Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

Once again, the door was pushed open without warning, and the newlyweds seemed to have run all the way there, still out of breath, with a look of panic on their faces.

"You little brat, you're asking for it, aren't you?!" Gordon gritted his teeth. "I told you..."

"Alright, kid, what is it now?" Mike, like a doting parent, smoothed things over for the newlyweds. "Speak up before his hair stands on end."

"Sheriff, Mr. Elan, you absolutely cannot believe it..."

The newcomer took a deep breath and exclaimed, "Red Center! Someone caught Red Center!"

……

"What?!" Gordon exclaimed, overjoyed.

"What!?" Mike's vision went black.

Chapter 123: Cat and Mouse Game

Upon hearing that Red Center had been arrested, Mike's first reaction was not to worry, but to think, "What kind of mess is this guy up to now?!" Knowing Red Center as he did, unless he wanted to go to jail himself, there was no way White Torch Town could catch him now.

In any case, the entire police station was in an uproar.

What is the concept of "Red Center"?

"Captain, do you know Red Center?" Gordon's voice trembled with excitement.

“…Not very familiar with each other,” Mike said, staring blankly.

"You're a bounty hunter, and you don't recognize this guy? Red Center, huh? He's the guy who committed a major crime in Windblown Sands, with a $7000 bounty. I'm curious, if even Pinkerton detectives and the Windblown Sands sheriff couldn't handle him, who could possibly catch him?"

“Yes, I’m curious too,” Mike added reluctantly.

The two hurried down the stairs, pushed through the crowd, and Mike gasped in shock, nearly fainting from a surge in blood pressure.

Zhang Renfeng was surrounded by a group of young sheriffs from Baiju Town, who were asking him a barrage of questions, like a marketplace. The corpse he casually tossed aside was clad in animal skins, creating a subtly comical effect—a kind of unintentional attempt at imitation. However, it did fit the distorted image of "Red Center" in the public consciousness.

To his surprise, besides himself, there were also wanted criminals who dared to walk into the police station openly and mingle with these young sheriffs. Watching Zhang Renfeng chatting and laughing with them, Mike couldn't help but wonder if he had lost his mind and was just hallucinating.

Gordon's heart skipped a beat when he saw his daughter in the crowd.

"Barbara?" His protective instincts were so strong that he didn't even see Becky standing to the side, and he asked repeatedly, "What on earth is going on?!"

----

Zhang Renfeng had roamed the martial arts world for many years, his main selling point being his exceptional literary and martial skills and his uniqueness. In reality, he didn't know much literature; it was through his interactions with so many people that he had come to a profound and irrefutable truth: to deceive others, you must first deceive yourself; you must cultivate a strong sense of conviction. Even if his words had few flaws, they would largely be overlooked.

Conversely, if you hesitate and shrink back before you even open your mouth, even if what you say is 100% true, people will inevitably become suspicious.

In this matter, Zhang Renfeng had absolutely nothing to hide. The only problem he needed to address was his identity, which was solved by Jimmy, the "gang's external brain." He used the alias Bruce Zhang and was a bounty hunter who had come from Granite State. He happened to be on a train and arrived in White Torch Town, where he encountered a highway robber who called himself Red Center, killed him, and brought him to the police station.

“I also seized this. Is this Red Center’s mask?” Zhang Renfeng tossed the mask to Sheriff Gordon, successfully portraying the excitement of about to receive a large bounty. “If I remember correctly, this guy’s bounty is $7000, right? If you can’t come up with that much cash right away, I can pay a thousand or two in advance.”

Mike looked at him speechlessly. If this job went through, the profit would be equivalent to robbing a train, which would be a net profit of $7000 with zero cost!

"..." After listening to the whole story, Gordon knelt down and carefully examined the corpse. He frowned for a long time and pondered for a moment. "I'm sorry, young man, I can't give you money. This guy is not Red Zhong. He doesn't match the information in the intelligence."

"Doesn't match?" Zhang Renfeng knew this was the case, but still joked with a smile, "Please, Sheriff, you don't really expect me to find a monster with horseshoes and deer antlers, do you?"

