Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

"If... we continue to reason along this chain of logic, it might eventually come down to 'The Wealthy One'."

"If that happens, the people and things involved will be beyond what a small investigator like me can handle. Even if it's sent to a foundation, it'll probably cause a lot of headaches for a long time..."

……

"Get rich?" Zhang Honglu turned his head to the side, his smile vanished, and he stared at her expressionlessly.

But the girl was completely oblivious, continuing her explanation, "Yes, get rich. You're from the South, haven't you heard of this person?"

"Not very familiar." After a moment's hesitation, the smile returned to Zhang Honglu's face.

"The Sanyuan Group, which practically dominates the entire south, has nearly twenty companies under its umbrella. Together, they form this intricate and massive conglomerate. Among them, many worldly-wise senior executives like to say this: 'Harmony brings us wealth.'"

"It is said that this is the business policy implemented by the top leader of the Sanyuan Group. He values ​​harmonious and balanced interpersonal relationships more than wealth itself."

"Moreover, unlike banks, Sanyuan Group often invests in projects that require long-term operation to recoup costs."

"Furthermore, a significant amount of time is spent communicating and exchanging ideas with investors on each project, which further reduces the efficiency of generating returns. This investment approach is prone to unexpected events during long-term operation, ultimately leading to a double loss of time and money."

“...Yes,” Zhang Honglu said calmly, “there is such a drawback.”

Angelona nodded. "In this respect, it can't compare to the reorganized Krenchikov Industrial Group in the North, but it can still reflect the Sanyuan Group's operating strategy, which is different from those capital groups in the North."

"What causes this difference is that the business policies formulated by the group's leaders are completely different directions."

"Nobody knows who [Fa Cai] is, and we've never seen what he looks like."

"Some say he's Asian, like you; some say he's a dwarf less than 1.4 meters tall, but has the ability to bewitch people; others say he's actually a cunning lawyer who has thoroughly studied American law; still others say he's an exceptionally intelligent mathematician who can sort out the group's accounts for a month in just one night... In short, there are quite a few rumors about him, but so far, none of them have been proven."

"However, judging from the business policies upheld by the companies under the group, it can be seen that the head of Sanyuan Group should be a person who values ​​interpersonal relationships and is quite humane."

"Logically speaking, someone like that shouldn't be involved in this kind of thing..."

In the end, the girl was no longer answering Zhang Honglu's question, but rather talking to herself under the lamplight, trying to convince herself.

The night was deep, and the lights dared not be turned on too brightly. Under such a dim light, comparing each word one by one, drowsiness naturally crept in. If it weren't for her incessant chatter, my eyelids probably would have already closed.

However, after searching through everything she could find, she rubbed her slightly swollen eyes and sighed with relief. With a creak, she leaned heavily against the back of the chair, resting her head directly on it.

"How is it?" Zhang Honglu looked at her expression, which showed exhaustion, and guessed what was going on.

If there's any success, the unexpected surprise will be enough to offset the fatigue of the night. The current tired look on my face is naturally a result of the fatigue from staying up all night, all of which is now being delayed.

“…No.” Angelona sighed, shrugged, and looked at the scattered ledgers on the table with a lifeless expression. “I’ve looked through everything that can be flipped through and seen.”

“The accounts for the past few months have been compared item by item… There are indeed some discrepancies, but they are all minor. Given the scale of economic activity at Londonderry Shopping Centre, these kinds of errors are within the normal range over several months.”

"Could it be that the accounts are fake?" Zhang Honglu asked. "This one is fake, and the real one is kept somewhere else..."

"I can't rule out that possibility, but... I... I don't think so. I've seen fake accounts before. If someone wants to fabricate something, it means their professional skills are definitely above average. Therefore, they usually do it very meticulously, without leaving any flaws. This..."

Angelona picked up the ledger, waved it, and sighed, "Maybe I'm not skilled enough to see it? Anyway, at least after this review, these ledgers should be fine. If I want to find any more problems, I'll have to go to the site for a physical inventory check."

