Reborn in 1878: America's Number One Bandit

Chapter 81 He killed us!
"Wait a moment!"

Old Pinkerton spoke with a trembling voice, his old face flushed with excitement: "You...you see all of this clearly! You've analyzed this crisis more thoroughly than any banker or politician I know!"

"You must have a solution, right?"

"Hahahahaha!"

Lawson laughed heartily and gave old Pinkerton a thumbs up: "Old man, you're really smart, so smart that I can't bear to kill you!"

"That's right, of course I have a solution, it just depends on whether you're willing to."

"We definitely would!"

Old Pinkerton straightened the wrinkles in his clothes, forcing himself to regain his composure at the negotiating table.

"Please tell me more."

"It's very simple."

Lawson's expression turned serious: "Since this country does not allow the existence of a private army, then you should cease to be a private army."

"The order, intelligence, and security that you are so proud of can all become commodities, not rights."

Ultimately, you need a baptism, a transformation from head to toe.

"All of this is contingent on Pinkerton National Detective Agency agreeing to be acquired."

"Acquisition?"

William and Robert both lost their voices.

Isn't this just taking everything away from them?

"Yes, it's an acquisition."

Lawson ignored the two men and quietly watched old Pinkerton.

"Acquired by a completely new company that has nothing to do with all your bloody past."

"Of course, in recognition of the Pinkerton family's contributions, your family can retain 10% of the shares in the new company."

"Think about it carefully. In this way, you will go from being butchers and public enemies to being respectable shareholders. And in the future, you will be richer and safer than you are now!"

"With such a good result, all you need to do is relinquish control."

Old Pinkerton seemed to be deep in thought.

He realized that the bandit was not joking.

If his prophecy is true, then Pinkerton's empire will sooner or later fall apart and be torn apart by the government and the people.

Now this person handed him a contract.

A devil's contract that trades dignity and control for wealth and survival!

If you don't sign, your whole family will die tonight.

"Then, which company acquired it?"

"That's not the point!"

Lawson waved his hand impatiently: "The point is, do you agree to be acquired or not? As long as you agree, I can register a company tomorrow, whether it's called White Tiger Holdings or American Security, who the hell cares?"

Old Pinkerton slowly closed his eyes, resigned to his fate!
"One last request."

He opened his eyes, his last vestige of dignity: "Can we keep the name Pinkerton?"

Lawson stared at him for a few seconds.

“Yes, the Pinkerton brand is still worth some money. It will continue to exist as a subsidiary of the new company.”

"it is good."

Pinkerton finally lowered his head: "We agree."

"Hahahahahaha!"

Lawson burst into hearty laughter again, filling all three of their glasses to the brim.

Cheers to our new collaboration!

William and Robert, like zombies, also raised their glasses under the pressure of the guns behind them.

Old Pinkerton raised his glass with a bitter expression and lightly clinked it against Lawson's.

"Drink this glass of wine."

Old Pinkerton looked at Lawson: "Sir, I should at least know what my new boss's name is."

Lawson downed the drink in his glass in one gulp, his smile enigmatic: "A name is just a symbol, Mr. Allen."

"I don't even know my boss's name."

"Now, you only need to do two things: one, prepare all the legal documents for the acquisition, and don't try anything funny."

“Otherwise, even if you hide in the bedroom of the Presidential Palace in Washington, my partners can still twist your heads off while you sleep!”

"The second thing is to immediately recall those three hundred idiots of yours, Thorne, Kane, and their men!"

“They are now my property, and I don’t want my property to suffer any further loss.”

After saying that, Lawson walked up to old Pinkerton and politely gave him a gentlemanly bow.

"I apologize for any offense I may have caused you tonight and for any inconvenience I may have. I would like to offer you a gift as an apology."

"What……"

William and Robert were a bit stunned; what was this guy up to now?

Lawson grinned and casually grabbed the revolver on the table.

While the Pinkerton father and sons were completely bewildered, he pointed the cold muzzle of the gun at his temple.

"Oh? What's wrong with you?!"

William and Robert couldn't understand what this madman was up to.

"Sweet dreams, Mr. Allen!"

boom!
The trigger was pulled, and the bullet pierced the skull.

The scalding, viscous liquid splashed all over their faces and bodies.

The bandit committed suicide right in front of them!
boom!boom!boom!boom!
At the same time, more than a dozen gunshots rang out from various places outside the study!

The remaining bandits all committed suicide.

William and Robert were completely stunned by this sudden turn of events.

