Don't give up!

"Oh, gentlemen, this simply shouldn't be!" Dutch Van der Linde's voice, thick with feigned sorrow, boomed through the Veteran Club. His gaze, fixed on the sea of eager faces before him, was full of such profound pity, such exquisite commiseration, it could melt a glacier.

But then, the pity vanished, instantly replaced by a steely, unyielding determination. His jaw tightened, eyes flashing.

"Alright, gentlemen. The United States Government might, by God, continue its inhuman ways, but I, Dutch Van der Linde, believe I might be able to offer you some assistance within my humble means!" He paused for dramatic effect, then spread his hands, a benevolent patriarch addressing his grateful flock.

"How about this, gentlemen. Gentlemen, you need to unite and help each other to make the lives of all veterans better and better. So I have decided to establish a Veterans Mutual Aid Association!"

Dutch's voice swelled, resonating with a hypnotic power. "The Veteran Club, bless its heart, can barely provide for your basic needs, gentlemen. But this is not enough! Every man has the sacred right to pursue happiness, especially those of you who have poured your blood and sweat into America! You, above all, should have an even greater right to pursue happiness! Therefore, the very purpose of establishing this Veterans Mutual Aid Association is to help you, and for you to help yourselves, to forge a better, brighter life for yourselves and for your comrades!

"So, within the sacred halls of the Veterans Mutual Aid Association, I will post legitimate job openings so that every wandering veteran can have a decent, honorable job. And you, my friends, you can also post any good opportunities you discover, to help your brethren. At the same time, within this Association, I pray that everyone will be united and friendly!

"Gentlemen, the strength of one person is a mere whisper in the wind, but the strength of a group, that, by God, is infinite! Sometimes, whether it's finding honest work, or facing the trials of life, or even seeking various kinds of help, these are all meaningful endeavors for our lives! So the very soul of this Veterans Mutual Aid Association is for veterans to help each other and to elevate the lives of every veteran!

"If, in the future, veterans retire without receiving the compensation they deserve, I implore you, extend a helping hand to your compatriots, your comrades! This, gentlemen, is the very meaning of the Veterans Mutual Aid Association's existence! Gentlemen, the United States Government abandoned you, but I have not abandoned you!

And your comrades in the Veterans Mutual Aid Association have not abandoned you! You may have encountered the cruelest of life's difficulties, but every man will extend a helping hand when you are in need! I hope to do my utmost to help you overcome life's difficulties! This, gentlemen, is the singular purpose of my establishing the Veterans Mutual Aid Association!"

Dutch Van der Linde's words were a carefully aimed arrow, striking directly at the raw, festering wounds in their hearts. Especially that line: "Gentlemen, the United States Government abandoned you, but I have not abandoned you, and your comrades in the Veterans Mutual Aid Association have not abandoned you."

Did Dutch Van der Linde even comprehend the devastating, gut-wrenching impact those words would have on these broken, forgotten veterans?

These men, returning from the hellish maw of the battlefield, were either limbless, their minds scarred beyond repair, or betrayed by the very families they fought for, or worse, found their families no longer existed.

They were lost souls, adrift in a world that had moved on without them. They had clung to the desperate hope that the United States Government would offer some aid, some means to live a normal life. But the moment they retired, the very government they bled for was the first to abandon them.

Then they limped home, only to find everything changed beyond recognition: family members dead or gone, loved ones remarried or resorting to prostitution to survive, or their own families casting them aside because they couldn't afford to support a disabled mouth.

The depths of these men's hearts were a black abyss; no one wanted them, they were utterly disconnected from society, and with the crushing psychological aftermath of the battlefield, they were already strong enough not to immediately blow their own brains out. But their spirits had surrendered, their lives a daily descent into the oblivion of drink and smoke.

But at this very moment, Dutch Van der Linde had materialized, a benevolent phantom, and told them: "Sir, perhaps America has abandoned you, perhaps your family has abandoned you, or perhaps you yourself have abandoned yourself, but sir, I have not abandoned you! And your comrades have not abandoned you! From now on, even if we have to carry you, we will forcefully lift you up!"