"That's easy," Zhang Honglu said with a smile, gesturing to her. "Next stop, Fengchuisha Cargo Storage Center, let's go!"

"Haaahh ...

……

"Who? Who's inside?!"

"Thump thump thump thump thump—!!"

There was a rapid knock on the door.

Angelona was instantly wide awake, startled so much that she stood up abruptly and almost bit her tongue.

Chapter 910: Playing Tricks with Him

"What's going on?" The girl subconsciously looked at Zhang Honglu. Although she should have the advantage in terms of age, she was still too inexperienced. This unexpected situation made her lose her composure, and panic was written all over her face.

In contrast, Zhang Honglu appeared much calmer. He stretched and stood up unhurriedly. "I forgot, their guards change shifts at four in the morning. Now..."

He also took out a pocket watch, checked the time, and then confirmed, "Four-fifteen, that's about right."

"Then...what do we do?" Angelona was at a loss. She wanted to do something, but when she saw the files scattered in a mess on the desk and the floor, a strong sense of powerlessness welled up in her heart. The scene was so chaotic that it hadn't even been cleaned up yet. If the people outside rushed in, they would be caught red-handed, and there would be no way to deny it.

Although she also holds the position of a foundation investigator, the laws in the various states and counties of America differ.

The differences are even greater between the North and the South; an identity recognized in the North might be illegal in the South. Moreover, if the rumors are true, all of Fengchuisha's industries are under the Sanyuan Group; would they really let them off the hook?

If... I were truly thrown into prison, facing damp, moss-covered walls, a floor stained with unidentified dirt, and chilling iron bars, I wouldn't even need to think about it—the future would undoubtedly be a bottomless abyss of darkness!

"Boom!"

Zhang Honglu picked up a chair, easily swung it over his head, and slammed it against the door. The chair back pressed against the door bolt, locking the door. This action undoubtedly announced to the person outside that someone was indeed inside. The banging and shouting immediately escalated, becoming increasingly intense. He nonchalantly flexed his wrists, casually picked up the electric lantern from the floor, and handed it to Angelona.

"W-what are you doing?" The girl was so frightened that her voice trembled.

"What do you think? Of course, I'll take a light. You don't want me to slip and fall, do you?" After stretching his limbs a bit, Zhang Honglu squatted down, his back to her, and turned his head, revealing a playful smile. "Come on up."

"Huh?" Angelona looked quite surprised. Instead of questioning what the other person was going to do, she muttered, "I...I'm a little heavier than I look..."

“Miss, let me make this clear: a chair won’t keep you occupied for long.” Zhang Honglu looked at her with a half-smile. “If you want to spend a few months in prison for a deep dive, that’s fine with you. Compared to some prisons in the south, this Fengchuisha prison is quite humane.”

……

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

The door frame rattled loudly, and the documents and papers scattered on the ground seemed to be shaking.

With no other options, the girl steeled herself, gently biting her lip. She took the electric lantern in her right hand and straddled the boy's back.

While she was still hesitating about whether she should hook her arms around his neck and whether it would make it hard for him to breathe, Zhang Honglu suddenly raised his hands, first grabbing the girl's thighs. Then, he directly used his hands to support Angelona's plump, soft buttocks and pushed her upwards.

She couldn't help but gasp. Physical contact was secondary; the sudden rise in her perspective made her instinctively grab Zhang Honglu's chest with her arms to avoid falling.

“That’s right, hold on tighter.” Zhang Honglu had a large person clinging to him, but he seemed completely unaware, his face not flushed, his breath steady, and he spoke as usual, “Don’t worry so much.”

"We will definitely escape."

"How are we going to escape?" Angelona only realized what was happening after she was already sitting on someone, and looked around. "The window is so small, there's no door, and there are walls on all sides. What are you planning to do..."

