The most shameless alchemist in history

"Look, look, I just gave you some advice, and now you're going to disobey it. What am I supposed to do?" Hank sighed helplessly.

“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about; it’s all just madness,” General Verdun said coldly.

“Since Your Excellency Verden is determined to resist our Inspectorate, then I… well, with Commander Eileen here, why don’t you make the announcement?” Hank said after thinking for a moment.

"So what exactly are you trying to say?" Verden gradually lost his patience.

"I hereby declare that the 4th Army Corps is suspected of smuggling tobacco and has openly resisted the investigation by the Ministry of Inspection. Their actions constitute treason. The 4th Army Corps is hereby decommissioned and is now a rebel force. All personnel must lay down their weapons and surrender, or they will be killed without mercy!"

The female officer named Eileen drew her pistol.

At her command, her men all raised their guns and took a step forward.

"Cancel our unit designation? Rebels? What on earth is going on?"

"We were clearly ordered by the military to come to Frost City to provide assistance in its defense, so how did we become rebels?"

"They seem to be serious, and the fact that they can mobilize so many people in Frost City suggests they don't seem like bandits."

Faced with the relentless pressure from the military personnel of the Inspection Department, the army soldiers looked at each other in bewilderment, unsure of what to do.

"What are you all standing there for? Aren't you going to carry out orders? They are all rebels, we can't back down!" Verdun saw his men starting to waver, which made him uneasy. He raised his voice and shouted sternly.

"You guys dare to impersonate the Inspectorate and act recklessly in Frost City! As a concerned citizen, I can't stand by and watch!" At this moment, the bodyguard next to Rom, having received Rom's instruction, immediately drew his dagger and rushed towards the young female officer.

His idea was that as long as he got this female officer under control, no one else would dare to make a move.

"boom!"

At the same moment the bodyguard rushed over, Hank, who had been standing next to the female officer smoking a cigarette, suddenly drew his gun and pulled the trigger, firing a dull shot into the officer's head.

The scene happened so fast that no one saw how Hank drew his gun or how he made the move; it all happened in the blink of an eye.

By the time everyone came to their senses, the gunpowder gun in Hank's hand was already smoking, and the bodyguard who had just charged forward aggressively was lying on the ground, blood gushing out. Hank, however, remained unmoved, maintaining his calm smile.

"Are you in such a hurry to die? In that case, I won't hold back. So, who's next?" Hank chuckled.

He turned his gun towards General Verdun, the muzzle still emitting smoke. Everyone looked at each other, expecting a standoff, but no one expected that this guy would actually dare to fire.

You must understand that this is Frost City. If a gunfight were to break out here rashly, the consequences would be unbearable for anyone!

"you……"

General Verdun was also stunned; he had initially only intended to intimidate the group and force them to retreat.

Then, take advantage of this time to immediately transport the tobacco away. As long as the tobacco is transported to the next station and then unloaded immediately, it will be done without anyone noticing.

Even if someone wants to hold him accountable, he can defend himself without evidence.

But now that the guns have been fired, the situation has escalated further, meaning that the goods cannot possibly leave unscathed, which caused a cold sweat to break out on his back.

At this moment, a large number of soldiers poured into the station.

They were all wearing the latest coats and were armed with guns. They immediately surrounded him, and Verdun was overjoyed when he saw them.

“General Solom, it’s great to see you here.” Verdun looked at the general in front of him and recognized him as Solom, the garrison commander of Frost City.

Sorom and he were on good terms; Sorom was the one who greeted him on his first night in Frost City.

Seeing Solom arrive with a large number of his men, he was overjoyed, assuming that Solom had come to his aid.

After all, Verdun was transferred from the local area to Frost City and didn't have any real power base there. But Solom was different. Solom had been working in Frost City for a long time and was deeply rooted in the place. With Solom around, he felt much more confident.

"Oh, have the reinforcements arrived?" Hank said with great interest.

"What...what's going on here? Lord Hank, and Lady Eileen, what are you doing here?" After receiving reports of gunfire at the station and a standoff between two forces, Sorom immediately led his men over.

After all, this is a critical time for Frost City, and no mistakes can be made. Otherwise, he, as the garrison commander, will definitely have to take the blame.

Now that he had rushed over, he was met with people from the Inspection Department, which made him somewhat uneasy. After all, he had heard about the Inspection Department's style of doing things. No high-ranking military officer in the Snow Kingdom was not afraid of the people from the Inspection Department.

