HLM -Chapter 1195 Reputation That Spans Meters

Middlemore Hospital was established in 1947, and it employed nearly 5,000 staff, including doctors, nurses, administrative personnel, and support staff.

Every year, it handled over 350,000 outpatient visits, and also provided inpatient care for more than 90,000 patients. Its emergency department was not only the busiest in New Zealand but also among the busiest in Australasia.

So for Wang Bo to secure a prenatal checkup for Eva at this hospital was no small feat.

If he had relied on connections, with CEO Bartier and Alexander helping, getting a prenatal appointment would have been easy. But Wang Bo didn’t want to depend on them for everything. Besides, this kind of favor would count as a debt, and he didn’t want to owe them, so he simply queued up like everyone else.

When they arrived at the hospital, the helicopter landed, and they entered the consultation hall directly from the helipad. Following protocol, they had to take a number.

Since they had registered online, Rosalie, experienced in such matters, entered the registration code from her phone into the machine, and a ticket resembling a movie stub printed out.

“Obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. Salman-Evan. That’s right, it’s him. Let’s get in line and wait,” Rosalie said after checking the information. “We’re expected to be seen around eleven o’clock.”

Wang Bo had booked a highly renowned obstetrician. Securing this appointment had been difficult; he had mobilized his team to grab the slot online before finally booking it.

On the way to the obstetrics consultation room, Wang Bo saw that the hospital was packed with people—white, black, and Asian faces all jostling together.

Rosalie explained that with Auckland’s growing population, the hospital’s patient load had increased annually, performing over 10,000 surgeries each year, more than 75% of which were emergencies.

At this hospital, more than 50 new lives arrived daily. This might not seem like much in domestic hospitals back home, but in the context of other New Zealand hospitals, it was astronomical. The small hospital in Sunset Town might not even see fifty patients in a day…

The obstetrics consultation room was on the sixth floor, with a waiting hall in the middle. It was packed with seats and even massage chairs. Wang Bo checked them out; the massage chairs required payment—two dollars for ten minutes.

There was a nurse’s station in the hall. Rosalie helped Eva inquire about the upcoming tests, while Wang Bo was tasked with verifying the information.

It was Wang Bo’s first time in such a large hospital, and everything felt novel. As he verified the information, he glanced around curiously.

A Māori nurse noticed him and asked, “Hello, sir. Are you Chinese? Japanese? Or…?”

Wang Bo replied, “Thank you, I’m Chinese.”

The nurse nodded and left. Soon after, a Chinese man in a suit and tie, carrying a briefcase, approached.

He shook Wang Bo’s hand and said in standard Mandarin, “Hello, sir. I’m your translator. You can call me Lao Zhao.”

Wang Bo was taken aback. “Oh, thank you, but I didn’t request a translator.”

Lao Zhao looked slightly surprised. “The nurse sent me. She said a fellow Chinese needed assistance. Don’t worry—New Zealand is an immigrant country, so public hospitals employ licensed translators, providing translation services free of charge.”

Wang Bo smiled wryly. “Thanks, but I have an LMC, and I think my English is fine, so no need to take up the resource.”

Lao Zhao appraised him briefly and tentatively asked, “You’re from Sunset Town?”

Upon hearing this, Wang Bo realized he had been recognized. He smiled, “Yes, I’m Wang Bo. Nice to meet you.”

Lao Zhao brightened and became more enthusiastic. “Ah, Mayor Wang! It’s an honor to meet you here. You’re a pride of our Chinese community!”

Wang Bo modestly replied, “You’re too kind. I’m just a small-town mayor; I can’t compare to our compatriots in Parliament.”

Lao Zhao pouted slightly. “Those politicians? If they really considered themselves Chinese, they probably wouldn’t get into Parliament. But that’s a narrow way of looking at it; now we’re all New Zealanders. Anyway, in terms of contributions to the Chinese community, you’re ahead.”

Wang Bo was pleasantly surprised. “I haven’t done much, have I?”

Lao Zhao said, “You built a town with a huge reputation, attracting many Chinese tourists. This boosted positive visibility for our community and improved the impression of Chinese people. On our streets, many people refer to me as ‘a fellow of Mayor Wang.’”

Wang Bo grinned from ear to ear. So he was really influential now?

“Good wine needs no bush.” It applied perfectly to him. His hard work in Sunset Town had paid off. He had previously seized every opportunity to promote the town and had successfully made Sunset Town known throughout New Zealand.

Of course, reputation alone wasn’t enough. Early publicity helped, but later, it was people’s experiences that built lasting word-of-mouth. He had become a typical representation of the New Zealand dream. Since he lived in Sunset Town, he wasn’t aware of how the outside world regarded it—as a place of miracles.

The two chatted for an hour before it was finally their turn to enter the consultation room.

As a public hospital, Middlemore naturally served a large regional population, not only the southern districts of Auckland but also parts of the Waikato region further south.

Statistics showed that Middlemore Hospital served over 520,000 people—meaning one in every eight New Zealanders could potentially need major medical treatment there. The hospital was under tremendous pressure.

Waiting an hour didn’t feel long for Wang Bo.

Inside the consultation room, a clean and tidy space, a doctor and a nurse were seated. Rosalie handed over Eva’s medical information and explained that they were there for a prenatal checkup.

The doctor glanced at the information and smiled. “Eva? Haha, I’ll need to be at my best today. You’re the queen of Sunset Town, right?”

Wang Bo grinned behind her. Damn, his reputation really was impressive—here was the king of Sunset Town, right across from the doctor.

Eva looked back at him. “Looks like I’m benefiting from Sunset Town’s fame.”

But the doctor shook his head. “It’s not about Sunset Town. I know the town is well-known because of you. My wife has a similar profession—she’s a child psychologist—and she highly respects you, considering you a top expert in the field.”

Eva smiled. “Thank you for the compliment. I’d be happy to exchange insights with your wife.”

Wang Bo stopped smiling. It seemed the influence of being the king of Sunset Town didn’t extend everywhere.