The recruitment drive concluded successfully, but this was only the beginning.
Twenty people were far from enough for Van der Linde's factory needs and the subsequent arms development industry.
Therefore, Mr. Trelawny's Veteran Club had to continue operating, and branches would be opened once there was spare money.
Since the decision was made to enter the arms business, having over a hundred thousand security personnel would be considered normal, right?
The more than twenty recruits hastily brought their families and returned to Hope Happiness Ranch, accompanied by Sean, who had been called over.
Not many of them had families; most of these struggling veterans were impoverished precisely because they lacked family support, so only five people in total had families.
Among them, two had wives and children, while the remaining three either had wives who had run away or died, leaving only their children, who were brought along with apprehension to their new home.
When Van der Linde, Arthur, and Hosea returned to the ranch, everyone's faces were filled with joy and happiness, especially the two wives, who, full of beautiful hopes for their future lives, strolled around outside their wooden cabins, chatting and laughing with Abigail and Mary-Beth, who had gone to check on them.
Watching Van der Linde ride his horse back to the ranch, Jiede, who had been standing at the ranch gate with an excited expression, immediately stepped forward to take his reins, continuously expressing his gratitude and respect.
"Oh, Mr. Van der Linde, I sincerely thank you for the work you've provided me..."
"Alright, Mr. Jiede, your abilities match your income. Work hard, and your salary will be even higher in the future."
Van der Linde painted a small, achievable picture, then walked into the wooden cabin where the camp residents lived.
"Van der Linde, I received your letter today; it seems Ms. Dorothea sent it."
Miss Jenny saw Van der Linde and eagerly ran over with the letter she had been clutching tightly.
This lovely girl had been holding onto this letter all day to ensure she could have some conversation with Van der Linde, taking it everywhere she went, afraid that someone would snatch away her chance to interact with Van der Linde.
"Oh, Jenny, thank you, child." Van der Linde feigned surprise, then reached out and gently ruffled Jenny's head.
"Please, Van der Linde, don't treat me like a child!" Jenny grumbled, knocking Van der Linde's hand away, frowning and putting her hands on her hips.
"Alright, Miss Jenny." Van der Linde smiled and nodded, then picked up the letter in his hand.
"Let me see what good news Ms. Dorothea will bring me.
Oh, by the way, Mr. Strauss, please record the names of the two worker families who followed us. Give them fifteen dollars a month each, and have them be responsible for cooking for the workers. As for our meals, Mr. Pearson will still be in charge, but I must say, Mr. Pearson, you need to seriously improve your cooking skills."
"Okay, Van der Linde." Strauss, the old scholar with glasses, came out with his small notebook.
The gang's current assets, including expenditures and income, are all Strauss's responsibility; his performance in the game has already proven his qualification.
Only Pearson, the Van der Linde Gang's tiger, now seems to have no place to display his talents.
At this moment, hearing Van der Linde mention him, a hint of resentment actually appeared on Pearson's face.
The gang's transformation was merely a change of lifestyle for others, but for him, Pearson, it meant even losing his job!
Van der Linde walked into the room, and Mary-Beth and others, who were sitting on the sofa smoking, greeted him.
"Van der Linde."
"Van der Linde is back."
"Hello, ladies." Van der Linde waved his hand, then sat down in the spot Mary-Beth had moved from, and tore open the letter in his hand.
"Dear Mr. Arthur Callahan:
As per your request, I have currently arranged all raw material manufacturers for clothing production and all clothing production machines. I have also used the deposit you provided to purchase one hundred sewing machines and a significant amount of raw materials. All items have now been transported to Saint Denis Port.
If you have time, please come as soon as possible to arrange subsequent matters. Additionally, I have already spread the news about recruitment in Saint Denis. I think you might need to prepare a few more carriages for this visit, as our ladies have received the news and are eagerly awaiting your arrival every day.
Dorothea."
"Hmph hmph hmph, it's good news indeed." A smile appeared on Van der Linde's face.
Hosea, who was standing nearby and had just taken a sip of coffee, looked over upon hearing this.
"Oh, have we purchased the machinery we need?"
"We have, not only the machinery but also various raw materials. I imagine it's things like fabrics. Ms. Dorothea has made good progress; all these items are now waiting to be unloaded at Saint Denis Port.
Since that's the case, Arthur, John, Hosea, Charles, let's go, gentlemen. We're heading out now. We'll sleep on the train tonight.
Also, Bill, Micah, guard our ranch well."
Van der Linde stood up from the sofa, thought for a moment, then looked at the ladies who were standing and listening to them speak.
"Oh, this recruitment is all for female workers. Some matters might not be too convenient for us, so Mary-Beth, Jenny, Karen, you three come along."
"Oh yeah! We can go out!" Karen laughed loudly, jumped up, bumped Van der Linde with the basketball, and cheered while hugging him.
Jenny wanted to do the same, but Miss O'Shea had already reached out and stopped her.
Looking at Miss O'Shea's intense gaze, Jenny still gave up on her idea.
"That's great, it's a pity Tilly went to another ranch, otherwise she could have come along too!" Mary-Beth was also very happy; they had long heard of Saint Denis, the largest city in the West, and everyone wanted to see it.
Unfortunately, David, Sean, and Tilly are currently busy building at Vulture Ranch.
Kieran, the young man, had just been allowed free movement and was currently feeding horses.
"Alright, gentlemen and ladies, we won't bring too many people this time. If you want to visit Saint Denis, you can wait a while. We, the Van der Linde Gang, will have a gang outing then, and we'll have a good time in Saint Denis for a few days.
Alright, Arthur, and everyone else, we should go!"
Van der Linde smiled and appeased the few who couldn't go, then pulled Miss O'Shea into his arms and kissed her, to comfort her constantly jealous heart, before waving to Arthur and the others, picking up his hat from the table, and turning to walk out.
Miss O'Shea was not particularly likable in the game, portrayed as a woman who was deeply in love but only that.