Chapter 602 Bounty and the Alcoholic Sherriff
The little conflict that had just taken place in the county town quickly settled down in the presence of the sheriff.
But many heard the gunshots and had come out to see what was happening, thereby witnessing the whole incident.
Zhang Heng had achieved his first goal. Later, when he walked the streets again, no one dared to provoke him anymore. But, on the other hand, he had gotten himself on Lincoln County’s unpopular list.
The way the sheriff looked at him said it all.
As a matter of fact, the townspeople’s att.i.tude towards him hadn’t changed much at all, except that they were now more wary of him. When Zhang Heng and Radish pa.s.sed by, the women would drag their children into their homes while the men would stop in their tracks, offering nothing but a look of nervousness and hostility on their faces.
Zhang Heng found a pub where he bought some gra.s.s fodder and beans for the Radish as a reward for all the hard work for the past few days. He also ordered a pint of dark lager recommended by the bailiff, alongside a staple of steak and fried eggs. As he ate, he contemplated his situation and his next move.
He had found Lincoln county, but this place was harsher than he thought it would be.
In terms of unpopularity, he was probably ranked second only to the Native Americans. In fact, he might even be ranked higher than outlaws and gang members.
Zhang Heng wasn’t even sure if the cook had actually spat in his steak.
Having spent three out of the forty-nine dollars he had taken from Rich, he was now left with forty-six. If he were to put up at a hotel, he would be looking at one dollar a day; meals included, which meant the money was only enough to last him about a month and a half.
As usual, Zhang Heng still needed to find a way to make more money to survive in this quest. At that time, he began to miss that 40 kilograms of gold. Zhang Heng didn’t know what the system meant when it asked him to settle down in Lincoln County as the main quest. Was he supposed to look for a place to stay, or was he supposed to stay here for some time? Or, was he supposed to just live here until the system sent him back to the real world. The first two requirements could be achieved easily. As for the third requirement, if he were about to stay here for an extended period, he would have to consider a property purchase.
Nonetheless, thinking about things that would only take place in the future was pointless. After Zhang Heng finished lunch, he decided to head over to the police station in town. There were actually many jobs that he could involve himself in, but when he thought about the way the townspeople treated him, he didn’t have many options left to choose.
Among the odd jobs on offer, the work that could provide him with quick money and required no cooperation from anyone would undoubtedly be a bounty hunter.
The police station’s sore lack of manpower could barely cope with the West’s vast and complex environment. Most towns had only a law enforcement officer or two, and their enemies outnumbered many a time. Not only did they have to maintain local law and order, but they even doubled up as judges. It was almost impossible for them to take the time to go out of town.
Even with the bailiffs’ help, they still required a great deal of workforce to help them deal with the problem in the West. It was the main reason why the law was nearly non-existent in those parts at that time. Once someone committed a crime at a certain place, it was difficult for the police to track the person down after they changed their name or lay low.
Thus, the inception of the bounty hunter profession.
According to the criminals’ threat level and the scale of the crime, the police would offer different rewards to the bounty hunter. If they agreed to the reward, these bounty hunters would hunt down the fugitives on their behalf.
It was a profession only brave men and adventurers dared pursue. Zhang Heng had never doubted his combat ability, but when he came to the police station and looked at the wanted list, he oversimplified the whole thing.
Zhang Heng eliminated fugitives with a relatively low bounty. Although it was less risky going after these small-time criminals, the gains were not proportional to the pay, especially for novices like Zhang Heng. He doubted that the money he made during this round of hunting would be less than the money spent on the trip.
The wanted criminals that came with larger rewards; on the other hand, they did not usually act alone. However, Zhang Heng was not bothered by it. The reason why they were hard to track down was that they were simply good at hiding themselves. No one really knew where their whereabouts were and had evasive skills that rivaled a ghost. Zhang Heng’s sailing skill was at Lv. 3, and his driving at a Lv.2, and he had even flown a s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p before. Unfortunately, none of these skills could be put to much use during this quest.
Along the way, Zhang Heng and Radish had acquainted quite well with each other. That said, he knew that his riding skills and the speed of his steed were considered below average in this era. In other words, he would not be able to complete any bounty since almost everyone was a lot faster than him.
Moreover, Zhang Heng’s marksmans.h.i.+p could only be fully optimized when Radish stopped moving or dismounted. Once Radish started to gallop, his accuracy would drop a lot. In summary, the money offered on the list looked very attractive, but it was unprofitable. And Zhang Heng also held a disadvantage-He was unfamiliar with the surrounding towns, and it was likely that he’d get lost. However, his a.n.a.lytical reasoning and combat skills weren’t something many possessed.
Zhang Heng was confident that he could get it done, but he would have to take some time choosing the right target.
As he was standing outside the door looking at the list, the drunk sheriff he dealt with not long ago also walked out from the room with his low-hanging potbelly preceding him. “Boy, let me warn you about something. When you’re in the county, you had better behave. I’ve seen lots of young men like you who thought it wise to be arrogant after learning a bit of shooting. Know how they end up?”
“Back then, I gunned five people down in one go,” the sheriff made a cool shooting gesture while exhaling a breath that reeked of whisky from his nostrils. But the next moment, he slipped and nearly fell to the ground. Fortunately, someone by his side propped him up, with the person urging, “Sheriff, it’s time. Everyone is waiting for you.”
“Do I have to go, Jameson?!”
The sheriff, immersed in the glory of the past, grunted when he was interrupted.
“I’m afraid in this Lincoln County; you are the embodiment of the law and nemesis of criminals. I am G.o.d-awful sure you need to show up to scare them off. And you also need to read the final judgment.” The visitor glanced at Zhang Heng unintentionally.
“Well, it is necessary to let those outlaws know how powerful the law is,” the drunk sheriff replied with a nod. Instead of leaving with Jameson, he turned and returned to the police station.
“Uh… are you going in the wrong direction, Sheriff?”
“d.a.m.n! Do I look useless to you? I’m just going to get the bottle I haven’t finished, Jameson,” the sheriff replied before slowly stumbling back to his table. After he grabbed the whisky, he picked up his hat and slowly walked out of the station.
At that time, Zhang Heng also noticed that a crowd had gathered in the officialdom not far away. There was a tall wooden platform in the center of the place.