Chapter 221: A Banquet Invitation
Davey’s garment factory venture had not been going smoothly. Many unseen players were causing trouble behind the scenes, likely hoping to pressure him into giving up a portion of his profits.
Owning two garment factories was enough to draw plenty of envy. Quite a few officials—and certain other interested parties—were eager to get a share of the benefits, while some competitors resorted to underhanded tactics.
Davey chose not to engage with them directly, instead breaking the impasse through Mrs. Berry.
The results were immediate and striking.
Factory permits that had been stuck in bureaucratic limbo were all approved the very next day after Davey met with Mrs. Berry, a pace that far exceeded normal procedures.
“You’d already anticipated something like this happening, hadn’t you, Davey?”
“Maybe you were already thinking of Mrs. Berry when you turned down the labor union.”
Holding the freshly issued permits, Stella spoke with clear excitement.
Davey smiled and said, “In a city like Saint Denis, things are completely different from the untamed West. Here, we have to operate within the rules. And when you can get help from the people who make those rules, a lot of problems suddenly become much easier.”
“It’s the same principle as the law you studied, isn’t it, Stella?”
Stella wrapped her arms around Davey and kissed him hard on the cheek, leaving behind a bright red lipstick mark.
“Oh, Davey, it’s such a pity you didn’t study law in college,” she said.
“If you had, you would’ve shocked everyone. You’re a true genius.”
In Stella’s eyes, Davey had always been intelligent, but he had never gone to college.
Yet the way he handled things now made him seem like one of the top students in college.
No—even the best graduates couldn’t compare to him.
Feeling Stella’s enthusiasm, Davey rested his hand on her waist. The burning warmth under his palm stirred a wave of restlessness in his heart.
Even though it was still daytime, it did nothing to stop what Davey had in mind.
...
An hour later.
Stella lay limp in Davey’s arms.
“If you keep this up, I won’t be able to work today,” she whispered softly into his ear.
Feeling the softness of her body, Davey replied casually, “In that case, I suppose I’ll have to dock a day’s pay.”
Sensing his movement, Stella let out a muffled groan and cried out, “Oh, you damn capitalist—are you trying to squeeze me completely dry?”
Davey answered without the slightest hesitation, “Of course.”
…
Meanwhile, at the Shady Belle base.
After completing Bronte’s task, Dutch led Sean MacGuire and Arthur to Bronte’s mansion in Saint Denis to collect the reward they were owed.
With John gone, Sean had become Dutch’s new focus for cultivation.
Sean’s marksmanship was terrible, and his mouth was foul, but he still had decent natural talent—provided he was willing to put in the effort.
More importantly, the gang was running short on young blood, leaving Dutch with few other options.
Unlike the storyline from Dutch’s previous life, the absence of the Little Jack incident meant his meeting with Bronte was not tense. It was relatively amicable.
Bronte knew that Davey had once been a member of the Van der Linde Gang and wanted to draw Dutch closer.
After paying Dutch for dealing with the Braithwaite family, he assigned another simple task: retrieve hidden jewelry from a group of grave robbers.
For Arthur, this was clearly an easy job.
While Arthur and Sean went to deal with the grave robbers, Dutch stayed behind at the mansion, chatting with Bronte.
“Mr. Van der Linde, you’re familiar with the name Davey, aren’t you? I’ve heard he was once part of your gang.”
At the mention of Davey, Dutch frowned slightly.
“He’s no longer one of mine, Mr. Bronte. He left the gang a long time ago. Whatever he’s doing now has little to do with me.”
Hearing this, Bronte guessed that there had been some unpleasant history between Davey and Dutch.
“Of course, his affairs wouldn’t concern Mr. Van der Linde,” Bronte said smoothly. “I’ve heard he’s acquired two large garment factories and is preparing to enter the clothing business.”
“Still, his most profitable venture remains bootlegging. In Rhodes, at Caliga Hall, near the slaughterhouse close to Saint Denis—that place has now become his distillery.”
“It’s far larger than my old operation ever was. An excellent location. If Mr. Van der Linde has the time, perhaps you could go and have a look.”
Noticing the friction between Dutch and Davey, Bronte immediately began fanning the flames, subtly widening the rift between them.
He knew the Van der Linde Gang possessed gunslingers who were every bit as formidable as Davey at his peak.
If he could set the Van der Linde Gang against Davey, it would be a very profitable outcome.
“Perhaps I will take a look,” Dutch replied coolly. “Thank you for the tip, Mr. Bronte.”
Dutch’s expression darkened. The more successful Davey became, the more it felt like a slap in the face.
Still, it wasn’t enough to push him into openly targeting Davey.
Bronte smiled and continued, “There are many people in Saint Denis who want a share of Davey’s moonshine business, and he’s planning to release a sizable portion of the profits.”
“In a week, the mayor will host a banquet. The theme will be the distribution of profits from Davey’s moonshine. Most of Saint Denis’s upper class will be there—it should be a very lavish affair.”
“If you have the time, Mr. Van der Linde, you might consider attending. I can provide several invitations.”
Dutch, eager to make a big score in Saint Denis, had no intention of missing such an opportunity.
Even if he thoroughly disliked the current Davey.
“Thank you for the invitation, Mr. Bronte,” Dutch said. “I’ll be there on time.”
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