Chapter 85

"Master, this is really impressive!"

Looking at the grand architectural blueprint in front of her, Selena widened her eyes in surprise, her face full of disbelief.

"The main cost of construction lies in the land and taxes. The expenses for materials and construction only account for 20% of the total cost. Rose Ranch is my private land, so there are no land taxes. Chinatown may seem like a massive project, but it actually doesn't cost much!"

Wang Zhong pointed at the design blueprint and said with a smile.

"I think the advertising slogan for the True Martial Dojo should be adjusted. 'Dream Home!' would be more fitting!"

Rolan looked at the grand architectural blueprint and said with a smile.

"You're right. I'll have someone create a 3D model on the computer and promote it on major Australian channels!"

Wang Zhong nodded and said:

"Let's use 'Dream Home' as the advertising slogan!"

"Ah, I was just suggesting it. Redoing the advertisement will cost a lot of money!"

Rolan was somewhat surprised, thinking about the recent expenses that seemed to flow like water, and said with a hint of pain.

"Don't worry about the money. Don't forget, I'm the second-largest shareholder of Hong Kong's HSBC Bank."

Wang Zhong said without any concern.

"We are not just building a structure; we are building a spiritual home for the Chinese!"

"I understand. I will closely monitor the construction progress and quality!"

Rolan nodded and said.

"Thank you, it's a lot of work!"

Wang Zhong gently patted Rolan's hand and said with some regret.

"Don't thank me. Don't forget, I'm also Chinese!"

Rolan smiled and said with a bit of scolding.

"Master, how can I help?"

Selena volunteered.

"After I leave, help Rolan with the work!"

Wang Zhong said with a smile.

"Master, are you going out soon?"

Selena asked with some curiosity.

"Yes, I need to find a piece of land for Michelle. You can't help with that!"

Wang Zhong replied.

...

Cowboy Bell had served in the special forces, adapting to long-term survival in the wild and familiar with mountain terrain. William recommended him to Wang Zhong as a mountain guide.

Although Australia is an independent continent surrounded by the sea, it is not short of species.

The most feared in the mountains are the grizzly bears and venomous snakes, which are the two animals with the highest fatality rates in Australia.

Unlike venomous snakes, which live in deserts, grizzly bears mainly live in forests.

Although in the deep mountains, Wang Zhong did not feel nervous, as the clumsy grizzly bears posed no threat to him.

"Boss, there are a lot of cumulonimbus clouds gathering in the sky. It's going to rain soon. We need to find a place to take shelter. The temperature in the mountains will drop to zero at night. Without shelter, we will freeze quickly, and we are also more likely to encounter animals out foraging. Traveling in the mountains at night is a big no-no in survival!"

Bell looked at the dark clouds in the sky and said with some worry.

"Okay, let's speed up!"

Wang Zhong nodded in agreement. Bell was right; getting wet from the rain would consume a lot of body heat.

"What good luck, there's an abandoned house there!"

Bell suddenly noticed an abandoned wooden house on the hillside.

"GO, GO!"

The two quickly approached the wooden house. Just as Wang Zhong was about to enter, Bell stopped him.

"Boss, before we explore the wooden house, we need to start a fire and make a large torch!"

Bell quickly gathered a lot of dry branches and leaves from around.

The warm fire illuminated the darkness and drove away the cold.

Bell also made a large torch from the branches of a hardwood tree. The burning torch was like a giant spotlight, illuminating the surroundings clearly.

"Hardwood is a hard, fire-resistant plant. Its branches are very suitable for making torches. Split the front of the hardwood with a knife, stuff it with pine branches, grass, and leaves, and add a little bit of flammable pine resin!"

"Bell, you're really great, but we have flashlights!"

Wang Zhong shook his head helplessly and turned on the flashlight, the silver-white light piercing through the small wooden house.

"Sorry, boss, it's a habit I developed in the military!"

Bell patted his head awkwardly and said with a smile.

"I forgot we brought flashlights!"

The small wooden house was quickly inspected. It was a two-story building, with a total area of only a few dozen square meters. Due to long-term abandonment, the windows and doors were missing, and the inside was very messy.

"Boss, look at this!"

Bell shone the flashlight on the claw marks on the wall and said in surprise.

"These are grizzly bear claw marks. Grizzly bears often visit this place, which is not good news for us!"

