The heart of the earth, the center of New Hanover State, is a natural prairie with lush water and grass and rich products. No matter who looks at it, it is the pearl of New Hanover State and a generous gift from nature. But in fact, No one has ever exploited the full potential of this land. It was not until a team under a big capitalist discovered the underground treasure-oil, that a railway was built here, and then a huge coal mine was built. Tar factories rose from the ground, and the land was gradually invaded by civilization.
The number one figure in developing the Heart of the Earth region is named Leviticus Cornish.
As one of the most direct beneficiaries of the development of the western United States, although his business empire does not cover the entire United States, in places such as Ambarino, New Hanover, West Elizabeth, New Austin, and Lemoyne, if he can say that he is Second, no one dares or has the ability to compete with him for first place.
Coal mines, oil, salt and iron, railways...as long as it is an industry that can bring huge profits, there is no industry that he does not get involved in.
Although Mr. Cornwall is getting older now, which according to the old Eastern saying is the age when he will soon know his destiny, he still maintains a spirit of pioneering, exploration and adventure that is stronger than that of young people, so his career is still on the rise. Expect.
However, after all, he is now older and has a higher position, so although he still likes to do it himself, he will also leave some business to others.
In the heart of the earth, on the main road leading to the Cornwall Coal Tar Factory, a mighty motorcade is moving slowly.
Calling it a convoy is actually a bit reluctant, because there are only three carriages in total, but judging from the more than 20 gunmen with live ammunition alone, this convoy is enough to be called impregnable, not to mention the two carriages at the beginning and the end. The carriage is also equipped with a Maxim heavy machine gun that is ready for use at any time, as well as the thick bulletproof armor on the middle carriage.
At first glance, these are protective measures that cost a lot of money. They not only illustrate the high risks on the surface, but also reveal the high returns hidden behind them. An experienced desperado can tell at a glance that if he can pull this off, there is a 95% chance that he won't have to worry about it for the rest of his life.
However, the gunmen in their twenties equipped with new weapons, two Maxim heavy machine guns, and the tortoise shell-like carriage, this combination is not easy to mess with, even if it is a big gang that commits crimes across state lines. In such a formation, one has to carefully consider the gains and losses. Regardless of the consequences of overturning, the manpower and ammunition required to capture this convoy are daunting. What's more, no one knows what's inside that armored carriage. If there is something, if after a long time of effort and a lot of money, the robbed car does not have the corresponding value, then the transaction will be a huge loss.
But now, Brandi stopped his horse and stood on the top of the mountain not far away, looking at the information provided by Ben Rosen in his hand, and then using the binoculars to look at the convoy that was armed to the teeth. Now he only feels regret, very regret.
In fact, when Brandi knew that it was Cornwall's team, he was mentally prepared, but he thought that he could handle it as he was proficient in using the Eye of Death, but who knew that Cornwall could actually afford this wave of money? So big, such a team could capture a town in the west in less than a morning.
"Son of a bitch Cornwall, did you transport gold bars from the Federal Reserve Bank? Or did you smuggle precious diamonds from South Africa?" Brandi was both cursing and guessing, "Or are you, you bastard? Just sitting in that car?"
No matter which possibility it is, one thing remains unchanged, that is, Brandy alone will never be able to win this team.
Now, the best strategy is to go ahead with the Thirty-Six Strategies. However, Brandi is pretending to be big with Ben Rosen. If he really gets nothing, his "Billy the Kid" first business on the road But it's about to become a squib.
It is tasteless to eat and a pity to throw away. Brandy finally tasted the taste of tasteless food today.
At this time, inside the turtle-shell carriage, there was a completely different situation from the ambushes lurking and the preparedness with guns and live ammunition outside the carriage.
This carriage looks like a turtle shell on the outside, but it looks like a palace on the inside. Scarlet velvet is the lining of the carriage and seats. On the rosewood table are precious blue and white porcelain tea sets from the East, and what is poured from the teapot is civet cat poop coffee from distant Indonesia.
