Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

"No, no, I know what the Shepherd Wolf Gang is. This afternoon, I was robbed by some bastards from the Shepherd Wolf Gang and almost lost my life! I mean..."

Jimmy's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're going to rob a fully armed armory? Really? Hijacking a train seems safer!"

Mike squinted, neither refuting nor arguing, and met his gaze with a calm demeanor.

Only after he felt guilty under the scrutiny and his aggressive demeanor subsided slightly, allowing him to engage in a more rational conversation, did he finally speak, asking, "Lawyer, allow me to ask a question first: Have you ever planned even one actual train robbery?"

Asking is pointless; if he had any knowledge, he wouldn't be working illegally for Cheder.

"Have you ever done that yourself?" he retorted defiantly.

“No, but I’ve seen it. It’s a very complicated job,” Mike replied in a deep voice. “Back then, our gang had nine people, and we planned a train robbery. We almost got caught red-handed – there was nothing in the carriages. They just laid out bait, and the bait was so tempting that we didn’t think twice before we took it.”

"What?" Jimmy's tone was slightly annoyed. "You don't trust me?"

“It’s not that I don’t trust you; you’re our partner, and you’ve proven that yourself,” Mike said in a deep voice. “I’m considering the costs, time, and uncertainties.”

“If it’s something involving mass killing, just leave it to Hongzhong, and I won’t have to worry about it. The problem is that hijacking a train involves many steps—whether to leave any people alive on board, how to stop the train, how much time to act after it stops… and this is just what I can think of right now.”

"I'm the only one here with experience in this area. There are only four of us, and three of us are novices at catching trains."

"When we actually take action, we may encounter many unexpected situations!"

A professional is a professional indeed. Mike's analysis left Jimmy completely bewildered.

Come to think of it, even the Thunder Gang, when they wanted to hijack a train, would mobilize a huge group of people, with even Tuku himself personally involved. A task that would normally require over twenty people is now being done by four, with such a tight preparation time. To expect things to go smoothly... is indeed asking the impossible.

----

There are only wrong names, not wrong nicknames.

The nickname "Reinhardt the Iron Wall" already reflects Michael's way of thinking: conservative and meticulous, which is also related to his rich life experience.

Interestingly, within the same team, there was someone completely opposite to him. Zhang Renfeng was the type to go all in recklessly, except that his confidence in going all in always stemmed from his extreme self-assurance.

After careful consideration, he finally made a bold decision.

"Tonight I'll infiltrate the Wolf Shepherd Gang's stronghold to investigate. If all goes well..."

"We can have them all!"

Chapter 84: Is it a mule or a donkey?

Closer to the sky, the stars always shine exceptionally bright, like diamonds embedded in the cold night sky, emitting an unreachable, cold light.

Jimmy pulled a flat iron kettle from his waist. Knowing he was coming to the snow mountain, he had filled two kettles with "Summer Red" liquor.

I had hoped to have a few drinks to warm myself up after arriving at the snow mountain, but I was instead terrified by the Shepherd Wolf Gang all day. It wasn't until I was finally safe in the Red Center Gang's camp and lay down on a blanket that I felt something hard dig into my lower back, and that's when I remembered what had happened.

"what……"

The sweet and smooth taste, with a slight spiciness reminiscent of tobacco, was incredibly enjoyable for Jimmy. A warm feeling welled up inside him, making him feel as if he had come back to life, and even the white breath he exhaled was much stronger than before.

"Hey, Boss Hongzhong..." Seeing Zhang Renfeng strolling over, Jimmy casually handed him another iron kettle from his waist. "Want a couple of drinks? It'll help you stay alert."

Zhang Renfeng accepted it without hesitation, took a sip, and his eyebrows immediately rose. Although it couldn't compare to the taste he had back home, it was still far superior to the whiskeys and brandies sold in ordinary stores; it was clearly a specially blended product.

When it comes to enjoying life, city dwellers really know how to enjoy it.

"I won't drink any more." After taking only a sip or two, Zhang Renfeng handed the wine pot back and looked at the fortress standing not far away on the mountain like a hunter eyeing its prey. "I still have business to attend to later. If I drink too much, I'll easily become sober."

"Are you serious...?" Jimmy couldn't help but complain.

