Red Dead Redemption: The Great Philanthropist of the West

"Oh, right, young master, there's something I forgot to tell you."

William, who had just stepped out the door, suddenly slapped his forehead and came back.

"Didn't you ask me to find out if there had been any major cases or fires recently? I heard some news from a business partner who often travels to New Austin."

Two weeks ago, in New Mexico, north of Armadillo Town, I heard that a very wealthy cotton merchant was robbed by eight masked thugs. I heard that the tycoon lost more than $8 and several fine horses. Apparently, during the fight, the warehouse where cotton and textiles were stored was also accidentally set on fire. Cotton and textiles worth nearly $1 were burned to a great extent. Although the tycoon organized a manpower to fight the fire in time, the fire was too big and only a small part was saved.

The wealthy man lost nearly $3 in this incident, and it's said that a $1 bounty has been placed on the head of the killer in New Mexico. Police and bounty hunters there are frantically searching for the gang's whereabouts.

Some say it might have been the work of a gang called Van der Linde, but there's no evidence. The Van der Linde gang's camp has also vanished without a trace.

No one could find any trace of them.

"Have you heard what those bandits look like?" Henry asked after listening.

"I don't think so. I've only heard that they were all excellent marksmen. A guard who survived the fire said that at least four of them were sharpshooters. The others were masked and their faces were obscured, and the situation was chaotic at the time, so it was impossible to identify them. That's all."

The old butler waved his hand to indicate that there was nothing else.

"Okay, I understand. You can go ahead and get busy. There's no need to inquire about this anymore." After gesturing for the old butler to leave, Henry felt that it must be the right one. Which gang could mobilize such a luxurious lineup of three sharpshooters, and with such a small number of people? The location also matched. It was definitely the Fan Gang.

I estimate that the eight people are Dutch, Arthur, David, Mike, John, Bill, Javier, and the last one who's just there to make up the numbers is either Lenny or Sean.

So, it seems Arthur and his crew have already fled to the foothills in northwestern Grizzly and are hiding there. They might have even found a suitable piece of land and are considering buying it to realize their dream of growing 'giant mangoes'. But the idea king won't stop; he has many plans yet to be realized, so why would he be willing to grow 'giant mangoes'?

Just as I was silently complaining, the maid suddenly came in and said that young master Ashley had arrived and was standing at the door.

"Bring him over here, and go prepare some snacks and brew a pot of coffee. Or, forget about coffee, just roast two cigars and bring a bottle of Kentucky Bourbon. I bet that kid will prefer this to coffee."

Before he could finish speaking, a cheerful voice came from the doorway: "Haha, you're the one who understands me best, brother. How about it? Did you miss me? You didn't even come to see me right away when you got back."

It was Ashley, the tavern owner's son. He was carrying two plump white-tailed rabbits, clearly having just returned from hunting, and had brought them over as soon as he heard Henry was back.

"Here, take this as a snack. We'll roast them later. These two rabbits have fattened up for winter, they're at their plumpest. When they roast, the oil will sizzle out, and with a sprinkle of spices, the taste... let me tell you, it's absolutely amazing!" "One bottle of bourbon isn't enough, bring two more!"

Ashley said as he handed the rabbit to the maid to handle it.

Henry stood up and gave Ashley a big hug. He patted Ashley's chest and laughed, "You little rascal, I heard you've been going hunting a lot lately, you've gotten quite strong."

Compared to Henry, Ashley seemed more surprised. "Boss, haven't you been focusing on your studies in the East? How come you seem stronger than me now? You even seem to have grown taller. You used to be noticeably shorter than me, but now we're about the same height."

Henry's physique has been steadily improving these past few days. He's probably still a bit behind peak Arthur, but not far off from John's level. And he's the understated type—slim when dressed, muscular when undressed. His muscles are bursting with explosive power.

Of course, he's been eating a lot lately, often consuming portions meant for three or four people in one meal. After the two of them had eaten and drunk their fill...

