Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

Of course, even if Zhang Renfeng was incredibly dense, he couldn't openly say that the girl had gained weight. After quickly glancing at her, he coughed twice and said, "You look much better than when we last met."

"is it?"

"But compared to our last meeting, Mr. Hongzhong..."

Evelyn raised her hand and gently touched his cheek.

Under the lamplight, Zhang Renfeng's pupils dilated slightly, somewhat taken aback. He wanted to find something to compare the feeling of this contact; it was slightly cool, but not icy, but it seemed that nothing softer could compare to it.

"You look much more haggard."

“Haunted, me?” Zhang Renfeng pointed to himself, somewhat incredulous.

"Hmm." Evelyn nodded and said softly, "Your eyelids and eye bags are a bit puffy, and dark circles are starting to appear around your eyes. These are signs of staying up late. Many actors have this on their faces, and to avoid being noticed by the audience, they apply a lot of foundation backstage to cover it up."

“…” Zhang Renfeng fell silent, which was uncommon.

Seeing that he did not object, Evelyn paused for a moment, then moved her position slightly, pressing herself against his body, and sat down on the bed.

Their bodies touched, and the girl's body temperature, along with the solid yet soft touch, was transmitted to his senses.

She gently took his hand, making a bold and forceful further physical contact.

"You can't go on like this." Evelyn was slightly shorter than Zhang Renfeng. Her clear, bright eyes, illuminated by the light of the kerosene lamp, were different from her dazzling appearance on stage, yet they were exceptionally moving.

"No matter how powerful you are, you are just one of the masses, not an omnipotent god."

“…Ha…” Zhang Renfeng gave a bitter laugh, unsure how to respond to her feelings. He gently patted the back of her hand twice, then stood up, sighed, and said slowly, “Given the current situation, even if I don’t want to be a god, I can’t.”

"The enemy is stronger than ever before. Although we have successfully recruited some people, they are a completely new team and we don't have time to get used to each other."

“I must become an invincible god, just like tonight. The Red Center Gang’s reputation is built on victory after victory. Everyone in the gang follows me out of loyalty, but Meteora and the others are willing to join, and there may be others joining in the future, all because they believe that I can keep winning.”

"The prize pool keeps growing, and they get more and more of it. Therefore, I must become a banner, an invincible banner..."

"But in this world, is there anyone who can win all the time?"

Zhang Renfeng sighed, his brows lowered. "Igor saw through this, which is why he advised me not to be so impulsive, but to attack from different angles such as culture, economy, commerce, and technology."

“He wants to build railways, hospitals and schools in Sanma, and he also wants to come to Lagras to do cotton business, rent factories here, and produce car parts for Tao. All of this is in pursuit of a different route from military conquest.”

“Even without resorting to force, these long-term operational methods can eventually lead to the acquisition of more territory. So, before I came here, he advised me... if I encounter problems, I should grit my teeth and bear them.”

"As a result... I failed again, I couldn't hold back... Seeing those overseers riding on horseback, looking so arrogant after the flood, I couldn't help myself. Without thinking, I picked up a log and smashed them to pieces, thus bringing another massive war to everyone."

late at night.

The candlelight cast a dim glow.

Zhang Renfeng finally let out all the words that had been stuck in his throat. The girl who had wandered in by chance became his best listener.

She turned to the side, listening intently to every word, but offering no opinion. Only after he finished speaking and remained silent for a long time did she gently cup Zhang Renfeng's cheek and smile.

"Mr. Hongzhong, don't overthink it."

"If you could even tolerate this, by now... I think I wouldn't be seeing you anymore. You'd probably already be dinner on a shrike's plate."

"Why?" Zhang Renfeng asked, puzzled.

“If you can tolerate this kind of thing, why did you even come out?” Evelyn said softly. “Wouldn’t it be better to stay in your hometown and be your martial arts champion?”