Ramming alone into a heavily armed armory headquarters would have made Jimmy think he was crazy, especially if it were anyone else. But Red Center has this kind of charm; he can turn this suicidal mission into a relaxed stroll in his own backyard.

“We’re doing head-on stuff right now, it’s inherently risky. If we hesitate and shrink back, wouldn’t that be a waste?” Zhang Renfeng shook his head with a smile and asked, “After that, did the Thunder Fury Gang ever ask you to be their advisor again?”

“Master advisor? Uh…” This term, which has a distinctly overseas feel, made Jimmy pause for a moment. “Yes, that’s exactly what I was about to tell you.”

"After Tuco's death, there was a brief vacancy in the Black Gloves in New Elizabeth. Instead of supporting a local gang, he consulted with the gang groups and brought in a new Zola El from the border to take over Tuco's business. The problem was..."

Jimmy looked embarrassed. "I don't know his name."

"Don't know?" Zhang Renfeng sensed something was amiss. "Logically speaking, you should be colleagues, right?"

"This time, Zola El was very, very, very low-key. Perhaps he learned from Tuku's experience. Instead of occupying a place as a stronghold like ordinary gangs, he dispersed and scattered throughout the towns."

"The Thunder Gang is still around, but it has become more secretive. He himself has always remained hidden and has never shown his face. The only one who has appeared in public is a subordinate named 'Valga,' who is the second-in-command of his team."

Second in command.

So, is this Varga equivalent to Giselle in the TuG team?

The deliberate avoidance of showing up is also a way of preventing a repeat of the situation with stock photo agencies, where they themselves come knocking on the door and taking everything down.

"In short, the new Zolael has never appeared in public. Everyone knows he exists, but no one has ever seen him. Cheder once recommended me to him, but he declined in a letter. Cheder showed me the letter; the wording was excellent, and the writing was clean and neat. It's hard to imagine that he and a madman like Tucu come from the same family."

"He refused?" Zhang Renfeng vaguely guessed how things would turn out.

The original text reads: "Thank you for your great help, but I have come from afar as a member of the Zolael family to assist you. There is no reason for me to take away your valuable talent. My arithmetic skills are passable, but I prefer to do things myself and manage the accounts myself rather than rely on others. If I encounter any legal issues in the future, please allow me to consult with your lawyer in person."

The fact that he could recite the contents of the letter word for word shows that the letter had left a deep impression on Jimmy.

On the surface, he seemed to have temporarily escaped the complicated world of martial arts, but he was not happy at all.

One Zolael left, and another arrived. And this one is far more difficult to deal with than a mere brute like Tucu!

“Fortunately, we were both in the shadows, and he didn’t spot us. After making inquiries from various sources, I managed to get a code name related to him.” Jimmy lowered his voice. There was clearly only the howling wind and rustling leaves nearby, but he whispered as if someone had overheard him, “[Mule].”

"Mule?" Zhang Renfeng pondered for a moment. "That's not a nice word... So is it a horse mule or a donkey mule?"

"Huh?" Jimmy truly embodied what it means to have a face full of question marks.

"Don't you understand?" Zhang Renfeng kindly explained, "A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. A donkey-mule is the opposite, the offspring of a male horse and a female donkey. The former is completely infertile and very strong. The latter may leave offspring, and has greater stamina, able to work all day long..."

----

The casual, lighthearted chatter was naturally meant to kill time. According to the schedule summarized by Xiaomei and Mike, the Shepherd Gang's vigilance would be relaxed in the latter half of the night.

After all, they were just a gang occupying a mountain stronghold, not a regular army, so they couldn't maintain a high level of vigilance 24 hours a day. In the middle of the night, when the gang members all went to sleep, there were only three or four people on night watch, which was the best time to take action.

After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Renfeng still brought his flintlock pistol along. In case he encountered a situation where the horses were short and the stirrups were high, and he had to fight for his life, he would still have something to use. He wouldn't have to steal someone else's revolver and then miss.

Moreover, based on his understanding of himself, he'll most likely end up like this...

However, just to be safe, he tucked the holster inside his clothes. At first glance, you wouldn't see two large guns on his waist. Instead, he deliberately carried several throwing knives. For him, these were the most suitable concealed weapons for infiltration, allowing him to silently eliminate enemies and then, under the cover of night, toss them into the snow without leaving a trace.

