Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

Chapter 754: Second-in-Command

Zhang Renfeng's original plan was simply to safely deliver Sam to Pike Town. He only brought a few days' worth of emergency rations, which were now all gone. But looking at the entire shantytown, there were still more than 3800 mouths to feed.

He had witnessed the conditions in the shantytowns firsthand—many, like Sam's mother, were already on the verge of death. The rest were likely so hungry they were practically gnawing on their boots. In such circumstances, even if they were told to run, they probably wouldn't be able to move and would just lie there waiting to die.

This is still a problem that drives you crazy if you think about it carefully.

In ancient times, having the ability to feed nearly four thousand people would have been more than enough to make one a powerful regional ruler. Even if Zhang Renfeng was incredibly capable, he couldn't conjure up so much food out of thin air. As they ate, several cans of food were emptied, and his brows furrowed even more deeply.

After a moment of silence, Lydia spoke, "Mr. Zhang, are you still insisting on taking everyone from the shantytown with you?"

An official who has risen to her position cannot be stupid. Now she has realized that he was the one orchestrating the whole thing.

Sophia had an inexplicable trust in this man. Their relationship was certainly not as simple as their initial meeting in White Torch Town. Perhaps they had already been in contact before, without her knowledge.

Regardless, with the mayor's order to breach the dam and release the floodwaters failing, the situation in Pike City became increasingly unpredictable. At this stage, to leave the city safely, at least one forceful ally would be needed.

There probably isn't anyone more suitable than him.

“Of course.” Zhang Renfeng nodded and said matter-of-factly, “We’re all human beings, why should they have to stay in that shack and wait to be drowned by the flood?”

"..."

Lydia looked at the light in his eyes, her pupils dilated slightly, and she subconsciously wiped the smudged lipstick from her lips.

But when she noticed Zhang Renfeng's gaze looking in her direction, she turned her head slightly in a fluster, tucked her short hair behind her ear, and softened her originally sharp tone a little, "In that case, we need to make long-term plans."

"First and foremost, the most important thing is food, medicine, and resources. And then, how to safely transfer these 3872 people from Pike City. The four of us can't accomplish this even if we shout ourselves hoarse. We need a voice."

“In this city, we are all outsiders, without our own power. At present, the highest level of administrative power we can borrow is the mayor here, Wilson Wagner.”

At this point, Lydia looked at him cautiously, and only after confirming that there was no emotion on his face did she continue, "Therefore, if we want to accomplish this, the most realistic and appropriate solution is to cooperate with him."

Zhang Renfeng's expression was calm, as if he had already considered this aspect, or as if he simply had no other opinion on the suggestion.

Sam's reaction was much more intense. He jumped to his feet, exclaiming incredulously, "Ms. Lydia, you...you don't tell me you're serious? Cooperating with him? After he blew up the dam and was about to drown so many of us!"

“If the weather forecast is correct, there are less than four hours until the Great Lakes Demon makes landfall,” Lydia explained calmly. “In those four hours, it’s impossible for just a few of us to guarantee that so many people will be evacuated alive.”

"Cooperation does not mean that we have to humbly beg him. The fact that the dam was destroyed is already established, and the evidence is conclusive. This is an intelligence advantage for us. I can use this as a threat to force him to comply. Organizing the evacuation of citizens is a function that the municipal government should have. We are just asking him to fulfill the obligations that he, as mayor, should fulfill."

“This time, I will talk to him personally.” Lydia’s tone was very firm. “Politics is the art of compromise. The fact that the plan to breach the dam and release the floodwaters has been exposed will have some impact on him.”

"Under pressure, he is likely to compromise."

“I agree with my sister’s plan.” Sophia regained some of her energy, her eyes shining again, and raised her hand to indicate, “The most important thing right now is not to kill anyone, but to successfully transfer the personnel out and minimize casualties.”

……

“Okay, let’s do it this way.” After a moment’s thought, Zhang Renfeng quickly accepted the order of priorities and nodded, “Human lives are at stake, everything else can wait.”

----

To demonstrate her seriousness about the negotiations, Lydia tidied her makeup and changed into a spare outfit. After dressing as presentably as possible, she strode confidently up the stairs, one step at a time.

However, before they even entered the room, just as they turned the corner at the top of the stairs, they heard the cacophony of arguments erupting from the crowd. A familiar face, Jonah Wagner, stood outside the meeting room, looking around cautiously, just like his previous henchman. Upon seeing them, Jonah instinctively shrank back, then a somewhat complicated expression appeared on his face.

Sam's expression was equally complex. He had realized that his blood-related second brother didn't seem to get along so well with Wilson. But even so, Wilson was a nobleman who had grown up from childhood, naturally different from a bastard like himself, and they remained silent for a long time.