“Sorom, who are they…” Verdun asked hesitantly.

"These two are Officer Irene and Officer Hank from the Inspection Department," Sorom introduced.

"Ah? It really is the head of the Inspection Department. What a relief! I thought some bandits were impersonating people from the Inspection Department. It seems it was all a misunderstanding. We're all brothers in the same unit." Verden felt much more confident after seeing Sorom arrive. He took out a handkerchief to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead and said with a smile.

He vividly remembered that on their first night in Frost City, Sorom had assured him that he could handle any problems that arose within the city.

Now it seems that it is time for Sorom to fulfill his promise.

“Brother units? But General Verdun didn’t say that just now. He seemed to be saying something about killing us all or something?” Hank said slowly.

"How could such a thing be? Commander Hank, you must be mistaken. Your Inspection Department is the backbone of our Snow Kingdom. Who would dare to fire at you? Besides, didn't Commander Dure say before that only the Inspection Department's guns are aimed at others, and no one's guns can be aimed at the Inspection Department? I remember those words very well," Sorom said with a smile.

If the two sides involved in the conflict were Verdun and the other side, he would not hesitate to side with Verdun, since Verdun's legion was responsible for a high-quality route.

This railway line is incredibly lucrative; as long as it continues to operate, it will definitely generate a fortune.

This is why he was willing to become close to General Verdun.

Commander 950, Dure

But now, the department that is confronting General Verdun is the Inspection Department, the most untouchable department in the entire Snow Kingdom.

This made things particularly difficult for General Sorom, who could only act as a peacemaker, trying to downplay the incident.

"Really? I was mistaken. Now that General Sorom has brought the garrison commander of Frost City here, may I ask if I may search those boxes?" Hank asked, pointing to the last wooden box that hadn't been moved yet.

“Well…” Sorom looked at General Verdun beside him, asking the latter with his eyes.

"These are all medical supplies, nothing suspicious. Medical supplies should be transported away in time to save more people, not left here, right?" General Verdun said vaguely.

“That’s right, General Verdun is right. Medical supplies should be transported in a timely manner, not delayed. This is a matter of life and death. So, Commander Hank and Commander Eileen, could you please give Sorom some face and let General Verdun transport these supplies?” Upon hearing what General Verdun said, Sorom immediately realized that the boxes must contain some shady items. He could only take out his handkerchief to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, hoping that this matter could be turned over and over.

“Even General Sorom has spoken, so generally I can’t refuse to give you face…” Hank hesitated for a moment before saying this.

"That's wonderful. I, Solom, will remember your kindness, Commander Hank." Solom breathed a sigh of relief, believing that this matter could be put to rest.

He then gave Verdun a few more instructions, telling him to be discreet and cautious in his actions, and not to give the Inspectorate any reason to criticize him.

“But… the fact that General Verdun of the Fourth Army has detained our commander is putting me in a difficult position,” Hank said, somewhat troubled.

"Commander Hank, you're joking. Besides you and Commander Eileen, who else could be your superior in the Inspectorate?" Unlike Verdun, Sorom had been stationed in Frost City for a long time and was very familiar with the organization of the Inspectorate.

He knew that Hank and Eileen were both bigwigs in the Inspectorate, and he found it strange that these two busy people would suddenly come to the train station today to cause trouble for Verdun. This puzzled Sorom in particular.

“Hey, General Sorom, you’re a local, how could you make such a basic mistake? It’s as if Eileen and I are all-powerful in the Inspectorate. Have you forgotten that we have a superior?” Hank said quickly and seriously.

"Commander Hank and Commander Irene, isn't your superior Commander Dure? But Commander Dure has been gone for almost a year. It's said that he appeared in the Swamp Country, the Rain Country, the Flame Country, and the Thunder Country. Commander Dure has accomplished several major feats in these countries and is now a prominent figure on the continent. I've even benefited a lot from his fame. He's truly brought honor to our Snow Country. He deserves to be a leading figure in our Snow Country," Sorom said admiringly.

His words weren't entirely flattery; a large part of them came from the bottom of his heart. After all, for the people of the Snow Country, that man was an extremely special existence.

If it weren't for him, the Snow Country would probably still be in a state of internal strife and division. It is because of his appearance that it has achieved its current prosperity.

