HLM – Chapter 90 Such a Small World

While carefully studying the Giant Wētā, Wang Bo discovered that these insects could also emit green mist and be nurtured by the Heart of the Pasture—though the effects were relatively weak.

Still, Wang Bo believed that under the Heart of the Pasture’s enhancement, the Giant Wētā colony could live well here, and who knew—they might even successfully breed and expand.

Tonight had been quite fruitful, and Wang Bo was in a great mood. He hummed a tune while cooking.

Bowen came running in, excitedly saying, “Boss, I just looked it up—Giant Wētā are actually a delicacy! Fried, they’re super tasty. Back when they were more common, the Maori used them to serve honored guests!”

Wang Bo shot him a glare. “Can you think about something other than food for once? Damn it, all you ever think about is eating. Are you a bottomless pit?”

“Ahh, a bottomless pit?” the Commander echoed mockingly.

Bowen replied with grievance, “No, Boss, I just found out and thought it was interesting…”

Wang Bo warned, “Listen up. Giant Wētā are the guardians of the pasture. They’re beneficial insects. No one is allowed to eat them—got it? Be careful not to step on them when you’re at the pasture either. Understood?”

The Commander nodded his bird head, chirping, “Ah! Got it, ah! Got it! No eat! No eat!”

Bowen shrugged and walked off. Wang Bo put on his gas mask to start making chili oil. At the sight of this, the Commander instantly flew off, yelling as he went, “Ah! Ah! Your chili mom is getting bombed!”

Boiled beef slices were a Sichuan dish, but in Wang Bo’s hometown, there was also a tradition of making it—since every household there knew how to make chili and spicy meat sauces. Cooking beef slices in chili broth naturally became a family staple.

Wang Bo cooked the beef slices until they were 70-80% done, scooped them out, and marinated them again with egg white. Then he stir-fried scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant, poured in the chili sauce, added water, and waited for it to boil.

Once the spicy broth was boiling, he added the marinated beef slices. When it came to a second boil, he added the vegetables.

After everything was cooked, he plated it up. For aesthetic appeal, he sprinkled some chopped scallions and shredded lettuce leaves on top—red and green, bright and vibrant.

As usual, the chicken breasts were turned into sweet and sour chicken. Charlie and the others especially liked that flavor, though Wang Bo didn’t eat it at all—he found the taste a little weird.

There were also several steaks in the fridge, already marinated. Once thawed, they just needed to be pan-fried and topped with store-bought black pepper sauce or ketchup. That was the broke-man’s version of a Western classic—pan-seared steak.

After making several dishes, he also simmered a pot of soup. All four of them were meat-lovers, and judging by how chubby Kobe was, he clearly wasn’t a vegetarian either. So Wang Bo made tomato beef brisket soup.

Once the food was on the table, Kobe tasted a bite. Wang Bo proudly asked, “Well? Pretty amazing, right?”

Kobe shook his head with a smile. “It’s really good, but…”

“Okay, no ‘but’—everyone, dig in,” Wang Bo cut him off.

“Boss, don’t you usually say something before we eat? How about letting Kobe say a few words today?”

“Eat! Your! Food!” Wang Bo shot Bowen a fierce glare.

The Commander followed suit, calling out, “Ah! Bottomless pit! Ah! You are a bottomless pit!”

Kobe was fascinated by the Commander. He’d always wanted to play with the little parrot, but unfortunately, the bird ignored him—didn’t even glance at him.

After being brushed off, Kobe tried to tempt Zhuang Ding the dog with a piece of steak, only for Zhuang Ding to sneer and completely ignore him too.

Kobe was crushed. Charlie consoled him, “Don’t worry—Zhuang Ding only eats what Wang feeds him or what he finds himself. Doesn’t matter who offers—he won’t touch it.”

“Says who—” Bowen started to retort.

“Damn it, will you shut up and just eat already?” Charlie growled, turning his head.

Wang Bo smugly patted Zhuang Ding’s head and said, “He’s my son, of course he only eats what I give him.”

“Say it in English—he doesn’t understand Chinese,” Bowen muttered.

Wang Bo declared, “Listen up—from tomorrow, Sunset Town is launching a ‘de-Anglicization’ campaign. We’ll start by learning Chinese. Everyone has to learn! No learn, no food!”

The Commander looked up and said, “Ah! Ah! Very simple.”

A few days after returning, Lee Chemical paid another visit. Lister huffed and puffed his way up the mountainside. Wang Bo sneered under his breath, “He’s been hollowed out by wine and women.”

The Commander flapped his wings and added, “Ah! Ah! Hollowed out—bottomless pit!”

Lister still tried to persuade Wang Bo to accept investment from the chemical plant, but Wang Bo flatly refused: “NO!”

Later, Wang Bo returned the 500,000 loan to Lister. He thought the man would take the car and leave—but Lister didn’t. After being rejected, he just smiled and walked away, clearly not ready to give up.

Since the car was still there, Wang Bo didn’t hold back. He rallied everyone to continue recruiting Carlisle Hani. He was determined to go head-to-head with the old mule and see who was more stubborn!

But recruiting someone wasn’t just about pestering them—it required strategy. As the saying goes, “Know yourself and your enemy and you’ll win every battle.” So Wang Bo decided to probe Sheriff Smith again.

When Sheriff Smith heard his intentions, he shook his head. “Not a good time. I just got word—Old Man Hani’s son was arrested. He’s currently being held at the police station.”

Wang Bo was shocked. “What happened?”

“Well, the kid and three of his friends stole a bunch of stuff, and somehow ran into some tough customers. One of them supposedly even knew Chinese kung fu. They called the Town police and got the whole lot arrested. Hani’s now trying to sort things out—huh? What’s with your expression?”

Wang Bo’s face was indeed dramatic. Could it be…? Was one of the four kids who tried to steal his car and phone Carlisle Hani’s son?

Sheriff Smith, being part of the police system, had access to more inside info. When he saw Wang Bo’s changing expression, he immediately caught on. “Shit—don’t tell me you caught his kid?!”

Wang Bo groaned in despair. “F***. Does this mean I’ll never be able to recruit him now?”

Sheriff Smith tried to comfort him. “It’s alright. You never really had a shot anyway. Old Hani’s got a nasty temper. Plenty of folks have tried to recruit him before—all got rejected.”

Still, Wang Bo didn’t leave empty-handed. He and Sheriff Smith chatted a bit more about Hani. Turned out the two had been high school classmates—which explained the familiarity.

After becoming an inspector, Carlisle Hani had built a reputation for fairness and integrity. He had a bright future, and might’ve even overseen New Zealand’s tax system one day.

But everything changed eight years ago. During a family trip, Hani had to return early for urgent work. His wife drove their son back alone—only to suffer a car crash on the way. She died from her injuries on the spot.

“You can guess what happened next—his son blamed him for everything, and has treated him like an enemy ever since.”

“Hani lost both his beloved wife and the relationship with his son. Though he kept working hard, the ambition and drive were gone. He left Auckland and moved to this little town in Tahiti, and he’s stayed ever since.”

Sheriff Smith shrugged helplessly. “I’ve known him since we were twelve. I know him well enough to say—you’d better not go bothering him again. Otherwise, I wouldn’t put it past him to blow your head off. He’s got a fine hunting rifle at home, you know.”

Wang Bo chuckled. “Thanks, Sheriff. I’ve got it.”