Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

“He was still alive. At least he was alive when I took him to the clinic. Then I handed him over to the doctors for emergency hemostasis and wound suturing. I specifically told them not to make a big fuss and to treat him like a normal patient.”

"I won't die, but..."

Hesitant to speak.

Everyone was also very clear about what followed.

With the limits of modern surgery, stopping the bleeding and saving the life is pretty much the best that can be done. In Lao Zhang's opinion, unless there is a real, readily available body of Rama that can bring the dead back to life and heal flesh and bones, even if he is saved, he will be mute for life.

“Ha, I always thought he talked too much, that guy really could talk, he kept going on and on in my ear.” Gordon raised the corner of his mouth with a slightly self-deprecating smile, playing with the empty holster, revealing a half-crying, half-laughing expression, “Now even if I wanted to hear it, I couldn’t.”

“I never doubted Wendigo, even though his likeness to the killer’s portrait was so close. I… I never even considered that possibility for a moment… Due to pressure within the police department, no one was willing to touch the Australian Shrike case, so I didn’t force him. Only he… only this newcomer had the guts to investigate this kind of case. I haven’t protected him yet…”

He sighed, his eyes downcast. "I'm a failed sheriff."

……

Compared to Mark Durand, that corrupt Sheriff Feng Chuisha who takes bribes and shoots in the dark, you're much better—that's what Zhang Renfeng thought, but he couldn't say it out loud.

But he believed that heaven and earth and the people would have their own judgment. Before coming here, he never expected that he would meet such an honest sheriff.

However, no matter how clean he is, it can't hide the fact that he's experiencing some psychological issues. He's somewhat trapped in a cycle of self-blame and can't seem to escape it.

He needs someone to yell at him to wake him up.

"Boom!"

Mike, unable to contain himself any longer, slammed his fist on the desk, splashing coffee from his cup.

"Thirty minutes..."

His forehead already had very little hair, and with the added emotional turmoil, his veins bulged, his face flushed red, and his dead fish eyes widened as he stared intently at Gordon.

“You’ve only endured thirty minutes of self-blame, bitterness, and guilt… just thirty minutes. Look at yourself now, Gordon Jansen.”

"And what about me? Every day, every second, I endure the same pain! How much pain? I'm numb from the pain. More than once, I've thought, if only I hadn't let him be a policeman, if only I hadn't let him get involved in the Australian Shrike investigation, if only I had been by his side when the incident happened... These thoughts are like ants, gnawing at my bones every moment!"

Gordon looked at his old captain, who gradually straightened his back during the conversation.

"That kid's still alive. Wendigo thought that cutting off his tongue would turn him into a silent lamb. But has he actually become silent?!"

He picked up the empty holster and slammed it heavily onto the table.

"Snapped!"

Dust flew.

The holster slammed onto the hard wooden table with a loud thud, the sound of Sean's deafening roar.

"You'll still be able to see him and talk to him. Once he's fully recovered, you can even have a drink and a cigarette together."

"But I... I don't even have that chance anymore. From that day on, every breath I take, every heartbeat I have, is for one thing!"

It is said that "a man does not easily shed tears, unless he is deeply saddened," and this is true.

Mike Reinhardt, or Il Ilan, a man who had been a tough guy for most of his life, didn't blink or tremble. Only his eyes reddened, and as if instinctively, a single tear rolled down his cheek.

……

The talk therapy was indeed effective, especially given Mike's situation and his relationship with Gordon, who was an elder; no one was more suitable to say those words than him.

Zhang Renfeng was not lacking in emotional intelligence. After all, he was an outsider. At this time, standing aside without saying a word and being a quiet listener was the best respect he could show to these two men.

“I understand, Captain, and Mr. Zhang… You’re the expert in this area.” Gordon wiped his face, reverting to his efficient deacon self. “How can I cooperate?”

"Where is that bastard?" Mike asked bluntly.

“Unless there’s a major event in town that requires the police’s cooperation, Lecter’s schedule will not be made public to us.” Gordon crossed his hands again, resting his chin on them, striking a pose like Commander Ikari.

"However, I know roughly when he will get home. If it's for a dinner party, he'll arrive about an hour and a half earlier."

"Send people to surround it?"

“No.” Zhang Renfeng shook his head. “Don’t forget, that guy is the Australian Shrike himself—that extremely cautious criminal with incredibly sharp insight, the one you’ve been trying to catch for years without success.”

"The bigger the commotion and the more participants, the easier it is to expose a flaw. Once he notices it, he may sneak away."

"Based on my years of experience, in times like these, it's better to remain still than to act rashly."

----

“In my years of experience, at times like this, it’s better to stay still than to act,” Wendigo said with a smile, spreading his hands. “Red Center is like a crazy catfish. If it gets a chance to act, it will stir up the whole pool. At that point, none of us will be able to stay out of trouble.”

