Chapter 244: The Money-Making Plan
Davey became Fellowes’s confidant.
In his previous life’s game storyline, if the player controlled Arthur and spoke with Fellowes, he would say, “This place changes people. Even the best of them slowly wear down here.”
That line reflected the problems festering within the Eastern newspaper industry—problems that left steadfast idealists like Fellowes feeling utterly hopeless.
Perhaps that was why Fellowes had chosen to come West. He simply no longer wanted to stay there.
Years had hollowed him out. Here, he drowned himself in daily pleasures, gradually numbing his spirit.
After all, in the West there was no one he could truly talk to about his ideals for the newspaper industry.
Not until Davey appeared today, filling the emptiness in his heart.
It was easy to see that this would lay a solid foundation for Davey’s eventual entry into the newspaper business.
The newspaper industry was something Davey had to control—and it was vital.
Whether for Valentine as a base of operations, or for all of West Elizabeth, New Hanover, and Lemoyne, newspapers could be used to shape public opinion, strengthen public trust, and reinforce his authority.
That kind of influence carried enormous weight when it came to votes.
In the United States, as long as you had enough votes, you could hold any office—mayor, city councilor, even governor.
By now, Davey’s ambitions were no longer limited to Valentine, or even Saint Denis.
He wanted all of Lemoyne, New Hanover, West Elizabeth—and eventually, the entire West.
Most intriguingly, because of the unique structure of the country, Davey could even draft laws within his own territory.
Just like in later eras, if the federal authorities pushed too far, he could stir up popular sentiment, push for independence, and even build his own armed force.
Of course, all of that had to be done step by step.
Fellowes was the perfect beginning.
Davey’s efforts—spending so much time and energy learning about the Eastern newspaper industry—had not been wasted.
...
On the other side, Dutch was also taking action.
They were gathering information—any leads that might turn into money-making opportunities.
Instinctively, none of them went anywhere near Davey.
Even Arthur, who wanted to exchange a few words with him, ultimately gave up because of Dutch.
At the banquet, the mayor ran into some trouble—a drunk causing a scene.
Arthur stepped in and threw the drunkard out, which gave him an opportunity to meet the mayor.
Just then, a massive fireworks display exploded outside. The mayor’s butler, Pierre, came running in, saying that Cornwall was on the phone.
The moment Cornwall’s name was mentioned, Dutch’s expression changed.
Whether it was being hunted by the Pinkertons or Davey leaving the gang, both were closely tied to the earlier decision to rob Cornwall’s train.
“Arthur, find out everything related to Cornwall,” Dutch said.
“Alright.”
Following Dutch’s instructions, Arthur tailed Pierre to the mayor’s office.
Davey was well aware of what was happening, but he had no intention of interfering.
Arthur successfully obtained a ledger, along with letters concerning Bronte’s investment in Saint Denis University.
Once he had the items, he quickly regrouped with Dutch, who was waiting nearby.
Dutch asked quietly, “Anything?”
Arthur patted the inside of his jacket. “I think so.”
At that moment, Bill and Hosea arrived as well.
Bill immediately started complaining.
“There’s nothing at all. Coming here was a complete waste of time.”
It was obvious Bill was just there to make up the numbers.
“Not necessarily, Arthur, Dutch,” Hosea said. He clearly had gained something.
“Gentlemen, I think we should get going.”
Since Arthur had stolen something, Dutch was worried about being exposed. And with no weapons on them, leaving immediately was the sensible choice.
Having Davey there already made Dutch uneasy enough.
“Did you find anything?” Dutch asked Hosea.
“There’s definitely a lot of money moving in and out of this place. I think we could take some of it,” Hosea replied.
“A big bank. A real bank. Just not yet.”
Dutch frowned. “The city bank?”
“Maybe,” Hosea said. “Probably stacked with cash.”
“If we’re planning to leave, we might need it.”
Hosea had learned this from a man named Gilbert. He had pretended to be a banker, claiming connections with many financial institutions.
Gilbert was a senior manager at the Lemoyne National Bank in Saint Denis.
Many of Davey’s previous loans had passed through his hands.
Gilbert hadn’t expected to run into a con artist at the mayor’s banquet, so he casually shared some information about the Lemoyne bank with Hosea—enough to pique Hosea’s interest.
Dutch also shared what he had learned.
“Mr. Bronte mentioned a tram station to us. I also heard about a high-stakes Texas Hold’em game.”
The poker game was being held on a yacht. In the game’s storyline from Davey’s previous life, Arthur had indeed gone there—and made a fair amount of money.
The information came from Jameson, the warden of Sisica Prison.
That was the very prison Arthur and Sadie broke into to rescue John in the game’s story.
Jameson loved gambling, but this yacht gathering was reserved for the truly wealthy. Regretfully, he didn’t qualify.
Dutch had heard about it from him.
Author's Note
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