Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

"As for the federal government, there's even less hope. According to the Stafford Act, they can only intervene after the state government has formally requested assistance. By the time they arrive, the hurricane might have already passed."

"Do you understand? In the face of this sudden incident, the only true leader is Wilson, the 'mayor' of Pike City. How this matter is ultimately resolved depends entirely on his personal decision."

“He will almost certainly favor those groups with whom he has deep-rooted interests. As for the workers you just mentioned... they were abandoned by him from the very beginning.”

Hearing this, Sam bit his lip in extreme reluctance.

“Now, you’ve exposed his plan in front of everyone. And you’re even going to take on the job of resettling the workers. In the eyes of someone like him, this is a challenge to his authority! Even if you succeed, he won’t thank you. On the contrary, he will see you as enemies and will also put those 3800-plus workers on his revenge list.”

"Besides, even if you invoke your family's name and temporarily gain the upper hand, what good will it do? The matter is still unresolved. Wilson is not going to offer you any help, so how do you plan to solve the supply problem?"

"To raise enough food, medicine, clean water, and clean accommodations for 3800 people... what a massive undertaking that is! How many procedures and approvals are required? How many people will it go through? How many orders of magnitude of funds will it take? Do you really understand?"

"Let me put it this way, unless right now, there is a highly centralized person or a highly centralized force. If he speaks, the entire state and county, from top to bottom, regardless of faction, will listen to him without question and without hesitation. Only by concentrating all manpower and resources together and supplying them continuously like a blood transfusion, will it be possible to accomplish this."

"It's 1879 now, where are you going to find such a person?"

Sofia lowered her head, speechless.

----

"That is to say..."

Zhang Renfeng, who had been listening attentively the whole time, finally spoke up, "As long as the logistics, accommodation, and funding issues can be resolved, there is still hope that this matter can be accomplished, right?"

……

Lydia stared at him with an astonished look, her face full of question marks, seemingly unable to understand what he was saying.

Did he really understand what he was saying? He talked until his lips were dry, wasn't he just emphasizing that this matter was fundamentally "impossible" from the very beginning?!

However, before Lydia could say anything more, there was a knock on the door.

"Sam...Sam, are you still there?" A weak voice came from behind.

"Jonah?" Sam was somewhat surprised by the visitor's arrival, but also somewhat distant. "...Did the mayor send you?"

Chapter 743: The Devil Among Us

Jonah Wagner is Sam's older brother by blood.

During the meeting just now, he had been playing the role of a secretary, taking notes and keeping a very low profile. Zhang Renfeng didn't pay much attention to him either.

Looking at him now, his clothes, appearance, and even his hairstyle are all very unremarkable. Even if you threw him into a crowd, he would probably blend in quickly. Standing there, with his back slightly hunched, he naturally exudes a somewhat timid air, giving the impression that you could easily refute him if you raised your voice.

“Wilson doesn’t know I’m here, and… please don’t tell him…”

Compared to Sam, Jonah's ecological status is, in some ways, even worse.

Wilson's desire for power was undoubtedly quite strong; under him, Jonah could only do dispensable work. Everyone, from top to bottom, was merely an appendage of Wilson, and in fact, that was exactly what he was doing.

Perhaps it was because of his long-term subservient position that Jonah developed an exceptional ability to read people. Although Sophia had been the one directly involved in the negotiations, he immediately realized who was truly in charge among this group.

“You just said you would take on the responsibility of rescuing and resettling those workers. I… I want to ask…” He turned to Zhang Renfeng and, with some difficulty, expressed his meaning, “Are you just saying that, or do you really intend to do so?”

“I really do intend to do this,” Zhang Renfeng said frankly, no longer pretending. “And I will definitely do it.”

"..." Jonah was taken aback by his nonchalant tone. His lips trembled as if he wanted to say something, but he ultimately couldn't. He simply took out a report-format document and handed it directly to Zhang Renfeng.

can't read.

The language was too formal for Zhang Renfeng to understand. He held it awkwardly for a moment before handing it to Sophia, who, without even glancing at it, passed it on to her sister Lydia. After all, Lydia was the highest-ranking person at the moment.

"..."

After watching for a while, Lydia's expression grew increasingly serious.

"This is an alert... sent by the US Weather Signal Service via telegram. It says there are 12 hours until the hurricane makes landfall... Wait a minute!" Lydia exclaimed, "When did you receive this?"

“This morning, around 9:20…” Jonah replied.

