Weapons

The cruise ship's gangway finally opened, and then Davey and the others on the cruise ship, along with Dutch and the others on the deck, quickly approached each other.

"Oh, gentlemen, and Ms. Catherine, you're finally back! Hahahaha, I've been so restless thinking about you all this time!" Dutch, with a beaming smile, led his group to greet them.

"Oh, Teacher Van der Linde, Mr. Van der Linde, we've finally met, sir, we've finally met! Ahaha..." Older brother Wilbur and younger brother Ovid were so excited they couldn't control themselves. They quickly ran forward, grabbing Dutch's outstretched hands tightly, tears of excitement streaming down their faces.

Catherine Light had no hands to grab, so she could only clutch Mr. Dutch's shirt with a wronged little face, standing between her two brothers, her eyes red-rimmed.

No one knew how much support and affirmation Mr. Dutch Van der Linde's one hundred thousand dollars and weekly letters had given them. No one knew the extent of their admiration and respect for Mr. Dutch Van der Linde in their hearts.

And now, finally seeing this man who had always helped them, trusted them, understood them, guided them, and even advised them—seeing his father-like, benevolent smile—the three siblings could no longer hold back their inner grievances and anticipation.

"Yes, we've finally met! You've suffered, children!" Dutch reached out and tightly embraced the three siblings, holding them close, his voice full of tenderness and emotion.

And with Dutch's embrace, the last shred of unfamiliarity between them completely vanished. The three of them clung to Dutch, sobbing loudly, continuously expressing their gratitude.

"Oh, Mr. Van der Linde, you are like my father! You've shielded us from all the storms!"

"Ahaha, Mr. Van der Linde, we will definitely repay your trust and support!"

The Light siblings were overwhelmingly grateful, deeply moved by Dutch's warmth and kindness. Their hearts were filled with immense respect for Dutch and an overwhelming desire to repay him.

They felt that if they couldn't achieve something useful, they would simply be too ashamed to face Mr. Van der Linde.

But Dutch was very unhappy with their words.

He looked seriously at the Light siblings before him and said in a solemn tone, "No! Children. I don't need any repayment from you! You have joined our Van der Linde Gang family; we are family to each other.

Look around, children. Arthur, Hosea, John, Davey, Mac, Bill, Javier... I picked them all up. When I found them, I never thought about what they would repay me. We are just a group of helpless people, leaning on each other, helping each other, just trying to survive in this cruel world!

We are family to each other, we are loyal to each other, we are loyal to family. We work together to make our lives better and better; that is our greatest wish!

So I don't need your repayment. I just need you to live well, have a healthy body and a happy heart, to be well-fed and well-clothed, carefree, with the mood and time each day to go fishing, walk birds, listen to opera, and have a simple and happy life. That is the best repayment to me!"

Dutch's words were deafening, and Dutch's voice was heartwarming.

Especially his statements that he didn't want any repayment, only wishing for the three siblings to be safe and happy, were a terrifying emotional blow to the siblings who had long been accustomed to the darkness of society.

What boss in this era would say such words? If it were any other boss, they would probably be saying now: 'Alright, now go to work, work hard for me, otherwise, how will you repay my kindness?'

Or 'Alright, gentlemen, don't be so emotional, this is just an exchange of interests. I provide the money, you provide the technology...'

Or perhaps 'Alright, alright, gentlemen, this is all what you deserve. Go home and rest well tonight, and continue your research tomorrow.'

If Dutch had affirmed their desire for repayment now, even if they wouldn't overthink it, this exchange would have ended there, and their connection would have at most remained one of gratitude.

But now, Dutch's words were completely different. He didn't want them to repay him. He didn't even mention the research or the one hundred thousand dollars from beginning to end, only telling them that he just wanted them to live a simpler, happier life...

How terrifyingly manipulative this is!

He always finds everyone's weaknesses, precisely hitting them with emotional attacks!

Directly transforming the monetary and gratitude relationships between them into a family relationship, changing a potentially betrayable and justifiably betrayable faction into an unbetrayable one—this is simply too terrifying.

No normal person would betray their family, no matter how much money is offered.

And the Light siblings were undoubtedly normal people, so this relationship and bond were completely secured by Dutch in just a few words.

And the three siblings, ensnared, not only had no inkling of it but were moved to tears.

"Oh, Dutch~~~" Catherine hugged Dutch's waist tightly, burying her face in his chest, feeling an extreme sense of security.

Meanwhile, the moved Light brothers were now being welcomed and accepted by the surrounding Van der Linde Gang members, experiencing the beauty of 'family'.

"Hey, kid, got time for a couple of drinks? I know a great place in Saint Denis; the girls there are very famous!" Mac chuckled, putting his arm around older brother Wilbur's shoulder. This demeanor would undoubtedly make people quickly relax and fully integrate.

"Sh*t! Mac, not everyone likes that stuff like you do! Wilbur, Ovid, there are many good girls from wealthy Saint Denis families at our 'VDL' banquet; I think you two can come with me next time to check them out!"

Arthur and the group had gathered and started playfully bickering with each other.

This kind of family-like interaction would undoubtedly quickly bring them a sense of belonging.

"Alright, Arthur, have them start loading the cargo from the freighter. And now, we need to go back together.

Back to Valentine, back to Hope Ranch, to hold a welcome party for the three new members of our big family, and a celebration for Davey's return!"

Dutch, holding Catherine's small hand, called out loudly.

As Dutch gave the order, groups of transport workers and gunmen began to move.

After all, Dutch's word was the highest command of the Van der Linde Gang!

At the command of Mr. Dutch Van der Linde, countless gunmen and laborers began to be assigned tasks by their respective squad leaders.

