Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

……

Zhang Renfeng was preoccupied with his own thoughts and hesitated repeatedly before making a decision.

"Please allow me... to think about it some more, just a little more..."

----

For the rest of the time, Zhang Renfeng did nothing.

He sat on the bed in the corner, thinking, thinking, and thinking endlessly. His brow furrowed and relaxed intermittently, his gaze fixed on the wall in the distance, or on a mold spot on it. Occasionally, his eyes would brush against the wolf's, and he would quickly turn his head away, as if to avoid some kind of temptation.

Qasim witnessed the entire argument between the two, but he remained silent, like a still stone.

He neither offered advice nor counsel to either side, remaining a complete bystander, simply preparing food and drink for them as usual. This made Zhang Renfeng think of his kindness; perhaps it was precisely because of his rare and precious silence that the ship had appointed Qasim as its personal bodyguard.

……

He believed he should be a man of his word, and Zhang Renfeng had always kept his promises; this was the foundation of his life principles.

But now, the weight of this long-lost vow in my heart seems to be starting to loosen.

Separated by an ocean, Master could not possibly know.

Even if he knew, he had no other choice but to do it out of necessity, and he had sufficient reasons to explain his motives.

Can……

Is it really?

……

From day to night, Zhang Renfeng remained motionless, deep in thought.

He felt like his head was about to explode. First came the alcohol, then the coffee, which he downed cup after cup. The brief stimulation they provided allowed his brain to continue thinking, but the more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became.

Zhang Renfeng finally realized that the truly difficult choices in life are those where there are no wrong options.

If one is right and the other is wrong, that's not a multiple choice, that's a true/false question. Just remove the wrong one.

But the current situation is that both are wrong, but in different directions. Which one are you more willing to accept?

To break one's oath and face the torment of one's conscience?

Or should we stick to our vow and look for other ways?

The issue is……

Are there any other methods besides Rama Kung Fu?

Even if there were other methods, would I really have that much time to explore them?

Lu Aniu of the Guangzhao Sect was like a sword hanging over his head, ready to fall and pierce his head at any moment!

"call……"

Zhang Renfeng sighed, raised his head, and looked out the window.

The moon hangs high outside the window; it is already past midnight.

My shadow, bathed in moonlight, dappled and moved across the wall, like a statue.

"God bless me... I hope... I made the right choice..."

----

"crunch..."

The wooden door was gently pushed open.

"Senior brother?" The wolf hadn't slept much either. Hearing the noise, he immediately sat up.

Zhang Renfeng gestured for her to be quiet.

“This matter cannot be brought into the light. From now on, we will pass on our skills at night. You will teach me the core techniques of the Rama Kung Fu.”

He gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know!"

Chapter 838: The Future Has Arrived

"What are you looking at?" Silver Frost asked softly. "Looking at things on a train isn't good for your eyes."

"【Sanyuan Heavy Industry】Ah, Sanyuan Heavy Industry. Didn't our Gaoshu tribe negotiate with Sanyuan Company and the government and reach an agreement on oil extraction?"

Peregrine sighed softly, smoothed his hair, and counted on his fingers, saying, "The crude oil extraction equipment and refining plant are almost complete, and the subsequent transportation channels are still under development. All the equipment needed for oil extraction has also passed inspection and is ready to begin operations."

"The location for the first mining operation is here... Look, right here."

From this large pile of reports, the peregrine falcon pulled out a crumpled map with many markings written on it in somewhat crooked English.

Fearing that Silverfrost might not understand, he pointed to a location on the map with his finger and then drew a circle over a large forest. "The tall trees' camp is here, and the crude oil refinery is located here."

"It's very close to the train station, so the equipment we need, as well as the daily necessities that the frontline workers need, can all be transported directly here by rail."

The well-developed railway system provided a steady stream of supplies to Colonel Jaworth during their siege of Takashu. The origin of the Takashu War was also a self-directed kidnapping they orchestrated on the train tracks.

