Red Dead Redemption: The Great Philanthropist of the West

A few days later, Valentine's Allen Tavern (formerly Smithfield Tavern) officially opened today after a period of intense renovations.

To quickly capture the market and promote his two moonshiners, Shrewynn and Lafite, Henry is hosting a grand opening celebration. All drinks at the pub are 50% off today.

For dining, Paul specially brought in two Chinese chefs from Blackwater Bar to introduce two popular Chinese dishes from Blackwater: sweet and sour pork ribs and Kung Pao chicken. In addition, the existing lamb chop and steak set meals are still available.

To create a more lively atmosphere, a piano was brought into the pub, playing cheerful dance music.

The tavern was bustling with activity and filled with the noise of people.

In a corner on the second floor, Henry, Arthur, and the not-so-bright John were drinking and enjoying the newly prepared dishes. John, who had been bedridden for over half a month after being attacked by wolves, had finally recovered. Hearing that Henry's tavern was opening today, he'd come along to join the fun. In reality, he just didn't want to stay in the camp and listen to Abigail's incessant nagging.

As for Uncle Bill and his group, they were already drunk on the first floor with a bunch of unfamiliar burly men and police officers. They were even holding hands and shoulder to shoulder, tap dancing to the rhythm of the piano.

"Arthur, I heard you cleared out the Ottoman gang members from Six O'Clock and the secret room of Valentine's Clinic. How did it go? Was no one hurt?" Henry asked about the progress of the workers' work.

"Although the process was a bit tortuous, it went relatively smoothly, and we cleared out all the strongholds. It's just a pity that Colm escaped before we could catch him. That guy is a coyote, he can run so fast, we always just missed him by a hair's breadth."

Speaking of Colm, Arthur was a little annoyed. He downed a glass of wine in one gulp, realizing that he always missed his chance with Colm by a hair's breadth.

"And then there's the secret room in the clinic. We had already successfully infiltrated and taken care of those male members of the Ao Gang, but we didn't expect that a woman inside was also one of their accomplices. We were caught off guard and alerted the police stationed at the clinic entrance. We almost came face to face with Sheriff Malloy. Fortunately, he didn't shoot us in the end because of you. Instead, he silenced the Ao Gang members and took the ledger with him."

"This is a good thing. In any case, Valentine will no longer have any strongholds of the O'Hara. If you keep a low profile, you may be able to stay here for a long time."

Come, let's toast to our future.

"For the future x3... Cheers!"

"Henry, have you been busy with the pub's opening these past few days? I must say, it looks quite nice after the renovation, and the atmosphere is really great. But is it really okay for you to treat so many of us to food and drinks for free? Today must have cost at least several hundred dollars."

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Arthur reclined in his chair, enjoying this rare moment of peace. Lately, he'd often thought about when the gang could finally stop being on the run and, like Henry, go wherever they wanted and do whatever they wanted, without having to hide. Perhaps he should go back to Dutch and discuss when to return to Blackwater to collect the money, so they wouldn't have to risk robbing anymore.

"Speaking of what I've been busy with lately, Arthur, you owe me another favor, you know that?"

"What?" Henry's words interrupted Arthur's wandering thoughts. Arthur looked at him blankly, as if to say, 'When did I owe someone a favor again? I haven't even paid back the previous ones yet.'

"Don't deny it. Haven't you always been the one in your gang responsible for collecting debts?"

“It’s me, is there a problem? Although I don’t want to, that old guy Strauss often lends money to poor people who have no money. Every time I go to collect the debt, I feel like I’m robbing someone, but not a rich person, but a desperate poor person. It feels terrible. I’ve always wanted to kick him out of the gang, but Dutch is very satisfied with him and thinks it’s easier and safer to make money this way.”

There was something else Arthur didn't say: he felt Dutch had really changed a lot lately. He used to disdain doing business that exploited the poor, a far cry from the chivalrous ideals he and Marston had instilled in him. However, his heart still belonged to Dutch, and he didn't want to speak ill of him in front of others, after all, they had shared over twenty years of friendship.

"Do you know who Strauss lent money to this time? Thomas Downs, the one who used to raise money for charity across from the Saints Hotel."

"The one who coughed frequently and looked sickly? I remember him. He even shouted things like 'Giving roses leaves a lingering fragrance! It is more blessed to give than to receive!' trying to morally bind me to donate money. How ridiculous. Do I look like a moral person?"

Arthur exaggeratedly told a not-so-funny joke, "What's wrong with him?"

"He has tuberculosis, an incurable disease that is transmitted through droplets or blood. Imagine if you went to collect a debt, and he had no money, what would you do?"

Henry, holding his wine glass, smiled as he spoke of terrible things.

"I'll hit him, then he'll spit in my face, and then I..." Arthur couldn't stay calm, thinking about how the story would normally unfold.

“Oh shit! Screw debt collection! From now on, whoever causes the mess can collect the debts. I should really throw Strauss out of the gang.”

"How about we let Micah go collect it?" Marston, who had been quietly eating and drinking, suddenly suggested.

“Oh, shit! What a brilliant idea! That’s how we should do it! Marston, I suddenly feel like you’ve gotten smarter. You might be the first person whose brain was gnawed in half by a wolf and then became even smarter.”

Arthur, as usual, was sarcastic, praising his younger brother while also making a dig at him. He then grabbed Marston's shoulder and toasted to his brilliant idea.

"Shut up," John said dismissively, swatting his hand away and ignoring the foul-mouthed man.

This injury has certainly made John more mature; it seems he's been thinking a lot while lying in bed these past few days.

"John's idea is indeed quite good," Henry praised, indicating his appreciation for the idea.

"If Micah goes over, I estimate he won't even get close. Instead, he'll pull out his double-action revolver with the black and red skull handle, unleash a burst of fire, then loot the corpses, and probably won't even contribute to the camp in the end."

Remembering Micah's crazy ways, Arthur and John nodded silently. It's all Dutch's fault! Why do they all like to hire people like him? They're bewitched!