"Isn't that the time we just arrived in Pike Town?" Zhang Renfeng quickly calculated. They got off the train at the station, went to the shantytown first, and then rushed to the city hall, all on foot. The torrential rain and the extremely bad roads took at least four or five hours.

In other words, they have less than eight hours left!

"If you really have the ability, then hurry up and evacuate the crowd. Otherwise... otherwise, it will be too late! My brother... he..."

Jonah's expression was incredibly conflicted, as if something horrifying was stuck in his throat, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Zhang Renfeng suddenly had a very bad premonition.

“Your brother is your brother, and you are you. We won’t hold a grudge against you for the mistakes he made.” He urged, “Since you’ve come to us, stop dawdling and get to the point!”

"The report also said that if the rainfall continues at this rate and doesn't recede... once the hurricane makes landfall, the water level will keep rising. The flood pressure we face will be extremely high; the main urban area and industrial zones might not be able to hold. To prevent this, Wilson... he..."

"The plan is to blow up a section of the dike near the shantytown and use the shantytown as a buffer for flood discharge. He has already sent a team to transport truckloads of explosives to the dike."

"The leader is an officer known as 'The Executioner,' a ruthless killer who specializes in handling these dirty jobs for Wilson. He doesn't hesitate for even a second when he strikes! Your time is really running out!"

"While there's still time, hurry up and evacuate the people from the shantytowns. Every little bit helps!"

----

"Boom—!"

Thunder and lightning.

Lightning bolts transformed into countless swords, forcefully tearing apart the oppressive night sky.

The thin window in front of me was being battered by the storm outside, making a continuous thumping sound.

"So... does your leader have absolutely no sense of time?" Wilson's tone was quite dissatisfied. "Does he think that preparing this meal in this kind of environment is an easy thing to do?"

……

Even though most areas of the city were shut down due to the heavy rain, the core areas related to it remained largely unaffected.

At his command, even under such difficult circumstances, the Wagner family's private chefs still prepared a table of dishes that were so exquisite they could be described as luxurious.

There was plenty of wine and food, but the guests who should have arrived were nowhere to be seen; only his subordinates showed up.

Wilson, the host and mayor of Pike City, felt he hadn't received equal treatment and had lost face, so he didn't look too good.

At this moment, he was facing one of the coldest faces in the world.

The stranger sat upright in the chair to the side, without saying a word, like a silent statue.

Old cowboy Jack, on the other hand, covered his face with his cowboy hat and fell fast asleep, even snoring.

Perhaps realizing that venting his emotions on these two extraordinary individuals was a waste of time, Wilson turned to the tall, twin-tailed girl sitting beside him and demanded sharply, "We both serve Mr. Samuel, so what? Am I inferior to him?"

The girl didn't answer him at all, and just kept eating, as if she didn't know when the next meal would come.

"Well, well, calm down," Kusaya Kari said dismissively, "Knowing him as I do, he's not usually late. He must have something important to do. Mayor, perhaps you could..."

"Important matters? What could be more important than this?!" Wilson's expression twisted into a rage. He tapped the table a few times with his fingers, his pent-up impatience finally exploding as he roared, "Let's be frank! If that coward doesn't dare give the order and play the villain, OK, I understand. I'll play the villain!"

"However, after this is over, you'd better not run out like lapdogs, wagging your tails and going to Mr. Samuel to claim credit."

After saying that, he didn't want to wait any longer. He slammed his wine glass down on the table and stormed out.

……

"...Where did Dad go?"

Faced with the girl's question, the stranger remained silent and shook his head.

----

"boom----!!"

Lightning flashed.

The highest point of the Pike Place Cathedral's vaulted ceiling is also the highest point in the city.

Lu Aniu stood there, looking down from his vantage point at the city soaked in rain.

The rain fell harder and harder, ruffling his gray hair as if to drag the whole world into the deep sea.

He remained silent, his eyes slightly narrowed, lost in thought.

Chapter 744: There is no need for God here

"This...this doesn't make sense..."

Shocked, Lydia managed to calm herself and try to think rationally. "Even if the floodwaters were to be released, the people in the shantytowns should have been evacuated beforehand. These workers are also part of Pike City's available labor force. What good would it do for the mayor to drown them all?"

“The contract,” Sam murmured after a brief silence.

"What did you say?"

"These shantytowns were all built under contracts with them. The residents of the shantytowns were all workers from Atlantic Steel Manufacturing Company. Their contracts involved a long-term deduction of money from their wages to buy the right to the housing. This was a transaction arranged and approved by the city government."