Who wouldn't feel their very scalp tingle from such a profound psychological blow, such a staggering shock?

Dutch Van der Linde's words had carved a deep, indelible hole in the hearts of these veterans who had lived such brutally difficult lives. They stood trembling, their eyes red-rimmed, tears blurring their vision.

"Oh Mr. Dutch Van der Linde, Mr. Dutch Van der Linde!!!" The cry erupted from deep within their chests, a primal wail of relief and devotion.

"Sh*t! Mr. Dutch Van der Linde didn't abandon me!"

"I am willing to follow you my entire life, Mr. Dutch Van der Linde, I am willing..."

"Dutch ! Dutch ! Dutch !!!"

The small Veteran Club erupted into a pandemonium of joyous noise, a raw, emotional outpouring. But this cacophony instantly ceased the very moment Dutch Van der Linde, with a god-like gesture, slightly raised his hand.

Every veteran, every man in that room, fixed their gaze on Dutch, who stood before the bar. Their eyes burned with a fervent mix of respect and desperate hope; the intensity in each man's gaze was so powerful it could have given Dutch Van der Linde a third-degree sunburn!

"Thank you for your recognition, gentlemen!" Dutch boomed, a wide, triumphant smile stretching across his face. "Gentlemen, your reaction is the greatest affirmation for me! Alright, gentlemen, since I have decided to help you, I will naturally do my utmost!"

He spread his arms wide, encompassing them all. "From now on, the Veterans Mutual Aid Association will open a channel for bounty messages. And at the same time, I will also post recruitment notices for employees. And if any of you, gentlemen, have any news that can help everyone, please feel free to post it. Gentlemen, mutual help is our sacred foundation!"

A thunderous applause erupted in the small Veteran Club, a deafening roar of approval. The news of Mr. Dutch Van der Linde recruiting again sent these veterans into an absolute frenzy of excitement.

The previous batch of veterans, the lucky few who had been recruited earlier, were now the local legends of Valentine. Their monthly income of fifty, even a hundred dollars, made them veritable kings among men. They now hired two prostitutes at a time, their newfound wealth the envy of every poor soul in town. So, the Van der Linde Gang's recruitment drive had truly electrified the tavern's atmosphere!

Valentine, more like Van der Linde Town?

While the veterans were still expressing their wild excitement and eager gratitude, Dutch Van der Linde and Hosea had already slipped out of the Veteran Club.

"Oh, Dutch," Hosea murmured, holding his horse's reins, walking beside Dutch on the muddy, rutted roads of Valentine, the lingering fervor of the tavern still fresh in his mind. "Although I don't quite fathom the full purpose of your plan, I do believe you have succeeded once again, old friend."

Dutch Van der Linde nodded, a triumphant smile playing on his lips. "Yes, Hosea, yes. These veterans will become our strongest backing. Once our reputation is thoroughly established, even if the United States Government wants to move against us, they will need to consider the will of these veterans, by God."

Dutch swung effortlessly onto his horse, Hosea following suit.

"Master Dutch Van der Linde! (Master Callahan!)"

"Master Hosea! (Master Marston!)"

Respectful greetings flowed from the mouths of passersby on both sides of the road. Everyone instinctively bowed and offered their respects, and many women, their eyes alight with desperate hope, eagerly stepped forward to greet them, praying Dutch Van der Linde would call them over, offer them a decent, life-changing job.

Looking at the bustling crowds in Valentine, Dutch Van der Linde's eyes narrowed slightly, and the confident smile on his face widened, almost predatory.

"Hosea, what if everyone in Valentine were our workers?"

Hosea chuckled, a genuine laugh. "I think... by then, Valentine would probably have to be renamed Vanderlinde-Burg! Hahahahaha…"

"Hahaha," Dutch laughed heartily, joining Hosea, his eyes gleaming with a fierce, ambitious light as they rode their horses towards the train station. "Hosea, what if all of America were my workers?"

"If that were to happen...then I'd retire at the White House hahaha...."

They needed to go to Saint Denis, to see how Davey's and the others' work was progressing. The empire, it seemed, was only just beginning to truly bloom.