Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

"The technique is good, but it is not difficult to crack."

The old man took out a porcelain medicine bottle about the length of a finger from his sleeve, a sinister smile appearing on his face.

"This is……"

"Captain, why ask when you already know the answer?" the old man laughed. "This is my concoction of the 'King of Hell's Invitation.' It was originally a poison from the Tang Clan, but there are a few herbs that you simply cannot find here, so I had to change the recipe."

"Find a way to make him drink it; just one sip will cause him to die suddenly."

"Of course, Captain, this is just a small gift... Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to work. You can use whatever method you like instead of this: rope, bullets, steel knives, poison. As long as you can make Red Zhong disappear from this world completely, your mission will be complete."

"Boom!"

The old man slapped his knee, stood up, and poked Yin's lower back with one finger.

The girl gasped for breath, like a drowning person who had finally struggled to climb ashore, gasping for air. During this time, her hearing and vision were still functioning normally, but she couldn't move or speak, as if she were having sleep paralysis.

Suddenly released from confinement, his stiff body began to move, and he collapsed to the ground, still in shock.

"This young lady is quite good, a real talent. Send her there." The old man waved his hand. "I'll be waiting for your good news."

"Oh, by the way, there is one more thing..."

He walked to the window, then suddenly turned around and looked at Istavo, saying meaningfully, "Your eldest daughter is doing quite well in Mainz recently."

“The enlightened one said that with her talent, it’s only a matter of time before she enters politics and becomes a senator for Maine.”

"?!"

Istavo suddenly looked up, a flash of anger in his eyes.

For people at their level, being able to discern the unspoken meaning behind a performance is a fundamental skill. He understood his father's meaning perfectly well, and his father understood it too. He understood his own meaning, and that was enough.

He gritted his teeth and said haltingly, "Please...please thank the Awakened One for nurturing my daughter."

"must."

The old man opened the window, stepped out of the window frame, and jumped down.

It disappeared into the silent night.

----

"That...that's Dad..."

Yin was still immersed in the experience of being acupunctured, and his tone was somewhat timid, as if he was afraid that his ghostly father would suddenly emerge from some corner again.

"What should we do? This is a summons from the King of Hell..."

"Should we deliver it, or not?"

Istavo looked at the porcelain medicine bottle and the red medal left on the table and sighed deeply.

"I'll keep this for now." He put the invitation to the King of Hell into his pocket and said in a deep voice, "Please pass on a message to him for me."

"Give it to whom? Give it to..." Yin seemed to realize something and suddenly took a step back. "You know Hong Zhong?!"

……

Istavo's tone was somewhat dazed, "He came to this country on my ship."

Chapter 548: Joining Forces?

"Drink! Drink to your heart's content! Hahahaha—!!"

"It's such a shame you guys didn't come along. The horrible sight of that company dog ​​before he died... hahaha! Just thinking about it makes me laugh!"

"I've never seen such a grand spectacle before. No wonder he's Hongzhong! He's probably the only one who's even more exaggerated in person than the rumors in the tavern..."

"The key is that he's generous! What boss has ever distributed money to his underlings like this before? I don't care if he's good or bad, white or yellow-skinned, as long as he shares money with me, I'll acknowledge him as my boss!"

……

The lobby on the first floor of the casino was bustling with noise.

Amidst the cheers of the crowd, there was an unquenchable fervor. It was like butter being poured into a hot pan, immediately sizzling and rolling. In their minds, not only had they wiped out the combined forces of the Pinkerton detectives and bounty hunters, but they had also launched a surprise attack from afar, uprooting the Osborn family that had always been a threat to them. Naturally, they couldn't have won any more.

However, on the other side, the atmosphere at the main table of the Red Center Gang was somewhat somber.

They were well aware that this victory was merely a tactical one. From a broader strategic perspective, they remained in a passive position.

"Hans and I have discussed it, and in a few days, we'll withdraw from here," Igor said in a deep voice, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"Huh?" Alana was a little surprised by the decision. "But everyone's almost gotten used to using this place for parties..."

"The value it can provide goes far beyond just having parties, barbecues, and heavy drinking. You can do that anywhere else; I think Joffrey's old mansion was pretty good." Igor waved his hand. "This casino can provide far more than that; it's the lubricant of this city."

Entertainment venues are very important to a city.

