Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

"In life, things happen by chance, and sometimes things happen for no apparent reason. If you like something at first sight, then you like it."

"Your gang's recruitment process is far too chaotic," Ego couldn't help but complain. "This kind of recruitment method, which relies entirely on intuition, is too risky. What if you recruit a mole? What if someone claims to have joined because they admire you, but secretly carries your wanted poster, makes a quick buck out of your gang, and then sells you all to Pinkerton Detectives? What will you do then?"

Zhang Renfeng looked at him with a half-smile, and after a long while, he finally spoke, "That's why I said that if I could have an 'experienced' person to help me look after the house, I would feel much more at ease when I'm out."

"Ha, ha!" Igor chuckled twice, then suddenly realized the girls were still sleeping. He quickly glanced back and stopped laughing. "You're quite the businessman. Does that mean you've already assumed I'll accept this offer?"

A flying insect landed on the back of Zhang Renfeng's hand, seemingly attracted by the wine stains that had not yet been washed off, and crawled around on his hand.

To a flying insect, this hand is undoubtedly enormous; killing it is simply a matter of flipping the back of the hand.

But Zhang Renfeng did not crush it. Instead, he flattened his palm and put the lost flying insect back onto the grass.

"Do you remember that night? In the dark dungeon, you showed me the real business of the Shepherd Wolf Gang, and suddenly we heard wolf howls... At that moment, you really panicked. Your pupils constricted, your breathing stopped, and your heart raced. A person's subconscious panic is something they can't fake."

“Someone as smart as you couldn’t possibly not have sensed that the Wolf Shepherd Gang was at a delicate juncture of transition between the old and the new. Against a brute like Sandor, even the best mind is useless. He might shoot you for some inexplicable reason, like choking on a bone while eating this morning. You could say that you were truly in mortal danger at that time.”

"When I asked you to come with me, you refused."

Igor's eyelids twitched slightly, his expression complex, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

"The reason is that if no one had provided food for those slave laborers, some of them might have starved to death this morning. In the eyes of the Shepherd Wolf Gang, they are like commodities; if a few starve to death on the road, it's just the natural deterioration of commodities."

"You're barely able to take care of yourself, yet you still treat them like human beings, even risking your own safety..."

"why?"

----

A cold wind howled past, and the campfire crackled.

The campsite was exceptionally quiet in the face of the white noise emanating from nature.

Igor did not answer the question. In fact, he remained silent for a long time, his lips pressed tightly together, his eyebrows furrowed, deep in thought.

Jimmy reached a conclusion on the same problem in less than seven steps, but Igor pondered it for a very long time.

Humans are creatures who fear awkward silences. When two people are communicating, if an awkward silence occurs, one person will feel particularly uncomfortable. Consequently, they will subconsciously try to start a conversation or express their opinion in hopes of easing the tension.

But Igor was an anomaly; for him, the significance of this choice seemed to be even more profound than Zhang Renfeng had anticipated.

Even so, Zhang Renfeng did not urge him, but simply sat aside, waiting quietly, and respecting his every opinion.

Zhang Renfeng disliked the coercive and enticing methods of "luring people to join Liangshan." In his view, those who were meant to stay would stay naturally. Forcing those who didn't want to stay would only cause trouble. He would let things take their course, however they would.

……

The campfire, which was flickering and about to go out with the wind, was rekindled by Zhang Renfeng, who gathered some tinder and threw it in.

Igor sat motionless, as if frozen in place, with only the intermittent white breaths from his mouth and nose indicating that he was alive.

As night deepened, the stars in the sky were completely immersed in darkness, and all was quiet.

He finally sorted out the cause and effect and raised his head.

In those amber-colored light brown eyes, a tremendous courage to sever ties with the past emerged, forming a stark contrast with his small stature.

“I can join you, but there are three things I need to make clear first.” Igor spoke slowly, as if to make sure that every word he said reached Zhang Renfeng’s ears. “Don’t rush to agree. Listen to what I have to say and think it over before you answer.”