Sitting in the carriage were two young ladies. Although they were both wearing hunting attire with novel styles, exquisite workmanship and expensive raw materials, it was difficult for a non-expert to tell the difference in status between the two through their appearance. One of the ladies poured coffee for herself and another lady with a calm look and skillful technique. She pushed a cup of warm coffee in front of the other lady, put down the teapot, and the smile on her lips was full of childish fun: "How is it, Amandine? It feels good to enjoy other people's services, doesn't it?"
"It is indeed very good, Miss Lily," the young woman named Amandine said with a slightly awkward accent. If someone knowledgeable heard it, they would be able to tell that it was an unchangeable French flavor. She showed a standard smile that only belongs to professional senior service personnel, but this smile contained more human touch, "But I think it is better for me to do this kind of thing in the future. You are always good at everything, but you are always good at everything." It’s not professional enough, even for your job, which is to be a high-status, respected lady.”
The woman named Lily laughed loudly, without the restraint that a rich lady should have. From this, it can be seen that what Amandine said was true.
Lily smiled and held her stomach, as if the sarcasm from Amandine just now really made her laugh. She breathed slowly, suppressed her laughter, and said, "Amandine, you always make me happy. That's what I like about you."
"I feel extremely honored to be favored by you, Miss Lily." Amandine nodded slightly and said.
Lily picked up the coffee on the table, her slender legs resting casually and relaxedly on the seat opposite her. She opened the half-closed velvet curtains. Outside the car, the natural scenery of the Heart of the Earth made people feel relaxed and happy.
"The scenery here is really beautiful, and the air is good," Lily said as she closed her eyes, feeling the gentle wind outside the window and the sweet smell of the grass, "It's much better than New York."
She put down her coffee, but there was a hint of loneliness in her eyes: "It's just still the same boring thing."
"It's always good to have a little change, Miss Lily." Amandine said.
"Don't they say that bandits are rampant outside of Civilization State? I haven't seen anyone hijacking a convoy?" Lily asked with some confusion, while poking her head out, as if to see if she could find any gangsters with evil intentions.
Amandine did not answer, just smiled and said nothing. She knew very well that with the current armed strength of the convoy, it could even sweep away the gangs that were domineering in towns and even counties. Unless someone was really not afraid of death and was blind, they would come to rob this convoy.
To be honest, all industries in Cornwall have a long history of being robbed in the business world. This is the same as its business status in the west, midwest and south of the country. There are really few big capitalists in the entire United States. Old Cornwall himself was puzzled by this fact when he encountered it. He was not the only big capitalist developing the wilderness, so why was he always the one who got hurt in the end?
However, these robberies almost always occur when the defense force is insufficient or the guards are careless. The Cornwall Group is a behemoth for any criminal gang, and the most they dare to do is tear off a small piece of meat from its huge body when it relaxes a little. As for hurting your muscles and bones? These grass bandits and their ilk can't do that.
"Really, it's a shame I brought my beloved guns here, but ended up burying them in the most wild place." Lily scratched her head in frustration.
Lily has two favorite guns. One is from the American Colt Company. It is a modified revolver made by a master. Not only is it as terrifying as the LeMat revolver, it has 9 rounds of revolver bullets and 1 shot. It uses the latest metal fixed-loading ammunition, and can switch between single-action and double-action modes. It can be said to be a master of revolvers. If this revolver has any shortcomings, it should be that it is suitable for a woman. Said that it was too heavy, but Lily liked the heavy feel; the other one came from the German Mauser Arsenal, which was the latest Mauser 98 bolt-action rifle. It was advanced, reliable and perfect, but Lily was just naive. I just like the shape of the gun, nothing else matters.
Unlike those ordinary rich girls who, in Lily's words, only waste food and air in a dignified manner, Lily is very interested in firearms. The story of a golden hunter, who has a longing for the virgin land in the west that has not yet been fully developed. It is difficult for ordinary people to understand. That's why she begged her father, Mr. Leviticus Cornwall, to let her go to the west as soon as she got the chance. At the same time, she was taking her maid Amandine with her to fight against the many gunmen. escorted to the Cornwall Coal Tar Works.
Just as Lily was stunned, suddenly, a violent explosion swept through the convoy, and the precious blue and white porcelain tea set on the rosewood table shattered instantly.
