Reborn in 1878: America's Number One Bandit

Chapter 128 Rifles That Shouldn't Have Appeared in 1878

In the third brokerage firm, which was packed with Americans.

An American fur merchant named Buck Carter was casually propping his dirty feet up on the table.

"Phelps, you coward, stop spouting nonsense. I came from Montana to make money!"

"1.5 Eagle Dollar? Why don't you just rob someone?"

"1.4, 1.4 Eagle dollars in premium per share, 43 Eagle dollars in exercise price, I'm betting all my $10,000. Damn it, either I make a fortune, or I'm going back to Montana and keep messing with those Grizzlies!"

"Deal, deal! Mr. Carter, you're such a decisive person!"

$10,000 divided by the premium of $1.40 per Eagle dollar equals 7,142 put options.

……

The naked chokehold plan has been quietly launched.

A financial trap has been set.

Total investment (Losen's biggest risk): $30,000.

Total leverage (controlled stock rights): 6,666 + 8,000 + 7,142 = 21,808 shares.

In the City of London, three speculators—Phelps, Lord Covington, and the American broker—were happily pocketing the $30,000.

They all thought they were the smartest winners of the night.

They were popping champagne, embracing their mistresses, and laughing at the three delusional country bumpkins.

However, they also unknowingly assumed the sacred obligation to buy those junk stocks at a high price of forty-four or forty-five dollars when NPC's stock price crashed.

Latham?
Completely unaware.

These three transactions were private, decentralized, and interspersed among countless everyday contracts.

Even with his keen banker's eyes, he couldn't see the dark undercurrent that was quietly creeping in from across the ocean, about to drag him into the abyss!

When Lawson walked out of the bathroom, he didn't even bother to grab the towel hanging next to him.

Because Marlene was waiting outside the door.

Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her blue eyes, under the dim corridor lights, resembled two pools of spring water melted by moonlight.

She was holding a soft, white bath towel in her hands.

“Mr. Lawson…”

She stepped forward and skillfully wiped the water droplets from his chest and back.

Through the soft towel, her fingertips could clearly feel the terrifying, volcanic power beneath that body.

“Sophia’s husband, that Aaron Bryant,”

"That's just how he is, all talk and no action, and he's so arrogant. Please don't get angry at the nonsense he spouts."

Lawson paused for a moment.

The woman was terrified that she would be offended by a few words of nonsense from her foolish relatives.

Lawson smiled.

“They are your guests, Marlene.”

Why would I make things difficult for you?

He leaned down slightly, getting closer to her.

The humid heat, a mixture of the fresh scent of soapberry and a strong masculine aroma, washed over Marlene's face.

"Don't worry, I'm a very generous person."

“Oh… Lawson…”

Marlene's knees buckled, and she almost couldn't stand up.

This man who controls everything about her...

She was willing to tolerate a stupid relative who buzzed like a fly for the sake of this lowly farm widow.

Marlene's heart was overwhelmed by passionate love.

She suddenly stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips hard against Lawson's.

"night……"

Marlene's chest heaved violently.

"I'll give you a surprise after Lucy falls asleep."

Dinner was so lavish that Sofia and her husband, along with Avril Fanning, once again felt an unreal sense of separation.

Thick-cut black bear steaks, sizzling in butter and rosemary, are firm and bursting with a wild, caramelized aroma.

The roasted pumpkin, sprinkled with cinnamon and caramelized nuts, is so sweet and tender that it makes your tongue tingle.

A large bowl of golden, steaming cornbread, as soft as a cloud.

And a bottle of red wine from Bordeaux, France, which Aaron Bryant had only ever seen on the wine lists of San Francisco's most upscale restaurants.

After the initial shock, Aaron Bryant's pathetic sense of superiority, fueled by alcohol, returned to his greasy face.

"Ha! Marlene! My dear, uh... sister!"

He roughly tore off a large piece of bear steak and stuffed it into his mouth, which was covered in hair oil, with oil dripping down his scraggly beard.

"You're so extravagant! Hiccup!"

He gulped down a large mouthful of the expensive red wine.

"This wine is good! It's almost as good as the one our boss Latham drank when he treated us at the Pacific Club!"

He quickly became drunk.

Or perhaps he deliberately got himself drunk.

Only under the cover of alcohol could he suppress the inferiority complex twisted by jealousy.

He began to boast loudly about the grand plans he was about to embark on at the Sausalito dock.

He boasted about how he cleverly hid in the safest wine cellar of the Montgomery department store during the San Francisco riots, when in reality he was so scared that he wet his pants and didn't dare to come out for two days.

