HLM – Chapter 936 I’m Poor, So I’m Right

Wang Bo had brought back too many things—on the plane, they piled up like a small hill. Especially all those cardboard boxes filled with frozen beef, which he planned to distribute to folks back in the village.

But… why use a passenger bus?!

Na Qingyang explained helplessly, “Listen, bro, freight trucks are hard to book right now. It’s almost New Year, and all the trucks are busy. And anyway, a coach bus can fit everything, and it’s more comfortable to ride in. So why not?”

Of course, a coach bus was more expensive than a freight truck—but for someone who could charter an entire private plane home, did that even count as money?

So, a fully loaded coach bus set off. The driver was an honest middle-aged man. As he drove, he said, “Boss, this is the first time my bus is carrying cargo like this. If anything goes wrong, please forgive me.”

Na Qingyang’s friend was a civil servant, so he had probably mentioned something about Wang Bo’s identity. The driver was simple and sincere, so he addressed Wang Bo as “boss.”

Wang Bo noticed the driver’s yellowed fingernails, so he handed him a pack of cigarettes and said, “No need to be so formal, master driver. By the way, I heard our province is having a blizzard right now. Drive carefully—we put safety first.”

The driver accepted the cigarettes shyly and said cheerfully, “Don’t worry. I’ve been driving coaches for twenty-five years. I started tagging along in trucks at sixteen. Never had an accident. I guarantee your safety.”

The bus hit the road and was indeed running very steadily. But after entering the province, they had no choice but to exit the highway—the expressway was closed.

By then, the wind and snow were raging. Trees on both sides of the road swayed wildly, snowflakes filled the sky, and gusts of wind slapped against the bus like a whip, producing sharp cracking sounds.

Inside, the heater was running full blast, so it was warm.

Wang Bo was teasing Zhuang Ding when the bus suddenly braked. Zhuang Ding, who wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, flew straight forward…

Wang Bo was shocked. “What happened?”

The driver turned around with an embarrassed smile. “Sorry, boss. I’ll get down to take a look—someone suddenly ran out to stop the bus!”

“Could it be highway robbers?” Wang Bo asked nervously. He still knew his hometown’s… quirks.

The driver chuckled. “How could that be? This is a provincial road. Perfectly safe.”

Someone outside was knocking loudly on the door. When the driver opened it, a gust of cold wind and snow blew inside. He scolded impatiently, “Who ran into the road just now? What are you doing? Don’t you know it’s dangerous?!”

A man asked anxiously, “Where is this bus headed?”

The driver said, “We’re not a passenger route bus. This trip isn’t in service.”

The man offered him a cigarette. “Please, big brother, can you give us a lift? My wife is carrying our baby—he’s not even a year and a half old. Just take us to a station or a county town, anywhere with a hotel.”

The driver hesitated. “Little brother, this really isn’t a commercial trip…”

Wang Bo saw through the window that there was indeed a young woman holding a baby. He said, “Master Zheng, let them on. Don’t we pass through a city anyway? We can drop them off there.”

The bus had fifty seats, with more than twenty still empty. Giving a ride wasn’t a problem.

“Thank you, thank you!” The man bowed gratefully and hurried his wife and child onto the bus.

The moment they got on, they saw Zhuang Ding—who looked as fierce as a lion or tiger. They stumbled backward in fright. The baby, however, didn’t understand fear; seeing Zhuang Ding, he reached out curiously as if wanting to touch a toy.

Eva smiled. “He’s our pet. Very gentle. Don’t be afraid.”

Seeing foreigners on the bus made the couple even more cautious.

Once they were seated, the man asked politely, “Did you charter this bus? How much should we pay for the ride?”

Wang Bo waved his hand. “Meeting is fate. It’s just a small favor. No need to pay.”

The man grinned. “Thank you, bro—uh, no, thank you, sir.”

His wife apologized, “My husband rushing out onto the road must’ve scared you. I’m sorry. Several cars passed earlier, but none stopped for us.”

The driver said, “Of course not. You’re not allowed to pick up passengers here.”

They hadn’t driven far—still gaining speed—when the bus stopped again.

More knocking. Wang Bo sighed inwardly—they were probably mistaking the bus for a public route again.

The driver opened the door to explain, but four or five people rushed onboard.

“Finally! It’s freezing as hell outside. Damn, this weather is brutal.”

“It’s warm in here! Driver, two of us to Linhai. How much?”

The driver finally managed to speak. “Sorry, folks. We’re not a commercial bus. Please get off. There should be a route bus behind us.”

A middle-aged man said, “How are you NOT a commercial bus? I just saw you take passengers! If you’re not a passenger bus, why are you taking people? Trying to raise the price?”

Someone looked around for the complaint hotline. “Definitely trying to overcharge. I saw the news—during bad weather, taxis and buses always jack up the price.”

“No morals at all!”

“There are so many empty seats!”

The driver, simple and not good at arguing, was overwhelmed and speechless.

Wang Bo frowned and stood up. “I paid to charter this bus. We are not a commercial service. Please don’t make things difficult for the driver.”

He actually didn’t mind giving these people a ride too—there were still more than a dozen empty seats.

But the middle-aged man shouted, “You’re in cahoots! The bus says it’s going to Linhai—how is it suddenly YOUR bus? You say you chartered it, so that makes it true?”

His attitude irritated Wang Bo. He frowned. “Yes, it’s exactly as I say. Please get off—don’t waste everyone’s time.”

The man from earlier also said, “Big brother, they really did charter it. We just got on earlier. They didn’t charge us a cent and were kind enough to take us…”

“We have seats too! Why not take us along?” someone immediately cut in.

Wang Bo wasn’t opposed to giving them a lift—but their attitude was unbearable. Typical “I’m poor so I’m right; you’re rich so you owe me.” He could help people, but he wasn’t going to be taken advantage of.

“There ARE seats,” he said coldly, “but I don’t want to take you. Get off now, or I’ll call the police.”

“Who are you scaring? Go ahead, call! Let’s see who the police deal with first! I’m telling you, THIS is illegal transportation! Don’t think having a bit of money makes you hot shit!”

Wang Bo laughed angrily. “No need for the police. I don’t need them to kick you off the bus—Zhuang Ding, go!”

Bored for half the trip, Zhuang Ding perked up instantly. It leapt forward and roared:

“Awooooo!! Woof! Woof!”