“…Hoho, asking for 30,000 dollars as a down payment. How much are you planning to get if the request is successful? This old man is getting scared.”
“If the request is successful, I’ll only take 5,000 dollars.”
“…What?”
He’s asking for a 30,000 dollar down payment but only wants 5,000 dollars if the request is successful?
‘Is he planning to take the money and run?’
Being a cold-blooded businessman, Lloyd naturally had to suspect a scam.
But…
‘He doesn’t seem like that kind of guy…’
From Lloyd’s perspective, Noah had a bit of a punk vibe, but he wasn’t that type of punk.
Above all, Noah’s face looked quite sincere right now.
‘What do I do…’
The total amount Noah proposed was 35,000 dollars.
That’s 5,000 dollars more than the initial 30,000 dollars Lloyd had offered.
But Lloyd didn’t care about money.
He was even prepared to go beyond 30,000 dollars to 50,000 dollars if necessary.
And for good reason—the profits Lloyd’s railroad company stood to gain from this railway construction were immense.
Tens, hundreds of thousands of dollars would be a breeze, and in the long term, it could easily surpass tens of millions of dollars.
What’s a measly few thousand dollars?
Of course, 35,000 dollars was still a significant amount even for Lloyd…
He could pull the money from his account and hand it over today if needed.
But…
“If 5,000 dollars is too much, I can take 3,000 or even 2,000 dollars. Just make sure the 30,000 dollar down payment is secure.”
“……”
Lloyd was still hung up on Noah’s insistence on a 30,000 dollar down payment.
Why on earth would he demand such a large amount upfront?
And why exactly 30,000 dollars—no more, no less?
Swoosh—
To find a clue, Lloyd shifted his gaze to Emma, who was sitting next to Noah.
She too seemed baffled by Noah’s actions, wearing a perplexed expression.
Seeing Emma’s confusion only deepened Lloyd’s own, so he decided to take a direct approach.
“…Why do you need such a large sum right now?”
He straight-up asked Noah why he needed 30,000 dollars.
But…
“Would you believe me if I said it’s for my sick mother’s medical bills?”
“Not a chance.”
Noah clearly had no intention of answering that question.
Sick mother’s medical bills? What a joke.
“Anyway, I need 30,000 dollars right now. If you give me the 30,000 dollar down payment, I’ll definitely complete whatever request you have for me.”
“…How do you know what kind of request I’ll give you?”
“Whatever it is, I’ll get it done. You know my skills, right?”
…Well, he’s not wrong.
With the South Brotherhood causing trouble, skilled gunslingers had become rare.
The Noah Lloyd saw back in San Francisco wasn’t just a skilled gunslinger—he had the firepower to match an entire gang.
Having someone like Noah on Lloyd’s railroad company’s side would be a huge help in solving the current problem.
‘Right… I absolutely need this guy right now.’
Lloyd quickly made up his mind to recruit Noah.
But…
“Sorry, Noah. A 30,000 dollar down payment seems a bit too much.”
Lloyd had no intention of giving Noah everything he wanted.
“……”
Hearing Lloyd’s answer, Noah froze as if time had stopped.
Disappointment, irritation, and barely concealed anger soon spread across his face.
“…Why? Surely a rich guy like you can’t be short on a measly 30,000 dollars? …Tell me the reason.”
The moment he didn’t get what he wanted, he openly showed his frustration and started getting snippy.
Seeing Noah like this, Lloyd couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly.
‘What a brat.’
The older you get, the more you have to hide your desires and emotions.
That’s how you get what you want more thoroughly.
From Lloyd’s perspective, Noah throwing a tantrum over being denied the 30,000 dollar down payment was nothing but childish behavior.
But…
Shiver
…The problem was that this “brat” was ridiculously strong.
Lloyd felt his hair stand on end as he met Noah’s piercing gaze.
Lloyd had always been friendly toward Noah, and Noah had been the same, so Lloyd had never experienced Noah’s hostility before…
‘…If this guy picks up a gun, I’d probably piss myself.’
Just being glared at by Noah made Lloyd feel the greatest fear he’d ever experienced in his 60 years of life.
That’s how intense Noah’s aura was right now.
But Lloyd wasn’t about to back down either.
This project was the final task he could undertake for his company.
Lloyd planned to hand over the company to his son and retire after this railway construction.
He had always been on a path of success, but if he failed in this final project, it would feel like his entire life had been negated.
That’s why Lloyd couldn’t give Noah what he wanted.
“30,000 dollars is a lot of money even for me. No matter who you are, I can’t just hand over that kind of cash without any results.”
“……”
“A 20,000 dollar down payment, and another 20,000 dollars upon completion of the request. That’s my final offer.”
Noah was a beast.
To successfully pull off this project, Lloyd needed to tame this beast.
For some reason, Noah was fixated on the 30,000 dollar amount…
Money would be Noah’s leash.
“Sigh……”
A 20,000 dollar down payment and another 20,000 dollars upon completion.
It wasn’t a bad deal for Noah, who needed 30,000 dollars right away.
