HLM – Chapter 853 Contacting Horton

It took an entire day to herd twenty-five wild horses into the stables.

In reality, there were still more horses outside, far exceeding twenty-five, but the remaining ones were of poor quality—some had short legs, others had irregular bone development.

Of course, Tuhao Jin’s appearance wasn’t exactly great either, but as the saying goes, “Among men, Wang Bo; among horses, Tuhao Jin.” It was unique, one of a kind—there could never be another Tuhao Jin.

All the stallions were placed in single-row stables, while the mares and foals were kept in multi-row stables.

In the single-row stables, Tuhao Jin took charge, and in the multi-row stables, the black horse, King Junlin, stood guard. So, although the herds weren’t exactly happy to be confined, they tolerated it.

The wild horses’ quick adjustment owed not only to the guardianship of Tuhao Jin and King Junlin but also to Wang Bo’s choice of this high-end stable.

For fine horses, fresh air was the most important—it helped maintain their health, keeping colds and coughs at bay, and ensured alertness and peak physical condition.

In the wild, changing winds could easily make horses catch a chill or mess up their coats—and wild horses, like anyone who cares about appearance, paid attention to their looks. Few people knew it, but horses were very much members of the “appearance-conscious” animal club.

The stables solved this problem: windows were placed high, some even on the roof ridge, allowing ventilation without exposing the horses to strong winds.

Additionally, exhaust fans around the stable continuously refreshed the air, keeping it as clean and fresh as the outside but without the harsh wind. This environment suited the wild horses quite well.

Then there was the matter of diet. Malong temporarily served as the horse trainer. He personally cared for the horses, feeding them a mix far superior to the wild grass in the pastures.

Thus, especially for the young horses, they quickly adapted to life in the stables.

Wang Bo still needed to continue recruiting staff. Malong, as the horse trainer, had previously been a racehorse jockey. He could care for and train the horses but wasn’t responsible for cleaning or feeding.

With the ranch, as long as these wild horses were tamed—particularly the young ones—the town could produce excellent racehorses in the future.

Malong explained that many of these wild horses were of superior breeds and could achieve good results on the racetrack. When he said this, he deliberately used Tuhao Jin as an example.

Wang Bo felt the ranch could improve the horses’ physiques and overall health. He remembered when these wild horses first arrived—they looked rough and were in poor physical condition.

The “Heart of the Lord” continued to bring him surprises and constantly propelled the town forward.

In early December, Wang Bo could once again use the roulette. This time it was green, meaning he could draw a Level 2 Lord’s Heart.

He chose to spin. The pointer turned and again stopped at the “Territory Heart” spot, producing a Level 2 Hospital Heart.

Wang Bo had nothing to say about it. A hospital was also an important town building. He placed the Level 2 Hospital Heart in its position, changing the sandbox’s hospital color from light green to green.

With the Lakeside project completed, it was time to fulfill the promise he had made: building a comprehensive public transport system in Sunset Town.

As he had mentioned in the meeting, this time he wanted to partner with Horton Automotive Company to secure a fleet of high-end tourist buses.

By chance, Kaplan Green, the general manager of Horton Automotive’s New Zealand branch, was a member of the Labour Party. With the Green Party now allied with Labour, Wang Bo could contact him more easily.

Still, he chose to go through Vajona to contact Kaplan, making it appear more formal and helping him build leverage for the subsequent negotiations.

Horton Automotive was one of the most important car companies in the Southern Hemisphere, with a long history. Its official record began over a century ago: in 1852, James Alexander Horton, a British immigrant to Australia, founded the J.A. Horton harness company—Horton’s ancestor.

Horton gradually expanded from car parts repair into automobiles. In 1917, the war led Horton into complete vehicle production, primarily manufacturing car bodies.

However, Horton had a problem: it wasn’t good at standing on its own and always needed partners.

Initially, its first partner was Ford, which helped Horton reach an annual production of 12,000 vehicles by 1923 and dominate the Australian market by 1924.

Later, Horton partnered with General Motors, benefiting from its technology advantage. Because of wartime experience, Horton excelled at car body production, suitable for different models including Chevrolet and Dodge.

Unfortunately, American capital was ruthless. GM first partnered with Horton, then quickly acquired it as a subsidiary brand.

Australia’s government support, wanting a national brand, allowed Horton to retain brand independence despite being acquired.

This partly explained Horton’s current struggles: as GM’s “adopted child,” it couldn’t be treated the same as GM’s own brands.

During the 1950s, Horton almost monopolized the Australian market. In 1953, it began exporting to New Zealand, and by 1957, its exports reached 17 countries, including Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and parts of Africa.

By the late 1950s, Horton employed over 19,000 globally and had set up assembly lines for local assembly in South Africa and Indonesia.

However, in the 1980s and 1990s, Australia steadily reduced car import tariffs from 57.5% to 22.5%, eventually 15%. Australia’s population was too small to sustain car manufacturers under such low tariffs, decimating local automotive production.

By 2011, Horton’s presence in the car market was minimal; it could only survive after applying for a $149 million government subsidy.

In New Zealand, Horton was in an even more precarious position, with almost no government support.

On the first Monday of early December, Wang Bo met Kaplan. He took a helicopter north, traveling a thousand miles from Sunset Town to Oak City, for their negotiations.

Kaplan welcomed Wang Bo warmly. A middle-aged white man with charisma, his voice was loud and commanding, his gaze sharp—a standard example of white social elites.