"Risk, loss, uncertainty... In business, these are the things businessmen hate the most, and that's my opinion."

McCann nodded in agreement, adding, "As the EU's financial advisor, I personally share the same view, and the relevant content, as well as the discussion of specific data..."

"It's all in this letter."

He held the envelope with his finger and gently pushed it to the other edge of the table, smiling as he said, "Please pass this on to us, and also explain it to the EU properly."

……

"..."

Quella didn't rush to take it; her lips twitched slightly. "Ha...haha...a $300 million deal, you just call it off like that?"

"As Mayor Lecter said, in these extraordinary times, it is better to remain still than to act."

“EU is a reasonable person,” McCann laughed. “He will understand as long as there is a good reason.”

Chapter 179: God Won't Care

"Really, boss?"

Such situations occasionally occur at the Cactus Tavern. However, it is quite rare to see a group of twenty-odd young people gathered together, drinking and gambling in broad daylight, as is the case now.

A closer look reveals that their clothes are not cheap; they are all quite expensive handmade products. Although their character and demeanor are far from noble, they are full of the crudeness of a poor person who has just become rich and has not yet shaken off their original way of life.

They all had a cicada tattoo on their wrists.

"Such a big business, just stopped like that? And stopped like this?" One of the men, with dreadlocks and a gold earring, slammed his glass down, an incredulous expression on his face. "Leaving aside the downstream plantation owners and farm owners, can the boss accept this kind of loss?"

"Those wild dogs on the snowy mountains, I don't know who took care of them. For almost a month, we haven't made a single penny on this line. And now we're bringing this bad news back... Even if the boss doesn't ship the goods, I feel too ashamed to face anyone."

"..." As if she was angry with someone, Quella finished the drink in her glass in one gulp and slammed it on the table. "Goat Eyes, you better remember this: people who have money or power are usually the most afraid of death. The slightest disturbance can scare them so much that they can't sleep."

"They just don't want to continue, and they're using Hongzhong as an excuse to make us swallow the losses ourselves."

"Bang!"

He pulled out a double-roller closed-lock rifle and placed it on the table.

Goat Eyes meticulously maintained his beloved gun with gun oil, just like he would his wife. In his half-drunk state, he said fiercely, "What bullshit Red China? I've heard about it too. They just killed a dozen or so civilians. Most of them were ordinary people without any fighting ability, maybe they didn't even have guns."

"I really don't understand. If our Cold Cicada Gang were to join the fight, we would have taken this lousy record down long ago. Why are we in this predicament, having to put up with their attitudes here?!"

This statement immediately garnered enthusiastic agreement from his companions, who erupted in cheers and slammed their fists on the table. They were like gorillas in a primeval forest, filled with rage because their territory and resources were being encroached upon by other species.

That's how business works; if you take a bigger slice, I have to take a smaller one. Right now, they've invested a lot of time and energy in Baiju Town, and it should be time to recoup their costs, but this unexpected setback has occurred. The demand itself won't disappear; it will simply shift through other underground channels. The only real change is that the money they receive will be significantly less.

How could they not be furious?

"What bullshit is this Red China... They've made it sound so amazing, saying it has deer antlers and wolf teeth. No matter how exaggerated it is, it's still just a human. Give it two shots, and it'll be lying there motionless."

After cleaning his beloved gun, Goat Eyes held it up straight and aimed it at the two customers who had just stepped into the tavern. Upon seeing this, the two customers didn't dare to linger and wisely turned and ran.

"Okay, Quira, point out which one is Red Center. I'll smash both of his ears first, then shoot him dead!"

“If only it were that simple.” Quira sighed, returning to her initial state of helplessness. “I’ve already had people inquire about him, and he’s hidden himself very well. Those legends about deer antlers and wolf claws have only confused him about his true appearance. Most people only know that this person exists, but they don’t know what he actually looks like.”

"Besides, you're just walking along the street and suddenly you bump into Hongzhong... What a coincidence!"

----

“What a coincidence, Mr. Zhang.” Wendigo was still smiling, as usual, and it was difficult to judge his emotions from his micro-expressions. “White Torch Town is so big, it’s quite a coincidence that we could meet on the way.”

……

The Australian shrike has extremely strong counter-surveillance capabilities, and taking this into consideration, Gordon did not send anyone to monitor Wendigo's mansion or to set up spies along the way. If they were discovered and allowed to slip away right under his nose, all his efforts would be in vain.

Following Zhang Renfeng's advice, he deployed all the police force to guard all the entrances and exits of Baiju Town.

Regardless of main roads or side streets, anyone wanting to leave this town will inevitably pass through their sight. As for post stations, carriages, and train stations, these are even more important targets for surveillance.