He boasted about how much his dozens of employees respected him.

“I’m telling you, those damn Irish bastards, and… uh… those Italians, they’re a bunch of uncivilized savages! They’re only fit to lick my boots!”

Sofia lowered her head in embarrassment, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

She kicked her husband's legs desperately, but only received a louder, alcohol-smelling roar in return.

In contrast, Lawson displayed a captivating level of refinement.

He ate quietly, his movements as he cut the bear steak were steady and deliberate, without making a single harsh sound of clinking cutlery.

He will take care of everyone at the table.

"Marlene, your bear chops are cooked to perfection. They're far better than those so-called French chefs."

"Lucy, eat slowly, don't choke. There's still plenty of bear steak left."

As Avril Fanning listened to Aaron Bryant's praises, she finally couldn't hold back anymore, her heartstrings trembling, and she began to recount her husband's misfortunes with tears in her eyes...

“He just wanted to go back to his office to get a damn document,” Avril sobbed, wiping her eyes with her fragrant handkerchief. “Those damn thugs stormed in, and by the time I saw him again, he’d been killed by those beasts…”

Aaron's boasting came to an abrupt halt, and he let out a slightly disappointed burp.

Sofia could only pat her best friend's back helplessly, not knowing what to say.

Lawson put down his knife and fork.

He gazed at Avril's beautiful face, which was streaked with tears, and remained silent for a moment.

"Mrs. Fanning, I am very sorry for what happened to you."

Avril looked at him with teary eyes.

“Life is like a long journey.” Lawson said with a calmness that seemed to have seen through life and death: “We are all just passersby in each other’s lives. Some people can accompany us for a while, while others will get off the train early.”

"He has completed his part."

Lawson's deep black eyes were fixed on Avril: "But your journey continues."

"The important thing is that you walk the road ahead well."

"!!!"

Avril Fanning was stunned.

Tears still clung to her eyelashes in her red, swollen blue eyes.

"Walk well on the road ahead..."

God!

This Eastern man, he truly saw right through her soul!

He didn't spout nonsense like a priest would about God's will or to accept the inevitable.

He was encouraging her! Encouraging her to move forward!

Avril's heart began to pound wildly!

Looking at Lawson's handsome face, she felt that this man was a million times more charming than any gentleman she had ever met!
Aaron Bryant was quickly passed out from drinking.

He slumped in his chair like a dead pig, snoring loudly.

"Second Dog, Third Dog!"

Lawson called out.

The two men came in, one grabbed Aaron's arm and the other lifted his leg, dragged him out of the restaurant and threw him into the guest room.

"Oh God... this is so embarrassing." Sofia covered her face in embarrassment.

“It’s alright, darling,” Marlene comforted her with a smile.

The women chatted for a while longer, mainly Avril, who excitedly asked Lawson some questions about Eastern philosophy.

Finally, night fell.

Sophia took Marlene's hand and made her request: "Sister, Aaron is going to take up his post at the Sausalito docks tomorrow. You know, things have just calmed down in San Francisco, and the docks are bound to be a chaotic battlefield..."

"He plans to settle in first. Until then, could we stay with you for a few days? I promise, we'll leave as soon as Aaron is settled!"

Marlene's eyes widened in surprise: "Oh, Sophia! I'm so glad you're staying a few more days! You can stay as long as you like!"

"Great!" Lucy cheered. "Tomorrow I'll ask Uncle Er Gou to take us hunting! Auntie, Aunt Avril, let me tell you, Uncle Er Gou's archery is amazing! He can hit birds flying in the sky!"

Avril Fanning also smiled and said that she would be happy to stay in the countryside for a few more days to relax.

The night was completely deep.

All sounds are silent.

Lucy was breathing evenly in the next room.

Marlene quietly lifted the covers and slipped on her favorite silk nightgown.

She slipped out of the room barefoot.

She arrived at Lawson's door.

The door was not locked.

She slipped inside.

Sofia was not asleep.

Her and Aaron's room was directly below Lawson's room.

Aaron's snoring was like pulling a broken bellows, with a heavy emphasis, deafeningly loud.

"Snoring... snoring..."

Sofia pulled the blanket up in disgust, trying to block out the noise.

Her mind was filled with the earth-shattering changes in her sister's family.

That beautiful house, those magnificent horses, those imposing Chinese servants, and that mysterious Mr. Lawson.

My sister... she...

Sofia sighed inwardly.

She was happy for her sister, truly.

at this time……

A very slight creaking sound came from the ceiling.

Was that the sound of the bed shaking?
Sofia froze.

