HLM – Chapter 870 Police Car Modification

Fortunately, he didn’t have to worry for long. The chicken flock spotted the tender water plants scattered across the flower field and immediately strode over with their long legs.

Uncle Bing had set these traps with technique: small amounts of water plants were placed outside the net as bait, while a large pile lay underneath the net.

The purple swamphens lowered their heads to forage—a natural instinct, common to all chickens and ducks. When pecking for food, they wouldn’t raise their heads to look around. If there was a sudden movement or sound, they would bolt immediately, often without checking for the source of danger.

If not intentionally manipulated, this instinct could be an advantage in the wild. When faced with predators, every second mattered, and curiosity could be deadly.

One particularly domineering purple swamphen caught Wang Bo’s attention. Undoubtedly, this bird was the leader of the flock—the so-called “alpha chicken.”

Unlike the ordinary birds, it strutted with its head held high, chest out, tail swaying rhythmically. Nearly half a meter in length, its feathers were glossy and well-nourished.

The other birds rushed to the tender shoots once discovered, but the alpha moved leisurely, walking a few steps, stopping to look around, then walking a few more.

Uncle Bing noticed it too and whispered, “This is the flock’s leader. You must catch it. This rooster has strong influence; take it, and most of the flock will follow.”

After a while, the alpha noticed a net and clucked a few times. Wang Bo’s heart jumped—he thought it had spotted the trap. But it hadn’t. After a few calls, the reluctant chickens under the net stepped aside, and the alpha walked in to peck at the tender shoots.

Two other chickens remained inside. Seeing them, the alpha flapped its wings, preparing to attack.

Unfortunately for it, the net locked the area mid-air. As soon as it took off, it collided with the frame. Strong and hefty, it snapped the support with a loud “crack.”

The net fell, trapping the alpha and the two others.

The three panicked, squawking loudly. The rest of the flock scattered; some ran, some flew, only to fall into the same fate under other nets.

Over ten nets were triggered in succession. Most contained several chickens feeding, and all were captured. Once the net fell, escape was impossible.

Not all nets would break so easily. The alpha’s strength and aggressive attempt to attack were why the frame snapped. Most wild chickens, when blocked by a net, could have stepped carefully to escape. But in panic, the trapped birds struggled violently, repeatedly striking the frame, eventually breaking it themselves.

By the end, Wang Bo and his team had captured a large group of wild chickens.

Seeing this, he said to Uncle Bing, “Why bother with other traps? Isn’t this method enough—fast and effective?”

Uncle Bing shook his head. “No. Purple swamphens aren’t stupid. This type of net only works a few times. They’ll become wary. Traps must be varied.”

Previously, specialized poultry farms with hatcheries and net cages were used. All captured purple swamphens were placed there. Wang Bo worried the birds might resist, as the “Heart of the Ranch” system wouldn’t affect them.

But his worry was unnecessary. Once under the system’s control, the chickens calmed down. Only the alpha remained defiant, clucking, flapping, hopping, and attempting to break free.

Wang Bo called over the strongman. When the alpha struck the cage again, the man lunged, opening his jaws and letting out a fearsome roar. After two attempts, the alpha was intimidated and stopped trying, settling down.

That afternoon, hundreds of traps were set, continuously catching purple swamphens. The traps were harmful; struggling chickens often got slightly injured. Wang Bo and Uncle Bing collected them periodically and placed them in the cages.

By evening, all the purple swamphens from the lake edge and lavender fields were captured and placed in the ranch. Controlling the entire operation was thrilling—just lift each chicken one by one from the map.

Although the swamphens were cautious, this hunting method was so stealthy that no bird could escape. With the traps as cover, Wang Bo’s actions raised no suspicion; he could simply claim he’d gone early to collect the traps.

In fact, later, Uncle Bing and the others had little time for traps, because by late December, the town had two major tasks.

The first was modifying the police cars for low-frequency alarms, and the second was breast X-rays.

The low-frequency alarm system was designed for police cars. Originally equipped on American police vehicles, it has since spread worldwide.

It evolved from the standard siren. All police cars had sirens, but over time, people became desensitized. Sometimes, even when police or ambulances used them, some inconsiderate drivers ignored them.

This happened partly because New Zealanders, while generally law-abiding, often distrust the police. With a relatively low case-solving rate, many believed sirens were just for show. Even hearing them, drivers often didn’t yield.

The law regulated this, but drivers could hire lawyers claiming they didn’t hear the siren due to concentration.

To counter this, sirens were made higher-pitched, but high frequency alone wasn’t enough. Some deliberately ignored them.

Thus, the low-frequency alarm system emerged.

Its principle is simple and inexpensive: two large low-frequency speakers placed next to the siren produce a “soul-shaking” low-frequency sound—a vibration felt in the chest.

Importantly, this low-frequency sound is coordinated with the siren’s high-frequency alert, maintaining harmony between high and low tones.