HLM – Chapter 110 Across-the-Board Pay Raise

Wang Bo stared straight at Charlie. To be honest, he didn’t trust Charlie as a person, but he believed that—at least in this matter—Charlie wasn’t trying to set him up. Otherwise, there’d have been no reason to help him earlier.

As for why he didn’t trust Charlie personally, Wang Bo had always felt that Charlie’s presence around him had some ulterior motive. He had already caught on to Charlie’s profession—one that inherently lacked trustworthiness.

Thinking this through, Wang Bo patted Charlie on the shoulder and said, “I believe you, brother. Clearly, your parliament is full of scumbags.”

“They’re completely f**ked beyond repair!” Charlie cursed. “Those sons of b**ches only know how to play dirty tricks. No wonder New Zealand is nothing but a lackey to those mongrels in Australia!”

“So what do we do now?” Wang Bo asked. He still needed Charlie to help him strategize.

Charlie thought for a moment and said, “Looking at it now, the situation is still in our favor. The parliament didn’t expect you to find a priceless Holy Artifact among the Nobel’s inheritance. They thought you squandered the government development funds and came to snatch the fruit of your work—but clearly, they moved too early.”

“I originally thought the parliament genuinely wanted you to develop Sunset Town as its mayor, so whether you used the allocated funds or not didn’t matter. But now that we know their shameful intentions, don’t touch the 500,000 in the account. It should only be used to pay salaries.”

“As long as that’s the case, the parliament won’t be able to touch us. As for town development funds, we’ll think of something. For example, the cattle and sheep on the ranch are doing quite well—maybe they can help bring in some revenue.”

Wang Bo understood and smiled. “OK, I know what to do. As for town development, don’t worry. I’ve got ways.”

Back in front of Boozer and the others, Wang Bo got straight to the point. “Alright, I get what you’re here for now. Unfortunately, I don’t need the government’s allocated funds. Of course, if you still want to send the money over, go ahead—but I won’t be using it to invest in town construction.”

Boozer stared at him and said, “But you must understand, the town must develop. You’re not operating without limits. If the population doesn’t reach 500 in two years, the town will be abolished…”

“Let it be abolished then. That way I can focus on becoming a full-time ranch tycoon, right?” Wang Bo replied with a smile.

Boozer was choked by those words. Indeed, if that happened, the New Zealand government would be even less likely to reclaim ownership of the town.

Seeing this, another staff member said coldly, “Of course, you can focus on your ranch. But don’t forget—your ranch is taxable, your castle is taxable, and the castle also requires maintenance. If you fail at any of these, the government can still…”

“Shut up, Raven! New Zealand doesn’t need to stoop this low!” Boozer snapped angrily, cutting the staffer off.

Wang Bo sneered. “New Zealand doesn’t need to stoop this low? Ha! What a joke. You’re just mad that he revealed your hand too early, aren’t you? Afraid I’ll come up with a countermeasure, aren’t you?”

Boozer’s expression turned stormy—furious at having his scheme exposed.

Wang Bo didn’t care. He beckoned with a finger. “Come, let me show you something. After you’ve seen it, you’ll probably give up.”

He brought in the antiques from the treasure room under the old well. Once the door was opened, Boozer and the others laid eyes on a collection of treasures exuding an aura of antiquity.

Golden statues, silver figures, a gold pocket watch, a jade snuff bottle, an ivory pistol, assorted gold and silver coins—Boozer and his team were dumbfounded.

“There used to be a Holy Hymnal in there too, but I already sold it. You should’ve kept a closer eye on my account—over twenty million was deposited recently. I don’t need to explain where it came from, right?”

Seeing the four of them frozen like statues gave Wang Bo immense satisfaction.

“Do you know how much these antiques are worth? Fifty million! I had Adam from Christie’s Oceania give me an estimate—over fifty million! Now tell me, fellas, can the government invest fifty million into my town?”

Of course, Wang Bo hadn’t actually gotten them appraised—but blowing things out of proportion was his specialty. Whether it was boasting, bluffing, or theatrics, he excelled at it all.

The parrot perched on his shoulder gave the four a dismissive glance and squawked, “Ah, dumbf*cks beyond saving! Ah, your mom’s exploded!”

After shoving the four out of the room and locking the door, Wang Bo sneered, “Anything else to say? Oh, and by the way—the treasure the baronet left me isn’t just this. I hope you won’t be too shocked when you learn more later.”

Boozer swallowed hard, forcing a smile. “Mayor Wang, perhaps there was some misunderstanding in my earlier statements. In fact, our relationship doesn’t have to become so… awkward, right?”

Wang Bo lazily pointed outside the castle and said, “Awkward? Not at all. I’m not the least bit awkward. Alright, gentlemen, if you still have work to do, I’ll cooperate. If not, please leave my property.”

The parrot shouted, “Ah, conscript labor! Ah, kick them out!”

The dog bared its teeth and growled with glowing eyes: “Grrr… Woof! Woof!”

The four didn’t leave immediately—they returned to the main hall and sat down, exchanging uncertain glances, clearly still unwilling to give up and trying to find a way out of this mess.

Wang Bo called Bowen and Juan over and told them about the New Zealand parliament’s sinister intentions, warning them to be cautious in future dealings.

Juan was always ready to stand with Wang Bo against a common enemy: “F*ck them. These bastards are just like the corrupt officials back home. They all deserve to rot in hell!”

Bowen’s eyes swirled for a moment before he asked, “Boss, you mean the government allocates at least 500,000 each quarter to the town? And the best use of that money is to pay civil servant salaries?”

“Exactly!”

Bowen’s eyes immediately lit up with an unsettling green glint. “Then why don’t you give us a raise already? Is there a cap on how much we can make?”

Hearing this, Boozer and the others began sweating.

Charlie burst out laughing and clapped Bowen on the shoulder. “Great idea, Bowen! I can’t believe this b*tch actually had a smart thought!”

Bowen glared at him.

“I was complimenting you, really.”

Wang Bo waved his hand. “Enough horsing around, guys. Bowen, you’re right. I’ll go research the standard civil servant salary rates right away.”

Boozer interjected dryly, “Mayor, this would constitute misuse of taxpayer funds. Our tax department…”

“Misuse my *ss. My staff are elite talents—they deserve elite pay. High salaries retain talent. Don’t you even understand that?”

Wang Bo’s tone was fierce, and his heart was soaring with satisfaction.

The four officials could no longer stay. They packed up and left swiftly.

Thankfully, they had enough self-awareness not to ask Wang Bo for a ride—otherwise, Wang Bo would’ve enjoyed roasting them a little more.