"Thank you for reminding me about what happened before," Lydia said, taking the initiative to speak. "Your actions indirectly saved 3872 innocent lives."

"But now, we intend to have a serious and in-depth discussion with your brother about this matter. The hurricane is about to make landfall, and people in shantytowns can no longer stay there. We must organize the evacuation of the workers. This is the duty that the city government should fulfill."

"We hope you can formally convey our demands to him."

"Uh... about this..." Jonah's expression was as if he was choking on something hard to swallow, and he tried to speak several times but stopped himself.

……

"He ran away?!" Sam couldn't help but curse. "F**k! That bastard, he's the mayor of Pike City, and at a time like this, he's just running away?"

Lydia was also somewhat shocked, but having been in politics for a long time, she was quite knowledgeable and didn't say much, only sighing.

Too normal.

Perhaps he fled because his scheme was exposed, or perhaps he fled because he couldn't bear the pressure... In any case, as long as he remains a member of the Wagner family and as long as he can keep his life, he won't be removed from his position as mayor so easily.

However, it's a bit outrageous that he doesn't even lead his team and just runs around on his own. It's hard to imagine that a person with a normal mind would do such a thing.

"What do we do now?" Sophia was inevitably a little discouraged after the plan, which was only made up on the spur of the moment, was disrupted again.

“It might not be a bad thing.” Zhang Renfeng pondered for a moment and asked, “With the mayor gone, who is the second highest-ranking official in the city? Why don’t we just talk to him directly?”

“After the mayor… it depends. Most likely, it will be the police chief, the head of a key department, such as the treasurer. Or the president of the city council,” Lydia added. “However, I’m talking about cities with a ‘weak mayor system.’ Given Wilson’s personality, he’s unlikely to delegate too much power to his superiors.”

"Therefore, the second-in-command under Mayor Park should be the position of 'municipal secretary'."

"See, that solves it!" Zhang Renfeng clapped his hands happily. "So, who is the municipal secretary for this city?"

……

"..."

Jonah pointed somewhat awkwardly to himself.

Chapter 755: Different Worlds

"So! I've already said it, the problem now isn't whether to evacuate or not, but how much of what's left can be salvaged?! He'll just pack up and run away, and once the disaster's over, he'll shift the blame onto us and swagger back to be mayor again, and we'll be completely finished..."

"Damn it, that bastard! I knew all along that this kind of person would be absolutely unreliable in a critical moment."

"If I had known it would turn out like this, I should have left with Walken. Without him as sheriff, the police station's operations haven't been affected much, have they? I've figured it out: the sooner you leave, the easier it is. On the contrary, those who stay behind are doing thankless work and still worrying about these trivial matters!"

How many people are left in the city?

"What are you doing in the city? Anyone who could get train tickets has already run away. The rest are just useless people. What's important now is the factory, the production equipment and machinery. Those are all assets of Atlantic Steel Manufacturing Company. If we can't protect them, Norton will tear us apart!"

"Where would we get so many more people..."

……

The same conference hall, but this time, there was no lobster, cream, or sherry. The officials participating in the discussion were no longer as relaxed and at ease as they had been when they first met. The huge conference hall now felt like a marketplace, filled with the echoes of their arguments.

When Jonah walked in, hardly anyone noticed him at first glance.

"Everyone...everyone! Quiet, please be quiet!"

He spoke weakly, trying to draw everyone's attention to himself, but both attempts failed, leaving him scratching his head in embarrassment.

Zhang Renfeng didn't blame him. He drew his pistol, pointed it to the sky, and pulled the trigger several times. Several damp bullets came out, and he finally managed to fire a shot.

"boom!"

As it turns out, this is the fastest way, rather than shouting at the top of your lungs.

Not only were the attendees' attention drawn to this, but the guards' attention was also drawn to it.

However, this also reveals that the operation to destroy the dam actually involved a considerable amount of manpower; Wagner's "talent pool" was almost entirely mobilized, and was wiped out by Zhang Renfeng and Sophia. Only two or three people managed to rush in, but seeing the scene in the council chamber, they were momentarily stunned, unsure who to take down.

……

The stage was set up. Jonah took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his wildly beating heart, and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, first of all... thank you for your perseverance. In this difficult time, you have not given up on this city and have persevered with our citizens until now."

Whether it's persisting or giving up, it all boils down to a single sentence.

Everyone here is a seasoned veteran, so naturally they won't react to these few words and will still look at him with distrust.

"It is with great regret that our mayor... who is also my brother, Wilson Waglet, is not with you all. To be honest, I don't know where he is now. May God save his lost soul."

“But even in his absence, many things must continue. According to the Bay City Special Invocation Act of 1870, in special circumstances where the mayor is absent, that…”

He licked his lips and glanced at the air. "All temporary decision-making power should be delegated to personnel of the next level of government agencies recognized by the federal government."

