Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

Taylor uttered those words, mounted his horse, pulled on the reins, and gradually disappeared into the crowd with the crisp sound of hooves.

Chapter 202: What is the price for clear thinking?

“So you’re here, Doctor.” Theon found the clinic doctor huddled under the table and gave him what he thought was a very kind smile—the mere act of moving the table startled the doctor so much that he almost dropped his gold-rimmed glasses.

"Don't be afraid, we are all good people~~~"

Good guy? !

You son of a bitch!

Who would be a good person like you?

"The consultation and treatment are finished. Here's the money. Please count it. It's $17 in total. I didn't take a single cent more." The doctor shakily pulled a few bills from his pocket. "Here's your money back. You can go now..."

Zhang Renfeng sighed, somewhat speechless. "Doctor, you've misunderstood. We're completely different from those scoundrels who collect protection money or lend money at exorbitant interest rates. There's a buyer and a seller. You're selling your skills, so we can't let you sell for free."

"In fact, we'll give you money too."

"Give me... money?" The doctor swallowed hard, adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, and then saw the girl being held by Xiaomei—the wound was still bleeding, and the blood was flowing more and more. The girl had already fainted, and her breathing had become very weak.

In that instant, his compassion as a healer prevailed, overpowering his fear of the evildoer.

"She needs immediate emergency treatment." The doctor got up from the floor, put on a new pair of gloves, cleared the back of the clinic, and brought out a reclining chair for the patient. "Move her here!"

Zhang Renfeng and Xi En went in to help, and quickly cleared a large enough space for the doctor to perform his techniques. The girl's head was covered in mud, but it couldn't be rinsed directly with water, lest the water cause the wound to tear further. The only way was to bring several basins of hot water, wet towels, and clean the mud off her hair and scalp. This process alone took quite a while.

The two worked together seamlessly to assist the doctor, helping him lift the girl's hair, or bringing him a basin of water and emptying the dirty water.

For them, taking lives and saving lives are equally important.

After finishing this step, the next task was to stop the bleeding and suture the wounds. There was nothing more the two of them could do to help. This was a meticulous task that required time and could only be handled by the doctor alone. Before long, the doctor was already covered in sweat.

"Please give me a price." Having felt the allure of doctors saving lives, Zhang Renfeng's tone became even more respectful. "Approximately how much will this surgery cost?"

"You guys are pretty rich," the doctor joked while disinfecting her wound. "How many trips would it take to get these few Tennessee thoroughbreds to sell for $500? If I don't ask for a higher price, I'll be losing money."

"Hmm, let me think... one hundred dollars, is that a good amount?" The doctor said this in a half-joking tone. The cooperation they had just gone through had made him lower his guard a little, and he was now able to make a joke.

To go to such lengths for a complete stranger shows that he is truly not a bad person.

"Here's two hundred for you." Zhang Renfeng didn't hesitate at all, and directly placed two US dollars on the doctor's desk.

Two hundred dollars.

With a mere touch of his lips, two hundred dollars appeared, causing the doctor's hands to tremble. Even during the tense surgery, he felt an overwhelming excitement, his pupils dilating involuntarily. Money is indeed the best stimulant.

These guys are definitely good people, messengers sent by God to this city to punish evil and promote good. They even slammed that thug against their own door! Hey, isn't that something?! — At this moment, this was the doctor's truest thought.

“We have other things to do, and the surgery won’t be finished anytime soon, so we won’t be in your way,” Zhang Renfeng said in a deep voice. “After we’re done, we’d like to ask you to let her rest here for a while. Once we’re done on our end, we’ll come back to pick her up and take her home.”

……

This time, the doctor's hands stopped trembling and he froze, looking quite astonished, as if he had seen a sheep walking on two legs.

He doesn't understand.

"you……"

"You don't even know her name. You just met her by chance, a complete stranger... You helped her deal with the debt collectors and paid her medical expenses. You've done everything you could. Even the most critical critic couldn't find fault with you."

"In total, you've invested $700 in her. You know perfectly well that this young girl's family is broken. She may never be able to save that much money to pay you back in her entire life; it's a deal destined to lose money!"

"why?"

……

“The world knows every thought in a person’s heart.” Zhang Renfeng smiled at him. “I’m not that great, Doctor. I just want to clear my mind, that’s all.”

"..." After a brief silence, the doctor pursed his lips, hesitated, and continued stitching up the girl's forehead wound. "Kiran."

"Huh?" The name came out of nowhere, leaving Zhang Renfeng completely baffled.

“My name is Kieran Fix.” His tone became serious. “Meeting you all today is my good fortune…”

"Let's get to know each other, and then we'll be friends next time we come."

----

After pushing open the door, the three remained silent for a long time, none of them speaking. Theon even stared at him with a somewhat subtle look in his eyes.

"What?" Zhang Renfeng asked, "Do you think I shouldn't have done that?"

“I’m just a little surprised.” Theon shook his head and said very frankly, “I used to live in White Poplar Town, which is close to the Gray Wolf Mountains. Because of that, I’ve heard a lot about the Thunder Fury Gang. You are completely different from the gang leaders I know.”

