Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

He spoke so earnestly that Igor understood that this guy had been dragged into the game, and asking him was pointless.

In today's game, the real opponents are these two bankers.

“I understand your concerns, Mr. Zhang, Mr. Zolael. My father, Roanok, is a high-ranking member of the Illuminati, but I must clarify one point.” Louis’s voice was quite steady, his upper body remaining still during the negotiation, a slight smile playing on his lips. “I am not my father.”

He narrowed his eyes, and the deep stillness in his emerald pupils was exactly like that of his own father!

Therefore, Zhang Renfeng did not believe a word of his assurances.

With a click, the bullet was chambered.

"Besides this, give me one reason not to kill you," Zhang Renfeng coldly questioned. "Father, elder brother, younger brother... I killed your entire family. Almost everyone with the surname Oscar, except for those like you who didn't go home and just happened to escape, I killed them all by myself. Destroying families and clans, a blood feud, how can this hatred be completely erased? How can I believe every word you say from the bottom of my heart?"

Those emerald eyes remained calmly fixed on him. After a moment of silence, Louis suddenly asked, "Was it useful?"

"what?"

"Will hating you bring them back to life?"

“…” Zhang Renfeng was stunned.

Louis spoke calmly, “I hate pointless things; they waste my time. The Osborne family is gone, and it’s not something I can change on my own. After my father died, the Roanoke Fuel Company was quickly broken up, people fled, the funding chain broke, and the financial situation was on the verge of collapse. Nothing can ever go back to the way it was before.”

"Rather than dwelling on the past, I aspire to create a better and bigger future."

“…” Zhang Renfeng pondered for a moment, put away the White pistol, and sat down again.

When it was Igor's turn to ask, "Are we part of your 'future'?"

"Indispensable".

"why?"

“Before I answer that question, allow me to ask you something, Mr. Zolael,” Louis said with a meaningful smile, implying that the answer would require some thought, “Do you know what we do?”

"..."

“We study numbers. Everything else can lie, but numbers can’t, which is what makes them so fascinating. Even if someone tries to falsify numbers, they will eventually leave clues and the numbers will not match the reality. Our consistent principle is that ‘the numbers on paper must correspond one-to-one with the reality we see.’ In our eyes, numbers are no longer cold and impersonal, but a book that can be interpreted at any time.”

"Today's meeting was decided directly by the bank president, without any third party involved. Mr. Mesvid, whom you know, is also a business employee of Donghao Bird Bank. The bank he opened is essentially a branch of Donghao Bird Bank."

"The bank manager sent him a private letter introducing me to him, and then he acted as an intermediary to introduce me to the two of you."

"Bank president?" Igor frowned. "[Uranus]?"

“You are more knowledgeable than I imagined.” Louis nodded and smiled. “In the eyes of the bank president, numbers are no longer just numbers, but a person, an event, an experience. From these numbers, the bank president sees a vast future.”

Who is it? — Zhang Renfeng was filled with curiosity and wanted to ask, but he swallowed the question back.

Igor was holding the line, and as the leader, he couldn't afford to be outdone.

"I suppose your bank manager also has investments in the Illuminati?" Igor said with a forced smile. "You can't put all your eggs in one basket."

“Of course, we are investors, and it is our job to invest assets in reliable channels.” Louis readily admitted. “Besides, before you, the Illuminati had almost monopolized all investable real industries. We had no choice but to cooperate with them.”

"However, as their cooperation deepened, their ambitions and appetites gradually became apparent. The bank president sensed that things were spiraling out of control; if this secret organization were allowed to continue developing, the very foundation of this country, and even the world, would be devoured."

Louis's emerald eyes gleamed with a cold light, as if he had completely detached himself from his personal perspective and was calmly narrating from a third-party viewpoint.

"Money is just fleeting, a flow of numbers. Whoever controls the power to distribute profits is the true owner of wealth."

"Unfortunately, the current government in America is like a bloated tree. A large part of it has been hollowed out by the Illuminati, who are forming a set of laws that are independent of the judiciary, a set of rules that only their own people can understand, comprehend, and participate in."

"We desperately need a woodpecker, a fearless woodpecker that dares to bare its teeth and beak at those dark, hollowed-out places."

"President Uranus believes that you and your team have that potential."

……

The atmosphere was tense. Dunn had never played in such a high-level game before, and he held his breath, barely daring to make a sound. The topic they were discussing seemed to be something that a weapons dealer could no longer be involved in.

"……Ah……"

After a long silence, Igor broke the silence with a cold laugh.

"So, you want to use us to fight against the Illuminati?"

“A simple and clear summary,” Louis nodded.

“Then I have a better idea,” Igor said with a smile. “Why don’t you just join the Illuminati? Once you’re one of them, there’ll be no need for all this fighting, right?”

……

“Mr. Zhang.” A smile appeared on Louis’s lips. “President Uranus asked me to pass on a message to you.”

Zhang Renfeng asked, puzzled, "Why bring this up all of a sudden?"

