HLM – Chapter 993 Someone Invests in Sunset Town

Some things must be done as soon as the decision is made.

The “catch possum to exchange for gifts” event was in full swing across the town. Not only were the townsfolk participating, but many tourists had joined in as well.

Catching a few possum in the wilderness was extremely easy. All one needed was a basin propped up with sticks, food underneath, and a rope tied to the sticks. Sitting nearby for a while, you’d soon have results.

The activity had two appeals: first, you could exchange possum for gifts; second, it was fun. This made participation very high.

The Māori, in particular, had a lot of free time and little work. With plenty of possum around their villages, they were used to catching them anyway. Now, they could catch more and exchange them for pork or lamb—why not?

However, high participation wasn’t all good. On Monday morning, Wang Bo received a report and, with Atulu, went to shut down a possum breeding site.

A few Māori had come up with a crafty scheme: since even baby possum could be exchanged for gifts, they captured pregnant female possum, let them give birth, and then exchanged the babies for prizes.

Wang Bo rounded up all the possum and warned the perpetrators that if they did it again, they would lose their eligibility to participate in the event.

“Where there’s business, there’s speculation,” Uncle Bing chuckled.

Wang Bo wasn’t in the mood to laugh. He had to deal with all the possum brought in by the event.

Since the event began, tens of thousands of possum had been delivered every day. When amassed, the sheer number was terrifying. Fortunately, disposal wasn’t difficult—dig a big pit in an empty lot and bury them.

Another matter troubled him: with the town’s population growing, they needed a sewer system, or the town’s wastewater would have no way to be treated.

At first, he hadn’t anticipated Sunset Town’s rapid development. Some planning was insufficient—for instance, the residential area’s sewers were designed based on recommendations from Tangren Water and Hydroelectric Engineering.

Now, the system could no longer handle the town’s wastewater. Individual septic pits for each household were cumbersome.

Porter had kept in contact with Tan Yinhong, the owner of Tangren Water and Hydroelectric Engineering, who had also built the villa district’s sewage system.

When Wang Bo mentioned the need for a new sewer system, Tan Yinhong was contacted to bring designers and engineers to plan for all of Sunset Town.

On Tuesday, the requirements were given; by Thursday, Tan Yinhong and his team returned to Sunset Town.

He was still the picture of a wealthy, stylish man, wearing a casual suit and fine perfume, but now with a Vacheron Constantin watch and a Ferrari instead of his previous ride.

“Looks like your business has been good lately,” Wang Bo said with a laugh upon seeing the car.

Tan Yinhong shook his hand. “Thanks for the kind words. Business is decent. But this Ferrari isn’t worth much—less than half the value of your Aston Martin vintage car.”

Wang Bo had given the Aston Martin to Eva. He himself had been using the Predator, which had become the town’s work shuttle. Many people living in the castle now used it for commuting.

Bowen had asked if they should leave the castle, as it was now quite crowded. Wang Bo preferred the liveliness: meals were fun, security felt stronger, and the atmosphere was vibrant. A mostly empty castle would have felt cold and lifeless—something Wang Bo never wanted.

Now with guests, he invited them to stay in the castle. Tan Yinhong, for example, was accommodated there during his visit.

After just two days, Tan Yinhong presented the reconstruction plan.

Wang Bo hesitated, holding the plan. “Mate, isn’t this a bit too fast?”

Tan Yinhong smiled. “This plan has been in preparation for half a year. Since June last year, I had my team working on a sewer system for your town.

“Actually, I’ve been monitoring Sunset Town’s population growth. Ever since I first came, I believed this would eventually become a major city in New Zealand. You need a sewer system that matches its potential scale.

“Over the past two days, my team and I have finalized and revised the plan. This is the final version.”

Wang Bo quickly skimmed it, astonished. “Investment of twenty million NZD? For a capacity of fifty thousand people? My town only has two thousand residents!”

“Yes, fifty thousand is a conservative estimate. We believe our sewer system could handle up to one hundred thousand,” Tan Yinhong said confidently.

Wang Bo replied, “You don’t get me. I mean, this plan is huge—too big.”

“Really? Sunset Town currently has about two thousand permanent residents, but with tourists, the daily wastewater generated equals that of five thousand people, or even more.”

He added, “And as far as I know, Sunset Town has several investment projects underway. Once completed, the number of visitors will increase further.”

Wang Bo smiled slightly. This wasn’t just a money-making scheme; Tan was right—the town had enormous development potential.

“Twenty million NZD isn’t too much. But I want this sewer system to definitely support the daily water use of one hundred thousand people, and ideally withstand the demand of one hundred fifty thousand!”

Wang Bo’s confidence in Sunset Town even surpassed Tan’s.

Tan frowned. “Impossible—that money won’t cover it. You’d need at least…”

“I’ll find a company capable of doing it,” Wang Bo interrupted. “Twenty million NZD—I won’t hold back on the final payment. You know that. I’m sure many would be interested in this project.”

Tan Yinhong smiled helplessly. “Don’t rush me, Mayor. Let me think this over. I need to consult with finance and engineers.”

Wang Bo nodded. “Of course, but be quick—the time you have won’t be long.”

He had prepared to negotiate. For such a large project, he couldn’t just hire someone blindly. He had already checked Leighton Company’s underground engineering department rates through Thomas Wesley. According to those, twenty million NZD wouldn’t be enough—it would need another ten million.

Yet, on Monday, Tan Yinhong reported back: “We can do it for twenty million NZD!”

Wang Bo was surprised. Leighton was a big company, with brand value included, so their price was high—about thirty million. Even removing brand value, the market price would be around twenty-five million, yet Tan accepted a ridiculously low price.

Wang Bo cautiously said, “Tan, let me be clear: if I find any skimping on this project…”

“Double compensation for violations. Actually, twenty million NZD can’t cover the project, but someone is willing to invest an extra two million NZD into Sunset Town for this project. Around twenty-two million—then it’s doable,” Tan said.

“Who?” Wang Bo asked, astonished.