Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

"I know the rules, but..." Calaway scratched his cheek and asked casually, "I'm afraid if I give it to you now, another group of people will jump out and ask me for money again. Wouldn't I be a sucker then?"

"Don't worry, it won't happen," the soldier leader said confidently.

"Are you really that confident in your colleague's credibility?" Calaway flashed that charming and deceptive smile again, casually offering him another cigarette, and asked somewhat ingratiatingly, "When we get to the outpost up ahead, can I mention your name? What's your name?"

“If you want to mention my name to thin air, then so be it.” This time, the soldier leader did not refuse, but took the cigarette. “Besides us brothers guarding this road, everyone else is no longer at the outpost.”

“Oh~~~” Calaway didn’t press further; he had mastered the proper etiquette for communication between people during a first meeting.

Asking too many questions will make the other person wary; just a little agreement is enough.

He struck a match and lit a cigarette for the soldier captain. In this highly ingratiating gesture, he gradually became a little smug. "I don't know what they were up to. At first, they didn't ask us to build outposts and fortresses, and they wanted us to dig trenches. Then suddenly they said they didn't want them anymore. They gathered everyone together on the north side of the tall tree."

"Damn it, if you ask me, we should just set this hellhole on fire. Those barbarians like to hide in the woods, right? Let's burn down their hideout and see if they come out!"

……

"Oh, by the way, you just said you're in the timber business? Are all these wagons filled with wood?"

“Not entirely,” Alana explained. “There are planks made of logs, processed timber building materials, and some loggers’ tools, that’s about it.”

"You don't mind if we do a quick inspection, do you?" The soldier flicked away his cigarette butt. "Don't worry, as long as you cooperate, it's just a routine check. We'll just look around and it'll be over quickly. As for those who don't cooperate, well, we'll have to do a thorough inspection. Isn't it strange? Every time we do a thorough inspection, we always find something illegal. In the end, they'll have to pay more, not less."

"However, the procedures still need to be followed."

"What if your wagons are carrying supplies to aid the Native Americans?"

"What a pity." Calaway, a cigarette dangling from his lips, drew his revolver with lightning speed in his left hand, his eyes half-closed. "You guessed right."

----

"Bang bang bang bang bang bang-!!"

Six gunshots rang out. Almost instantly, he emptied the magazine of bullets, then pulled out another revolver and fired several more shots, sending the soldiers at the front of the column to their deaths.

His gunshot was the strongest possible signal; Meteora in the middle of the group and Theon at the rear both fired simultaneously. In the few dozen seconds that followed, by the time some belatedly realized what was happening and tried to draw their weapons, the battle was already over.

"What's going on?" Meteora rode up from the middle of the group. "You guys chatted for a while?"

"Let's scout ahead first, at least we'll know what's going on up there." Calaway reloaded his dual pistols. "Angel Eyes' analysis was right. As soon as the old man was captured, this foolish son couldn't hold on anymore, and his tactics were full of flaws."

“What that soldier just said, the army might have thought of as well,” Alana said with some concern. “If they really set fire to the forest, and there’s wood everywhere around here, wouldn’t that…”

"Don't worry, even if a rich young master becomes a soldier or an officer, he's still just so-so at heart."

Calaway waved his hand. Although he hadn't met Jarworth yet, he had already dissected him clearly in just a few words. "Setting the mountain on fire is indeed a good idea. But once the fire starts, it's impossible to control. What if this fire kills his father too? The family business has so many twists and turns, who will take over? Himself?"

"He simply doesn't have the guts to take the risk, or rather..."

"When we captured Ryan Cheddar, the battle was already won."

"Right now, what the boss is thinking about is how to make everyone outside realize this."

Chapter 686: The Mental Preparation is Done

“Wait a minute…” Calaway looked at the soldiers’ corpses, his brow furrowed, deep in thought. “Take off these guys’ uniforms.”

"What, worried that someone might see us?" Meteora glanced into the distance. "If we go any further, we'll be entering the forest. I don't think it's necessary."

"It's better to be prepared. If we encounter anyone blocking our way again, we can just say we're in the military, and that will save us some trouble."

Just as they were taking off their uniforms and hadn't even had a chance to change, a fast horse burst out of the forest, flying straight toward them like an arrow.

Calaway reacted quickly, instinctively placing his left hand on the gun handle, half-closing his eyes as he sized up the newcomer's face and attire. He raised his hand slightly and said in a deep voice, "Stay calm, if they're not enemies, don't move!"

After giving his instructions, he gently lifted the reins, spurred his horse forward, and faced the rapidly approaching messenger from afar.

He's really strong.

With its clearly defined muscles, strong body, calm eyes, and wild style of clothing, Carloway couldn't help but feel a sense of regret: it would be such a pity to let such a race with wild beauty disappear from the world.

"Uh... I don't know if you can understand my language, we mean no harm."