Braving the wind and snow, a massive fortress loomed before us, and the sounds from within gradually subsided.

Zhang Renfeng rubbed his hands together, took a short running start, and strode swiftly across the raised wooden wall, easily stepping on the protrusions and flipping over from the top.

This place is much larger than the watchtowers in Tuku; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it an "outpost."

After landing, Zhang Renfeng rolled to his feet, dissipating the force completely, and crept in, observing the surroundings as he went. There were only a few guards, all stationed at the main gate, side gate, and watchtower, yawning incessantly and looking distracted.

That's true. It's impossible for a normal person to easily climb over this high wall. They've been guarding it for several nights, and they probably haven't encountered anyone who dared to venture in.

It's called keeping watch, but it's really just for show, just going through the motions.

“OK…” Zhang Renfeng patted the dirt off his palms, looked around, and saw a lot of unknown things waiting for him to explore. This feeling made him eager and excited. “There are still about three hours left.”

Where should we begin?

Chapter 85: The Dwarf

The interior of the fortress was even more spacious than I had imagined, and there was even a shooting range for training.

However, judging from the bullet holes on the targets, no one has used them for shooting practice for a long time. There are empty bottles and cans of food scattered everywhere, and no one has cleaned them up. On one of the targets, there are several strings of venison hanging, which seem to have been smoked and then air-dried in this way.

The thick snow acted as the best sound-absorbing pad, so Zhang Renfeng didn't even need to cover his footsteps. He had almost walked around the inside of the fortress without anyone noticing him.

“Bang!!”

The sound of a bottle shattering came clearly from inside the wooden house, startling Zhang Renfeng. He hadn't expected that besides those at the door, there were also awake people inside.

Having already scaled the outer walls of the fortress, this height was a piece of cake for Zhang Renfeng. He flipped over the wall and, in a few swift movements, vaulted into the room through a slightly ajar window. As soon as he entered, a stench of vomit and decay assaulted his senses, making him furrow his brow and nearly gag!

Although one shouldn't have had too high expectations for the hygiene of outlaws from the very beginning, the smell was still too disgusting.

It's like someone died inside, but nobody cared, nobody cleaned it up. Thinking back to his own "camp," Mei and Alana didn't drink, Mike did have a slight addiction, but he could control himself; he always used alcohol to stay alert, not just to drink for the sake of drinking.

That's why comparisons reveal differences; when he was covering his nose, he realized the advantages of his own camp.

Since he couldn't avoid it, Zhang Renfeng simply let out a few deep breaths, allowing his nasal cavity to adjust to the smell as soon as possible. Once he got used to it, it wouldn't matter anymore.

He walked towards the source of the sound, and soon an angry growl came from the crack in the wall, which indirectly gave him his location.

“Mr. Sandor, that’s not what I meant… I meant…” a slightly hoarse voice began, “What I’m cooking now is breakfast, and the portions have already been set. It’s not even dawn yet, and if you eat now, there won’t be enough for the others. Besides, I remember the leader saying before…”

"To hell with the leader! You dare use him to intimidate me? You're asking for it!"

It would have been better if he hadn't mentioned the leader; the moment he did, Sandor exploded like a gun that had exploded, his temper flaring up until he slammed his fist on the table.

Zhang Renfeng crept up to the door, pushed it open a crack, and peered inside.

Zhang Renfeng had already seen Sandor once during the day. Although Sandor was masked at the time, Zhang was certain that this was the guy whose buttons he had removed. He vividly remembered that during the retreat, Sandor's two exposed eyebrows were full of defiance, and he had even turned around and glared at him hatefully.

Aside from him, there were quite a few underlings sitting around him in the room, all of whom seemed to be his loyal supporters, and each of them had an indignant look on their faces.

"A leader, huh... If he had any brains, he should have let us intercept those three fat sheep halfway there! Now look what happened, we could have sold them for tens of thousands of dollars, but we didn't see a single penny, and with some backup plan, we lost five people for nothing! F**k! F**k!"

The man he was angrily reprimanding was a man who was only about waist-high to them, with an unusually large head that looked slightly deformed.

“A dwarf…” Zhang Renfeng thought to himself.

