Chapter 63
Demanding Justice
But things are different now. If old man Leon can be the boss, then Phil can take his place.
Caesar could see a deep ambition in Phil.
Phil's initial show of force by not opening the door and his sudden confrontation were both attempts to demonstrate that he was the boss of Leon Ranch on other ranches, which undoubtedly crossed the line.
"This way!"
Phil's men led Caesar and the others into the ranch.
Caesar sat in the car, his aggressive gaze sweeping over the ranch. It was vast, with flat and lush grasslands, and plenty of cattle and sheep. The food reserves were obviously plentiful, otherwise they wouldn't be able to support so many people.
In the conference room of Leon Ranch, old man Leon leaned back in his chair, his eyes closed, looking drowsy.
With a creak, the conference room door opened.
Caesar walked in slowly, followed by Morales and the others.
Before old man Leon could speak, Caesar sat down in the chair opposite him, with Beth sitting next to him and Mor on the other side.
As for Morales and the others standing behind her, Andrea, who didn't know what she was there for, leaned against a wall idly, looking back and forth.
After Caesar took his seat, old man Leon slowly opened his eyes, as if he had just seen Caesar and the others, and said with surprise, "Caesar, you've come?"
"Did you encounter any trouble on the way?"
Old Leon was very old; his skin was loose and barely clung to his flesh. A smile lingered at the corner of his mouth, making him look like a kind, elderly man. However, a scar on the right corner of his eye gave him a somewhat gloomy appearance.
Caesar pointed to a cowboy who had led them the way, "Phil is still the same as before, he doesn't know any rules."
The cowboy's expression changed, and he opened his mouth to argue, but he was surrounded by two other cowboys who were both loyal supporters of old man Leon.
Old man Leon paused for a moment, then slowly raised his head and waved his hand: "Oh dear, it's not his fault. Let him go; there's no need to make things difficult for him."
When the cowboy who had led the way saw the cowboys surrounding him disperse, he immediately looked at old man Leon gratefully and thanked him profusely.
Like an elder in the family, old man Leon patted the cowboy who was leading the way on the head a few times, telling him not to tell Phil about these things when he got back, and not to say anything about worrying that Phil would have objections.
As the cowboy led the way, the look in his eyes when he looked at old man Leon was one of utmost loyalty, as if he would give up his heart at the old man's command.
As Caesar watched this scene, a sense of unease rose within him towards old man Leon. He had thought that old man Leon was about to be sidelined by Phil, but he hadn't expected that old man Leon's methods of winning people over were also quite effective.
Phil is probably so stupid as to actually think he can control the entire Leon Ranch.
"Old man Leon," Caesar thought to himself, and began to sow discord, "You just let that cowboy go so easily?"
Old man Leon chuckled twice and stroked his beard: "I'm so old, there's no need for me to argue with children."
"Oh, really?" Caesar raised an eyebrow. "What if Phil tries to kill you?"
Before old man Leon could react, several cowboys beside him drew their weapons angrily and glared at Caesar.
Morales and his men also pulled out guns and pointed them at the other side.
The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Caesar and the old man Leon sat facing each other and simultaneously raised their hands to stop their subordinates from moving.
It seems that Leon's men all know Phil's ambitions and have certainly made things difficult for them in the past.
Caesar looked at the cowboys behind old man Leon and thought to himself.
"In my opinion, old man Leon," Caesar tapped the table, raised his head, looked at old man Leon, a murderous glint in his eyes, "loyalty that isn't absolute is absolute disloyalty."
"Then you should kill him. If you don't kill Phil, are you just keeping him around to cause trouble?"
Old Man Leon didn't respond. He turned his head and pretended to listen intently. After a long while, he nodded as if he suddenly understood and said, feigning ignorance, "Phil is a very good person. He helps me manage the ranch and has killed a lot of monsters."
"The people on the ranch respect him a lot, and I trust him completely."
Caesar glanced at old man Leon. It seemed that sowing discord was useless; old man Leon was well aware of the threat Phil posed to him.
Caesar narrowed his eyes, then stopped dwelling on it, turned his head to look at Beth, and gestured for her to speak.
Beth nodded, lit a cigarette, and said, "Old man Leon, we're here to ask you for compensation."
Upon hearing this, the air seemed to freeze.
The cowboys at Leon Ranch all knew about Teddy, and they all stared wide-eyed at Beth.
It was their ranch that was damaged, and even Teddy and several of his men were killed.
The perpetrator then came to the victim demanding compensation?!
Not to mention the cowboys, even old man Leon was stunned. His eyes widened, and he showed a shrewd look that was completely different from before.
Caesar glanced at him, and the old man Leon coughed twice, shrank back, and returned to his previous demeanor.
Beth wasn't surprised by their reaction. He took a deep drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled, the smoke drifting in the air.
"We need enough food for thirty people for a year, plus fifty head of cattle and sheep each, and our Caesar Ranch and Leon Ranch will jointly manage the Bison Pass."
His outrageous demands left old man Leon speechless.
Old man Leon looked at Caesar, "Is this also your idea?"
Caesar grinned and shrugged: "Beth is the backbone of my ranch, so whatever she says goes, not a penny less."
"Do you know how much you want?" Old Man Leon slammed his hand on the table, stood up abruptly, and trembled with rage.
"The food rations for thirty people for a year are more than all the reserves on our ranch combined."
"Fifty each of cattle and sheep? You really dare to talk nonsense! Get out of here!"
The old man, Leon, no longer played the kind and amiable old man he once was. He pointed towards the conference room door, his cane trembling incessantly.
Beth smiled, stood up, slowly walked behind old man Leon, pressed him into a chair, and said with a smile, "Oh dear, old man, don't be so magnanimous."
"Business negotiations require give and take. I offer a price, you offer one back, and we discuss and negotiate to make the negotiations work."
"Yes, this is negotiation," Old Man Leon thought to himself. "How can I, as the victim, offer compensation?"
Just as old man Leon was about to slam his fist on the table again, Bass's slightly hoarse and magnetic voice rang in his ears.
"Old man Leon, do you know what Teddy has done?"
"He demanded that we hand over all the supplies we had painstakingly searched for outside, and not only that, he also demanded that we offer him a few beautiful women."