Chapter 67: Sheriff Malloy's Pressure
After stepping out, Johnny suddenly realized something was amiss.
The police station entrance was bustling with people, creating a lively scene, but upon closer inspection, almost all of these coming and going individuals were Bounty Hunters.
They moved quickly, their expressions serious, creating an atmosphere of tension and mystery as they hurried in and out.
Such a large number of Bounty Hunters gathering here simultaneously was clearly unusual and completely defied common sense.
Normally, a police station wouldn't attract so many frequent visits from Bounty Hunters.
Intense curiosity drove Johnny to walk toward the police station involuntarily.
Just as he stepped through the police station door, Sheriff Malloy approached him, his face showing a mix of helplessness and anxiety:
"Oh, it's you, Mr. Van der Linde! I suppose you've noticed—I'm about to be driven insane here!
The higher-ups have given me a strict order: I must apprehend that deranged serial killer within three days!"
The Sheriff complained while slamming his hand down on the desk, making the documents jump.
"Damn it! I have no idea who this vile serial killer actually is!
But the crimes he committed have already spread far and wide, reaching even the prosperous major cities in the East!"
As he spoke, the Sheriff's voice involuntarily rose an octave, sounding increasingly furious.
"What's even more outrageous is that now even children have copies of the newspaper reporting this case, treating it like a horror comic strip! What kind of situation is this?!"
The Sheriff cursed through gritted teeth.
Just then, several more Bounty Hunters walked in from behind. They kept urging Johnny to hurry, clearly dissatisfied with the Police Officer's incessant chatter.
One of them shouted impolitely, "Hey! Stop wasting time, move aside! We have important business to attend to!"
Facing the crowd's impatience, the Sheriff took a deep breath, tried hard to calm himself, and then pulled a wanted poster from a drawer, handing it to Johnny, stating solemnly:
"The strength of your team is well-known, which is why I'm telling you all this.
This is the wanted poster for the serial killer. Remember, you must capture him alive. That way, you'll receive a full $1,000 reward.
If he unfortunately dies, the reward will be halved." After speaking, the Sheriff gave Johnny a meaningful look.
Johnny mused internally that no matter what, he absolutely couldn't wait until the last day to act. If the Sheriff failed to gather the reporters in time, the whole thing would be ruined!
But he also couldn't go too early, or others might think he was prepared and acting deliberately.
Thinking this, Johnny felt the priority was to rush back to the camp, discuss a foolproof plan with Dutch, and only then make a final decision.
Just as Johnny lifted his foot to step out the door, he unexpectedly saw a peculiar sight:
On the streets of Valentine, more than a dozen burly men wearing blue-black trench coats were tightly surrounding a young boy.
The scene was the spitting image of modern celebrity Bodyguards, protecting the youth meticulously and flawlessly.
Standing at the police station entrance, Johnny couldn't help but crane his neck to look over and join the spectacle.
Honestly, this was the first time he had witnessed such a scene in the frontier town of Valentine.
He figured this youth, protected like a star, was probably the son of some great Capitalist, who had come to this impoverished area to experience the common people's suffering or something similar.
He then heard an angry shout from within the crowd:
"Damn it! If you guys don't wise up and stop sticking to me like glue, when I get home, I'll make sure my old man severely deducts all your wages!"
The young boy in the center was constantly warning the surrounding Bodyguards, as if they were natural enemies.
But the Bodyguards were complaining bitterly; if the young master were kidnapped or killed in this chaotic America, that would truly be the end for them.
Johnny's curiosity wasn't that strong. Realizing there would be no more tense or exciting scenes, he drove back to the camp.
Horseshoe Overlook... "Dutch! Josiah's progress is going smoothly. Sheriff Malloy of Valentine is now offering a hefty reward for the serial killer."
"It's worth a full $1,000, which is already one-fifth of Arthur's value."
A faint smile played on Johnny's lips as he casually shared his recent observations with Dutch.
However, while chatting, he discreetly handed Dutch half of the reward money he received from the police station—$30—along with half of the proceeds from selling the guns—$65.
Dutch had been listening carelessly to Johnny's account, but when his eyes inadvertently glanced over the thick stack of bills Johnny handed him, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.
That such a large sum of money could be brought back all at once by this young man made Dutch sigh with emotion: "Young people truly have sharp minds!"
In truth, Dutch's original intention for collecting broken guns was just to look after the emotional well-being of the new recruit and give him a hobby.
Unexpectedly, in less than a month, he had already generated the Gang's first profit. This was much faster than collecting debts!
Following this, the two began a heated discussion on how to further amplify the impact of successfully arresting the serial killer.
After careful deliberation, they finally reached a consensus:
The experienced and resourceful Hosea would step forward to conduct a crucial negotiation with the Sheriff at the police station.
The central demand of this negotiation was singular: to require the Sheriff to hold a grand press conference and, in front of the entire public, unequivocally announce that the greatest contributor to this arrest operation was Johnny.
It was he who, relying on his extraordinary wisdom and courage, successfully captured the terrifying Little Edmond.
Furthermore, Johnny specifically instructed Hosea with a crucial, undisclosed piece of information:
It turned out that the mysterious disappearance of all members of the Blackwater Town Sports Team, which had previously received much attention, was also linked to the deranged serial killer!
After completing all this, Johnny returned to his tent and used a pen to write messages about the profit share on two slips of paper for Charles and Arthur.
He then placed the slips of paper along with $15 in each of their respective tents.