Chapter 522: The Extinction of Humanity

"Ha, that's true." Zhang Renfeng paused for a moment, then shook his head with a smile and muttered to himself, "I still can't stay up late. If I stay up late, I'm prone to overthinking."

“That’s not entirely true. I understand Mr. Hongzhong’s concerns. This time, the opponent is different from before. Facing a powerful family in the north is no small matter.” Evelyn shook her head and said softly, “At times like these, the more information you have, the better your chances of winning.”

"Coincidentally, I also know a little bit about the Osborne family."

"Eh? Oh...right, I almost forgot, Evelyn, you also come from a prominent family." Zhang Renfeng suddenly became interested and pushed the quilt aside.

“It has nothing to do with that,” Evelyn said calmly, but as she spoke, she unconsciously twisted her fingers. “When he proposed to me just now, he went on and on about what his father does, what his brother does…”

"Wait a minute, what?!" Zhang Renfeng exclaimed in surprise, "He proposed to you?"

"..."

Evelyn looked at him very seriously, as if she wanted to see what expression was on Zhang Renfeng's face in that instant.

Aside from simple surprise, she didn't read much, and although it was expected, it still left the girl inexplicably disappointed.

However, on second thought, now is not the time to talk about these things. They're already so tired they have dark circles under their eyes; they don't have the energy for romance.

Evelyn quickly steered the conversation back to the main topic, "In short, he said a lot to get me to willingly agree to this deal."

“Roannock Osborn should be our enemy this time. Unlike the cursed Dietersdorf family, the Osborn family is large and prosperous. Roannock has a total of 10 sons. Joffrey, whom you killed, is the second son.”

"Another second son?" Zhang Renfeng sighed slightly. Since things had come to this point, he decided to give up and complained, "The old man is quite prolific. He might as well have three more, then there will be a nine-son struggle for the throne."

"Their eldest son seems to be groomed as the successor. Within the company, he wields power second only to Roanoke, controlling most of the power to allocate resources. The situation within the company is quite complex; he also employs many advisors to give him advice. In short, he keeps emphasizing to me how much wealth his elder brother has... Compared to him, everything in this casino that can be valued is nothing more than a piggy bank."

"Really?" Zhang Renfeng smiled, not taking it seriously, and casually said, "It sounds like he has a lot to share."

"Then there's his third son, who seems to be a bank manager at [Blackbird Bank]. I don't know much about it, but it's related to currency. According to him, it's a fairly large chain bank with various powerful entities behind it, and they can lend out large sums of money at once... It sounds a bit creepy."

"Why?" Zhang Renfeng asked, puzzled.

“Mr. Red, do you know what a ‘loan’ is?” Evelyn explained. “You might be able to evade bounty hunters, but you can’t escape debt collectors. It’s said that the Blackbird Bank will chase you to the ends of the earth if you owe even a penny.”

"Then there's their family's fourth son, who, according to him, works in politics and is preparing for next year's election. He's 90% sure he'll be elected as a senator next year, and the Osborne family has been pulling strings to ensure his political career goes smoothly. It's said that his ultimate goal is to become the governor of the new Elizabeth state."

"The fifth son works at the Pinkerton Detective Agency and seems to be a high-ranking figure. His exact words were, 'If there's trouble anywhere, the fifth son can easily summon hundreds of Pinkerton detectives and arrest them all.' I estimate... if it really comes down to a fight, Mr. Red's opponent will be him."

"Just the Pinkerton Detective Agency?" Zhang Renfeng asked suspiciously. "I thought he would send his own son into the army... Ah."

As he spoke, he suddenly realized that the Pinkerton Detective Agency was a better fit for the company than the military.

After all, the military is an extension of the government and cannot be mobilized arbitrarily. Although there are private armies, they still have some semblance of decorum—at least the official procedures must be followed.

For example, if something like tonight happened, and the army were to be deployed, wouldn't that be tantamount to the Osborne family openly becoming their private henchmen?

