HLM – Chapter 39 Charlie Returns

Hearing the noise, Wang Bo was startled. When he stepped outside, he saw Commander flying overhead, squawking loudly, while Zhuang Ding was covered with a white cloth, howling in distress.  

Without bothering to figure out what had happened, Wang Bo quickly pulled the white cloth off Zhuang Ding and scratched its neck to soothe it.  

The Mastiff had excellent vision—it had seen exactly what had happened. Now, with Wang Bo by its side, its courage surged. It stretched its neck and barked fiercely at Commander in the sky.  

This was the first time Old Wang had heard Zhuang Ding bark. Its voice was deep and powerful, still carrying a hint of puppy-like timidity, yet there was an undercurrent of dominance in it.  

Unfortunately, the army was no match for the air force—the air force was the natural enemy of ground troops. No matter how noble the Mastiff was as the king of the land, it couldn’t exact revenge on a tiny parrot in the sky.  

From then on, whenever Wang Bo wasn’t around, Commander bullied Zhuang Ding mercilessly.  

If Zhuang Ding lay quietly on the ground, Commander would suddenly swoop down with a loud squawk. If Zhuang Ding walked slowly, Commander would dive down and peck at its tail. And when mealtime approached, Commander would fly into Bowen’s room, steal his snacks, and taunt Zhuang Ding with them…  

Zhuang Ding was a sensitive dog. Commander’s teasing made it aware of the malice, so it began to avoid the parrot.  

Later, during meals, Wang Bo would place their food bowls side by side as usual. Zhuang Ding silently glanced at Commander, then picked up its own bowl in its mouth and quietly moved to the other side of the table.  

Commander, triumphant, flapped its wings and cried, “Ah, ah, move! Move!”  

Wang Bo glared at it in frustration and scolded, “Keep showing off. When Zhuang Ding grows up, it won’t even need to chew—it’ll swallow you whole!”  

“Ah, its mom exploded!” Commander tilted its head disdainfully, looking down at Zhuang Ding with utter contempt.  

Wang Bo regretted placing the Soul Heart on Commander. The little parrot had become far too clever—it was getting harder and harder to handle.  

Helpless, he pointed at Commander and said, “Listen here, you little—”  

“Ah, not little!” Commander retorted.  

Wang Bo fell silent for a moment, then started again. “Fine, your aesthetics are on point. But what I’m trying to say is—mark my words, when Zhuang Ding grows up and teaches you a lesson, I won’t lift a finger to help you.”  

That said, Commander wasn’t entirely without merit after gaining the Soul Heart. It had become much more sensible and added a lot of amusement to Wang Bo’s life.  

Now, every morning when he woke up, Wang Bo would loosen Zhuang Ding’s skin with one hand while scrolling through Weibo on his phone with the other—a habit he’d picked up from his old job.  

Waking up early often put people in a low mood, but browsing Weibo changed that. It felt like an emperor holding his morning court, reviewing reports under the stars, ruling over his domain: international briefings, national affairs, local news, life lessons, and of course, beauty tips, gourmet food, and pretty women…  

After his “morning court,” Wang Bo would take Zhuang Ding through the eastern back gate into the outer courtyard for a run.  

Roberts Castle wasn’t just a villa built in a castle style—it was a genuine fortress with real defensive functions, a military stronghold on the mountainside.  

So far, Wang Bo’s activities had been limited to the inner courtyard, and even then, he hadn’t explored all the rooms there yet. He’d been systematically sweeping through them one by one using the sand table but hadn’t finished.  

Beyond the inner courtyard, there was a vast outer courtyard to the east, once used as a training ground. The outer courtyard was an open space enclosed by the outer walls, paved with neat stone blocks that exuded a stern, martial atmosphere.  

When he first arrived at the castle, Wang Bo had taken a quick look at the outer courtyard. It had probably been decades since anyone had set foot there—overgrown with weeds and teeming with wild rodents. Now, after the Castle Heart’s self-purification, the weeds had withered and died, drying under the sun into hay scattered across the ground.  

Next to the back gate stood a small chapel, built in a round tower style with a rusted iron bell at the top.  

Before his run this time, Wang Bo pushed open the chapel door to inspect the interior. The room was empty, save for a small table where the pulpit once stood.  

Unused for years, the chapel felt cold, desolate, and eerie. But with Zhuang Ding by his side, Wang Bo had nothing to fear, so he stepped inside.  

Zhuang Ding was introverted and melancholic by nature, but at its core, it was still a fearless goofball. Mastiffs were famously brave, after all. As soon as the door opened, it trotted inside, wagging its tail and sniffing around playfully.  

The only thing worth seeing was the pulpit. Wang Bo opened the cabinet beneath it and found a few Bibles and a wooden box—things he’d already seen in the sand table. The wooden box contained another book.  

He opened the box to reveal a thick, palm-sized book.  

The cover was made of cowhide and was still in decent condition. However, the pages inside had yellowed with age, nearly every one covered in handwritten text. The title read *Bay-Psalm-Book*, which could be translated as *The Bay Psalm Book*.  

Wang Bo flipped through it. The pages were filled with poems related to the Bible, God, and angels. He didn’t understand much of it, nor was he particularly interested, so he placed it into the red box in the sand table.  

The book was clearly ancient—if not an outright antique, it still held some value. He planned to donate it to a church once the town had one, adding a touch of grandeur to the place.  

After examining the chapel, he called out, “Zhuang Ding, let’s go!”  

Zhuang Ding sniffed the air, then dashed over on all fours. As it reached him, it deliberately bumped into Wang Bo and then peeked at him from the corner of its eye to gauge his reaction.  

Wang Bo laughed and playfully kicked its rear. Sensing his good mood, Zhuang Ding immediately got into a playful spirit, chasing after Wang Bo to wrestle. So Wang Bo ran, and Zhuang Ding happily gave chase.  

Not to be left out, Commander joined in the fun, flying after them. Soon, Old Wang was running around the vast inner courtyard with a dog and a bird in tow.  

The cowboy rubbed his sleepy eyes and pushed open the window, shouting, “Good God, good God! Is there no justice in this world? It’s so early in the morning—can’t you let a man sleep in peace?”  

Wang Bo pointed at him. Zhuang Ding shrank back, not daring to bark at the cowboy, but Commander flapped its wings and flew straight at him like a bomber on a mission—then promptly pooped on him.  

The cowboy shrieked and slammed the window shut. Moments later, he stormed out in his pajamas, chasing after Commander.  

Over the weekend, Charlie returned ahead of schedule, this time piloting a helicopter himself. Though it was just a small civilian model, it was still incredibly cool, leaving Wang Bo itching to try it out.  

Charlie had come back to take Wang Bo to Wellington to set up the town’s public financial bank account. Additionally, the construction team contracted for the highway project would arrive in Omarama today—the new section of Highway 8 was officially starting construction.  

Returning after his absence, the castle felt like an entirely unfamiliar place to Charlie. When he’d left, the fortress hadn’t yet gained the Castle Heart—it had been lifeless and gloomy, nothing like the majestic, regal stronghold it was now.  

Plus, he’d never met Bowen, Commander, or Zhuang Ding before. Wang Bo made the introductions.