“He probably has a lot of money hidden in his slush fund, thousands? Tens of thousands? So he thinks it doesn’t matter whether we do this job or not, but the brothers are all starving!” Sandor grabbed the dwarf by the back of the neck and demanded, “Letting the fat sheep get away, tell me, does such a piece of trash deserve to be a leader? Huh!?”

"I...I...I don't know..."

The dwarf was so frightened that he was completely at a loss for words, his lips trembling as he stammered, unable to utter a single sentence.

Amidst a burst of laughter, he was slammed to the ground. Sandor immediately pulled out his gun, pointed it at his nose, and roared, "Watch your eyes! In front of me, don't call me 'leader' this or 'leader' that! Don't think that just because that bastard gave you some leeway, I won't dare kill you! Now get to work, or if you don't get any soup before dawn, I'll cut off your dwarf head and feed it to the wolves!"

The dwarf practically tumbled out, and before he could push open the door, Zhang Renfeng darted up the wall in three steps, using his hands and arms to brace himself against the ceiling.

He had learned the art of lightness of body from people who harvested bird's nests for a few days, and he could climb cliffs and towering ancient trees, so this curved wall was no problem for him.

The dwarf, naturally unaware of the extra person above him, ran off with quick, shuffling steps.

The noise in the room hadn't stopped, mostly from the underlings chiming in.

"What I mean is, I don't think the boss lost his mind, he just chickened out... He knew that a sheriff's daughter was also in the car..."

"We're not selling people, we're just waiting to get our share of the money. What's there to be cowardly about? Just because there's a yellow-skinned foreigner in the car? I think he's out of his mind..."

“Sandor is right. Over the years, he’s made countless trips back and forth, and he’s made enough money long ago. Even the wolves he raises are all well-fed, with shiny fur and round bellies… I don’t think he’s put in any effort, so why should he always take the lion’s share and we get to split the rest?”

"Five brothers died this time, and poor Victor didn't even have his body found! Meanwhile, he's locked himself in his house, probably having an affair with some she-wolf. In his eyes, we're probably not even as good as that litter of beasts!"

……

With a glance from you and a word from me, Zhang Renfeng sensed the swelling scent of desire.

Those three young men, conservatively estimated to be worth over $20000 each, would still be a substantial sum even if the Wolf Pack only took 30%. Such a lucrative opportunity slipped through their fingers, and with a very low probability of ever coming again, dealing a huge blow to morale. Many conflicts that could have been suppressed instead intensified, and the subordinates' discontent with the Wolf Pack began to surface.

Don't expect ruthless bandits to be loyal or have any sense of brotherhood. Who would follow you if there's no money to be made?

He listened at the door for a while longer, but the sounds inside suddenly subsided, and he could only hear hushed conversations. Seeing that he couldn't glean any useful information, he stopped and went down the stairs to the first floor.

A strange fragrance suddenly wafted over, making him swallow unconsciously.

So delicious.

Compared to that, the boiled venison at the camp was practically tasteless.

That night involved scaling walls and sneaking in, all physically demanding activities. Zhang Renfeng wasn't some immortal who could abstain from grains; the aroma awakened his appetite, and he suddenly felt hungry.

The smell was coming from the first floor, so he groped his way down the stairs in the dark. Sure enough, in the relatively spacious hall, a large pot was set up, and something was bubbling inside. On the table next to it, there were many bowls of soup that had already been served.

Seeing that no one was around, he picked up a bowl, took a small sip, and instantly opened the door to a new world!

He finally understood what the aroma was: the scent of meat, pepper, ginger, and apple, all blended together. The umami flavor of the lamb was also brought out to its fullest extent, melting into the broth and creating this irresistible fragrance.

It's hard to imagine that such a rich flavor was made in such a dilapidated bandit's den.

"Wheat? No, it should be oats... and dark beer, is it for flavoring...?"

As Zhang Renfeng used his tongue to identify the ingredients in the stew, he tilted his head back, wishing he could lick the bowl clean. He hadn't eaten anything so delicious since leaving his hometown, which made him sigh contentedly.

As I put down the bowl, my eyes met those of the dwarf.

He was holding a bottle of Moroccan cardamom powder for seasoning, and stared in disbelief as if frozen in place.