Calaway lifted the hem of his coat, patted his holster, and gestured to him that the gun was still neatly tucked into his belt. This gesture was common among gunmen and cowboys, used to indicate that they posed no threat. "We're members of the Red Center..."

"Peregrine Falcon?!" Theon noticed the newcomer's face, spurred his horse forward, and his tone became visibly excited, "Is it you?"

“Long time no see.” The Peregrine smiled warmly and nodded slightly to him. “Mr. Theon.”

"What, you know him?" Calaway turned his head in surprise. "I thought the only Native American our gang knew was the chief."

“We met not long ago.” Theon’s tone was full of gratitude, but his eyes always drooped involuntarily when he talked about this topic. “This gentleman helped me with my brother’s body, and he was finally able to have a somewhat decent funeral.”

"May he rest in peace," the peregrine falcon added.

"Ha, ha... so you are..."

"I am the second son of the King of Tall Trees." Peregrine showed no pride or arrogance about this identity, not even a little bit, and thus his tone was very calm as he spoke. "Mr. Red Center has arrived, and while waiting for you all, he has already taken action and accomplished a series of memorable feats for Tall Trees. Among them, he captured Ryan Childel."

“Oh, right, right, Angel Eyes told us too. Haha, that old bastard…” Calaway clapped his hands. “Since we all know each other, and you speak fluent English, that makes things even easier.”

He gave a thumbs-up and pointed far behind the convoy, "Knowing you're at war, New Orleans has already ramped up production. Food, supplies, and even firearms... everything's in there. It could have been even faster, but we haven't taken over the New Elizabeth transport railroad yet."

"However, now that this old bastard is down, Angel Eye will quickly relay this news back to Igor, and he should take action soon."

"Please allow me, on behalf of Gao Shu and the nearly 2000 fellow students of Advanced Mathematics, to thank you all for your rescue." The Peregrine Falcon bowed on horseback. "Your life-saving grace is beyond repayment."

"Alright, enough about reporting it," Calaway waved his hand dismissively, "Lead the way!"

----

They definitely needed a local to guide them, lest they get lost in the dense, intricate forest. It's no exaggeration to say that without a guide, their carriage would quickly get stuck between the trees, or the wheels would become jammed with rocks, rendering it immobile, or even sooner.

The peregrine falcon planned a suitable route for them. Although it was a bit roundabout, the entire route was quite spacious, and no accidents occurred.

“This forest is practically a natural ambush point. The leaves are so dense that they block out the sun... If you venture in here for the first time, you probably won’t even be able to tell which way is which.” Meteora looked around and couldn’t help but sigh, “Once you enter this forest, even the most powerful army will be played like a monkey by the local tribes.”

"What's with these faces on the trees?" Alana sat on the edge of the carriage, curiously observing everything around her. "They look a bit scary."

It's barely acceptable during the day.

If you look up suddenly at night and see several human faces on the tree bark, you might be so frightened that your heart could stop.

“These are the faces of our ancestors.” The peregrine falcon’s explanation was similar to that of the eagle. “According to my father, these faces are the incarnations of our ancestors. Although their physical bodies have dissolved, they have not completely left. In the darkness, the souls of our ancestors reside on these ancient tree barks, forming these faces.”

"Seeing them means we're not far from the tall trees."

----

The scenery at Hightree Camp was far more spectacular than they had imagined. Today was a special day for everyone at the camp—nearly a hundred white men swaggered into the camp in their carriages.

This was also the consensus reached between Flying Eagle and the Chief after the Green Grass Ceremony: no longer relying on the tribe to fight alone, but when necessary, external forces could be introduced to break the deadlock.

Consensus is one thing, but when that day actually arrives, many people will still need to mentally prepare themselves.

When the wagons arrived at an open space and they began unloading guns, food, supplies, and ammunition box by box, many people had completed their mental preparation.

……

"Wow, there are so many!"

"See those bullets? The bullets are sharp, completely different from the bullets we got from the enemy!"

"Bourbon whiskey!!"

"I once found this kind of canned food in a soldier's pocket. It was so delicious! I think it was called something like 'pineapple'... It was a kind of fruit, incredibly sweet!"

"What are those little boxes?"

"That's called a cigarette, you idiot."

"But...aren't cigarettes sold individually? Why are they packed in a box?"

"You idiot, you won't believe me? This is what Hummingbird told me. Outside, cigarettes are sold by the pack. Those unscrupulous merchants are trying to cheat us out of our money, so they sell them to us one cigarette at a time!"

……

The gap in productivity was manifested in this way at this moment.

Flying Eagle watched from afar, his expression a mixture of joy and worry.

----

"Be careful, slow down! Slow down... Ouch!"

On the last carriage, there was a huge wooden crate that required eight people to carry. One of them slipped, and a corner of the crate slid down and crushed him.

"Boom!"