I took a walk by the pier to digest my food.

Ashley and Henry were about the same age, and with their little tagalong, Oona (Henry's sister), the three of them had played together since childhood. They grew up together, sharing everything good to eat and fun. Though not blood brothers, their bond was stronger than that of blood brothers. Henry, with his fluent speech, secured the leading position.

Henry loved to read and think from a young age, while Ashley preferred to use his fists. Once, little Oona was made to cry by a much older, unruly child from the next street.

Upon hearing this, Henry immediately summoned Ashley, and together they lured the brat out, smeared a jar of honey on his head, and had bees sting him all over. Then Ashley took charge. They beat the rich kid, who was a head taller than them, until he cried his eyes out and vowed never to bully little Oona again. After that, they would avoid them whenever they saw them. Later, they heard that the family business had moved to Saint Denis, and the whole family had moved there, and they were never seen again.

"Ashley, Uncle Cab said you don't plan to manage the tavern anymore and want to go out and make your own way in the world. What are your plans?"

"Yes, I feel it's boring to stay in the tavern all the time. My daily activities are limited, like an animal in a cage, which is uncomfortable. I want to go out and see a wider world like you and Little Oona did. Otherwise, I feel like I'm getting further and further away from you, and I don't know where to go."

So that's the key point. In recent years, they've both been busy with their studies, seeing each other less and less. This distance has made the young man feel lost, and without Henry's guidance, he doesn't know which direction to charge towards.

"Look, I'll soon have a big, long-term business deal with you. I wonder if you'd be interested in partnering with me. It's illegal."

"Really? With you? I'll do it, I'll do it!" Ashley exclaimed excitedly.

“…”

"Is that the point? You're doing business without even knowing what I'm talking about. Listen carefully, it's illegal, and you'll go to jail if you get caught. You need to use your brain more, or you'll suffer later and won't even know you've been sold out," Henry said to Ashley, speechless.

"I'm not afraid. I only stop thinking when I'm with you. When you're not around, I'm usually incredibly clever."

Ashley held his head high, like a proud peacock.

"I'll do whatever you tell me to do. I trust you. You won't hurt me."

"Fine," Henry said, speechless again, giving up on lecturing.

“I’m planning to partner with you to run a bootlegging business. Have you made any reliable friends around here over the years?”

"Do my cousins ​​count? Can we bring them in? They don't want to stay at home either. If you hadn't come back this time, we were planning to team up and go to Saint Denis to make our way. They're both pretty good shooters, about as good as me, maybe just a tiny bit better, really just a tiny bit."

Henry actually knew Ashley's cousins; they had played together many times when they were young, but he hadn't seen them since Ashley went away to study in recent years.

Cousin Carter's personality is quite similar to Ashley's; he's a good fighter, but like Ashley, he's simple-minded and they both like bourbon. You could say they're birds of a feather.

My cousin is also a good shot, but he's a bit skinny and not very good at hand-to-hand combat. However, he's intelligent and reliable. Although Ashley and Carter are older than Carl, when the three of them go out together, they mostly follow Carl's orders.

“Alright, the Carter brothers are trustworthy and family. Go ask them if they're willing and make things clear. If they are, I'll take 50% of the profits, and each of you three can get at least 10%. I'll provide you with the alcohol and key ingredients.”

I'll have someone teach you how to make it. After that, you'll be responsible for the production, transportation, and sales. Also, you know I plan to open many taverns. My taverns will have the right to purchase moonshine at low cost.

That's about it. Go back and explain it to them, see what their opinion is. I have to go out tomorrow and won't be back for about ten days. If they're willing to do it, then the three of you should do some preliminary work, such as finding and recruiting a few good people, otherwise the three of you won't be able to handle it. They must be of good character, and you must be careful to keep things confidential. I have plans for the venue and the bartenders; I'll take you there when I get back.

"Okay, go ahead, let's discuss it. I'll give you an answer when I get back. I guarantee it'll be very profitable, though the risks are high too."