50s: Starting with a storage ring

Chapter 622 Duel
Duels were a tradition of European nobility and were popular in high society. Early dueling weapons were mainly one-handed swords, but pistols were used from the 18th century onwards.

This tradition originated from European knights, who could duel when their dignity was insulted. In feudal times, killing someone in a duel carried no responsibility.

The reason for a duel is usually insult, such as when someone insults you, your family, or your group with words or actions.

The method of using a white glove to indicate a duel, as depicted in later movies and television shows, was actually quite rare.

Generally, a duel letter must be sent first, and then both sides will discuss the time, place, and rules of the duel, as well as find their respective trustworthy lieutenants.

The duel must be held in a secluded location, with only a second-in-command accompanying the duelist. The second-in-command is responsible for checking weapons, drawing lots, and treating the wounded or dead, among other things.

Later, the dueling process became more formalized, and the presence of a host, impartial judge, and witnesses was introduced to ensure the fairness of the duels.

Early duels took two forms: one was for the two men to stand back to back, count a number of steps to move away from each other, and then turn around and fire their guns at the same time.

Another method involves the two duelists agreeing on a distance, then facing each other without being able to dodge. The second-in-command draws lots to decide who fires first, and after one person fires, the other returns fire.

Unless they are mortal enemies, most duels are just for show, with each person firing a shot into the air to show they've upheld their dignity, and then shaking hands and making peace.

The duel can be ended as long as one of the duelists is injured, even if it's just a scratch. It doesn't have to be a matter of killing the other. We're all nobles, so a token gesture is fine.

Even if two people have a deep-seated hatred for each other, they generally will not shoot at each other more than three times, otherwise it will be considered a barbaric and shameful act.

In the past, duels were very common in European high society. One of the most famous was the duel between the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin and Pushkin, who was killed by a bullet.

Besides Pushkin, another famous person who died in a duel was Alexander Hamilton. This Hamilton is the man depicted on the $10 bill.

On July 11, 1904, former U.S. Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton dueled with then-Vice President Aaron Burr at Wehoken Heights, New Jersey.

These two guys are oddities in American history; they are political rivals and have had a feud for many years.

Unlike ordinary politicians who only talk the talk, these two were people who were quick to take action and ultimately chose to duel.

At the time, New York law was very strict, treating private duels as murder and punishing offenders severely, while New Jersey was more lenient.

Weehoeken Heights in New Jersey is a famous dueling ground, having hosted 18 famous duels in 150 years, as well as countless unnamed duels.

The two of them then abandoned their work and went to fight one-on-one. As a result, Hamilton was seriously injured and died the next day due to the severity of his injuries.

He got what he wanted, because this guy was stubborn, valued honor highly, was a dueling fanatic, and was also a very good shot.

He participated in six duels before his death, and some of his more famous opponents included the fifth president of the United States, James Monroe, vice president George Clinton, and Maryland governor John Francis Moses.

However, duels became increasingly rare after World War I.

Because early pistols were all gunpowder guns, double-barreled pistols only had two bullets and were extremely inaccurate. When fired from more than ten meters away, the lead bullets could miss by seven or eight meters, so duels rarely resulted in death.

However, as guns become more advanced, their accuracy and the number of bullets also increase significantly, making duels increasingly risky.

Even important figures value their lives, and there are very few fanatics like Hamilton, so the Western upper class has been initiating and participating in fewer and fewer duels.

It's important to note that duels existed only among the upper class and did not apply to the lower classes. In other words, if a European "gentleman" or "noble" was humiliated by a commoner, he could simply retaliate with a punch; there was no need for a duel.

Because the lives of ordinary people are worthless, they have no right to fight against people from the upper class.

Later, dueling gradually became popular among the people. For example, during the westward expansion of the United States, cowboys often dueled with revolvers.

However, those duels were about who could fire the fastest. Even now, revolver shooting contests still exist in the western states of the United States.

Look at the standard cowboy shooting posture: one leg with the holster in front, the other leg behind for support, hips thrust forward, upper body leaning back, and the bullet is fired the instant the muzzle emerges from the holster.

The world record holder for the fastest revolver is a gunner who claims to have a rate of fire of 0.02 seconds. Fighting such a person is tantamount to suicide.

In modern times, formal duels have been completely prohibited by law.

Russian roulette became popular in the underworld, used to resolve various disputes. It was a form of duel, and most often took place in bars, casinos, and similar places.

Therefore, Sun Zhiwei's initiation of roulette is in accordance with underground rules; it just depends on whether the other side acknowledges it.

It seems that although most of the people on the other side are rather timid, they still approve of this way of resolving the conflict.

The reason Sun Zhiwei still needed witnesses, video recordings, and a signed betting agreement was to make the outcome of this showdown more legally binding.

Of course, the agreement wouldn't include anything related to duels like Russian roulette; instead, it would specify other bets, with the stakes remaining the same: all the shares of Pinkerton held by both parties.

He's also afraid of encountering a scoundrel who won't admit defeat, so it's best to be prepared in advance.

The appearance of the hotel's director, Blair Julian, was unexpected; he must be a retro enthusiast.

The Four Seasons Hotel is no small hotel, and Mr. Blair's ability to become a director of the Four Seasons Hotel suggests that he comes from a distinguished family.

It would be best if such an upper-class person could act as the impartial witness, because he was afraid that the other party would renege on their promise, so the more witnesses the better.

"Welcome, Mr. Blair. Thank you for your witness. However, we still need to ask Mr. Rex for his opinion."

Rex knew this director, Blair, even though Blair didn't know him, and Rex agreed with Blair's testimony.

Soon, the agreement was ready. Sun Zhiwei was the first to sign his name. When the agreement was handed to Rex, he hesitated for a moment before finally signing his name.

Finally, the agreement reached the notary public, Mr. Blair, who verified the signatures of both parties and then signed his own name, thus making the agreement effective.

Then, Mr. Blair enthusiastically took out a gold revolver he had brought, which looked quite valuable.

He installed a bullet following Sun Zhiwei's instructions, and then handed the gun to both duelists for inspection.

After both of them confirmed that there were no problems, Blair placed the gold revolver in the middle and took out a horse sword coin for them to check.

(End of this chapter)