Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

"We can lift you up, and we can also trample you down."

With those words, Quira turned and left, her footsteps and figure disappearing into the darkness.

Wendigo was left alone, staring thoughtfully at his empty glass.

"Good evening, officer." He asked calmly, "Would you like some figs and brandy?"

----

"What's wrong? You look so preoccupied." Igor glanced at the group chatting animatedly not far away and said with a touch of dark humor, "You should be happy to have a new member. At least when I'm watching the camp, I don't have to worry about being captured by someone else."

"Alas...it's hard to put it into words..."

Zhang Renfeng took a sip of wine, mentally reviewing everything that had happened that day, and then briefly recounted the main events to Igor. As he listened, the smile on Big Head's face gradually froze, and he finally swallowed a mouthful of wine, as if trying to extinguish the complex emotions in his heart.

“I can understand, but this is just too… too convoluted…”

In the end, Igor could only offer this assessment: "What you do in one day is equivalent to what others do in several months."

“Once you get involved with the Illuminati, it’s hard to clear your name. But you’ve reminded me…” Igor pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked a startling question, “Are you interested in the gray industries of White Torch Town?”

The firelight shone brightly, illuminating his face. At that moment, the shadow he cast on the ground was almost indistinguishable from that of a giant.

"what?"

"I am serious."

Igor counted on his fingers, carefully calculating, "Putting aside any hermitage or anything like that, think about it, that guy is the head of the underground market, right? And you're the leader of the Red Center Gang. If the two of you work together, you basically take over the huge profits of the black market."

"From this point on, it's easy to make money. You can use him to make a claim that you're providing protection for other industries, and you just take a cut of the profits, as long as they pay protection money..."

"Absolutely not," Zhang Renfeng refused unequivocally. "Wouldn't that ruin my own reputation?"

"You still want the brand? Do you really think you can do this for the rest of your life?" Seeing his resolute attitude, Igor took a sip of his drink and stopped talking about it. "Fine, if you don't want to, you don't want to. And thinking about it, being a boss in the underworld is really not that interesting."

"If you're going to be in charge, you should find an opportunity to be the real boss, personally set the rules, and make everyone play by your standards. That's the right way."

"I think you're really drunk," Zhang Renfeng said irritably. "We're bandits, we made our fortune by robbing others, how could we possibly be any real bosses?"

“Who isn’t?” Igor gulped down a large mouthful of wine and mumbled.

Chapter 170: The Painting (Return, Part 55)

The House of Exterior Light.

The curtain slowly rose, and amidst the attention of the crowd, Evelyn made her graceful entrance under the lights with unhurried steps.

For her, the stage was like another home, something she was already quite familiar with. But this time, her steps were lighter, and the occasional tightness in her chest and shortness of breath she used to experience were gone. With the restraints around her waist removed, she felt much lighter.

The charming smile unique to a young girl finally lingered on her face like a gentle breeze. In that fleeting moment of happiness, she became a jewel more dazzling than any pearl, like a light and elegant nightingale spreading its wings and gracefully gliding across the stage. On her, the magnificent and luxurious long gown truly became a backdrop, highlighting the ethereal beauty of her cascading, jet-black hair.

The applause was thunderous and lingered for a long time.

This is the darling of the stage; with just one appearance, people completely forget all the negative news associated with her.

Despite several setbacks, Theonado's farewell exhibition was finally completed.

However, once on stage, she wasn't the first to speak. Evelyn calmly took a few steps and stood in a corner, leaving the center of the stage clear.

"despair!"

"despair!"

"despair!"

……

The sound of his thick-soled military boots hitting the stage was deafening. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Wendigo, with a calm smile on his face, slowly made his entrance, immediately eliciting a burst of applause and screams. He deliberately waited two or three seconds, surveying the audience below, before raising his hand and gesturing for silence.

"Gentlemen, it's been a long time. I am Wendigo Lecter, the mayor of White Torch."

"Theodore was an impressive artist, I once praised him, and he had eyes blessed by God. His death is heartbreaking. Perhaps... his mental state was indeed unstable, but that is no excuse for the murderer's wanton killing! I swear to you all, sooner or later, I will find the real culprit and bring him to justice!"

"At the same time, I must also apologize to Ms. Dietersdorf. Because of Dean Chilton's matter, you have suffered a great deal of injustice and pain. As the mayor of this town, I cannot shirk my responsibility..."

