Chapter 372: All Bad Guys (Requesting Subscriptions and Monthly Passes, Lots of Story)

Not only were players experiencing Red Dead Redemption, but many Game Designers and media outlets in the industry were also paying attention to the game.

Initially, most people's focus was on Red Dead Redemption's extremely free gameplay.

But as the game progressed, the diverse gameplay ceased to be their main focus.

Because in the game, as the plot deepened, it brought an extraordinary experience.

It was real and deeply moving, especially for players who enjoyed Western-themed content, who felt an unparalleled sense of immersion.

………………

In Rhodes, there were two plantation families, sworn enemies for generations: one named Braithwaite and the other named Gray.

The sheriff, from the Gray family, asked Arthur and Dutch to help him destroy the Braithwaite family's moonshine distillery.

At that time, the USA had not yet implemented Prohibition, but legal alcohol was taxed too highly, so moonshine distilleries flourished.

This period laid a good foundation for the large-scale moonshine industry during the later Prohibition era, as well as the famous Grape Bricks.

Furthermore, Rhodes originally had a developed plantation industry, but with the abolition of Slavery, this labor-intensive industry naturally declined. Thus, moonshine became the main source of income for these big families, who secretly attacked each other.

Dutch, seeing how foolish the local sheriff he worked with was, felt that the people in a rural place like Rhodes were easy to deceive. So he set his sights on the two big families.

He decided to use their animosity, playing both sides to make the Van der Linde gang profit.

And so began all sorts of tricky operations: one moment helping one family steal another's horses, the next helping the other family burn the first family's fields, gleefully working for both sides with no pay.

However, some things happened during this time, namely, the O'Driscoll gang came knocking.

But unexpectedly, the O'Driscoll gang, their sworn enemies, proposed that both parties meet for peace talks.

Arthur felt this was unreliable. After all, they had killed Dutch's former woman, and Dutch had killed their leader's brother. How could there be an opportunity for peace talks after more than a decade of fighting?

But Micah said there would be no loss in checking it out. If it was a trap, they'd just fight; if it was real, all the better.

Dutch adopted this plan. The two sides held peace talks while Arthur provided sniper cover.

But to their surprise, the target this time was not Dutch, but Arthur.

Because the O'Driscoll gang had already teamed up with the Pinkerton Detective Agency, they believed Dutch would bring the gang to rescue Arthur, allowing them to set an ambush beforehand and capture the entire Van der Linde gang.

Eventually, Arthur, taking advantage of their carelessness, escaped alone. By the time he returned to camp, Arthur was half-dead, and his companions quickly scrambled to care for him.

Weeks passed, and Arthur's injuries finally healed, but then things completely spiraled out of control.

The Gray family invited Arthur and his companions to town, but then suddenly attacked and opened fire.

Caught off guard, Sean, who was occasionally foul-mouthed but the team's cheerful character, was shot directly in the head.

After a fierce struggle, everyone barely managed to escape from Rhodes back to camp, only to receive another piece of devastating news.

The Braithwaite family had found the camp and kidnapped Little Jack.

Sean's death and Little Jack's kidnapping.

At this point, the rage of Arthur, Dutch, and everyone in the Van der Linde gang reached its peak.

Hosea was no exception.

No one was thinking about keeping a low profile anymore.

Dutch, Hosea, Arthur, John Marston, Charles, Bill, Lenny, Javier.

A total of eight people, they stormed towards the Braithwaite family with furious momentum. Just by looking at their backs, one could feel the ferocity and grandeur of the Van der Linde gang in their prime.

This was the level that players found most shocking to date, and also the one where they could best feel the immense Combat Prowess of the Van der Linde gang.

Transforming into the All Bad Guys, after a fierce battle, they captured Catherine Braithwaite and learned that Little Jack had been sent to a powerful figure named Angelo Bronte in Saint Denis.

So the group set the mansion on fire and left, leaving a distraught Catherine to gaze at the raging inferno consuming her century-old mansion.

But before one wave settled, another rose. The very next day, as everyone was discussing how to rescue Little Jack, the two Pinkerton Agents who had previously found Arthur also located them. After uttering some harsh words, challenging them not to run and promising to return with 100 men next time, the Pinkerton Agents strutted off.

For Dutch and his companions, it was clear they couldn't stay there any longer.

Under Dutch's leadership, the group arrived at an abandoned mansion in the swamps not far from Saint Denis.

Temporarily settled, everyone began to inquire about Angelo Bronte's residence to rescue Little Jack.

And here, players finally stepped into the game's most prosperous and largest city: Saint Denis.

The city's prototype was New Orleans, established by French colonists and later sold to the USA, so the city adopted the French pronunciation, Saint Denis.

The city boasts many French-style architecture. Trade and industry in Saint Denis are highly developed, featuring both elegant streets with abundant goods and dirty, crowded slums, along with the gloomy skies brought by heavy industrialization.

After circling the city, Arthur finally got Angelo Bronte's location from some street ruffians that made players grit their teeth in hatred.

Dutch, Arthur, and John went to Angelo Bronte's house.

But to their surprise, Little Jack had not suffered any abuse.

He was even being well-fed and cared for.

After helping Angelo Bronte deal with a group of Grave Robbers.

Dutch seemingly became good friends with Angelo Bronte.

And after this, Angelo Bronte even invited them to a high society gathering in Saint Denis.

He also hinted that Dutch should help him eliminate a business rival.

However, Dutch prided himself on being the Robin Hood of the Western era, so he naturally refused to help Angelo Bronte directly.

So, at the banquet, Angelo Bronte asked Dutch what their true purpose was in Saint Denis.

Upon learning that Dutch and his group wanted money, he told Dutch that there would be a large sum of money at the train station.

During this time, players would also trigger many important missions.

For instance, another date with Mary.

Helping Mary retrieve her mother's keepsakes, they had a lot of fun, and Arthur even watched a movie with Mary. In the cinema, Arthur's hand wanted to rest on Mary's shoulder, but he extended it countless times only to pull it back at the last moment.

Finally, as they were leaving, this time Mary didn't hesitate as before; she spoke.

She wanted Arthur to leave with her, to leave the Van der Linde gang and start a new life.

But it was clearly futile, as Arthur's heart was still with the gang; he couldn't abandon them.

He told Mary that as soon as the gang was settled, he would definitely go to her.

But when would that be?

Meanwhile, in the city, Arthur also met the Native American Chief Rains Fall and his son Eagle Flies.

Originally, this was just a side hustle mission to get some extra money from the old acquaintance Cornwall again, by stealing the Cornwall Kerosene & Tar bills.

But during this operation, Eagle Flies saved Arthur's life, and this forged a friendship between them.

It was from here that the game's pace began to accelerate.

(End of Chapter) <>