Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

Angelona's professional skills are limited to investigating economic activities; in fact, within the foundation, she was trained as an auditor. As for other areas, such as politics and personnel, she only has a basic understanding and is not yet capable of uncovering problems.

With her abilities alone, this investigation is about over. Any further discoveries would require sending a large force.

Once she realized this, the girl no longer felt so burdened. She relaxed and spent two days having fun with Zhang Honglu in this developed, modern southern city.

Over the past few days, Zhang Honglu had basically figured out what she liked—mainly food, and then some "fashionable" things, which covered a wide range, including brooches, pretty clothes, perfumes, necklaces, etc. She couldn't afford most of them, so she could only wander around outside and admire them from the shop windows.

Of course, even if you can't afford these things, you can still squeeze out the money for a few meals.

----

"Hmm~~~"

With one bite, Angelona's already soft cheeks were almost melted by the overwhelming feeling of happiness. She half-closed her eyes, intoxicated by the wonderful taste.

Zhang Honglu didn't seem very interested in the food, but instead watched her eat with great interest.

"It's just a mushroom... why does it taste so good?"

"Don't underestimate this Butter Mushroom dish. It's one of the most highly rated appetizers on the Dwarf House's menu." Zhang Honglu gently poked at the thick cap of the porcini mushroom with his chopsticks as he introduced it. "Every single mushroom here is seasoned with white wine when it's browned on both sides."

"Besides these, there's also ground black pepper and a little bit of red wine vinegar to neutralize its flavor. What you end up with is this dark, almost poisonous-looking cap."

“This smells so good…” Angelona said, sweating profusely as she ate, “Even if it were really poisonous, it would be worth dying on the dinner table to taste this deliciousness before I die.”

The delicious mushrooms slid into my stomach, their umami flavor bursting on my tongue. This kind of fresh and delicious taste, which would be the highlight of any other restaurant, was just an appetizer at the House of Dwarfs.

Next, the two enjoyed a truly delicious meal at the dwarf's house—crab and shark cold soup, honey-soaked quail, roasted lamb chops, red wine-soaked foie gras, butter-roasted radishes, and several slices of crispy roasted suckling pig. The final main course was almond milk-drenched veal steak, candied onions, and two generously portioned sweet breads.

For dessert, there were two refreshing and delicious egg and lemon cold cakes to cleanse the palate.

"Ugh... Ahhh..."

After dinner, Angelona slumped back in her chair, revealing a rather unladylike, but undeniably happy, charming smile. At least for this moment, whether or not she had any missions to fulfill no longer mattered; being able to enjoy this feast made the trip to Fengchuishan worthwhile.

"How can anyone make delicious food to this extent..."

“The exquisite part is not the cooking skills, but the recipe.” Zhang Honglu’s eating manners were much more refined. He ate in very small bites, with only a layer of oil covering his lips, and then he simply wiped his lips with a napkin. “The Dwarf’s House has branches in many cities in New Elizabeth and New Orleans.”

"It is said that the founder of this restaurant was indeed a dwarf. In his early years, this dwarf was very interested in cooking and traveled all over the country. He used his intelligence to make innovative changes to the recipes of various dishes. This revised recipe can be said to be a combination of the strengths of many different recipes."

"However, for some reason, this dwarf who created the recipes did not actually become a chef. Instead, he personally recruited and selected some chefs, made part of the recipes public to them, and let them become head chefs and open shops around after they learned them... This is the origin of 'House of Dwarfs'."

"Oh, is that so?" Angelona was hearing this gossip for the first time and was completely captivated, nodding repeatedly.

"Ha, what a pity. Different chefs have different control over the taste and cooking time, but no matter what, they are definitely not as good as the original owner. If that dwarf had been the head chef, the taste of these dishes... could have been even better."

"Oh, could it have tasted even better? What a pity!" Angelona sighed sincerely and asked, "Why doesn't that dwarf gentleman open his own shop? Is it because his dwarf status makes things inconvenient?"

“…No, that’s not it.” Zhang Honglu turned his head slightly and looked out the window. “He has more important things to worry about.”

The girl shook her head and muttered, "What could be more important than eating?"

……

Zhang Honglu didn't answer again. His gaze lingered on the girl before him for a moment before he pondered, "Actually... the dishes at this restaurant are a bit more expensive than at ordinary restaurants. We can split this dinner in half." "..."