Moreover, when the Snow Kingdom faced a crisis, it was that man who stood up and turned the tide, thwarting the conspiracy of multiple countries to besiege the Snow Kingdom. It is no exaggeration to say that he is a totem-like figure of the Snow Kingdom.

“That’s right, it’s Commander Duri. I’m afraid you don’t know yet, General Sorom, but Commander Duri has already returned to the Snow Country.” Hank nodded and said.

"What? Commander Dure has already returned to the Snow Country? A hero as great as him deserves my personal attention. I wonder where Commander Dure is now? Is he in the Inspection Department? But Commander Dure has just returned, he must be very busy. It might not be appropriate for me to visit him at this time. When would be a convenient time for me to visit Commander Dure?" General Sorom said, rubbing his hands together.

“You don’t need to go to the Inspection Department. Commander Dure isn’t there right now; he’s at the train station,” Eileen said coldly.

Compared to Hank, who always had a smiling face, Eileen was not talkative and had a cold expression, making her seem difficult to approach.

"What, Commander Dure? Is he at the train station now? Where is he? I must go and pay him a visit." Sorom looked around trying to find Dure's whereabouts, but he couldn't see him, which made him a little suspicious.

"As for the whereabouts of Commander Dure, you'll have to ask General Verdun," Hank said with a smile.

"General Verdun, what's going on?" Solomon turned around and looked at Verdun in surprise.

"I don't know either..." Verden was also completely baffled.

This was his first time visiting Frost City, despite being a local military commander who had been stationed in the area for a long time.

Although the name Dure is known to everyone in the Snow Country, it is a household name.

But in reality, General Verdun never met the famous Commander Durley.

"You don't know? General Verdun, don't be ridiculous. You detained our Commander Dure, and you're saying you don't know?" Hank said with a sneer.

He threw the cigarette on the ground and stomped it out.

"Don't litter! Pick it up right now!" Eileen glared at Hank and snapped.

"Okay, okay, I understand. They're really strict." Hank reluctantly picked up the cigarette and held it in his hand.

"Sirs, are you kidding me? Even if I were the bravest man, I wouldn't dare detain Commander Dure. Besides, I really didn't see him..."

Verden hurriedly tried to defend himself, but at that moment he suddenly remembered something, which made him stop and a look of astonishment appeared on his face.

"What's wrong, General Verdun? Have you remembered something?" Hank asked again.

"No way, that kid we just arrested..." Verden's forehead broke out in a cold sweat again. His heart, which had been at ease with Zoro's arrival, immediately jumped back into suspense.

"Verden, what exactly happened just now? Explain yourself right now!"

Sorom also sensed that something was amiss.

If it were just Hank and Erin, although he would be under tremendous pressure, he was still confident that he could resolve the matter. However, the involvement of the Inspector General was a major headache for him.

Meanwhile, in a guard room near the train station, Du Lei and his two companions were being held in custody by guards from the Fourth Army Corps.

The guard room wasn't large, and armed guards stood watch outside, preventing anyone from getting close. Inside, however, Du Lei, a prisoner under detention, was quite nonchalant, leisurely sipping steaming hot black tea.

"Du Lei, why won't you let me take action? Those guys are really too much, daring to arrest us. As long as you don't stop me, I will definitely teach them a lesson!" Yingyue said angrily.

“Not everything can be solved by teaching someone a lesson or killing them,” Dure shook his head and said softly.

"Why? Du Lei, I've heard the old folks say that death is the end of everything. What problems can't be solved when someone is dead?" Yingyue asked, tilting her head.

“Because things are a series of events, not existing as isolated individuals. Even if you kill someone, the problems they leave behind still exist. You need to solve all these problems, and even eradicate the hidden dangers and roots of the problems to truly put an end to them. This is not something that can be solved by killing one or two people,” Du Lei shook his head and said softly.

"Okay, Du Lei, what you're saying is too complicated. I really don't understand it. But anyway, Du Lei, what you said is correct. Just do as you say, right?" Sakura said softly.

"Let's wait patiently for a while. I think they'll come to ask us to leave soon." Du Lei remained calm and unhurried.

"But Du Lei, I'm hungry..." Sakura said, sounding a little aggrieved.

"Just bear with it a little longer, it will be over soon."

"Oh……"

Sakura said softly with her head down.

"Hey, what are you guys whispering about? Trying to coordinate your stories? I'm warning you, don't try anything funny!"