After all, if he succeeded in the request, he could earn more than 30,000 dollars, right?
Noah took a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart.
Then, with a composed expression, he nodded.
“Alright. Let’s do it that way.”
“Great! Noah, I’ll have the down payment sent to you via my secretary tomorrow!”
As Noah accepted the offer, Lloyd cheered and stood up.
Truth be told, Lloyd hadn’t been able to sleep properly for months because of this issue.
It was like a toothache that had finally been pulled out.
It felt like something was missing.
“Ahaha! Feels great! Noah! Now that we’re partners, let’s go somewhere nice and have a drink or something…”
Lloyd, grinning from ear to ear, offered Noah a drink, but…
“No.”
“…Huh?”
“Let’s hear about the request. If it’s something I can start today, I’ll get right on it.”
Noah, already fired up, was in a hurry.
His eyes were filled with the desire to complete the request and get the money as soon as possible.
Seeing Noah like that, Lloyd saw a reflection of his past self.
Back when he was on the verge of achieving a long-cherished goal, Lloyd had also been just as impatient and excited.
Remembering those old days, Lloyd chuckled and sat back down.
“Alright, then I’ll tell you what I need you to do.”
“Yes. Please, tell me anything.”
Noah listened intently, like a hunting dog eager to sink its teeth into its prey.
“…You’re building a new railroad?”
“That’s right. The current railroads in the West are woefully inadequate. The West is going to develop even more, and the existing railroads won’t be able to handle the logistics!”
To address this, Lloyd was building several railroads connecting Sacramento to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other cities via the shortest routes.
This involved digging new tunnels and building bridges, which had already cost the company a lot of money.
“But now, there’s a ‘minor issue’ with the most important railroad to San Francisco.”
“A minor issue?”
San Francisco is the most prominent city in California.
The shortest railroad connecting San Francisco and Sacramento must be the most crucial one Lloyd is building.
And yet, there’s a problem with such an important railroad.
‘But if it’s just a minor issue, it can’t be that bad, right?’
…That’s what I thought for a moment.
‘No way.’
If it were that simple, Lloyd wouldn’t have offered me such a large sum of $40,000.
And sure enough, Lloyd’s so-called “minor issue” wasn’t so minor after all.
“There’s a small town built by settlers blocking the route we planned for the railroad.”
“……”
“Not only that, but it also encroaches on Native American territory. Because of that, both the settlers and the Native Americans are causing trouble, and the railroad construction has been halted.”
As soon as I heard that, I immediately understood what Lloyd wanted me to do.
But…
“W-Wait a minute, Mr. Lloyd.”
Emma, who was sitting next to me, flinched and trembled upon hearing Lloyd’s words.
“…Is that settlers’ town one that was built after Mr. Lloyd’s railroad plan?”
“No, it’s not. According to the investigation, the town has been there for about 70 years.”
“…What about the Native Americans’ territory?”
“They’ve been living on that land for 2,000 years.”
“So, Mr. Lloyd, you’re trying to take away the land of people who have been living there peacefully and drive them out to build your railroad?”
“……”
In response to Emma’s question, Lloyd tilted his head and answered.
“What’s the problem with that?”
“…What’s the problem?”
“I’ve already received permission from the federal and state governments. I’m not doing anything illegal.”
“But their sacrifice…”
“For the sake of America’s overall development, the sacrifice of a few is inevitable.”
Lloyd spoke without a hint of shame, standing tall in his business.
Although the Civil War had ended and the Westward Expansion was in full swing, the overall social system was still lacking.
Taking advantage of that gap, capitalists like Lloyd, who amassed wealth by any means necessary, were called Robber Barons.
“If there’s any sin, it lies with their ancestors who settled on the land where the railroad is to be built.”
He was the very embodiment of a capitalist thug.
At Lloyd’s bold statement, Emma looked bewildered, as if she couldn’t comprehend it.
“Mr. Lloyd… I thought you were a good person…”
Having lived in a small settlement called Justice Town for over twenty years, Emma would naturally sympathize more with the settlers being displaced.
Driving out settlers was entirely different from killing outlaws.
Unlike outlaws, the settlers had done nothing wrong.
The same went for the Native Americans.
For someone as kind-hearted as Emma, forcing innocent people into dire straits for the sake of money was incomprehensible.
But…
“So, in short, Mr. Lloyd, you want me to handle driving them out?”
“…That’s right.”
“Alright.”
But I wasn’t like Emma.
“Can I start today?”
“Boss…!!”
Ignoring Emma’s outcry, I asked Lloyd.
Lloyd looked at my face and laughed heartily, nodding.
“I’d appreciate it if you did.”
“Yes, I’ll get started right away.”
Once this job is done, I can go home.
It’s the last one anyway…
It’s okay to revert to my old self for a bit.
In fact, this request from Lloyd was quite familiar to me.
If Lloyd is a capitalist thug…
Then I’m just a thug.
But this side of me must have been unfamiliar to Emma.
“…Boss.”
Emma looked at me with sorrowful eyes…
And tightly.
Grabbed my hand to stop me from leaving.