This was to establish three rules. Zhang Renfeng nodded, perked up, and listened attentively.

"First, although I've joined your Red Center Gang, I'll only cooperate with you, and I'll only be transparent with you in the future. I'm your partner, not your subordinate, so don't think you can order me around. I'll only be responsible for cooking, and providing advice when necessary. Whether you adopt it or not is your own business."

Zhang Renfeng paused for a moment, then recalled that there really wasn't a clear distinction between superiors and subordinates. Basically, he and Mike would discuss things and then do whatever they decided.

"Secondly, I will take on a few jobs outside, just like a lawyer. The profits and compensation are guaranteed, and you won't suffer any losses. Don't mention that I brought them in, and after you get the job, don't involve me when splitting the money. You can split it yourselves."

"third……"

“I’ll work here for a while, and sooner or later I’ll leave. If one morning I wake up and find that I and my luggage are gone, that’s the day. I’m free to leave, so don’t come looking for me.”

At this point, Igor sighed inexplicably, "Then we'll find a new chef."

……

"You..." Zhang Renfeng exclaimed in surprise, "You really did see the future so far in the future."

Chapter 110: Lunar New Year's Day, a Time of Renewal

"Huh? They joined?!" Alana was washing her face with boiled snow water when she suddenly heard the news. She jumped up in surprise and looked extremely astonished. "Last night?"

Mike seemed completely unsurprised. As a seasoned veteran, he could naturally see Ego's extraordinary qualities, but he simply chose not to say it.

“Yes, it was probably because of the coffee. I couldn’t sleep last night and talked to him for a long time.” Igor served everyone the leftover stew from last night and the freshly cooked Navy curry this morning. “On second thought, I have nowhere else to go. Rather than finding another circus and spending the rest of my life being ridiculed by others, I might as well stay with you guys.”

"So sudden!" Alana was still young, and her joy was easily seen from her expression. It was clear that she was happy to have such delicious meals from now on.

"Did I miss some special initiation ceremony?" Igor said in a half-joking tone. "If so, please tell me so I can prepare accordingly."

"No need to prepare," Zhang Renfeng said with a wave of his hand and a loud laugh. "Have you all prepared anything?"

"No, there really isn't. It seems like it all happened quite naturally..."

Alana recalled the moment she joined the gang. She was originally a locksmith for the Thunder Fury Gang, born into the gang. For her, the turbulent and dangerous gang life was actually quite similar to her daily routine; she was just in a different place now.

As for Xiaomei and Mike, they were both involved with Cheder's people in the previous case, so they had to band together for mutual support in order to fight against the pursuit of the civilized world.

After breakfast, Mike took an old map from his satchel. The map had been in his bag for who knows how long; it was yellowed and the edges were slightly curled. He then took a kerosene lamp and pressed one corner of the map down.

“We are here now, and the next camp… I plan to set up here.” Following his finger, not far from White Torch Town, there was a fairly open hilly area. “I’ve been to this place before. It’s high up, has a wide view, is close to a flowing water source, and has dense forests to cover us. From here, it’s about a fifteen-minute ride to White Torch Town.”

"Are we going to White Torch Town?" Alana was startled. "Hong Zhong still has a 7000 yuan bounty on his head in town, right?"

"It's not that exaggerated," Zhang Renfeng said casually. "In the case in Baiju Town, almost everyone who saw my face is dead."

……

Igor was stunned, gaining a completely different understanding of Red China for the first time.

Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor. The Nordlin family was wiped out, but Zhang Renfeng wouldn't kill everyone who knew the truth. Someone would inevitably witness his death, piecing together a bizarre image from these clues, one that bore little resemblance to the real person—which suited his purposes perfectly.

The less similar it is, the safer it is.

As for Mike and Mei, their arrest warrants are only circulating in New Elizabeth, and the conditions for cross-state pursuit have not yet been met.