"Watch your tongue."

After this peculiar instruction, the world in the girl's eyes suddenly sped up.

The table, chairs, walls… and even the electric lantern emitting light in her hand, all transformed from three-dimensional to faceted, and finally into lines representing pure speed, all in a sudden acceleration. Her pupils closed instinctively, and she crashed straight into the wall not far away.

"boom----!!!"

Zhang Honglu placed his hands in front of him, using his relatively hard elbows and the powerful impact to smash the wall apart.

Wood chips flew wildly in the night, and time seemed to freeze at the moment the two emerged from the wall.

"what……"

The outside world was reflected in her pupils, causing Angelona to gasp. The night wind blew her hair aside, as if it had also reached the depths of her soul.

In that instant of hovering in mid-air, it seemed as if the entire city lay beneath his feet. She finally glimpsed the world through Zhang Honglu's eyes—so light, so free. This unrestrained, carefree freedom was a privilege that all the toiling masses under heaven desperately craved but could never attain.

For a fleeting moment, she suddenly thought that traveling to every corner of the country like him would be a good choice.

----

"Thump—!!"

Because there was someone on his back, Zhang Honglu didn't roll over to absorb the impact. Instead, he directly used his knees to absorb the force. Fortunately, his physique was extraordinary, and this force felt like a gentle breeze to him.

After landing on the roof of another building, his next move was to bend his knees, assuming the posture of an athlete about to start a race.

"Beep—! Beep beep—!!"

The piercing sirens soon rang out, and the sheriffs rushed in from all directions. With such a commotion, and Angelona carrying a lantern, it was impossible for her not to be spotted.

"They found us!"

The girl started yelling again, but this time, her voice wasn't as panicked as before. It sounded more like she was playing a tense, exciting real-life escape game: "What do we do now?"

"What should we do?" Zhang Honglu supported the girl's thighs again, pushing her up a bit to make sure she wouldn't fall, an excited smile appearing on his face. "Of course... we should play around with them!"

If you say you'll play, then you play.

Zhang Honglu steadied himself, channeled his internal energy, and took off running. He was carrying the weight of another person, yet he darted and leaped back and forth among the houses, where the wind blew and sand was dense.

He would sometimes double jump, sometimes wall jump, and sometimes unleash his inner strength for a super high leap. He truly pushed the limits of his body's mobility. Not only that, he also laughed loudly as he ran and jumped, as if this game of tag was bringing him immense joy.

At first, Angelona didn't make much of a sound, but soon she experienced what was equivalent to a full package of "pirate ship + drop tower + roller coaster + bungee jumping" in later times, and couldn't help but scream. Even this scream carried a hint of pleasure and exhilaration, more like a cathartic release.

Fourteen years later, the sheriffs of Fengchuisha were in deep trouble again. They only had two legs, and they were no match for Zhang Honglu. Moreover, the town had expanded considerably over the years, and the places to stay had greatly increased.

Zhang Honglu leaped up and down, chasing the constables one by one until their legs were weak and their muscles were numb, leaving them panting heavily.

As the sky brightened and more and more people surrounded him, Zhang Honglu finally suppressed his playful nature, found a secluded room, and sneaked in through the back door.

Chapter 911: Just the Right Amount of Sweetness

"Where...where is this place?"

Angelona carefully examined the small, enclosed room before her. It had a door and windows, and the sky outside was already bright, with light gradually filtering in.

Although it was a dusty place, the walls and stone floor were relatively clean, indicating that people frequently came and went, so not too much dust had accumulated. In addition, there were many cardboard boxes piled on the floor.

“No one usually comes to the storage room of the Windblown Sand Church in the morning.”

Zhang Honglu finally put her down from his back. After this thrilling escape, their relationship seemed to have grown even closer.

He naturally placed his hand on Angelona's wrist, felt her heartbeat and pulse, and asked, "How are you feeling? Is anything bothering you?"