In contrast, the Pinkerton Detective Agency's involvement seems much more legitimate. After all, it's a bounty hunter organization, and there are no other regulatory bodies above it; as long as the money is paid, that's all that matters.

What the Osborne family has in abundance is nothing more than green dollars.

"And in their family, the youngest son seems to be intentionally groomed to be a military talent. He went abroad to study at military academies and only recently returned. Joffrey said he has great potential and might come with him, who knows."

----

"Clang—!!"

The delicate plate was slammed against the wall and shattered into pieces, mixed with the woman's sobs, sometimes low and sometimes high, which were extremely jarring.

Even the warmth of the fireplace couldn't melt away the extremely oppressive atmosphere.

The shadows of several people were cast onto the wall by the firelight. Except for the figure who was breathing the most heavily, the others were fixed on the wall like stone sculptures.

Dressed in finery, kneeling on the ground, her face buried in her hands, weeping bitterly, was their mother.

As usual, Roanoke was at home, but he removed his mask of pretense, no longer even offering a basic smile. He sat ramrod straight in an old rocking chair by the fireplace, his back ramrod straight, but he had to rely on a cane for support.

The firelight cast shadows on his face, his expression shifting between light and shadow, his gaze seemingly trying to pierce through the walls and look into some boundless void.

The older brother, with his formal attire draped over the chair and his hair and mustache perfectly styled, picked up his wine glass with his right hand and took a sip without any expression.

The third brother didn't even change his clothes; he returned to his long-unvisited home in his Blackbird Bank manager's uniform, sat down in a chair, and remained silent.

The fourth brother pulled out a chair, took out a piece of paper, and began writing something on it. The scratching sound of the pen against the paper made the room, which should have been spacious and luxurious, feel cramped.

His appearance was most similar to Roanoke's, almost a perfect copy, even his composure was imitated almost exactly. After writing two sentences, he would stop and ponder for a moment, as if carefully considering the choice of words.

The fifth brother's movements were probably the most exaggerated. He was already drunk and was just mechanically repeating the same actions, pouring himself one glass of wine after another.

The finest Romanée-Conti wine slid down his throat.

After drinking what felt like the umpteenth glass, he scratched his head, squinted, took off his Pinkerton Detective Agency bowler hat, pulled out his pocket watch, and mumbled, "To...Tolman...what time is it?"

……

"I don't understand, everyone... why are you all so calm? That's our second brother, our blood relative! He was chopped up and killed, shouldn't we feel angry and upset? Why do you all have such indifferent expressions!"

Tolman Osborne, the young man who had returned from studying abroad, could no longer bear it and used his voice to tear a hole in this desperate oppression.

As a result, his father and brother all turned to look at him.

Those five pairs of identical emerald eyes were so calm that they sent shivers down his spine, as if there was something in them...

They have lost all humanity.

Chapter 523: A Greater Prospect

“You all have your own things to do now, so it’s rare for you to get together.”

After a long silence, Roanok finally mustered a bit of the air of a family head, tapping the ground lightly with his cane and saying in a deep voice, "I received a telegram that last night, a blowout occurred at a mine near the Bady Mountains."

“Groundwater overflowed and drowned fifty-five miners. Their families, instigated by outsiders, launched a riot and dismantled the system of violence we had set up in Lagras.”

"The news of the second brother's murder is true, and the method was extremely cruel. It is said that he was stabbed more than 500 times before he breathed his last. His body is now hanging in the Siegfried Casino for the whole city to see."

"Ughhhhhhh—!"

At this point, led by an elderly woman, the women of the family raised their voices and began to wail on the other side of the hall. In matters concerning the future of the family, women had no say. In this respect, large families in the North were not much different from those in the South.

Therefore, they could only express their pain through crying, hoping to use this sound to add a small weight to Roannock's decision.

"The informant also said that the mayor of Lagras, Hans Humphrey, has joined forces with the gangsters and is working to restore order to the city. At the same time, he has suspended all of his company's operations in Lagras, including two fuel refining plants, four assembly line machinery manufacturing plants, and a textile factory, citing the mining accident as the reason."

