There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

The common perception of tequila is that it is a liquid ranging from golden yellow to amber in color. In reality, freshly distilled tequila is completely transparent and colorless. The colored tequila seen on the market is due to aging in oak barrels or the addition of caramel, which deepens the color.

As for tequila, there is no minimum aging requirement; it is simply classified and graded according to the aging method. Therefore, the white tequila I made here is a completely unaged new spirit, but its aroma is in no way inferior.

The leader had a stoic expression and seemed quite shrewd; his appearance alone made him a qualified leader. However, his three subordinates behind him lacked such composure.

The two henchmen sitting next to him were clearly old drunkards, their noses flaring and their eyes filled with the intoxication of alcohol. The lookout by the door also crept closer, afraid of being left out while drinking.

Seeing that the sound of his subordinate swallowing was almost louder than the sound of the wind turbine at the door, he had no choice but to hold back and forced a smile, saying, "Boss, your wine here is quite good! Then I won't be polite!"

He then picked up his glass and downed it in one gulp, displaying great boldness. Seeing their leader drink, his men hurriedly followed suit, not daring to linger for even a moment.

Seeing them down their tequila in one gulp, I suppressed a smile and asked, "How was it? Was the shop's specialty strong enough?"

The leader's face flushed instantly, and he forced out a few words through clenched teeth: "Enough...enough...cough..."

He then forcefully suppressed his cough, showing no fear whatsoever. His three men, on the other hand, were nearly killed, coughing and shaking their heads behind him, almost coughing up their lungs.

The tequila I brew myself undergoes double distillation, resulting in a high alcohol content. However, the tequila that hasn't been aged in oak barrels is clear and colorless. Although it smells fragrant, it has a very strong taste, and I have to dilute it with water and honey before enjoying it.

Moreover, to give them a taste of their own medicine, I deliberately served them the strongest, most pungent original brew. They drank it all without even realizing it, and I doubted they'd still be sitting there arrogantly questioning me.

After I manipulated things behind the scenes, their initial arrogance vanished. The leader himself remained seated unharmed, but his men were all disloyal and only wanted to drink.

The leader's eyes darted around, and he suddenly brought up something that seemed completely unrelated, "Ahem... Boss, your wine has a strong flavor, but the taste is really good. It's much better than the horse urine from Shisong Manor!"

I poured them each another glass of wine and asked casually, "What do you mean? Is the wine from Shisong Manor completely bad?"

The leader shook his head and said, "That place is just a bunch of mud-dwelling farmers who often sell us beer that's been diluted with water. It's so weak you can't even taste the alcohol, and if you drink too much, you have to go to the toilet all the time."

Under the influence of alcohol, his companions also softened their fierce expressions and opened up to me, saying, "That's right. Those guys are so heartless. The goods we worked so hard to steal turned into old sheepskins, broken pottery bowls, and scrap iron in their hands. They can't even exchange them for half a pound of tobacco."

I cursed inwardly, "A bunch of robbers dare to call others heartless? You, a bandit, actually run into other bandits? Is this guy an idiot?"

I looked closely and soon a status bar appeared on this person's body.

Character Name: Lungatai Lavigdor

Faction: Andnavara Faction, Loader's Leadership

Male, biological age 37 years and 113 days

Early childhood: Children with autism

Adult: Town Privateers

Characteristics: Sucker, addicted to drugs, greedy

The description of this sucker's attributes is as follows: "Lavigdor is easily deceived, so merchants like to do business with him."

...This guy really is a fool!

I smiled slightly and said, "My tavern is located here. If you like to drink, you are welcome to come anytime. I guarantee fair treatment for all ages."

All you need to do is bring enough money.

The leader glared at his subordinate who had changed the subject, and continued with a forced smile, "Boss, I've never seen this tavern before."

I said helplessly, "It just opened recently, you're quite early. Do you all pass by here often?"

The chieftain shook his head and said, "This Gobi Desert is barren, and no one usually passes by. If you open a tavern here, business will probably be very poor."

He said meaningfully, "You have a knack for brewing wine, why stay in this godforsaken place? If you'd like to join our packers' team, I'll definitely recommend you to the mayor to become the town's exclusive wine merchant!"

Is this an attempt to recruit me?

I shook my head: "You're going a bit too far off. I'm rather introverted, so I'd rather stay here alone."

The leader swirled his wine glass, his breath reeking of alcohol, and said, “Boss, you probably don’t know much about this land. Those who tried to go it alone are all dead. Without protection, they probably wouldn’t see the sun rise the next day. Unless there’s a town like ours, where our town guards can protect your legitimate property.”

I chuckled inwardly. I had already seen through your profile. You are clearly a bunch of "privatists," or to put it bluntly, professional robbers. How dare you call yourselves guards?

I pretended to be embarrassed and said, "No way... I'm dirt poor, who would want to rob me?"

The chieftain's eyes gleamed with a strange light—a look of greed. "Boss, your stuff and dilapidated house may not be worth much, but you know how to brew wine and build generators. In the wasteland, that's the best commodity..."

