Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

"Neither Birmingham nor Watson will get us there. Our train will run out of fuel halfway there and then stop."

"..."

Zhang Renfeng remained silent for a while, then sighed inexplicably and leaned back in his chair, looking somewhat dejected.

Even though he knew in his heart that this was normal. The whole plan was a last-minute operation; how could it be such a coincidence that all kinds of resources would be specially provided for you? If something is missing, it is missing, and even if he could turn the world upside down, it would be useless.

but……

His intense resentment caused him to reveal a somewhat dejected expression in public, biting his lip.

----

"Wait a moment……"

Sam looked at the map on the table, frowned, and pointed to a punctuation mark. "Why do we have to go to Birmingham or Watson, big cities like that? We're just seeking refuge, so the closer the better. Can't we just go here?"

Following his finger, everyone saw a place so small that even the words were easily overlooked.

Oak City.

It is located west of Pike Place, in the exact opposite direction from the major cities of Birmingham and Watson. Interestingly, its location on the map is extremely, extremely, extremely inconspicuous, and the font is exceptionally small; it's so small that it could easily be overlooked along with the nearby mountains if you're not paying close attention.

Of course, more importantly, it's closer to Pike Town.

A thin line, about the thickness of a human hair, appears on the map, indicating that there is still a railway connection between the two cities.

"Where is this place?" Zhang Renfeng asked, frowning.

“I…I don’t know…” Jonah said haltingly, as if he had choked. “I’ve never been there.”

"What?" Sam asked suspiciously. "There's a railway, though."

“There are no trains going to that city from inside the train station,” Bernard explained. “There are trains that do go there, but to be honest, it’s quite rare. I’ve only seen them two or three times.”

"The stationmaster has repeatedly warned against sending trains in that direction, saying that... there might be some 'serious safety incident'... The mayor also seems to have mentioned that it is not allowed to go to Oak City without permission, but of course, most people don't have the time for that."

“Even when they were fleeing, they didn’t go to Oaktown, but to Birmingham in another direction.”

……

It's a bit strange that when fleeing in a life-or-death situation, people always choose to go the long way around instead of staying close by.

Everyone keenly sensed a strange aura, but at this critical moment, the most important thing was to leave this place as soon as possible, and Zhang Renfeng didn't have time to think about it in detail.

"...You just said there's some steel in the carriage, right?" Zhang Renfeng suddenly asked, "Given that we can all get on the train with the supplies, could we also bring the steel along?"

“It’s possible…it’s possible…If our destination is Oak City, we’ll have enough coal. Add two wagons of steel, and we’ll have some to spare.” Bernard looked astonished. “But are you sure you want to do this? Won’t this just increase the weight of the wagons?”

“We’re going to their territory, with over four thousand mouths to feed, and we’re expecting them to provide us with accommodation. We can’t go empty-handed.” Zhang Renfeng raised an eyebrow and said somewhat helplessly, “There’s nothing to complain about now. We’ll just use this steel to pay off the debt. That should cover some of the expenses.”

"We don't know how the people of Oak City will treat us. Let's show them our sincerity first."

Strictly speaking, this steel belongs to the Atlantic Steel Manufacturing Company.

But who cares?

Once Zhang Renfeng spoke up, the matter was settled.

Bernard, accompanied by several strong young men, first secured the locomotive with iron wedges to prevent it from slipping. Then, he activated the valve.

"Crack—!!"

An exciting metallic scraping sound.

The steam engine on the turntable started, and the gears drove the platform to rotate. Like an old helmsman, it stabilized its large ship in the wind and rain. After precisely aligning with the track, Bernard pulled the lever again to release the locking device, and the locomotive turned 180 degrees on the turntable.

"Waaaaaah!!"

The car horn blared.

It has set its sights on a new direction that has never been taken before.

The freight cars were coupled together one by one, and people were crammed into the metal cargo compartments like sardines in a can. Everyone curled up, trying to minimize their size. Only the elderly and the wounded received special treatment and were allowed to stretch out a bit.

