Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

……

He stopped breathing in his sins.

Chapter 44: Unable to say anything before the alarm clock rings...

After the man died, Zhang Renfeng didn't waste a moment and began to search the corpse for its spoils.

But to his great dismay, Tuku's pockets were even cleaner than his face was now.

He only had $200 in cash, a flashy pocket watch, and a half-smoked pack of Red Apple premium cigarettes, most of which he had stolen. Besides that, there really wasn't anything of value. It's hard to imagine that the leader of such a large gang would carry only these two dollars.

"Are you looking for money?" The old woman in the yellow dress, still with a cigarette in her mouth, seemed unmoved by the sudden change in the scene before her, continuing to smoke. "I've heard that in his watchtower, on the second floor, at the end of the corridor leading to his room, there's a locked secret door that requires a key to enter."

"A hidden door?" Zhang Renfeng suddenly realized, "So that's it! No wonder his room was so empty; all the valuables were there!"

“You’d better take Alana with you.” She made a lock-picking gesture, emphasizing, “It’s a very, very big lock… Oh, right.”

She tossed her cigarette butt on the ground and pointed to the elephant-hunting rifle hanging on the wall.

"Take this if you're interested."

……

It was completely dark when Alana, by the light of the kerosene lamp, saw the haphazardly arranged corpses in the room and was immediately shocked.

They're all dead.

Blood spilled across the floor of the hall and dripped down the stairs like a waterfall.

Hearing and seeing are two completely different things. The impact of seeing is enough to completely numb the brain.

"So...it's all true..." Her tone was filled with disbelief. "You really are The Red One? The one who's in the Red One!"

"That's right, it's me." There was no point in arguing anymore. Zhang Renfeng, carrying a hunting rifle—one of the few spoils of war he'd acquired after defeating Tuku—openly admitted it, laughing, "Isn't it different from what you imagined?"

"I've been keeping an eye on you! But, I thought..." Alana rarely showed such an expression; the usually decisive girl's cheeks flushed slightly. "You might not be alone, but a well-trained team. Logically speaking, one person couldn't do something so amazing, right?"

"Is it awesome?"

“You killed Tuku Zolael!” Alana’s tone was absolutely certain. “By shortening that bastard’s life by decades, you can save countless lives. At least, I can finally be free from this damned life!”

“I no longer have to worry that one day he will find a new locksmith and turn around and throw me into a brothel. I also don’t have to worry that one day I won’t pay the bills and he will make an example of me and beat me to death in front of everyone.”

"Most of the women in Scarface Village were 'spoils' of their robberies when they came down the mountain. They all had families and relatives, but these bastards ruined them all. You killed him and destroyed the Thunder Fury Gang's stronghold in the Gray Wolf Mountains. At least, all those enslaved by him can be freed from this..."

At this point, the girl suddenly fell silent for a moment, as if she had thought of something, and her tone was no longer as cheerful as it had been in the previous version.

Putting aside the fact that their lives have been ruined, is there any meaning in being released from prison now...? At least these captured women still have a "past." They were born in the civilized world, and if they are willing, grit their teeth, make up their minds, overcome all sorts of mental obstacles, and completely sever ties with this terrible memory, they can still return to that world.

But what about herself?

Alana Morgan, whose parents are unknown, was raised and cared for by the women of Scar Village in turns.

She was born in this savage village, and knew nothing except how to pick locks, steal, shoot guns, and a knife skill she had only learned a few days ago. The civilized world was a high wall she couldn't fit into; in fact, the place she was most familiar with in that world was the prison.

Tuku Zolael was a tyrant, and with a certain indomitable spirit, Alana resolved to eliminate him. The process was fraught with difficulties, but now the result is clear: he is dead.

So, what should I do next?

The girl had never felt so lost.

……

"You'll come with me from now on," Zhang Renfeng said softly, as if he could read her mind. "It would be a waste for someone with your talent not to practice martial arts."

With just that one sentence, the girl's mind started racing again. She looked at him in surprise, unable to suppress the smile on her lips. "Really?! Then... then can I be like you, where even if a knife is stuck in my body, it can't be cut through?"

“Qi hard kung fu must be practiced from a young age. It’s too late for you to start at your age.” Zhang Renfeng’s words dispelled the girl’s whimsical idea. He narrowed his eyes, looked Alana up and down, and smiled, “I’ll teach you the Thirty-Six Forms of Minor Grappling Techniques. They’re just right for your current physique.”

----

For Alana, unlocking locks had become part of her muscle memory. Even while her mind was still contemplating her future plans, her hands never stopped working. The heavy lock on the tall door was easily opened with a "click."

Just as she was about to push the door open, Zhang Renfeng suddenly pressed down on her hand, his expression calm.

“I’ll do it,” he said. “There are people inside.”

"Huh?" Alana's crystal-blue eyes widened. She practically pressed her ear against the wall, listening intently, but she heard nothing. "How did you..."

