Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

"Then, as the victors, the Osborne family will receive this virgin called the South Market."

"Our factories will spring up all over the south, processing coal, oil, metals... all kinds of minerals into commodities, which will then be sold continuously. This is the business vision we originally envisioned!"

----

Tolman didn't know whether he should be happy or not.

Finally, with Roannock's decisive blow, the family's late-night conversation came to an end.

The older brothers chose to give up because of the family's interests, while their father chose to go to war because of the greater interests of the family.

Throughout the entire story, almost nothing about Joffrey was mentioned. There was no sadness, pain, regret, or anger—these normal human emotions seemed to be completely absent from them.

"If I die, but cannot bring greater benefits to the family..."

"Will anyone still care about me?"

He suddenly felt a chill creep up from his ankles and down his back. Looking back, he saw that the fire in the hall had quietly gone out.

Chapter 524: It's Not the Right Time

"This letter is for Mayor Dunn of White Torch Town, and this one is for Mesvid. They will definitely invite you to dinner after they meet you. Actually, I have written down the situation, but what is written on paper can never be completely reassuring. During the meal, they will inevitably ask you about the situation here."

The next morning, while it was still dark, Igor handed two letters to Evelyn and whispered, "Those two have been tested in the Battle of Three Horses Town, so they can be trusted."

"If they really ask, just tell them how you saw it. If the question involves Hongzhong himself, don't give a specific answer. If they ask about our future plans, just tell him that Baiju Town is within my designated business area, and they remain our long-term partners. Remember that?"

Fortunately, Evelyn had also been invited to the city. Given the current situation, no one was more suitable for the job than her.

To mobilize the full power of New Orleans, a certain level of fame and social standing is needed to act as a liaison, uniting all the scattered forces into a single cohesive force. The reason Evelyn was initially allowed to join the gang was precisely because of this; she could be used as an excellent diplomat.

Upon learning that she could actually contribute to the gang, the girl seemed very happy and didn't feel it was hard work. She took the letter and nodded solemnly, "I understand."

"Alright, after dinner, rest in White Torch for the night and arrange for Dunn to help you board a train. The next morning, take the train to Saint Quintak. Once you get there, you'll need to put in a little more effort..."

Ego picked up the third envelope from the table and handed it to her. Evelyn could clearly feel that this envelope was much thicker and heavier than the previous ones.

“The Red Central Gang did not actually ‘occupy’ that city, so they can’t have the same smooth sailing as they did in White Torch Town.”

"You may need to spend some time delivering this letter to Mayor Mayshoe. After he reads it, he will most likely invite you to dinner. During the dinner, you can talk about it, but don't go into too much detail. The core message is just one sentence—everything is under our control."

“I understand.” Evelyn accepted the third letter and nodded. “Anything else?”

"Can you ride a horse now?" Igor glanced at her slender waist.

"Riding...riding a horse, that's a bit..."

Seeing her troubled expression, Igor didn't say anything more. He took out a thick wad of banknotes from his pocket and slammed them on the table. "It's alright. Use this money to hire a horse-drawn carriage to Sanma Town. The railway there isn't open yet, so I can't arrange a train."

"When you get to Sanma Town, don't be afraid. It's already Red Central territory. Jimmy McGill is staying there. He's one of our own. You've met him once."

"Ah, Mr. Jimmy, I remember you!" Evelyn perked up immediately. She probably hadn't expected to run into someone she knew at the end of this trip. "Isn't that the lawyer with the big forehead?"

“Big forehead…” Igor couldn’t help but chuckle, then cleared his throat. “He won’t need letters anymore. Just tell him what you’ve heard, seen, and learned. There’s nothing to hide from him.”

“There is still a lot of grain stored in the warehouse of the White Buffalo Ranch. Have him find a way to transport this grain to Lagras.”

"After you've done all that, what then?" Evelyn asked. "Will I come back?"

“No, what he means is…” Igor glanced at Zhang Renfeng not far away, “You stay in Sanma Town for now. Relatively speaking, that’s our rear base, so we can guarantee safety there.”

“It’s safe.” Evelyn’s tone was somewhat disappointed. Her gaze shifted slightly and lingered on the girl who was talking to Zhang Renfeng.

Gradient-colored straps, neckerchief.

The cuffs of the coat are turned up, adorned with lace and gold embellishments.

Half-palm gloves with a teardrop shape.

And this dress, with its long train and layered design, looks like it's blooming like flower petals.

Evelyn was a connoisseur of fashion; a quick glance revealed that the entire outfit would easily cost several hundred dollars. In contrast to her own style, Nina's gown exuded a nouveau riche ostentation and ostentation, which ironically made her smile appear even more refreshing.

Last night, the outfit she brought for Zhang Renfeng was also carefully selected, with a color scheme that gave off a "conqueror" vibe—a black lapel suit, a dark vest, and a red sash.

His physique was already tall and imposing, so he didn't need to support himself with his shoulders to carry the outfit. Just standing there, he naturally drew everyone's attention in the entire hall.

Watching the two talk, Evelyn frowned slightly and asked softly, "That girl named Nina, is she the one from last night..."