The carriages at the head and the rear directly withstood all the power of the explosion. The only two heavy firepower units in the convoy were instantly destroyed into a pile of irreparable broken metal. Although the bulletproof carriages the two ladies were riding in were not seriously injured, the person pulling the carriages was not injured. The horses were also killed in the explosion, which brought the convoy to a complete standstill. The entire convoy lost its previous strict order. For a while, people fell on their backs and their horses were on their backs, and screams filled the field.
Brandy, who was still hesitating and stagnant at the top of the mountain, was almost frightened by the sudden explosion and fell off his horse. He tried to stabilize his body and comfort the frightened giant horse under his crotch, but as before, he still had no intention of leaving.
After the explosion, there was dense and chaotic gunfire. Brandi could not have imagined that he could actually witness such a level of gunfight in a land where there was no war. The hail of bullets was not even enough to describe the scene at this time.
Along with the sound of gunshots, thirty or forty gangsters wearing sacks or cloth bags appeared on their heads. Others did not know who they were, but Brandy had only seen that kind of dress in one gang in his memory.
"The O'Drisco Gang?" Brandi was both shocked and puzzled. "After their plan to rob the train was forfeited by Dutch, they actually had a new plan so quickly? And the information was so accurate. Not only did they know the convoy The number of guards, even taking into account the fact that Cornwall’s convoy carries heavy firepower? Colm’s intelligence source is much more reliable than Dutch’s.”
While Brandi was dazed, the battle at the foot of the mountain had entered a fierce stage. Although the O'Drisco gang was surprised and attacked fiercely, the professional quality of these gunmen hired by Cornwall was indeed high enough. After a brief panic, they immediately organized themselves in an orderly manner, relying on a complete bulletproof carriage organization except for the lack of horses. They fought back, and for a while they were evenly matched with the O'Drisco gang, which had twice their number.
Brandi held up the binoculars and watched the gun battle on the mountain with great interest. Soon, he noticed that there was a sharpshooter in the carriage of the bulletproof carriage. Although he did not take many shots, his grasp of the battle situation was very accurate. Every shot he fired was in the right place, and every shot was able to win for his own side. A slight chance of victory.
However, although the Cornish side has the most advanced equipment, high-quality combatants and a sharpshooter with a high strategic vision, after all, Colm had planned this attack for a long time, and the O'Drisco gang The preparations are indeed sufficient. It seems that in order to win this vote, they have the consciousness to burn all the boats. The white-hot stalemate lasted for ten minutes, and gradually the Cornish side began to collapse.
In the end, the O'Drisco gang replaced more than 20 guards in the Cornish convoy at the cost of more than 30 people, and won the final victory in the shootout.
More than a dozen Austrian gang members rushed up on horseback and surrounded the bulletproof carriage. In the team, a man with a black bag over his head dismounted and left the team, taking off the hood on his head, revealing a weather-beaten face that still contained fierceness and cunning.
The man shouted loudly: "Okay, dear Miss Lily Cornish, give up your resistance, your bastards have all seen Satan. As for you, my advice is to follow us, we are If you have professional ethics, unless your dear father doesn't abide by our rules of the game, we will never break up with him under normal circumstances. Therefore, for the sake of your personal safety, I think it is best for you to get out of the car and surrender."
"Colm O'Driscoe!" Brandy on the mountain saw that face from a distance and was filled with shock. "He actually took action himself! Yes, even Dutch would have taken such a big action himself. But he is so cunning that he would take a desperate risk and go head-to-head with the convoy that Cornwall protects at all levels? This is unreasonable."
Brandi then thought about it: "Could it be that the things in the car are really so important that he was really moved by it?"
Not long after, the door of the carriage opened, and two women with good faces but not gorgeous clothes stepped out of the car. Although their bodies were wrapped in clothes that were no different from those of men, they revealed a youthful atmosphere and a sense of the Wild West. The rare exquisite appearance earned them a surprisingly unanimous ovation from the members of the O'Drisco gang. Don't think they are rude, because this may be the common way for men to make a living in the West to praise women's appearance and figure.
