HLM – Chapter 127 Unmanned Sales Stall

The convenience store had only been open for a couple of days when Wang Bo could use the draw system again. This time, he once again drew a Pet Heart. Since it was useless for the commander and Zhuang Ding, he glanced at the Xuanhe couple but wasn’t interested in turning them into pets, so he stored it away.

Just as he had guessed earlier, the Heart Container Box could hold ten Territory Hearts.

The weather in the Canterbury district hadn’t been great these past few days—cloudy skies all around, looking like it was about to rain.

New Zealand was experiencing its worst drought in a decade. Many farms and ranches were facing water shortages. Wang Bo saw in the news that a number of ranchers were slaughtering cattle and sheep to get through the dry season.

So, this overcast weather was welcomed by farmers and ranchers across the country. Wang Bo, however, didn’t really care. His ranch was close to Lake Hāwea, so water wasn’t a problem for him.

Later in the month, after several days of gloomy weather, it finally started to rain. Because it was already autumn, as soon as the rain began, the temperature dropped sharply.

When Wang Bo first arrived, it was the height of summer. He had only brought summer and winter clothes with him—nothing for spring or autumn—so once the temperature dropped, he was caught off guard and had to rush into town to buy more clothes.

Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on their side. Just as their car was approaching the convenience store, the rain suddenly poured down in torrents, making driving quite dangerous.

Juan parked right at the store entrance. Wang Bo dashed inside through the rain, where Anderson happened to be on duty. He looked surprised and asked, “Boss, why are you still wearing a T-shirt?”

Wang Bo was shivering all over with goosebumps and forced a laugh, “I say I’ve got strong internal heat—I can endure cold weather, even blizzards and sub-zero temps. You believe that?”

Anderson shook his head. “Sorry, boss, I don’t believe you.”

Wang Bo trembled in frustration, “You know I’m lying and still won’t hurry up and make me some coffee?”

Juan chimed in, backing him up: “Yeah! Can’t you see the boss is shivering?”

Wang Bo: “I’m shaking from anger!”

Anderson’s coffee-making skills were excellent. He was meticulous, using freshly ground beans. A steaming cup of rich coffee was soon placed in Wang Bo’s hands. Just the aroma alone brought a comforting warmth.

The store had soft seating. Wang Bo lounged comfortably on a stool, clutching his coffee cup and gazing out the window.

The steady rain drummed against the ground, splashing into large droplets. Washed by the rain, the foliage—which had begun to yellow with the coming of autumn—looked even greener than before.

Watching the cold rain outside, Wang Bo took a sip of the hot coffee. The rich aroma flooded his mouth—absolutely satisfying.

There were no customers at the moment, so Anderson also grabbed a coffee and sat down beside him. Wang Bo casually asked, “The casino guys haven’t come to hassle you again, right?”

Anderson smiled, “Nope. In fact, I’ve already paid off my debt. We both took a step back—I paid 20 grand.”

Wang Bo looked a little surprised. “The casino agreed to that?”

Loan sharks usually weren’t so easygoing. Wang Bo didn’t expect them to show mercy. The original debt of over a hundred thousand had been settled with just twenty thousand—that was quite lenient.

Anderson laughed self-deprecatingly, “Maybe they figured I’ve already lost enough at their tables. But of course, I know the real reason—they’re wary of you.”

Wang Bo laughed heartily, “Thanks for the creative compliment.”

Despite the rain, business at the convenience store unexpectedly picked up. Not long after Wang Bo sat down, four groups of customers came in one after another—mostly just to escape the rain.

Someone muttered discontentedly, “The new section of Highway 8 is terrible. For dozens of kilometers, there’s only one convenience store—so inconvenient.”

Wang Bo grinned brightly: I’m the only game in town. This is practically a monopoly!

Autumn rains in the Southern Hemisphere were no different. This bout of rain lasted nearly a week. The last four or five days were only a drizzle, but it never stopped completely.

After this rain, the weather turned cold—but relatively speaking. New Zealand’s climate was quite mild—summers weren’t too hot, and winters weren’t too cold. Now in autumn, the temperature mostly stayed above 10°C.

However, the South Island had a subpolar climate and was backed by the Southern Alps. Winds blowing over the snowcapped peaks made it feel chillier than it actually was.

With the drop in temperature, Wang Bo could finally launch his unmanned stall business.

There were plenty of wild chickens and hares around the ranch. Every time the cowboys went on rounds with little Hani, they’d collect wild bird eggs or catch a few rabbits. Since they couldn’t eat it all, Wang Bo thought of selling the extras.

But during hot weather, the bird eggs would spoil quickly outdoors, making business difficult. He had shelved the idea—until now, with cooler weather.

Charlie and Juan made a DIY sales rack themselves—something like a bookshelf, about 1.5 meters high and 2 meters wide, with four tiers to hold egg trays.

Once the rain stopped, Wang Bo moved two shelves to the roadside. Charlie stuck a New Zealand flag on top, saying it marked the unmanned stall.

“It’s to remind people of their identity and New Zealand’s honor—so they won’t do anything shameful like taking stuff without paying,” Charlie explained.

Wang Bo said nothing, just smiled. New Zealand was a strange place—plenty of petty thieves and crooks, yet these outdoor unmanned stalls hardly ever got looted. People generally behaved with integrity.

These wild eggs and rabbits were completely organic and pollution-free. Charlie even added some ranch photos to prove it, and sales were decent.

Both shelves were placed within the land controlled by the Territory Heart, so Wang Bo could monitor them at any time. Not long after setting them up, a Honda CRV pulled over. A young woman and a little boy got out.

The woman picked a tray of eggs—not wild ones, but home-laid eggs from Wang Bo’s native hens.

She took the eggs, and the boy dropped a five-dollar bill into the welded-on cash box—an easy, honest transaction.

By the end of the day, more than half the eggs were sold. The rabbits, however, remained untouched—perhaps locals were sick of eating them.

Wang Bo counted it up. In just one day, the two racks brought in over a hundred dollars. He was very pleased.

It wasn’t just about the money—though the sum wasn’t small—it was what the income represented: Highway 8 really was a major thoroughfare. Even though it had just recently opened, traffic was already picking up.

Seeing the racks selling well, Anderson had an idea. “Boss, the fruits and vegetables in the supermarket aren’t selling well. Why don’t we try putting some out too?”

Wang Bo thought it made sense. “Why not? Business is business, after all.”