“Hmm, this girl is no ordinary person.” Igor looked at the noblewoman not far away with a slightly scrutinizing gaze. “According to Old Zhang, after she took off her clothes, she jumped into the water. She pulled those who were swept away by the current back to the trees one by one. If it weren’t for her, probably not so many people would have survived.”

"However, this level of skill cannot be explained by simply being a good swimmer. It requires training, and years of underwater training at that."

"Judging from her attire, she comes from an aristocratic family. What kind of aristocratic family would have a tradition of underwater training... I've never heard of such a thing."

"That's great~~ At such a crucial moment, she can be of help." Evelyn's gaze lingered on Nina's lithe figure, and she subconsciously touched her own waist, her tone becoming quite dejected, "Like me..."

"Eh?"

Realizing that this girl's thought process was completely different from his own, Igor looked around and immediately understood what was going on.

Perhaps seeing Miss Nina, who was also a noblewoman and not just a pretty face, made her feel a little threatened.

To be honest, he didn't know what Evelyn was fighting.

“She trains underwater, you train on stage, it’s the same thing. Can you really say that the former has to suffer more than the latter?”

Igor shook his head. "Rescuing people underwater? Don't even mention you, even Old Zhang himself can't do it. He's not Superman, he can't do everything."

"Similarly, there are some things that only you can do. For example, the next task, the confrontation, negotiation, and calculation at the dinner table, these are all your strengths, and no one can replace you."

"Everyone has their own livelihood to earn; just focus on doing yours well, and then..."

He lowered his voice and said softly in a slightly gossipy tone, "I don't think this girl poses any threat to you."

"What...what are you saying..."

Evelyn's cheeks flushed slightly, and she lowered her head, a sweet smile unconsciously appearing on her face. "I never felt that way..."

----

In an instant, Igor's smile vanished, and he stared at the girl expressionlessly until he confirmed her shyness and reproach before regaining his composure.

It's not the right time.

not the right time yet.

He murmured to himself.

Chapter 525: State of War

"Are we going back now?"

Zhang Renfeng was not surprised by this.

Although Nina didn't tell him anything, and he didn't inquire, it wasn't hard to tell from her clothing, conversation, and other signs that she came from a rather strict aristocratic family. In families like that, there would definitely be curfews for girls; they wouldn't be allowed to wander around outside all day long.

Her original plan was probably to sneak out of the house, visit the famous casino, and then hurry home. But things didn't go as planned; one thing led to another, and she couldn't stop.

Last night, she went into the water to rescue people and then helped Hong Zhong infiltrate Lagras. She was up most of the night without rest, leaving Nina completely exhausted. The next morning, she packed her clothes and luggage, said goodbye to Zhang Renfeng, and prepared to leave.

Zhang Renfeng felt it was a pity; Nina had gone into the water to save someone last night and had really put in a lot of effort. He was actually very grateful for that, but he was busy with work and had only slept for a few hours before getting up again in a hurry, without even having time to say hello to her.

“Very well, Lagras is about to descend into chaos.” Zhang Renfeng composed himself and said, “Let’s leave this place of trouble while we still have time.”

“Until the very end, you never asked about my secret.” Nina’s expression was somewhat complicated. After struggling with her feelings, she smiled with relief. “Thank you, Hongzhong. You are much more of a gentleman than many people I know.”

“I know you were willing to jump into the water to save those fifty-five people, and that’s enough for me. You’re an amazing girl, Nina, no matter what others say, that’s what I think.” Zhang Renfeng held her hand, his tone and eyes full of sincerity. “As for what your surname or given name is, it doesn’t matter to me.”

“…” Nina stared at him for a long while, first in surprise and disbelief, then feeling the warmth and strength of his hands holding hers. She smiled and shook her head, murmuring, “No wonder the ‘Pearl of Southern County’ is so devoted to you, Mr. Hongzhong, you really are…”

What is "real"?

She didn't go into too much detail, so she pulled her hand back.

"If you encounter any difficulties while traveling next time, you can come to us. We welcome you anytime."

“Yes, I will remember.” Nina smiled softly and nodded. Both sides seemed to have already decided that the Red Center Gang would definitely overcome this difficulty and transform into an even stronger organization.

"Whenever you come to the 'First State', remember to come find me at the [Waglette] family."

……

"Alright, everyone, come here for a moment." After seeing off the guests, Igor clapped his hands and called over the people scattered in the hall.

The casino was temporarily shut down and requisitioned by the Red Center Gang as a temporary operational command center, with Igor still in overall command. He clapped his hands, and in addition to the Red Center Gang, several leaders of the Lamon Raiders also came over.

"Mr. Alto, what's the matter I asked you to do last night? Is there any result?"

“Still too few.” Otto shook his head. “The people here do have conflicts with the company, but not to the point where they’re willing to go to war for it. Also, most of the workers in the city have families, and you don’t allow the use of coercive measures, so…”

“Forced measures are absolutely unacceptable!” Igor emphasized slightly. “We’ve only been here for a day, and our foundations are still unstable. If we resort to such methods at this time, we will be overthrown very quickly.”