Now, the tables have turned, and these Native American tribes, who should have been prisoners, are beginning to enjoy the convenience of trains and railways. Even more ironically, all of this is a legal business transaction, conducted in an orderly manner after negotiations with the federal government.

I wonder what emotions the Cheder family would feel if they were reunited underground and witnessed all of this.

"These are all reports on oil extraction that Sanyuan Heavy Industry wrote after three months of investigation and extensive discussions."

“Report…book…” Silver Frost’s tone was somewhat confused.

She knew a few words, but the reports used very professional terminology, which was densely packed and made her lose the desire to read them.

“That’s right, the report.” Peregrine tapped the table lightly with his fingers as he explained, “It includes the results of the geological survey, the production forecast for the first extraction, the extraction plan, personnel arrangements, oil transportation, crude oil processing procedures, and a series of subsequent sales channels…”

"The USGS (which is responsible for scientific surveys of mineral, land and other resources) has issued the mining and sales licenses all at once. I've heard that some well-informed business groups have already started contacting Sanyuan Heavy Industry to buy the first phase of extracted and refined oil."

"Aside from the portion allocated to the federal government, what remains is the situation of each pricing firm. Are their funds sufficient? Is their business reputation sound...?"

……

The peregrine falcon talked on and on while flipping through the report.

The literacy rate among members of Native American tribes is generally low. Even members like chiefs, who have been traveling for so long, do not know many words.

But in order to understand these obscure and difficult reports, Peregrine Falcon actually started from the alphabet, looking up each word in the dictionary one by one, becoming the most educated person in the tribe. This impressed Silverfrost, but also puzzled her.

"why?"

"What do you mean?" Peregrine continued turning the pages.

"Why should we concern ourselves with company matters?" Silver Frost asked, puzzled. "They're just extracting a resource called 'oil' on our land, right?"

"This company isn't owned by Mr. Zhang and his group, so they certainly wouldn't try anything funny with us. As long as Sanyuan Heavy Industry pays us a certain percentage of the profits on time as stated in the agreement, there shouldn't be any problem, right?"

"As for how the oil is extracted, how it is processed, and who it is sold to... those are things the company should worry about, and have nothing to do with us, right?"

----

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

……

The train continued its journey, producing a very regular, soothing vibration.

For a fleeting moment, the upper half of the peregrine falcon's face seemed to be swallowed by shadow, casting a meaningful glance at Silverfrost.

"Shan once told me a story. Long, long ago, in an ancient country, there was a man who crossed a river."

"His sword fell into the river from the boat, and the man immediately made a mark on the boat. He thought that this was where the sword fell, and that it would still be there when he got ashore. Of course, he found nothing after getting ashore."

His gaze lingered on that flowing, elegant, moon-like silver hair, and he said in a deep voice, "Everything is changing, Silver Frost, changing at a speed we can hardly comprehend."

"Don't you think the Tall Tree tribe has undergone a lot of changes recently?"

"Well... if I really have to say..."

Silverfrost didn't care much about these things at heart. Her world was simple. In her eyes, the tribal camp was still the same: tents, treehouses, and the ancient tree in the center. Nothing had changed.

But in the eyes of the peregrine falcon, which is very perceptive, it is not the case at all.

"The most obvious impression is that fewer and fewer young people are willing to go out hunting."

"With the arrival of Sanyuan Heavy Industry and the influence that Mr. Zhang's group exerted on the federal government, the entire Granite State began to open up to our Native American tribe. Although discriminatory attitudes cannot be completely eliminated in the short term, we can now go to the city to consume normally."

"The rise of the oil business brought a lot of money to the tribe. Nowadays, young people no longer carry animal bones and teeth in their bags, but bills of US dollars."

"The circulation of industrial products within the tribe has also increased significantly. All kinds of alcohol, cigarettes, and snacks that were never seen before are rapidly entering the tribe. Even without hunting or farming, the tribe can be fed by all its members."

"Some young people from the Gaoshu tribe also chose to work for Sanyuan Heavy Industry, becoming frontline workers and earning more money. These green banknotes will soon become the most important thing."