"How do you think this matter should be handled?"

“...Father,” the eldest son said, “in my personal opinion, it would be better not to deal with it for the time being.”

"What?!" Tolman's eyes widened.

“We are in Granite State. LaGrass, on the other hand, is in New Orleans, which is an entire New Elizabeth State in between. The distance is too great, and if we were to mobilize resources and it turned into a protracted conflict, it would require a huge amount of money.”

"The company is currently at a critical juncture, and thanks to my father's connections, a cooperation model with the government has been put on the agenda."

"At this time, suddenly burning through cash flow to areas where there is absolutely no way to increase efficiency will allow our competitors, such as Zeta Industries, to sense our weakness. Based on my understanding of Zeta, they will take this opportunity to seize our energy market. In that case, our foundation in the north will also be shaken."

"Big brother, what are you saying?" Tolman asked in astonishment, his shock turning to anger. "What about second brother? His body is still hanging in the casino! You don't even care about that?!"

……

“That’s right.” Ignoring his youngest son’s roar, Roanok turned and asked, “What do you think?”

“Father.” The third son nodded slightly to him. “Before coming here, I exchanged information with some frontline bank employees.”

"The one who killed Joffrey was not the Lamorn raiders who had been harassing the area around Lagras, but a new gang called the Red Center."

In an instant, the crying of the women nearby stopped abruptly, as if a pause button had been pressed.

"The Red Center Gang is a newly emerging gang that rose to prominence at the beginning of this year. In less than six months, it has already committed a series of major crimes. The Blackbird Bank has listed them as a threatening group and is unwilling to interact with them."

Tolman asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, if in the end we choose to go to war, as the bank's manager, I can't offer you any help."

"What kind of argument is this!" Tolman exclaimed, both angry and agitated. "There will always be... there will always be someone who will be willing to work with us..."

“There is no ‘someone’ in the bank, Tolman. A bank is a bank,” the third brother explained expressionlessly. “It’s like a giant pyramid, and I’m just one of the bricks. If I’m gone, other bricks will take my place. It’s the same for everyone.”

"Fourth Brother, what about you?" Tolman had no hope for him and turned to the fourth brother. "Of all these people, you and Second Brother must be the closest, right? Don't you take all your friends in officialdom to Second Brother's casino?"

"In the end, they're just friends in official circles," the fourth brother said in a deep voice. "My Senate election is this year, and at this crucial juncture, even the smallest thing could become a weapon for my opponents to attack me. It doesn't match the image I project to the public, so..."

He didn't say anything more, but he had already conveyed his meaning quite well.

……

Tolman looked heartbroken, but he couldn't say anything. He just looked around and then pursed his lips.

“I fully understand what you mean: simply put, this is a very risky business with very little reward.”

“Even if we succeed, we will only be able to reclaim the original Lagras production area, but we will have to invest a considerable amount of money. Not to mention cash flow, our family’s other plans in the business and political circles will also be hindered. If it is just for revenge, this is a very unprofitable deal.”

"But in my opinion, that's not the case."

“Once a strategic goal is set, it cannot be changed at will. My strategic goal has not changed; it is still to expand into the southern market. In two years, countless northern companies will realize this. By the time they realize it, we will have already been operating for two years and have firmly occupied this territory—that’s called first-mover advantage.”

"And the Red China Gang will become a huge obstacle in this path."

"Killing Joffrey is just the surface. The core issue is that Red Center cannot tolerate the company's operating model. So, even if we abandon Lagras and move elsewhere, it won't make a difference. As long as Red Center isn't eliminated, this kind of thing will keep happening and never end. The South will never truly become our territory."

"Therefore, we must not only fight, but fight with all our might! Before the Red China Gang grows stronger, we must gather and mobilize all our forces to wipe them out in their infancy!"