……

"Hmph." Mike sneered from the audience. "Someone's trying to steal your business, Red Center."

"How so?" Zhang Renfeng asked with great interest, crossing his legs.

"Don't you find it strange? You caused such a big incident in White Torch, killing 25 people. These weren't ordinary people; they were all named members of the system. Wendigo didn't punish you, didn't issue an arrest warrant for you, and even tacitly allowed you to continue handling the Ordos Shrike case. Why do you think that is?"

Mike's tone turned serious. "This young girl, after all, is the last daughter of the Dietersdorf family. She's beautiful, a stage actress, and a public figure of some importance. People easily feel sympathy for her; that's public opinion."

“Since he sympathizes with her, then Chilton and his gang are naturally the bad guys. Killing these bad guys is at most doing a service to the people. He is using this outcome to warn those who are secretly working behind Chilton and forming a network of interests not to go too far.”

"By the way, let's borrow the reputation of the Dietersdorf family. This young lady has no real power, but she has the face of an old aristocratic family. In high society, you never know when that face might come in handy."

Zhang Renfeng remained silent for a long time, then sighed and said, "This is really complicated. I didn't mean it that way."

"No?" Mike's tone changed slightly, revealing a hint of gossip. "Then what exactly is she doing on the team?"

"Ahem..." Zhang Renfeng coughed lightly, waved his hand, and said evasively, "Let's go see the exhibition."

……

“Theonado has left us.” After her long speech, Evelyn finally stepped forward and unveiled the veil covering the painting. “I’ve prepared for today for a long time, and I’ve encountered many things. I shouldn’t be here sharing my feelings too much, but… lately, I’ve truly felt…”

"It's really great that we've managed to hold on until now."

The girl's sincere bow was more moving than her graceful dance or superb acting skills.

The applause grew louder and louder, and some loyal fans noticed that something seemed to have changed about their idol, but they couldn't quite put their finger on it.

"Enjoy it to the fullest! What Theonado left behind will remain in our hearts forever and ever in this form!"

----

After days of tension, Zhang Renfeng finally had a moment to relax. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes slightly narrowed, and began to appreciate the art.

Once a painting is completed, even the artist himself may not be able to decipher its meaning. Therefore, Evelyn simply stated the name of the painting, followed by a period of silence, before moving on to the next painting. There was no further interpretation or explanation; she simply accepted what she saw.

As Zhang Renfeng looked at his paintings, a strange feeling arose in his heart. His brushstrokes were rich and his colors were delicate, employing a technique called "plein air painting," which focused on light and color as the main subjects of his depiction. Therefore, under the lush lamplight, his paintings came to life, as if possessing a magical power that drew onlookers into his world.

Evelyn was right. Theonado left this world, but he remained here forever.

----

"Next up on the exhibition are a series of paintings left by my elder brother at the beginning of this year."

"This is the first painting of the year, 'Crime and Punishment'."

In the painting, in front of a dilapidated carriage, a sinister, lifeless hand extends from the grass.

……

"This is my second painting this year, titled 'Gold and Blood'."

The painting depicts a hungry old gourmand with a napkin tied around his neck, holding a knife in one hand and a fork in the other, slicing a piece of gold on the table as if cutting a steak. The gold has been cut open, and blood is flowing from it.

……

"This is the third painting this year, 'Wolf and Sheep'."

In the painting, a herd of goats, contrary to their usual behavior, bared exaggerated teeth and tore an old, decrepit wolf to pieces. The shock, regret, and disbelief on the old wolf's face left a very deep impression on Zhang Renfeng, causing him a certain physical discomfort.

……

"This is my fourth painting this year, 'Dragon and Deer'."

This is undoubtedly the most vibrant in color and the painting with the most brushstrokes. The red dragon and the black deer, claws against antlers, are intertwined and tearing at each other, displaying an immense power. Many people had never seen such a long dragon before, and they were curious, whispering among themselves about why the dragon in the painting looked so strange.

Zhang Renfeng's heart was pounding.

……

"This is the fifth painting I've created this year, 'Horse and Mule'."

In the painting, a small, thin mule, wielding a giant hammer, smashes the head of a tall horse to pieces. The mule's expression, also anthropomorphized, conveys sorrow, anger, and unbearable agony. The onlookers were astonished that the artist could depict such vivid expressions while employing plein air techniques… Although the subject matter was strange, what would an artist be without such a unique perspective?

Anyway, since he's a Wendigo-certified artist, even if his paintings are weird, they're still good.

