Besides the fourteen second-rate gunmen, the remaining one was a true marksman, his skills clearly far surpassing the other fourteen.
This person was the middle-aged man in his forties, and Dutch was overjoyed to see him.
"Oh, sir, may I know your name?"
"Jiede, Jiede Hodley, sir," the middle-aged man named Jiede respectfully said to Dutch.
With his skill, he could have been a bounty hunter, but having been on the battlefield for many years, he was already tired of living life on the edge. Also, because he had a wife and children, he feared that they would be left without support if he died, which was why he started the business of carrying bags.
At this moment, his face also showed a hint of hesitation.
"Oh, sir, if you are recruiting gunmen, I'm afraid I won't be able to take this job. I have a family, and I don't want anything unexpected to happen that would leave them without support."
Jiede hesitated as he apologized, a look of dejection appearing on his face.
He actually preferred to apply for a janitorial position; it was safe and he could bring his wife and children to live with him. Although the six-square-meter room wasn't large, it was more than enough for the three of them to sleep.
He could also save twenty dollars a month, and after working for two more years, his family could become wealthy.
Now that he had lost this job, his life would undoubtedly return to the bottom, doing odd jobs carrying bags every day.
Looking at his dejected appearance, Dutch walked over and put a hand on Jiede's shoulder, comforting him: "Oh, Mr. Jiede, I personally admire your decision very much, but there's one thing you might not have considered. If your child grows up in your current impoverished environment, he will also live at the bottom of American society in the future. He will be self-conscious, weak, afraid to resist, and will only be able to carry hay for ranches like you, toiling for his family all day long. And when you and your wife are old and riddled with illness, you will suffer immensely, yet have no money for treatment, ultimately being tormented to death by sickness.
Now, do you still think protecting yourself is a good thing for your family?"
"Ah?" Jiede was completely stunned.
Everyone actually understood this principle, otherwise those young people wouldn't have demonstrated their marksmanship, proven themselves, and then joined Dutch's factory.
The reason Jiede hadn't thought of it wasn't because he didn't understand, but because he had seen too much death on the battlefield. Many of his comrades' families collapsed directly after their deaths, forced to sell their homes and land to become vagrants, or even their wives selling themselves and sons working illegal jobs, living worse than a rich man's dog.
This led him to the idea that he must protect his own life for his family, and he had been deluded by this thought all along.
In other words, his mind had developed issues, which was one of the normal post-battlefield syndromes.
Looking at the hesitation on Jiede's face and his anxious indecision, Dutch spread his arms and walked past him with a smile, then looked at the waiting crowd.
"Alright, gentlemen, I've hired all of you.
For those of you, gentlemen, whose marksmanship isn't as good, your job will be as loaders, loading the raw materials needed for my clothing factory and transporting the finished clothes outside. [Regarding the comments that the pay is too high, it's really not. Whether it's firearms or early clothing, the actual profit is very high. Also, this era is not truly poor; only the lower class is poor because the money doesn't reach their hands. True capitalists are rolling in money! Don't be afraid to imagine. And as mentioned before, good pay is to build a reputation, like buying horse bones with a thousand gold pieces. Moreover, the Van der Linde Gang takes the high-end clothing route, with exquisite designs. One piece of clothing costs twenty-five dollars (you can only make money by earning from the rich, you'll never make money from the poor). Two female workers can produce one piece a day, and two days' wages for two people are recouped. Even in the East, the current worker wages have reached at least thirty dollars a month, and skilled technicians can earn sixty dollars or more. Dutch wants to win over people in the West, so he can only offer high wages and good benefits, otherwise it's nonsense. And once the factory is established, later on, pension insurance, factory stores, and other aspects will ensure that the money in their hands flows back into the factory. Don't think Dutch is foolish just because he offers high wages; there are various means to ensure this money circulates within the factory. If you don't even understand this, then...]
Your pay will be fifty dollars a month, with food and lodging provided. Your work will only require occasional loading and unloading of goods.
Of course, I will also provide you with firearms, as you may sometimes need to travel with wagons, and the roads might not be entirely safe.
If you are unfortunately shot during transport, I will cover all your medical expenses. If you unfortunately die, your family will receive a personal compensation of up to five hundred dollars. They will also be given priority for recruitment into our factory, to provide them with a place to live.
You can also bring your families to live with you in the factory.
As for the fifteen who can shoot, excluding Mr. Jiede, the other fourteen will work as gunmen escorting goods.
Oh, you know, gentlemen, the environment in the West is not peaceful, so I need you to be responsible for escorting our goods, whether raw materials or finished clothing, all require your protection.
Due to the increased danger, you will need to contend with some desperadoes, so I will pay you one hundred dollars a month. If injured, the factory will bear all medical expenses. If you unfortunately die, your family will also receive a personal compensation of up to five hundred dollars.
And Mr. Jiede, if you decide to join, I can give you the position of transport captain. Your personal salary will be two hundred dollars a month, and other benefits will be the same as everyone else's.
What do you gentlemen think?"
As Dutch spoke, the veterans below went wild.
Food, lodging, and money—who wouldn't like a job like that?
Especially since the wages were not small at all; fifty dollars was already double their usual pay, and they would even have their own room. The work wasn't tiring, and the so-called cost was just a little risk that every Westerner would encounter.
Anyone in their shoes would feel incredibly excited.
And the fourteen gunmen were already shouting their agreement at the top of their lungs.
One hundred dollars a month was by no means a small sum; Mr. Bronte of Saint Denis wouldn't even pay his subordinates one hundred dollars a month.
Even bounty hunters rarely earned one hundred dollars a month; they were more likely to have several idle months and only manage to secure a job that would ensure their survival for the next few months.
More importantly, even if they died, there would be a huge compensation, and their families would get priority to enter the factory.
This undoubtedly meant that even if they truly died, they wouldn't have to worry about their families' livelihoods.
And Mr. Jiede, who had been hesitant just a moment ago, immediately changed his expression.
"Oh, Mr. Dutch! Dear sir, I retract my previous words. Now, I am ready to carry out your mission!"
With two hundred dollars a month, in just one or two years, he could take his wife and children to a big city like Saint Denis and live the life of a rich person.
How could he possibly have any objection to this?
What so-called psychological illness? Jiede was already a healthy person without any psychological illness!
"Hahaha, good, gentlemen, I will send someone to wait for you at the Veteran Club. There are wagons and horses here. Those of you who need to settle your families can depart now.
Of course, if you wish to be promoted, you can practice your marksmanship. As long as you meet the standards, you can be promoted to a cargo escort gunman."