Chapter 39 of 100

Chapter 39

16 min read3,884 words

"Poor Liu, it's okay, you'll get used to it eventually." Martin comforted Liu Yunxuan.

Through the plane's radio, they contacted a transport truck. Liu Yunxuan coaxed the Flame onto the truck and then followed Martin and the others back in a helicopter.

Only after getting on the plane did Liu Yunxuan realize how far they had traveled.

After running out of his own ranch, Flame had crossed through two more ranches. The momentum of Flame's run almost startled the cattle in those two ranches. After crossing the two ranches, Flame ran for a while longer on the unowned prairie.

"Liu, you should visit the two ranches tomorrow. After all, you caused them quite a bit of trouble. It wouldn't be good if they complained," Martin suggested when they returned to town.

"That's the right thing to do. When you cause trouble, you should explain yourself. By the way, is everyone free tonight? Let's all go to the Cowboy Bar, and I'll buy the beer," Liu Yunxuan invited.

"Did everyone hear that? Don't make any other plans tonight. Liu is treating us to drinks at the Cowboy Bar," Martin said to his three subordinates in the police station.

The three subordinates, named Miller, Harris, and Hill, were all young and knew Liu Yunxuan. They happily nodded in agreement.

Liu Yunxuan went home first to wash up and then gave Flame another brushing.

Flame had run a long distance and was drenched in sweat. He was wrapped in a blanket on the way back. After washing and brushing him again, Liu Yunxuan headed to the Cowboy Bar. He originally wanted to bring Garcia and Rodriguez, but they said they hadn't finished herding the cattle back to the barn and would come over later.

He didn't expect the two cowboys to be so dedicated, always following a strict schedule for herding. Changing the schedule frequently would disrupt the cattle's growth habits and slow their growth.

When he arrived at the Cowboy Bar, he was surprised to see Pete first.

"Liu, I heard that horse is recovering well and runs very fast now?" Pete asked eagerly.

"Yes, it's recovering well and runs very fast," Liu Yunxuan replied, thinking Pete might think he had sold it too cheaply and was coming to cause trouble, so his tone wasn't very friendly.

"Oh, God, did everyone hear that? It's not that I, Pete, can't judge a horse; my judgment is very good," Pete shouted to the people in the bar, then turned to Brown and said, "Brown, give everyone here a beer, on me."

It was clear that Pete was very happy, finally able to clear his name of being a money-losing rancher.

Liu Yunxuan didn't expect that Pete was just trying to prove his judgment. He felt a bit embarrassed for misunderstanding him.

"No, Pete, you shouldn't pay. I'll buy all the drinks tonight to celebrate finally learning how to ride a horse, okay?"

"No, no, Liu, this round is on me. Today is a happy day, and I must treat everyone," Pete insisted on treating everyone to a round.

"Alright, this round is on you, and I'll pay for the rest," Liu Yunxuan agreed, seeing Pete's insistence. At least he could save some money on drinks. Although he was happy, saving a bit was still good.

Soon, Martin and the others, as well as Garcia and Rodriguez, arrived.

"Everyone, quiet down, I have something to say," Martin shouted. The people in the bar looked at Martin, curious about what he had to say. Martin was well-respected in town.

"The drinks tonight are on Liu from the Garden Ranch. I want to make it clear that what I'm about to say isn't because he's buying the drinks."

"Maybe not everyone knows Liu well, so I'll tell you a bit about him."

"I asked Garcia, and Liu can now independently handle all the work on the ranch."

"Today, Liu also learned to ride a horse, and you all know about that horse's bad temper."

At this point, everyone in the bar laughed, especially Pete, who laughed the loudest.

Martin raised his hand to quiet them and continued, "Compared to those ranchers who only care about making money and don't value our cowboy culture, Liu has done an excellent job."

"Here, I propose that we recognize Liu as one of us cowboys. Do you all agree?" Martin asked loudly at the end.

"Agreed."

"We have no objections."

"Liu is already a qualified cowboy."

The cowboys were roused, pounding the tables and shouting their agreement.

These cowboys might not be highly educated, but they respected capable people. A man who couldn't ride a horse and tamed a wild horse on his first try earned their respect and recognition.

Liu Yunxuan was also very happy. He didn't expect that riding a horse once would bring such a significant gain. Gaining the recognition of these cowboys wasn't easy. Their recognition meant they accepted him as one of their own.

Over the years, many private ranch owners in Texas had contracted out their ranches, but many of them were clueless and paid very low wages. Some even used helicopters for herding.

These were the "vampire ranchers" Martin had mentioned. When the cowboys worked for them, they didn't exactly slack off, but they certainly didn't give their all. If a task could be done to 100%, they would only do 70-80%.

Garcia and Rodriguez were also happy that their boss was accepted by everyone. When they first started working at the Garden Ranch, many cowboys had said negative things.

"Thank you all, thank you all," Liu Yunxuan raised his glass in a toast.

"First, I want to thank my two good brothers, Garcia and Rodriguez. They taught me how to be a qualified cowboy. Let's raise a glass to them."

Liu Yunxuan finished his drink in one gulp.

Seeing Liu Yunxuan drink so decisively, the cowboys also raised their glasses and drank down their beers.

Brown, the bartender, was delighted. Business was good tonight.

"I also want to thank Martin. If it weren't for him, I would have suffered in the wild and wouldn't have been able to enjoy Brown's delicious beer," Liu Yunxuan added humorously.

After saying that, he drank the freshly refilled beer in one gulp.

The cowboys' reaction was not just enthusiastic but fervent. Capable and able to drink, he was a real man. That was two large glasses of beer, not small bottles.

Some of the cowboys could drink the second glass in one go, while others needed two or three tries.

"Finally, let's party. Drink as much as you can, it's on me. If you can sing, go up front and sing, let me feel the Western American spirit."

After Liu Yunxuan finished speaking, the bar erupted in cheers. Some pounded the tables in approval, and others started singing right on the tables. Everyone was very excited.

Liu Yunxuan ordered some food and sat at the bar, chatting with everyone. He hadn't had time to eat since he got back and had just downed two large glasses of beer.

He didn't want to go home and eat Garcia's tasteless steak.

The party continued until almost midnight, but many had work the next day.

When Liu Yunxuan settled the bill, he wanted to kick Brown's grinning face.

He had seen Brown take every opportunity to pour more beer into the cowboys' glasses. He had spent over $1000, almost as much as Flame's value, Liu Yunxuan thought resentfully.

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