Falsifying history is good business

Chapter 393 Hunting down war criminals is a just cause

Lin You was filled with thoughts, which came and went quickly as he reviewed the experiences of the Van der Linde Gang over the past month. When he looked up, he saw Dutch and Hosea pushing the door open.

The two gang founders stopped at the door for a moment and carefully looked around the small space of the pub. Although it was called a pub, it actually also functioned as a restaurant. The simple environment inside and outside showed that its customer base was the local lower class people.

As far as I could see, nearly half of the guests were Chinese with braids - these people were the easiest to identify; the rest were Latinos and whites, but no blacks were seen. Nearly twenty guests were scattered in various corners, some were co-workers drinking and bragging, and some were families eating together with their children.

Compared with these people, the table by the window where Lin You was sitting seemed particularly different.

A young man with aristocratic temperament and familiar face, with a burly Chinese bodyguard sitting on each side, protecting him in the middle; the young man was drinking tea quietly, but the two bodyguards each had one hand hidden under the table. It was obvious that there were weapons hidden in the invisible places under the table.

Finding out there were "only" three people on the opposite side, Dutch and Hosea felt relieved. They only brought Arthur Morgan in and asked the others to stay outside to spread out.

"Am I seeing things? Why do I feel like you haven't changed at all from eight years ago?" Dutch van der Linde sat down opposite Lin You.

“Maybe it’s because we Chinese, or people of East Asian ethnicity, don’t look old.” Lin You answered casually.

Dutch shook his head, his eyes aggressive: "It's not that I haven't seen Chinese people before. There are many of your compatriots in the West. Most of them look old, weak, thin, and always have sad faces."

"Yes, those are the marks left by the wind, sun, and hard labor." Lin You is well aware of the situation of Chinese Americans in this era. "High-intensity labor will destroy the health of everyone, not just Asians and Chinese."

"Ha..." Daqi laughed, "So, the person in front of me is a respectable person who doesn't need to work and can drink coffee and eat big meals every day? Why didn't I realize that the young man who worked hard in the field was actually a rich man?"

"Generally speaking, red wine is served with a meal rather than coffee, and I also prefer tea after a meal." Although Lin You was stating the facts, his tone was offensive to the Western bandits present. "Also, the young man who conducted field research was not a millionaire. It was the young man who inherited the earldom and estate after returning to England that was a millionaire."

"Count, I like this title; the Arabian horse I ride is called 'Count'. But I'm curious. Apart from that horse, I'm sure I have no relationship with any nobleman; so, what is your purpose in coming to me, and how do you know our plan?" Dutch turned to the point, his tone and his gaze on Lin You became sharper.

"Let me answer your second question first." Lin You replied with a smile, "Not only me, but also few people in the whole Saint Denis don't know that you are going to rob a bank. The police and detectives just don't know the details of your plan."

"That's impossible. The plan we made has never been leaked." Dutch said firmly, filled with inexplicable confidence.

"No, no, no, you don't understand, Mr. van der Linde. The rules of the game in big cities are completely different from those in the West." Lin You said with a smile, "Almost every pair of eyes in this city are spies of the gang, including the elderly, women and children. Your scouting around the bank and your conversations on the spot were all seen and heard by those who were interested.

I guess that from the first time you came to scout the area, the local gang leader knew that a group of outsiders were planning to rob the bank; and the gangs and the police in this city have an 'indestructible alliance' formed by money and interests, and this relationship is often closer than that of brothers. "

This explanation was obviously a little beyond Dutch van der Linde's imagination, and he didn't know how to respond for a moment.

Hosea interrupted at the right time and said, "You are exaggerating a bit, aren't you? Although it's not a very glorious thing, I have to say that we have been doing this for 20 years. We are not the kind of fledglings with no experience."

"Scaremongering? Do you want to see me prove it to you with your own eyes?" Lin You picked up the small spoon on the table and smiled with some emotion, "In fact, I have always wanted to play like this once. That kind of visual impact... is too cool."

When the three leaders of the Van der Linde Gang were confused by the new word "big style", Lin You stretched out a spoon and tapped the glass three times.

Three clear and rhythmic knocks were almost unnoticeable in the noisy tavern; but after these three knocks, the tavern suddenly became quiet. All the noise disappeared in an instant, and the tavern was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone, from the busy bartender at the bar, to the workers drinking and bragging, to the half-grown children who came to eat with their parents, turned their heads at the same time and stared silently at the three members of the Van der Linde gang who were present.

This scene is a perfect imitation of the plot in the movie Sherlock Holmes where Moriarty murders Irene Adler.

Everything happened too suddenly. The eerie silence and the staring eyes made the three experienced bandits feel uneasy; it was as if what were pointed at them were not more than twenty pairs of eyes, but more than twenty black muzzles of guns.

Just when Arthur Morgan was about to reach for his gun, Lin You knocked on the wine glass again.

"Ding ding ding", after three knocks with a faster rhythm, the gazes that were originally staring at the three bandits were retracted at the same time; the tavern immediately returned to its original noisy and lively atmosphere, as if the strange scene just now had never happened.

With the sensitive senses of a Gold Saint, Lin You clearly "heard" the sound of the three people opposite him letting out a long sigh.

"A...stunning performance." When Dutch didn't know what to say, Hosea took the initiative to liven up the atmosphere.

"In fact, most of my people are concentrated in New Orleans. Saint Denis is the territory of the Italian Mafia. They have hundreds of people and rule the underground order of this city. If they were to perform, the scene would definitely be more shocking. Of course, their performance style would not be as peaceful as mine." Lin Youyou added leisurely.

"Now I believe you a little, Your Excellency." Dutch's tone became much more polite. This man is very flexible when his IQ is online. "It seems that our plan has been leaked a long time ago and can no longer be carried out."

Lin You smiled and said, "That's inevitable. I dare say that since the large group of people entered the city, every word you said on the street has been repeated to the Mafia leader. If he knows it, it means that the police and Pinkerton detectives also know it all."

"Ha, this is an unforgettable lesson, isn't it, Hosea?" Dutch used a joking tone to cover up his embarrassment. "The rules of the big city are indeed different from those of the western town. At least we have learned not to talk casually on the street."

"How else can we say 'live and learn'?" As a military strategist, Hosea agreed with his boss considerately.

"Out of courtesy, and more of gratitude, I should ask, is there anything I can do for you?" Dutch quickly turned the subject back to Lin You, "I mean, if there is something worthy of His Excellency the Earl coming to see me in person..."

"There is indeed something that requires your presence." Lin You took out a document from his pocket and handed it over, "Take a look at this first."

"This is... a wanted order?" Dutch was surprised. "A wanted order jointly issued by the governments of Britain, Germany, France, and Austria. This Mr. Meinhard Jr.... murdered his biological father, created a political conspiracy, and tried to provoke a war."

Reading the charges listed on the wanted poster and the six-digit reward, Dutch van der Linde felt that his image as a gang leader suddenly became much smaller; his twenty-year criminal career seemed to be not worth mentioning.

"As you can see, this is a very heinous fugitive who fled to the United States about half a year ago. I am entrusted by the British government to come here to hunt him down." Lin You said seriously, without mentioning that he was the one who initiated the issuance of this wanted warrant.

"You mean by help, to hunt down this fugitive?"

“Of course, this is a just cause.”

(End of this chapter)