Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

"..." Jimmy instantly sobered up from his hangover, put his glass on the table, and looked at him very seriously. Based on his many years of frontline work experience, when your boss suddenly wants to have a heart-to-heart talk with you, there are probably only two possibilities: either you'll be promoted or you'll be demoted.

But Zhang Renfeng was no ordinary boss, so he couldn't be judged by conventional standards. Jimmy had no idea what he would do next.

"Looking back now, our connection also started with the Thunder Fury Gang." Zhang Renfeng squinted and leaned back in his chair. "It was only a few months ago, but it feels like a very long time ago."

“Ha…” Jimmy shook his head and laughed, “That guy Tuku will be very surprised in hell. It’s only been a few months, how come all his relatives have come down here with their families?”

"I still remember the first time we met, you took a big alarm clock, slammed it on the table with a bang, and even twisted it a few times."

"'I'll give you a round time. If you can't say it before the alarm goes off, your head will explode!'" He lowered his voice, imitating Zhang Renfeng's tone at the time, and then burst into laughter at his own words.

"I've treated you like this, and you're still willing to work for me," Zhang Renfeng joked. "It must be really hard on you."

"To be honest, I was so angry I almost peed myself. I didn't think about any of this. I was just thinking about getting out of here as soon as possible..." When he got to the emotional part, Jimmy couldn't help but pick up his cup again and take a sip. Zhang Renfeng didn't stop him. "Until... you gave me those two pieces of gold, saying you wanted to exchange them for money to settle the people who left Scarface Village."

“Brother Hongzhong, I’ve heard a saying: the decisions that truly determine the course of a person’s life may not be the result of careful consideration, but rather something made in a single moment.”

“I decided to follow you in that instant—the Thunder Fury Gang will come knocking on my door sooner or later because of the Tuku incident. At that time, no matter how well I argue, they will still think I am a traitor. I need to find a new backer. And most gangs are no different from the Thunder Fury Gang. Even if they take the money, they may not actually do anything.”

"Since that's the case, I might as well join forces with this guy. He's not willing to give up even a weakling who can't even kill a chicken, so he certainly won't give up on me either."

"And in the end... you did it."

"It's not as noble as you make it out to be." Zhang Renfeng smiled, a little embarrassed by his words. "I just did what I promised."

Jimmy shook his head and said, "In this era where people devour each other without spitting out the bones, being able to do this is already quite remarkable."

"Okay, okay, let's do it this way."

Seeing that the atmosphere was gradually becoming more comfortable, Zhang Renfeng also took a cup and poured himself some water.

"So now, as you can see... the Thunder Fury Gang has completely disappeared from history. The threat that you've always worried about no longer exists and will never return. In that case, you no longer need a gang to back you up."

Zhang Renfeng finally brought up the most crucial topic of the conversation: "What are your plans for the future?"

……

Jimmy was silent for a while, then asked in a strange tone, "Are you serious?"

“You are a talented person,” Zhang Renfeng said sincerely. “Actually, there is no need to get involved with gangs. You can live the life you want entirely based on your talent.”

"And then?" Jimmy waved his hand with a laugh. "Go back... to work for someone like Childer? Come on, he's in Granite State right now, he's long forgotten about me. Besides, after this incident, who wouldn't know I'm the lawyer for the Red Center Gang?"

Jimmy wasn't stupid. Right now, the Red Center Gang had taken over Three Horses Town, swallowing up all of the Thunder Fury Gang's territory in one fell swoop. Adding to that White Torch Town and Saint Kuntak from before, they were already a formidable force.

He was an early employee who had invested and joined the company during its initial stages.

Having finally survived the kidnapping and dungeon by the Zolael family, what would happen if he had to withdraw at the peak of his career? Wouldn't all the suffering have been for nothing?!

Besides, after working with someone like Hong Zhong, he had experienced the feeling of having a clear mind. To be honest, he wouldn't want to be a lackey for someone like Ryan Childer again.

