Rise

A triumphant smile played on Dutch's lips as he listened to the fervent discussions bubbling below the stage and the thunderous, unending applause that reverberated around him. Excellent, he mused, the architect of this grand deception. A self-exposed flaw is no longer a flaw at all. It was precisely how he'd handled admitting his past leadership mistakes within the gang; no one could now wield that old error against him. As the common wisdom went, openly confessing was far superior to secretive, stubborn denial. Such behavior, paradoxically, didn't diminish credibility; it cemented it, making others believe even more fervently. If one couldn't even dare to admit a misstep, that truly spoke of a disheartened, petty soul.

Since Dutch harbored the colossal ambition of becoming the American President, one way or the other, he naturally possessed a mind of staggering breadth and cunning. Moreover, it was merely an admission, a small, elegant trick to achieve a larger, more magnificent goal.

Because Dutch Van der Linde's very first sentence on stage was an open declaration of culpability, the atmosphere at the scene was instantly propelled to a fever pitch. The people of Valentine were individuals whose immediate well-being was directly tied to Dutch's benevolence, and after a month of careful ideological cultivation, they now saw him through lenses tinted with adoration. Now that Dutch had so "sincerely" admitted his past errors, the crowd present felt only a profound pang of heartache, a sympathetic ache for his difficult youth. One by one, they spontaneously began to construct elaborate justifications and passionate defenses for Dutch's every past action.

"Sorry, everyone, but I feel your previous statement was dead wrong!" a fiery-eyed woman shouted, her voice cutting through the murmurs. "I never once believed Van der Linde's actions were wrong! He only robbed those damned capitalists, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, okay?! Those greedy leeches drink our very blood! Isn't it only fair that they get robbed in return? And the Van der Linde Gang always used the money they took to help orphans and aid the poor! They were acting as heroes, plain and simple! So, I don't accept Mr. Van der Linde's apology, because I don't think his actions were wrong!"

"No, Mr. Van der Linde is wrong," a more scholarly looking man interjected, adjusting his spectacles. "The personal property of every American citizen is sacred and inviolable. Although Mr. Van der Linde engaged in the Robin Hood act of robbing the rich to help the poor, he did indeed violate federal law. Of course, from my personal perspective, I see nothing wrong with this approach! Mr. Van der Linde, I support you! I support you wholeheartedly!!!"

"Shit! Your statement is complete nonsense!" another man roared, shaking his fist. "When a thief steals your wallet, and you snatch it back, are you considered a thief?! Those who call themselves capitalists, those who call themselves Senators, they oppress our labor, they steal the fruits of our labor! They are the real criminals! If Mr. Van der Linde truly bears any guilt, it is for defending the very right to survival of the poor American people!"

It was chaos, glorious, passionate chaos below the stage. A throng of Valentine residents noisily debated Mr. Van der Linde's supposed "crimes," but one after another, they concocted various ingenious arguments to defend him. Mr. Van der Linde, sitting astride his horse, had just admitted his guilt, and the very people he sought to impress were already unwilling to accept it. In fact, upon closer analysis, they concluded, Mr. Van der Linde was not guilty at all! He might have violated American federal law, but that didn't automatically equate to guilt! Jesus himself was judged on the cross, but no one proclaimed him guilty. He made some rich people angry, but this was an act of unrestricted resistance to protect his own life, which, strictly speaking, was perfectly legal! If those damn gunmen hadn't first shot at Mr. Van der Linde, then Mr. Van der Linde certainly wouldn't have been bothered enough to actively attack them with a gun, would he?

A group of Valentine residents debated fiercely, passionately overturning each other's arguments, transforming Dutch, who had just confessed his "crimes" in front of the crowd, into a figure of unimpeachable innocence. No, more than that, he had become the contemporary 'messiah'.

Watching the Valentine residents below the stage grow more and more intensely involved in their impromptu theological debate, Dutch had to finally intervene, speaking to halt their increasingly off-topic conversation.

"Alright, gentlemen, ladies," Dutch's voice boomed, cutting through the fervor. "Next, I will preside over the inauguration of Valentine First School!"

As Dutch's voice resonated, the crowd instantly quieted, their eyes filled with firm, unwavering approval. The residual fear they might have harbored for Mr. Van der Linde had completely melted away, transforming into pure admiration and reverence. Mr. Dutch Van der Linde was, in their eyes, a man of profound honesty!

Seeing the finally silent audience, Dutch breathed a subtle sigh of relief and slowly began his prepared remarks. "Gentlemen, ladies, a school is the very foundation of a city's development, the bedrock determining its future, and indeed, the faint, shimmering hope for impoverished families! Our West is too harsh. Throughout its entire expanse, apart from Saint Denis and Blackwater there are no other true centers for learning. And this, undoubtedly, chokes off our channels for advancement. This won't do, gentlemen, this won't do! I once told you that I would personally deliver happiness into your hands, and now, I believe I am close to completing this grand plan!"

His voice rose, filled with the fire of a true evangelist. "From today onwards, all Valentine residents can, by virtue of their Valentine resident identity, enroll their children in Valentine First School for free! The school will waive all tuition and miscellaneous fees, offer a total of thirty-two distinct majors, and feature a three-year academic system! We will ensure that children within Valentine, after completing their studies, can venture to Saint Denis or even the sprawling cities in the East and, armed with the knowledge they have acquired, become qualified workers in relevant professions, gaining the very qualification to change their class!"

A beat. Dutch's smile widened, becoming almost beatific. "Of course, I hope even more that students who graduate from the school will choose to join our esteemed Hope Ranch, and I will also offer them most generous compensation!"

Then, with a flourish, he declared, "With that, Valentine First School is officially established!"

"Clap clap clap..."

At this, the applause below the stage was not merely continuous; it was a deafening, ceaseless roar. Everyone had harbored a lingering fear that Dutch was merely using the pretense of "free tuition," waiving tuition but then secretly charging exorbitant miscellaneous fees. But now, with both tuition and miscellaneous fees waived, and the incredible promise that graduating students could join Hope Ranch,this promise was far more inspiring than a child finding a job in some distant, anonymous east coast city.

Who, in Valentine, didn't know how magnificent the benefits were at Hope Ranch now? Room and board provided, and workers earning sums that made them rich in Valentine after just a few months! As mentioned before, everyone dreamed of entering Hope Ranch; it had become their obsession, their lifelong pursuit.

And now, they themselves couldn't get in, but their children could enter after graduating from the school! Mr. Van der Linde was practically delivering happiness directly to their doorsteps, gift-wrapped and tied with a bow! Who wouldn't be deliriously happy about this?

Shit! From now on, they thought, with a mixture of awe and cynical delight, just raise a child for another three years, and then the whole family can ride on the child's coattails directly into Hope Ranch! This was practically force-feeding happiness into their mouths!

Shit! Now they had no choice but to surrender completely to Mr. Van der Linde, because in three short years, they would all be his workers, tied to his benevolence! It was over; no one would ever want to work in the hellish East anymore. With an acknowledged paradise right before them, a tangible, vibrant reality, who in their right mind would venture into the distant, uncertain hell of the East? Even if it promised a slightly more luxurious version of hell.