HLM -Chapter 833 Santa Claus Delivering Candles

The storm lasted for nearly seventy hours in total. However, except for the first day, the wind and rain weakened significantly afterward. In the final few hours, the tropical cyclone left the area, leaving behind only light wind and drizzle.

By this time, the office building had accommodated more than fifty people. Altogether, a dozen or so families had been relocated there.

When the wind and rain finally became bearable, Wang Bo couldn’t help but make the sign of the cross at the doorway: “God bless, hallelujah. This office building really held up—didn’t fail us at the crucial moment.”

If something had happened to the office building, he would’ve had no choice but to move everyone to the supermarket.

After confirming the outside was safe, Wang Bo opened the door and let everyone out. The townspeople erupted with the same enthusiasm as if they had just won a war, waving their arms and shouting loudly.

But before long, some of them began crying.

Some children had experienced something this terrifying for the first time. The families who came to the office building were all people whose homes had been destroyed—they were essentially homeless now.

For New Zealanders, being homeless is frightening. In this regard, the New Zealand government doesn’t do as well as the Chinese government. China emphasizes mutual aid—if one place is in trouble, help comes from all directions. Families struck by natural disasters receive compensation and assistance.

New Zealand has no such policy. If these families didn’t have home insurance, then they were in trouble—rebuilding would drain much of their savings.

Wang Bo thought the crisis was finally over, but then the lights above him flickered a few times before going out completely.

At the same time, all the lights in the office building went out. The commercial district and residential areas went dark as well. In an instant, Sunset Town was swallowed by darkness.

Many families hadn’t even had time to celebrate surviving the disaster before facing a massive power outage. It was devastating—some people with weaker nerves burst into tears on the spot.

The entire town was pitch black, and cries could be heard from several homes. To be honest, the scene felt a little eerie to Wang Bo. If this had happened on Halloween, it would’ve actually fit the mood.

There was an electrician in the town. He went to the substation to check and came back saying, “It’s not our issue. The substation is operating normally, and the lines are fine. I think the problem is at the power supply station.”

“Can’t restore power anytime soon?” Wang Bo asked.

The electrician shrugged. “I need to contact the power station. Hopefully they can send people to repair it. But honestly? It’s difficult. It’s still raining out there—repairing power lines in this weather is dangerous.”

Wang Bo understood the difficulty, but leaving every household in darkness wasn’t an option.

He thought for a moment—there should be candles in the supermarket. He called Anderson, who confirmed that the warehouse indeed had a good supply.

When Wang Bo went to check, he found ten large boxes of candles—various types and uses, including magic candles, firework candles, and scented candles.

“Quite a lot.”

Anderson shrugged. “It’s not like I stocked up on purpose. People rarely buy candles. Ever since the supermarket opened, I think I only restocked once, and they’ve just been sitting there.”

Then he laughed. “But looks like our luck’s turned. These candles won’t be gathering dust anymore—they’re about to make us a fortune.”

Wang Bo shook his head. “No. We’re not selling them. We’re giving them out for free. Profiting off a national disaster is disgraceful, my friend.”

“Such a nice chance to make money though…” Anderson muttered reluctantly. This was a golden opportunity.

But Wang Bo really couldn’t bring himself to do something so shameless—he was definitely not cut out to be a great businessman.

With both phones and the electrical grid down, Sunset Town had suddenly returned to primitive times. He couldn’t notify people to come pick up candles, so he had to drive around with others, delivering them door to door.

Just as their vehicle went out, the area outside the Flaming Mountain Bar suddenly turned red. Amid the storm, huge flames shot skyward, swaying violently with the wind—a striking and stunning scene.

“Power’s back?” Wang Bo exclaimed joyfully, but quickly realized other places were still dark. It must be the bar’s backup generator kicking in.

Soon after, a few other lights lit up. The brightest was the community hospital’s—every hospital carries backup generators.

Wang Bo remembered that the castle also had a generator. Before he came, the castle relied on it until he paid a hefty sum to connect it to the grid.

But the castle was pitch black now, showing no signs of lighting up. It worried him a little.

He wanted to check the sand table for updates, but by then, the vehicle had already arrived at the residential area, and the candle deliveries began.

Braving the rain, each person carried a box of candles and knocked on doors. Wang Bo opened one door and a woman holding a child asked, “Mayor, is something wrong?”

He pulled out a thick candle and smiled. “I’m not the mayor—I’m Santa Claus, here to deliver Christmas gifts early.”

The woman was instantly delighted. “My god, candles! There are still candles in town?”

The child in her arms said in a milky voice, “It’s not Christmas yet. It’s still a long time away. You’re not Santa Claus.”

Wang Bo laughed. “Of course I am. This year Santa starts gift deliveries from New Zealand. By next month, I’ll move on to Europe and America.”

The candles brought light to the townspeople. At this moment, light meant everything to those trapped in hardship.

However, many people didn’t even need candles—quite a few families rushed straight to the Flaming Mountain Bar. Soon the bar was packed on every floor, filled with deafening music again.

When Wang Bo went inside to take a look, he felt the atmosphere was more explosive than ever—all the people were drinking heavily, glasses raised high, silhouettes dancing wildly in the dim lights.

The last seventy hours had been suffocating. People finally had a chance to let loose, and they were taking full advantage of it.

Wang Bo didn’t stay. Delivering candles felt more meaningful. The townspeople genuinely thanked him—their joy was something rare to experience.

He left aside one small box of magic candles and firework candles, then rushed back to the castle.

The castle was still dark. Wang Bo jumped out of the car, and Zhuang Ding, soaked from the rain, ran up excitedly, barking and jumping all over him.

Seeing the dog so excited, Wang Bo relaxed—the castle must be fine; otherwise, the dog wouldn’t be in such good spirits.

Sure enough, Eva soon appeared and greeted him with a warm hug, smiling with joy. “Oh my god, darling, you’re finally back!”

Da Pang and Er Pang also came running, nudged him for a moment, then quickly backed away, their chubby faces showing clear disgust.

Wang Bo couldn’t help laughing—these two little brats were so picky!

He knew he smelled terrible—he hadn’t managed to shower in seventy hours. He’d been out in wind and rain the whole time, and he basically smelled rotten.