“If you’re willing to come with me, then… I have a special task for you to undertake in the coming period.” Zhang Renfeng crossed his arms and reminded him again, “It might be a bit challenging.”

“Difficulty isn’t the problem, money is.” Jimmy made a gesture of counting US dollars and laughed. “As long as the money is there, there’s basically nothing that can’t be solved.”

Zhang Renfeng smiled noncommittally and said, "Right now, these three towns have become our territory."

“For the past few decades, the rules here have always been set by the Zola El family. But I don’t want the Red Center Gang to become the next Thunder Fury Gang, and I don’t want to become Hector. Otherwise, it would be like… just repeating the same thing, with nothing changing.”

"So, I want to get everything on track. We need a mayor, a sheriff, and a judge. In short, everything that other towns need, we need here. The initial process can be a little slow, and we may encounter some resistance, but we must not stagnate."

"You want me to stay here?" Jimmy immediately understood what he meant.

"As for Igor, considering his background, it might not be appropriate to let him stay; people might not accept him."

“I see…” Jimmy pondered for a moment and realized the difficulty involved.

Given Hongzhong's abilities, it would be easy for him to destroy the old order. He destroyed the old order that Hector had spent decades building up in less than two weeks.

The real difficulty lies in smashing everything down and then rebuilding a newer, better order.

At least he still has the idea of ​​making an effort, instead of turning around and running away after taking all the wealth of the Zola El family.

"The mayor has been chosen, and your task is to provide him with all kinds of professional assistance. If you can recruit a few people you think are reliable to take up positions here, that would be even better."

“I don’t think the average legal professional would frequent a place like this. But…” Jimmy made that gesture again, smiling as he said, “As long as the money is right, everything is negotiable.”

Chapter 406: Money, money, money!

"Money... what that guy said is absolutely right."

Igor shrugged and said irritably, “This is the southernmost part of America. Further south is Mexico. To the mainstream people in the north, this place is no different from the backwaters. What’s more, the town of Three Horses is inhabited by the notorious plantation families.”

"If we want them to come and build the town, how can we do it without enough money?"

"In the end, it all comes down to money. To revitalize such a large area, whatever the next step is, we need money."

"Don't we have a stable income in White Torch Town?" Alana asked curiously. "How much was it again?"

“$180 a week,” Mike said expressionlessly. “We’ve been away for three weeks, and if all goes well, we should have saved $720 in the first week as well.”

To be fair, this is a considerable sum of money. A criminal with a bounty of this amount must be a notorious troublemaker. However, once construction begins, there's no limit to how much can be invested. It's like a bottomless pit, with money constantly being poured in. No one can guarantee what the final outcome will be.

Fortunately, the wicked Zolael family still left some start-up capital for their successor. And Zolael, the only survivor besides Igor, probably never imagined that, by a twist of fate, the key that should have been inherited by Laro and could unlock the family treasury would ultimately fall into Igor's hands.

“【Junying】?” Zhang Renfeng repeated the word, frowning. “What does it mean?”

“That’s not a real animal; it’s something people have imagined,” Mike explained from the side. “I think I read about it in a fairy tale when I was reading it to my granddaughter. It said that its head, forepaws, and wings were like an eagle’s, but its hindquarters were like a horse’s.”

"What kind of children's horror movie could include such an animal..." Alana muttered under her breath.

"Speaking of which, everyone in your family uses 'horse' as a nickname, right?" Zhang Renfeng counted on his fingers, "Fiery Horse, White Horse, Pack Horse, Iron Horse, why is he the only one who's different?"

Igor gave a wry smile and didn't elaborate.

But upon closer reflection, there seems to be a deeper meaning behind this.

Mules, hybrids of horses and donkeys, are undoubtedly a symbol of lowliness in the Zolael family's values, also implying that Igor is a stunted dwarf. But the "Galloping Eagle" is completely different; it is a hybrid of a horse and a griffin, majestic, tall, and capable of flight, possessing both the eyesight of an eagle and the stamina of a horse—a noble, fantastical creature.

