Red Dead Redemption: The Great Philanthropist of the West

Meanwhile, on the path from Strawberry to Valentine, several Pinkerton detectives were riding horses, following someone's trail, and had arrived near Valentine.

“Milton, I don’t understand why we didn’t take that barbarian Micah away for interrogation, and even used our limited influence to prevent him from being hanged.”

Agent Ross said to Milton, somewhat irritably, that Milton's actions this time did not align with his principles; he always spared no effort in retaliating against enemies.

"It's smaller, the layout is smaller!"

"Ross, you need to think long-term. Micah is not our target. Our target has always been Dutch van der Linde and the man who robbed Mr. Cornwall's train."

Based on our pursuit from the snow-capped mountains and the information we gathered in Strawberry Town, it's clear that the people who robbed the train weren't Odrisco's men. Although they were indeed present at the scene, they were obviously defeated. Combined with eyewitness testimonies, the only gang capable of carrying out this act could be the Van der Linde gang's "Barbarians," whom we've been tracking.

"And the Micah you just mentioned, as far as I know, he's a madman. He doesn't get along with anyone in the Van gang, but he's deeply trusted by Dutch."

Keeping such people in gangs not only better instigates internal conflicts within their gangs and weakens their fighting power, but also makes the government hate them even more and need us more, thus granting us more authority.

You've seen what happened in Blackwater Town. If we don't break up their fighting force, how many lives will we waste and how much will we have to pay to defeat the united Fan Gang? You need to understand our current situation. We're not as powerful as we were a few years ago. We can't afford to waste time.

Moreover, having troublemakers like these around helps us track them down more effectively, preventing them from disappearing into this vast land.

“Like this time, if it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t have been able to track them down so easily.”

Upon hearing Milton's explanation, Ross's expression calmed down, and he fell into deep thought.

After walking some distance, he turned to Milton and said:

"Perhaps you're right. Although our crime-solving abilities are about the same, the higher-ups have always valued and favored you more, while I've always been relegated to being your deputy. Perhaps it's because I lack the vision and strategic thinking you have."

"Let's go, we should be close to our goal. Perhaps we'll soon complete the mission and receive Mr. Cornwall's reward. Then we can have a good rest and go on a warm beach vacation or something."

Milton's words invigorated the agents. Imagining themselves lying on the beach, basking in the warm sunshine, the fatigue from their long journey dissipated, replaced by renewed energy.

......

After Henry delivered the generous gift to Micah and confirmed that he had accepted it, he and Li Yi strolled around Strawberry Town, waiting for Eagle and the legal team to arrive.

The next day, when Henry was about to visit the Big Horse Farm in Strawberry Town, he was told by Li Yi that Eagle and lawyer Robert S. Sullivan were almost at the post office.

So Henry had no choice but to change his plans and go with Li Yi to greet them.

When Henry arrived at the post office, he saw Eagle and his crew getting off the carriage.

It had been a while since I'd seen Flying Eagle, and he had matured a lot. The arrogant air he had when we first met was gone. Perhaps it was because he was running this fur trading station and dealing with merchants frequently. Flying Eagle's taste in clothing had also become more civilized, and he was now wearing a shirt and vest.

The two embraced warmly, then turned to a well-dressed middle-aged man beside them. He was wearing a black suit, a white shirt, a black tie, and black leather shoes—clearly the attire of a lawyer from a major eastern city. Needless to say, this was Attorney Sullivan.

Henry stepped forward and extended his hand to Sullivan.

“Mr. Sullivan, I am Henry Allen, and I am the one who invited you here. Welcome.”

Upon hearing that Henry was the boss, Sullivan was visibly surprised, a look of astonishment appearing on his usually serious face. He had assumed that the boss, who was willing to spend so much money to invite them, would at least be a middle-aged man around his age, if not an old man. He never expected Henry to be so young. If the money hadn't already been paid in advance, he would have suspected that the young man in front of him was joking.

"Hello, Mr. Allen, please forgive my rudeness. I didn't expect you to be so young. It's a pleasure to serve you, and I hope we can have a pleasant working relationship."

After a brief moment of surprise, Sullivan, a man who frequently interacted with high society, quickly recovered. He warmly grasped Henry's hands in return. If Henry's promised order was genuine, then Henry would become an important client for them in the future. It would also be a crucial milestone for their firm's expansion into the West.

"I wonder about the orders Mr. Allen promised before..."

Ultimately, Henry's youthful appearance made Sullivan a little suspicious. He checked again to make sure, since their firm had never extended its reach into the West before, and the current business was very important to them.

Henry, being astute, noticed Sullivan's doubts.

"Rest assured, Mr. Sullivan, as long as you are capable, the annual remuneration I give you will only be more than what I promised before. Of course, I believe in your abilities, otherwise I wouldn't have gone to the trouble of using my connections and money to invite you from so far away."

"Come on, let's go back to the hotel first, settle in, and talk over a meal. We'll need your help with the rest of the business."

After receiving Henry's confirmation, Sullivan finally felt relieved. He had arrived in Blackwater first and had seen the current power of the Allen family there. He had only felt a little unreliable earlier because Henry was too young.

After everyone returned to the hotel where Henry was staying, they checked into several new rooms and settled in.

After more than a day of heated discussion, Mayor Nickless finally reached a conclusion.

They granted Henry's request, allowing him to purchase the area around Lake Ovanjira, the Hound Ranch, and a highland area called 'Big Mountain' southeast of Riggs Station.

The largest purchase was for Lake Ovanjira, encompassing the entire lake and part of the Blackbone Forest extending northward, covering nearly 800 acres. However, they had conditions: the land could only be used as a tourist attraction, and at least 50 Strawberry Town residents needed to be employed there, with a minimum daily wage of $1 per person. As for whether Henry wanted to turn it into a resort, zoo, or something else, there were no restrictions, as long as it was an attraction that could promote Strawberry Town as a tourist destination and attract visitors.

This is the main reason why they were willing to approve such a large area for Henry. As for the secondary reason, it is of course because Strawberry Town is sparsely populated and the land is left undeveloped, with no major economic industries.

The other two locations weren't as large as the first, both around 400 acres. Because they were too far from town and frequently visited by bandits, and because the Hound Ranch was the headquarters of the Odrisco gang, no one dared to go there normally. They readily agreed without making any demands and even promised ownership of the corresponding mineral resources.

Finally, witnessed by both parties' lawyers, Henry and Strawberry Town signed a formal contract, which cost Henry $20. However, the money did not need to be paid in one lump sum, but in installments of $4 per year for a total of 5 years.

In addition to the land purchase agreement, on Henry's advice, Mayor Nickless and the representatives of Strawberry Town agreed to lift the alcohol ban after several days of discussion. After all, as a tourist town, how can it function without alcohol? It would affect the customer experience and give a very bad impression to customers who enjoy drinking, which would also greatly impact Strawberry Town's revenue.