Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

"Are you planning to tell her about the child's father?"

Having said all that, Zhang Renfeng understood her meaning perfectly. He turned his head, glanced at Penny, who was fast asleep, clutching the blanket, and said in a deep voice, "I won't tell her directly, but her mother is an adult and should have the right to know. I won't go into the details of being skinned; as for how she tells her daughter... that's her own choice."

“I will tell her the same story you told me.”

Gwen nodded, her eyes, though filled with a deep, lingering sorrow, were as clear and bright as black gemstones.

At this moment, Zhang Renfeng believed that even on stage, she would no longer lose to Evelyn.

However, the price of reaching this level of mastery is far too heavy for an ordinary girl, no less than a journey through hell to undergo a complete transformation, in order to extract the essence of art from suffering.

Who is this person in the photo?

“Oscar Wilde,” Gwen murmured, tracing the face in the photograph with her fingers. “He was once my god.”

"God?" Zhang Renfeng tiptoed closer, afraid of waking the other girls in the car. At this moment, he had no other thoughts but pure curiosity.

He had seen many deities and Buddhas in China, but after coming to America, he found that the faith here was very singular. Everyone talked about God, but he had never seen anyone print God on a photo or carry God with them.

The clipping depicted a man with a high nose bridge, smooth hair, and deep-set eyes. His face was somewhat long, but this did not detract from his good looks; rather, it gave him a unique and captivating charm.

Very handsome.

But no matter how you look at it, he's just an ordinary person.

"This is... God?" Zhang Renfeng was greatly disappointed.

“They took away not just my leg, but a part of me. A part of me has been gone forever.”

“Every time I felt like I was about to break down, like I was about to shatter, he was there for me. I talked to him, I prayed to him… In that kind of situation, only something that can’t speak can be my support.”

Gwen suddenly turned her head to look at Zhang Renfeng. This was the first time she had been so close to him; their noses were almost touching.

Previously, even the slightest physical contact would trigger her instinctive repulsion. But now, Gwen stared wide-eyed at him, scrutinizing him from head to toe, as if trying to see through his skin to discern the shape of his bones.

Do you know what a camera is?

"Ah... I know, it's the one that takes a snap and leaves your soul inside, right?" Zhang Renfeng knew about cameras back in his hometown, but he'd heard they were really weird, so naturally he didn't have a good impression of them.

"No, not at all." Gwen was amused by him, and her laughter finally eased the heavy atmosphere. "After we get back to White Torch Town, could you go to the photography studio? Leave me a photo so I can carry it with me."

“From now on, I will treat you like a god…” The way she looked at him seemed to transcend the romantic feelings between a man and a woman after the suspension bridge effect, becoming something heavier and deeper. “No matter where I go, if I need anything, I will tell you.”

……

Where are you planning to go?

Zhang Renfeng was no pushover either. Faced with Gwen's somewhat heavy barrage of attacks, he used a single sentence to bring her back to reality.

“This… I haven’t thought about it yet.” Gwen shook her head with a wry smile. “That’s why I can’t sleep. A woman without legs, wherever she goes in this world, seems very unlucky.”

"If, and I mean if, you could perform on stage again..." Zhang Renfeng looked into her eyes and asked cautiously, "would you still be willing to give it a try?"

Gwen was stunned for a long time.

"Go on stage?" She tapped her metal prosthetic leg and laughed self-deprecatingly. "Me? Let alone whether I could succeed, no theater company would be willing to take me on. Who would want to perform with a crippled woman who has a broken leg?"

“Evelyn Dietersdorf,” Zhang Renfeng said in a deep voice, “your story begins with her.”

Let it end with her too.

"..."

Gwen's expression flickered several times, and a glimmer of light appeared in her lifeless eyes.

The wheels turned silently, heading towards daylight.

----

Police station in White Torch Town.

Gordon's heart pounded as he looked at the scene before him.

The police station, usually filled with masculine energy, was packed with a group of beautiful young women today. The station was almost overflowing, and the line stretched all the way outside. These girls were all quite young, with pretty faces and a pitiful air. They were describing their hometowns and addresses to the sheriffs, and as they spoke, some of them even broke down in tears.

Gordon turned his gaze to the person who had caused this scene and couldn't help but sigh.

"Hey, Sheriff Gordon, long time no see."

Zhang Renfeng sat down casually in a chair as if she were at home, waved to him, and said with a smile, "Sorry for bringing them here without telling me. Don't worry, they just need to register here first."

"After all, there are so many people. If we send them home in batches, it's a technical task, and I definitely can't do it alone. We'll need the police station and the mayor to send people and resources... Ah, as for the mayor, don't worry, I'll talk to him. Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda, right? He's a reasonable person, he'll definitely agree."

Zhang Renfeng finally understood Yi Ge's good intentions. The reason for supporting the puppet mayor was that he could play a role in times like this!

In the end, the Red Center Gang is just a gang. There are many things that would be impossible to accomplish if they were done as a "gang".