Zhang Renfeng didn't explain, but put his finger to his lips in a "shush" gesture. He pressed his weight onto the door, jolted it open with his shoulder without warning.

He drew both Volcano Pistols at the same time, looked around, and realized that this did not look like a place to hide treasures. It looked more like a city person's office, filled with various boxes, documents and papers. An oak desk was placed in the room, and a half-empty bottle of Kentucky Bourbon was on the desk. There was no one in the room.

After eliminating all other places, this is the only place left where I can hide.

"Come out." Zhang Renfeng pointed at the desk. "If you don't come out, I'll shoot."

"No, no, no... You can come out, but let's get this straight first. I haven't seen your face; my eyes are closed. Strictly speaking, I'm only here on official business. Your gang's affairs have absolutely nothing to do with me. Okay, let's get this straight!"

He actually closed his eyes and slowly crawled out from under the table, bumping his head because he couldn't see.

He wore a sleek grey suit and a red tie. His blond hair was messily plastered to his forehead, but it couldn't hide his exaggerated hairline; his forehead was so large it almost reflected light.

His face was filled with terror. While Zhang Renfeng was dealing with the picture library, he actually had plenty of time to escape, but he was still nailed to this room by fear.

“Mr. McGill?” Alana exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

Upon hearing someone call his name, Jimmy McGill instinctively opened his eyes. By the time he realized it, it was too late; he had already seen Zhang Renfeng's face clearly.

"No, no, no, I'm not! I... okay, I am, but I've never seen you before! I know the rules, when I arrived, Tuku had already been killed by you!"

The lawyer was eager to distance himself from the Thunder Gang, but Zhang Renfeng wasn't so easily fooled.

He looked around at the office furnishings; they were small yet exquisite, more like an exhibition of various strange items.

One of them is a wind-up alarm clock.

"Crunch... crunch..."

Zhang Renfeng took it off the shelf, wound it up, and slammed it onto the table.

"when!"

The countdown starts.

"I'll give you one minute. Before the alarm goes off, explain why you're here." Zhang Renfeng sat down on the desk, looking down at him. "If you can't answer, I'll blow your head off."

Chapter 45: Inviting someone to dinner, then accepting them as a dog

Zhang Renfeng's tone was calm, not even a threat; he simply described the consequences in a calm manner.

However, Jimmy was greatly relieved to receive such treatment, as it was better than the worst-case scenario he had anticipated. What he feared most was that the other party would be completely unreasonable and blow his head off with a single shot, leaving him with absolutely no room for maneuver.

“I am the legal counsel for the Cheddar Group. He sent me here to act as the nominal ‘top leader’ of this stronghold. But in reality, everyone knows that Tuku Zolael is the true controller of the Thunder Gang. I… I’m just a figurehead.”

"About two years ago, the Thunder Gang's influence expanded into New Elizabeth. The Zola El family was very powerful and was unparalleled for a time. Many local businessmen were robbed, but Cheder was the only one who took the initiative to approach them and propose 'cooperation'."

"Cooperation?!" Alana was stunned. "...Cooperate with a gang? Is that guy out of his mind?"

Zhang Renfeng frowned, but did not interrupt him verbally. Instead, he gestured for him to continue.

“Chedell controls half of the police force in New Elizabeth. Take Windblown Sands, for example; the sheriff there is practically his private army. He is also one of the major investors in the Pinkerton Detective Agency and can manipulate bounty posters at will.”

“With the ability to issue active bounties, they can further control bounty hunters. From every angle, cooperating with him is a sure win for the Thunder Gang. Their scope of cooperation has gradually expanded, and the local Thunder Gang has transformed from an ordinary gang into Cheder's black glove.”

At this point, Jimmy paused cautiously, as if afraid the yellow-skinned foreigner in front of him wouldn't understand, and asked, "...Do you understand?"

"Understood." Zhang Renfeng's tone was calm, as if he was already used to it. "After treating them to a meal, accept them as dogs. These two scoundrels are a den of snakes and rats."

"Um... snake and mouse... a very, very apt metaphor."

Jimmy wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "Here's the process: Chedel will be responsible for providing the transportation routes for valuable transactions, centered on Windswept Sands and spreading throughout New Elizabeth. Goods, money, bonds... almost everything valuable is transported between towns by train and horse-drawn carriage. Whoever controls the transportation hub controls everything!"

"Coincidentally, Ryan Cheddar's businesses include railways, trains, and stagecoach stations."

Zhang Renfeng suddenly realized that this explanation made sense.

The Thunder Gang possesses genuine "internal intelligence," and based on this intelligence, the intricate railway network has become their backyard!

“Chaider also has many competitors. If he wants to get rid of someone, he will give that person’s freight information to the Thunder Gang. This includes the train’s departure time, route, what goods are being transported on board, which carriage they are in, and how many security personnel are on board.”

“The Thunder Gang operates according to plan and has never failed. Of course, in order to dispel the doubts of competitors, he would occasionally arrange for his train to be robbed, but that was just for show.”

