The Story Of Red Dead Redemption

Chapter 21: I Have a Plan

After listening to the conversation between Hosea and Dutch, Arthur was now tidying up his bed.

Honestly, Arthur felt that both Hosea and Dutch had valid points, but they were focusing on different aspects. The core of their disagreement was their assessment of the aftermath of the failed heist in Blackwater. Hosea believed it would have long-term negative impacts on the gang, even endangering everyone's lives.

For Dutch, it was just another failed robbery among many. Even though it was a complete failure, they had survived the worst of it, and the crisis was over. To him, it wasn't a big deal, and everything was still the same.

At least, that's what he truly believed.

Sitting on his made bed, Arthur thought that since the situation had already happened, it was better to find solutions rather than argue.

Sharp-eyed, he noticed Strauss heading towards Dutch's tent. Thinking of something, Arthur got up from his bed and approached the two.

Strauss, holding a notepad, approached Dutch and said, "Gentlemen, I'm heading into town. You know, I plan to see if I can strike a small business deal."

Dutch nodded and said, "Of course, go ahead, Mr. Strauss."

As Arthur had expected, he quickly followed Strauss and said, "Mr. Strauss, would it be convenient for me to go with you?"

Strauss was somewhat surprised by Arthur's request. He was going to lend money, so why would Arthur want to come along? He knew that the others in the gang didn't fully approve of his usury business.

After a brief thought, Strauss still said, "Of course, Mr. Morgan, but please keep your distance while I work. A loan shark with a burly enforcer by his side might be good for debt collection but not so much for making others take loans."

Hearing this, Arthur silently cursed in his mind. It was as if Strauss directly assumed he was his enforcer. It seemed that people disliked Strauss not only because of his usury but also because of his low emotional intelligence.

Arthur remembered that Dutch had once said he preferred robbery over usury, which somehow seemed more dignified. It was probably just Dutch's way of expressing his clear disapproval of usury.

After agreeing to Strauss's request, they initially planned to ride horses, but after Pearson learned they were going to town, Arthur was asked to help procure some food. So, they switched to a wagon. Some of the girls had also wanted to go, but unfortunately, they were all stopped by Susan, who said the camp wasn't tidy enough and they shouldn't be running around. That was the gist of it.

Eventually, Arthur drove the wagon, with Strauss sitting behind, heading towards Valentine.

On the way to Valentine, it was unusually quiet, even for Strauss, so he started a conversation with Arthur about Valentine: "I've heard Valentine is a nice place, full of fools."

Arthur was actually thinking about how to broach the subject with Strauss to change his lending approach. Undoubtedly, Arthur believed Strauss was useful. He had a sharp mind, and not just anyone could engage in usury. Though it wasn't a noble profession, Strauss always managed to talk his way into deals and accurately squeezed every last bit of value from his borrowers.

Since Strauss had opened the topic, Arthur quickly thought of a suitable entry point. While driving the wagon, he said, "It sounds like Valentine is a good place. By the way, Mr. Strauss, I remember you once said you came to America with your uncle?"

Strauss didn't expect Arthur to bring this up. Although it was a somewhat unpleasant memory, it didn't make him sad to talk about it now. He replied, "Yes, I believe it was 1863 when my uncle and I came to America from Austria, hoping to make a fortune in this land."

Arthur continued, "It seems your plan to get rich didn't go well?"

Strauss nodded and said, "Indeed, we were unlucky. We encountered the Union draft during the Civil War. I don't remember much else, but I do remember the $300. Only those who could afford $300 could avoid conscription. So, apart from the wealthy, everyone else had to go to war. You might not realize it, but that was a huge amount of money. Most ordinary people only had cents on them."

Although Arthur brought up Strauss's past to lead into his next topic, he was genuinely intrigued by what Strauss was saying. He asked, "You were Austrians. What did the draft have to do with you?"

Strauss explained further, "At that time, there weren't many distinctions between nationalities. Everyone living here was considered American. Because of the draft law, there were riots in New York. People took to the streets, guns in hand, facing off against the army, shooting at each other. I saw many people killed, hanging in the streets, fires everywhere. Unfortunately, my uncle and I were caught up in it. In the end, I was the only one who survived, and before I met Dutch, I made a living running small businesses."

"Well, Mr. Morgan, that's my story. I don't know why you suddenly care about my past, but if you have something to say, I think we can talk about it directly, don't you?"

Since Strauss had already figured out that Arthur had something to say, Arthur didn't beat around the bush and said, "Mr. Strauss, I plan to do a business with you."

Hearing the word "business," Strauss gave a peculiar smile, which Arthur found hard to describe, but it was definitely peculiar.

"Tell me more about this business." Strauss sat up straighter, leaned forward, and showed great interest.

"I believe that lending money to the poor doesn't really make us much profit. I hope you can give it up. Instead, I plan to find a place in Valentine to set up a high-stakes poker game. I hope you can manage it and lend money to those desperate gamblers. Don't worry; I'll be strict in selecting our guests. We'll only do business with the wealthy."

After Arthur explained his plan, Strauss didn't immediately agree. After a while, he made a few suggestions: "First, we need a skilled dealer. Then, we need to spend money on the best drinks and cigars. You might also need to talk to the girls in the camp to get some service staff..."

"Overall, I believe that if the plan works, it will bring in a good income. But shouldn't this be compatible with my current business of helping those in dire need?"

Seeing that Strauss had noticed his intention, Arthur didn't mince words and said directly, "Giving up usury is just my suggestion. While it's true that debts must be repaid, lending to those who can't possibly repay on time is like pushing already desperate people to their deaths. It's no different from killing them. I hope we only seek money, not lives."

Strauss pushed up his glasses and said seriously, "I prefer to call it banking. You should know that my work supports the women and children in the camp. Everything I do is legal. I never force anyone to borrow money or to not repay it. Those who owe debts should be in jail, and I'm just helping them. And in our current situation, I think we really have no other choice, do we? We need money."

Arthur couldn't immediately refute Strauss's words. Banking, indeed, what an irony.

However, Strauss didn't completely reject the idea. He understood that others disliked his banking business, and if there were other opportunities, he would consider them. After all, his skills were limited. He thought for a moment and said, "I understand your point, Mr. Morgan. Let's try it and see how it goes. We can decide on other things later, okay?"

Seeing that Strauss didn't outright refuse to give up usury, Arthur realized that such changes couldn't happen overnight. He would need to take action to convince Strauss.

So, Arthur didn't say more and gave the reins a couple of firm tugs, heading towards Valentine.

***

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