Chapter 86
The Banquet
While Caesar Ranch was bustling with activity, the atmosphere at Leon Ranch was relatively subdued and restless.
After old man Leon disappeared, they quickly chose a temporary manager, Ford.
Ford was a burly man with thick fingers and a steady demeanor. Although he hadn't made any remarkable contributions to the ranch, he always managed to complete tasks just barely.
He often wavered between old man Leon and Phil, but he didn't want to be old man Leon's dog. However, he didn't refuse when old man Leon gave him orders.
In addition, Ford's attitude towards the residents was not bad, and the compensation he paid after taking charge was within a reasonable range.
Few people on the ranch had thoughts of rebellion or leaving.
But today is different. When some cowboys at Leon Ranch learned that Horus Ranch had been completely annexed by Caesar, they realized that something was wrong.
There are three major factions in Blackpine Valley. The most powerful one is Caesar's faction, which has also annexed Horus's faction. Now, only the people from Leon Ranch remain.
Taking advantage of the riot at Horus Ranch, Caesar seized the opportunity to annex it without hesitation. This action suggests that Caesar's ambitions extend beyond Horus Ranch, and he is likely to target Leon Ranch next.
When Ford took office, he knew it wouldn't be a good job, but there was nothing he could do. He was the only one left to take the blame; everyone else had disappeared along with old man Leon.
Ford learned from his men that Horus Ranch had been annexed. His thick eyebrows furrowed tightly as he pressed his temples.
Ford let out a long breath, looked up at his men, and said, "So, what's your opinion?"
The group exchanged glances, seemingly deferring to each other, and did not immediately step forward.
After a while, a younger, burly man said, "I don't want to fight Caesar and his men. You guys haven't seen how ridiculously powerful the weapons are when the Caesar Ranch people fight."
"Automatic rifles, they fire bullets at will. Let me tell you, if you ride up on horseback, you'll be riddled with bullets before you even get close."
The young, burly man spoke with remarkable realism, his face radiating terror. He was a hunter who had gone to join the commotion before and had seen the equipment Caesar and his companions carried when they went out.
As someone who experienced it firsthand, he was most terrified of confronting the people of Caesar Ranch.
His idea won the approval of many of his companions, who all raised their hands.
"I agree, let's surrender."
"Yeah, the people at Caesar Ranch are really nice. At Horus Ranch, only the rebellious cowboys were killed; the rest of the people were fine."
"It's not easy to survive these days, there's no need for us to fight with humans. The valley is so big, Caesar won't let us go hungry."
"Hey, I heard that the combat personnel at Caesar Ranch eat very well, have excellent equipment, and enjoy top-notch benefits. Many people at the ranch want to join the combat team."
"If we surrender, we should be able to become combat team members immediately, right?"
"Hehe, isn't this perfect?"
As they talked, many of them began to think about what would happen after joining Caesar's Ranch, and they all spoke with great enthusiasm.
Ford lowered his eyebrows slightly as he looked at them.
Well, with such good benefits at Caesar's Ranch, they should offer even more perks if you surrender willingly.
Even though I'm just a temporary manager, I should be given the most, right? Being a combat squad leader shouldn't be a problem, right?
That's right, Ford didn't want to fight Caesar. He had learned about the situation at Caesar's Ranch long ago and felt that his side had no chance of winning.
Given this, Ford has been considering how to surrender in order to gain the greatest benefit.
Is it a rebellion first, then being beaten by Caesar for a while, and then surrendering?
Or will he go up there and immediately slide down to his knees in a fancy manner, directly acknowledging his father?
Or should we kill a few rebels and then surrender?
After much thought, Ford still couldn't come up with a solution.
Just then, there was a loud bang.
A tall, bald man with a full beard, standing over 1.9 meters tall, rudely pushed aside the people blocking his way and glared fiercely at the group who had just been talking so enthusiastically.
He said disdainfully, "Have you all lost your backbone? Aren't you cowboys? Is being a cowboy all you do about surrendering?"
He asked three questions in a row, which surprised everyone around him.
We're just cowboys employed by Leon Ranch, what are you talking about?
They were never loyal to old man Leon; they were just trying to make a living.
Those who were truly loyal to old man Leon have long since disappeared.
But at this point, no one refuted the big guy.
After the big guy spoke, several more fools stood up and chimed in.
"Why should we be Caesar's dogs? We already have Leon Ranch, isn't it good enough for us to live there?"
"Caesar never said he was going to attack us. They were busy accepting people from Horus Ranch, and I heard that Caesar went to fight at Horus Ranch because the people of Horus Ranch invited him."
"..."
The group seemed to be the only sober one in a world of drunks, and they got more and more excited as they talked.
Ford finally figured out how to surrender.
He picked up a glass of wine, took a sip, slightly raised his eyes, counted the people who were speaking, and nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Hmm, we should have enough people."
After muttering twice, Ford stood up, downed the wine in his glass in one gulp, and smashed it.
The sound of a glass shattering drowned out the murmurs in the room.
Everyone looked at Ford, who said coldly, "That's right, we don't need to be afraid of Caesar and his group."
"You cowards, get out of here!"
"Gordon, you guys who stayed behind, you're all great."
Ford's attitude caused several of his close associates to change their expressions, and they exchanged glances with him.
Having a close relationship with Ford, Ford gave them a look, and they immediately understood, their faces contorted with anger as they roared.
"Ford, you...you'd better watch out, you might cause trouble for the ranch."
"You bunch of brutes!"
After saying that, most of them left the house, leaving only the big guy Gordon and a few others inside.
Ford's cold expression, like snow in early spring, instantly warmed up. "Sit down, all of you, please sit down."
Gordon instinctively and obediently sat down in the chair, expecting to be scolded, as Ford's ideas had always differed from his own.
Surprisingly, at such a critical juncture, Ford actually agreed with his view.
The others also looked excited.
Unlike before, Ford was all smiles, chatting casually while praising their ideas and insights.
Encourage them to continue talking.
At the same time, Ford invited, "Since we haven't had a good chat yet, how about... a banquet tonight?"
"I brought out the best wine and meat from my stash, and we had a big feast."
A cold glint flashed in Ford's eyes.