"The bank manager instructed me to tell you this when the conversation reached the middle and we got to the point where I was really motivated to do this."

“In your country’s language context, there is a ‘language compression pattern’, which includes a phrase pronounced ‘xiaoniaoyiren’. It means that a girl leans on someone like a little bird, looking petite and cute. Am I right?”

"Your bank manager knows about this?" Zhang Renfeng raised an eyebrow, surprised. "So? What does it have to do with what we're talking about?"

“A petite girl may be cute leaning on someone. But if it were a 100-kilogram fat man leaning on you, he would weigh you down and make it hard to breathe,” Louis said in a deep voice. “To the Illuminati, the East Glory Bird Bank is that 100-kilogram strong man. Even if we wanted to rely on it, they would never accept it. The best way is to completely dismantle the bank, making it a size they can accept, and then gradually bring it under their control.”

"In short, during the integration process, we will gradually lose control of the bank. Until finally, we will be completely kicked out, and the entire bank will be packaged up and handed over to him. President Uranus cannot accept this."

“Mr. Zhang, from this perspective, we have a common enemy.”

Chapter 582: May my death help me achieve my greater self.

“I think I understand.” Igor smiled and shook his head, but his voice was icy cold. “Since we’re already covered in mud from rolling around in the swamp, why don’t we give you another hand and strangle this swamp monster? Is that what you mean?”

“The bank manager is a very pragmatic person. He only cares about results and doesn’t interfere with the process. As long as the result is achieved, he doesn’t care what methods you will use.” Louis snapped his fingers. “Let’s talk about the benefits.”

"In short, after partnering with Donghao Bird Bank, you will no longer need to worry about funding. We will use digital magic to double, double, and double your funds in a very short time. After that, you can use this currency to accomplish the big things you want to do."

“We’re not so worried about that right now,” Zhang Renfeng said in a deep voice, his eyes half-closed.

"Yes, through the most direct means of war, you plundered a great deal of wealth. The most important of these should be Hector's 'legacy,' which you collected and gathered from various places after capturing Three Horses Town. In addition, there are the fixed-rate gray income from White Torch Town, the fixed-rate gray income from Saint Quintak, and your investment in Mesvid Bank. All in all, it's probably..."

"This number."

He took another folded piece of paper from his pocket and gently pushed it to Igor. After taking it, he didn't rush to unfold it, but first rubbed the texture of the paper with his fingertips. It must have been torn from a notebook, and it had a refreshing fragrance, like the scent of some kind of perfume.

The paper contained only a string of numbers, yet it caused his pupils to widen slightly before he immediately narrowed them and straightened his back, which had been lazily leaning against the chair.

"Well, Mr. Zolael?" Louis asked calmly. "I believe the error in this number shouldn't be too great."

“…It’s very close.” Igor nodded reluctantly in acknowledgment.

"This was given to me by President Uranus. The figures on it are entirely derived from calculations. As I mentioned before, the president has a genius-like sensitivity to the flow of various figures."

"It was this figure that made the bank president consider investing in you—two Volcano pistols, a Turkmen warhorse, and a satchel full of bullets. Starting from scratch, you were able to build such a large business in just one year. Without a doubt, your development potential is worth investing in!"

"But this is money that can't be made in the light of day, and coincidentally, Mr. Zhang, you are also someone who can't be made to be made to be made to be. The days of slipping on a watermelon rind and going wherever the wind takes you are long gone. You need professionals—real professionals—to safeguard your business."

"As I said, the bank needs you, and you... also need the bank. It's a mutually beneficial deal."

……

"That's why I've come."

Louis stood up abruptly from his seat, opened his arms wide, and laid his chest completely exposed, without any defenses.

He held the tortoiseshell pocket watch tightly in his hand.

“I am the last survivor of the Osborne family, a ghost who escaped from your gun. Now, the bank manager has sent me to negotiate with you in order to demonstrate his sincerity to the greatest extent possible.”

“I can kill myself with one shot and wipe the remnants of the Osborn family from the world.”

----

"I don't know."

After a long silence, Zhang Renfeng finally spoke.

“Was there anything I didn’t explain clearly in my previous explanation?” Louis said with a smile. “If so, please feel free to point it out, I…”

“What I don’t understand is you.” Zhang Renfeng tilted his head. Usually, people looked at him like he was a monster. Today, he was also full of incomprehension towards the man standing in front of him. “Let’s not even talk about how sudden this transaction was… Did your bank manager save your life?”

"If I had pulled the trigger just now, your incredibly clever brain would have been shattered by the bullet. Whatever he promised you would have been null and void, and you would have gotten nothing. Can't you figure that out, you shrewd businessman?"

"But you still came. Not only did you come, you even risked your life to make this cooperation happen. I don't think you're human anymore. You...you are..."

Zhang Renfeng had never met such a person before, could not understand their motives, and naturally could not find a metaphor to express his thoughts.

The mental strength behind enabling a person to overcome their instinctive fear of death is truly awe-inspiring.

The light in his emerald eyes dimmed, and Louis, who had been talking incessantly all night, fell silent for a moment before finally speaking, "Is the answer to this question very important to you?"

