Davey's back

Hosea walked out of Henry's—oh, no, now Mr. Van der Linde's—estate, leading two gunmen towards Morgan Bank.

Mr. Brown was not fired by Miss Camille; after all, he was someone who came from the head office for experience, with some connections behind him. However, even though he wasn't fired, Mr. Brown's status and power have greatly diminished. Now he can only be called the Branch Manager of Morgan Commercial Bank's Saint Denis branch, with no room for advancement unless his old superior steps in to help him. This position is completely different from before; he no longer has control over large sums of money in circulation. The loss of this most crucial power as a bank manager has caused his status to plummet, and coupled with Mr. Brown's estate being given to Mr. Van der Linde by Miss Camille, he now has to live in the bank.

However, he temporarily served as an intermediary for contact with Miss Camille. After Miss Camille prepares all the necessary requirements and procedures for developing the West, she will come directly to Saint Denis, taking up permanent residence there to maintain long-term contact with Dutch and constantly monitor the development of the West.

So, if they want to borrow money now, they still need Mr. Brown to relay the message.

Ten million dollars was a very large sum of money in that era. Moreover, 1890-1910 was when the purchasing power of the dollar was at its highest. The subsequent rapid development of the United States quickly devalued the dollar, but now, ten million dollars could essentially determine the economic depression of a city.

For example, in Saint Denis, withdrawing ten million dollars or injecting ten million dollars would immediately cause huge economic fluctuations. Even in the eyes of Morgan Group, ten million dollars was not a small sum.

For this, Dutch even specifically wrote a letter for Mr. Brown to give to Miss Camille, to ensure the success of this loan.

Alas, Dutch felt powerless because of this.

They say the borrower is the boss, but that's only after the money is borrowed. Before borrowing, you still have to act humble for others to lend to you.

He must first borrow and spend this ten million dollars; only then will the right to make decisions and negotiate be in his hands.

However, these things take time and careful work, requiring a certain period of waiting, while the return of Davey and the others is already imminent.

Saint Denis Port, just after nightfall.

The weather was good today; even at night, Saint Denis Port was still patrolled by gunmen.

Safety is Mr. Van der Linde's highest priority. He is determined to create a peaceful environment for the people, so the gunmen have their own tasks every day.

From the various strongholds in New Hanover to Van Horn Trading Post and various Van der Linde factories, as well as the current Saint Denis, almost every place requires gunmen. During this time, Van der Linde Gang has never stopped its recruitment plan for gunmen. Over the past seven months, the total number of Van der Linde Gang gunmen has exceeded five thousand. The monthly payroll alone costs a staggering five hundred thousand dollars.

If you add female workers, various transport workers, mine workers, etc., the monthly payroll expenditure alone can reach as much as eight hundred thousand dollars.

However, Mr. Van der Linde can currently bear this price, especially now that these workers, after receiving their wages, will actively purchase Mr. Van der Linde's clothing, rifles, and real estate to ensure Mr. Van der Linde does not go bankrupt, thereby creating a capital flow back. This makes Mr. Van der Linde's actual monthly expenditure surprisingly small.

This also allows him to constantly possess a large amount of cash that is continuously growing, enabling him to continuously recruit workers and gunmen and expand his scale.

To be honest, this situation is almost impossible in reality. The fundamental reason it can happen here is because the oppression by capitalists was too terrifying, and the lives of these people were so painful before, making them extremely afraid of the consequences of Mr. Van der Linde's bankruptcy, which is why this situation occurred.

Therefore, Dutch Van der Linde now truly holds the advantages of timing, location, and human harmony!

And now, this is the manifestation of timing and human harmony.

The night was dark, and the sea breeze swept through Saint Denis Port, bringing a hint of fishy smell.

Dutch and his group stood on the port deck, gazing into the distance at the sea.

"Oh, sh*t! I feel like I haven't seen Davey and Bill in half a year, oh, and Javier.

If I hadn't been writing letters frequently, I probably would have really forgotten about them." Arthur said with great emotion, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

"Yes, Arthur. What they are doing is very important, just as important as what we have been doing during this time. Although they are not here fighting with us, they are still contributing to our Van der Linde Gang.

And now, I think our current achievements are enough to give them an explanation." Dutch leaned on his cane with both hands, dressed in a gentleman's long-tailed tailcoat, wearing a top hat, and a monocle on his face, looking both gentlemanly and noble.

Damn it, this despicable outlaw is now more civilized than those gentlemen in the East.

"Time passes so quickly! In just half a year, we've developed to this extent. I'm afraid Davey and the others will be stunned by our achievements later!" Hosea stood by, smiling. Even to this day, he still found the progress of Van der Linde Gang during this period unbelievable, let alone Davey and the others who had been away.

When they left, Van der Linde Gang had just opened the clothing store, and when they returned, Saint Denis had become theirs. How could one not be surprised?

Mac, on the other hand, was not excited at all. He had been having a blast during this time and had no time to think about Davey; as long as he was alive, that was all that mattered. After all, the brothers had been together for so many years, a few months apart was like going on a long trip.

John didn't dare to speak, just kept hiding behind Hosea, afraid that Arthur would see him and start to mock his previous unannounced departure again.

As everyone waited.

A freighter, emitting black smoke, slowly docked at Saint Denis Port.

"Dutch! Arthur!"

Before the ship had even fully stopped, a shout rang out from the vessel.

Davey, Bill, Javier, and Trelawny stood on the ship's deck, looking towards the port, and immediately spotted Dutch and his group surrounded by gunmen and porters.

Beside the three of them stood three unfamiliar faces, two men and one woman. These three were the Wright siblings, who had been brought back by Davey, having been impressed by Dutch's actions and letters.

The faces of these three were even more excited. They gazed eagerly at the port, longing to see their trusted friend and big brother, Mr. Dutch Van der Linde.

And when they first saw Dutch, dressed as a gentleman and composed, with a kindly smile on his face, the anticipation in their hearts was completely fulfilled, and they immediately shouted with excitement.

"Mr. Van der Linde! Oh, dear Mr. Van der Linde! It's me! Wilbur, Wilbur Wright!" The older brother, Wilbur, shouted loudly and waved continuously, so excited he wished he could leap over the ship's railing.

This pen pal, supporter, trusted friend, and boss had long occupied their thoughts.

His letters were gentle, elegant, and full of humor, providing them not only unparalleled confidence but also a strong sense of familiarity. This had already etched Dutch's general image into their minds.

And now, seeing him in person, he was indeed extraordinary! Even more gentlemanly and composed than the image they had outlined in their minds, almost like their deceased father.