"Get out of here! You bastard! Get out of here with your asshole money!"

When I inquired about the situation and came to the Ore Town Ranch with a generous gift, I was indeed scolded mercilessly.

At that time, an old man with gray hair was kneeling on the ground to serve the new crops. He was laboriously bending down to check whether the plants had been bitten by insects.

I can tell from the shabby layout here that the economy here is not rich, and can even be called poor. Those tenaciously growing plants are ultimately no match for the weeds, and the old man’s day and night struggle cannot defeat the desolation. The entire pasture is visible to the naked eye.

The speed is withering.

I am full of confidence. How can a ghost place like this in the countryside, where we water the fields with sweat, compare to the happiness we enjoy in the city?

No matter how unsophisticated the country people are, they will know the benefits of money, not to mention that the money I gave is enough for this old man to live in the city for two lifetimes.

But when I explained my purpose, the plot did not develop according to the routine.

"...Hook, who holds 15% of the shares, has not distributed dividends for a total of 33 years as of today, with a total distributed profit of 62.19 million. Dad Hook, take this check and it can be cashed at any state-owned bank in the federation. If

No problem, can you tell me where the other families in the town are?"

The old man first stared at the share contract in my hand in a daze. The contract was signed on a piece of rough lambskin, with the Mining Share Contract written vaguely and illegibly on it, and there were several ugly scrawled signatures and

The fingerprints and dad's name are also prominently printed on it.

After the old man gave me this contract, I found out how many old debts I owed to several families, and decided to start with it.

"If you don't leave, I will plant you in my field as fertilizer!"

…………

"Hahahaha, your choice is really unfortunate."

The only tavern in town is run by a man in his thirties, who always has a smile on his face that doesn't suit this rural place.

"Boss, are you not from here?" I asked.

The owner of the tavern smiled and said: "Call me Dart. I just moved here from the eastern industrial city two years ago."

"Eastern? You mean that abandoned city?" I've heard a little bit about this. Due to the factional struggles within the trust group, the so-called "Eastern Capital" in the east was quickly drained and abandoned, leaving only the ground full of

The ruins of the building and the violent organizations running rampant on the streets have gradually changed the name of the city to "Abandoned City" in other people's mouths.

"Yes, it was really a dream-like scene. Fortunately, I escaped." The man named Dut still smiled without any emotion.

At this time, a little girl who was cleaning appeared next to me and asked me timidly: "Sir, can you tell me what the city is like?"

Her name is Anzuo, she is the daughter of the owner of the winery next door, and she is currently working here.

…………

Relying on the information given to me by the tavern owner, I found another home that was suspected to be an original resident of the town.

In a dense forest, a clearing suddenly appeared. A simple wooden house stood there. From the smoke drifting from the irregular chimney, it could be seen that someone lived here.

After I explained my purpose, the man in the room, who was about my age but had a rough face and a loud voice, also rejected my compensation plan.

"It's true that the Dolanco you mentioned is my father, but he has died long ago. This money belongs to him, what does it have to do with me?"

The man in front of me had an astonishingly simple mind. No matter how I explained the issue of inheritance, he was unwilling to accept it and stubbornly believed that the money had nothing to do with him.

After talking for a long time, my mouth was dry, so I gave up the persuasion. At his invitation, I went to the room to drink a bowl of water and talk about other partners.

"Gots, is it okay for me to call you this? Who are the former partners still living in this town? I also want to talk to them."

The layout of Goetz's house is very simple, with a wooden bed taking up most of the space, and only a bed of straw on the ground is very eye-catching.

"Long gone. My father said that after we got rich, everyone had a dispute and went their separate ways. The eldest partner died here. My father and Father Hu Ke were unwilling to leave. Another one died unexpectedly.

, and finally you see that the one who holds 5% of the shares is the captain of the sea-going ship, and the shares were divided in order to allow him to maintain the route."

Goetz laughed and looked at me: "Go back early, Harris. If anyone in this town wanted to make a fortune, they would have left long ago. Everyone has their own reasons for staying here. As an outsider, you won't understand."

I ended this conversation in silence and returned to the hotel.

This journey was really disappointing. The picture of gratitude I expected did not appear. Not to mention, these people are simply obscenely stubborn.

This small town is closed, lonely, and monotonous, and the few residents do not interact with each other, especially Father Hook. Many residents who accidentally approach his ranch will receive abuse, as if they are strangers.

To steal his lifeblood.

How could such evil-looking neighbors breed good neighborly relations? I began to miss city life. Even the boring and rigid courses in boarding schools back then became lively and lively. If things don’t make new progress,

I decided to give up this task and apologize to the old man at home.

But there is still a ray of carefree sunshine shining in this boring place.

That's Anzo.

This country girl has a lively and delicate mind and a naughty and cute voice. She pesters me every day and wants to hear me tell some stories about the city. In that tavern, I told her stories about my police career when I was a student, little by little.

She listens.

Even just the name of a brand or the scenery of a street can firmly attract her attention and gain her admiring gaze.

Over time, not only this girl, but also other residents in the town would go into the tavern in their spare time and listen to me talk about new things in the city, which gave me a satisfied smile for the whole day. Although my persuasion work did not make any progress, this

The ordinary days in the small town gradually attracted me.

I would walk with her by the river in Ore Town, watching the fish jumping out of the water and listening to the waves surrounding the rocks. Water plants swayed gently on the bottom of the river, and water birds gently built warm nests.

She would also take me for a walk on the beach, watching the bright moon rising in the distance, listening to the whistles of passing ships, and letting the gentle sea breeze and land breeze pass through alternately, weaving the wings of memory.

What I don’t want to admit is that I, who lacked family affection and care since childhood, developed a crush on this girl that goes beyond friendship. I have never found that the warm feeling in my heart can appear so intensely in the face of the reason that I am proud of.

The piece of ice that had frozen my soul since childhood, which had long ignored the neon lights of the city, slowly melted in this inconspicuous little place.
Chapter completed!