Chapter 36: Americans at Rest
On the other side, Arthur had an embarrassing experience that left him feeling quite frustrated.
Although he personally didn't like drinking hot coffee, out of basic courtesy, he still smiled and greeted the two ladies.
(Arthur indeed doesn't drink hot coffee. Arthur and Abigail once had a relationship, which can be seen from Arthur's diary and his tone towards Abigail. In both the game and the story, Arthur is very cautious about his feelings.)
However, what he didn't expect was that these two ladies not only failed to respond to his friendly gesture but instead began to mock him relentlessly.
In a contemptuous tone, they ridiculed Arthur for being a complete hillbilly and a worthless coward.
Just then, Javier, who had been standing aside full of anticipation for some hot coffee, saw that things were going south. To please the two ladies and fulfill his wish for hot coffee, he unhesitatingly abandoned his brotherhood with Arthur and joined the ranks of those mocking him.
When had Arthur ever suffered such humiliation! In his anger, he could no longer suppress the fire in his heart and blurted out a sharp question:
"How much do you think you're worth?" These words were like a sharp sword piercing the other's heart. The lady's face changed instantly, and stung by the remark, she turned and left in a huff without a word.
Seeing this, the other lady also quickly left the scene without looking back.
Charles, who had been trying to ease the atmosphere and persuade the two ladies to stay, appeared somewhat at a loss. He called out anxiously, hoping to keep them there.
Unfortunately, the two ladies were completely unwilling to pay him any mind, treating him as if he were thin air.
Seeing his long-awaited hot coffee vanish into thin air, Javier couldn't help but pin all the blame on Arthur.
He began to complain to Arthur, accusing him of not knowing how to communicate with women.
Facing Javier's behavior of prioritizing women over friends, the anger in Arthur's heart grew even stronger. He widened his eyes, staring intently at Javier, and retorted indignantly:
"I'm a genuine ladies' man! I've always been a charming and suave figure, so how could I not be good at dealing with women?
As for you, Javier, shouldn't you take a good look at your taste in people?"
After saying this, Arthur angrily walked straight to Johnny's table, leaving a stunned Javier standing there.
Before Arthur's seat even got warm, the sound of Bill arguing with another man came from the door. Looking back, he found the two of them actually grappling with each other.
However, the group was just watching the spectacle, with no intention of helping. Javier couldn't even tell if they were fighting or flirting.
Just then, Bill suddenly gave the other man a body slam, and everyone realized they were indeed fighting.
Many of that man's friends in the saloon stood up one after another to help.
Although they usually found Bill annoying, the Van der Linde Gang was quite united when facing outsiders. So, the three of them rushed over and joined the brawl.
Johnny unhurriedly and carefully folded the newspaper in his hand and gently placed it into his backpack.
Then, he picked up the nearly empty glass of whiskey in front of him and downed it without hesitation, as if he didn't want to let even the last precious drop of alcohol go to waste.
To Johnny, wasting a single grain of food or a drop of fine wine was an unforgivable sin.
After finishing his drink, Johnny stood up abruptly, an invisible aura emanating from him.
He knew the essence of a group fight—lock onto one target and beat them ruthlessly.
Faster than words can say, Johnny charged forward like an arrow released from a bow.
His target was the man who was currently choking Arthur. In the blink of an eye, Johnny had rushed close to the man and delivered a powerful "Rider Kick."
This kick carried the force of a thunderbolt, landing solidly on the man's ribs. With a dull thud, the man was instantly sent flying several meters by the powerful impact.
Johnny didn't stop after his successful strike. He quickly steadied himself and followed up with a heavy Electric Cannon punch toward the enemy who had just fallen.
This punch struck the opponent's eye with incredible precision. The man didn't even have time to scream before his eyes rolled back and he lost consciousness completely.
At that moment, Tommy, who was upstairs, noticed the commotion coming from the saloon below.
He frowned, thinking that someone actually dared to cause trouble on his turf; they were simply tired of living! So, without a word, he hurried downstairs, ready to join the fray.
When he reached the first-floor hall, he immediately spotted Johnny, who was particularly eye-catching in the chaotic crowd.
For no other reason than Johnny's height of 195 cm, which was simply too prominent to ignore.
After successfully dealing with three opponents, Johnny also keenly caught Tommy's unfriendly gaze.
Without any hesitation, adhering to the principle of striking first, he charged again, pouncing toward Tommy like a ferocious beast.
As he neared Tommy, Johnny leaped, attempting to tackle him to the ground and follow up with a vicious Electric Cannon.
However, Tommy was clearly no pushover. Facing Johnny's sharp assault, he remained calm, skillfully sidestepping to easily dodge Johnny's pounce.
So, Johnny changed his strategy, his two arms swinging like hammers: "Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora!"
Whenever the opponent showed a weakness, he would stun them with an Electric Cannon and then "Ora" them awake, cruelly tormenting them and repeatedly grinding the progress for [Western Ip Man].
This thrilling battle immediately drew the attention of many nearby residents, who gathered around to see what was happening.
Among the crowd, a man named Downes was particularly noticeable. He stood at the very front with an anxious look, wanting to step forward and mediate the fight.
But his feet seemed to be nailed in place; he never dared to take a step closer to Johnny.
Finally, after a period of fierce fighting, everyone involved in the brawl gradually stopped.
However, the scene didn't become much calmer—Johnny was still gripping Tommy tightly, his fists falling on him like raindrops, while poor Tommy had long since lost the ability to fight back.
At this point, Arthur, who had been watching from the side, could no longer stand to see it.
He felt that Johnny's behavior was far too brutal, so he rushed forward without hesitation, grabbed Johnny's arm, and shouted:
"Enough! Stop hitting him. If you keep this up, he'll really die!"
Hearing this, Johnny somewhat reluctantly and slowly stood up, then walked slowly toward the Saloon Owner.
By now, the Saloon Owner was already pale with fear, his face showing an expression of extreme terror.
As he watched Johnny step by step approaching him, his body trembled involuntarily, and he secretly lamented his misfortune.
He didn't know how to deal with this fierce and menacing figure, so he could only steel himself and stand in place, daring neither to run nor to move.
Johnny walked up to the counter, stopped, and then unhurriedly reached out his right hand, rummaging through his backpack for a moment.
Then, he pulled out a crumpled ten-dollar Bill and placed it gently on the counter.
Afterward, Johnny looked up, staring coldly at the Saloon Owner, and said in a low, threatening tone:
"We didn't come here looking for trouble on purpose. It's just that that guy's mouth was too foul, and my companion couldn't stand it.
I'm laying it out for you now: if I ever see him here again while I'm drinking, hmph, don't blame me for being ruthless. I'll beat him every time I see him!"
After saying this, Johnny turned abruptly and strode out of the saloon door, leaving behind a group of stunned people and a scene of utter mess.
The owner hadn't expected this either; he had thought he would have to argue endlessly with the Valentine Sheriff and end up with a total loss. As it turned out, he actually made a bit of profit.
(With just a few broken chairs, tables, and empty bottles, ten dollars was actually quite a lot.)