“It’s precisely because the urban rumors are so powerful that they’ve inadvertently blurred Hong Zhong’s physical characteristics, and the bounty poster only has some rough descriptions.” Gordon sighed, and taking this opportunity, he turned around and looked at all the sheriffs in the police station, saying, “Detailed intelligence is still being sorted out, but one thing, we and the police in New Elizabeth have reached a conclusion.”

“Hong Zhong is not white. He is either an Indian, a Chinese, or a migrant from another country.”

Zhang Renfeng's pupils widened slightly as he realized that Gordon was one of the few people who hadn't used derogatory terms based on skin color after he set foot on foreign soil.

"It's obvious that this guy is white and wearing clothes and trousers made of animal skin. Hong Zhong is ruthless, but he's not stupid. Putting aside whether it's convenient to move around in such clothes, in case of a special situation, such as needing to hide in a crowd, he'll be recognized at a glance."

"Besides, a ruthless bandit who has just completed a train robbery and made a considerable profit is unlikely to strike again anytime soon. Even if he were to strike again, he would look for other means. Judging from his modus operandi, he must have known the train's running time, location, and cargo in advance and chosen his target carefully. Breaking into a passenger carriage and robbing passengers like this is not in line with his style."

"In conclusion, he's not Red Center, at most just a copycat. Whether I can pay you the bounty depends on whether we can find his face on the wanted poster..." Gordon shouted, "Mr. Kobyin? The rest is up to you."

A tall, silent man slowly emerged from the corner. From the beginning, he hadn't participated in the young sheriffs' excited conversation, remaining huddled in the corner without uttering a word. But Zhang Renfeng could feel his gaze fixed on him.

The moment he stepped out, it was as if a dark cloud had suddenly appeared on what was originally a sunny day, turning it gloomy and oppressive. The whispering young people immediately fell silent.

“Kobbin is our… well, how should I put it, he’s an advisor. He’s mainly responsible for identifying suspects or bodies. Like you, he used to be a bounty hunter, but he’s retired now. He’ll be responsible for comparing the body with the portrait on the wanted poster. If the wanted criminal is confirmed, the White Torch Town Police Department will definitely pay the reward.”

As he spoke, Kobyin had already hoisted the body off his shoulder, glanced at Zhang Renfeng indifferently, and turned to leave.

"However, as an individual, as the police chief, and as the child's father... I want to express my sincerest gratitude to you. Without your help, the people on this train would probably have been killed. You nipped a tragedy in the bud and saved many lives."

"This includes my daughter."

Zhang Renfeng had originally intended to play around and see if he could squeeze some money out of the police station, but after hearing these words, the smile on his face faded somewhat.

That's just how he is; if someone treats him with respect, he'll return the favor tenfold.

"It's nothing, just something I did on the spur of the moment." Zhang Renfeng waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to mention it again. "Money isn't important. I'll head back if there's nothing else."

“Wait a minute!” Gordon called out to him, and after a moment’s hesitation, he promised, “I will report what happened today to Mr. Wendigo truthfully, and regardless of whether there is a bounty, I will try my best to apply for a reward for you.”

"If it's possible, young man, could you please free up the rest of your time?"

"There is something very important that I would like to discuss with you privately."

Chapter 124: Sorry, I'm a policeman

One main entrance.

There are two side doors.

"One, two, three, four, five..."

Alana started walking from the side. In broad daylight, she couldn't possibly take out a measuring tape, so she used her own pace to estimate the distance.

A good locksmith is often a good thief, since once the lock is opened, entering the house is a piece of cake. Alana walked around the still unopened "Cheddar-Mesvid Bank" and roughly measured its area and the time it would take to run from the three doors to the main road.

As a town experiencing a boom, the streets were packed with people. The bank's location was also quite intriguing, situated in the most bustling part of town. It was surrounded by residential buildings on both sides, and nearby were buildings such as hotels and theaters. No matter which door one came out of, it was impossible to hide quickly, and the chances of being spotted were very high.

“The side door won’t work either. It’s already been more than two minutes. If we actually start moving, what will happen?” Alana took out her pocket watch, glanced at the time, and sighed helplessly.

The bank hasn't opened yet; in other words, it's not open to the public. If you want to gather information about its internal structure, you'll have to wait until night to sneak over.

As she waited, she saw a familiar figure riding a horse slowly approaching her. Because there were so many people in White Torch Town, riding too fast would easily result in a collision, so she had to slow down.

