Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

The first volley of fire knocked many people to the ground. Although one person wasn't hit in a vital area, in this desolate wilderness, unless a doctor with over ten years of medical experience suddenly sprang from a rock, it was practically certain death.

If it were a standard-sized armored truck escort team, they would have been wiped out by now, but the difference in numbers is undeniable. No matter how good their marksmanship was, they couldn't overcome the sheer number of opponents.

Like rats, they were endless no matter how many times they were shot. After realizing this, they quickly burrowed into the woods. The numerous trees provided excellent cover, causing Mike and his men's bullets to hit the wooden stakes.

And now, the worst-case scenario has occurred.

"Cease fire! Did you hear me? Whoever you are, cease fire immediately, or I'll blow this dwarf's head off!"

Because of the height difference, Ego wasn't a good shield. So the leader didn't choose to take him hostage, but instead ordered his remaining men to keep an eye on him while he shouted at the top of his lungs through the forest, "Do you know who you've messed with? This is Ryan Childer's train, not some nobody like you can afford to mess with!"

“I’ll give you ten numbers. Drop your weapons and get out of there immediately.”

"nineteen……"

……

"They've captured Igor." Alana said impatiently, looking at the distant, uneven forest, and suddenly stood up. "We have to go save him!"

Mike pressed down on her shoulders and forcefully pushed her down again.

“Don’t rush, Alana. Going out now will only make things worse.” Xiaomei’s tone was very calm. She remained kneeling and firing, motionless. “From the firefight just now, they must have roughly determined our location. They will see you before you see them.”

"Don't rush when things happen, rushing won't help. They just want to see us panic and panic, so we can rush into the forest and leave our cover. There are only three of us, and we won't gain any advantage in a head-on firefight."

An old hand is an old hand. At this moment, Mike's deadpan expression and half-dead attitude undoubtedly injected a shot of adrenaline into everyone. He even pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, brazenly treating the current situation as halftime, and began to puff away.

Alana was still a little worried, "But, Igor, he..."

“They wouldn’t dare,” Mei said for Mike. “Because they don’t know how many people we have, or what our background is. They don’t know what the consequences would be if we killed Ego. Ego only has value when he’s a hostage.”

"Furthermore, generally speaking, it's unlikely that any gang would appoint a dwarf to a key position, right? In other words, it's hard to say whether they care about Ego's life. It's precisely at times like these that we must not reveal our true intentions."

Sure enough, just as Xiaomei said, the countdown had reached zero, but no gunshots were heard in the forest.

The leader, who had retreated into the forest, also disappeared without a trace, as if the threat had never happened.

Seeing that the time was right, Mike pointed the rifle into the air and fired a shot into the air.

"Bang---!!"

Gunshots echoed through the woods, shattering the forest's silence and sending birds and animals flying in panic.

"...What do you want to do?! I've already said, if you dare to resist, I'll blow this dwarf's head off!"

A furious roar echoed through the forest, but this time, it seemed less confident.

"boom--!!"

Mike continued firing warning shots.

"boom--!!"

----

……

"boom--!!"

The gunshots, ringing out every few seconds, froze everyone in place, leaving them utterly immobile. Even the two henchmen holding Igor hostage wore expressions of terror, showing no signs of having the upper hand.

If you move even slightly, who knows which direction the bullet will come from?

The gunshots hung like the Sword of Damocles over their heads.

"Boss, how about we go outside?" One of the henchmen couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed Igor's hair and said menacingly, "Let's use this dwarf as a shield. What if they dare to shoot..."

"Do you think they care?" The leader gritted his teeth, glared at him, and continued to hide behind the rock. He took out a pair of binoculars and carefully identified the spot where the shot had been fired. "Just a dwarf... most likely a clown who entertains the camp with magic tricks. If they really cared, they would have come out and negotiated with us."

"The only way now is to bypass them from the side, go deep behind enemy lines, and wipe them out in one fell swoop."

The group looked troubled. In the previous firefight, the team of over thirty people had been routed. The remaining members only managed to escape into the forest because they outnumbered the bullets.

"Can't we just retreat?"

"Retreat, and then leave the train here? Do you even know what's inside?!" The leader's voice was filled with rage. "If we go back like this, Mr. Cheddar will skin us alive!"

"We absolutely cannot go back like this. At the very least, we must find out who these people are and how they got involved..."

……

Before he could finish speaking, two of Igor's men collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth, their expressions frozen in astonishment.

"Hey!"

The leader's face turned pale instantly, and he couldn't speak. He felt as if his throat was being twisted, extremely dry. He turned the two men over and saw a pheasant tail dart stuck in the artery on the side of their necks, piercing the artery, but no blood was flowing out.

His pupils were dilated, and he was foaming at the mouth; it was clear he was not going to survive.

"Cologne! Châtelet!"