"We were criticized for using part of our salary to buy this dilapidated shack that could collapse in a breath of wind. It seems that from that time on, you and Wilson were known as the 'Water Ghost Brothers'... But that's not the point."

"The key point is that this deal was pushed forward by the municipal government itself. Although the way they were doing it was extremely shady, it was all clearly written down in black and white."

“These shantytowns are the workers’ ‘dwellings.’ If the municipal government breaches the dike and uses the shantytowns as a buffer zone for flood discharge, it means they will have to pay the homeowners compensation. Even if it’s not calculated per person, but per household, it will add up to a considerable sum!”

"But... what if there were no homeowners? What if all the homeowners, along with these shantytown dwellers, were forever submerged in the water, never to speak again? Then they wouldn't lose a single dollar. For Wilson, it would be a sure-fire profit!"

……

Everyone was silent.

What's frightening is that such a crazy guess, when applied to this city, surprisingly seemed reasonable, and everyone believed it.

When faced with self-interest, human nature often has no bottom line.

Without further ado, Zhang Renfeng asked directly, "Where is the dam you mentioned?"

"It's just north of the shantytown, about 800 meters away." Jonah pointed in a direction, his voice still somewhat hesitant. "You guys need to hurry and evacuate the crowd, time is really running out... Wait, you...?"

He was surprised to see Zhang Renfeng start moving his neck and instinctively took a step back. "What are you doing? Don't be stupid. The executioner has more than a hundred men with him... They're all private soldiers who follow the family, and they're ruthless!"

“Evacuation is not a feasible solution,” Zhang Renfeng said in a deep voice. “From the transmission of information to the assembly of people, it takes a lot of time. Panic will cause large-scale stampedes, and the elderly, children, and women, who are the weaker groups, may be trampled to death during the evacuation. Moreover, there is not enough time.”

"Yes, that's why I said, every little bit helps..."

"No one should be abandoned."

Zhang Renfeng turned his head, his calm eyes containing boundless power, and said firmly, "Especially when abandoned by such a bastard."

"Thump—!!"

The next moment, he suddenly started running, his toes landing heavily on the ground. His body blurred for a moment, then, standing still, he crashed through the brick wall of the city hall. With a powerful leap, he soared into the city that was about to be swallowed by the torrential rain.

Jonah's expression was somewhat out of control. This scene was still too shocking for someone who had never witnessed Zhang Renfeng's power.

Lydia, while stunned, frowned, and a deep suspicion flashed in her dark eyes.

But regardless, the figure landed safely on the ground. Like a runaway train, it careened wildly through the city, hurtling towards the dam!

----

"Hey, what are you standing there for? Come on over and move these things! There are so many boxes, do you think I can move them all by myself?!"

The companion ignored him, standing still, muttering something to himself.

As I approached, I heard only the final words: "...May you, with your almighty mercy and wisdom, forgive our sins, Amen."

"What?" his companion said impatiently. "We've come this far, and we're still doing this pointless work. Is it even worth it?"

"I don't know, I just feel... a little..." The praying man made the sign of the cross in the air, then clutched the Sacred Heart pendant around his neck, murmuring, "After doing such a thing, how will future generations view us?"

“They won’t think much of us, because this matter will never get out. *smack!* His companion made a flattened hammer gesture. “Once the floodgates are opened and the water is released, all those vermin will drown. Even if the news leaks out, no foolish newspaper will dare to publish it. In a few months, this matter will be completely forgotten.”

"And today, those of us who participate will receive a large sum of money as a reward—that's how the world works, you have to get used to it."

His companions were indifferent.

Not far away, the carriage had stopped, and more of his companions were unloading boxes of explosives from it. Their movements were careful, but their expressions were nonchalant, as if they were simply moving flour. This nonchalant attitude left him somewhat bewildered; he couldn't understand whether something was wrong with him, or with the world itself.

Is it really that easy to give up on murdering 3872 people?

“I think you’re having another episode.” His companion shook his head, looking at him with a hopeless expression. “Do you think we earn far more than our peers throughout the year? Is Mr. Wilson just wasting his time spending so much money to support a bunch of us? Isn’t it just for times like this?”

"That's true, I know. But... I always feel..."

The praying man hesitated; whatever his thoughts were, the thought of taking so much money from others every year made it hard for him to speak.

one hand.

Suddenly, a rough, huge, scarred hand reached out from above and snapped his Sacred Heart necklace in two.