"Hmph~~ Of course!" Xiaomei said with a proud expression, straightening her back and highlighting her soft curves. "Mr. Hongzhong is not the kind of guy who fights and kills. Although he has killed quite a few people... he has a big vision. Unlike that Tuku, who probably still had his eyes on those two undiscovered pieces of gold before he died."

"It's not that exaggerated. I said in the movie that I'm not that great. I just wanted to make myself happy, so I did it."

"This is called..."

----

"Understanding the meaning of thoughts?" Evelyn looked puzzled by the term, her expression showing confusion. "Does it mean... having free will?"

"more or less."

Backstage at the theater, Zhu Kuilong always maintained an upright posture, his eyes piercing, his back seemingly forged of steel, his gaze fixed straight on you. Chatting with such a person always made Evelyn feel scrutinized; she was extremely careful with her words, making it feel like an academic exchange.

"Don't you think it's a very lucky thing to have free will?" Evelyn subconsciously touched her waist and sighed, "To be able to break free from anything, to be free from the cage, and to fly like a free nightingale on the night breeze."

"To be honest, Mr. Zhu, I was freed from the cage because of someone's free will..."

……

Zhu Kuilong narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze piercing like a sharp sword, as if he wanted to cut the girl apart.

"Your waist is a little thinner than normal. You've had this habit of wearing tight-fitting clothes since you were very young."

A faint smile appeared on his lips, but he quickly withdrew it, returning to his stern and indifferent demeanor. "The person you mentioned... advised you to remove the headband around your waist, right?"

"You actually noticed that?" Evelyn asked, sounding quite surprised.

"...acting on impulse and having unfettered thoughts will come at a price."

Zhu Kuilong ignored her comment and continued to assert, "And the price is often paid by those around him."

Chapter 203: Horses That Couldn't Be Sold

"Not buying?"

Upon learning that they were horse merchants from outside, the stable owner didn't even let them in.

It has to be said that the stables in big cities are much more luxurious than places like Fengchuisha, looking like a huge horse farm. However, the "manager" of this stable didn't even give them a second glance, clearly not intending to do business with them, so no matter how luxurious it was, they could only watch helplessly.

“No.” The manager nodded, his face full of impatience. “Go get the horse sales permits before you come back. Each horse needs a corresponding sales permit; that’s the rule here.”

“These are horses we brought from outside,” Zhang Renfeng said, puzzled. “I used to work in the stables in Fengchuisha. Buying and selling is free; I’ve never heard of needing any permits.”

“Ha, where did these yellow-skinned country bumpkins come from…” The manager took a drag of his cigarette and rolled his eyes at them. “Then please go back to your village and sell these horses to those cow-dung-smelling guys in your town. Don’t waste my time anymore.”

Xiao Mei's expression changed upon hearing this. As a native of Fengchuishan, she was undoubtedly stung by those words.

"Wait a moment," Zhang Renfeng said in a deep voice. "We can choose not to sell, but we need to make things clear. We're new here and don't really know where to get this pass. Could you please show us the way?"

The manager glanced at him sideways, paused for a moment, and then his eyes darted around restlessly, as if waiting for something.

After waiting for a long time, seeing that the three of them were still standing there without making any move, the manager became furious and yelled, "I've had enough of dealing with a bunch of idiots like you! Get out of here! With your abilities, you wouldn't get this done in ten years! Someone, get these country bumpkins out of here!"

A tall helper immediately stepped forward, holding a mop. He strode up and, as if herding ducks, glared at them and said, "Did you hear that? Saint Quintak doesn't welcome outsiders like you. Don't stand here, get out of here."

"Can't I stand on the street?" Zhang Renfeng asked, half-closing his eyes.

"Yes."

"Why?" He wiped his face, his voice slightly low. "The stables are yours, and the street outside... is it yours too?"

"Why do you care so much? Just get out of here, go wherever you want!"

The helper impatiently reached out and shoved him hard, but Zhang Renfeng's body was like a bronze statue, standing motionless on the ground, while the shove made the helper's hand go numb. In that one shove, the helper clearly sensed the difference between himself and the other, and his expression changed.

Before he could say anything more, Zhang Renfeng snatched the mop from his hand and slapped the man, who was half a head taller than him, to the ground. He quickly stepped forward and pressed down on the manager's shoulder. His fingers tightened slightly, as if digging into the man's shoulder blade, causing him to scream in pain.

“The fact that you can still shout means that I haven’t used much force yet.” Zhang Renfeng twisted his arm to its limit, just one step away from cracking and breaking it completely. “This is not common, because just a few minutes ago, someone didn’t seize this opportunity… and had to kowtow twenty times in a row.”

Do you want to do that too?

"No! No, no, no, no!" The manager shook his head repeatedly, his voice trembling with pain. "I'll... I'll take these horses. I'm willing to pay a price. In fact, please sell them to me!"

"Explain yourself clearly." Zhang Renfeng wasn't satisfied with that and said coldly, "What the hell is that license?"

