America 1883: The Western Homeland

Chapter 152 Dutton Ranch Sign

"A private room! Private! Quiet!" Tom's voice was tempting. "A thousand dollars a month!" He quoted this astonishingly high price.

"one thousand!!"

"This is robbery!"

"Who can afford to soak in that!"

The crowd erupted in chaos!

His face, which had been full of hope just moments before, immediately turned red, and his angry accusations nearly blew the roof off!

A thousand dollars! This is blatant extortion! The previous hundred dollars for the general public pool was already outrageous, this is ten times that!

Tom seemed to have anticipated this reaction, not even lifting an eyelid, letting the angry shouts echo in the cold wind. Once the noise subsided, he calmly unleashed his real trump card, his voice clearly cutting through the clamor: "The quota is for the individual, plus—two family members! Three people!" He paused, his gaze sweeping over those in the crowd with their wives, children, or brothers. "That means three people, one thousand dollars a month! Or—you three can share one quota!"

boom!

These words were like a thunderclap out of nowhere, instantly stunning everyone!

The crowd that was just cursing suddenly felt like they had been choked, their angry roars stuck in their throats. Their expressions changed from extreme anger to extreme astonishment in an instant, and then to ecstasy!

Three people! One thousand dollars!

All told, it only costs a little over three hundred dollars a month per person!

Although it's still three times more expensive than the public pool, it's a private room! Private! And you can bring your family! This is an unprecedented benefit!

That $100 public pool suddenly doesn't seem so appealing anymore!

This premium membership is truly amazing value!

"Me! I want VIP001! The money! The money is here!" A businessman with his wife and children reacted the fastest, almost lunging to pull out his bulging money bag, his voice trembling with excitement.

"Vip002! Give it to me! I brought two brothers with me!"

"Vip003! It's mine! Don't take it!"

The crowd, who had just been united in their condemnation of the exorbitant price, instantly turned into an even more frantic scramble!

The three spots became more precious than gold!

The money bag was being pushed, shouted at, and waved around.

The scene was ten times more intense than when they were vying for regular spots!

Tom, expressionless, gave the three spots to the three fastest and most willing people, collecting the money with lightning speed.

The dust has settled.

Tom's gaze slowly swept across the yard.

The twenty ordinary members secretly rejoiced that they had acted early and hadn't been tempted by the exorbitant price of the premium membership.

The three VIP members were thoroughly enjoying themselves, as if they were already soaking in a warm, private hot spring.

In a corner of the crowd, there were a few faces filled with utter despair. They were truly unlucky, having failed to secure a regular spot, unable to afford a premium membership, or simply reacting too slowly.

Looking at those figures who had been completely eliminated and were utterly dejected, Tom's lips finally twitched upwards, revealing a faint, yet icy, smile.

"There's one more spot here, anyone want it?"

Before Tom could finish speaking, he instantly attracted everyone's attention!

Those who were initially disappointed at missing out on a spot all turned their attention to Tom.

"Random hot spring spots available!" Tom then announced.

A ranch and hot springs? Everyone was taken aback.

Can we go inside the ranch and soak in the hot springs?

James frowned slightly.

"Ten thousand dollars a year!" Tom quoted the price.

Ten thousand dollars? Everyone cursed inwardly!

"Single room! Available 24/7! Meals and accommodation included! One-on-one personalized service!"

Upon hearing terms like "private room," "anytime you can relax," "all-inclusive meals and lodging," and "exclusive service," the shouts and curses subsided.

The crowd looked at each other, but no one stepped forward.

"Fine, I gave you the chance, but you didn't want it!" Tom shrugged.

Everyone cursed inwardly: "Only a fool would rob us at this outrageously high price!"

"Finally, a quick announcement: the spots will be valid starting tomorrow! You can come to the hot springs anytime and pick up your number while you're at it!"

"Tom made the final decision."

Once the crowd had dispersed, the Dutton family's gaze towards Tom completely changed.

Father James, his brow furrowed, was the first to question: "Tom, what are you really thinking?"

He simply couldn't understand how a well-established ranch could be turned into a paid hot spring shop.

"Let's do the math," Tom said, already prepared, counting on his fingers. "The communal pool, twenty people, one hundred dollars a month each, that's two thousand. Three private rooms, one thousand dollars a month each, that's three thousand! Add it all up, a solid five thousand dollars a month!"

He glanced around at his family members, each with their own distinct expression: "What do you all think of this income?"

The hot springs are readily available; the investment is only a few private rooms, which is negligible compared to the $5,000 per month!

Who could refuse to earn so much money while lying down?

"But won't this cause resentment among others?" someone asked worriedly.

"Dissatisfied?" Tom retorted. "Would they be satisfied if we didn't open the hot springs?"

Seeing that everyone still had doubts, he lowered his voice and dropped the key point: "Don't worry! Those who can afford this price are not ordinary people. If any fool dares to cause trouble for those VIPs who have paid the money, we will be the first to object!"

A meaningful smile appeared on his lips. "When the time comes, someone will naturally take care of the trouble for us."

"As for those who can't get a date?" Tom shrugged, looking completely innocent. "We can just tell them it's not that we don't offer dates, it's just that all the spots are taken! Let them try to pick one up themselves!"

The conflict quietly shifted from "the ranch doesn't allow hot springs" to "someone else took my spot."

The most important thing right now is to get these license plates made as soon as possible!

Tom finalized the specifications: Red cedar, four inches long, two inches wide, and half a centimeter thick (4" 2" 0.2" /

10cm 5cm 5mm).

He personally carved a sharp knife pattern on each smooth wooden plaque, with the two letters DT clearly imprinted below the handle.

"Look closely, everyone!" Tom held up a finished product, his gaze sweeping over the gathered family members. "From now on, this will be the emblem of the Dutton family! 'DT' is our family name, and this knife is proof of our authenticity!"

He grinned, a hint of nonchalant arrogance in his eyes: "From now on, if you ever sell any more of the Dutton family's good stuff, just put this mark on them!"

This sounds like a joke. Besides hot springs and brands, what other "Dutton products" are there these days? Everyone just thought Tom was just being silly and having a good laugh.

When the first customer received the polished, wood-scented number plate, he examined it carefully for a long time, turning it over and over.

His brow furrowed deeper and deeper, and finally he couldn't help but look up at Tom, his tone filled with disbelief and suspicion: "Tom, this tag looks to me—so much like the ear tags you put on calves in a ranch!"

"That's right!" Tom answered crisply and frankly.

Buzz!

The surroundings fell silent instantly.

All the customers who received the tags stared wide-eyed at Tom as if he were a madman.

Tom, however, paid no heed, tapping his finger heavily on the prominent "DT" letters on the wooden sign: "Look closely! 'DT—The Dutton Family! A Golden Brand!'"

Then, her fingertip slid to the knife pattern next to it, "This knife is the mark of authenticity! Anyone who dares to counterfeit it will have to ask it if it will allow it!"

He coldly swept his gaze over the crowd, his words falling like ice, silencing the entire room!