HLM -Chapter 1276 A Thief’s Heart Never Dies

Monroe spoke plainly, “Two purposes. One is to get to know New Zealand’s rising star, and the other is to discuss something with you—about the joint development of Queenstown and Sunset Town.”

A wider smile spread across Wang Bo’s face. Monroe wasn’t planning to establish a twin-city relationship, was he? If that were the case, it would be a huge gain—Queenstown, whether in terms of GDP or reputation, was ahead of Sunset Town and could provide enormous support.

But it wasn’t what he had imagined. Monroe continued, “Queenstown and Sunset Town are both jewels of tourism in the Southern Hemisphere. We know that when jewels come together, their brilliance reflects and amplifies, creating an even more dazzling light.”

“However, currently our communication and contact are too limited. I hope to change that in the future. First, should we establish direct flights between our two airports?”

Wang Bo felt a tinge of disappointment—it turned out that was the plan: he wanted to connect Queenstown and Sunset Town via airport routes.

Still, it wasn’t a bad idea. If tourists from Queenstown wanted to visit Sunset Town, flights would make it much more convenient.

He was happy to see things moving smoothly. Both parties were receptive, and the cooperation clicked immediately.

Handling matters efficiently always increased mutual goodwill. Later, they started complimenting each other: one praising Sunset Town’s vigorous momentum, the other hailing Queenstown’s enduring glory.

By the time they parted ways, Qingyang sighed, “I thought you two were going to chop a chicken’s head and burn yellow paper to swear brotherhood under different surnames.”

Back in Sunset Town, word got around that Wang Bo had been invited by Queenstown’s big shot to discuss cooperation. Naturally, a few people sighed in astonishment.

As they boarded the helicopter, Hou Haibo said, “Even if you become the Prime Minister of New Zealand someday, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Wang Bo shook his head. “That’s not my interest.”

“Impressive!” Zhang Rui said. “Look at how our Brother Wang phrased that: ‘It’s not my interest,’ not ‘I can’t be Prime Minister.’ I, Zhang, truly admire that confidence.”

Wang Bo scowled. “Just stop it. The less you mock me, the better.”

Returning to Sunset Town, Zhang Rui and Zhao Xiaohui had to catch a flight back to Auckland, while Hou Haibo followed Li Xing to get familiar with the area.

By late July, after surveying and planning by the demolition and construction companies, the merger of Tahiti Town and Sunset Town began. Many buildings would be relocated to Sunset Town, and Wang Bo had already chosen the sites.

On the selected plots, he used the “Heart of Homestead,” and now his “Container of Hearts” was nearly full, filled with all kinds of territory hearts he didn’t need.

Wang Bo personally drove to Tahiti Town, heading straight for the small convenience store.

Inside, the two elderly gentlemen, Kaft and Babbly, were still crowded around the small TV, watching a rugby match.

This time, however, they were clearly more distracted. Upon hearing the door open, they immediately turned to look. Last time, they had only muttered something about “pick whichever.”

Seeing Wang Bo, Kaft’s expression soured. He said irritably, “Mayor Wang, what brings you here? To supervise your people tearing down our houses?”

Wang Bo smiled. “No, I’m here to meet my new townspeople.”

Kaft pursed his lips. Strictly speaking, they were already Wang Bo’s townspeople—they belonged to Sunset Town now.

Seeing his reaction, Wang Bo said, “Don’t be so quick to deny your identity. You might not know, but our Sunset Town residents enjoy some nice benefits.”

He gestured outside, and Atulu walked in carrying a large box.

Opening it revealed a 55-inch Siemens TV: curved screen, high definition, stereo speakers.

Wang Bo said, “This is for you. If you’re unwilling to move to Sunset Town, at least you can live here comfortably.”

Kaft eyed the large TV hungrily but still played hard to get. “Thank you, Mayor, but we’ve grown attached to this small TV. You know, sentiment—sentiment is important.”

Wang Bo said, “Buddy, Babbly has taken your prime spot.”

The old TV was less than twenty inches, bulky, and reflective from the side. A good position was necessary for a comfortable view.

Kaft turned and saw his old friend had indeed moved to the center spot, and he was furious. “Hey! You’re out of bounds. That’s not your place! Go back!”

Babbly lazily got up and helped Atulu set up the new TV. Once the signal was connected, the picture came alive—clearer and more realistic.

On-screen, a strong man ran into the end zone with the rugby ball, jumped forward, stretched his arms, and scored.

Kaft pumped his fist, “Well done!”

The small TV was forgotten; nostalgia only went so far.

Atulu fetched some beer, and the four of them enjoyed the match together. After the game, Kaft immediately replaced the small TV with the large one, declaring, “From now on, this is its designated spot.”

Babbly said, “I can watch from the side; the prime spot is yours.”

Kaft shot him a glare. “What a good person. I’m happy to do the same.”

That’s the advantage of a curved screen—the viewing experience is not affected by position.

Besides the TV, Wang Bo also brought beef and lamb, once again practicing culinary diplomacy.

It worked like a charm. New Zealanders seemed to be food lovers, and just seeing the quality of the meat made the two men grin from ear to ear.

“Every month, each of you can collect twenty pounds of meat for free,” Wang Bo said.

Kaft asked, surprised, “Really?”

“This is a benefit. Too bad the merger didn’t coincide with a festival. If it were Christmas or New Year, there would be even more perks,” Atulu said.

Kaft and Babbly immediately regretted, “Why didn’t we merge sooner?”

Of course, they weren’t bribed by these small perks. They were just joking—they appreciated the attitude of Mayor Wang.

Wang Bo’s phone rang. The manager of the demolition company said over the line, “Mayor Wang, where are you?”

“Over in Tahiti Town. What’s the matter?”

“That’s perfect. Please come over. We’re at Captain Babbly’s house. Work can’t proceed—someone is blocking us. The situation isn’t good.”

Hearing this, Wang Bo had a good guess. That old rascal Robert’s mischievous heart never dies—he had waited until the relocation work started just to cause trouble.

Sure enough, when Wang Bo arrived, he saw the quaint building’s entrance occupied by Robert, sprawled out like a rogue.

Seeing him, Robert lazily waved. “Hey, good morning, Mayor Wang. Nice weather, isn’t it? Want to come bask in the sun with me?”