"...So exciting..." The girl's face was still flushed. "I don't feel uncomfortable... just a little dizzy..."

"This is normal, after all, it's been a whole night."

After confirming that her pulse was fine, Zhang Honglu got up, leaned against the window, and slightly opened the window a crack.

But instead of peeking out, he used the reflection in the window to observe the situation outside. The entire street was packed with sheriffs and local detectives from Fengchuisha. The street was still bustling with people, but almost no one was talking about what had happened the night before.

"No one should have seen our faces, and there was nothing left of us at the scene. Under these circumstances, if the wanted notice continues for half a day and no clues are found, it should probably be lifted."

Zhang Honglu easily leaned against the clutter in the corner, sat down, patted the dust off her knees, and revealed a sweet, bright smile. She seemed not tired at all, and even stretched. "Hmm~~~~ It's been a long time since I've run so happily."

"Who...who exactly are you?" Angelona looked the boy in front of her over again and couldn't help but ask, "I've never seen anyone run and jump like you just now. Those movements are just...unbelievable..."

She initially wanted to say, "It's not something a human could do," but then she thought that this was, after all, the person who saved her from the fire, and it seemed a bit impolite to say that to him.

"It's nothing special. Everyone in my family is very good at sports. Compared to my brother and father, my little tricks are nothing."

When Zhang Honglu said this, there wasn't a trace of self-praise in him, which greatly surprised the girl.

“I’ve reviewed the accounts. They’ll definitely be tightening security in the near future. It’ll be difficult to sneak into the other offices anytime soon.” Zhang Honglu shrugged and asked, “What are your plans next?”

When asked this, Angelona snapped out of her reverie, her expression turning somewhat dejected. "I don't know. If we can't find out anything, maybe... the mission will be considered a failure."

"What will happen if you fail?" Zhang Honglu said half-jokingly, "Will they 'get rid of' you?"

"How could that be? Training an agent requires a lot of investment. Besides, the Foundation isn't some kind of assassin organization; they wouldn't just get rid of someone because of one or two failures."

Angelona sat on the ground, hugging her legs, resting her tired head on her knees, and smiled with a hint of melancholy, "It's just... my 'rating' in this organization will drop because of this unsuccessful attempt."

"Rating?"

"Well, within the St. Florentine Foundation, members are divided into several different tiers based on their overall abilities. The higher you go, the more people, things, and economic activities you can access, and the more advanced you become. As for the lower-level investigators, they can only do what I'm doing, running around and doing hard work."

"The so-called rating is a large, multi-dimensional evaluation system. They will comprehensively assess my various abilities based on my handling of an event. Ultimately, a comprehensive evaluation will be formed and recorded in my personnel file. According to the file, it will directly affect my reputation, salary, contracted tasks, promotion speed, and so on within the foundation."

“This isn’t your fault.” Zhang Honglu shrugged. “Several hundred thousand yuan, such a difficult matter, and you were the only one sent to investigate. It was easy to come back empty-handed.”

"Let me put it this way, if it weren't for these kinds of tricky situations, I wouldn't even have a chance to be an outsider like myself; the foundation's insiders would have snatched everything up long ago. They say a crisis is an opportunity, but not everyone can seize it... Hah ...

After a night of running around, my adrenaline was completely depleted, and now that I was in a relatively safe environment, I couldn't help but feel sleepy.

As she spoke, the girl couldn't help but yawn.

"You should rest for a while," Zhang Honglu said softly. "I have to go out for a bit, I'll be right back."

"You've been up all night, aren't you sleepy?" Angelona really wanted to ask, but she was so sleepy that her eyelids felt like they were glued shut.

In her extreme exhaustion, her mind was foggy and she couldn't think straight. She didn't even have the energy to think about why Zhang Honglu was leaving at this time, or what he was going to do. By the time she vaguely sensed something was wrong, she had already been dragged into a chaotic and bizarre dream.

----