The people of this city had long been accustomed to the existence of the Siegfried Casino. A day or two was fine, but over time, the invisible social pressure would accumulate. Furthermore, Zhang Renfeng had been engaged in warfare recently, making this city naturally the closest bridgehead to the war.

Without a suitable lubricant, the voices of discontent will only grow louder. And Igor has already sensed this trend from a mountain of data and tables.

Open the floodgates and release the floodwaters!

"What did you say over there?"

"So far... everything is normal." Calaway took a sip of his drink, leaned back in his chair, and said slowly, "No one is causing trouble, and there are very few cases of theft or robbery."

"This means that everyone is just complaining, right?" Xiaomei's tone was somewhat relieved. "The situation is still under control."

"What about you?" Mike noticed that Zhang Renfeng was silent and deep in thought, so he asked, "You're the boss, so you should make the decision about whether reopening the casino is a good idea or not."

"...Besides that, there's something else I haven't told you." Zhang Renfeng sighed. "Actually, this morning, Meteora told me..."

----

"The Southern Army?" Igor frowned. "Will they join us?"

Zhang Renfeng nodded, his expression somewhat helpless.

The kind of things you do will attract the kind of people you attract.

Regardless of their motives, Zhang Renfeng and his group's actions over the past few weeks have been the talk of the town and tavern in the south. For the past six months, the Red Central Gang's popularity has remained consistently high. Now, with such a sensational act, it's easy for public opinion to explode.

To outsiders, their actions—first crushing the Pinkerton detectives who were bullying the wealthy, then leading troops north to wipe out a powerful northern family—were truly the work of extraordinary individuals.

After the war, the defeated Confederate army did not disband, and many remaining resistance organizations emerged.

They refused to admit defeat and were constantly looking for an opportunity to retake the North and reclaim their social standing. Meteora, if one had to name a few, was one of them; originally a Confederate ranger, he had built the Lamoine Raiders during his exile. Similar situations played out constantly throughout the South.

Now, with a wave of the flag, the entire South moves in response.

The resistance fighters suddenly realized that their best efforts to resist were no match for a talented fighter like Hong Zhong who could easily defeat them. They were impressed and found a target to join.

……

“Right now, it’s just writing letters.” Zhang Renfeng glanced at the excited Ramon raiders not far away and handed the letter to his strategist. “But their intention to join is already very clear, and there’s more than one.”

“【The Pearson Family】, 【The White Robe Society】, 【The Lindsay Gang】… Igor quickly scanned the contents of the letter, his expression grave.

"Why that expression?" Xiaomei asked, puzzled. "You should be happy that we have more troops."

“Little girl, have you forgotten so quickly? Our first encounter with the Lamon Raiders was when they tried to steal our wagons,” Mike explained. “That’s a microcosm of most of the Confederate army. Compared to them, the Lamon Raiders are at least principled; at least they only rob company property.”

“The army consists of people who are not engaged in production. They are an army in exile, and if they are not guaranteed by the state system, they can only rely on plunder to survive.”

Igor tossed the object aside and said in a deep voice, "There are many similar exiled military organizations, and their quality varies greatly. They do everything that ordinary gangs do, such as robbery and murder, and because they have been on the battlefield, they are even more ruthless."

"Meteora is known as the Morning Star Ranger. His horsemanship, archery, and tactics are all top-notch. The Raiders of Lamoon trained by him are also quite formidable in combat."

"Most exiled armies simply don't have that kind of fighting ability; they're no different from ordinary bandits. Especially this White Shirts... I've heard about them more than once. They're a bunch of crazy people with extremely severe racial discrimination. They insist on using black people as slaves in places like plantations and mines, and they accuse the Northerners of breaking that rule."

“In private, they would also hunt down freed Black people and take their heads as trophies, hanging them on their saddles.”

“Here, Red Center and the Chief are both yellow-skinned, and I’m a dwarf. In the eyes of the world, I’m not even as good as them. Can you imagine what would happen if someone like me joined Red Center’s gang?”

……

This topic was a bit too heavy for the dinner table, and the two girls' faces instantly turned pale. The bread and roast meat in front of them no longer tasted good.

Zhang Renfeng clicked his tongue and his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

On this land, the situation of those with yellow skin is not much better than that of those with black skin. Igor's suggestion completely dispelled his idea of ​​joining forces.