“You know what? In Dover Valley, I dealt with people like you, who had no fear of death. They firmly believed that after they died, they would be reborn in a so-called ‘path.’ This belief was so strong that this material world gradually became a dream.”

As it approached the point where the leader should make his statement, Zhang Renfeng maintained his composure. He reduced his attacks, channeling his distrust of the entire bank onto the individual before him. On one hand, he was vying for control of the narrative; on the other hand, he genuinely couldn't fathom Louis's motives for getting involved.

……

“My second brother, Joffrey Osborne.” Louis didn’t answer directly, but brought it up in a casual, conversational tone. “You’re familiar with him, aren’t you?”

“I was impressed; he was a little stronger than he looked,” Zhang Renfeng said in a deep voice. “It took me a lot of effort to deal with him.”

"Yes, yeah... Did he ever say anything to you like, 'The world is a giant pyramid, and none of us are born immune to its influence'?"

“No, he didn’t seem to say anything coherent in front of me.” Zhang Renfeng shook his head. Since the other party used this detached third-person perspective, he simply distanced himself and said calmly, “However, he seems like the kind of person who would say such things.”

"The same goes for Donghao Bird Bank, but we are not superior or inferior; we are just bricks stacked together. And all forms of wealth in this world are like the adhesive between the bricks. Humans think they create wealth, but in fact, they are also shaped by wealth."

"No matter what, if this piece breaks, another piece will naturally take its place. No one is irreplaceable."

Louis's tone was unpredictable; behind his expensive exterior, it seemed, were countless faces, similar to him yet different, speaking together.

"If I really die here, then..."

"May my death help me achieve my greater goals."

Chapter 583: Do butterflies remember things from when they were caterpillars?

"So, are we going to partner with that big bank next?"

As Alana asked the question, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. She poked at the meat on her plate with her fork, squeezing it around in the steaming sauce, but didn't put it in her mouth. She wasn't the only one; when Zhang Renfeng and Igor returned home and recounted the night's events to their companions, the previously cheerful atmosphere froze instantly, falling silent. At that moment, everyone's gaze instinctively focused on the oldest and most senior member of the gang.

Mike cleared his throat and asked in a deep voice, "Do you think that banker's suggestion is reliable?"

"It's not a matter of whether it's reliable or not. This is a step we have to take. After what happened with Lagras, we really didn't have a choice. It was just a matter of time."

Igor patiently explained, "Before this, we relied on pure force and took the route of conquest to take over so much territory. The battle of Lagras was the backlash of that route, but this strong backlash was only borne by Old Zhang's brother alone, which does not mean that none of this happened."

"After that, the Red Center Gang's brutal expansion will become a thing of the past. If we want to continue to expand our territory in the South, the only remaining path is through economic means. We can barely manage to keep New Orleans under control with our own resources, but if we want to expand our territory further, we will have to rely on vested interests."

"To put it simply... if we want people to listen to us, we have to give them some incentives, right? We have to make them believe that following us is more promising than following the Illuminati, right?"

"With the support of big banks, it's easier for us to use our influence. Of course, this is just my personal opinion."

“Our group was all built up by Lao Zhang. He decides how we should proceed.”

"Oh..." Xiaomei seemed to just realize something, and looked at Zhang Renfeng nervously, "So, it's not decided yet?"

“Such a big matter cannot be decided by having a meal and listening to a few words from others,” Zhang Renfeng patted her head and comforted her. “It’s okay, I will think this matter through carefully and thoughtfully before making a decision.”

"It's getting late. Thank you all for waiting for us to come back. Go and get some rest."

----

In the oppressive darkness of the night, Zhang Renfeng did not leave, but sat alone in the darkness. He had originally intended to use a cigarette to refresh himself, but suddenly remembered Tito's warning on the train, sighed, and gave up. He got up and took a bottle of tequila from the kitchen cabinet.

This mansion was built by Dunn, and naturally, it was fully equipped with all the necessary supplies. The cigarettes and alcohol were all high-end items, readily available without needing to be robbed or stolen. Yet, for some reason, when I tasted it, it always felt like something was missing.

Zhang Ren leaned back in his chair, lit a cigarette, and in the darkness, the embers of the cigarette glowed dimly, like a contemplative God.

……

Footsteps came from inside the room.

"Anna?" Zhang Renfeng was somewhat surprised to see her and quickly put out his cigarette. "You haven't gone to sleep yet?"

"..." Anna wasn't quite sure what specific difficulties the Red Center Gang was facing; the written words were still too complicated for her. But as for sensing the atmosphere, that's a skill every human is born with, and she could sense that this warm group was currently facing an unprecedentedly important decision. She helped in many ways, but the only thing she could do was bring Zhang Renfeng a cup of hot water in the darkness.

"Um...ah..."

Anna made a drinking gesture.

"Thank you, I'm fine." Zhang Renfeng chuckled and patted the blonde girl's head. "No matter what the final outcome is, we won't break up. Go back to sleep."

……