Even in terms of titles, they did everything they could to humiliate and suppress him. This gives us a glimpse into why Ego harbors such hatred towards his family.

"However, in a sense, we are also fortunate to have him. If he hadn't fled to Mexico, he wouldn't have left this note. Without this note, the wealth accumulated by the Zolael family over the years would probably have truly become a legend, passed down through generations..."

On the outskirts of Rongma Town, there lies a secret underground chamber unknown to anyone.

If Byron hadn't specifically noted this landmark, two-headed, twisted-necked tree in his records, we probably wouldn't have found this place even if we searched for a lifetime.

Sweep away the fallen leaves in front of the tree with your feet, and what's in front of everyone is a door that has been sealed for many years.

"Is this it?" Alana crouched down, blew the dust off the padlock, and then took out a handkerchief to wipe away the dirt. "How much is hidden inside?"

"I don't know. Some had the amount written on them, some didn't. Maybe it was because they were written down in a hurry. The one we're going to now only has the location," Igor said with a wry smile. "It's the closest one to us, let's take a gamble."

"Will it take a long time?" Zhang Renfeng squinted, spread his palm, covered the door panel, and pressed it down firmly. "It doesn't seem very thick..."

"Please, Hongzhong, let me use my locksmith skills a little, okay?" Alana took out her lock-picking tools and, while fiddling with the keyhole, complained, "I feel like since I started working with you, you've picked locks with your fists more often than I've used tools... If this keeps up, my skills will get rusty, and if you really need my help in the future, who knows..."

"Click!"

"Okay, it's open."

Judging by the year, it must be an old thing from more than ten years ago. To Alana, it looks like something out of caveman.

Zhang Renfeng gripped the edge with one hand and effortlessly lifted the door panel, pushing it aside.

With a loud thud, dust billowed up.

Below the cellar, there were also well-constructed steps. When Mike shone his kerosene lamp on it, he could see all the way to the bottom, and it didn't look very deep.

"Igor, come on over!"

“…Ah, okay.” Igor paused for a moment, then turned around, leaving the spiral-growing, two-headed, twisted-necked tree behind him.

The familiar carvings on the tree trunk had become so blurred that they were almost invisible.

----

There was nothing else in the cellar except a square tin can, about the size of a wardrobe, pressed against the narrow stone wall, with a small lock hanging on it.

This time, Zhang Renfeng didn't let Alana unlock the lock. Instead, he grabbed the lock and yanked it hard! With a clang, the lock was ripped off, and what was inside surprised everyone.

“Holy…” Mike’s classic dead fish eyes changed the instant the light illuminated the inside of the rails.

What came into view were stacks of thick bricks, wrapped in fine paper, piled up and compressed quite densely.

Between the bricks, you could barely fit a finger.

Mike was initially incredulous. He wasn't unfamiliar with American dollars, but the most he'd ever seen was in a handbag, where bundles of bills had filled the entire space. Compared to what he was seeing now, that was nothing.

“Yes, yes, that’s the right amount.” Igor wasn’t too surprised. Although he had always been excluded from the core business of the family, he was still a member of Zolael. He knew exactly how big his business was and how much money it made.

He took out a stack of bricks with both hands, placed them on the ground, and unwrapped the paper wrappings one by one.

The US dollar bills were flattened into brick shapes and lay there quietly; just looking at them was pleasing to the eye.

"Wait a minute, everyone, there's an unexpected bonus here."

Zhang Renfeng remained calm. For a man with a net worth of 1.07 million taels of silver, this was nothing more than a small matter. While everyone's attention was focused on the "bricks of US dollars," he had already circled the cabinet and suddenly realized that there was something hidden inside.

"When-when-"

After kicking it twice, a dull metallic knocking sound came from inside the cabinet.

