"Ladies… and… gentlemen!"
Amplified by the powerful loudspeaker, Dutch's voice resonated with an imposing majesty, echoing across the vast expanse of Valentine. The town, teeming with tens of thousands, fell into an immediate, profound silence. Not a soul dared interrupt Mr. Van der Linde's momentous speech. Thirty police officers, standing at attention, formed a disciplined line at the school gate, maintaining perfect order. Behind Dutch, rows of freshly hired teachers, ready for their various subjects, stood respectfully, listening intently to his every word. The entirety of Valentine seemed to bow at Dutch's feet; no one offered a single objection to his pronouncements.
"I am Dutch Van der Linde."
The moment these simple words concluded, a colossal wave of applause erupted from the crowd. The sheer scale of over ten thousand people applauding in thunderous unison was breathtaking; even wild horses a thousand meters away neighed in alarm, galloping off into the distant plains. Yet, this fervent ovation instantly subsided after Dutch slowly, deliberately, raised his right hand.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe you have all heard my name. Dutch Van der Linde: a wanted man, a lawless desperado who stands accused of committing every evil imaginable!"
A collective gasp swept through the crowd, quickly followed by a murmuring of disbelief.
"For this, I am deeply ashamed!" Dutch declared, his voice thick with a carefully crafted contrition, his head bowed just slightly.
"My early life was, in fact, not so different from many of yours. My father tragically perished on the battlefield during the American Civil War, leaving my family in dire poverty, consigning my childhood to a miserable and desolate existence. With no other recourse, I was forced into illicit activities merely to ensure my survival."
Dutch paused, his eyes sweeping over the faces in the crowd, drawing them into his fabricated narrative. "But even then, a flicker of ambition burned within me. I yearned to change this world. I envisioned a world where true civilization and democracy reigned! I wished for a world where no child would be forced onto the wrong path by life, as I was. I wanted every child to grow up happy, joyful, untainted by hardship."
He sighed, a heavy, theatrical sound. "Even years of living outside the law did not extinguish these ideals. Yet, my methods were flawed. I mistakenly believed that robbing the rich to aid the poor, or helping orphans, was the righteous path, that it would ensure those unfortunate children lived better lives than mine. But I failed to see that in this misguided process, I inadvertently harmed countless other families. For this, I alone bear the blame!"
Dutch's voice softened, becoming more reflective. "As time passed, I met many friends. They were my loyal subordinates, my trusted partners, but more importantly, they were the ones who helped correct my misguided thinking. Each of them had endured an unfortunate childhood, forced by circumstance onto a wicked path. They began stealing, robbing, and deceiving from a tender age, simply to survive, their experiences mirroring my own."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle. "And from this shared experience, I uncovered a profound problem. If the oppression of this era does not cease, it will only continue to create more individuals like me, more desperadoes. My so-called chivalrous acts of the past, I realized, were nothing more than a temporary delay; they held no ultimate meaning."
His voice swelled with conviction. "Thus, I began to contemplate ultimate salvation. If these children could receive proper guidance in their youth, if they could be helped to establish correct principles, then these righteous ideas would be practiced and spread throughout their lives. So, I began to take in orphans, bringing them into my gang, teaching them proper values. Together, we formed a large, unconventional family."
Dutch's gaze became resolute, his voice ringing with newfound purpose. "But this, too, proved insufficient. The oppression of American society would still lead to a continuous stream of orphans, a continuous stream of failures and impoverished souls! Simply taking them in can only save some. Only by ensuring that there are no more orphans in society, no more people struggling with all their might yet still unable to support their families, can society truly become stable and secure. No one should work with all their might yet still be unable to ensure basic sustenance, or protect their family!"pp
He threw his arms wide, encompassing the entire town. "Thus, I began to build factories, to recruit employees, and to provide them with excellent benefits. Thus, I began to build Valentine, to clear out gangs, and to open up new avenues of trade. Thus, I desired to establish a school, so that every child in every family could enter school for free and learn a valuable skill!"
Dutch's voice rose to a crescendo, filled with passion. "Gentlemen, ladies, this society is indeed flawed. Even when working with all your might, it's a struggle to feed a family, leaving people with no hope. But I want to say, there will always be some who awaken, like me, who will step forward and bring about profound change in everyone's lives! Even if we are few in number, our efforts are continuous. I believe that even if this is a single spark, it can still ignite a prairie fire!!! I believe this is also the path to salvation for me, Dutch Van der Linde!"
As his voice fell silent, a thunderous, overwhelming applause erupted! The immense ovation even drowned out the distant train whistle, roaring across the prairie like a storm. Everyone in the crowd was completely, utterly moved by Dutch's eloquent words.
No one could have imagined that Dutch would openly admit his identity as a desperado, nor could anyone have conceived that he would reveal his previously hidden past and confess his mistakes in front of such a massive crowd. This was simply an unimaginable act! It was common knowledge that the capitalists and powerful figures of Saint Denis could not make mistakes; even if they did, it was never their fault, but rather the result of their subordinates' execution errors. So even though everyone in Valentine knew Dutch was an outlaw and that the Van der Linde Gang were desperadoes, no one dared to proactively bring it up.
But no one could have imagined that Mr. Dutch Van der Linde would be so sincere. He frankly admitted his identity, his errors, and expressed deep regret, committing to correct them. Moreover, through Dutch's masterful linguistic embellishment, the reason for his past mistakes transformed from personal gain into a systemic societal problem in America, causing the people to instinctively sympathize with him. And his subsequent grand ideals, combined with his tangible actions, completely, brilliantly whitewashed his reputation.
The applause in the venue was thunderous; no one dwelled on Mr. Dutch Van der Linde's past anymore. Weaknesses are often kept hidden, but when weaknesses are exposed to the crowd, they cease to be weaknesses. From this moment on, Dutch's only vulnerability would no longer be a vulnerability.
"Damn it, Mr. Van der Linde is truly too honest; he didn't have to say it!" exclaimed one man, wiping a tear from his eye. "I can't believe he not only admitted his mistakes but was also so sincere! I'm sure if it were that group of damn senators and capitalists, they would definitely blame all the problems on us!"
"Shit!" his companion retorted. "You idiot, you could never know the mistakes they made because everyone who knew is dead!"
"Shit! He has already corrected himself and brought everyone such a wonderful life, what more could you ask for?" another shouted, his voice hoarse.
"I declare that Mr. Van der Linde has completely turned over a new leaf. If the federal law dares to prosecute Mr. Van der Linde, then I will directly secede from the United States!" a woman declared passionately.
"A single spark can ignite a prairie fire! Oh, what a powerful statement! Mr. Van der Linde is truly the one working for us! Unlike the damn United States Government and that damn President, who only say nice things but always pocket the money for themselves!"
"I feel it would be better to have Mr. Van der Linde as the President of the United States. At least he would build schools for us and eradicate those damn gang members!"
"Oh, Mr. Van der Linde is truly so sincere. His character shines so brightly. He has achieved the scale of a capitalist, yet he still dares to admit his mistakes and pay the price for them. I truly cannot imagine anyone who could do better than him! No, no one could do better than him!" The crowd surged, their voices a roaring testament to their new leader.