……

"All personnel in position!"

"Supplies in place!"

"Steel in position!"

"Alright." Zhang Renfeng took a deep breath, looked at the dark clouds swirling in the distance, waved his hand in mid-air, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Let's go!"

Chapter 762: Understanding Humanity, Becoming Human

Raindrops pounded incessantly against the car windows, and a hurricane swept in, shaking the entire carriage violently. Outside the carriage, it was pitch black; nothing could be seen, like a small, wrecked boat adrift on a vast, desolate sea.

The waves surged and crashed against the ship's hull. But the crew inside could do nothing but hope that the thin hull would protect them.

To maximize profits, many train stations, including Pike Place, implemented a dual-carriage system, with passenger cars at the front and freight cars at the back. Each train trip carried both passengers and goods, earning double revenue. With proper allocation, this system could theoretically maximize profits.

With everyone able to board the bus, Zhang Renfeng and his group naturally found themselves on a bus with relatively better conditions.

No one raised the slightest objection to this.

Of course, the so-called "slightly better" conditions only meant that there was a table and chairs, so you could rest your head on the table for a while, and that was all.

It was pitch black outside the car window, with dark clouds blocking the view; there was no way to see any scenery.

Zhang Renfeng glanced at his pocket watch; it was 8:40 PM. This morning at 9:00 AM, their group had officially arrived in Pike City. In those short 13 hours, half a day, so much had happened. They had come with only three people, traveling light. But when they left, they had brought with them over four thousand people, including those from the shantytown and the main city.

In just half a day, things have taken many twists and turns, and the situation has changed dramatically to such an exaggerated degree!

"Ah……"

Zhang Renfeng chuckled self-deprecatingly. In the same carriage, Lydia, Sophia, and Sam were all asleep, slumped over the table. After half a day of running around and being on edge, this level of exertion was something most people couldn't handle.

Even someone as physically powerful as Zhang Renfeng felt somewhat tired and less energetic than usual after pulling the locomotive.

He pulled out a cigarette, hoping to cheer himself up a little, but the matchbox in his bag was already soaked and limp, and would break at the slightest touch.

"Zi..."

The sound of the flames flickering.

Angel Eyes took out a small metal box, pressed down on one corner, and a steady flame shot out, burning quietly and steadily. Zhang Renfeng had never seen this before and was startled, but he still put a cigarette in his mouth and offered it to Angel Eyes to light it.

"call……"

He exhaled a puff of smoke, and perhaps it was just psychological, but he felt his fatigue lessen somewhat.

"A long day." Angel Eyes lit a cigarette for himself.

“Yes, it was really long… It’s incredible that we were able to help so many people in such a short time.” Zhang Renfeng relaxed and used all her senses to enjoy the brief moment of relaxation in the carriage. “Thanks to you, for being by my side.”

Before he finished speaking, those strange eyes narrowed slightly as they looked at him in the darkness.

But Zhang Renfeng was completely oblivious, and said with a smile, "If you hadn't mentioned the locomotive at the crucial moment, we wouldn't know what to do right now."

Angel Eyes remained silent.

They sat facing each other, with torrential rain pouring outside the window, and the flickering light of cigarettes casting an uncertain glow in the dark carriage.

Clang!

Clang!

……

With soothing, slow-paced sounds in the background, everyone else was also asleep due to exhaustion.

There is no better time for heart-to-heart talks than this.

Zhang Renfeng always believed that all human actions have a purpose.

Take all the members who joined the Red Center as examples: Mike wanted to save money for his granddaughter; May wanted a new "family"; Alana was eager to get rid of her former Thunder Fury gang and find a new gang life; Jimmy wanted to seek refuge; Ego wanted to find an enlightened place to unleash his talents and ambitions; Calaway wanted to rediscover the thrill of being a gunslinger; Theon wanted to avenge his brother; and the Chief wanted to save money to buy the land in the High Trees from the government.

Angel Eyes, on the other hand, wants to "become human".

