Chapter 34: Duel

The United Mining Company was established with Liang Yao, Fremont and Ge Wen toasting each other.

The three talked about their personal and California's future at the table.

"Politics, damn politics, I stood on the side of the upright General Stockton in the struggle between Stockton and Carney, but what did I get? A soldier who shed blood and was injured for the United States during the war was sent to court!"

After three rounds of drinking, the drunk Fremont could no longer suppress his resentment.

Fremont and Ge Wen are two people with completely different personalities. Although Fremont has been expelled from the army, he still maintains the straightforwardness of a pure soldier, with a generous and upright personality.

Ge Wen is cunning and cautious even at the table. He never talks about any sensitive political events at the table, and even when drinking, he just pretends to drink a small sip to perfunctorily. This allows him to stay more sober and avoid unexpected situations of speaking out of turn after drinking.

"I didn't die fighting the Mexicans, but I died in my own court."

"Mr. Fremont, you are not dead, you are still alive and well, and you have been reborn." Liang Yao remained sober and comforted the drunk Fremont.

"My heart is dead, which is more tormenting than the death of the body."

Fremont howled heartbreakingly. He was expelled from the army and could never serve the country again in this life. This is an irreparable regret.

Liang Yao didn't know what kind of grievances and entanglements existed between the two army and navy brigadiers Stockton and Carney.

He also didn't know why Fremont, an army officer, would stand on the side of the navy in the political struggle between the army and navy.

But California was able to successfully secede from Mexico and join the United States of America, and Fremont contributed greatly. It was indeed inappropriate to send Fremont to the military court and expel him hastily without careful investigation.

The Mexican-American War also allowed a group of American officers and generals to grow up, and they became the mainstay of the North and South in the civil war ten years later. Fremont was one of them.

Fremont was resentful about this, and he could understand it.

Liang Yao's private party was soon interrupted by an uninvited guest. Brannan Jr. came to Sacramento with a dozen people in a threatening manner.

Unlike Brannan, Brannan Jr. was very low-key. It was said that he was behind the scenes to manage Brannan's business and rarely showed up.

Liang Yao was confused about Brannan Jr.'s arrival, and had no idea what Brannan Jr. was here for.

Was he here to cause trouble? Or was he here to reconcile?

"Mr. Brannan, you came to Sacramento at all costs. What are you doing?"

Liang Yao patted his confused head and tried to keep himself awake.

His guards gathered around him, vigilantly guarding against Brannan Jr. and others.

"Mr. Liang, if we continue to fight like this, you and I will both lose." Brannan Jr. got straight to the point.

"You are the ones who started the trouble, not me."

"Maybe we should live in peace."

"Can you represent Brannan?"

"I will try to convince him."

"This is not the answer I want, please go back."

Liang Yao ordered Brannan to leave.

In this fight with Brannan, he was at a disadvantage and never thought of negotiating with Brannan.

Not to mention that the strong and the weak have changed now, and Brannan's defeat is obvious. Moreover, Brannan cannot fully represent his family to negotiate with him.

Brannan's trip was just his own wish, not Brannan's. Such negotiations are unnecessary and will not produce any results.

For people like Brannan who are extremely vengeful and narrow-minded, he must root out the roots to prevent future troubles. Otherwise, he will not feel at ease staying in California.

"How much gold and US dollars do you need to buy your land?!"

Brannan raised his voice.

"That's not for sale."

Liang Yao flatly rejected Brannan's request to buy the land. Brannan's idea was too naive.

The fact that Brannan Jr. can have such naive and unrealistic ideas also shows that the situation on Brannan's side is not optimistic, and he has the upper hand in this business war.

Liang Yao now not only has the Bank of China to attract money for him, but also can mine gold in the riverbed of the American River. He can handle this price war with ease, without worrying about the risk of a broken capital chain.

Brannan's two main sources of income now come mainly from casinos and brothels, and Brannan's good days are coming to an end.

"Liang Yao, do you dare to duel with me like a man! Decide the outcome by dueling! If you are a man, you accept this duel. If you admit that you are a coward, you can refuse this duel between men!"

