HLM – Chapter 965 The Super Buyer

With plenty of basketball courts, the matches could be divided into groups and held simultaneously. Ten courts meant that one round of matches could be completed in a single day.

The competition had one round per day. On the first day, 24 teams played to determine the top 12. The next day, the top six would compete, and by Monday, only three teams remained.

These three teams would fight for first and second place in a round-robin format, with three matches over three days and rankings based on points. So, the upcoming week was officially “Basketball Week” in Sunset Town.

Wang Bo wasn’t particularly interested in basketball and skipped most of the matches, sometimes just making a brief appearance.

On the last day, when the final rankings were to be decided, he had no choice but to attend. Reluctantly, he said, “OK, OK, I’ll go. I’ll be the best spectator.”

Hani shook his head. “Boss, your attitude is all wrong. This is a public event for the town. You need to show interest. Attending occasions like this is good for you.”

Wang Bo replied, “I don’t like this sport. If it were a running race, do you think I’d be so apathetic? I’d be running for first place!”

Hani adopted a professional tone and tried to persuade him earnestly: “Boss, you’re a politician now—a real politician! Politicians don’t have hobbies or dislikes. They only have what they should or shouldn’t do. This is something you should do, so you must do it!”

Wang Bo stroked his chin, hesitating. “So… I count as a politician now?”

“Of course!” Hani said matter-of-factly. “But you’re still a terrible politician.”

“Sh*t!” Wang Bo muttered.

The championship ultimately went to Dayan’s team. O’Neal’s “Golden Belt” team took silver, as he mostly goofed around on the court and didn’t play seriously.

Wang Bo, however, was satisfied. Initially, O’Neal had said he would leave on Monday, but he ended up staying in Sunset Town longer than expected, which was a pleasant surprise.

Wang Bo needed to attend the award ceremony. Bowen had arranged for trophies to be made at a printing factory. The design was quite beautiful—depicting a basketball nestled within mountains.

The champion trophy was gold: golden hills surrounding a small town, with a golden basketball in the valley. The town, of course, represented Sunset Town.

The runner-up trophy was silver, with the same design, while the third-place trophy was made of crystal.

Dayan, who received a 10,000 NZD prize, grinned happily. “I finally understand the value of basketball! Boss, will this competition be held every year?”

Wang Bo shrugged. “It depends on everyone’s opinion, but I think it could become a sports tradition.”

“The crowd’s reaction is definitely enthusiastic. Look, so many people came for the competition—even tourists from the Arab world,” Dayan said, pointing to the sidelines.

Wang Bo looked and was surprised. Because it was the finals, quite a few spectators had shown up, but seeing Middle Eastern visitors was unusual.

Indeed, there were a few people dressed like Arabs: white robes, headbands of varying colors, short beards, and some wearing sunglasses.

One of the less clearly visible Arabs even waved at Wang Bo, a small smile on his face.

Besides them, he also spotted a familiar face: Leonard, the general manager of the Bullhead Club.

After the award ceremony, Wang Bo organized a party—a barbecue and meal on the lawn beside the basketball court—to maximize the event’s impact.

Kidd and his team prepared for the party. Wang Bo returned to his office and had just sat down when the door knocked. Elizabeth carefully said, “Mayor, there are distinguished guests from Saudi Arabia here to see you.”

Wang Bo tidied his desk and stood. “Please have them come in.”

Soon, five or six Arabs he had seen earlier entered, Leonard among them. Leonard smiled at Wang Bo. “Hey, Wang! How’s the holiday back home?”

Wang Bo hugged him. “Great! And these friends are…?”

Leonard began introductions: “This is Ahmed Abdul-Rashid, a prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and general manager of Safi Farm…”

Ahmed was the tallest of the group, with deep-set eyes, a prominent nose, and a short beard. He looked quite handsome.

Knowing that Ahmed was both a prince and a farm manager, Wang Bo knew he had to be polite—the man’s status was very high.

The others were Ahmed’s aides, all with positions related to Safi Farm: a sales director, a breeder, and a nutritionist.

Wang Bo greeted each of them. Ahmed’s greeting was unusual: he first touched his forehead to Wang Bo’s with his nose before hugging him. “As-salamu alaykum, kayf haluk.”

Wang Bo was instantly embarrassed—he didn’t understand a word.

Luckily, Leonard acted as translator. “General Manager Ahmed greets you and wishes you good health.”

Wang Bo thanked him and invited them to sit while Elizabeth prepared coffee.

After some small talk, Ahmed said, “Mayor Wang, we’ve come to trouble you with a small matter.”

Wang Bo replied, “Prince, please feel free. Leonard knows I’m straightforward.”

Ahmed continued, “You purchased a batch of Safi cows from us, correct?”

Wang Bo nodded. “Yes. They’re a fine batch. You’re not telling me you regret it and want to cancel the deal, are you?”

Ahmed laughed heartily. Next to him, a man named Fahad smiled. “Of course not. Allah teaches us honesty and keeping promises. We would never break a contract once signed.”

“So… you came here for what, then?”

Fahad replied, “We’re interested in your ranch and some of your livestock—not just dairy cows and goats, but also beef cattle and sheep.”

Wang Bo nodded. “Ah, I see. If I’m correct, you want to buy a batch of quality cattle and sheep to enrich Safi Farm’s stock, right?”

Fahad smiled slightly. “You’re half right. We do want a batch of good livestock, but the reason is that we’re building a super ranch for meat cattle and sheep. You could think of it as a Safi Farm for beef.”

Leonard added, “After successfully establishing Safi Farm, the Saudi government decided to leverage the experience gained to invest in another ranch.”

“We want to build a top-class ranch, so we need top-class livestock as the foundation. After our assessment, Sunset Ranch is the closest to a successful collaboration,” Ahmed said.