HLM – Chapter 84 The Senior Auditor

A treasure trove had fallen into his hands, and Wang Bo couldn’t even sleep well at night. He woke up several times, opening the Heart of the Lord to check on the secret chamber, confirming again and again that the treasure inside was safe before he could fall back asleep.

Since coming to the castle, this was the first time he’d suffered from insomnia…

Breakfast was prepared by Juan—once again a spread of Mexican cuisine with vibrant flavors of the Americas. The main dish was Mexican cornbread: round, yellow like egg yolk, and a bit like a steamed bun mixed with cornmeal.

Wang Bo ate half of one bun, then put it down and picked up a new one.

Seeing this, the Mexican pretty boy asked nervously, “Boss, did I not make it tasty?”

“It’s delicious.”

“Then why aren’t you finishing the other half?”

Wang Bo was in a good mood, so he explained, “I’m a rich guy now. I’ve got to act like one, get it? Rich guy vibes.”

“Just a little over twenty million—how’s that even rich?” Charlie scoffed.

Wang Bo gave a proud smile, even more disdainful: My net worth? You guys couldn’t even imagine. If I told you, you’d lose control of your bladder muscles from shock!

Truth be told, the uneaten half wouldn’t go to waste either—someone else was shamelessly waiting to be fed.

As the saying goes: “A growing boy can eat his father out of house and home.” The mastiff had begun to show its terrifying appetite. It could spend the entire day looking for food—eating dog food during meals and anything else it could find at other times.

As February rolled in, Wang Bo started thinking about another matter—going home for the Spring Festival. With just over half a month left, he had to make the trip.

Charlie said he’d handle the flight booking and itinerary. He had connections in that area and could arrange a comfortable first-class flight home.

Two highways were under simultaneous construction. The New Zealand team, using heavy machinery, was building at incredible speed. From the sandbox model, it was clear how fast the roads were progressing—every other day the routes would visibly extend further.

Porter’s construction crew had delivered large quantities of gravel and asphalt, but they were building from the connection point to Highway 8.

Still, Wang Bo couldn’t take part in the roadwork because something else came up—Smith called and asked him to come over.

Wang Bo assumed it was some police-related work, so he put on his badge and uniform and headed to Omarama.

At the station, Judy took him to see Chief Smith. As soon as he sat down, the chief asked, “I heard you’re recruiting auditors recently?”

“Inspector” is another term for “auditor.” In small towns, they’re often called auditors, but at the city level, they’re known as inspectors.

Wang Bo nodded. Chief Smith said, “Let me recommend someone. His name is Carlisle Hani—an old friend of mine.”

Sunset Town did indeed need an auditor, but Wang Bo had a bit of a distaste for favoritism. If he were truly a proper professional, why not apply directly to the town?

But Chief Smith was a savvy guy—he could tell what Wang Bo was thinking from his expression and laughed. “Don’t give me that damn look. Listen, Wang—Old Hani is the best inspector on the South Island. If it weren’t for his damn temper, he’d already be in Wellington living the cushy life.”

“I’m just recommending him—I can’t promise you’ll be able to recruit him. But I swear, if he’s willing to join you, it’ll be an absolute win for Sunset Town.”

Wang Bo nodded, saying he’d look into it. Once he left the office, he called Charlie to see if he could dig up anything about Carlisle Hani.

He already knew—Charlie would definitely have the means to find the info.

Sure enough, Charlie didn’t even need to use any channels. As soon as he heard the name, he said, “Carlisle Hani. Master’s in Auditing from Australian National University. A senior inspector with twenty-five years of experience. One of the best on the South Island.”

The assessment matched what Chief Smith had said. Wang Bo realized he’d misjudged the chief’s recommendation.

Then Charlie added something similar to what the chief had mentioned: “You want to recruit Carlisle Hani? That’s tough. Really tough. He’s currently working in Tahiti Town—I don’t think you can get him.”

“Tahiti Town? The one run by Mayor Robert?”

“Yup.”

“Then it’s settled—we have to bring him in!”

Wang Bo had long been eyeing the residents of Tahiti Town. With their section of Highway 8 now abandoned, the people were bound to leave, and he hoped they’d all move to Sunset Town.

Relocation wasn’t the same as merging towns. No matter how many people moved to Sunset, the mayoral election wouldn’t happen for another four years. But if the towns merged, there’d be a new election in just four months.

He believed that if he could recruit Hani, Tahiti Town would crumble even faster—towns in New Zealand could go bankrupt.

After thanking Chief Smith and promising to treat him to a meal later, Wang Bo took Hani’s contact info and address and left.

Chief Smith warned him, “Old Hani’s got a fiery temper—try to bear with it. Also, good luck recruiting him, though honestly, I don’t think you’ll succeed.”

Wang Bo, brimming with ambition, said: “With Wang Bo’s trusty shovel, what wall can’t be dug through?”

The next day, with Bowen driving, Wang Bo brought Charlie and the others to Tahiti Town.

Before setting off, he had the three wear suits and ties. “Let’s keep it formal, guys—we’ve got to show we’re a tight, united team. We need to look like a professional outfit.”

“Is that really necessary?” The three were speechless.

“Of course! Look at you, Bowen—you’re wearing ripped jeans! Do you want people thinking our town is so poor we can’t even afford a full pair of pants?”

“And Juan, smile a little! We’re going to work, not attending a funeral!”

“Charlie—could you please lose the lazy attitude? Damn it, seeing you feels like watching the defeated remnants of Mussolini’s army!”

February in New Zealand marked the start of the rainy season. As soon as they reached Omarama, it started raining.

Bowen parked and went to buy an umbrella for Wang Bo. He handed it over and said, “Boss, now’s your chance. Call Eva and bring her the umbrella—show her how thoughtful and caring you are.”

“Good idea,” said Wang Bo. He dialed her number. Once it connected, he asked, “Hey Eva, are you at school? It’s raining—I’m in the area and thought I’d bring you an umbrella.”

“What? You’re home today? Not working? Oh, oh, never mind then, haha. It’s raining outside—if you do go out, don’t forget your umbrella.”

After hanging up, Wang Bo looked at Bowen. Bowen stared at the steady rain and sighed: “Shit, what a waste of a perfectly good rain.”

Wang Bo: “…”

Charlie: “…”

Juan: “…”

Tahiti Town lay directly south of Sunset Town, about 50–60 kilometers away. That’s how it was in New Zealand—vast land, sparse population, towns covering a wide area.

Juan asked, “Boss, is it really a good idea to visit someone in the rain?”

Wang Bo replied, “Of course it is. It just shows how sincere we are.”