’s right. A few days ago, I saw a news report. The New Zealand Tourism Federation reported that there’s currently a severe shortage of chefs. With more tourists coming to New Zealand, this will only get worse.”

“Yes, madam boss is right. The chef profession has long been on the Immigration New Zealand shortage occupation list. With more tourists, the demand for food is increasing. Good chefs are hard to come by.”

With the global economy sluggish, the tourism industry was one of the few sectors heating up.

Wang Bo didn’t understand. “If the economy is bad, shouldn’t everyone be short on money? How are they still traveling so much?”

Eva explained the “lipstick effect”—meaning that although the economy is in a slump, people still have money. In booming times, everyone is busy working. During economic downturns, work pressure decreases, and middle-class families with savings and free time begin taking more family trips.

Last year, New Zealand had nearly five million tourists. Estimates suggested that this year it could reach seven million. An increase of two million tourists would require an additional 5,000 chefs to meet demand.

But many culinary and tourism courses weren’t addressing this. Even if they were, New Zealand needed excellent chefs, and excellent chefs couldn’t be trained in six months or a year.

“To make matters worse, spring is coming, the tourism peak season is starting. With the economic downturn, many people take short trips in their own cities, meaning big cities need more chefs, and fewer are willing to go to rural towns,” Kobe sighed.

Wang Bo finally understood: a weak economy was actually boosting tourism. The middle class was traveling internationally, while ordinary locals vacationed in their own cities.

Satisfied with the explanation, Kobe asked, “Boss, what should we do? Keep raising wages? Hire headhunters with high salaries?”

Wang Bo stroked his chin. “Contact the headhunters first. I’ll think of another solution.”

He actually had an idea. When he visited Augma Town in Kurau, Mondo had mentioned that the Wellington government was trying to expand the skilled immigration program. That gave him a spark of inspiration—but he would need high-level connections.

Wang Bo tapped on the table, then called Alexander, the vice-chairman of the Green Party.

Alexander answered, delighted. “Hey, Wang, my dear talented young man, what’s up?”

This string of compliments left Wang Bo slightly bewildered. He ignored them and went straight to the point. “Chairman Alexander, my understanding is that your party leader—your wife—once discussed party membership with me.”

“Of course. Vajona mentioned it. She admires you greatly, and so do I. Who wouldn’t like a capable young mayor with ambition?”

This guy had quite the tongue. Wang Bo thought it was a shame he wasn’t doing sales or MLM but said nothing. “Thank you for your praise, sir. I’ve been thinking. The Green Party is indeed a good choice for Asian immigrants. But I do have some reservations.”

Qingyang, standing nearby, was shocked and silently mouthed: “You’re about to make a choice?”

Wang Bo signaled him to stay quiet. He had his own plan. Knowing Wang Bo’s methods—catching the green wolf with empty hands—things were about to get interesting.