The bear-like man called himself Rich.
Zhang Heng got a good news and a bad news from Rich.
The good news is that he now finally knows where Lincoln County is in the main quest. The bad news is that that place is quite far from where he is now, and he has to go south all the way through the Gobi.
According to Rich, it will take two days at the fastest to ride a horse, and the journey is not very safe.
As for the trains...
"The trains haven't been here for a while. There used to be a copper mine in this place. That's when this town was established. The town is basically full of miners and their families, but then the copper mine was emptied... I'm not sure, maybe there's a little more down there, but I guess it's down to two hundred feet, and it's hard to get to, so as you can see, people in town have moved out."
"Then why are you still here?"
Zhang Heng poured himself another glass of whiskey.
"We're not from the town... do a small business nearby." Rich's eyes flickered.
"what business?"
"The fur business, but the fur business is not doing well these days. Even beaver skins are not as valuable as before, and those little things are becoming more and more difficult to find." Rich complained.
"So this place is your stronghold?"
"Yes, we took over the place after the miners moved out, no, it was just the pub."
"How many of you are there?"
"Seven people, you have seen, uh, now I am the only one left..." Rich's eyes showed a look of pleading, "Sorry sir, I would like to extend my sincerest apologies to you for what happened before, The stories about my Chinese friends were all made up by me, I was drinking too much and talking nonsense...”
"Hmm." Zhang Heng was noncommittal, and took another sip of whiskey, "But why did I see eight horses at the entrance of the bar? Don't tell me that one of them belongs to the bar owner. Considering his physical condition, I don't think he It can also be used for horses."
"Well... we used to be eight, not nine, but then we ran into a little trouble and lost two companions, but one of them still has a horse. Please, sir, I have put everything I know Let me tell you, I know you're an honest and respectable person, today's incident is our own fault, but we've got what we deserve, for God's sake, let's call it a day , I... I still have 15 dollars in my pocket, and I can give it to you." Rich begged.
Hearing this, Zhang Heng handed over the half glass of whiskey in his hand.
A look of joy flashed in Rich's eyes, and he quickly took the glass of wine, which symbolized peace, and drank it down. However, when his gaze fell forward again, what he saw was the black muzzle of the gun.
Zhang Heng had picked up the lever rifle at his feet again, and said, "No, you don't know who I am at all. By the way, your answer just now was also full of lies."
Before Rich could answer, he pulled the trigger.
After a gunshot, the glass fell to the ground, and the bar finally became completely silent.
Zhang Heng took off the [Oath Ring] from Rich's body and put it back in his backpack. Although this thing only has the quality of f, it is surprisingly easy to use, especially during the interrogation. Being perceived by the other party makes it a portable little lie detector.
Zhang Heng spent some time searching the small bar, found food and several barrels of drinking water in the storage room, and made himself the first dinner after coming to this instance.
Then he sat outside the door of the bar with a plate of bacon and potatoes, watched the sunset and finished the meal. Considering the distance between Lincoln County and Lincoln County, Zhang Heng did not rush on the road, but decided to go to this place. Resting for another night in the empty town, after eating, he took a rifle and thoroughly inspected the surrounding area.
Rich didn't lie about the town. It had indeed been abandoned for quite some time. Except for him and his accomplices, no one usually came here.
There are many similar towns in the west, and most of them are built by relying on nearby resources. Miners, ranchers, and gold diggers gather together and bring their families. While engaged in production, they also need life and entertainment. , but with the depletion of resources, people have to move to new places to make a living, and the original towns have become desolate, and even empty buildings.
It's a completely empty city right now.
Zhang Heng quickly completed his inspection and found a clean place to sleep for the night in a residential house on the opposite street.
When he returned to the bar early the next morning, the first thing he did was to change his clothes. His complexion was already a little eye-catching, but what was more eye-catching was his clothes. Although the short-sleeved shorts were cool, they couldn't hold back The scorching sun, if he is going to travel long distances, he needs to update his equipment.
Cowhide boots, shirts, leather chaps, denim scarves... All of the above items were contributed by Rich and his companions in friendship. Zhang Heng found a guy who was closer to his figure and changed into the other's clothes. In addition, he carried two Colt revolvers in holsters at his waist.
As for the more powerful lever rifle, Zhang Heng didn't take it considering that he went to Lincoln County this time to settle there and not look for trouble, and he already had two revolvers that were enough for him to defend himself.
Bullets, food, and water are all necessary consumables, and Zhang Heng stuffed some into his backpack.
In addition, Zhang Heng also got the $15 promised by Rich. Unfortunately, none of these guys are rich, and the eight people contributed less than $50 in total. Fortunately, the money added up Should be enough for him to live for a while.
Before leaving, Zhang Heng opened another barrel of whiskey, sprinkled it on the corpse and the floor, and drew a match.
Before long, everything that happened here will be swallowed up by the fire.
After finishing all this, Zhang Heng walked out of the bar.
But his troubles were just beginning.
There is a lot of distance from here to Lincoln County. Not only will it take a lot of time to walk there, but it may not be too pleasant under the scorching sun. Since this place has been abandoned, the trains obviously can't be counted on. Therefore, in this era, Zhang Heng There is only one option left.
He looked at the eight horses tied outside the bar. Last night after dinner, he brought these eight guys a few bundles of hay for dinner. He observed them by the way. The black horses with the darkest fur looked the strongest. They were lively, so Zhang Heng was the first to rule them out. The other horses also seemed very vigilant when he approached, pawing the ground with their hooves, or shaking their heads. They didn't look like friendly partners either.