A moment of gloom crossed the girl's expression. She grabbed the green wine on the table and gulped it down like water. Drinking too quickly, her soft, glutinous face immediately flushed red, her eyes glazed over. "I'm going to treat you," she said fiercely.

“But you’ve used all the funds meant for the exploration to spend on this dinner,” Zhang Honglu asked. “How are you going to explain this when we get back?”

……

"Well... there's always a way, at worst..."

----

Angelona couldn't quite remember what she said in the end; she only remembered that the moment she collapsed onto the tavern bed, her head felt lightheaded, as if her soul had flown away.

The accounts at the Red Bird Tavern were not complicated for her, and she had finished sorting them out long ago—this was one of the few things she actually did on this trip to the Wind and Sand.

The money is almost gone, and this dreamlike week is almost over.

A strange idea entered the girl's mind.

Will he stay in the little cabin next to the stables the next time he comes to this town?

If he's not here, where else can I go to find him?

"Um... um..."

She grabbed the pillow, instinctively clamped the blanket between her legs, and hugged it tightly to her chest.

Chapter 914: That Familiar Backstab

"Damn it, what kind of weather is this? It was fine just a moment ago, and now it's pouring rain. I just bought these new shoes..."

"Sigh, let's save our breath. We'll be lucky if we can get here before the end of the month."

“Given the situation, the goods cannot be delivered immediately. If they get soaked in water or damp, they will be unusable. There is still a balance to be paid, and they will definitely need to inspect the goods before they can pay.”

"Has everything been arranged at the train station?"

“There are a few ‘disheartened men’ who will pretend they don’t see anything if they offer a small price. We’re not trying to hijack a train…”

……

Around midnight, Angelona was almost sober when she heard some rustling sounds coming from below. A few rather sensitive words instantly jolted her awake, and she instinctively reached for the light switch, but immediately stopped herself.

Bullet holes!

This Red Bird Tavern seems to have a unique distressed style. The walls, stairs, bar, and even the floors of the second-floor guest rooms all have old bullet holes that are left unrepaired.

The sounds and lights downstairs would seep through the bullet holes directly into her room. For the first few days, Angelona was quite unaccustomed to it, but after a week, she was able to fall asleep peacefully amidst the lively atmosphere downstairs.

Thankfully, I had a little to drink tonight. After sobering up, my head was a bit cold, and I didn't miss this most important moment.

The downstairs lights were off, indicating that the tavern owner had already gone home; it was at least past 2 a.m. The Red Bird Tavern was also partially closed, so it was strange that a large number of customers were still pouring in at this hour.

She lay on her side over the bullet hole, trying her best to see, and could only see shadowy figures in the tavern, at least eight or nine people.

"Damn it... In the end, it's still because the people in Ukraine are too useless. That bastard Clemson, I've always thought he was useless, all talk and no action. Once a war breaks out, he can't even hold out for a few days, causing us so much trouble!"

"If I had known that this Blue Army was so useless, I shouldn't have cooperated with them."

"It's not that it's useless. According to the rumors I've received, that group of blue-clad soldiers suffered a devastating blow in Glenburg... It seems to be the son of the Red Bane... Just like that guy, he's a monster among monsters..."

"Can't you see that?! The Blue-Clad Army is nothing more than a knife thrown out by the Northerners. They're just letting them see how capable the Red Calamity's men are. They don't care. We need to be careful too, lest they use our Howling Wolf Gang as a knife as well."

“I suggest, just to be on the safe side, we should hold onto a portion first. Those bankers are all damn cunning. If they receive the goods and then deny the deal, or dump us on the Red Peril, we can still…”

"A compliment, what do you say?"

……

The sound of the rain grew louder and more urgent, pounding against the window so loudly that she could barely hear it.

broken.

As they got to the crucial point, Angelona was extremely anxious. She wasn't stupid, and from these few words, she could naturally tell that this group of people was likely related to the information she wanted.

She had set off early, and given the distance between here and Ukraine, she naturally couldn't have known about the rebellion in Ukraine or Zhang Lujiu's subsequent suppression of it. She could only deduce that something had happened in Ukraine that slowed their journey, allowing them to catch up just as she was about to leave.

"Damn it, this rain... why did it have to start now of all times..."

She looked out the window, seething with hatred, but there was nothing she could do.

A somewhat bold idea arose in my mind.

"call……"

The girl took a deep breath, and all her hope was rekindled in an instant. Using the sound of the rain, just like on her first day there, she opened the window again and slowly descended the stairs on the side of the tavern. The rain pelted her face; she tried her best to make no noise as she descended, inch by inch, until finally she reached the outer edge of the tavern's first floor.