"After that, the police station doesn't need to worry about where they'll stay; I've already paid for the hotel."

"You're quite generous..."

Gordon glanced at him, his tone somewhat heavy, "Although you've come all the way from Windhaven and must be very tired, I still have some bad news to tell you."

Your house has been burgled.

Chapter 323: Yesterday I dreamt of three horses sharing a trough

Zhang Renfeng's expression was much calmer than Mike had imagined.

Fortunately, the name "Red Center" was well-known in the town. The lessons learned from the Nordlin family and the Wendigo were enough for Mayor Dunn to see the situation clearly, and at the crucial moment, White Torch still chose him.

The Pinkerton detectives weren't going to let it go so easily, but when they returned, Dunn stopped them at the door. His reason was that without a proper government search warrant, he, as mayor, had the authority to refuse them entry to search the town.

Mike seized the precious time and took the opportunity to pack all the valuables in the camp onto the wagon and temporarily move them to the town.

The belongings were all saved, but the people weren't so lucky.

Igor and Jimmy, the two external brains that Zhang Renfeng had always relied on, had both been taken away by the Thunder Gang. At this moment, the only one capable of serving as the Red Center Gang's strategist was the old helmsman, Mike.

During this time, he had done a lot of preparation to ensure that when Zhang Renfeng returned, he could help him sort out the current situation as soon as possible, and then he, as the captain, would personally decide which direction the Red Center Gang's fast ship should sail next.

"Snapped!"

He spread a map, as long as a carpet, on the table. Luckily, Gordon's desk was big enough that it could barely fit, excluding the four corners.

Gordon is, after all, the sheriff here, and he certainly wouldn't attend gang meetings like this. Lending out his office, providing them with a suitable venue, and not interfering in their affairs is already the limit of what a "public servant" like him can do.

"The Thunder Gang's territory extends almost across the entire southern part of New Austin. Here, in this grassland called 'Heart of the Earth,' they are separated from us. Their location is also the southernmost part of America, bordering Mexico."

He pointed to the south side of the map and drew a large circle with his pen. The area within the red circle was all the territory of the Thunder Fury Gang.

I have to say, it's frighteningly big.

Compared to this, White Torch Town, occupied by the Red Center Gang, was indeed just a small cookie. Moreover, Zhang Renfeng didn't feel that he had truly "occupied" the town. He was only responsible for ending Wendigo with violence and then supporting Dunn's rise to power. All the related operations were handled by Ego, and the whole process took less than a month.

A regime whose foundation is unstable is very easy to overthrow.

In contrast, the Thunder Fury Gang's territory has been cultivated for many years, forming an impenetrable fortress!

"He divided his territory into three parts."

"The outermost and largest territory is called [Numa Town]. The people there live in misery. You can think of it as... a super-large Scar Village with more complex terrain and a denser population. Tuku's understanding of Scar Village is basically a replica of Numa Town, only smaller, more concentrated, and the person himself is more brutal."

"The town has civilians, but it's mostly thieves, fraudsters, smugglers, and other lowlifes—a real mixed bag. If needed, the Thunder Fury Gang can recruit new members from among them. There's practically no law there, the police station is practically non-existent, and someone dying in the street is as commonplace as eating or drinking; nobody cares."

"Of course, there are also a lot of gang members here, because ordinary gang members are not qualified to enter the latter two territories... Perhaps even in Numa Town, there are different classes. It looks narrow on the map, but you'll know when you get there that it's a very large area."

Mike paused briefly with his pen before moving on to the next area.

"After crossing Numa Town and then traversing the 'Fortress Mountains,' we will arrive at the Thunder Fury Gang's second territory—Tianma Town."

"The Zolael family didn't rise to power through gangs. What they were really involved in was the plantation business. Tobacco fields, cocoa beans, rubber, and coca trees... They produce a large amount of resources every year, which they sell to various places. This is the core of what sustains this huge family. And without exception, all of these things are grown in Tianma Town."

"Compared to Numa Town, Tianma Town is smaller and mostly plantations with very few houses. I heard that the upper-level members of the Nulei Gang all have mansions in this town."

Zhang Renfeng listened silently without offering any opinions, focusing all his attention on the southern corner of the map.

"Finally, right next to the border, and also the core area of ​​the Thunder Fury Gang, is 'Rongma Town'."

"Needless to say, there's nothing else in this town but manors. I haven't seen them myself, but they're said to be extremely luxurious... The Zolael family's mansion is located in that area."

“Only members of the Zolael family are qualified to live in this town. Everything here is the best: wine, guns, women… money and power, all converging into a powerful fountain in this ultimate town.”

Mike threw the pen down on the wooden table and let out a long sigh of relief.

“Hector Zolael, I remember him. Isn’t he the guy who was willing to pay a high price to buy back horses?” Calaway lit a cigarette, squinted, shook his head, and sighed, “Times have changed, Ilan.”