……

"This is the sixth painting this year, 'Red and White'."

This time, half of the drawing paper was covered in red, and the other half in white; there was nothing else on it.

The crowd's exclamations of amazement reached their peak, the sound rising higher and higher, almost exploding right next to Zhang Renfeng's ears!

----

He suddenly stood up, as if out of control.

……

Seeing that everyone around them was looking at them, Zhang Renfeng calmed down a bit and pointed outside, "Old Mai, I..."

"Going to the restroom."

Chapter 171: Taking Him as a Dog

Once I left the exhibition hall, the tightness in my chest finally eased, and even the air felt much fresher.

Although he felt very sorry for Evelyn on stage, Zhang Renfeng had no choice but to come out. If he didn't, he felt that the walls on all sides would collapse and crush him to death.

"call……"

Exhaling a puff of smoke, Zhang Renfeng banished those horrible paintings from his mind, closed his eyes slightly, and finally felt a little relieved.

What a coincidence.

As I watched those paintings flash before my eyes, I naturally recalled the things I had experienced in the past year.

Zhang Renfeng couldn't help but sigh, the world of the mentally ill is truly different. He can draw such abstract things. Combined with the "No Exit" carved all over the walls of his room, one can glimpse the kind of torment he suffers every day.

Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why he was so eager to find a way out.

"Aren't you going in to see her? She's suffered a lot for today's exhibition."

A firm, powerful voice suddenly came from behind, its silent approach startling Zhang Renfeng. Turning around, he saw Wendigo standing three steps behind him, maintaining a delicate social distance that was neither too formal nor too intimate.

"...And you, Mayor?" Zhang Renfeng quickly withdrew his suspicious expression, took out a cigarette and handed it to him, "Aren't you going in to take a look?"

“Thank you, I don’t smoke.” Wendigo waved his hand slightly, even his reason for not smoking was so elegant, with a faint smile on his face, as he explained, “As a chef, I have standards for my sense of taste and smell that seem almost strict to ordinary people. Tobacco will reduce the sensitivity of these two senses, and over time, it will numb my sense of smell.”

"Really?" Zhang Renfeng put away his cigarette and asked curiously, "Can I ask just how sensitive it is? Can it smell what seasonings are in a dish?"

"..."

Wendigo smiled without saying a word, tilted his upper body slightly, and took a deep breath.

"You... you actually set up a temporary camp on a hillside near White Torch Town, right?"

Wendigo spoke casually, “That old captain of Gordon's, Mr. Elan, and that girl with the scar on her face, they were actually with you. You all have the same earthy and rooty smell about you, which is something that can only be formed by spending a long time in the wild, even spending the night there.”

"Am I right? Mr. Bruce, or should I call you... Mr. Zhang?"

……

For an instant.

Zhang Renfeng shifted from leaning to standing sideways, his eyes wide open, all the muscles in his body tense up. He didn't care about being the town mayor at all, and stared straight at Wendigo.

A butcher who has slaughtered many pigs has a certain amount of malevolent aura about him, and ordinary little ghosts dare not approach him, let alone him.

Zhang Renfeng's tone instantly turned cold, as if he would draw his sword and kill someone if the next answer was wrong: "What do you want to do?"

“Don’t misunderstand, I don’t mean anything by it. I just hope we can discuss a business deal.” Wendigo remained unmoved, his smile unwavering. This strategic composure only made Zhang Renfeng think more highly of him. “All indications suggest that your group’s daily life is like that of cowboys, constantly on the move, making a living by earning bounties…”

"Let me ask you a question: What do you think is the most valuable thing in the world?"

Wendigo clenched his right fist and extended his five fingers one by one. "Dollar? Gold? Bonds? Minerals? Oil?"

Actually, his way of asking the question was problematic, because "dollars" are money in themselves, and the fact that money is valuable without considering exchange rates is a very strange paradox.

But there was nothing he could do; Zhang Renfeng was a warrior at heart, and knew absolutely nothing about finance. He thought about it for a long time, but still couldn't figure out which of the five was more valuable.

The next moment, Wendigo revealed the answer: "None of it is worth anything. What's truly valuable is always 'information'—that's what those high-and-mighty wealthy businessmen desperately try to hide. The real ways to make money always circulate only within small circles."

"That's how the Nordlin family used to be. They not only monopolized information, but also channels, aiming to be the only emperor in this small town."

Zhang Renfeng said coldly, "So, they perished."