Immediately afterwards, she heard a woman's suppressed sob.
No, that wasn't a sob.

Sofia's face flushed crimson. Of course she knew what that sound was!
My sister and that Mr. Lawson...

Sofia's first reaction was absurdity and shock.

But then, it turned into a sense of understanding.

My sister is, after all, a widow.

Moreover, she was a mature, healthy widow in the prime of her life.

That Mr. Lawson… oh God…

Sophia's mind was filled with images of Lawson's sweat-soaked, hormone-fueled muscles.

She swallowed.

Well... my sister doesn't have a husband, and Mr. Lawson seems to be single as well.

That is their freedom.

Sofia rolled over, trying to stop herself from listening and thinking.

Perhaps this is for the best.

Having a strong man to rely on is always better than struggling alone.

But as she listened... she realized something was wrong!

Ten minutes have passed...

Half an hour has passed...

Sofia's eyes widened.

The sound continued!
An hour has passed...

Sofia was stunned.

She began to doubt her life.

Why is it still ringing?
Was Mr. Lawson made of steel? Or did he have a steam engine mounted on his waist?

Two hours...

“Crackle…Crackle…Crackle…”

The sound seemed to be an eternal metronome, pounding wildly in Sophia's ears and in her mind!

Her husband beside her...

"Hoo... snort..."

Aaron Bryant was sleeping like a dead pig that had just finished rolling in the mud.

At this moment, Sofia's thoughts presented an extremely absurd contrast.

She and Aaron...

Each time, from the moment his greasy body pressed down on me until he hastily finished and rolled off...

"perhaps……"

Sofia thought blankly.

"It only takes a few tens of seconds, right?"

Another violent shaking, as if it were about to tear the house apart, came from the ceiling, accompanied by Marlene's scream—a scream that was hard to tell if it was for help or meant to kill her…

Sofia could no longer hold back.

She shoved Aaron hard.

"Snoring... Hmm?" Aaron smacked his lips twice, turned over, and continued sleeping.

As Sophia looked at her husband's fat, loose back, a surge of anger, a mixture of disgust, loathing, and extreme jealousy, rushed to the top of her head.

She turned around abruptly and covered her head tightly with the blanket.

……

the next day.

When Aaron Bryant, still hungover, was picked up by his driver and driven off to take up his post at the Sausalito docks...

Sofia, sporting two incredibly dark circles under her eyes, walked down the stairs in a daze.

Then she saw a radiant Marlene.

Marlene was humming a little tune as she set out fresh toast and milk on the table.

Her steps were light, and her rosy cheeks radiated a full, almost overflowing glow.

Good morning, Sofia!

Marlene greeted her cheerfully, "Oh my goodness, darling, what's wrong? Didn't you sleep well last night? Was the bed uncomfortable?"

Sophia's eye twitched violently.

She pulled out a chair listlessly and sat down: "It's all because of you!"

"Huh?" Marlene was taken aback, then she realized something.

"You...you heard that?" she stammered.

"Hmph!" Sophia rolled her eyes in annoyance. "You guys practically ripped the roof off! It's impossible for me not to hear you!"

Marlene's face was practically bleeding; she was so ashamed she wanted to disappear into the ground.

Sofia waved her hand, indicating that she didn't want to pursue the matter.

She suddenly leaned closer, her bloodshot eyes sparkling with gossip and curiosity!
"Sister," she asked in a low voice, almost in a whisper, "I won't ask anything else. I'm just curious about one thing..."

She leaned close to Marlene's ear and quickly whispered a question in her ear.

Marlene was so shy she almost fainted, but under Sophia's eager gaze, she nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Oh...my...God..."

Sophia gasped.

She actually started to envy her older sister!

"What are you talking about? It's so mysterious."

Avril Fanning also walked down looking refreshed.

Today she changed out of her black mourning clothes and wore a light gray dress, and even applied a thin layer of lipstick.

"nothing!"

"Let's talk about the weather!"

Marlene and Sophia, like startled rabbits, immediately changed the subject.

Avril glanced at them suspiciously, but didn't ask any further questions.

She's in a great mood right now.

"Marlene."

Avril picked up her milk and took a small sip. "I've discovered I love it here. The air is so fresh, a hundred times better than that awful coal smoke in San Francisco. I'm wondering if I should buy a piece of land around here?"

Marlene was taken aback: "What's so great about this place? It's just the countryside. As for me... I was thinking of moving to the city when Lucy is a little older."

Marlene gave a casual reply.

After finishing his breakfast, Lawson ignored the three women, each with their own agenda.

