HLM – Chapter 108 Revenue from Two Stations

Wang Bo’s family had prepared a lot for him—food, supplies, enough to fill two large suitcases. But he had already stored everything in the castle using the Lord’s Heart, so the suitcases only held a bust of Guan Yu he had brought, which passed customs and quarantine smoothly.

Last time, he hadn’t even cleared customs before being whisked away by Charlie. This time, going through customs himself turned out to be quite a hassle, even requiring full-body disinfection. New Zealand had strict regulations on foreign species—they didn’t even want foreign bacteria entering the country. Without the Lord’s Heart, Wang Bo would never have been able to bring in seeds for vegetables and grain.

Charlie came to pick him up, but instead of a helicopter, he drove a Land Cruiser.

“Where’s the helicopter?” Wang Bo asked curiously.

Charlie shrugged. “It was taken back. Gone. From now on, we can only travel by car.”

Cars just weren’t as convenient as helicopters. After more than an hour on the road, Wang Bo asked, “That helicopter you always fly—how much does it cost?”

Charlie gave him a surprised look. “You’re not thinking of buying one, are you?”

Wang Bo nodded seriously. “Without a helicopter, getting around is too much trouble.”

He had been keeping an eye on road construction within his territory. In the month or so he’d been away, progress on the two roads had been swift—Highway 8 was nearly ready for traffic, and the local level-three road had been extended right to the foot of the castle’s hill.

But traveling to Ocean City or other cities by car was still far too slow.

Money wasn’t an issue for him anymore. On this trip back, he planned to sell some antiques from the treasure vault. For him, funds weren’t a concern.

Charlie shrugged again. “Plan your budget wisely. Over twenty million sounds like a lot, but once the roads are built, there won’t be much left. As for helicopters, they range anywhere from two hundred thousand to twenty million.”

They drove through the night and rested at a small town, only returning to their own town the next day.

Instead of going straight to the castle, Charlie took the opportunity to check on the gas station and LPG station they had invested in.

In the middle of the Sunset Town section of Highway 8, a new construction site was bustling with activity. Since Highway 8 was a priority project, it had progressed rapidly, and the road section leading to the gas station was now open to traffic.

The fresh asphalt was black and rough, the road wide and flat. Wang Bo rolled down the window and looked at the road stretching into the distance, filled with anticipation—eager for the day when the entire highway would be fully operational.

The gas station project owed its speed to the government’s efficiency. A smooth road made it much easier for engineering and transport vehicles to get in and out. Otherwise, building a gas station would’ve been quite difficult.

Constructing a gas station wasn’t easy. While the anti-slip pavement for the fueling area was manageable, building the storage tank area, oil pipelines, and static discharge parking zones for fuel tankers was far more complicated.

Equipment was already placed beside the road—canopies, support columns, fuel dispensers, and other components. Some items, Wang Bo didn’t even recognize.

Several excavators were working methodically. Wang Bo got out to inspect, and Charlie introduced him to the project manager—a burly, bearded white man.

Wang Bo asked, “When do you think the gas station will be operational?”

The bearded man was clearly surprised to learn the town mayor was Chinese, but he handled it politely, carefully choosing his words. “According to our project timeline, we should be ready right when Highway 8 is fully open—about two more months.”

The man then brought out the construction plan—a thick booklet detailing the station’s specifications and build schedule, listing exactly which phase should be completed on which date.

Wang Bo had no objections. After that, they visited the LPG station, which was progressing more slowly. It would take about six months before even a preliminary trial run.

For the town, the LPG station was even more important than the gas station because it involved laying pipelines throughout the area. Residents would eventually need to use gas, and the town’s network would connect directly to this station.

That was precisely why the gas company had been willing to invest in Sunset Town—they aimed to dominate its future gas market.

Highway 8 had greatly increased Sunset Town’s value. Its construction highlighted the town’s development potential. The reason the Lee Chemical Plant wanted to stay in the area was due to the improved transportation network.

Wang Bo welcomed the arrival of both the gas and LPG stations. They were essential for the town’s growth—and as hazardous facilities, they also required expensive land use fees and a safety management fund.

This safety management fund went to the local fire brigade. Since the town had no fire brigade yet, it all ended up in Wang Bo’s pocket.

Combined, the two stations brought in NZ$1.5 million through land use and the first year’s safety fund. Charlie hadn’t lied—building a town on Wang Bo’s land was a real way to earn money.

As soon as Wang Bo returned, Lister—the manager of Lee Chemical—showed up again. Wang Bo was just packing when Commander (his parrot) flapped in, squawking, “Ah! Ah! Bright Summit is here! Bright Summit is here!”

“Bright Summit” was a private nickname Wang Bo had given Lister. The man had gone bald young, and after Wang Bo joked about it twice, Commander had picked up the name.

Shortly after Commander returned, Lister appeared at the castle gates, calling out, “May I come in?”

He was being so polite because “Zhuang Ding,” the mastiff, was crouching at the entrance, staring at him coldly. No one dared enter with a growing mastiff like that on guard.

Wang Bo came out and waved. Zhuang Ding licked his lips and ran back to him, shooting a fierce glare at the visitors as he left—fully aware his master didn’t like them.

Once inside, Lister first asked about Wang Bo’s trip, then smiled and said, “Mr. Mayor, have you reconsidered our factory investment?”

Wang Bo didn’t want to waste time and answered frankly, “Manager, you know my position. I will not allow a chemical plant on my land.”

Lister wasn’t giving up easily. “Is that really necessary? I understand your concerns about pollution, but I assure you, our waste emissions meet the strictest international standards.”

Wang Bo shook his head. “I believe you. But I still don’t want a chemical factory on my land.”

“As far as I know, Sunset Town is privately owned by you, correct? You plan to build it from scratch?” Having been rejected, Lister changed tack.

Wang Bo said, “Yes, that’s right.”

Lister smiled. “I admire your resolve. But you should know—building a town requires a lot of seed capital. No offense, Mr. Mayor, but I don’t think you have that much money. If you were willing to accept our factory, the land usage fees alone would bring you tens of millions…”

“That’s not your concern. I’ll say it again—I don’t want a factory on my land,” Wang Bo replied firmly, sticking to the same line.

Lister had no choice but to give up.