HLM – Chapter 897 Taking the Initiative

Although not everything in the park was Christmas-related, the vast majority was.

Under Saibo’s guidance, they moved to the second stop: the Christmas Star Light Show.

“This is a tunnel of lights, also a passage to fulfilling dreams. Passing through it is like entering a Christmas fairy-tale world. It was exclusively designed by an Italian designer team and manufactured in Germany. All around the tunnel, from every direction, brilliant starlight will shine.”

“The third stop is the Christmas House. Here, we’ve recreated iconic Arctic Circle structures like Santa Claus’s house and the Christmas Post Office. And once completed, we can even train someone to play the role of Santa Claus.”

Wang Bo asked, “Train a Santa Claus?”

Saibo smiled: “Of course. They have to go to a university to be trained! They’ll learn how to receive fans, how to professionally deliver gifts—there’s a lot they need to learn.”

Wang Bo hadn’t expected this, though he realized that investing in a park like this would surely cost a fortune; everything was extremely professional.

The fourth stop was the Sami Elves. Wang Bo hadn’t grown up in a Christian country and didn’t know much about Christmas culture.

The Sami Elves were the little elves he had seen yesterday at Santa Claus Village, originating from the Sami people. The Sami are the only indigenous minority in Europe, living solitary lives, traveling across the vast Nordic snowfields in reindeer sleds.

This exhibit also used AR technology to enhance 3D imaging, aiming to recreate a vivid, authentic depiction of indigenous life.

The fifth stop was called “House Full of Romance.” This area would feature many small, sturdy houses made from wood.

“All the houses are in Nordic style. Once completed, you’ll see warm flames dancing in the fireplaces. The cozy, romantic atmosphere will fill the entire house. Couples can share sweet kisses and begin their Christmas celebration journey.”

“Imagine this: in such a house, when a couple exchanges a kiss of love, the warm light from the fireplace will reflect on the windowsill. Is there a more beautiful way to capture love?”

During the introduction, Saibo added: “These houses can also function as inns. The park can operate 24 hours. You see, it’s an underground park, so weather outside doesn’t affect it.”

The sixth stop was the Christmas Wishing House. Saibo explained that in Finland, when couples confirm their relationship, they exchange 1,001 wishes, documenting daily moods, little moments in their love life, or unique wishes.

They would then propose 101 times to each other, reaffirming their commitment. On the day of the proposal, they would give 11 roses; by the time they married, only one complete heart would remain to exchange.

This Wishing House was meant for young couples, or even for married couples to rekindle passion in life.

Wang Bo looked thoughtfully at the Wishing House, but Eva quietly whispered to him, “It’s all fake, designed specifically to trick tourists from Asia, Oceania, and America.”

Wang Bo: “…”

The seventh stop was the Christmas Market—a way for the park to make money beyond ticket sales.

The market featured various delicate Christmas crafts, similar to ones Wang Bo had seen, though the selection wasn’t as vast. Many of the stalls themselves were quite interesting.

There were over twenty more stops, which Saibo described in detail, including attractions Dale loved, like the Santa Claus flying car. Many of these existed in ordinary parks too, just with a different style. The Christmas Park added clever modifications, giving each attraction a Christmas flavor.

This approach made the park feel unique, creating a distinct atmosphere and experience for visitors.

After the tour, Saibo got to the point: “Mr. Wang, how many stations would you like to build in the town?”

True to his character, Wang Bo wouldn’t do anything half-heartedly. If he invested, he wanted to do it right.

He gritted his teeth: “If I were to build all the stations, essentially replicating this park, how much would it cost?”

Saibo was startled: “The entire park? Twenty-eight stations?!”

“Yes. How much?”

Saibo said, “We’d need to calculate carefully. Different stations cost differently, and materials would have to be transported from Northern Europe to New Zealand. Ignoring transport, those twenty-eight stations would cost about £140 million.”

£140 million!

The figure made Wang Bo’s heart skip a beat. The sum was terrifying—roughly 1 billion RMB or 240 million NZD.

Saibo, aware of the magnitude, tried not to scare him off: “Actually, this investment isn’t huge, sir. As far as we know, Disney just built a new theme park in Shanghai, and the budget reached 5.5 billion USD!”

At that moment, Eva interjected: “Mr. General Manager, I see this park is underground. If we don’t have such a huge underground cavern, can we still build it?”

Saibo hesitated: “It’s possible, but it would require special technical support.”

Eva smiled: “So building above ground would mean additional costs?”

“Yes.”

Hearing this, Eva grabbed Wang Bo’s hand: “Let’s think about it first, okay?”

Saibo understood they were backing off. Indeed, although Disney’s Shanghai investment was a staggering $5.5 billion, £140 million was also beyond ordinary people’s reach.

Yet, the world was undergoing cultural export wars; countries wanted to export their culture. New Zealand lacked the authentic Finnish Christmas experience, and Finland wanted to make an impact.

For the Christmas Park, establishing a new station in Oceania would have enormous promotional value. Saibo didn’t want to lose this potential client from any perspective.

But Eva was resolute and gave him no chance to persuade them. He could only watch them leave.

On the way, Wang Bo hesitated: “I might be able to come up with the money…”

Eva said: “I know. But first, is this investment reasonable? How long would it take for the town to recoup the costs? This is £140 million!”

“Second, is a Christmas Park truly more attractive than a regular theme park? You know, an ordinary park would cost only a quarter, or even a fifth, of this.”

“Finally, even if you really want to build a Christmas Park, we can’t discuss it here. Trust me—Saibo is more anxious than you. We need to take the initiative and wait for him to come to us.”

Sure enough, after staying in Rovaniemi for two more days, just as they were about to leave, Saibo came to see them.

The sky had darkened early. Wang Bo welcomed him into the living room. Saibo politely said: “I apologize for dropping by unannounced.”

Wang Bo smiled: “You’re too polite. Mr. General Manager, I warmly welcome your visit. But do you have something to discuss?”