She stretched out her right hand, leaned against the wall, moved over, and then moved to the back door of the tavern, gently prying it open a crack.

risk.

It's too dangerous.

But now, the girl doesn't even have the energy to feel afraid.

----

"...Stay alert, everyone. The closer we get to this point, the more vigilant we must be."

A rather authoritative voice was speaking; from the team of nine, there would be a leader. Angelona was willing to believe that the one speaking now was the "high hat" that these people had just asked for.

“What you say makes sense, and I don’t trust the Northerners either. However, this matter involves too much, and we shouldn’t make the decision on our own.”

"I don't know what's gotten into Fengchuisha, but the sheriff has been unusually active these past few days. If we can handle things at the station, we'll have completed our mission."

"Let 'Three-Finger Simon' handle the rest and talk to those people in the north. That guy has connections in White Torch City. There are many things he knows that we may not. Perhaps he has his own plans for these things."

"Anyway, old Simon has never mistreated the brothers of the Howling Wolf Gang, and I imagine this time will be no different."

"We only need our share, that's enough..."

……

"what?"

These were the last words the girl heard. After that, the room fell silent for several seconds, with only the strange sound of wind and rain hitting the windows.

At this moment, Angelona felt a terrible premonition. But her legs were frozen, her mind racing—ultimately, this girl had seen too few situations, mostly working with a written record. Faced with this kind of situation, her lack of experience left her bewildered and unsure of what to do.

When she finally realized that perhaps she should retreat...

A swift, powerful blow landed on the back of his head.

"Boom——!!!"

"Well……"

The girl was so badly hit that she saw stars and immediately lost consciousness, falling straight to the ground.

……

"A compliment!" One of the henchmen grabbed the girl by the collar, dragged her along, and threw her in front of the crowd, exclaiming in surprise, "So someone really was eavesdropping!"

"Shh, quiet!" Tall Hat immediately made a shushing gesture, his brow furrowed. "Don't wake up any more people."

"And it's a fucking bastard girl." One of the henchmen hurriedly pulled out a dagger and slammed it onto the table. "Kill her right now, don't leave any trouble later!"

"Are you stupid? How can you do it in the shop and leave it for the sheriff to investigate?" someone else mocked. "You have to go to the wilderness. Just to be safe, after killing him, drag him with a horse to disfigure his face so that you can't tell who he is... I remember that's how the old gangs around here used to do it."

……

"No, don't kill them yet." Every decision the tall-hatted man made was marked by caution. "Take them back first."

"Let's find out who they are before we talk."

Chapter 915: The Howling Wolf Gang

"Clap!"

"Clap!"

"Clap!"

……

The strange, rhythmic tapping sound gradually opened the girl's eyes. The first feeling she experienced was a splitting headache.

"Woo..."

The stickiness and heat of the blood made it almost impossible for her to open her eyes, but in this situation, the darkness with her eyes closed intensified her fear, and she desperately tried to keep them open. The more information she saw, the better she could judge what kind of environment she was in.

The light was too dim, but from the surrounding environment, she could vaguely make out that she was in a cave. There were many figures in the cave, a few, a dozen... or even dozens, but she couldn't see them clearly. She could only hear the chaotic and intertwined footsteps inside and outside.

The messy bed, the haphazardly piled hay, and the pervasive smell of coffee, alcohol, and vomit in the cave made her feel nauseous, but she could also tell from it that this group of people had probably been living in this cave for quite some time.

A huge black cloth covered a corner of the cave. Judging from the straight outline of the cloth, there should be several wooden crates stacked together.

"Uh... um..."

She finally regained some strength and was able to turn her neck, finally seeing the source of the thud.

It was a tall man with disheveled hair and a gloomy face, sitting on a chair not far away, leaning back against the back. Long periods of cave life had made him look very disheveled, with a thick beard and hair.

His left middle and ring fingers had been chopped off, the cuts clean and sharp. This mutilated hand looked different from a normal person's, and under the light, it appeared particularly horrifying at first glance. Yet, he continued to tap the table with his remaining fingers, staring at her with an extremely sinister gaze.

"Youth is wonderful; the quality of your sleep is simply amazing." He asked slowly, "Do you know who I am?"

The fact that he had three fingers was so obvious that even though Angelona's mind was in turmoil, she could only grit her teeth and say, "You...you are the leader of the Howling Wolf Gang, Three...Three-Fingered Simon..."