Chapter 52: Using Their Own Methods Against Them
As the train sped forward, the wheels rubbed against the tracks, emitting a rhythmic clatter.
Inside the carriage, sunlight streamed through the windows, casting dappled light and shadow onto the seats.
Valerie sat quietly by the window, holding a pen, focused on writing and drawing in a blue notebook.
Her expression was serious and engrossed, as if she were recording something extremely important.
Johnny, sitting beside her, couldn't help but feel curious and secretly glanced at the notebook.
He saw the notebook densely filled with various information. Upon closer inspection, it detailed the specialty items of shops in different regions, their corresponding prices, and contact information for local middlemen.
"This is truly impressive!" Johnny exclaimed inwardly.
"So this is the legendary wilderness taobao? No wonder Little Mute can buy the items she needs anytime, anywhere, and easily pick them up at the camp or the Post Office."
Thinking of this, Johnny felt a renewed sense of admiration for this clever woman.
However, Johnny knew that carelessly prying into someone else's privacy was impolite, so he didn't stare for too long.
After all, if Valerie accidentally caught him staring at her like a creep, it would be awkward and might cause unnecessary trouble.
Thus, Johnny quickly withdrew his gaze, pulled a sheet of letter paper from his backpack, and prepared to plan his next move.
After careful consideration, a brilliant idea surfaced in Johnny's mind.
The corners of his mouth curled up, revealing a sly smile:
"Hehe, I have a plan!!! I'm going to use Micah's favorite method to make him sick!"
Wasting no time, Johnny picked up his pen, imitated the tone of a Pinkerton Detective, and fluently wrote a letter.
The letter highly praised the so-called "important achievements" Micah had made while infiltrating the Van der Linde Gang, such as commending Micah's brilliant strategy of proposing to send a female undercover agent to shoot John.
Furthermore, the successful killing of the brothers Mac and Davie using the maxim heavy machine gun was especially praiseworthy.
Finally, Johnny solemnly promised that as long as Micah could successfully capture Dutch and Hosea, the leaders of the Van der Linde Gang.
Then, in addition to the bounty he was already due, he would be given a generous extra reward.
After finishing the letter, Johnny contentedly blew on the wet ink, imagining Micah's furious expression upon reading it, feeling immensely satisfied.
After getting off the train at Riggs Station, Johnny elegantly swung himself onto his horse, then gently reached out and pulled Valerie up to sit behind him.
Next, he lightly shook the reins, and the fine horse beneath him began to move with steady steps, carrying the two of them at a moderate pace towards Strawberry.
This speed not only demonstrated Johnny's proper demeanor as a gentleman but also ensured Micah would suffer a bit longer in jail.
Along the way, the scenery was picturesque, but Valerie's attention was drawn to the Bounty Hunters moving around the outskirts of Strawberry.
These people were agile and sharp-eyed, seemingly searching for some important target.
Valerie, unable to contain her curiosity, decided to ask Johnny:
"By the looks of it, they seem to be pursuing someone. Do you know the specifics?"
Hearing this, Johnny casually fabricated an answer without batting an eye:
"Oh, I imagine they must be a group of vicious Gang members! After all, they wouldn't mobilize so many Bounty Hunters and make such a fuss for just petty thieves."
After speaking, he put on a serious, authoritative expression.
Seeing that Johnny didn't seem to know much about it either, Valerie wisely stopped pressing the issue and instead steered the conversation toward the pink turkoman horse Johnny was riding.
She marveled at the horse's unique coat color, stating frankly that such a shade was extremely rare.
She told Johnny that even in the bustling Saint Denis, she had only ever seen one gradient pink turkoman horse.
Hearing Valerie praise his mount, the corners of Johnny's mouth lifted, revealing a proud smile. He softly said:
"This horse was a gift specially given to me by my dearest friends and brothers, so I cherish it immensely."
The sincere emotion in Johnny's eyes when he said this left no doubt that his words were true.
Finally, the other party seemed to have suddenly lost all ability to speak; her mouth was sealed shut as if sewn with needle and thread, and she didn't utter another word.
In reality, Johnny completely misunderstood her. If it weren't for the fact that he was the financier, Valerie probably wouldn't bother speaking a single word to him.
After all, she had never been keen on communicating with people.
In this seemingly prosperous and lively world, a nonconformist Cowgirl like her was met with rampant discrimination and prejudice.
It seemed most people didn't need to verify anything; they simply judged her to be nothing more than a pretty face based on preconceived notions.
Here, people commonly believed women only had three choices:
Either enter the dishonorable "special trades."
Or engage in lowly, humble work with no status whatsoever.
Or simply marry a man with good prospects and quietly become a so-called "qualified" housewife.
Before long, the two arrived at the outskirts of Strawberry.
By this time, the clock had unknowingly crept past midnight, yet the town was still brightly lit, as if it were daytime.
Patrol police and Bounty Hunters searching for prey were visible everywhere on the streets.
Johnny slowly dismounted in front of the police station, his movements graceful and sharp.
He reached into his satchel, first pulling out a brand new 100-dollar bill, and then retrieving a bundle of sturdy ropes.
Johnny handed the two items to the person in front of him and quietly said:
"As we agreed before, wait for me in front of the house covered in deer skulls, next to that wooden bridge."
However, the other party quickly took the hundred-dollar bill but completely ignored the bundle of ropes.
She shook her head slightly and said firmly, "No need. I have a Beast Snare; I'm not used to using tools like ropes."
Johnny heard this and didn't dwell on the small detail.
He smiled slightly in understanding, then gracefully mounted his horse. With a shake of the reins, the sound of hoofbeats rang out as he galloped toward Micah's friend's house.
Along the way, Johnny pondered inwardly, determined to retrieve his belongings as quickly as possible; he had been coveting that fox trotter horse for a long time.
The reason he chose to act at night was that the sheriff would never agree to his bribe in front of the residents of Strawberry during the day.
Before long, Johnny arrived at the front door of Micah's friend's house.
As soon as he dismounted, his gaze was instantly drawn to a fine horse tethered at the door.
The horse had a glossy coat and a robust physique; he knew immediately that it was meant to be his.
Johnny's expression instantly darkened, and the anger in his heart was immediately ignited.
Because, in his view, the other party was claiming his belongings as their own!
Thinking this, Johnny strode quickly to the door and delivered a fierce kick. With a loud bang, the door shook violently...
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