Firstly, Igor is right; soldiers are essentially laid-off workers and require a dedicated budget to support them. Currently, they cannot afford this long-term investment.

Secondly...

How can we achieve development while living with such insects?

Chapter 549: See you at our usual spot

"Understood." Zhang Renfeng nodded and put the letter away. "I'll go and refuse."

“Wait a minute.” Igor gently stopped him, then pondered for a moment, “What was Meteora’s attitude when he told you about this? Did he want to recruit these exiled Confederate soldiers?”

"Him?" Zhang Renfeng recalled for a moment, "It seems... he didn't have any particular attitude. He just showed me the letter and told me these things. That guy's face never really had any expression to begin with."

"I see." Igor's eyes darted around, he put down the letters, and took them from Zhang Renfeng's hand. "You don't need to go. I'll go and talk to him."

Zhang Renfeng sighed inwardly.

Judging from the current situation, their cooperation with the Lamoine raiders will continue for quite some time. The annihilation of the Osborne family doesn't mean the end; rather, it's more like a new beginning. The powerful figures in the north may continue to make moves, and in such times, having an army that is readily available and ready to fight is extremely important.

Even after the expansion, the number of Raiders in Lamoon was only a hundred, but Zhang Renfeng believed that quality was more important than quantity.

These hundred-plus people were enough to rout the combined forces of Pinkerton detectives and bounty hunters.

only……

"You've worked hard." Zhang Renfeng's tone was somewhat complicated as he smiled wryly. "When I recruited you, I never imagined that one day we could grow this business to such a large scale. Now, the worries you're having are far beyond what a gang should be doing."

"The others might want to, but do they have the ability?" Igor waved his hand dismissively. "Anyway, leave gang matters to me."

Hearing him say these words so casually in such a relaxed tone brought a sense of security. This feeling that he could roam freely and fight as he pleased without fear of collapsing behind him was like a stabilizing force, alleviating some of his anxiety.

Even considering the most extreme scenario, the worst-case scenario is that the enemy mobilizes its troops and overwhelms us with overwhelming numerical superiority.

By then, can't we just run away?

New Austin is vast, and if a battle were to be fought in Lagras, the battlefield would become a meat grinder, offering no chance of victory. However, the Red Center Gang and the Lamorne Raiders' advantage lies in their flexibility and mobility. By stretching out their lines and employing various flanking maneuvers and harassment tactics, they could potentially defeat the enemy with minimal effort.

……

“Mr. Hongzhong, this is the list of supplies that arrived last night. They’re all listed here,” David’s voice came from behind. “Please take a look.”

"Okay, sure." Zhang Renfeng was a little surprised, but he still took the list and said with a smile, "You've worked hard these past few days, go and eat."

Angel Eyes, who was sitting in the corner, sat up straight and stared at David with his strange pupils.

Being praised by the gang leader was naturally an exciting thing. His eyes brightened considerably, and his lips unconsciously pursed. He stood there, stunned, for quite a while.

"Is there anything else?"

"Ah, sorry! I... I completely forgot..." David stammered, swallowed hard, and pulled a beautifully packaged light blue bottle from his suit pocket. He presented it with both hands, saying sincerely, "I haven't even given you a gift for the success of this operation. This bottle of Sapphire Tequila is my congratulatory gift to you! I wish you continued success in your future battles and great fortune in your military endeavors!"

……

"Wow... this is really... I don't necessarily have to continue fighting." Zhang Renfeng didn't care much about interpersonal relationships, but receiving such a congratulatory gift from his subordinate was indeed a first for him, and his feelings were somewhat complicated.

He couldn't refuse a smiling face, so he accepted the beautifully packaged bottle of tequila. When he held it up to the light, the liqueur inside appeared remarkably clear.

“That’s very thoughtful, David. You’re very thoughtful.”

"As long as you like it."

David lowered his head slightly, a smile flashing across his face.

……

"Click!"

The sound of a hammer being struck.

----

"Bang---!!"

A bullet pierced the bottle and shattered it.

Angel Eyes leaned back in his chair, waiting until all eyes were on him before slowly and deliberately pressing the hammer. Two terrifying, inhuman glints shot from his strange eyes, and the muzzle of the gun rose slightly, aiming at David's head.

Angel Eyes' question was much colder than usual, "Who are you?"