"After the deed is done, the Thunder Fury Gang will return all of his money. The rest will be split 30/70."

"Only 70%?" Alana muttered. "I thought Tuku would eat the whole 100%."

“You’re overthinking it, Alana.” Jimmy forced a smile. “Seventy percent goes to them, and the Thunder Gang gets thirty percent. Even so, it’s pure profit. Apart from a few bullets, there’s almost no loss. Plus, with Cheder’s intelligence, we won’t leave empty-handed. Thirty percent is a pretty good profit.”

"..."

That's true, but Alana couldn't believe that Tuku, the guy who would smash heads with ashtrays at the drop of a hat, would actually hold his nose and admit that he only got 30%?!

Is something wrong with this world?

“Tuku isn’t stupid.” As if sensing the girl’s doubts, Zhang Renfeng spoke up, “What he wants is ‘immunity’ in a legal sense, right?”

“Bingo!” Jimmy even snapped his fingers. “At Cheder’s behest, the local judicial system is turning a blind eye to this ‘big guy’, the Thunder Gang. Apart from Tuku Zolael, for whom a symbolic $6000 bounty has been issued, no bounties have been issued for any other gang members.”

"In fact, the 6000 figure for Tuku is an underestimate, because no bounty hunters will actually come to kill him. Um... of course, you're an exception. I still don't understand why you..."

"I am Red Center."

Zhang Renfeng calmly revealed the truth.

It was clear that Jimmy's mind went blank for a moment. His mouth was slightly open, as if he had forgotten how to say the rest of his sentence.

This was actually a sign of his rapid thinking. Facing Hong Zhong, at least in Jimmy's memory, the "Hong Zhong" who orchestrated the White Torch Town massacre and the Windblown Sands case, a little bit of cunning was no longer useful. He had to have other value in order to survive in his hands.

So, what should we say next?

----

"Ring ring ring ring—!!"

The sudden ringing startled him and interrupted his thoughts.

"Go on," Zhang Renfeng said, turning off the alarm clock.

“Hmm… when a business gets big, it needs someone to manage it. He needs someone to help him manage it.” Jimmy patted his chest. “Me! I’ll handle his ill-gotten gains, turn the stolen goods into money, and then invest that money in clean businesses, poof!”

He made a magician's gesture, "The money is clean, it's gone into Ryan Childer's account, isn't that amazing?"

The jokes meant to lighten the mood didn't elicit much of a response. Zhang Renfeng stared at him for a while, then suddenly said, "You're 'Thor'? The god in the suit who can unleash lightning from his fingertips?"

“Ha! Hahaha… Yes, yes, yes.” Jimmy, or rather Thor, seemed quite pleased with this, clapping his hands and laughing, “Of course it’s a bit of an exaggeration, I admit. But, just like your name is ‘Red Center,’ it’s certainly not your real name, right? When traveling, having a fake name and a fake identity is good for both of us.”

……

It sounds reasonable.

Having covered most of the necessary information, an eerie silence fell over the room. Jimmy let out a breath, anxiously awaiting his fate.

Silence is more torturous than any form of torture.

“I won’t leak it, I won’t.” Unable to endure the torment any longer, Jimmy spoke up. “You can give me a one-dollar coin, hire me for one dollar… and you’ll become my client. We have a confidentiality agreement, I…”

"Don't you and Cheddar have a confidentiality agreement?"

One sentence was enough to frighten the lawyer so much that he turned pale and was speechless.

Indeed, this thing is hardly convincing; in just a few minutes, he has practically revealed all of Cheder's secrets.

"It's alright, you can go back now, I won't kill you."

He patted Jimmy on the shoulder and said with a smile, "But... you have to do me another favor."

"You're in charge of all the money in the Thunder Fury Gang, aren't you?"

“Yes, yes, yes!” Jimmy nodded vigorously. “Someone comes to collect supplies regularly, but the latest batch hasn’t been delivered yet… We don’t have cash, only supplies. Cigarettes, cigars, wine, gold pocket watches—all high-end stuff. What do you want? I’ll get it for you!”

"I had a piece of gold that I gave to Tuku. Do you have it with you?"

"Here, here, here!" Jimmy rummaged through drawers and cabinets, pulling out a locked box, sweating profusely. He felt all over himself, his face dripping with sweat. "Damn it, the key's gone... Um, Mr. Hongzhong, just a moment, let me look for another one..."

"Crack!"

Alana squatted down in front of the box, fiddled with the tools for a bit, and opened the lock.

"Oh, thank you, Alana..." Jimmy wiped his brow and took out the fist-sized gold nugget along with the two smaller gold ingots. "Perfectly intact! What you gave him is what you got back to him, he's giving it all back to you!"

"No, I want you to exchange them for money. There are still many civilians in the gang who were kidnapped, women, grooms, servants, remember? Now that the gang has disbanded, I want you to convert the gold into money and give it to them as severance pay, that's all."

Zhang Renfeng had calculated it very clearly. Before going up the mountain, the large piece of gold had been cut into two pieces.