Hundreds of people started to get busy.

Some went to pull planes from the oil tanker's cargo hold, others prepared the train, some set up guns, and others pulled cannons.

As a top-tier power who had already taken control of two of the forty-five states in America, Dutch's current travels were prepared for by tens of thousands.

Of course, it wasn't that exaggerated yet, but from an invisible standpoint, it was almost the same level.

American states are equivalent to provinces, and Dutch Van der Linde controlled two states, which is equivalent to being a Governor of two provinces. It is easy to imagine how much power he possessed.

Among other things, having a special train for travel was the minimum requirement.

In addition, this special train was not only equipped with various machine guns and cannons, but also had exclusive markings, so that the gunmen on duty in all the fortresses along the way would be on high alert when they saw it, maintaining safety for Mr. Van der Linde.

Three hundred gunmen grandly loaded the planes onto the rear carriages of the train, then dispersed into various train carriages; these were all security personnel escorting Mr. Van der Linde. Each of the twelve train carriages was equipped with a Maxim gun, and a cannon was set up at the tail of the train. Widened iron plates were used to isolate the surroundings, making the entire train almost a mobile cluster of twelve interconnected small bunkers forged from steel, thereby ensuring the absolute safety of these two trains.

In other words, it was an armored train.

Of course, safety was secondary; New Hanover and Lemoyne had already been cleared of bandits. Dutch Van der Linde, who was himself a master marksman, could roam freely in these two large states without needing to bring people, so security issues really didn't require much worry.

Therefore, the purpose of creating this armored train was to plan for West Elizabeth!

That's right, Dutch wanted West Elizabeth now.

He might be full of virtues, but he had one tiny problem that became his sole flaw.

That was, he lacked a sense of security too much.

Lemoyne was absolutely safe now, after all, it bordered New Hanover on one side and the artificial sea on the other, so there would basically be no roaming criminals.

But New Hanover wasn't safe! On one side were the white snow-capped mountains, a natural barrier, and on the other was Lemoyne, his own territory. But there was one point: the adjacent plains of West Elizabeth, which had neither a natural barrier nor a barrier that could separate the two sides, made him feel very insecure and uncomfortable.

He also knew that West Elizabeth was in chaos now, with various gangs rampant, completely dragging West Elizabeth into the old Wild West cowboy era.

But the more it was like this, the less secure he felt. What if these damned gang members weren't afraid of the cluster of bunkers he pulled out and insisted on breaking into New Hanover?

What if a powerful one among them integrated all the gangs and pulled out a team to seek revenge on their Van der Linde Gang? What if they wanted to come and rob him?

Dammit, this situation of internal strife next door made him panic and unable to sleep or eat.

If West Elizabeth was not peaceful, Dutch Van der Linde would not be able to rest easy!

So the main purpose of building this armored train was for it to directly become a mobile logistical support station for his Van der Linde Gang gunmen when attacking West Elizabeth, allowing him to quickly transport gunmen to West Elizabeth via rail and establish an absolutely secure logistical stronghold.

Of course, that was still too far off; the main purpose now was to celebrate.

An armored train departed from Saint Denis train station, heading towards Valentine.

On the train, the newly joined gang members, the Wright siblings, laughed and talked with the Van der Linde Gang members, quickly integrating.

"That's wonderful! Catherine, you are truly wonderful! I never imagined you could manage your studies while looking after your two older brothers! Oh, you truly are a little genius!

But child, you've truly suffered these past few years. Even just hearing your account, I already feel an unspeakable sense of suffocation, let alone the immense difficulties you must have faced as someone who personally experienced it!

But now, you three have finally overcome your hardships. Children, live well from now on, be healthy and happy!

Alright, you all continue playing. I think I need to go for a walk."

After finishing his classic manipulation, Dutch stood up from the armchair, smiled, patted the shoulders of the three siblings, then picked up a cigar and walked towards the carriage door.

Seeing this, Davey followed closely, joining Dutch on the connecting platform outside this carriage.

"Dutch!" Davey held onto Dutch, afraid he might lose his footing and fall.

"Well done, Davey! You four have perfectly completed the tasks I assigned you! Excellent!" Dutch patted Davey's shoulder, his face full of admiration.

The train clattered along, ensuring their conversation couldn't be heard inside.

The train, equipped with two engines, sped along. The night wind blew on them, bringing a touch of coolness.

"Oh, Dutch, I didn't expect that we've only been out for a few months! We, we've actually grown to this scale now! Oh, sh*t! I still feel like I'm dreaming!

Dammit, that's Saint Denis! I still remember the last time I went there, we were looked down upon as nobodies in Saint Denis! And today in Saint Denis, we've completely become the bosses of Saint Denis! Dammit, I wouldn't even dare to dream of doing this!" Davey exclaimed, his hand on the train carriage's handrail, feeling exceptionally dreamlike as he spoke.

He knew Dutch was a good boss, after all, if Dutch hadn't taken the bullets on the steamboat back then, at least one of them brothers would have died. He also knew Dutch's ideas were exceptionally brilliant now, after all, in just two months he had bought a manor, built a factory, and established relationships with those gentlemen in Saint Denis.

But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't imagine Dutch being able to leap from a desperate outlaw—oh no, a small clothing store owner—to a Governor in just a few months, without any elections or any experience!

This was as unbelievable as a modern person running a small shop today and becoming a provincial Governor tomorrow!

Dammit, Davey had thought that one could only become a Governor through election. Now it seems, isn't it possible without an election too?

Looking at Davey's incredulous gaze, Dutch laughed heartily. He reached out and patted Davey's shoulder, saying earnestly, "See, Davey, this is why I wanted to develop firearms in the snowy mountains. Child."