A hand reached out from the side and caught the falling wooden box, suspending it at a height that left it still shaken.

"Are you okay?"

Zhang Renfeng used one hand to support the wooden box and put it back in its place, while using the other hand to help him up.

He looked at the box with a hint of curiosity, "What's in this? It's so heavy!"

Chapter 687: You're a real devil

"Boss!"

Alana leaped into Zhang Renfeng's arms, hugged his neck, spun him around halfway, and smiled brightly, "Long time no see~"

"..." When Xiaomei arrived and saw this scene, she was quite astonished, seemingly surprised that Alana could be so open and intimate. After turning halfway around, she jumped off him like a nimble little squirrel, her expression completely natural, without the slightest hint of awkwardness.

"Xiaomei, it's you too! Long time no see!"

She opened her arms and hugged Xiaomei, then shook hands with Mike. Only then did Xiaomei finally understand—Alana was different from her; she simply considered this gang her home. To her, this was just a long-awaited reunion between family members.

……

“This time, we’ve brought 120 men with us. It’s not a large number, but they are all well-trained elite soldiers.” Meteora’s voice sounded more like a subordinate reporting to a superior. “They are experts in horsemanship, archery, and the use of some special weapons. They can hit exactly where you point them.”

"That's enough. In a war between two armies, the quality of the troops is more important than the quantity."

Zhang Renfeng was more concerned about the large wooden box, which was almost as tall as two people. He kicked it lightly twice, and a dull metallic clanging sound came from inside. Judging from the echo, the contents of the box were quite large.

"What's in here? It's so heavy!"

"This is a gift from that great scientist. I don't know how he managed to pack such a huge thing into a box. He said it's a 'weapon tailor-made for you' that can further enhance your combat abilities," Calaway said with a smile. "Want to open it and take a look?"

“…Not now, we still have a pre-station meeting to attend.” Zhang Renfeng subconsciously touched the surface of the wooden crate. “Let’s save this interesting thing for later.”

----

"The enemy has already assembled in the north."

Inside the long-skinned treehouse, a map of the area near the tall trees was placed on the table—it was something Mike had hastily drawn up.

The local inhabitants of Takagi have no need for maps. Outsiders have never ventured deep into the forest; in their maps, Takagi is simply a green shadow. The map on the table here is likely the first map of the Takagi region.

Eagle pointed to the north on the map, "Jaworth has mobilized all the military forces in the east and south with great fanfare. Just the night before, they had completed the transfer of all logistical supplies."

"Originally, they hoped to exhaust our food supply, so that we would run out of the woods like headless flies and fight them. They dug trenches and fortifications on the wide plains, waiting for me to go and die."

"But now, the situation has reversed. We have a winning hand, and if we want a quick victory, the opponent has become the one who loses."

“This is playing their cards face up,” Mike sneered. “Everyone huddled together and charged into the forest; it’s a pure game of offense and defense.”

“If he breaks through our defenses, he wins. Conversely, if we defend against them, they're finished. He wants to force us to play a game of rock-paper-scissors with him.”

“I have a question,” Flying Eagle said, glancing at the convoy in the distance, “about the weapons you brought…”

“We can arm the vast majority of your fighting force,” Theon said in a deep voice. “However, you may not be able to use some special weapons.”

"At some strategic passes, deploying these kinds of weapons, such as Gatling guns, would easily allow one soldier to take on ten. For example... here, here, and... here!"

Theon placed the chess pieces in several locations on the map, saying, "Use wagons, wooden crates, and the like as cover, set up machine guns in these positions, and we can rout them!"

“In the forest, the cavalry’s strength will be greatly weakened. There are trees everywhere, and the horses certainly can’t charge. Those who can get in here are all infantry,” Mitolla analyzed. “Jaworth is a Union colonel. Let’s assume he has a certain level of military skill and won’t do something as foolish as lining up to shoot. So, he will most likely divide his troops into skirmish formations and send them all in at once. The advantage of this formation is that it won’t be wiped out by concentrated fire and it’s very flexible. The disadvantage is that because the troops are scattered, commanding and mobilizing them will be quite difficult.”

“We have the advantage in terms of terrain; we can flexibly flank him, using the trees as cover to launch a surprise attack on his flank…”

……

For the Red Center Gang, this was essentially a replay of the Battle of Lagras, except that last time it was in the mountains, and this time it was in the forest.

Despite not having a numerical advantage, their familiarity with the terrain and the enemy's misjudgment of their firepower were their trump cards in turning the tide of the battle.

Eagle had no experience fighting against modern armies, and in this situation, as Gao Shu's representative, he appeared very humble. He rarely spoke, and even rarely asked questions, only offering explanations when Meteora or Mike inquired about terrain-related issues. Otherwise, his gaze was fixed on the map, his brows slightly furrowed, deep in thought.

Like him, there was another person who was also silently contemplating.

----