A complete and utter outlaw.

Even when they had complete control of the situation, these people still chose to commit suicide.

Are they crazy?

"dad……"

Robert's teeth were chattering!
Old Pinkerton shivered and wiped the warmth from his face.

At this moment, he felt a chill he had never experienced before in his life!
William was on the verge of collapse: "Should we investigate the backgrounds of these people?"

"No, don't complicate things."

After a long pause, old Pinkerton finally made a decision: "Dispose of the bodies, don't make a fuss, and don't investigate these people!"

"Send a telegram immediately! Bring Thorne and Kane back! Bring all our people from Northern California back!"

"But why did they commit suicide?" Robert still didn't understand.

Old Pinkerton looked at his two sons and sighed, "He didn't just kill himself, he killed the entire Pinkerton family!"

Odell Farm, Marin County.

Lawson opened his eyes.

This was the first time he had fully experienced the feeling of death; how to put it, the feeling was very strange.

It's like diving into a bottomless trench—cold, suffocating, and stripping away even your sense of time.

He sat up and rubbed his temples.

This act of suicide certainly seems like that of a madman.

A kind of illogical and incomprehensible madness.

But Lawson knew very well that without doing this, he wouldn't be able to scare away a ruthless old fox like Alan Pinkerton.

When dealing with a ruthless tyrant who rose to power through violence and intrigue, trying to reason with him or talk about interests will only make him think you are weak and easily bullied. He will then turn around and use a hundred different methods to investigate and turn against you.

You can only be crazier than him!
You can only intimidate the old man when you demonstrate a terror that allows you to control even death at will.

The final bullet was the ideological imprint that Lawson left on the Pinkerton family.

He wanted to make the father and son understand that they were facing a transcendent power that they could not possibly resist.

Their elite agents were nothing but dregs. Thinking this, Lawson shook his head and smiled.

When you're out and about, the persona you project is something you create for yourself.

From this day forward, the mastermind behind those thugs will be seen by the Pinkerton family as a devil who can control life and death.

well.

Acquiring the Pinkerton Detective Agency was actually a well-thought-out strategic move.

The system has now been upgraded to level 9, with 76 assassins deployed daily.

Although this number is huge, before this, it was like a pile of loose sand.

They are like dandelions, scattered everywhere.

But Pinkerton is different.

This private armed group, the largest in the United States with branches in every state, is the skeleton that Lawson has been searching for.

Once the acquisition is complete, each of Pinkerton's locations in Chicago, New York, Denver, and St. Louis will become Lawson's coordinates and intelligence stations.

His henchmen will follow the company's established network, quickly infiltrate and control every corner of the United States.

What are the so-called flaws and crises in the history of the Pinkerton Detective Agency?
For example, the Anti-Pinkton Act, which is bound to be introduced in the future?
Lawson, on the other hand, wasn't worried at all.

The reason those bills came about is simply because Alan Pinkerton was not powerful enough, and his violence remained within a controllable range, which is why Congress and state governments were wary of and restricted him.

Everything will be different once Lawson takes over.

Pinkon the White Tiger's strength will undergo a qualitative transformation.

It is no longer the capitalist's henchman, but a Leviathan lurking in the shadows.

If any member of parliament or party dares to introduce a similar bill again, fine, then let him, his family, and his lackeys all be silenced from this world forever!
In short, Lawson was in a good mood at the moment.

"Crash..."

A clear sound of running water came from the washroom next door.

Lawson raised an eyebrow; it seemed Mrs. Marlene was already using the newly installed oak bathtub.

He has a very technical question that needs to be studied.

……

Meanwhile, in San Francisco's Chinatown.

The night was deep, and a sweet, rotten smell permeated the air.

That's the smell of opium.

Ryūshīdō.

This is one of the largest casinos in Chinatown, and also the location of Master Lung's headquarters.

In the back room, a large room filled with smoke was illuminated by a dozen kerosene lamps.

A middle-aged man wearing a gray suit vest and with a slicked-back braid was bowing as he gave a report.

His name is A-Chang, the head manager of Longzhitang Casino.

"Master Long, this month, after deducting the tea money for the spies and other expenses, the net income from the public funds is 3,600 Hong Kong dollars, plus 1,200 Hong Kong dollars in greenbacks."

As he spoke, Achang opened a leather suitcase.

One half of the contents were neatly stacked Morgan Eagle dollars, while the other half were stacks of green US dollars.