I feigned surprise, "No...no way, didn't you say that Shisongzhuang is still doing business and making money nearby? Can't I just do business honestly like them?"

The leader's face was as gentle as a spring breeze: "Boss, you don't know this. The existence of Shisong Manor is merely a trading post we tacitly approve, responsible for selling our goods and making money. But their appetites are growing bigger and bigger, and they even dare to collude with the stinking pirates of Sabre Bay..."

The threat in his words grew increasingly clear, until finally the moment of truth was revealed. He said in a cold voice, "So those overconfident people, along with the entire town of Shisongzhuang, have been wiped out by us..."

Chapter 303 Disaster is Imminent

"...Kill them all?"

For the first time throughout the entire event, I genuinely showed a surprised expression.

Given Burnett's cowardly appearance, I didn't think he could get into too much trouble. I always assumed he had encountered a narrow-minded, obsessive-compulsive robber who wanted to kill him after stealing his goods, which is why I followed him to the tavern.

but……

The leader spoke in a sinister tone, his face beaming with excitement as he described the details to me.

"Shisong Village is too audacious. They really think they're something important, daring to outwardly comply while inwardly defying us. Our town's spies have discovered that these guys are secretly in contact with the thieves from Saber Bay and are even trying to sell our personnel information for a reward."

"After receiving the intelligence, the mayor sent our third guard team to teach them a lesson."

"When we got there, Shisongzhuang was having a party with the stolen money, cooking smuggled canned goods and sausages in a big pot, singing and dancing there, oblivious to everyone else."

At this point, the old drunkard next to the leader chimed in.

"Exactly, but we didn't expect that while these mud-brick bastards were sending men to use their hidden weapons, someone else was trying to tip them off, but we caught them red-handed. We had no choice but to strike first before they could..."

I rested my hands on the table, seemingly listening to their story with great interest. "Weapons? They still dare to hide weapons?"

The leader slammed his fist on the table and roared, "That's right! We let that dog from Shisong Manor out the door to make money and attract customers for us, and they actually dare to bite us back! They're incredibly audacious!"

"What weapons did they hide?" I asked.

The leader widened his eyes, put on an expression of disdain for explanation, and said, "It's nothing more than knives, guns, and clubs... Overestimating yourself... When I saw that old fox village chief's grandson rushing out of the house with weapons, I gave the order to act! This is where the stolen money and goods are taken!"

After saying that, he glanced at me with a malicious glint in his eye: "Does the boss intend to seek justice for them?" With that, the four privateers simultaneously placed their hands on their weapons, glaring at me menacingly.

I laughed and quickly waved my hand politely, saying, "I'm just a businessman who runs a tavern. I can barely manage the tavern itself, let alone so many other things. I was just saying a few words because I was in the tavern."

After listening to my explanation, the leader removed his hand from the weapon at his waist, happily picked up his cup, took a sip, and said with a flushed face, "I like smart people! If that young man hadn't been so grumpy, we wouldn't have needed to cut out his tongue, tie him to the fire, and roast him... In the end, he was still cursing and spitting blood, which put out the fire."

The old drunkard next to him also picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp. He was so drunk that he mustered up the courage to argue with the leader.

"Boss, what you're talking about is nothing. The youngest son of his I ran into has an even bigger temper than his father. The little brat was biting my arm like crazy. If I hadn't smashed his brains open and splattered his brains all over the place... hehe... he probably still wouldn't have let go..."

Another person appeared behind them, retorting to his companion: "You're wrong too. The one who came to report was the worst bastard. I smashed his elbows and ankles with my gun, and he was still writhing on the ground like a bug, trying to run out and report. Those thieves deserve to die. Before I left, I saw him gnawing on the ground trying to escape, so I smashed all his teeth too. Only then did he die with his eyes wide open."

The leader gave him a disapproving look, clearly annoyed by his subordinates' increasingly adept boasting: "Shut up! One of you is armed but unarmed, an adult killing a child—what's so great about that? Can you compare to me tricking them into eagerly drinking hot soup, letting their bellies rupture and them die obediently?!"

Upon hearing that the leader was angry, the old drunkard's temper vanished instantly, and he fawned over him, saying, "Of course, the boss is the best! If you hadn't told them that if they didn't die after drinking ten mouthfuls of soup, you would let them go, they wouldn't have been so obedient."

"Tsk tsk, they were scrambling to drink the soup like they were rushing to be reborn. They didn't even realize they'd drunk several extra mouthfuls. It really disgusted me."

The leader waved his hand modestly: "These are just trivial tricks. If there are ten thousand problems to solve in this wasteland, there are ten thousand ways to kill someone. All you do is fight and kill, which won't work."

Then their accomplices behind them showed a look of disdain and said to the old drunkard, "I think you're the most disgusting one. You even took out the intestines and internal organs of living people and threw them into a pot to make soup. I almost threw up just watching it. I can't believe they could eat it."

The lookout at the door chuckled contemptuously: "So those you mentioned are just exceptions. They're all the same, scared out of their wits. Those women in the back were perfectly obedient; they were still taken advantage of by us..."

I slammed my glass down on the table and looked at the leader with a forced smile.

