Dressler had been running Denver's black market center for over four years.
He had been ordered to establish this black market intelligence and goods trading center three months before Colorado became the 38th state of America.
By the end of this year he would be transferred to another major city - the organization's leadership required cross-rotation every five years.
Over the past four years, Dressler had grown to love this feeling of controlling everything from behind the scenes.
Except for a few people he needed to pay special attention to and be wary of, he felt he was Denver's underground enforcer, an uncrowned king.
Although gunfighters like Henry were rare, he had encountered quite a few similar ones.
No matter how fast and accurate shooting skills were, there were limits.
Henry might be fine hiding in mountain valleys, but coming out to a big city like Denver was seeking death.
One person couldn't maintain sufficient vigilance at all times, and under such a high bounty, they would face gunfire anytime, anywhere - impossible to guard against.
Even law enforcement officials personally orchestrating schemes to frame Henry wasn't impossible.
Bounty targets basically either went insane or had their heads claimed early for reward money.
Now Dressler's only concern was that the McKinley family might strike first to control or eliminate Henry.
Then the 10% commission on the bounty would have nothing to do with the black market.
Dressler absolutely wouldn't allow this to happen, although the black market had already profited handsomely from selling Henry's intelligence.
Moreover, the pleasure of crushing young elites was incomparable to anything else.
Thinking of this, Dressler couldn't help but glance at his slightly protruding belly.
Sigh, he had once been a handsome young gunslinger too.
——
When Henry's group arrived at Mellon Manor, it was nearly 6 PM.
Mellon Manor was also Victorian style, covering about 3 acres with a three-story brick and wood structure building in the center - more than adequate to accommodate the entire group.
Since Richard and his wife had already stayed there two days ago, the manor now had a complete staff of servants including butler, chef, gardener, and attendants. They quickly prepared rooms for Henry's group and began preparing dinner.
However, Richard soon received a dinner invitation for 7 PM delivered by Brendan's butler Elliott.
Richard understood Brendan's anxiety. After consulting with Madeline, apologizing to Henry and Linda, and asking Edith to host Henry's group in their stead, the couple went to the McKinley family manor for the appointment.
After Richard's group left, Henry made arrangements one by one.
"I need to go out to handle some matters, possibly for the entire night."
"This manor currently has no Mellon family guards. Charles and Owen, except for Pete, each of you lead three men to take turns keeping watch at the four corners of the manor."
"Bick, you follow Charles on watch duty. After I return from this outing, I'll set you free."
Bick mustered courage and said: "Sheriff Henry, I'd like to work for you. Is that possible?"
Henry smiled and said: "If you work for me, I have requirements. We'll discuss it when I return. Focus on your duties for now."
"Yes, Sheriff Henry." Bick immediately went to Charles's side to follow his arrangements.
At this time Edith and Linda were washing up. Henry didn't want to disturb them, so he had Pete explain for him, then led his brown quarter horse that had been fused with a gray pearl shell from the stable, mounted it, and rode away.
Henry's sharp gaze swept the surroundings without finding anything suspicious, then he rode at high speed toward the aspen grove over 500 meters away.
After rounding two curves and nearly reaching this dense forest covering about 10 acres, Henry looked back at the road he'd come from, saw no one following, and rode straight into the woods.
Then Henry stored the quarter horse, changed his gray shirt and blue jeans to a blue canvas shirt and gray jeans, switched his brown high boots to black ones, replaced his wide-brimmed hat with a newsboy cap, then attached a circle of thick brown-black beard to his chin and cheeks, and finally a thick brown-black mustache that almost blocked his nostrils.
Next, Henry released a gray-white Appaloosa horse with leopard-spot markings scattered across its hide from his space, mounted it, and left through another exit of the forest.
A few minutes later, he passed the eastern Hamlet Bar that Drummond had mentioned.
After all, Denver's entire area wasn't large now, and this bar was in the same eastern direction as Mellon Manor, so it wasn't hard to find.
When he reached about 200 meters from the bar, Henry rode into a deserted alley, dismounted and stored the horse, then walked out of the alley toward Hamlet Bar.
Soon, Henry pushed open the bar's narrow double swinging doors.
The bar had three floors. The first floor's structure was similar to Drummond's Phoenix Bar, also having a billiards table and standard boxing ring in the corner, with over twenty sets of wooden tables and chairs.
At this moment, a circle of people surrounded the boxing ring, shouting encouragement for two white boxers fighting bare-knuckled, fist to flesh.
Henry's unusually tall stature immediately attracted the attention of two white bartenders behind the bar.
In this era, ordinary Western men were 1.6-1.7 meters tall - even the Dutch, famous for height in later generations, were the same.
The average height of American adult men was 1.71 meters.
So Henry's 1.86 meters made him stand out like a crane among chickens.
This was possibly due to Henry's original aristocratic ancestry - adequate food and several generations of excellent genetic inheritance.
This was also why Henry had been surprised when he saw that suspected leader guard at the McKinley smelting plant who was about 1.95 meters tall.
Henry strongly suspected his strength talent came from that man.
But due to the release progress bar's enhancement, Henry's body type hadn't changed much - it felt more like wood becoming iron.
Henry walked directly to the bar and said to the bald bartender who approached: "I'm looking for Black Jack."
Black Jack was also another name for the ace of spades in poker.
The bald bartender looked Henry over, turned to say a few words to another bartender, then walked out from behind the bar. As he passed Henry, he tilted his head, indicating Henry should follow.
They walked to a small room next to the back door of the first-floor bar. The bald bartender said: "Take out all your weapons for me to keep. You can retrieve them from me when you return. There will be a body search later - any weapons found will be confiscated with penalties, so don't try anything clever."
Henry shrugged and said: "I know the rules, so I didn't bring weapons."
The bald bartender remained noncommittal.
"You wouldn't want to know what the penalty for breaking rules is. Anyway, I've warned you. Now pay the $100 deposit."
Henry took out twenty $5 bills from his money pouch. The bald bartender took the money, counted it twice, then put it away and took a palm-sized wooden token and a black canvas mask from the desk drawer - it only exposed the eyes and covered everything above the neck.
(End of Chapter)
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