The leader shook the two men desperately, but received no response. The once silent forest suddenly became terrifying.

The dead trees stood overhead, like rotating tombstones.

"..." Igor leaned close to the sides of their necks, sniffed gently, and caught a peculiar herbal scent. A smile appeared on his lips. "It's aconite."

"What?" the leader asked, puzzled. "What...what are you talking about?"

“I didn’t mean anything by it.” Igor looked at him with pity. “You really should have run away.”

----

His attention was drawn to Igor, and he didn't notice the soft rustling on the tree trunk beside him.

The next moment, Zhang Renfeng lightly leaped down from the tree branch, and with his own weight and acceleration, snapped his spine with a crack.

Chapter 103: Truly high-end locks only require the simplest unlocking method.

"Boom-!!"

Using the remaining explosives to blow open the car door, Zhang Renfeng couldn't help but exclaim as he stepped into the carriage—the interior, which didn't look like a vehicle at all, resembled an incredibly luxurious private room.

Inside the spacious cabin, the seats are meticulously upholstered in high-grade leather and complemented by soft velvet cushions. The lighting is soft and warm, and the floor is covered with an elegantly patterned carpet.

On the cargo containers, fresh bouquets and exquisite tea sets were displayed, while small dishes held snacks like figs, emitting a unique aroma. In addition, there was even a mini-bar in one corner of the carriage, filled with various fine wines. Next to the bar was a small library, filled with classic books, fashion magazines, and the latest edition of the "White Torch Town Gazette."

Mike walked to the wooden table in the middle of the carriage, tapped the surface twice with his fingers, making two clanging sounds, and said, "This is the only one of its kind made of yellow chrysanthemum wood. It's worth over $800 on the market."

“Good, at least it proves we didn’t come to the wrong place. This should be that old scoundrel Cheder’s private carriage.” Zhang Renfeng pointed his gun barrel into the distance. “Search.”

In no time, the luxury carriage was turned upside down, and Mike couldn't stop thinking about the yellow peach wood table. If he had enough strength, he might have carried it all the way back to camp.

Although the carriage looked luxurious, there wasn't much that could actually be taken. There were two gold pocket watches in the cabinet and two wallets in the drawer, both filled with loose change, totaling $37, which was better than nothing.

Aside from the money, there were only high-end liquors, cigar boxes, and some emergency food cans on the minibar counter. To consider these things as the spoils of hijacking a train would be a bit too meager.

“Damn it…” Zhang Renfeng scratched his head. He had been searching for so long but still hadn’t found anything, which made him feel a little frustrated.

The carriages behind were piled high with miscellaneous goods; it's unlikely that even Cheder himself would feel comfortable leaving anything valuable there.

Could it be that Jimmy's intelligence was flawed, and it wasn't this train?

“These things do happen.” An old hand is an old hand; at this moment, Mike remained calm and showed little disappointment. “After all, it’s different from the Thunder Gang days. Now, the information the lawyer has isn’t necessarily accurate. Besides, a few days have passed; something might have happened within their ranks.”

Zhang Renfeng frowned, somewhat dissatisfied. "The brothers raided the Dao, but didn't get a single penny. Isn't that unfair?"

"You're just used to winning every time. Windblown Sands, Scarface Village, and recently the Wolf Pack—you almost never fail within your capabilities. That's your skill," Mike said with dead fish eyes. "But don't forget, Red Center, there are many things in this world that you can't control."

"When you encounter them, it's best to learn to accept them and not get stuck on them."

"Sigh..." Zhang Renfeng had to admit that what the other person said made sense. He casually picked up a bottle of Qianyi brandy, bent his finger, and flicked it lightly, breaking off the top of the bottle. He then poured it into his mouth like he was drinking water.

"Mr. Hongzhong, don't be sad~~~ Think of it this way, didn't we get some money at the Shepherd's camp?" Xiaomei held two pocket watches in her hands and comforted him softly, "Although it's a little less than a thousand dollars compared to the plan, but... as a gang's starting point, I think it's not bad. Look at the Shepherd Gang, they're dirt poor, but they still manage to survive on Sparrow Mountain, don't they?"

“The Thunder Gang occasionally encounters this situation: the goods they intend to rob are not on the truck when they arrive. More than twenty people are forced to return empty-handed. When Tuku gets back to the mountain, he will definitely be furious... It feels like something from a past life.”

Alana sat down at the yellowwood table, crossed her legs, and shook her head with a smile as she talked about the past. "Think about it, even the Thunder Fury Gang was like this, so it's perfectly normal for us to fail."

The way they said it made Zhang Renfeng feel like his two daughters were comforting their father, who was disheartened by his business failure. He couldn't help but chuckle.

Yes, money is gone, but you can earn it back later; there are plenty of opportunities.

