HLM -Chapter 768 Comrade Xiaokang

The subordinates personally chosen by Wang Bo were all reliable people.

Over the weekend, they had gone all out searching for gold ore. But when Monday came and work resumed, everyone slipped seamlessly back into their duties—no one mentioned the gold mine again, not even in passing.

Even more gratifying to Wang Bo was the fact that Atulu—that “wife-fearing” man—hadn’t told his wife about the discovery of gold.

Hani said, “He didn’t take the ore home, but hid it somewhere instead. Maybe he’s planning some kind of treasure hunt?”

Atulu quickly corrected him. “No, I just want to see how much gold I can save up—then I’ll change my wife. When I’m rich, I’m getting a new one.”

Wang Bo and the others gave him a skeptical look. “Really?”

Atulu gritted his teeth as if making a life decision. “If she keeps mistreating me and still won’t let me have a full meal at night, then yes, really!”

Meanwhile, it seemed the Green Party truly wanted to bring Wang Bo over to their side. Alexander moved fast—Wang Bo had only just submitted a request for two crash cushion trucks for the town, and within a week, it was approved.

Good things come in pairs: Sunset Town welcomed its fifth police officer—its first properly trained one—Officer Cowen Conely.

This was the same Conely whom Wang Bo had met twice before. Although they hadn’t interacted much, Conely had been impressed by him each time, and eventually applied to be transferred to Sunset Town.

Transferring from a big city to a rural area was quite rare in the New Zealand Police. Rural postings weren’t any easier—in fact, because there were fewer officers, they often had to handle more work.

And besides, few were willing to give up the higher salaries, richer social life, and better educational and medical resources that city life offered.

Still, New Zealand’s civil service was highly efficient. Perhaps Conely’s family connections helped, too. Either way, by the end of September, he had arrived in town by bus.

The young man looked sharp—his crisp blue uniform made him look like a Gestapo officer straight out of history. After getting off the bus, he tucked his cap under one arm, carried his suitcase in the other, and strode confidently down the main street. A group of girls immediately had hearts in their eyes.

When Conely came to report for duty, Wang Bo was in the middle of playing Counter-Strike on his computer. Just as he was about to headshot a bandit, a loud knock startled him.

“Reporting in, sir!” shouted Conely, his voice full of energy.

Startled, Wang’s hand jerked—he missed his shot, revealed his position, and was instantly riddled with bullets.

“Damn it!”

Conely’s eyes widened. “Sorry, sir! I’m Cowen Conely, did I—”

Realizing the misunderstanding, Wang quickly waved him in. “Conely, my good man, no need to be so formal here. I wasn’t talking about you—I was cursing the computer…”

“The computer? I think I can help,” Conely said eagerly. He was, after all, a technically trained officer.

“Oh? See, our department regularly holds online 3D shooting sessions to sharpen our skills—it’s CS, you know? But those bandits on the other side are too damn good. I’m getting a headache from losing to them.”

“I still think I can help you,” Conely said confidently.

“Oh? You’re a CS expert?” Wang asked hopefully.

Conely shrugged. “Not exactly. But you said you have a headache, right? My family owns a pharmaceutical company. I can recommend the best medicine for it.”

Wang chuckled. “Good lad—you’ve got a sense of humor.”

Everyone except Gerald had already met Conely before, during the operation to bust Suladi’s fraud case—they’d even had a meal together.

Conely was cheerful and outgoing, and quickly fit in with the group—everyone except Gerald.

Gerald hadn’t joined the police for money, but to kill time and seek redemption. Eva often offered him psychological counseling, and as a result, he’d developed a near-fanatical desire to “serve the people” as a form of penance.

When he wasn’t on duty, he spent his time poring over a thick Bible.

As Conely introduced himself, Gerald didn’t even look up, completely absorbed in his reading. Wang Bo thought he hadn’t even stared at “the Royal Uncle” with such focus before.

Fortunately, Uncle Bing was good-natured. He smiled and said, “This is my son, Gerard. You can call him that—or ‘Gerald,’ like the boss does.”

“Gerald?” Conely asked.

Uncle Bing explained, “My son and I once served in the same unit.”

Conely straightened immediately, full of respect. “Father and son in the SAS? My God—that’s solid coal!”

“Boring,” Gerald muttered, got up with his Bible, and walked off to find a quieter spot.

Elizabeth chuckled. “Don’t mind him, Xiaokang. That’s just how Gerald is. Once you get to know him, you’ll see—he’s a good man. Everyone likes him.”

“Everyone likes him, huh? Xiaokang?” Kidd said sourly.

Elizabeth ignored him, gathered a stack of documents, and left.

Conely immediately went up to help, gallantly taking the papers from her hands. “Where’s your office? Let me carry these for you. Please—give me the honor.”

Elizabeth smiled charmingly. “Gladly.”

As they walked off together, Kidd’s face turned red. “This—this is outrageous!”

“Your Chinese is getting pretty good,” Wang said approvingly. “Young people really do learn fast.”

Kidd roared, “Boss, is that what you should be focusing on right now? I’m about to get a green hat here!”

Atulu looked at him sympathetically. “My advice? Learn from me. Under my strict discipline, my wife doesn’t talk to any men at all.”

Hani patted his shoulder. “Let’s be real—your wife doesn’t avoid men; it’s just that no man wants to talk to her.”

Juan agreed. “True. Every time I talk to Mrs. Atulu, I feel like she’s about to eat me alive. Maybe in her eyes, I’m just a juicy piece of Mexican steak.”

Kidd was fuming. “Hey, guys! Don’t change the subject! What’s that new guy’s deal?”

“Nothing. Don’t worry—Conely’s an honest lad. He’s not here to chase girls.”

And indeed, Conely was honest. Seeing that Elizabeth had a lot of files to organize, he stayed behind to help.

He was a computer expert, and in the afternoon, he even taught her some handy tips for office software.

After work, Elizabeth smiled and said, “Thank you, Xiaokang. How about I buy you a cup of coffee? I can tell you more about the town—you must have a lot of questions.”