Brannan Jr. invited Liang Yao to a duel.

Liang Yao just thought it was funny. I can obviously defeat your Brannan family in a more secure way, so why should I risk a duel with you?

Liang Yao smiled coldly and ordered Brannan Jr. to be driven away, so as to prevent Brannan Jr. from provoking trouble on his territory.

"I'll duel with you!"

Fremont staggered to the front of little Brannan, ready for the duel.

"One of my elders once warned me that dueling is an abominable custom brought about by the depravity of mankind. But I like this evil custom."

Drunk Fremont was very serious about the duel, and his blue eyes lit up.

He has a unique understanding of dueling. He believes that the true meaning of dueling does not lie in how to put the opponent to death in the most efficient and safe way. Killing the enemy is only secondary.

The true meaning of duel is to let you learn how to stay calm when facing the enemy's guns, defeat the opponent, and prove to the world the value and dignity of your existence.

Liang Yao didn't understand Fremont's brain circuit, and he planned to end this meaningless farce.

But Fremont had loaded his pistol and was ready for the duel, and the crowd of onlookers was growing, ready to see the duel.

There is no way this farce can end even if it wants to.

The busybodies have opened the market, and the gamblers have enthusiastically placed their bets on this life and death battle.

Duels in gold mining areas are not uncommon, and conflicts often break out among gold prospectors over a piece of gold mining territory that is a few feet or even smaller.

The simplest and most effective way to resolve conflicts is to fight in a duel, using your own life as a barrier in order to gain a glimmer of wealth.

But this duel is different. The duelists are two very distinguished people, and they are very special.

Freemont and Brannan Jr. stood facing each other with loaded pistols in their hands, glaring at each other.

The air around them was deathly silent, and in the eyes of the two of them, the crowd around them seemed like the air did not exist.

At this moment, they only have eyes for the opponent standing opposite.

The drunken Fremont acted unusually calm and calm, not at all like a drunkard who had just drank half a barrel of gin.

Young Brannan was the first to break the silence. He roared to embolden himself.

But in terms of momentum, Little Bran has already lost. Little Bran just raised his hand, and before he had time to pull the trigger, he only felt like his right shoulder was being hammered hard by a heavy object, and even the gun in his hand was hit by a heavy object. Got rid of it.

Little Brannan was not dead, but the pain still made him collapse to the ground, roaring helplessly.

Fremont, who had just experienced a life-and-death duel, was mostly sober. He put away his gun, shrugged and said with regret, "I originally wanted to hit him in the heart, but unfortunately I drank too much and couldn't hold the gun securely."

Little Brannan, supported by a group of hired gunmen, walked toward San Francisco in embarrassment amid boos.

After this incident, Liang Yao and the others lost interest in continuing the banquet. He asked people to help Fremont and Gwen to the guest room to rest.

He himself returned to the office and stared at the date on the calendar. If nothing unexpected happened, the Sven fleet, which had recently gone to Mexico and Central American countries to purchase supplies, would return to San Francisco.

It was also time for him to give Brannan, his old rival, the final blow.

It’s time for the absurd era of Brannan’s rule in California to come to an end.

Liang Yao called his cultural hawk, Henry, the editor-in-chief of the California Daily News.

"Publish an article exposing the Brannan Casino scam."

"Newspapers are still distributed for free?"

This time, Henry did not hesitate. Like most people in Sacramento and San Francisco, he was full of confidence in Liang Yao.

"It is distributed for free, and I will subsidize the newspaper company's losses."

"Understood, I will write the article beautifully and expose Brannan's ugly criminal behavior."

As for the newspaper's losses, Henry is not very concerned about it now. Although it is operating at a loss, the "California Daily" has not gained nothing. The newspaper gained fame and became one of the most impressive local news media.

Recently, some dignitaries in the East even sent people to the San Francisco Daily Californian just to get the latest information about California.

Henry had never imagined that his newspaper would be as influential as it is today.