"This trend is intensifying, and with the injection of more economic activity, tribal lifestyles will disintegrate completely at a faster pace than I imagined."

"Perhaps, in twenty or thirty years, there will be no tall trees left, and this place will be like the towns outside, filled with railway tracks and high-rise buildings."

"By then, we, the children of the tall trees..."

"And how should we deal with this?"

----

“Especially you, Silverfrost.”

"Me?" Yin Shuang was startled when he suddenly called her name, then pointed to herself and gave a somewhat helpless "it's fine" smile. "I..."

"What do you plan to do in the future?" Peregrine stared intently at her hair, not letting his gaze wander for a moment. "Stay in the tribe, or go out and become a mercenary like before?"

Chapter 839: A Vast Expanse of Foreshadowing

"Well... I haven't decided yet..." Silver Frost sighed, looking slightly lost. "Let's see."

After the High Tree War ended, Silverfrost, as a participant in the war, was finally fully accepted by the tribe and became a member of the "High Tree" group.

Before this, because of her skin color, she was somewhat excluded from the group. But during the High Tree War, far too many white people joined in, and the racial discrimination prevalent in the tribe vanished under the crucible of war.

If people can become comrades-in-arms with white-skinned outsiders, then it goes without saying that Silverfrost, a true comrade-in-arms, can be even more so.

The main reason she left the tribe before was that she felt she could never fit into the group. But now, the situation has changed, and she doesn't want to leave anymore.

As the victors, the Gaoshu tribe reaped substantial benefits from the war and lived a relatively leisurely life.

Aside from a slight lack of entertainment, this small treehouse basically met all her needs. Thinking back to her time as a mercenary, braving wind and rain, the conditions were harsh and there was always danger; she really had no interest in it anymore.

"Staying in the tribe means that you will become husband and wife with a man in the Tall Tree tribe."

The peregrine falcon finally posed the question that mattered most to him: "Have you taken a fancy to anyone?"

"In the tribe?" Silver Frost tilted her head, looking over the young men of the High Tree tribe one by one, then shook her head and laughed, "How could that be? I look so strange, no one would be interested in me."

Actually, she didn't look strange at all. It was just that she had lived in the environment of an Indian tribe for a long time, and the skin color and appearance of others were subtly different from Silverfrost's. This made her an outsider, and she rarely thought about gender issues during her childhood.

"And what about Mr. Zhang?" Peregrine continued, "What do you think of him?"

"Huh?!" Silver Frost was taken aback, greatly surprised. "Wait... how did we suddenly get to this topic!"

……

"That makes sense," the Peregrine thought to itself.

That night, with the blessing of Takagi and the guidance of Shin, the peregrine falcon was able to briefly glimpse the future.

Even when pressed further, neither as a father nor as the King of the Tall Trees, he revealed any more information. This feeling of knowing what was going to happen yet being powerless to stop it filled him with dread—people are always forgetful, and perhaps after one or two generations, they would gradually forget the horrors of war.

In his vision, the people of the tall tree he saw were all glowing with excitement, their eyes filled with fervor, holding up guns and weapons, shouting "Long live the king!"

Their leader was a very young, yet exceptionally brave and valiant silver-haired youth, Zhang Nero.

If one still can't guess the paternal lineage of this surname, then what the peregrine falcon carries on its shoulder can't be considered a head. But the boy's silver hair is too obvious, leading to the inference that he must have some bloodline from Silverfrost.

Flash had told him that the future he had glimpsed was the world-renowned "Red and White War".

If the "white" here refers to Zhang Nero's silver-white hair, does that mean...?

And there's another person with bright red hair, here to be Gao Shu's rival?!

Just as his father said, war was inevitable, and he couldn't stop it by his own strength. So, as one of the leaders of Takagi, all he could do was to do his best to ensure that Takagi would be a winner in this future war, just as it is now.

The cost of defeat was too high; he couldn't bear it, nor did he want future generations to suffer it. Since the future Gao Shu had staked everything on this battle, he had to win!

If the recently concluded Takagi War taught him anything, it was that the outcome of a war is often determined by one or two key figures.