HLM – Chapter 847 The Carpenter’s Gift

The alliance between the Green Party and the Labour Party was good news for Wang Bo. It would be even better if the Labour Party came to power, because one of the conditions of the alliance was that if Labour governed, there would be a push to shift the primary industry toward the tertiary sector.

New Zealand’s most important tertiary industry was tourism, and Sunset Town needed the development of this industry the most.

With a helicopter, everything became simpler. Travel time was cut by more than half, and since it offered an aerial view, the scenery changed rapidly, making the journey more enjoyable.

Returning to town, they could see the construction sites. The villa district had already completed its framework.

Dozens of construction vehicles were parked by the lake, and numerous prestressed concrete piles had been driven into the ground, extending into the water to begin laying the foundations.

The lakeside running track, which wrapped halfway around the lake, was almost complete. Being so low to the ground, storms hadn’t caused any damage.

This also proved that Porter’s company built with solid quality.

This return trip marked significant achievements for Wang Bo. He had already recruited eight new employees, greatly expanding his revolutionary team.

However, none of them had reported for duty yet. The earliest to arrive was Marion Phelps, a strong young man carrying a mountaineering backpack as big as a sack.

Wang Bo couldn’t give everyone a building to live in. Marion would stay in an apartment building—some of the town’s block-style houses were essentially small apartment buildings.

His unit was in the fire department’s apartments, with a total of three residents including Marion.

Seeing Marion in the afternoon, Wang Bo was surprised: “Hey, man, you’re early.”

Marion smiled brightly: “Yes, Mayor. I said I’m the kind of guy who likes to surprise people. I hope I can do more to amaze you in the future—but of course, in a good way.”

Wang Bo liked his positive attitude and patted his shoulder: “No need to call me Mayor, just call me Boss. Also, you’ll need training, so no need to officially start work yet. For now, you can do part-time work at my gym for the next couple of days.”

This was part of their agreement: when there were no missions or training, Marion would work part-time at the gym without pay.

However, if he could work as a personal trainer, he could earn a 40% commission.

Marion was very satisfied with this. He loved fitness and had years of experience as a part-time fitness coach, so he was fully capable.

At the gym, Wang Bo introduced him to Kuncha: “This is our chief instructor, Kuncha, a master from Thailand. He once went three hundred rounds with your idol.”

Kuncha was polite and friendly, well-respected in Sunset Town.

Learning that Marion had a serious back injury, he immediately gave advice: “In my hometown, boxers often pull muscles. We make our own medicinal liquors that help recovery.”

“Also, I’ll schedule an appointment with Dr. Li Bo later. His massages will greatly benefit your back.”

Wang Bo nodded. With Li Bo’s massage therapy and a focus on rehabilitation, it was perfect for Marion.

As others slowly reported for duty, the next to arrive was the Serbian giant, Dayan Mihail Abranovic. He came in a pickup truck, carrying lots of luggage and accompanied by his wife and children.

The Serbian family had four children. The eldest was about his height, while the youngest still looked innocent, but was already quite tall and strong.

“Genetics are amazing!” Wang Bo said, looking at the three tall boys. “How old is this one? Fourteen?”

“No, Mayor, Milorad is eight this year, but he’s almost nine,” the tall carpenter replied honestly.

Wang Bo drew in a sharp breath: “My goodness, not even nine? And he’s 1.8 meters tall!”

The carpenter laughed: “Milorad eats well, so he grows fast. But I don’t think any of my kids will grow taller than me.”

Wang Bo asked: “What are you planning for your son? Maybe basketball? He could become an NBA star like your Serbian DiVacs.”

The carpenter nodded: “That’s my idea too, Mayor. His brother and I are training him—he does have some talent.”

Wang Bo reached to pat the child’s head, but seeing he was almost eye-to-eye with him, he changed it to patting his shoulder instead:

“Kid, work hard. I hope you can become an NBA player from our town. New Zealand produces excellent athletes—you’ve got potential. As the Mayor, I’ll give you a perk: from now on, your beef and lamb will be free.”

The boy, shyly standing aside, lit up: “Free beef and lamb? I can eat as much as I want?”

Wang Bo nodded: “Yes, just focus on growing strong and training in basketball. You don’t need to worry about anything else.”

As they chatted, he guided the family to their new small building.

Fifty new block-style houses had been added to the residential area. Though not very sturdy, they looked beautiful, and since all the houses were the same model, they were arranged like toys—neat and visually pleasing.

Since the carpenter had a large family—himself, his wife, and four big children—Wang Bo assigned them a three-story building: two floors with six rooms in total, though it was still not enough.

“This big house… we don’t have to pay to live here?” his wife asked in amazement, almost disbelieving.

Wang Bo said: “It basically belongs to you, but with one condition: your husband must stay in town for at least five years. During these five years, he must be in town at least 260 days a year.”

“I’ll stay here for a lifetime!” The carpenter seemed delighted with the house.

Wang Bo had considered hiring movers, but seeing the tall, strong children, it was clearly unnecessary.

The next day, while Wang Bo was in the office planning the opening of a Sunset chain restaurant, the carpenter knocked and entered.

“What’s up?”

The carpenter rubbed his hands: “I walked around the town with my family yesterday and studied Sunset Town’s economy. I think the town mainly develops through tourism and animal husbandry, right?”

Wang Bo joked: “You know a lot—are you moonlighting as a financial expert?”

The carpenter laughed: “No, I only completed junior high, not even high school. I’m no expert. But I’m a good carpenter. While walking around town, I noticed the tourism sector was missing something. I can do this, and I want to give it as a gift to Sunset Town.”

“What?” Wang Bo asked, curious.

“An observation deck! The town lacks one. Here’s my rough sketch, though it’s a bit messy. Mayor, take a look as best as you can.”