"Two or three years ago, White Torch was just a small town that served as a trading hub. The discovery of mineral veins in the nearby mountains attracted the Nordlin family. They settled here, started mining, and made a fortune, transforming the town into what it is today within three years."

“So…” Alana noticed some similarities, “the Nordlin family is like the Cheder family here?”

“There are still some differences,” Mike explained. “The Nordlin family specializes in the mining industry. How should I put it, they are far more… savage than the Cheddar family. All their wealth was accumulated on the blood and tears of the workers. Their power is so great that they have opened up all the connections in White Torch. The police, the courts, the city hall—they are all his people.”

"Hmph." Zhang Renfeng sneered, "Go to hell."

"After being uprooted by the Red Army, these people scattered like birds and beasts, and White Torch Town was immediately taken over by several emerging forces. In any case, it's a good thing that power is not concentrated in the hands of a certain family." Mike then took out a clipping from his satchel, spread it out, and showed it to everyone.

“Wendigo Lecter.” Igor stepped on a rock, recognized the person in the clipping at a glance, and muttered, “I heard he’s the first elected mayor of White Torch in the last two years?”

"..." Xiaomei looked at the man in the photo, hesitated for a long time, and finally gave this comment, "He's a little bit handsome."

The photo shows the mayor of Wendigo shaking hands with someone; only his profile is visible in the shot.

With high-set brows, a determined gaze, and an impeccably straight back, he exuded an air of reliability. Tall and robust, with a thick beard, sideburns, and eyelashes, his confident smile suggested an optimist.

“If the Nordlin family hadn’t died, the mayor’s position would have just been filled by their people taking turns.” Mike sighed. “Your killing has actually produced a good mayor for White Torch. Almost no one who has met Wendigo has a bad word to say about him. They all say he’s a very good person.”

A complex smile appeared on Zhang Renfeng's lips.

What did the Six Dynasties do, that they only cared about their own private interests? Doesn't the Nordlin family also consider everyone in this town as their private property?!

It was at times like these that he inexplicably felt like he was coming home. For things like this, as long as there are people around, it's the same no matter where you are.

Faced with such an all-pervasive network of power, the only solution is to eradicate it completely and eliminate it physically!

"In the first few months, the bounty posters in Hongzhong were everywhere, but there were also a lot of mentally ill people in this town, and before long, they were overshadowed by another murderer."

"The lawyer has arranged new identities for us. As long as we act carefully and don't provoke others, we are relatively safe."

"After the destruction of the Nordlin family, White Torch Town entered a new era, and its development in all aspects is better than before."

It's not hard to understand. When wealth is concentrated in the hands of a single family, no matter how extravagant they are, their spending is limited. Moreover, most of the money spent by the Nordlin family ultimately ends up back in their hands, serving no real circulation function.

He was like a greedy fat man who cut off the water source and then tried to drain everyone's pockets dry.

Now, the fat man was killed by Zhang Renfeng with a single stab, and the water in his pocket was divided up by several households.

They checked and balanced each other, ensuring that no other family as powerful as Nordlin would emerge, which in a sense also allowed more resources to flow into the countryside.

"That being said, the atmosphere in the town is still not very good. The gray industries there are notorious throughout the entire state of Australia; in other words, there is a lot of wealth waiting for us to 'discover'."

Mike put away the map and clippings, saying, "My suggestion is: first, set up camp north of town, have a place to stay, and during the day, go into town to gather information and see if there's any business that's worth doing. Then, return to camp at night and discuss it together."

……

"Okay." Sensing the gaze fixed on him, Zhang Renfeng didn't say much, simply waving his hand, "Let's go!"

----

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the weather was clear and everything was renewed.

A caravan of carriages set off from Sparrow Mountain, following the footsteps of spring, heading towards a brand new world.

Chapter 111: You've Got Two Faces, Haven't You?