……

It's called a license, but in reality, it's a protection fee—a sum paid to the local thugs in San Quintak.

Angelo Panstore was like the center of all the darkness. Any cash flow generated by illicit business would eventually converge on him. Horse trading required a special license, while other trades had numerous complicated conditions; without paying this fee, one could forget about doing business peacefully in the local area.

"People called him 'Italian,' and in this big city, even if a penny fell from the sky, it had to be his."

"Who you can do business with depends entirely on his will. I won't go into how miserable the fate of those who disobey him will be."

"That's about it. So, it's not that I'm trying to make things difficult for you, it's just that I really have my reasons..." The manager trembled when he saw Zhang Renfeng's dark eyes, and immediately changed his words, "However, however! This time I'll make a special exception. You can sell the horses to me, and I'll secretly keep them!"

Zhang Renfeng looked at him expressionlessly.

"As long as we keep a low profile, we should be able to slip through Angelo's fingers when they come to check the horse's license... I guess... maybe, perhaps, I can't say for sure."

"I've told you pretty much everything I know, but... could you..."

After a moment's hesitation, Zhang Renfeng released his grip. The manager breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, and quickly stretched his shoulders that had been held captive.

"I'm not selling the horse."

After learning everything he needed to know, Zhang Renfeng pondered for a moment and made a decision completely different from before.

"Given the situation, if I sell it to you, and then Angelo's people come to check for permits, and you can't provide them, you'll be caught in the middle. I won't do something so unethical."

Hearing him say that, the manager visibly breathed a sigh of relief. Doing this kind of thing undoubtedly involved taking risks.

If Angelo's men found out that he had taken these ten or so horses without obtaining a permit... he never showed mercy to those who broke the rules. It's said that Angelo is a capricious man who, if he's unhappy, will feed people to crocodiles.

"What a good person..." Theon thought to himself, "Isn't he a bit too principled for a gang leader?"

“I won’t sell the horses, but could you sell me some of the horse feed?” Zhang Renfeng pointed to the herd of horses parked at the door and said in a deep voice, “Hawks, carrots, apples, or whatever else you need, it takes a lot of food to feed these big guys.”

"No problem, no problem at all! I'll arrange it for you right away!"

After demonstrating sufficient deterrence, offering a small benefit can quickly dismantle their guard and win their sincere submission.

Zhang Renfeng had used the same trick countless times, so he was naturally very familiar with it.

Even simply deciding not to sell the horses to them was enough to make the manager incredibly grateful. The horse feed they sold him was almost at cost price, barely making a profit, and it even included brushes for grooming the horses and a free grooming service for all the horses. When they left, the horses were all gleaming and looked brand new.

Zhang Renfeng sighed as he visited the stables but found nothing and even spent twenty or thirty dollars.

As he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and waved behind him.

"Is there anything else you need?" the manager asked, smiling somewhat obsequiously.

"Next time you see businessmen from out of town, be polite. Peace and harmony bring wealth, right?" Zhang Renfeng patted the shoulder where he had just grabbed her, giving her a "kind" smile. "Who knows, one of them might save your life someday, right?"

Chapter 204: The Eldest Sister from the Far East

Theaters in big cities simply can't compare to those in small towns. They have stained glass windows, vaulted ceilings, tiles, paintings, and even a marble statue at the entrance ticket hall.

In the town of Fengchuishan, there weren't even any entertainment venues like this, so when Zhang Renfeng first encountered the Emerald Theater in Baiju Town, he thought it was incredibly advanced. But seeing it today, he realized how vast the gap was compared to truly big cities.

"Wow~~~" Xiaomei looked around. The performance hadn't even started yet, and she hadn't even bought the tickets, but she was already dazzled. "It feels like a big city..."

Looking at the magnificent hall, Zhang Renfeng couldn't help but laugh and cry. Their main purpose in coming to St. Quintak was to see Evelyn's touring performance, and incidentally, to have Theon's bite wound on his shoulder checked, and incidentally... if they had extra time, they would also like to stroll around here and experience what civilized life is like.

The Oswald shrike case in White Torch had left him exhausted, and he wanted to take a break and relax.

As soon as he arrived, trouble began to pave the way. After witnessing the city's dark side, he completely lost interest in sightseeing. While the city had improved, the criminals lurking in the shadows had also improved, becoming far more corrupt and ruthless than ordinary gangs.

He planned to go backstage after the performance to find out more about Angelo's situation from Evelyn—she had been here for two or three weeks and was certainly more familiar with the place than they, the newcomers.

Deep down, Zhang Renfeng had already made a decision about how to deal with this extremely arrogant local bully.

He just needed to find out more about Angelo, such as where he lived, how many people were in his family, and whether he had any powerful backers. He also needed to know where those backers lived, how many people were in their families, and that their main tactic was to kill without mercy. If this guy proved too difficult to deal with, he planned to bring over Mike, Alana, and Ego, the Red Center's top lieutenants.

"The backstage doesn't go through here."