"We can't start a fire here to cook. Grizzly bears have a sense of smell seven times stronger than hunting dogs. They can smell the scent of rotting meat from 3.2 kilometers away!"

Bell's mood was somewhat low.

"We can only eat ready-to-eat food tonight!"

"It's okay, Bell. You forgot, I'm a martial artist!"

Wang Zhong patted his strong chest and said with a smile.

"Grizzly bears are no match for me!"

"Boss, to be honest, I'm a bit nostalgic for the taste of ready-to-eat food. I think you'll like it too!"

Clearly, Bell did not have much hope that Wang Zhong could defeat a grizzly bear on his own.

Most people would think that tigers are the kings of the forest, but that's not the case. The seemingly clumsy grizzly bears have a combat ability far exceeding that of lions and tigers.

"Okay!"

Wang Zhong, who was very interested in survival in the wild, did not insist.

"Since grizzly bears and other wild animals often visit this place, we can't rest on the first floor. We need to go to the second-floor attic!"

Bell, a professional from the special forces, always gave the most correct advice.

"Bell, although the attic's wood is very dry, it's not comfortable to sleep on!"

Wang Zhong complained.

"Yes, boss. We can use willow branches. They are soft and flexible, making a natural mattress!"

Bell carried a large bundle of willow branches and spread them on the wooden floor, smiling.

"Can we rest now? Moving in the mountains is very tiring!"

Wang Zhong yawned and said with a smile.

"No, boss. We still need to set up a simple early warning system. Although the attic is high, grizzly bears can still reach us when they stand up!"

Bell climbed down from the attic and set up a simple early warning system using threads, empty cans, and the windows and doors.

"Let's test it!"

Bell touched the thread, and the cans were pulled down, hitting the ground with a loud noise.

"OK! It works perfectly! Boss, you can rest now! It's very safe here!"

"Thank you, Bell. You should also rest early!"

Wang Zhong looked at the busy Bell and said sincerely.

"You're welcome, boss! This is what I should do. You hired the elderly cowboys and women to work at the parking lot and restaurant, and we are truly grateful to you!"

Bell smiled shyly and said with gratitude.

"This is what I should do, since you call me boss!"

Wang Zhong threw a bottle of beer to Bell and said with a smile.

"Here's to finding the dragon's lair soon and being able to return home soon. Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Two people with completely different backgrounds, in this dilapidated wooden house, drank beer, talked about various past events, and discussed their plans for the future.

"Bell, your dream is to become a chef!"

Wang Zhong, drinking, said with some surprise.

"Yes! During special forces training, we ate raw, high-calorie food, and sometimes relied on caterpillars, centipedes, and rats for sustenance. At that time, I had a dream: I must become a good chef so I don't have to eat those disgusting things anymore!"

Bell said with a smile.

"You're really gross!"

Hearing Bell describe the survival conditions, especially eating raw rats and snakes, Wang Zhong felt his stomach churn.

"Fortunately, we brought enough food!"

Wang Zhong said with some relief.

"Boss, the first rule of survival in the wild is to survive. Anything that can provide heat to the body is good, no matter how disgusting it is. You have to eat it because it can save your life!"

"Everything is insignificant in the face of life!"

Bell said seriously.

"Thank you for the years of military service. It's a treasure for my whole life!"

"You're right. Life is the most precious thing! It's worth celebrating by each of us!"

Wang Zhong looked at Bell and nodded in agreement.

"Bell, how is your cooking now? Show me your skills one day!"

Wang Zhong said with a smile.

"Boss, I've found that the Chinese are the best cooks in the world. I've gained five pounds in just a few days!"

Bell pinched the fat on his belly and said with some embarrassment.

"Bell, you have good taste! Chinese cooking is the best!"

Wang Zhong said proudly.

"Boss, you're being proud!"

Bell, looking at Wang Zhong's expression, said with a splash of cold water.

"I am proud!"

Wang Zhong said without any concern.

Boom!

A thunderclap, and a long-awaited heavy rain began to pour down.

"Rain, rain, the forest and grass need to be refreshed!"

Wang Zhong, looking at the heavy rain outside the wooden house, said with some joy.

"Boss, this is not good news for us. Animals, like humans, need to take shelter from the rain. This wooden house is the best place to take shelter nearby!"

Bell's face was somewhat troubled.

"Then, we will have many friends tonight!"

Wang Zhong said with a bit of a joke.

...

Page flip, AD starts

Page flip, AD ends