None of the officers involved in the operation knew who they were supposed to arrest; they were simply following orders to their positions and then waiting. If they were lucky, Zhang Renfeng would complete the arrest process within his residence, eliminating the need for their intervention.

In any case, Wendigo must be convinced that this encounter was a complete coincidence.

Unable to contain his anger, Old Mike questioned, "The evidence is irrefutable, why bother with all this roundabout stuff?! Just arrest them on the street, hang them if they deserve it, guillotine if they deserve it, and don't delay if they deserve to be shot!"

The way he said that made it sound like he was about to pull out a gun and charge in himself.

However, after careful consideration, the suggestion was rejected, and the reason was quite simple.

Accomplice.

Judging from the traces left at the cellar site, the possibility that Wendigo had accomplices cannot be completely ruled out—there were so many heavy objects in the cellar, it's hard to imagine that he carried them up there by himself alone.

If the attack takes place outside, news of the mayor's arrest will quickly spread throughout the town. His accomplices will likely flee in panic, making the situation increasingly difficult to control.

Therefore, the sheriffs and police stationed on the outskirts are the town's last line of defense. If possible, it's best to take action at his own residence, making as little noise as possible.

The most suitable person to carry out this plan, and the one who would least arouse suspicion, is Old Zhang, whom he invited to dinner tonight.

Fortunately, this fellow possesses sufficient combat skills to complete this plan.

----

"How's the investigation into the Australian shrike case going?"

“No progress.” Zhang Renfeng said calmly. “That guy is cunning; we may never find him in our lifetime.”

“I’ve seen his crime scenes once or twice, and they were quite impressive.” Wendigo turned his head slightly, casting his gaze on the bustling crowd on the street. His eyes were cold and swept over the scene quickly, like a butcher selecting the next batch of cattle and sheep to be slaughtered. “He seemed to be trying to express something at the top of his lungs, but most people… couldn’t understand it.”

"What kind of beast would do such a thing?" Zhang Renfeng cursed mercilessly.

"Perhaps it's God."

"...Huh?" To be honest, even as a foreigner, Zhang Renfeng was taken aback by this answer and couldn't help but ask, "Isn't that your belief?"

“Don’t misunderstand, Mr. Zhang, I believe He truly exists, just not like the one sung in hymns.” Wendigo stated as if stating a given fact, “Aren’t we… just fabrications based on God’s image?”

“Through ourselves, we can vaguely glimpse His figure, looking down on everything from above, completely indifferent to the deaths of pigs, dogs, cattle, and sheep.”

"According to you..." Zhang Renfeng's tone was quite sarcastic, "when he hung people on deer antlers, he was particularly devout?"

“No, I didn’t say that,” Wendigo denied. “But I think he must have felt some kind of ‘power’ when he did all that. Just like when a butcher walks into a pigsty, sheep pen, or cattle pen, he realizes that the power of life and death over the other party is in his own hands. It’s an unparalleled sense of power.”

"Didn't you think this way when you took those 25 lives?"

……

Before they knew it, the two had been traveling together for a while, and the palace-like black mansion was now in sight.

Zhang Renfeng turned around and stared at him for a long time, but the other party showed no sign of fear.

“Just a few dogs.” He waved his hand and said in a deep voice, “Don’t say 25, even if 250 come, I’ll kill them without hesitation.”

“It’s alright, God won’t mind.” Wendigo smiled and extended his hand to him. “Well then, this time, it’s a formal welcome to you, Bruce Zhang, to my dinner party.”

After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Renfeng still followed this Western etiquette, extending his right hand and making a symbolic handshake with only the tip of his fingers.

"..."

After turning around, before opening the door, Wendigo habitually sniffed the hand he had just shaken, and his expression changed slightly. Because he was facing away from Zhang Renfeng, and the action lasted less than a second, Zhang Renfeng didn't notice.

He took the key out of his pocket, blinked, and calmly opened the door, gesturing for him to enter.

“Look, Mr. Bruce…” He no longer addressed Zhang Renfeng as “Mr. Zhang” and turned his head to look at the fog that was gradually filling the streets and alleys, and the sky that was gradually darkening.

"It looks like it's going to get foggy."

Chapter 180: Let's Have Some Fun Then

"really interesting."

Wendigo seemed to be smiling, but when he spoke to Zhang Renfeng, he didn't turn his body first, but turned his head first, then his body, like a monster looking back. "People who enter this mansion for the first time will more or less feel some physical discomfort with the color scheme of the room. My aesthetic standards seem to be somewhat different from those of ordinary people."

"But you... seem completely unaffected."

This sounds like it has a hidden meaning.

"What do you want to hear from me?" Zhang Renfeng, mimicking Mike, glared with dead fish eyes. "Are you asking if you can't turn on the light?"