"Xiaomei, why are you the only one here?" Alana stepped forward to help her take the reins, asking, "Didn't you go to scout out the route after leaving the town? Where are the others?"

“It’s so outrageous, you wouldn’t believe it if I told you.” Xiaomei led the horse to the side of the road, her expression somewhat amused, but she still looked around to make sure no one was paying attention before she spoke, “Mr. Red Center is currently at the police station in White Torch Town with Mr. Mike.”

"Huh?" Alana felt a chill run down her spine. "We've only just arrived in this town and haven't earned a single penny. Shouldn't we at least stay for a few days before starting?!"

Clearly, the girl misunderstood, but she can't be blamed.

The last time Zhang Renfeng and Mike walked into the police station together was in Fengchuisha, which later led to the Fengchuisha tragedy that shocked New Elizabeth.

"It's not what you think." Seeing her expression, Xiaomei knew she had misunderstood and explained, "If it were, would I be so leisurely coming out to deliver a message to you?"

……

Indeed, as Gordon said, the hijacking of Chedel's train was a huge success, and the Red Center gang wouldn't consider robbing trains again anytime soon. Jimmy also needed some time to infiltrate; otherwise, with each train hijacking, even a fool like Chedel would start looking for a mole, and with the screening process, Jimmy would likely be exposed.

That being said, I'm itching to get my hands dirty. Besides, the Red Center gang already has so many bounties on their heads; whether I cause trouble or not, the Pinkerton detectives and bounty hunters probably won't let me off the hook. So I might as well steel myself and pull off another big heist. It's also time to try operating on my own and organizing my own plans without Jimmy's help.

Small-scale theft wouldn't yield much money; they needed to rob something big. After some discussion, the gang members set their sights on the soon-to-open Chedel-Mesvid Bank. They figured it would hold a large amount of cash, definitely tens of thousands of US dollars.

If they could convert all the money in their bank accounts into gang money, once they finished this job, they could find a place to hide and basically not have to work for two or three years.

So the gang split into two teams: Alana was in charge of surveying the inside and surrounding environment of the bank, while Xiaomei and Zhang Renfeng were in charge of researching escape routes.

As for Mike, he still has family in Baiju Town and has gone there to take care of things for the time being, which everyone understands. Since it's still the Lunar New Year, Zhang Renfeng wanted to give Mike's granddaughter a red envelope. Initially, Mike firmly refused, but after Zhang Renfeng insisted that it was a traditional culture from across the ocean, he finally accepted it.

Who would have thought that this group of people would be brought together as if by some unseen force? They set off in different directions, wandered around, and finally reunited at the police station.

……

"Such a thing? No wonder he's so bold, it's unbelievable. He actually tried to scam someone's bounty." Alana exclaimed. "If it were me, I would never dare to step into the police station. At most, I would just leave this imposter's body on the train and sneak away."

"What about this side? He's already shown up at the police station, and this bank..."

"Should we still rob or not?"

----

"Don't be nervous, young man, please have a seat." Gordon poured him a cup of freshly brewed coffee. "With your skills, you must have been in and out of the police station collecting bounties quite a bit before, right?"

Mark Durand's image flashed through Zhang Renfeng's memory, his tone somewhat ambiguous, "I went to the police station in Fengchuisha once before."

“Then you must have seen Sheriff Mark.” Gordon sighed. “May his soul rest in peace.”

"..."

"..."

Zhang Renfeng and Mike exchanged a glance, both feeling the atmosphere freeze. They wanted to say something, but couldn't bring themselves to speak.

Zhang Renfeng felt no remorse whatsoever for killing Mark; that guy deserved to go to hell!

But to outsiders unaware of the truth, it simply appears as a ruthless criminal killing a diligent and hardworking sheriff, especially since Gordon was also a sheriff. Without understanding the inside story, it's easy to feel a sense of shared sorrow.

"Alright, Gordon." Mike coughed twice. "Say what you have to say quickly. Bounty hunters' time is precious."

"Before that, I wasn't quite familiar with your customs. Should I call you Mr. Bruce or Mr. Zhang?"

Zhang Renfeng was slightly surprised. Based on such a simple question, he felt a bit more favorably disposed towards the mustachioed police chief in front of him. The fact that the other party was willing to spend time figuring out some trivial matters was a sign of respect.