He moved a deck chair to the porch, put on his wide-brimmed hat to shield himself from the glaring sun, and began to sunbathe.

At the same time, his consciousness traveled several miles to San Francisco.

Ross Precision.

No, it has officially changed its name to Suzaku Precision.

Larger-scale factory buildings are rising from the ground in the hands of the construction team at Panshi Construction.

On a sheet of drawing paper, Lawson drew a design for a rifle that should never have existed in this era.

Lee-Metford rifle.

This is the perfect choice after careful selection by Lawson.

It was not the most advanced rifle in later generations.

But it was 1878, the ultimate glory of the gunpowder era!
Lawson knew all too well the advantages of this gun.

The current ace rifle in service in the United States of America is the Springfield M1873.

That's just a fire poker!
.
Large-caliber black powder shells of 45-70mm are powerful enough.

But its damn trapdoor (breech loading)...

Fire one shot, pull open the door, eject the spent cartridge, take a new bullet from the belt, insert it, close the door, and aim...

A well-trained veteran who can fire 10 shots per minute on the shooting range is a fucking genius!

Once on the battlefield, hundreds of Indian lunatics on horseback charged at you, and with a slight tremor of their hands, even that damned trap door could get stuck!
But what about Suzaku?
Lawson's gaze fell on the core of the blueprints: the revolutionary, detachable 10-round box magazine.
And that simple, efficient, and robust rear-locking rotary bolt!

what does this mean?
This means that a farmer who has only been trained for a few days can pick up this gun and shove all 10 bullets into the enemy's chest in ten seconds!

This is not a war on a single dimension!

This is a rifle versus a stick!
Not to mention, Lawson also included Metford polygonal rifling.

Compared to traditional rifling, it is less prone to accumulating black powder residue, easier to clean, and more precise!
This gun...

A cold smile curled at the corner of Lawson's mouth.

Its only drawback is that it was born at the wrong time in history.

It was first introduced into service with the British Army in 1888, and not long after, smokeless gunpowder was invented.

Its rifling could not withstand the high pressure of smokeless powder and was quickly replaced by the Lee-Enfield.

It was a fleeting phenomenon.

However, smokeless gunpowder has not yet been developed.

This decade will be the golden age of Suzaku!
Lawson has already named it Suzaku No. 0, Model 1878.

Before the first batch of steel arrives and production officially begins, there is one more thing that must be done first.

"patent".

Lawson wasn't naive enough to only apply for a patent for a rifle design.

What he wants is a patent trap.

An impenetrable patent barrier built using his knowledge, which is 150 years ahead of its time.

He quickly wrote down the instructions on another sheet of paper:
The core of the patent is the "box magazine feeding system," which has been filed in both the United States and the United Kingdom, focusing on protecting the two main structures: the detachable and the spring-loaded follower.

Patent No. 2, "Rotating Rear Locking Bolt," focuses on protecting the linkage design between bolt rotation and receiver locking.

Patent No. 3, "Suzaku-style polygonal rifling," was specifically designed to annoy factories that attempted to copy gun barrels.

Patent No. 4 for "Adjustable sight"!
Patent No. 5 for "Full Gun Shape Design"!
A complete, interconnected, and multi-layered patent portfolio.

Any reputable arms company, such as Winchester, Remington, or the British BSA...

If they dare to copy any of the core components of the Suzaku 0, they will immediately fall into this trap.

They will face endless lawsuits from the legal department of Suzaku Seiko.

“Of course…” Lawson’s attention shifted from the blueprints.

He knew very well that patents could only keep out those respectable gentlemen.

We can't stop those unseemly hyenas.

For example, a hostile country, a private arms dealer hiding in Mexico, or even a large, unruly family on the East Coast.

If they dare to conduct large-scale, factory-level, or even nation-level imitation...

A mocking smile curled at the corner of Lawson's lips.

The fact that the U.S. federal army cannot reach certain places does not mean that Lawson's airborne troops cannot.

Just because the federal government can't control a company doesn't mean that Lawson's gang can't.

Piracy? Counterfeiting?
Who the hell would dare to do that?
Lawson's consciousness switched to Ross Chemical, today's Suzaku Chemical Laboratory.

The assassins there are testing a new batch of high-concentration nitroglycerin.

Anyone who dares to counterfeit it will be parachuted in, and the factory and its owner will be blown to bits!

They even scattered his ashes!

P.S.: I was originally going to post earlier today, but after checking the data, I found that shorting was too difficult, so I scrapped it and rewrote it. A bearish plan is better.

(End of this chapter)