The three men who were alive and kicking not long ago became three corpses in the blink of an eye, hanging under the wooden platform, motionless like dried salted fish. After half a day, it was confirmed that they were all dead. Naturally, someone removed the ropes from their necks and buried their bodies.
The drunkard sheriff finished his job and climbed down from the wooden platform in a wobbly manner. The crowd below also dispersed, chatting about what had just happened as they walked. The one-armed man's last words made many people feel worried. For a moment, they didn't even have time to pay attention to the new Easterner in town.
At this time, Zhang Heng had also roughly read the bounties on the wall, and there was no particularly ideal one. He could only pick a general among the dwarves and quickly memorized the faces of several fugitives he might catch.
After that, Zhang Heng walked to the grocery store in town with Radish, and the man who was watching him behind him also came to the grocery store's door. However, after waiting for a while, he did not see Zhang Heng coming out of the grocery store. He was a little anxious. He wanted to poke his head in and take a look, but he was afraid that he would be discovered. Besides, the guy's horse was still outside the grocery store. Logically speaking, he should not have disappeared all of a sudden.
Just as he was hesitating, a voice suddenly came from behind him. "Are you the one who secretly followed me?"
Zhang Heng was a little surprised when he saw the person following him.
Although the other party tried to pretend to be an adult, she seemed to be only eleven or twelve years old. There were a lot of freckles on her face, and she looked very childish. No wonder Zhang Heng did not notice her when he turned around.
"Are you the sister of those two cowboys?"
"What cowboys … Oh, you mean those guys. No, I have nothing to do with them, sir," the girl said.
"Then why are you following me?" Zhang Heng stuffed the soap and other daily necessities he bought from the grocery store into the pocket next to the saddle.
"Please allow me to introduce myself. I … My name is Wendy. My father is a rancher nearby."
"So?" Zhang Heng raised his eyebrows.
"I saw that you are looking for a job. Here's the thing. About two weeks ago, my father went on a long trip to discuss a business. He said he would be back in ten days at most, but as you can see, he has exceeded the deadline he said so far."
"Perhaps he encountered something on the way and was delayed." Since the freckled girl in front of him had nothing to do with the two cowboys, he had no intention of making things difficult for her. He turned around and was about to leave with Radish.
When Wendy saw him turn around, she circled around and stood in front of him again.
"No, my father has always been a very punctual person, and the town he went to also has a telegraph office. If he was really delayed there because of an accident, he would definitely send a telegram to me and my mother."
"And then?"
"But he didn't do it. We lost contact with him for a long time. Mom and I were worried about his safety."
"I can understand your concerns, but shouldn't you go to the town sheriff for this kind of thing?" Zhang Heng changed his direction and led Radish past Wendy.
"I tried to contact Sergeant Terrell, but he called the police station in that town, and they told me that my father left six days ago."
"So, your problem has been solved?"
"No, of course not. I think they are lying. It's obvious. If my father left six days ago, he should be home by now, and he would have sent a telegram to me and my mother before he left," Wendy said excitedly as she followed Zhang Heng.
"But the sheriff said that he had left there."
"I don't know. I have a bad feeling that something might have happened," Wendy said. Wendy said, "I told Sheriff Terrell my hunch, but he didn't believe me at all. He just told me to go home and wait. The town's bailiffs were also busy with other cases, and they refused to take the time to look for my father."
"What about your father's friends? Why don't you ask them for help? "
"My family doesn't have many friends here. My mother is a Spanish immigrant, and my father is half Apache. So you're not the first person to be isolated by the town, and you won't be the last," Wendy said. "I know what it's like. I saw what you did when you first entered the town, and I think you are a tough person, just like my father. So, I want to offer you a job, sir. "
"Can I help you find your father?"
"Yes, I can pay you sixty dollars after the job is done." Wendy looked into Zhang Heng's eyes nervously after she finished speaking.
The price … was basically the same as an ordinary bounty, and it was in line with Zhang Heng's ideal job that focused on investigation. Although the investigation might require him to leave Lincoln County for a while, it shouldn't be too much of a problem for Zhang Heng, who had a super long dungeon run. Besides, the other bounties basically required him to leave the town, so it wasn't too much of a problem.
However, there were some things that needed to be made clear in advance. Zhang Heng stopped and said, "What if I accept your request, but your father goes home later?"
"In that case, I will pay you without delay."
Zhang Heng nodded. "You may not like what I said … but what if something happens to your father?"
"It doesn't matter. I have considered all kinds of possibilities myself," Wendy hesitated. "As long as you can prove that he is really not in this world, I can pay you the money."
"Very well, I'll take this job," Zhang Heng said. "Pay half of the money as a deposit first, and then write an employment contract. Also, tell me more about your father. Once I have results, I will come back to you."
Wendy was overjoyed when she heard that, but then she said, "Don't bother. Let's go together. I will tell you about my father on the way, and I will know the results as soon as possible."
"Wait, you said you want to go with me to find your father?" Zhang Heng frowned.
"Yes. Don't look down on me because of my age. I can provide you with a lot of help." Wendy puffed out her chest. "In addition to providing information about my father, there are many things I can do. When I was seven years old, I tamed Lightning, my first horse, although she was just a foal at that time …"
"But you know that we may encounter danger when we go out this time, right?" Zhang Heng did not want to bring a burden with him.
"Of course, this is why I'm paying you. Otherwise, I would go by myself." Wendy's eyes widened, puzzled.
"So … you just want to spend money to hire a bodyguard?"
"Yes, if that's what you want to call yourself."
"Goodbye," Zhang Heng said. After that, he led Radish to the hotel.
Wendy shouted behind him, "How about 70 dollars? Or 75 dollars? This is the highest I can offer. If it's any higher, I will find someone else. Although the townspeople don't like our family, they won't say no to money. As long as I offer a high enough price, I'm sure someone will be willing to be my bodyguard." "Go ahead.
I'm not interested in being ordered around by a kid. "Zhang Heng waved his hand and did not stop walking." I hope you find your father soon, Wendy. "
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