SWDnovel Chapter 118 Tom Wants to Make Money!
Chapter 118 Tom Wants to Make Money!
Chapter 118 Tom Wants to Make Money!
Only after the construction team left, filled with doubt and burdened with a heavy mission, did James take a deep breath and look sharply at his son: "The dam? Tom, what are you thinking?"
Tom's lips curled into a cold smile. His gaze swept over the rushing river at his feet, and he said softly, "Water flows from top to bottom. If anyone breaks the rules in the future, don't blame us for 'inviting' them to a drink."
The controlling nature and ruthless foresight revealed in those words sent a jolt through James.
He finally realized that Tom was truly treating Paradise Valley as his own inviolable kingdom!
"If you have time, draw out every key location inside and outside this valley precisely! Measure it accurately; I need the most precise figures, down to the foot!"
Peter nodded repeatedly!
Peter was about to slip away.
"Stop!" Tom's voice was like a cold whip, instantly cutting off Peter's escape route.
Peter froze, rooted to the spot.
"I remember you said," Tom approached step by step, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, locking onto Peter.
Are you a land surveyor?
"It's fake! I'm just making this up!" Peter blurted out, his voice trembling noticeably.
Tom's lips curled into a cold smile, his expression unwavering: "Oh? What about the Yellowstone National Park explorers? Did you make that up to fool people too?"
Peter looked as if he had been choked; his lips moved slightly, but he couldn't utter a single word, and a fine layer of cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.
"Where's your camera?" Tom's voice suddenly turned somber, each word like a hammer blow to Peter's heart.
Buzz!
Peter's mind went blank, and his face turned deathly pale, completely bloodless!
Tom's gaze was icy and chilling, almost freezing him in place: "Speak!"
"—In—In the cave—" Peter's voice was barely audible, filled with the despair of someone on the verge of death.
hiss--!
Tom gasped, his eyes instantly turning incredibly dangerous.
He slowly walked up to Peter, and the two were so close that they could feel each other's heavy breathing.
Tom's voice was extremely low, yet carried a terrifying, impending storm: "Do you remember what you said that you shouldn't have said the day we first met?"
Peter felt as if an invisible hand was gripping his heart tightly!
He swallowed hard, large beads of sweat rolling down his pale cheeks and hitting the dry ground.
"Giant Claw!" Tom spat out the words through clenched teeth, and at the same time, a sharp, piercing whistle suddenly tore through the air!
boom!
Accompanied by the sudden sound of being knocked down and a piercing scream that went awry: "Ah—!! Stop—stop it!!"
Everything happened so fast, in the blink of an eye!
The person who was standing just moments ago is now slumped on the ground like a lump of mud, completely unconscious.
The tent flap was suddenly flung open, and Margaret rushed out.
Her usually gentle eyes were now wide open, filled with horror and disbelief, as she stared intently at her son Tom, who stood beside Peter's "corpse."
It wasn't until he met his mother's utterly shocked gaze that Tom belatedly realized what was happening.
Oh no! I got so caught up in the interrogation that I completely forgot this place was right in front of my own tent!
Now look what's happened, everyone's seen it!
Night fell, inside Ennis's tent.
Tom sat cross-legged on the floor, engrossed in the salty stew on his plate, occasionally taking a sip of spicy, cheap bulk whiskey in an attempt to dilute the saltiness.
"Tom," Elsa leaned closer and handed him a bright red, oddly shaped wild fruit. "Mom asked you where you were at dinner. Here, try this."
Tom took the fruit, weighed it in his hand, and didn't recognize it.
"Have you eaten?" he asked vaguely.
"Hmm, black bread and stewed beef!" Elsa said casually.
Tom paused, looking up suspiciously. "Beef? I don't recall having any freshly slaughtered beef."
Elsa chuckled and teased, "Just like you, salted meat!"
Tom rolled his eyes and took another swig of wine.
Elsa then asked, "You really aren't planning to go back tonight?"
Tom stopped abruptly as the liquor slid down his throat.
His sharp gaze swept back and forth between Elsa and the slightly awkward Ennis beside her, as if he had thought of something.
Without saying a word, he tilted his head back and poured the rest of the wine in the glass down his throat, the spicy sensation shooting straight to his head.
"Clatter!" The empty glass slammed to the floor. Tom cut to the chase: "You two, what are you thinking?"
"Huh?" Elsa looked bewildered.
Ennis, standing next to him, tensed up instantly, his eyes fixed on Tom with a nervous look.
Tom scoffed, bluntly exposing his lie: "What are you looking at me for? Ennis, just say what you want! What's with all this beating around the bush?"
Only Tom would dare to say something so bluntly.
Ennis gave a bitter smile that looked more like a grimace, rubbing his hands together: "Building a house here is too expensive."
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"Cough cough cough—cough cough!" Tom choked on the reason and coughed violently, almost passing out.
After finally catching his breath, he raised his head and looked Ennis up and down with an undisguised gaze as if he were looking at an absolute idiot.
"What kind of look is that!" Elsa glared at her brother protectively.
Tom sighed heavily, his face full of disappointment: "Sigh—I'm just praying now that my unborn nephew won't take after either of you!"
boom-!
These words were like a bomb, completely stunning Ennis and Elsa!
The two looked at each other, their faces flushing red.
"You!" Elsa was both ashamed and angry, pointing at Tom but unable to speak.
Tom didn't care and went all out: "Ennis, it's true you're a rancher's cowboy, but you've already taken his precious daughter! And you still think not having a house is the biggest problem? Is that the point?"
"Then—we can't just live in a tent forever, can we?" Elsa said, her voice lowering as she sounded aggrieved.
"Nonsense! Of course not!" Tom declared firmly. "Even if Margaret tied you up and threw you into the Yellowstone River, she wouldn't do something as hurtful as making her pregnant daughter live in a tent!"
Instantly, Ennis and Elsa's gazes both fixed on Tom's face, filled with shock and a hint of panic at being seen through.
"Listen up," Tom stood up, brushing the dust off his pants, "Go back and lay it all out with them! Tell them everything about what happened between you two, down to the last detail!"
"You've already said all that, do you think everyone else is deaf and blind? What's the point of hiding it! The most important thing now is winter! Winter! Understand? It's not easy to raise a little one in the freezing cold!"
After saying that, Tom didn't even look at the two guys who looked like they'd been struck by lightning. He lifted the tent flap and went out, leaving behind a "young couple" who were still bewildered and blushing in the wind.
A night breeze helped Tom clear his head a bit.
Ennis's words, "Too expensive," still echoed in my ears.
No money!
Does that mean I have mountains of gold and silver? Dams, how much would those cost!
He looked up at the dark, silent mountain outlines, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
We can't keep sitting around and living off our savings!
We need to make money!
It's time to investigate that gold mine in the Klaus territory!
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