HLM – Chapter 22 A Good Way to Make Money

Just now, he had been too busy watching the drama unfold. Feeling embarrassed, Old Wang quickly turned to the female ticket collector and said, “Miss, sorry, I also got on the wrong bus. Can you stop for a moment and let me off?”

The ticket collector, who looked as fierce as a mother T. rex, snorted and replied coldly, “You’ll have to wait until we get to the next station. No stopping before that.”

Wang Bo felt awkward and lowered his voice to add, “I’m really sorry. I’m from China and just arrived in Omarama.”

Upon hearing this, the ticket collector’s expression softened considerably. She looked at him curiously and asked, “You’re from China? The one with the Great Wall?”

“Yes.”

“Alright then, since you’re not familiar with how things work in Omarama, we’ll stop for you. But listen, Chinese guy, I hope you’ll show respect to everyone, especially to women. Don’t make sarcastic comments, okay?” she said.

The bus stopped, but Wang Bo was dumbfounded. He quickly responded, “Sorry, miss. I truly didn’t mean to insult anyone…”

“You just called me ‘miss’? So if I called you ‘hot macho dude,’ what would you think about that?” the ticket collector said, clearly displeased.

It suddenly clicked for Wang Bo — cultural differences could really get you into trouble. In China, “miss” or “beauty” was a respectful way to address women, but here in New Zealand, people took it literally. But wait — what did she mean by that last comment? He was a hot macho dude, okay!

There was nothing more to say. Old Wang quickly apologized and gave a brief explanation. Only then did the ticket collector crack a smile and let him off the bus.

After getting off, Wang Bo saw little Dale sitting on a bench at the stop, her chubby lotus-root-like legs swinging as she waited for the bus. He walked over, wanting to apologize — what Charlie did that night was really embarrassing. Who runs off after making a mess?

But as soon as the little girl turned and saw him, her big eyes widened even more. She panicked, jumped off the bench, flagged down a taxi, climbed in, and shouted, “Uncle, quick! There’s a bad man following me!”

Wang Bo gave a bitter smile and pulled out his secret weapon — his long-tailed bird, General Zhang: “Little sister, big bro will show you a bird…”

The taxi driver gave him a look full of disgust, slammed the gas pedal, and sped off.

Old Wang: “…”

The town’s sports meet was held in an open-air stadium located at the end of Prince Street. Though the city wasn’t big, the stadium was fairly large. The parking lot outside stretched far and wide, already filled with vehicles.

To watch the games, you needed a ticket. Adult admission was one dollar. Wang Bo paid for a ticket and was handed a red one by security. It was clearly stated that all ticket revenue would go to charity — specifically, to support the local orphanage.

The stadium was oval in shape with two levels and about four to five thousand seats. The field itself spanned approximately ten to twenty thousand square meters — quite large, with neatly trimmed green grass.

The entire field was divided into white-marked grids, each with numbers. It was clearly a rugby field, and rugby was New Zealand’s national sport — the most beloved game around.

In terms of architecture, the stadium was built with a reinforced concrete structure. Its roof was a crescent-shaped membrane system, and the facade had alternating red and white window panels, creating a visually striking appearance.

Wang Bo had read up beforehand — the Omarama town sports meet would last two days, Saturday and Sunday. But there was also a display day on Friday and a celebrity activity day on Monday.

For a small town, the biennial sports meet was a grand event. The stadium was nearly full, and the locals were highly enthusiastic. Many sat together in matching sportswear, while others waved flags to cheer for their family and friends.

Because of the large field, multiple events were happening simultaneously. A lot of participants were doing warm-ups, and the entire stadium buzzed with activity. The noise level was so high that it even drowned out the announcer on the main stage.

Wang Bo was leaning over the railing on the second level to watch when the announcer’s voice rang out again:

“Dear spectators, do you want to become athletes? If so, sign up now! Every event has trophies and cash prizes! Doesn’t a $20,000 grand prize tempt you? If you’re tempted, what are you waiting for? Register now…”

Wang Bo’s heart stirred. He turned to a nearby couple and smiled politely, asking, “Sorry to bother you, but I wanted to ask — is it possible to sign up for events on the spot? Are there any requirements?”

The woman of the couple nodded politely and replied, “No requirements. Anyone can sign up at the registration area below. Everyone’s welcome to participate. After all, isn’t the goal of sports to encourage everyone to pursue a healthy life?”

Wang Bo hesitated for a moment. He looked down at the 100-meter race that was currently underway. Honestly, he didn’t think the runners were faster than him. And the first-place winner would get 20,000 dollars! If he entered multiple events and won first place in several…

Holy crap, jackpot! That’s enough money to build a house on the homestead!

He couldn’t let the effects of the Lord’s Heart on his body go to waste. Old Wang made up his mind and headed toward the field, but was immediately stopped by an event staff member.

“Sorry, sir, spectators aren’t allowed on the field. Please return to the stands.”

“I’m here to sign up for the competitions,” Wang Bo replied.

The staff member nodded and led him to the registration area — a large tent with over a dozen computers.

“Sir, which events would you like to register for?” the staff asked.

Wang Bo responded, “Could you tell me which track and field events don’t overlap in schedule? I want to sign up for all of them!”

The staff member was stunned. “You’re a professional athlete?”

Professional, my ass. Before he got the Lord’s Heart, Wang Bo was the kind of guy who’d be wheezing after climbing six flights of stairs. Now, with the Lord’s Heart, he had become a human-shaped beast.

But even though his athletic ability had improved, he wasn’t sure exactly how strong he’d become. That’s why he wanted to enter as many track and field events as possible — to see what he was good at and where he could win.

To put it bluntly, he was hoping to catch a lucky break — enter a bunch of events, and maybe he’d stumble into a win or two.

Of course, that was his private thought. Out loud, he simply said politely, “Yes, I love sports. Back in my hometown, I was known for my running and jumping. Now that I’m here in Omarama, I want to show my skills to everyone.”

His courteous tone went over well. The young staff member guiding him smiled warmly and extended a hand. “I’m Lucas Noel. Welcome to our competition. Actually, all the events are spaced out enough, because each one has dozens of qualifying rounds. What I mean is — you can sign up for as many as you like.”

Under Lucas’ guidance, Wang Bo first signed up for the 100-meter and 200-meter preliminary races. He needed to test the waters — if things didn’t go well, at least he wouldn’t embarrass himself in front of everyone.

But if they did go well… heh heh, then the human beast Old Wang would dominate the field!

Lucas asked when he’d be able to change into proper running shoes and sportswear. His clothes were fine — it was hot, and he was already wearing a T-shirt and athletic shorts — but his shoes weren’t really suitable.

Still, this was a local amateur event, so the dress code wasn’t strict. Wang Bo said he’d compete as-is. Lucas didn’t object and printed out a race number — 1314 — and stuck one on his chest and one on his back. He was now officially a contestant.