This is a rather abstract goal. Zhang Renfeng is not unable to understand what he is saying, but it is somewhat unlikely that he can fully understand him.

“Ask away,” Angel Eyes said calmly. “You have at least three questions to ask.”

"Ha, you really are... a prophet." Zhang Renfeng was used to it and laughed again. He felt that such honesty was good for both of them.

"Why me?" he asked bluntly, without any pretense. "I don't know how many people there are in this country, maybe tens of millions, hundreds of millions, or more."

"If you want to become human, there are so many samples to learn from, why did they choose us of all people?"

This question had been on Zhang Renfeng's mind for a long time, and he finally had the chance to bring it up, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.

He was determined not to hear any answer.

……

“In my hometown, there was a scholar named Adam Smith who wrote a book called The Wealth of Nations. In it, he expounded on his understanding of ‘human nature’. To this day, his interpretation has been an accurate prediction of the vast majority of people in the large group of ‘humanity’ for a long time.”

"You ask me why I came at you, but that's not quite accurate. I wasn't targeting 'you'."

"only you."

In those strange eyes, the golden halo, like the sun, shone even brighter in the darkness, as if radiating a dazzling light.

Zhang Renfeng always felt that something was hidden behind his eyes, gazing back at him through this mysterious window.

"Human nature is selfish, but you can travel around and devote your time and energy to people you have no relatives or friends with."

"Human nature is greedy, yet you can so easily hand over money and power to your companions as if you don't care about them at all."

"Human nature reveres the strong and tramples on the weak, but you are the opposite. You yourself are one of the strong, yet you trample on the strong and respect the weak."

“From the initial sandstorms to the present-day Pike Town, you are willing to do these things unconditionally.”

"Even though you know that doing so will not only bring you no benefit but will also bring you a lot of trouble, you still try your best to do it. Despite having considerable power, status and wealth, you have not changed. You are still you, the one who is willing to run for, speak out and do your best for the weak."

"That's why I want to get to know you, Zhang Renfeng."

If I remember correctly, this should be Angel Eyes, the first time I've addressed him by his full name.

Strangely, when he spoke the name "Zhang Renfeng," he didn't have the slightest foreign accent; he said it as naturally as if he were speaking Chinese.

This detail shocked Zhang Renfeng even more than his words.

----

"Most human motivations are very simple, but you are different. Your words and actions all violate human nature."

"Therefore, by understanding you, I have truly come to understand humanity."

Chapter 763: You've Been Running

"And then?" Zhang Renfeng asked half-jokingly, "After you understand humanity, will you write your own book?"

Angel Eyes remained silent for a long time, and a slight smile appeared on his face, which had remained expressionless throughout.

"I will 'repair' humanity."

"Repair?" Zhang Renfeng frowned upon hearing this.

"Simply put, I believe that human selfishness stems from 'self'."

"Because of 'me,' I want to enjoy all the delicacies in the world, drink all the fine wines, and use all the beauties. Even if 'I' don't need so many resources, I still want to hold onto as many as possible and leave them to my next generation and the generation after that. This is the root of human selfishness."

"So, what would happen if I weren't there? Or to take it to an extreme, what if everyone in the world became one, intertwined with each other, and all the wars fought for resources would be meaningless?"

……

"I'm sorry." Zhang Renfeng frowned. "I...I don't quite understand. What are you talking about? How could you possibly do such a thing?"

“It’s alright, you’re just limited by your knowledge,” Angel Eyes said calmly. “If you can see what I see, you’ll understand.”

"What can you see?" Zhang Renfeng asked curiously.

"The future," Angel Eyes answered without hesitation.

"..."

Although it seemed a bit far-fetched, given that he always appeared so smoothly at the right time and provided perfectly timed assists, Zhang Renfeng couldn't help but have his suspicions. Once could be a coincidence, but could it be every single time?

Despite his doubts, Zhang Renfeng couldn't help but be surprised to hear him admit it so casually.

“Of course, not all,” Angel Eyes added. “I can only see what I’m supposed to see.”