“I checked, and Police Chief Walker and Finance Minister Brian have already left by train. Currently, only these two hold positions at the same level as me, the city secretary. That means…”

……

"...So you think that now that your brother has escaped and all those important figures have escaped, we should listen to you, right?"

An official stood up and was the first to let out a disdainful laugh.

"Ah……"

"Hahahahaha——!!"

The people who were just arguing were now united and burst into laughter.

This is perfectly normal.

Despite being called the municipal secretary, Jonah's daily work was merely that of Wilson's personal assistant.

My daily work consisted of helping him with some copying tasks; I didn't have any real achievements.

Those below wouldn't consider whether Wilson was being too autocratic; they would only think that this naturally timid guy was just a parasite living in the city because of his family's reputation.

"Alright, let's hear what our 'Mr. Copyist' has to say."

----

Jonah's eyebrows twitched, as if he was angry, but he held back and said, "My brother made a terrible mistake. He trampled on one of the most basic rights of a human being—life! Even if there are a thousand ways to embellish it afterward, to twist it into a necessary act, or for some greater good, I cannot condone it."

"Life is an irreplaceable and precious thing, and this applies to everyone's life. Therefore, my position is as follows."

"According to the telegram from the Weather Signals Bureau, there are less than four hours until the Great Lakes Demon makes landfall. I...I implore you all to mobilize the remaining forces at your disposal, to mobilize the stored food, medicine and other resources, and to provide the disaster victims with the necessary survival support."

"Note that when I say 'disaster victims,' I'm not just referring to people in the city, but also the 3782 people living in the shantytowns. They have contributed their blood and sweat to the development of this city, and they shouldn't be abandoned in the rain like this!"

"We need to organize an orderly and safe evacuation. We need to contact the people at the train station and get them ready to depart. This is currently the only way to leave the city! These are the functions of the municipal government. As long as they operate normally, we can do a lot in the remaining four hours!"

"Gentlemen, let us stand together with our people!"

----

A man who had always been suppressed by his elder brother has finally uttered his first cry in the political arena.

I wouldn't say it was particularly passionate or impassioned, but at least I managed to get through it and say everything that was on my mind.

However, what awaited him at the scene was utter silence.

The remaining officials looked at him with a mixture of pity and disgust, as if he were a madman.

“I see… you’re only suited for these copying and writing jobs,” one of the officials mocked. “What you’re saying is completely different from the reality we live in.”

"What time is it now? You still have the mind to think about those poor people in the shantytowns and even want to distribute supplies to them... Ha, that's unbelievable. Do you even know how many resources it will take up to evacuate so many people?"

"In these extraordinary times, we will absolutely not waste our precious resources on these things."

A portly man stood up, squinted, and said with an arrogant expression, making a cockroach-dancing gesture, "They're like cockroaches... After the disaster, some tough ones will survive. These survivors will then breed new cockroaches, and in a few generations, the population will recover."

"Yes, that's it."

"The most important thing now is the factory and facilities. Mr. scribe, I'm afraid you've completely misunderstood the situation."

"No matter how hard you try to please the poor, it's pointless; they won't give you their votes."

……

Jonah was somewhat stunned.

He couldn't understand why these elites and officials, who usually seemed so gentle and refined, so full of gentlemanly manners, were acting like...

You don't live in the same world as yourself.

Chapter 756: I've always persuaded people with reason.

Zhang Renfeng patted him on the shoulder, signaling him to step back.

“But Mr. Zhang…” Jonah swallowed hard, “the matter hasn’t been resolved yet…”

“You’ve done your best under these circumstances,” Zhang Renfeng said calmly. “Let me talk to them now.”

Do we really need to talk?

Sofia knew him relatively well, so she cleverly pulled her sister's sleeve and took a few steps back to avoid getting splashed by something.

----

As expected, Zhang Renfeng had no intention of "talking" at all. He walked straight towards the official who had just made the "cockroach theory," a man in his forties or fifties with a protruding belly. He stood still beside him, looking down at him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He raised his eyebrows, waved his hand impatiently, hissed, and scolded, "Get lost. Can't you see we're talking about serious business? We don't have time to argue with you. If you want to save those cockroaches, figure it out yourself."

“You may not have understood what he was trying to say,” Zhang Renfeng said calmly. “Right now, Jonah Wagner is the most powerful person in this city. He has the authority to give orders, and you… all of you.”

Zhang Renfeng glanced around at the people at the table and said in a deep voice, "You all have an 'obligation' to cooperate with him and do what the municipal government should do: organize the orderly evacuation of the people. Have I made myself clear enough? Can you understand?"