“No, it’s my first time seeing this.”
“If you’re thinking of settling down in Kansas, you’d better get close to that guy.”
“You can tell at a glance that he’s a different breed from us. He’s obviously from the East and was born into a wealthy family.”
“That’s why we need to get even closer.”
At first glance, it seemed like it was meant for James, but in reality, heat was blooming in Max’s eyes.
Maybe it’s the desire to belong to that category.
“Excuse me, but could you please break the bridge with the author?”
“What are you going to do?”
“I need to get a job. Just drop a line. There’s a gunman who caught the Five Joaquins gang.”
Anyway, the California Rangers probably heard the rumor that Max Joe, not James, was the one who caught the gang.
“Working under Holiday?”
“I have to do what I’m good at. Besides, working with capitalists will help me in many ways.”
‘This guy, this guy. He’s ambitious.’
The more James learned about Max, the more he couldn’t guess Max’s personality.
I used to think it was just about survival, but now I see it as more than that.
At 18, it’s time to pursue your dreams and ideals.
But Max looked like a seasoned, failed businessman trying to make a comeback.
Suddenly, I remembered what Mary had been saying all along.
– Max is an old man and a slacker.
It may be a joke, but it makes a lot of sense.
“I was just thinking about your job anyway. That’s good.”
“Then don’t do it now. You should hurry and tell me before the holiday disappears.”
Mary urged James on, saying that it was going well.
“Sorry for the inconvenience.”
“No problem. I’ll be back soon.”
James immediately chased Holiday away from the square.
*
– Holiday, that guy has a really hot temper.
– How was it?
– He said he really wanted to meet me after I told him the story about taking down the gang. So I told him that I was staying at the inn and that he could come by any time.
But the holiday that was expected to come soon has been delayed for several days without any news.
Meanwhile, Max remained in the carriage.
‘You have to build up your stamina by eating well and exercising.’
Lee Mak-san’s body, which was on the verge of starvation, will need a considerable amount of time to recover.
The reason I followed James in the first place was to buy that time. I was only focused on building my body without getting bored.
As usual, James brought the food,
Max asked about the holidays.
“I heard you were hanging around the sheriff’s office yesterday.”
“is it so?”
‘What on earth are you doing? Are you cautious, suspicious, or… have you caught wind of my intentions?’
If you’ve been hanging around the sheriff’s office, you’ve probably gathered a lot of information. You might have figured out that there’s going to be a conflict with the California Rangers over the bounty soon.
‘If you’re that smart, you must enjoy working.’
I held out hope, but it remained to be seen what Holiday was thinking.
So it’s been three days since I stayed in Kansas City.
“Are you Max Joe?”
Suddenly a group of people came rushing into the barn behind the inn.
It was the California Rangers.
‘Why did you guys come first···’
*
A middle-aged man with long, curly hair and a mustache.
The plump man glares at Max with an intense gaze.
‘Open your eyes wide.’
At first glance, he was the captain leading the Rangers. The first impression wasn’t very good.
“I asked if you were Max Joe.”
“Yes, but.”
At best, he’s an oriental with a very skinny body.
The Ranger captain, who saw Max, clicked his tongue and opened his mouth.
“The Five Joaquins gang got beat up by some bloody coolie.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“You bastard. Do you think that makes any sense?”
When Max put his hand on his waist, the one who had shouted looked rather frightened.
The Rangers also flinched and took a step back.
‘You little shits, you punk.’
Judging from their reactions, it was clear that they had heard the rumors. Even though they said it was nonsense, their bodies were honest.
“I slept in a carriage, and there were a lot of bugs.”
As Max scratched his back, Captain Raynor’s eyes narrowed. Then he cleared his throat and continued speaking.
“I’m Captain Harry Love. I lead the California Rangers.”
‘Your name. Wait… Love?’
Murrieta, Three Fingered Jack, and Love…
‘I remembered. The Mask of Zorro!’
In the play, Zorro is the older brother of the deceased Murieta.
And he takes revenge on Love…
It’s not that important, but it feels strangely out of place that the villain in the movie is Love.
‘Is this kid a villain…?’
However, Zoro is just a fictional character, and in reality, Murrieta did not have an older brother.
Besides, Joaquin Murrieta was clearly a villain, judging by what he did to the James family.
While Max was thinking about this and that.
The bouncer who managed the inn intervened.
He asked Harry Love as if he had caught a fish.
“Did this Asian guy cause any trouble?”
“It’s none of your business.”
Harry Love opens his coat and reveals a gun.
The murderous aura of the dark men standing behind was not a simple threat either.
‘Why did the California Rangers crawl all the way here?’
The bouncer rolled his eyes and raised both hands.
“Whoa, woah, calm down. I was just worried something might happen at the inn.”
“If you know, get out.”
The bouncer slowly moved back.
But I had no intention of going and just watched the situation from a corner.
‘You’re from California, so I guess you came here to catch that guy.’
But Harry Love’s next words were different from what he had expected.
“Max Joe, your name has been spread all over the Oregon Trail.”
“Is that so?”
“You caught the Five Joaquins gang by yourself?”
‘Eek!’
The bouncer opened his eyes wide and took a deep breath.
At this point Max opened his mouth.
“I took care of him because he was acting up.”
“But why did you put someone else forward? Is it because of the bounty?”
“I’m not a U.S. citizen yet.”
“Just because of that?”
“I can’t think of any other reason.”