"Could it be... there's a hidden door?" Alana squatted down as well and quickly discovered several nails wedged into the side of the cabinet. She took out her tools and loosened the nails one by one. The iron plate fell off with a crack, revealing the true nature of what was inside.

"Huh?!" The girl gasped, half-covering her mouth in surprise, her pupils widening instinctively. "Gold bars! So many gold bars!"

……

"Porcupine or python?"

Suddenly, a somewhat unfamiliar voice echoed in Zhang Renfeng's mind; it was a memory hidden deep within his heart.

Now, he has truly reached a point where he needs to think about this issue.

Chapter 407: Even the Rich Have Distant Relatives

"Finished?" Mike saw Igor come out of the cellar, immediately stubbed out his cigarette, and strode forward. "How much?"

Igor made an eight gesture with his fingers.

"Eight thousand?"

“Eighty thousand,” Igor said in a deep voice. “That’s just in US dollars. I’m not so sure about the price of gold. The black market price varies from town to town. If we go by the price in White Torch Town, a gold bar like this should cost $500. There are eight of them here, so that’s $4000. In total, that’s $84000.”

……

For a long time, no one spoke. Mike bit his lip, took two deep breaths, and rubbed his weathered bald head hard.

“That’s a lot of money.” Zhang Renfeng remained calm and even joked. “Let’s pay up the bounty on my head in New Orleans first. We’ll still have $70000 left. We can buy some land and run a ranch or something. That’ll be more than enough.”

Of course, this is just a joke.

Indeed, some towns, in order to generate more legitimate income, allow some wanted criminals to have their names removed from arrest warrants by paying a ransom to the post office.

However, this method generally only applies to low-level criminals. Currently, the highest ransom paid by prisoners according to records across various states is $1500. Those exceeding this amount are generally high-priority targets; the authorities want to see them alive or dead, and they will not allow them to pay ransom.

"Phew... It's good to have money." Igor visibly breathed a sigh of relief and murmured, "Money is like blood; if it circulates, this town has hope."

"Over eighty thousand US dollars!" Alana had never seen so much money since she was in Scarface Village, and her voice trembled with excitement. "There's definitely not enough for just the few of us to take back, right? Should I go and call Mr. Calaway and the others to come along..."

“No, don’t.” Igor was very alert and immediately shook his head. “On the contrary, it’s best not to let more people know about this money. Keep it within our gang, just give a notification, don’t spread it outside.”

"You don't flaunt your wealth?" Zhang Renfeng's eyes were full of admiration.

"Yes, the Red Center Gang is the Red Center Gang, and they are who they are. When it comes to money, it's best to draw a clear line."

As Igor spoke, he counted on his fingers, carefully calculating, "The compensation for the wounded and the injured; those who rose up with us and survived to the end also need a bonus; the contaminated water source needs to be cleaned up, which will require hiring people from outside, another expense; and the share of profits among our gang members is absolutely essential, we can't put the cart before the horse. Once all of this is over..."

"That's the money needed to build the town."

“For example, if Jimmy uses his network to hire legal professionals, he'll need to pay them higher salaries. Similarly, the new administrative system, legal system, and police department—in the past, these were all handled by the Thunder Gang. Building them from scratch all cost money.”

"It's not a small amount of money."

“Of course, the good thing is… the legacy the old man left me isn’t just this one.” Igor took out the paper Byron left behind again, unfolded it, flicked it lightly twice with his hand, and laughed, “Maybe another trip will bring in tens of thousands of dollars. Having enough funds on hand will make things much easier.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Renfeng inexplicably burst out laughing.

How ironic.

Hector spent his entire life extracting money from the common people. The Thunder Gang was like his tentacles, its roots spreading throughout New Orleans, providing him with sustenance. He had so much money that he couldn't possibly enjoy it all, so he hid and saved it like a hamster hibernating, thinking of leaving it to his descendants.

As a result, Igor, whom he least wanted to acknowledge, inherited all his property and intended to use a considerable portion of it on the commoners whom he despised the most.