"Well, boss, if I may be so bold as to ask... after drinking ten sips, did anyone survive?" I asked with a humble expression.

The leader shook his head and said, "All the men who rushed to drink first are dead! There were a few kids, I don't know why they managed to hold on. But those little kids were clinging to my legs, rolling on the ground, crying out, 'Uncle, save me!' I'm such a kind-hearted person..."

He then made a throat-slitting gesture, a sinister grin spreading across his face. "Of course, it's to relieve their suffering..."

"...Kill them all?" I asked.

The leader said decisively, "All 41 people in Shisong Village were wiped out, leaving only this one who escaped! We people in this business value our reputation. If we say we'll kill someone's whole family, we mean it. Not taking a single head or a single life doesn't count as a family!"

"Boss, I'll give you one more chance to answer. Have you seen this person before?"

With a wavering look in my eyes, I said, "Oh, gentlemen, you're putting me in a difficult position... What if I say I've seen it? What if I haven't?"

The leader didn't answer me directly, but patiently explained, "Boss, you don't understand. When we're out on business, collecting tolls and levying goods from merchants, it's called 'white errands.' The rule is that we always return with our money. We generally don't kill anyone after we've taken the money; we all part ways amicably. But what happened yesterday—taking orders and acting—is called 'red errands.' If any of our brothers don't see blood on their hands, they'll get their fingers chopped off when they get back. It's not easy for anyone..."

After saying this, he looked troubled and said, "The brother outside didn't kill a single person last night, and it's clear he won't be able to complete his mission. I'm telling you this: if we don't find any today, that's fine! But if we find any remaining members here, then we'll have to borrow the boss's head to save the brother's fingers..."

After saying that, he smashed the wine glass on the ground and shouted, "No matter who you are, boss, let's see if you behave yourself today... Let's do it!"

Upon hearing this, his men knew that the moment of truth had arrived, so they smashed their cups, overturned the table, and got up to rush into the room.

But suddenly, the door to the storeroom was also kicked open, and a man with a pale face and bloodshot eyes, looking like a wild beast, rushed out and shouted in a hoarse voice, "Don't bother looking, I'm right here, and I have nothing to do with the boss!"

After saying that, he stumbled and pushed aside the stunned bandit, rushed to the tavern counter, and pounded on the table, trembling all over, saying with tears streaming down his face, "Boss... give me a drink... I'll leave after I finish it..."

Chapter 304 The Road Home

Burnett rode his old camel, walking easily back to Shisong Village.

This trade trip took him half a month. He traveled as far south as the Cedar Clan. Relying on his eloquence honed over the years and the connections he had built, he was able to successfully complete the transaction with the barbarians of that tribe.

This journey not only secured the village's future supply of salt and medicine, but also allowed them to acquire gems and machine parts at low prices from those barbarians. These were goods looted by the savage tribes from raids on caravans and outposts; in their hands, they were simply throwing away precious gems and wasting valuable resources.

But in this wilderness, it is a great irony that civilized people like him can only survive by relying on the strength of savages. The most valuable thing in the wilderness is human life, and the least valuable thing is the life of someone who has nothing.

Rather than painstakingly learning a skill or acquiring knowledge, it's far more profitable to grab a gun, go out and rob a place, and earn a fortune. Two corpses lie in wait, blood splatters five steps away, and then the noble and the lowly alike turn to dust—this is the prevailing value system on the wasteland. The barbarians of the Cedar Clan, wearing stone war masks, charged forward relentlessly and fearlessly, like locusts swarming towards lands of wealth, thus earning their fearsome reputation throughout the wasteland.

Thinking of the hideous stone mask he had obtained from the Cedar Clan, Burnett couldn't help but recall the mysterious hotel owner he had met the previous night.

He was clearly a smiling young man who didn't seem dangerous at all, yet he was quick-witted, ruthless, and exuded a chilling aura that made people subconsciously overlook his age.

...For example, someone might grab an iron table and smash someone away the moment they meet. Is that something a decent person would do?

"I'm not being cowardly or afraid of trouble; I'm just making reasonable investments."

Burnett muttered to himself, secretly grieving the loss of the stolen parts, honey, and stone mask, while comforting himself that with a tavern in the middle of the trade route, he would have fewer opportunities to brave the elements in the future.

Burnett just hoped that what the boss said wasn't a lie, and that this Shafu... no, that person whose name he couldn't mention, could really bring him safety.

The old buddy under his crotch probably also got sleepy while traveling through the night. His walking speed slowed down, and his eyes unconsciously stared at the new grass by the roadside. He began to be unable to walk any further.

"Old buddy, hang in there a little longer." Burnett patted the old dromedary's neck. "We'll get back to Shisong Village before dawn to sleep. I'll treat you to some roasted wheat!"

This kind of empty promise has happened countless times. Not only does the camel not understand, but even Burnett knows it's just bragging. Wheat is the crop for brewing beer. If it weren't for desperately providing tobacco and beer, how could so many elderly, weak, women, and children in Shisong Village have survived to this day, caught between powerful forces?

Speaking of beer... I really want to take a sip...