Harry Love’s eyes narrowed.
But perhaps because the corners of his eyes were droopy, he looked sleepy rather than sharp.
He glanced at the bouncer and said.
“How long are you going to be there?”
The other Rangers also looked at him.
The bouncer, sensing that the atmosphere was ominous, quickly took refuge in an inn.
As the bouncer disappeared, Harry Love spoke to Max again.
“Did you know that the Rangers were created to catch the Five Joaquins Gang?”
“well.”
“We’ve been chasing them for three months now. We took care of the two guys and almost caught their leader, Murieta, when you intercepted us.”
“The problem was that it came to me.”
“You should have just taken it.”
He shamelessly spouts out such stupid words.
“You have to take responsibility for making our efforts go down the drain.”
“But I don’t have the ability to bring it back to life.”
Harry Love burst into laughter at Max’s words.
“You’re no ordinary guy, judging by the way you play with words even in this situation. You definitely don’t look like one of those dirty, ignorant Chinese guys from California.”
“I am Korean.”
“Joseon… Well, wherever you come from. You need to disappear.”
“Would you get a bounty for doing that?”
Harry Love, with the corners of his lips raised, nods to his subordinate. He takes out the bundle hanging from his horse and unties it, revealing a large bottle of liquor.
And the bottle contained Murrieta’s head and hands.
‘Oh, that’s a surprise…’
They said they had already stopped by the sheriff’s office to identify the body and slit its throat.
“If you let it sit for ten years, wouldn’t the taste of the alcohol be amazing?”
Harry Love looked at the bottle of alcohol and even sipped it.
‘This guy is crazy.’
Max opened his mouth, pretending to be calm.
“Would the California Legislature offer a bounty for showing that?”
“If the beneficiary dies, we should take the body. Or we can catch an Asian guy similar to you and send him out.”
“So you’re going to kill me?”
“Well······Will I really kill only you?”
Harry Love makes a bitter mockery.
Now that you’ve brought James forward, does that mean he’s also become a target for murder?
His droopy eyes are not due to laziness, but rather the weight of greed and desire.
‘This kid, this guy. It wasn’t for nothing that he came out as a villain in Zoro.’
But, judging from the reason he showed me the bottle of alcohol he had soaked his head in and even chatted with me, I don’t think he came here to kill me.
Since it came in broad daylight, murder was likely a future option.
Ultimately, that’s what the California Rangers want.
‘You’re going to negotiate with me, that’s it.’
If you eat all the bounty, their resentment will reach the sky. Maybe later,
You should avoid making enemies right away.
After thinking about it, Max opened his mouth calmly.
“The California Legislature isn’t stupid. They wouldn’t give a bounty without even investigating. Even if they did, it wouldn’t live up to expectations.”
“What does a punk like you know about Congress?”
“In any country, people are stingy when it comes to giving money. Aren’t they the ones who sit at their desks and figure out how to save money when it’s not even theirs?”
Harry Love snorted.
But deep down, I thought the same as Max.
‘They’re fucking congressmen.’
Max opened his mouth again.
“Well, first of all, give me a choice.”
How much do you want?
Max and Harry Love’s eyes locked.
“You understand quickly. Then give up the bounty.”
“All of it?”
“I’ll give you three hundred dollars.”
“Just a tenth? That’s too greedy.”
“We have a lot of dependents.”
The family is now glaring at Max with fear.
“Just be clean, I’ll give you five hundred dollars. That’s a lot of compromise.”
“concession?”
Everyone looks dumbfounded. Some even fiddle with their guns and glare at me threateningly.
“I thought you were smart, but you’re stupid.”
“You’re stupid. As you can see, I have nothing to lose.”
It is the nature of these guys to bite you even harder when you lower your tail.
You have to show that you will live only for today, and that you will move forward even if you die soon.
“But is it okay for the California Rangers to commit murder in Missouri?”
“No one will care if you kill Asians.”
“Are you sure you can kill me without dying?”
“what?”
To the snickering Harry Love, Max spat out a dark word.
“Did Murrieta and Three Fingered Jack die while taking a shit? I have six bullets.”
“So you’re going to fight us?”
“I can take six people. Where?”
Then Max glanced at the sky.
“To the sky···”
There were groans and exclamations from all over the Rangers.
But no one pulled out a gun rashly.
Holiday
‘The kids are really scared.’
The absurd number of 1 to 20.
But then a situation arose where that 1 overwhelmed the audience.
The California Rangers knew from witnesses that Max was a formidable shot.
Indeed, the bullet lodged right in Murrieta’s forehead proved it.
It wasn’t just a feeling that six bullets were going to fly at him.
‘Just shoot him? Ha, you little brat.’
Harry Love, the leader of the Rangers, was a total mess.
If I go forward strongly, I feel like a bullet will fly at me, and if I back down, I feel like I won’t be able to save face in front of my subordinates.
‘Yes. I came here to make a deal.’
You came for money, not to kill me, right?
Harry Love, rationalizing himself, spoke with a voice that made it seem like he had something to say.
“Excessive confidence invites trouble.”
“The first step will definitely land on your forehead.”
‘Ha, kid. You have no clue.’
Let’s start negotiating again.
Harry Love glared at Max, his lips twitching.
There was silence in the room for a moment.
The emotions were tense and focused solely on the bounty. A war of nerves ensued to obtain favorable terms for negotiation.
‘I just had to make them scared.’