“Regardless of how he made his first fortune, he successfully rode the wave of the times and won all of this. As for us…” Mike paused for a moment, then continued, “we were crushed by this wave.”

"In short, if we want to rescue them, it means we have to find a way to sneak in without anyone noticing."

"The combined numbers from Numa Town, Tianma Town, and Rongma Town should be between 1000 and 1700. That's their stronghold. They're definitely more familiar with the terrain, intelligence, and weapons there. To put it more dramatically, this time, we're really facing an emperor."

“There, Hector’s word was the supreme decree. Anyone who dared to go against him… no, there simply wasn’t such a person. Even if they just went against the Thunder Gang’s men, they wouldn’t live to see the sun rise tomorrow.”

Mike tapped the map, emphasizing his words, "I know sneaking around isn't your style, but this time, you have to listen to me! With over a thousand people, there are over a thousand guns, and bullets can come from any angle. We only have eight people; if we face them head-on, we have no chance of winning, not even a little bit."

"Do you understand, Hongzhong? This time, we're not facing just any ordinary gang leader."

"If war breaks out tomorrow, Hector will be a full-fledged warlord. This is a war."

Mike's tone was particularly heavy, the weight of the memories churning in his words, "Even before the war started, we were prepared that those two people would never come back."

……

"I know."

Zhang Renfeng's answer was calm, which surprised Mike even more.

Those who possess the inner turmoil of thunder yet maintain a calm and composed demeanor are worthy of being appointed as generals.

Zhang Renfeng's calm expression at this moment further convinced him that he had not followed the wrong person.

"Let me be alone for a while." He simply picked up the map and said in a deep voice, "I need to think about how to handle this deal."

……

"except you."

Chapter 324: Angels and the Crimson God

With the door closed, Zhang Renfeng finally had time to take a good look at the newcomer who had brought important intelligence and claimed to want to join the group.

His appearance, his attire—everything combined—couldn't match the impact of those eyes. He once again proved an age-old truth: there are no wrong nicknames, only wrong names. The eyes of an angel, without a doubt.

Before meeting him, Zhang Renfeng's impression of "angels" as mythical creatures was that of Taibai Jinxing, the white-bearded god. In Journey to the West, the monkey had affectionately called him "Old Angel," but in this land, angels were something entirely different.

It is holy and flawless, yet it also has a touch of inhuman eeriness.

Just like those eyes that don't belong to this world.

“You don’t seem that surprised,” Angel Eyes chuckled. “I’ve seen people who, after seeing my eyes, were so frightened that they knelt down and prayed. But your reaction was very calm, as if it were just an ordinary thing.”

“A person born with unusual features must be an extraordinary person. In my hometown, there were some people with eyes different from ordinary people.” Zhang Renfeng said calmly, “Xiang Yu, the King of Chu, is said to have double pupils. He had two pupils in his eye sockets, which means he had four eyes in total. This man was strong enough to lift a tripod, won every battle, and could kill a hundred people with his sword as easily as eating and drinking. There are also some historical records that describe Emperor Yang of Sui as having ‘outstanding features and naturally disordered pupils’... There are many similar legends.”

"However, in reality, I have never seen anyone with unusual pupils. You are the first."

"It's an honor." Angel Eyes nodded to him with a pleasant smile.

Zhang Renfeng could sense that this person was in a state of excitement, much like art lovers in later generations who admired the original Mona Lisa.

Strangely enough, this fearless man felt a chill run down his spine when faced with such a gaze.

He couldn't guess what this person was thinking.

"As I've come this far, I can vaguely sense that someone has been helping us in the shadows, and more than once."

“My senior brother mentioned to me that there was a gunman with heterochromatic eyes who helped him out of a dangerous situation. Also, last time in White Torch Town, Xiaomei mentioned that there was a gunman with heterochromatic eyes who helped us take out the Cold Cicada Gang snipers who were lying in ambush.”

"Yes," Angel Eyes readily admitted, "it's me."

"Why?" Zhang Renfeng asked, puzzled. "The Pinkerton Detective Agency has issued a warrant for your arrest, hasn't it? If you get my head, you can get a large reward."

“$3500,” Angel Eyes chuckled. “Their promise to me is that the bounty will be split in half, with half going to me. After it’s done, Ryan Childer will give me an extra bonus, so in total, it’ll be around $6000.”

Six thousand?

This number is so large that it would cause most bounty hunters to abandon all principles and lose their minds. Regardless of whether they can win or not, they would pounce on them like mad dogs.

What's even more frightening is that he actually had the opportunity to cash out that money.

"Why?" Zhang Renfeng finally asked the question. "Why choose me? You're working alone. If you get this money, you won't have to share it with anyone. It'll be enough for you to squander for the rest of your life. Those ordinary bounty hunters, cowboys, or mercenaries might not even save up $6000 even if they work their whole lives."

"Does it matter?" Angel Eyes asked with a smile.