"Alright, that's enough for now. The shop isn't far, I'll walk there myself from here." Igor took out his pocket watch and checked the time. "You all go about your business. I'll wait for you at the entrance of the Cactus Tavern around four o'clock in the afternoon, and then we'll go back together."

Who would have thought that a wanted criminal with a 7000 yuan bounty would just ride into White Torch Town on horseback in broad daylight?

The campsite is basically set up, but no matter what, it's a bit too shabby to rely on a few tents sponsored by Chuck to make it look presentable.

Since we were going to live here, we had to buy a series of living supplies. This was also Igor's insistence. We couldn't live like the savages of the Wolf Shepherd Gang, living in a daze. Those guys were obviously not going to amount to anything.

The rest of the gang members entered White Torch Town one after another, while the two of them were among the last to enter the city.

Because Igor was too small to ride a horse like a normal person, Zhang Renfeng had to give him a ride along the way.

Zhang Renfeng noticed the various looks he was getting from the street, but he knew in his heart that he couldn't entirely blame them.

Aside from circuses and stage plays, they rarely saw living dwarfs in their daily lives. Let alone the two of them riding into town so casually. A yellow-skinned man and a dwarf were an extremely rare combination in the area, so it's no wonder they attracted so much attention.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, sounding a little worried. "I can go with you, just in case someone tries to cause trouble..."

"Save it. Have you ever seen a gang member who needs someone to accompany him when he buys something?" Igor waved his hand, rolled his eyes at him, and said irritably, "If I can't even do this simple thing, then I'm just a burden. You guys don't need someone who drags you down, do you?"

Seeing his insistence, Zhang Renfeng didn't say anything more, since what he said made sense.

True respect means treating him as a normal person, each fulfilling their own responsibilities, and trusting that he can handle his part well.

“If there’s a chance in the future, I’ll take you back to my hometown. There’s a kind of horse called ‘Fruit-Under-the-Trees Horse’ in the Southwest. During the reign of Emperor Jiajing, it was a tribute to the imperial court. Nowadays, there aren’t so many rules.” Zhang Renfeng gently pulled on the reins, turned the horse around, and smiled. “Fruit-under-the-Trees Horses are short and can move nimbly under the fruit trees, which suits you perfectly.”

……

Watching his departing figure on horseback, Igor chuckled to himself, muttering, "Instead of dismounting, wouldn't it be better for me to just ride a donkey?"

He shook his enormous head, standing on the bustling street, meeting those familiar gazes. Disdain, disgust, hostility… after spending so much time with Hongzhong and his gang, he had almost forgotten that these were people's true reactions when they saw him.

The purchasing work wouldn't take long, and he could finish it later, but the time he had arranged with the other person was almost up.

Igor turned around and walked straight toward the Cactus Tavern.

----

"Ha, see that? A dwarf walks in!" A tall, burly man leaned back in his chair, looking down at him with a sidelong glance, and said to his companion, "I told you, I've seen dwarf performances in the Mahana Islands before. You wouldn't believe it, they could use that thing to lift a car wheel..."

"And there are female dwarfs too. I saw it with my own eyes. The slit in their lower body is horizontal!"

"Hahahahaha——!!"

His companions at the same table slapped the table and laughed wildly, clearly somewhat drunk but not completely sober. At this moment, what they said was often their undisguised true feelings.

Interestingly, despite it being broad daylight, the tavern was almost full of people, except for their table. Each customer had a glass of wine in front of them in a very formal manner, without ordering any food or talking, occasionally taking a small sip, creating a very strange atmosphere.

However, once you're intoxicated, your ability to observe your surroundings will also decrease.

Igor ignored them and went straight to the bar, asking, "Where is he?"

The tavern owner shrugged, indicating that he didn't know either.

"Tsk, they set the time, and now we have to wait." Igor cursed under his breath. "Fine, give me a glass of London Heiress wine."

"Hey, dwarf! Can you even reach the bar?" the drunken men continued to taunt loudly. "Do you need me to bring you a stool?"

……

Igor finally turned around and gave them a lukewarm look.