HLM – Chapter 215 Blind Dog Eyes

There was no such easy advantage. Once the Heart of the Highway had attached itself to this stretch of the China Road, its influence was still limited to just this section. A faint green glow radiated along the road, connecting Highway 8 to the castle.

Although it didn’t change much on the surface, gaining the Heart of the Highway significantly enhanced Wang Bo’s control over his territory. Now, even this section of China Road was visible and monitorable on his strategic map.

He could feel the difference during the return journey. As Wang Bo drove, he noticed that being on the road made him feel more at ease, his focus sharpened, and his driving smooth as flowing water.

Bowen was surprised. “Boss, have you been practicing your driving these past few days? You’ve definitely improved.”

Wang Bo simply smiled. The Heart of the Highway passively enhanced one’s driving skills—just like how the Heart of the Castle passively improved cooking. The effect on mental focus was also similar: the Heart of the Castle could improve sleep quality and keep one in a better mood while staying inside, whereas the Heart of the Highway enhanced attention and alertness.

Thinking about cars reminded Wang Bo of his Jeep. The last time he went to pick it up, the repair shop owner had delayed him for two days. Now it had been four—surely it should be ready by now.

The next morning, as soon as he woke up, Wang Bo called the repair shop owner, Jones. No answer. So he simply brought some people and drove straight over.

When they arrived, the shop had just opened. Jones was yawning and taking stock of his tools.

Wang Bo glanced inside and frowned. His Jeep was still parked in the corner of the warehouse—just as it had been before, completely untouched.

Seeing him, Jones smiled cheerfully. “Hey buddy, how’s work been lately?”

Wang Bo asked, “It’s fine. Say, is my car ready yet?”

Jones sniffled and replied, “Well, your car’s condition is a bit complicated. Honestly, man, I underestimated how old it is. It’s not repaired yet—I still need some parts. Give me a couple more days, okay?”

Wang Bo’s expression darkened. Kiwis might be laid-back, but when it came to business, they took commitments seriously. If a repair was promised in a few days, it was expected to be done in a few days. Jones had already delayed him twice.

Bowen accompanying him was also unhappy. “What’s going on here? You said it’d be ready in a few days. How many days has it been now?”

Jones kept smiling. “Now, now, don’t get worked up. Your car’s condition is just more complex than I thought. Needs quite a few parts—I’ve had to order them from the manufacturer.”

Bowen was about to lash out, but Wang Bo gestured for him to hold back and asked calmly, “So how much of the repair is done?”

Jones shrugged. “Can’t start without the parts. Nothing’s been done yet.”

Wang Bo felt a surge of anger boil up. His brow furrowed, and he nearly clenched his fist, but he restrained himself and said, “Forget it. I’m taking the car back. I’m not leaving it here for repairs.”

Bowen muttered angrily, “Boss, he’s deliberately wasting our time.”

Wang Bo shook his head, signaling not to argue. Why bother reasoning with a fool? It’s not worth getting into a fight over.

Jones asked, “You sure you want to take the car?”

Wang Bo didn’t even bother replying and gestured to Bowen to get the car.

When they drove it out, Jones handed them a bill: parking fees, $20 per day, totaling $160 for 8 days.

Wang Bo was stunned. “What’s this?”

Jones still wore that grin. “It’s your parking fee invoice. You know the rules—in a repair shop, if a car is left too long, there’s a charge.”

Wang Bo did know that. New Zealand had strict laws to keep cities neat—no random parking. But since land was plentiful and people were few, parking was rarely a problem. Even repair shops could charge a parking fee, but by regulation, the maximum was $20 per day—and that was only for cars already repaired but not collected.

“You’re clearly trying to rip me off, aren’t you?” Wang Bo stared at Jones.

This time, Jones dropped the fake smile. “No one’s ripping you off. Either leave the car here, and I’ll fix it once the parts come, or pay the parking fee. I’ve been watching your car for days—can’t do it for free.”

Bowen exploded, grabbing Jones by the collar and yelling, “Fuckin’ hell, open your goddamn eyes, you greedy piece of trash! If we were in Texas, I’d have blasted your brains out with a shotgun already!”

Jones didn’t flinch. He snarled, “But you’re in New Zealand, American. Go back to Texas. Here, we play by our own rules!”

A few repairmen saw Bowen grab their boss and came rushing out, holding wrenches and iron rods, shouting:

“Back off, American!”

“Looking for trouble?”

“Smash his heart in!”

Seeing his workers rush out, Jones became more brazen and roared, “Enough talk—call the police! Arrest them! I know who they are—Chinese, American, and one Mexican. Call immigration too! Get them deported!”

“Yeah! Call both the cops and immigration! Cancel their visas and kick them out!” added a bearded brute, waving a metal rod menacingly.

Wang Bo merely sneered. He pulled out a badge and shoved it toward the bearded man. The guy thought he was about to be hit and raised his rod—

But before he could act, the door of the pickup truck behind Wang Bo swung open. Zhuang Ding and Queen leapt out like arrows from a bow.

In a flash, they tackled the bearded man to the ground.

Zhuang Ding pinned him down, while Queen bared her teeth, eyes wide, fur bristling—absolutely ferocious.

Jones and his crew froze in fear. That grin vanished from his face. “Fuck! What are you trying to do? You’re using dogs to attack people—call the police! Someone call the police!”

Wang Bo tossed the badge at Jones and said coolly, “No need—I’ll call them myself.”

He phoned the police and also called Lawyer Mueller, telling him there was an issue that needed handling.

Realizing he’d really called the cops, the repairmen began tossing their tools aside. Wang Bo immediately barked, “Don’t fucking move! Anyone who dares, my police dog won’t be polite. Stay where you are!”

The workers looked nervously at Jones, but he had no answer. If they held weapons, they’d be charged with attempted assault, and Wang Bo could claim self-defense. When the police came, things wouldn’t go well for them.

On the other hand, if they didn’t have weapons, they could try to argue that Wang Bo’s dog had attacked unprovoked and claim the legal upper hand.