HLM – Chapter 1029 The Arrival of the Opponent

Back when the town was first established, Wang Bo had applied many times to set up a post office in Sunset Town, but his requests had always been denied.

Building a post office wasn’t as simple as finding a building and putting a few computers inside. It required professional personnel to manage it. In some remote towns, the head of a post office was often a prominent figure.

So, to open a post office, the government had to allocate staffing and provide support; otherwise, it wouldn’t be feasible.

Later, when Inspector arrived, although the town didn’t have a post office, he took over many related tasks, making the post office seem less important.

Then, in mid-June, the government suddenly contacted him, informing him to prepare a building for a post office—Sunset Town could finally have one, and they had even prepared a postal team for him.

Preparing a building was simple. There was vacant space in the town government building that, once renovated, could serve as the post office. The renovations weren’t complicated; as long as the personnel were ready, the work could begin immediately.

In late June, a group of four arrived in Sunset Town, led by a middle-aged man with a sunny smile, who looked to be about thirty-four or thirty-five years old, named Ben McGee.

Wang Bo was very welcoming of such professional talent. If this had been when Sunset Town had just been established, he would have lined the streets to greet them.

But now, he was no longer a naive young mayor. He was a Green Party veteran, with political allies like Qingyang, Hani, and Charlie by his side, giving him a unique perspective on many matters.

He didn’t go out to greet Ben McGee. Instead, he watched from behind the window as Bowen received the four as they got out of the car.

McGee was dressed in a proper white suit. His blonde hair shone in the sunlight. Though not conventionally handsome, he had an air of charisma. Wang Bo’s first thought was:

“I really can’t stand him,” Wang Bo frowned. “I don’t know why, guys, but I really can’t stand him.”

Qingyang teased, “That means you’re not gay. Good for you.”

Wang Bo said, “Thanks, I’ve known that for a long time. But seriously, what’s the point of suddenly setting up a post office for us?”

“First, this must be related to the election—the prime minister’s re-election,” Qingyang said seriously, starting his analysis.

The post office had another important role: in remote towns, important votes were conducted through the post office, making it a place that could be used to sway votes.

“Secondly, this might also be related to the mayoral election of Sunset Town,” Hani said, looking at Ben McGee. “Look at that smile of his… why do I feel like smashing his perfect white teeth?”

McGee’s arrival annoyed him. Their responsibilities would now overlap. Of course, this would reduce Hani’s workload, which was good. But Inspector Hani had a strong sense of ownership; he didn’t want to hand over work he had been doing to strangers.

Wang Bo patted the table. “My instincts tell me this guy isn’t here to help us develop the town. So, let’s go meet him and give him a little warning.”

Hani said, “I think you should give him a warning. Don’t rush to meet him. Go look around somewhere; we’ll tell him you’re busy.”

Wang Bo laughed, “Forget it, Hani. My friend, the situation isn’t clear yet. As mayor, I need to show some courage and vision. Let’s go meet him. If there’s a problem, we’ll have plenty of opportunities to deal with it later.”

Bowen smartly took McGee and the others outside for a tour, which delayed them a bit. By the time they entered the government building, Wang Bo and his trusted aides were waiting in the lobby.

McGee extended his hand with a warm smile. “Mayor Wang, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you…”

Atulu, however, struck a defiant pose, arms crossed and legs apart, standing outside. He spat on the ground and said, “Stop. Where are you from? What are you doing on our police territory?”

The town was small, so to improve efficiency, Wang Bo had consolidated all departments in the government building. The police had an office on the first floor.

Seeing this, Bowen frowned. “Officer Atulu, what are you doing? This is Mr. Ben McGee, our future colleague!”

He emphasized “future,” meaning the situation was not yet fully understood.

Hani subtly nodded. Atulu immediately changed his expression, laughing heartily: “Ah, our future colleague! It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

Wang Bo knew Atulu was following Hani’s instructions to give McGee’s group a little warning.

The warning continued. When Uncle Bing shook hands with McGee, he smiled modestly but his veins bulged. McGee nearly felt tears welling up; Uncle Bing’s iron-like grip certainly left a deep impression.

The warning was effective, and Wang Bo soon regretted not following Hani’s advice—he should have given McGee a taste of his own medicine.

Ever since receiving the news, Wang Bo had instructed Porter to start renovating the post office. So by the time McGee’s team arrived, most of the renovations were already done.

After inspecting, McGee smiled but began to nitpick:

“The main colors are a bit too bright; it should be more subdued. After all, the post office is a low-profile department…”

“This desk seems to be made of pine. Sorry, one of my colleagues is allergic to pine. Can we change it?”

“Four people in three offices? That’s a waste of space. Why not give us one big office instead?”

Wang Bo smiled faintly. “Sorry, my friend. I’m busy as the mayor. You should talk to Bowen and let him handle it.”

Bowen had already disappeared, likely pursuing Koci—things had probably reached a critical stage.

McGee didn’t intimidate Wang Bo. As the head of the post office, he also had oversight responsibilities over the inspector, giving him disciplinary authority over Wang Bo.

During the post office renovation in late June, McGee was frequently active in town, networking and seizing every opportunity to make himself visible. Wang Bo realized that McGee clearly had ulterior motives.

By the end of June, Wang Bo met McGee’s deputy, Ralph Jackson, a young, energetic Black-and-White mixed-race man.

He arranged three offices for four people: two clerks in one office, McGee in his own, and Ralph in a separate office.

Knocking on Ralph’s office door, Wang Bo asked, “Friend, are you comfortable working here?”

Ralph’s office was tidy and orderly, with a bouquet of red wintersweet flowers on the desk, their fragrance faint but pleasant.