Just the Beginning

Arthur Morgan and Jack Marston were busy at the ranch until Dutch woke up.

"Cough, cough, cough…" Hosea walked over from the smoky bonfire, covering his nose, holding a cup of some unknown brewed drink.

"Arthur." Hosea handed his cup to Arthur.

"This is the herbal medicine I've had people collect recently; it's good for the lungs." Hosea patted Arthur's shoulder.

"Thank you, Hosea." Arthur nodded, then took the cup and drank it all in one go.

Hosea was always like this, like a father, not asking questions, only giving Arthur what he thought was good.

This feeling made Arthur feel a bit nervous and awkward, yet he thoroughly enjoyed it.

After all, this genuine concern was the fundamental reason the Van der Linde Gang could maintain so many people's loyalty.

"Hahaha, Arthur, you weren't this polite before." Hosea laughed heartily, patted Arthur's shoulder again, then turned and walked towards the bonfire.

"Arthur!" Mary-Beth's soft call came from behind Arthur, stopping him from following Hosea to the bonfire.

"Mary-Beth." Arthur turned his head; Mary-Beth was quietly approaching him from behind.

Lately, her attire had become increasingly intellectual as her finances improved.

If the Van der Linde Garment Factory didn't exist, her current outfit would likely be a corseted dress from that era, emphasizing a woman's intellectual and gentle qualities, like an older sister's style.

But with the emergence of the Van der Linde Garment Factory, her current attire was a plain white dress with light blue flowers, looking exquisite and elegant, intellectual and gentle.

This type of dress was currently the most popular in the Van der Linde Gang. After centuries of torment from the heavy, wide skirts of European nobility, women of this era had an unimaginable obsession with these gentle, simple fabric dresses.

Complicated and trivial, of course, couldn't compare to simplicity and elegance.

Looking at Mary-Beth walking towards him, Arthur's eyes visibly brightened.

"My goodness, Mary-Beth, you look absolutely beautiful right now!" Arthur exclaimed.

He had been out with Dutch every day recently and hadn't seen Mary-Beth wear a dress like this.

"Really? Arthur. Oh, thank you, Arthur, I really like your opinion!" Mary-Beth's face immediately broke into a smile. She gently walked over, linked her arm through Arthur's, and walked with him towards the bonfire under the tree.

"Arthur, I've been a bit lost lately." Mary-Beth, holding Arthur's arm, looked up at his face with her beautiful eyes.

"Lost about what?" Arthur asked, not even turning his head.

He was looking for Dutch.

Dutch had said at yesterday's banquet that he would take him to Blackwater to receive refugees, so why hadn't he appeared yet?

"Our current direction, Arthur. I'm responsible for writing and distributing the newspapers. The newspapers Dutch gives me every day have some… well… words that make people change their minds. I don't know if you can understand, but after reading those newspapers, I feel they can easily cause some bad reactions."

Mary-Beth thought for a moment, then continued.

She read often and could tell that Dutch's newspapers seemed to carry some ill intentions.

No, it couldn't be said that they had ill intentions, because all the news reported in the newspapers was true, but the direction of the comparison seemed off.

Listening to Mary-Beth's question, Arthur nodded and said, "Yes, Mary-Beth. But this is why we've been able to achieve what we have today."

Arthur gripped Mary-Beth's shoulders with both hands and said seriously, "Mary-Beth. Dutch is using every means he can to ensure we have a better life.

In fact, our actions lately have been far more terrifying than what you've seen. We attacked the Saint Denis Government, we attacked Guarma, we attacked Mr. Cornwall, the western tycoon. If our crimes were exposed, I'm afraid all of us would end up on the gallows.

But we won't be exposed, and that's thanks to Dutch's factories and the newspapers he has you write.

No one dares to expose us. If someone truly did, they wouldn't be met with the fruits of victory, but with the heartfelt resistance of the people of New Hanover and Lemoyne.

This is Dutch's purpose in writing the newspapers.

So, Mary-Beth, don't be confused, good girl. Just do as Dutch instructs.

You are now the Head of the Information Management Department for New Hanover and Lemoyne. I think you need to uphold Dutch's trust!"

Arthur, now adept at Dutch's ways, spoke one smooth line after another, making Mary-Beth's face flush crimson.

"Ah? Head of the Information Management Department? Me? Oh no, Arthur, I feel I can't handle such an important position. I was just curious about what Dutch intended with the content of those newspapers!"

Mary-Beth exclaimed, covering her small mouth.

Damn, Head of the Information Management Department? That sounds like a very high-ranking position!

"No, Mary-Beth, I'm sure you can do well in this position, because this is Dutch's choice!" Arthur's gaze was exceptionally firm.

Whenever Dutch was mentioned, they believed everything.

"Alright, then, I'll, I'll try!" Mary-Beth nodded, her face full of determination.

"Hahaha, Mary-Beth, don't worry, Dutch has his own plan, we just need to follow his arrangements. Look how long it's been since we came down from the snowy mountains until now, and we've already developed to this extent. I think even if Dutch told us now that he could get us to the moon, we would probably believe him!" Davey walked by, drinking from a beer bottle as he consoled her.

"Ah haha, go to the moon? Davey, you're really imagining things. If Dutch said now that people could survive by eating cow sh*t, would you start eating cow sh*t from today?" Mike stood under the tree, laughing heartily.

"F*ck, Mike, shut your damn mouth!" Davey didn't tolerate his brother's antics. He cursed and threw the bottle at him.

"F*ck! Stop arguing, you two, damn it, how long has Davey been back, and you're already arguing like this! Oh, sh*t! I'll be driven crazy by you two one day!" Arthur's head ached from the two brothers' bickering, completely unaware that Dutch felt the same way when he argued with Marston.

Just then, Dutch's figure finally emerged from the room.

"Arthur! Oh, Arthur!"

Dutch, holding a glass of red wine, leaned against the railing outside the cabin and called out to Arthur under the tree.

"Call Mike, John, Charles, and Flying Eagle. Get three hundred gunmen ready. We're going to Blackwater, son!"

"Alright, Dutch!" Arthur shouted back.

"Sean, Javier, Bill, the three of you go with Davey to the Morgan Bank in Saint Denis to collect our ten million dollar loan, then buy ten warships from the British in the name of the Saint Denis Government! I'm sure they'll sell them; these damn capitalists always sell the rope that hangs them."

Dutch instructed the group of people under the tree.

"As for Hosea, you and Lenny continue our arms business. Expand thoroughly in New Hanover and Lemoyne, and also build bunkers within Lemoyne. Hosea, the larger the area of land we own, the more bunkers we need to have!

And the Valentine real estate project and the Van Horn Trading Post smuggling should also continue. At the same time, I've already written the documents for the tax rates in New Hanover, Hosea, follow this document! Just like with Saint Denis, our Van der Linde Gang and the New Hanover Government's assets are separate. The continued development direction of New Hanover should still follow the plans I wrote in your notebook!"

"Gentlemen, ladies, the future I, Dutch Van der Linde, promised you has been successfully realized. But this is only the beginning.

Until our strength is sufficient to allow us to disregard any law on this Earth, we are still in danger. Therefore, I hope you will continue to work hard under my leadership, moving forward for freedom and a beautiful future!"