“At least, we’ve all managed to snag a train ticket once…we’ve accumulated a lot of experience.” With a laugh, the atmosphere immediately lightened up, and Zhang Renfeng joked, “Anyway, this old guy’s train tickets are definitely not limited to this one, let’s just wait patiently for news of the next order.”

After gathering up the useful items, Zhang Renfeng prepared to leave. The train's prolonged delay might attract bounty hunters and sheriffs. Their time was actually not as plentiful as they had imagined.

until……

"Boom!"

A dwarf's head is naturally larger than that of an average person, so the thud when it hits the ground is exceptionally clear.

"Hiss...ah..."

Igor knelt on the ground, clutching his forehead, wincing in pain.

"Mr. Igor?" Xiaomei knelt down to help him up. "Are you alright?"

"No... I'm fine. I was originally planning to get a few bottles of Tennessee whiskey, but... something on the ground tripped me up."

"On the ground?" Xiaomei looked down. "There's nothing there..."

Her cautious nature led her to reach out and touch it, and what she found was something new.

“Mr. Hongzhong!” Her voice suddenly rose several decibels, “There’s something under the carpet!”

----

Now everyone was excited. Zhang Renfeng pulled the carpet away completely, revealing a metal handle right where Igor had tripped!

What does it mean to find a glimmer of hope after despair? The joy that comes with hope after disappointment is simply intoxicating!

"Damn it, I knew it..." Zhang Renfeng's eyes lit up. He finished the bottle of brandy in one gulp and casually threw it on the ground. "That old bastard is like a rat. He likes to dig holes and hide all his valuables in them. He can even dig a hole out of a train."

"Thanks to Mr. Igor!" Xiaomei exclaimed excitedly. "If it weren't for that fall, we might have really missed this secret door."

"Really? Ha, haha..." Igor rubbed his aching head, his expression indescribable. "It's good that I was able to help you."

"How's it going, Alana? Can you break through?" Mike was more concerned about the progress of "breaking through the door."

"Hmm...it's a little difficult..." Alana lay under the car, intently fiddling with the keyhole of the hidden door using her lock-picking tools. "The structure of this lock is different from ordinary door locks or lockbox locks. With just the two tools I have with me, I might..."

"Alana, move aside." Zhang Renfeng took a deep breath, unusually assuming a horse stance, gathering his energy and focusing his mind, his eyes snapping open. "Charge!"

With a furious roar, he cleaved his palms into katana shapes and plunged them directly into the floor!

Click!

"Drink——!!"

With a roar and a burst of energy, Zhang Renfeng pierced the wooden board with his palm. His eyes widened in fury as he grabbed the broken end of the board and continued to exert force, tearing it off like a sticker.

"..."

This was the first time Igor had witnessed Zhang Renfeng's incredible physical abilities, and he was stunned.

"Isn't that amazing?" Mike said with an air of self-deprecation, "There's more. You'll get used to it as you watch."

Chapter 104: A Bountiful Harvest

"Boom!"

A locked metal safe was taken out and smashed on the ground.

The weight, the shape, the texture—it just clicked.

“This kind of metal lump…” Zhang Renfeng tapped the safe, and judging from the sound quality, immediately realized it was hopeless. He shrugged, “I’m afraid I can’t help you.”

"No, no, no, no! Don't you find this strange? This is obviously strange!" Igor picked up a piece of wood from the ground and compared its thickness with his fingers. "This piece of wood is made of peach wood, and it's as thick as half of my finger. You actually cleaved it through with a single palm strike?"

“He has a special ability, I don’t know what to call it. Anyway, his body is tougher than the average person’s, and he can defend against most cold weapons. Knives, hammers, clubs, all within his defensive range,” Mike explained. “I’ve tested it myself before, and it’s true.”

"Is this even possible!" Ego exclaimed from the bottom of his heart. "I've traveled all over the world with the circus and seen many amazing things, but this is the first time I've ever heard of anything like this. No wonder! You only have four people, yet you dared to go against the Wolf Shepherd Gang of more than twenty people and even dared to hijack Chedel's train."

……

They chatted idly to one side, while Alana pressed her ear against the safe, turning the knobs on it. Her movements were slow, but her mind was highly focused, catching every subtle sound within the metal structure. There were three locking knobs in total, and Alana would only turn the next one after hearing a satisfying "click" as it locked perfectly.

After nearly five minutes of effort, the safe, with its unique design, was revealed with a "clang," like a pearl inside a shell.

Alana breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from her brow, too exhausted even to feel happy. Such a heavy safe couldn't be carried back to camp for leisurely study; in other words, the time she needed to unlock it was crucial. This unspoken condition added immense pressure, fearing that slow progress might lead to unforeseen complications.

"You did a great job, didn't you?" Zhang Renfeng didn't rush to open the box, but patted her on the shoulder first, comforting her, "It's just unlocking a lock, why are you making such a fuss?"