"The latter, that's my surname."

“Mr. Zhang,” Gordon gestured to Mike sitting opposite him, “this is Il Ilan, a former captain of the Granite State Mounted Police. He’s retired now, and I heard he’s also a bounty hunter. Since it’s the same line of work, have you heard of him?”

"Uh... I've heard something about it." Zhang Renfeng wasn't sure what he was up to, so he gave a rather conservative answer.

"Here's what happened, Mr. Zhang. You've probably heard of a widely circulated, unsolved case in New Austin—the Shrike of Austin. Just last night, the fourteenth victim appeared in White Torch. After seven months of silence, the Shrike of Austin has become active again, and perhaps more people will fall victim to his crimes."

"Right now, it's a crucial period for the development of White Torch Town. We've brought in external capital, and a large bank is about to open. Mayor Wendigo is taking this very seriously. He's repeatedly emphasized that we need to do a good job in security and defense. Most of the sheriffs in the police station... well, let's just say... sigh..."

He sighed, his face full of unspeakable suffering, and shrugged, "I'm afraid we don't have the manpower to deal with the Australian Shrike again."

“I spoke with Mr. Elan, and he was willing to get involved as a veteran RCMP officer to help us investigate the Shrike of Australia case. But with only him, we were a bit short-handed. Just when we were struggling with this, you showed up and brought us a gift.”

"Mr. Zhang."

Gordon pulled a five-pointed star medal, a symbol of law and justice, from his pocket, his eyes filled with fervent desire.

Are you interested in becoming a 'temporary sheriff'?

Chapter 125: Mike's Past

North of Baiju Town. Red Zhongbang camp.

The aroma of stew wafted out as the campfire crackled.

Unless there are special circumstances, they would return to the camp to spend the night before or after sunset.

The town was bustling, but it offered no place for this group to stay. Only here could they sit together like a real family, sharing their day's experiences. Despite having mentally prepared themselves beforehand, they were still astonished when they learned of what had happened at the police station.

“What is a temporary sheriff?” Born in Scar Village, a place with almost no order, Alana knew almost nothing about the civilized world. “I don’t think there’s such a thing as a sheriff in Poplar Town.”

“Baiyang Town is a small town, there aren’t that many things to handle, so naturally there’s no need for manpower.” Xiaomei used her knife and fork to shovel the stew into her mouth, while enjoying the flavorful brown broth. “Many larger towns will recruit from outside when they encounter problems and don’t have enough manpower.”

"Bounty hunters, wandering gunmen, cowboys—anyone who isn't a wanted criminal, can shoot, and is skilled has a chance to become a temporary sheriff. After that, if they perform exceptionally well, they can be retained if both parties reach an agreement."

"Simply put, it's just temporary work," Zhang Renfeng yawned, leaning back in his recliner, and said slowly. "There's probably no way you can make any extra money from this kind of temporary job, right?"

"As for the salary, it definitely won't be as high as that of a regular employee, since it's just a temporary job." Xiaomei turned her head and looked at Mike with a complicated expression.

In other words, Old Mike's reason for taking on this job certainly had nothing to do with money.

Having just hijacked a train and made a net profit of $700, they couldn't possibly have it all gone in a few days. They're both fugitives now, and even with Mike and Gordon's past mentor-student relationship, contacting the police still carries enormous risks.

It's not for money, it must be for the sake of people.

“…Nonsense.” Igor finished the brown soup at the bottom of the bowl in one gulp, chewed the bones, spat out the dregs, and said.

"What?" Zhang Renfeng raised his head.

"That sheriff is talking nonsense, don't believe him," Igor said calmly. "Not enough manpower? It's a bank opening, not a war front. That's a lame excuse! Doesn't the Chedell family have their own guards? Are they all dead?"

"Furthermore, if the bank is opening and attracting investment, and the safety of Baiju Town needs to be ensured, then the murderer should be found. What if a fifteenth or sixteenth victim appears later? How long can we keep it a secret? If it's all exposed at once, causing panic and everyone staying at home, that will really affect the economy."

"There's something else going on here, and the sheriff is deliberately keeping it from you."

Upon closer reflection, what Igor said made sense. Should all the police officers in the department be so busy with the opening of a bank?

Zhang Renfeng's expression also turned grim. "You mean, this is a trap?"