"Dear Miss Lily Cornwall, my surname is O'Driscoe. I have admired your name for a long time. I heard that the lady came here all the way from New York. I came here to invite the lady to sit in the humble house so that the lady can go deep into the house. What do you think of experiencing the western style?" Colm looked polite and did not look like a kidnapping criminal.
"O'Drisco? I've heard of this name." Lily didn't look scared. Instead, she looked directly into Colm's eyes. "You are quite famous in New Hanover and Ambarino. You are well-known in the Federation." According to the reward order, your head is worth $10,000."
"It is a great honor for me, Colm O'Driscoe, to be remembered by Miss Lily." Colm made a standard bow, but because of his clothes and appearance, it looked very funny, "Well, Please, please and your female companion, please step aside and come with us."
Lily smiled contemptuously and said, "Do you really think that my father only arranged this few people to escort me?"
"Originally I really didn't think so, but a recent incident has convinced me that at least on your side, your dear father has not arranged any more back-up tactics," Colm said, his fists clenching involuntarily. Quietly tightening his grip, "An old friend of mine, which can also be said to be an old rival, raided my camp, stole one of my plans, and yesterday attacked your father's private train transporting bonds and property. Now, I think Mr. Cornish has gone crazy and started to use all the power he can to search for my old friend. As for you, your father did send a strong team to escort you, but That’s all, my plan this time is perfect.”
"Damn..." Lily cursed secretly. Although she didn't want to admit it, she knew that every word of Colm was the truth, and the facts were irrefutable. But she had no choice. In order to prevent her future sex life from being too difficult, she could only continue to pretend. Tsukuru continued to deal with the man in front of him as if he still had a trump card.
"You are right, Mr. O'Drisco. My father really has no time to take care of me now," she forced herself to look confident, "but are you so sure that I didn't leave any backup for myself? "
This sentence, although simple, was effective because it really deepened Colm's doubts.
Yes, this time his plan to kidnap the eldest lady of the Cornish family was indeed more complete than the previous plan that Dutch had abducted, and he did come closest to success. However, he did ignore one thing, and that was this A Miss Cornwall, who is not yet a teenager but is already very clever and knowledgeable, may keep a life-saving trump card for herself.
But what are the possibilities for this young girl who has not yet started to take over the business in Cornwall?
Colm's thinking actually lasted only a moment, or he barely thought about it, because he made a decision immediately.
He blew a sharp whistle and mounted his horse. The whistle called two horses that had been prepared.
"Well, Miss Cornwall, I think there is no point in continuing this nonsense, so why don't we set off now?" Colm's smile revealed a somewhat dark temperament.
Lily and her personal maid Amandine exchanged glances and couldn't help but sigh. The master and servant knew that they lost this confrontation.
When the two ladies had just sat down on the horse, gunshots suddenly exploded from the top of the hill not far away.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Seven gunshots rang out, seven bullets pierced the air, seven heads were penetrated, and seven fast horses fled in panic.
"what's the situation!"
The team of the O'Drisco Gang immediately became chaotic. Colm's eyes immediately locked on the location where the gunfire sounded. He was about to direct the remaining brothers to continue the attack when the gunfire rang out again and a bullet flew past his scalp. , penetrated the head of an Austrian gang member behind him, and almost instantly, his back was soaked with cold sweat.
"This marksmanship..." Colm thought in confusion, "Impossible, this is impossible..."
The gunshot rang out again, and another head was lifted into the air.
"Damn it!" Although Colm was very reluctant, he immediately made the most appropriate choice at the moment, "Retreat! Retreat! Damn it, I'll retreat!"
The few remaining Austrian gang members immediately fled on horseback like bereaved dogs.
Colm ran away more than ten meters in embarrassment, stopped his horse, looked back, looked at the two ladies behind him who were still out of the situation, and said viciously: "As expected of Miss Cornwall, she is really good at it, but I believe we will do it again." We met."
The gunshot rang out again, Colm flinched, and the bullet grazed his scalp again.
Colm felt that his whole head was so hot that he could light up a cigarette. He yelled angrily: "Your grandfather's Van der Linde, why don't I leave? Just wait for me!"
After saying that, he rode away without looking back, and soon disappeared over the horizon.