"There are more and more railway tycoons and miners getting rich lately, and we don't have enough tables in the venue. My suggestion is, could we add six more tables on the east side?"

In the main seat, a lean old man was half-reclining on a grand chair covered with a tiger skin.

This person is Long Zhi.

Long Zhi looked to be at least sixty years old, with a thin face, sunken eyes, a goatee on his chin, and a white braid hanging down his back.

A voluptuous young woman stood behind him, slowly and meticulously combing his bald braid with an ivory comb.

Mai Ling has a pair of classic phoenix eyes, which are alluring and charming, yet her lips are pursed with a hint of coldness.

She was Master Long's woman and also his most capable assistant.

Long Zhi squinted, as if he were asleep, and didn't even glance at the box full of money.

How long will the rectification take?

Achang was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "I've calculated it. The carpentry and masonry will take at least a month and a half, and two months if we're on a tight schedule..."

"Twenty days."

Long Zhi interrupted him: "During the rectification period, everyone will receive half salary!"

"what?"

Ah Chang's face fell immediately: "Master Long, twenty days? This...this labor cost..."

"roll."

Long Zhi uttered a single word.

Achang didn't dare utter another word and quickly put down his suitcase and left.

“Mai Ling”.

With his eyes closed, Long Zhi asked calmly, "Over in Strawberry Town, has there been any news about that bastard Liang Kuan?"

Mai Ling paused for a moment.

"They couldn't find him. The people they sent said Liang Kuan seemed to have vanished into thin air. But most of the pigs at the construction site were found."

"Oh?"

"They are working in a large apple orchard north of Strawberry Town. I heard the pay is very high, one silver dollar a day, plus room and board."

"Oh?"

Long Zhi slowly opened his eyes: "One yuan a day? Which fool is wasting money like this?"

Mai Ling shook her head: "I only know that the farm is under the name of an American, but I heard that the person in charge is also Chinese."

"Oh, so you're Chinese too?"

Long Zhi suddenly sneered: "Then investigate thoroughly and send a few of the smarter brothers over there."

"If that brat doesn't have some powerful background, humph, I'll kill him!"

"They dare to steal my Longzhitang's pigs, they're really asking for it! As for those hundred-odd laborers, since they're so unruly, tie them all up, contact Dwarf Tiger, and sell them to the mines in Nevada! Damn it, a bunch of ungrateful dogs!"

Mai Ling's almond-shaped eyes brightened: "What about that American's 10,000-acre orchard? I heard that land is incredibly large, it's a huge fortune, shouldn't we think of something..."

"idiot!"

Long Zhi slapped Mai Ling's buttocks with his backhand.

Mai Ling gave a soft snort, biting her lip, and didn't dare to move.

"A 10,000-acre orchard? That's a good thing, but it's also an eyesore!"

Long Zhi said sternly, "If you snatch it, can you keep it? Tomorrow the cops and those Pinkerton bastards will be coming to our door. We're here to strike it rich, not to die! We only make money we're sure of making, understand?"

Long Zhi seemed genuinely angry, and he began coughing violently as soon as he finished speaking.

Mai Ling quickly put down the comb, went around to the front, knelt down and massaged his legs, saying softly, "It was Mai Ling who was short-sighted."

Long Zhi caught his breath and his expression softened.

"You, and that little bastard Li Yong."

Long Zhi's voice was devoid of emotion: "Are you planning to interfere in the black soil business in Chinatown?"

Mai Ling's body stiffened for a moment, then she calmly said, "Everyone knows that the black soil business is the most profitable business in Chinatown. The Teochew guys from Heweitang rely on this. In recent years, they have become strong and powerful, and they are almost riding on our heads."

"If we, Longzhitang, don't intervene, we'll be swallowed up by them sooner or later!"

"Foolish!" Long Zhi said coldly.

"This is a rule we established with the Hewei Hall years ago. They deal in black soil, and we deal in pigs. We keep to ourselves! Are you trying to cross the line and start a fight between the two halls? Chinatown is such a big area, isn't it enough for you to cause trouble?"

Mai Ling lowered her eyes.

Give up? She wasn't willing to give up!
Why should Longzhitang only be able to do the most arduous and tiring pig trade, while watching Heweitang make a fortune by selling bags of black soil?
This old man is really old and has lost his courage!

But for now, she doesn't dare to resist.

"You're in charge, Master Long."

She slowly untied the silk robe draped over her shoulders, which slid down her smooth skin and piled up at her ankles.

Beneath the robe, there was no clothing.

(End of this chapter)