Red Dead Redemption: The Great Philanthropist of the West

"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. Tell me what you're here to do in Blackwater Town. Maybe I can help you with something."

Henry knew he couldn't persuade Arthur at this point, so he could only give him a heads-up, hoping he'd think things through more carefully when faced with problems. In fact, Henry had considered simply killing Dutch to end it all. However, this would likely incur the wrath of the entire Van Cleef gang, alienate Arthur, and be counterproductive. It also wouldn't save the still-unawakened Arthur.

"We're just passing through, so we'll stay for a while and see if there are any opportunities to make money."

As Arthur savored the unfamiliar delicacies laid out before him, his mind gradually calmed. A glass of Shrewynn felt wonderful. "Henry, where is this wine from? I've never seen it before. The sweet and slightly spicy flavor is really nice."

After hearing such a relatable story, Arthur felt he had gotten to know Henry much better and thought this younger brother was quite nice and worth getting to know.

"This is my homemade liquor. If you like it, I'll send you a case later so you can take it back and enjoy it with your friends."

"If you want to make money, I happen to have a job that needs a few skilled workers. I wonder if you'd like to take it?" Henry said to Arthur.

"Tell me what kind of work it is. If it takes a long time, I might not be available. I have a project to work on, but I have a lot of skilled people around me who I can introduce to you." Arthur became interested when he heard there was work available. Currently, many people in the gang were idle in the camp.

"Do you know about the Skinning Brothers gang that lives a nomadic life in the Tall Tree area?" Henry asked first.

"I think I've heard someone mention it, but I don't know anything about it." Arthur and his group have only been here for two days, so it's already quite good that they've heard of it.

"They are an extremely brutal gang that not only enjoys killing for pleasure, but also likes to scalp people and roast them alive."

Several months ago, they murdered my father. After much investigation, I recently obtained intelligence about one of their temporary strongholds. They have two leaders, each leading a team of over 50 men. If we only encounter one leader, the enemy force will be around 50 people; if both leaders are together, the number could exceed 100.

I've already assembled an elite team of twenty people. If you want to join, I'll give each average player $200, and someone as skilled as you will get $300. As for loot, whoever kills the enemy keeps it. If there are any supplies in the camp, I'll convert them into cash and split them equally.

"How does it go on your end? It should only take two days." Henry explained the Skinners gang and their pay to Arthur.

"OK, the reward is pretty good. I need to go back to camp and discuss it with my crew. When should we move?" Arthur had already decided to participate. Hosea could handle the real estate scam on his own for a couple of days. Hosea would lead the initial operations; he was an excellent conman, while Arthur would only need to provide the final force.

But who should they take with them? At least $300 was a pretty good reward; these days, it took several bounty hunters days to catch a criminal worth a few dozen dollars. Let alone eliminating a gang of ruthless thugs. Arthur was kind-hearted; he didn't mind doing good deeds occasionally.

"We'll meet tomorrow morning and depart from the North Entrance of Heishui Town at noon. If you're coming, please wait for us there before noon. If all goes well, we can return to Heishui Town the day after tomorrow."

“No problem, I’ll bring people over. It’s just a matter of how many you need. I have three skilled fighters here who are about my level, and five or six who are slightly less skilled. As for how many people I’ll bring, I’ll need to go back and confirm with them.” Arthur gave a positive answer.

At this moment, Jenny, who had finished eating and had been listening to their conversation, couldn't hold back any longer:

"Henry, can I come with you? I'm a really good shot now, I can help you fight people, you can ask Arthur if you don't believe me, and I only need $50." Little Jenny looked at Henry with hopeful eyes. She also wanted to find a way to earn some money to prepare for a certain decision in her heart.

Henry looked at Arthur. If the little girl couldn't protect herself, he didn't plan to take her with him. Fighting was no joke.

Looking into the little girl's pleading eyes, Arthur's heart softened, and he said:

“Her marksmanship is indeed very good, and she has improved a lot recently, but she lacks combat experience. Perhaps I can look after her for a while. If she lives alone, she needs to know how to fight. Of course, you are the boss, so the decision is yours, Henry.”

Arthur had also heard about what happened to the girl yesterday and had a vague idea that she was thinking about something. As long as she could find a good way out, he was willing to support her. Just like Micah said, he couldn't take care of her every moment, and if something really bad happened, he couldn't go against Dutch's wishes and kill Micah directly.

“Okay, but I don’t expect you to kill any enemies. You need to be careful to protect yourself. Unexpected things can happen on the battlefield, and no one can watch over you all the time. Also, you must follow orders and are not allowed to act on your own. I promise you, I’ll come with Arthur tomorrow. Of course, you can stay here and leave tomorrow if you want.” After thinking for a moment, Henry decided to agree. Mainly, he believed that his organization’s armed forces could easily handle some third-rate skirmishers. The reason he brought Arthur and the others along was just an excuse to make more contact with people in the Fan gang. Of course, it was also to add an extra layer of insurance. If you can use overwhelming force to kill the enemy, why not use it?

...

Meanwhile, a new inmate was moved into the police station's jail in the eastern district of Blackwater Town. A man as fat as a pig.

It was Norman "Skinny Monkey" (the one Micah killed in Strawberry Town), a member of O'Driscoll's gang, and a former acquaintance of Micah's.

"Oh, oh, oh, look who this is, our Mr. Killer, my dear Micah, how did you end up locked up here, and in such a terrible state?" Norman, who had been locked up, exclaimed dramatically when he saw Micah lying injured on the bed.

Micah, who was lying in bed deep in thought, was startled awake by a sound coming from beside him.

“Oh, shit. Skinny Monkey, what the hell are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in Strawberry Town and Valentine? What are you doing in Blackwater?” Micah was quite surprised by Skinny Monkey’s appearance.

"Fuck, Micah, I'm not called Skinny Monkey, call me Norman, you damn bastard." Norman was very unhappy with the nickname Micah had given him. If he hadn't come to contact him on a mission, he wouldn't have wanted to see this jerk at all.

"So, how did you get in, you bastard?" Micah asked, squinting his rat-like eyes.

“Come here, get closer.” “I’ve heard some news, a big one. They just did a little provocation outside and came in to check out the security situation here.” Norman whispered in Micah’s ear as he approached.

"What news? I didn't expect you to know how to gather intelligence. When did you grow a brain? If you had this brain before, we wouldn't have ended up in such a miserable state." Micah didn't miss the chance for his usual teasing, clearly distrusting the information the skinny monkey had obtained.

“A deal worth $15, tell me if you want to hear it or not,” Norman said dismissively, ignoring Micah’s sarcasm.

Upon hearing the $15, Micah, who had initially been indifferent, immediately jumped up. "Hey, my dear brother, we've been comrades-in-arms who fought side by side. How could you forget me when there's such a good thing? Tell me, tell me. I apologize for my attitude just now."

“Okay, but you have to pay me $100 right now, not a penny less. After it’s done, I’ll need you to share $1000 with me. You need to know the value of this intelligence; I haven’t even told my boss.” Norman said, feigning importance.

"Fuck, here you go, you greedy worm." After hesitating for a while, Micah couldn't resist the temptation of the $15 and handed the skinny monkey $100. As for the $1000 after the deal was done, oh, just take it as a joke. Do you think I, Micah, am a man of my word? You think too highly of me.

"At the beginning of next month, a ferry loaded with banknotes will arrive at Blackwater Wharf..."