HLM – Chapter 166 A Call from the Prime Minister

Eva’s little house had also been affected, but she declined Wang Bo’s invitation with a gentle refusal: “Thank you for your kindness, Wang. I’m doing fine now, and knowing that you’re safe puts my mind at ease. What I mean is, our community is staying together, we’re taking care of each other, and everything’s okay.”

Hearing that, Wang Bo couldn’t say much more. They chatted briefly about the earthquake, and after reminding Eva to stay safe, he hung up the phone.

He spent the entire night sleeping next to the little liger cub. By the second half of the night, with the Heart of the Nest tending to it, the cub’s condition had improved a lot—it could already open its mouth to drink some warm goat milk.

Wang Bo barely slept all night. Zhuang Ding and the Commander were also bustling around with him, making sure the little cub was well taken care of and comfortable.

With nothing else to do, Wang Bo started thinking of names for the cub. Since this little guy was bound to grow up into something fierce and dominant, he wanted a strong, imposing name. After much deliberation, he decided on a bold name—Little Wang (JOKER)!

But this “Little Wang” wasn’t a nickname of his. It referred to the “Joker” card in a deck of poker—the small joker. The English name “JOKER” could also mean “clown,” since in early European decks, both jokers were depicted as jesters.

Moreover, “JOKER” had another fitting translation—Trump Card!

Wang Bo hoped that in the future, this liger would become a trump card of the town, worthy of the name and his expectations.

At breakfast, he made the name announcement with great ceremony. While drinking goat milk and eating bread, Charlie laughed and said, “Good name, Wang. You’re the big joker, and this little guy’s the small joker. Nice pick!”

Zhuang Ding didn’t look happy upon hearing that. It lifted its head and barked twice, “Woof woof!”

Charlie helplessly responded, “Alright, alright, I misspoke. Wang is the big joker, you’re the little joker…”

Then the Queen lifted her head and barked at him too. Charlie was speechless. “Wait a second, don’t tell me you guys can actually understand me?”

Wang Bo was even more speechless. “You really don’t get why they’re barking? Zhuang Ding barked at you because you ate its bread. The Queen barked because you had the audacity to drink her kid’s milk!”

“Ugh, shit… but the bread was good.”

Not long after breakfast, an unfamiliar number suddenly called. Wang Bo looked at the caller ID but didn’t recognize it. He picked up and asked curiously, “Hi there, who is this?”

“Hello, is this Mayor Wang? This is Lisa Lawrence. It’s a pleasure to speak with you,” came a gentle female voice, which then paused without further introduction.

Wang Bo was completely baffled—Lisa Lawrence? Who?

He covered the mic and looked around at the others. “Shit, a woman just called me—sounds pretty high and mighty. She says her name’s Lisa Lawrence, haha…”

He meant it as a joke to entertain the others.

But no one laughed. The overbearing CEO put down his newspaper and looked up at him. “The Prime Minister’s name is Lisa Lawrence. I wonder if it’s actually her calling you.”

Charlie hesitated. “It’s possible, isn’t it? Didn’t the Prime Minister visit Wanderer Town yesterday? Wang joined the disaster relief effort and stood out the most. Maybe she really did call him?”

Wang Bo’s face changed dramatically. He quickly got back on the phone. “Hello, Lisa Lawrence, don’t tell me you’re the Prime Minister of New Zealand?”

There was a slight pause before the soft voice replied warmly, “If you’re referring to my position, yes, I am indeed the Prime Minister of New Zealand.”

Wang Bo nearly dropped his phone. The Prime Minister was calling him? What was going on?

“You sound quite surprised, Mayor Wang? If I were you, I wouldn’t be. You did something incredible yesterday. You and your brave dogs saved over a hundred lives. If God visited New Zealand, I’m sure He’d want to have a chat with you too.”

The Prime Minister had a way with words—within just a few sentences, she had flattered Wang Bo so much he felt like he was floating.

Lisa Lawrence had called to invite him to a press conference in Wanderer Town that day, where he would attend as a representative of the disaster relief volunteers.

Wang Bo modestly replied that he was just doing what anyone should, and there was no need for praise, let alone attending a press event.

But Prime Minister Lawrence continued to compliment him, insisting that he must attend, assuring him she and the press would be waiting for him there.

After hanging up, Wang Bo spread his hands and said helplessly, “I have to attend a press conference—damn it, where am I supposed to find the time? I’m the mayor of Sunset Town, I’ve got a ton of work to do.”

Hani: “Busy? Busy with fishing or hunting? If I ever meet the Prime Minister, I’m definitely going to report you for never showing up to work!”

Charlie: “Shit, Wang, just go. Look at you—you’re so smug your face is about to peel off.”

Juan: “Boss, don’t you think this is a great chance to promote Sunset Town?”

Those words snapped Wang Bo out of it. Right! This was a perfect opportunity to promote their town. Not only should he go—everyone who had helped with the rescue yesterday should go too.

So the whole group piled into two pickup trucks and headed off in a grand procession to Wanderer Town. Of course, Zhuang Ding and the Commander had to come too—the former was the biggest hero of yesterday, and the latter, with her clever tongue, could win Sunset Town some attention.

On the second day after the disaster, Wanderer Town was in much better shape. Though ruins still filled the streets, large numbers of tents had been set up in the area. These tents were neatly arranged on grassy fields, and Maori residents lined up to receive clean drinking water—the overall atmosphere wasn’t bad.

As soon as Wang Bo got out with Zhuang Ding, the Maoris lining up suddenly swarmed over. Zhuang Ding was startled, thinking they were here to fight. It jumped in front of Wang Bo to protect him, baring its teeth and barking fiercely: “Woof woof woof! Woof woof woof!”

The Commander wasn’t about to be outdone—his wings flapped a few times like he was rolling up his sleeves for a fight, and he opened his mouth to spray, “Ah! Your mom blew up! Ah! Wang Bo, run!”

More than a hundred Maoris had rushed over, surrounding Wang Bo and his group, waving their arms and making fierce faces—but then they shouted loudly:

“Savior! Savior! Savior!”

“Divine Dog! Divine Dog! Divine Dog!”

“Welcome back to Wanderer Town! Thank you for your help yesterday! May the great god Maori forever bless you!”

Wang Bo raised his arm to express thanks, but looking around at the fierce faces of the Maoris, he still felt a little uneasy. He turned to Charlie and asked, “Buddy, are you sure they’re here to thank us?”

Charlie explained loudly, “Yes, it’s a Maori custom. Have you ever seen the haka? Their welcome gestures evolved from the war dance, so they look fierce, but it’s how they express honor and gratitude.”