“Then there’s nothing we can do.” Otto shrugged. “I sent people to search all night, and they only found thirty-two people willing to join us.”

Thirty-two.

It's somewhere in between, not too much, not too little.

“It’s better than nothing.” Igor sighed softly. “Then, let’s stick to the original plan, Chief. These new recruits are yours. You will teach them throwing techniques and try to train them into excellent pitchers within a few days.”

“Wait a minute… throwing?” Meteora spoke up before the chief could answer, “Shouldn’t we teach them riding and shooting first?”

“Given the urgency of the situation, we can’t conjure up trained horses out of thin air, and riding skills can’t be learned in just a few days,” Igor said in a deep voice. “However, once Miss Evelyn sends the letter I wrote back to White Torch Town, a large quantity of munitions will be transported here along the railway within a few days.”

"Field artillery, Maxim guns, all kinds of newly made rifles, revolvers... and hand grenades."

"Grenade?"

“A new weapon I designed,” Theon explained, taking a grenade from his satchel and gently placing it on the table. “Pull out the pin, and when thrown, it will explode within a radius of one meter. If the enemy team is grouped together, the impact of the explosion will be enough to cause considerable damage… I’ll show you in a bit, and you’ll see.”

"Explosives?" Otto shifted his chair, instinctively moving a little further away.

“It won’t explode as long as the pin isn’t pulled.” Theon flicked the grenade on the table with his finger. “The arms factory in White Torch is already producing this kind of weapon. As soon as it’s loaded onto a train and transported here, it can be deployed immediately.”

"You...have connections with arms dealers?" Otto swallowed hard, his gaze towards Zhang Renfeng filled with growing awe.

“New weapons, truly incredible,” Meteora exclaimed. “In the last civil war, the Confederate army suffered a great loss in terms of weaponry. Now the tables have turned, and it’s our turn to use new gadgets.”

“I have no problem with this arrangement, but… I’m a little worried, what if…” The chief glanced at them with some concern, seemingly unable to think of how to express his current unease. After thinking for a while, he turned his gaze to Zhang Renfeng.

Zhang Renfeng immediately understood his meaning and, without beating around the bush, asked directly, "Your men know I'm of Asian descent, right?"

“Understood.” Meteora nodded. “I’ll take good care of them, don’t worry.”

“Alright, that’s settled then. Once the weapons arrive, we’ll select a few more people. Theon will be in charge of teaching them how to use the field artillery and Maxim machine guns. We really experienced the destructive power of these two weapons in Three Horses Town. Even if the enemy outnumbers us several times over, we can easily hold our ground with firepower suppression.”

"Angel Eyes will act as a scout and go to New Elizabeth to gather intelligence. Where will the enemy come from? How many people are there? What weapons do they have? The more information we have, the more accurate our judgments will be. This is a very important task."

“In the past few days, Lagras has been short-staffed. I have asked Hans to recruit new sheriffs and a group of people will be temporarily selected. Calaway used to be the police chief in St. Quintac and has experience in managing large cities, so he will serve as the interim police chief of Lagras.”

"Xiao Mei, Alana, you two will assist Caloway. The basic security work of this city is entrusted to you."

"Hans is still in charge of the city's operation and expenses. We don't interfere much in principle. If we encounter any problems, we shouldn't be afraid to talk to him directly."

"Old Zhang and Mike, go outside the city to scout the terrain and discuss specific tactics."

“From this moment forward, Lagras is entering a state of war. All actions, deployments, and decisions concerning strategic direction will be made by me, Igorinacio Zolael. If any link goes wrong, I will handle it. At that time, everyone must cooperate with me unconditionally. This is the meaning of a state of war.”

"Red Center has veto power over all my decisions. Is there anything else that's unclear?"

----

The hall was completely silent.

Many people, seeing Igor for the first time, originally wanted to see how much of a joke this dwarf could make in public.

But now, they were intimidated by his aura of authority; in their eyes, height no longer mattered. This dwarf had already convinced them, through his words, demeanor, and presence, that disobeying military orders would certainly not end well.

"Alright, then... time is tight and the task is heavy." His gaze swept over everyone, he nodded, and said in a deep voice, "Good luck to everyone."

Chapter 526: The Moon Over a Foreign Land

"How are you doing, Old Mike?"

Zhang Renfeng stood on a narrow mountain path, his satchel stuffed with many rolled-up maps—maps he had painstakingly copied over the past few days, traversing the surrounding mountains. His stamina seemed limitless, and he preferred to avoid off-the-beaten-path routes, choosing instead secluded, narrow mountain trails. Mike initially managed to keep up, but after two days of this, he too was exhausted, panting heavily, lamenting that he was indeed getting old.

I have never understood the meaning of the saying "Old age is no longer about physical strength" so profoundly.

“You little rascal…you must be a ibex, right? A 90-degree cliff is just a hillside to you.” Mike shook his head resignedly. “I can’t do it anymore, you…you carry me.”

"Okay." Zhang Renfeng didn't say another word, and half-squatted down. "Sit tight!"