Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

In the end, only a few crumbs of cookies were left.

"You spent so little time with him that it's natural for him to pretend nothing was wrong in front of you."

Zhang Renfeng's brows had never been so furrowed when facing any enemy. "You mean, he's not like this in front of you?"

The wolf shook her head, a look of distress on her face, as if no matter how she chose her words, she couldn't express her inner thoughts.

"I can't quite put my finger on it. Actually, if you really look into it, his behavior is no different from usual. He's neither agitated nor rebellious. He just lives each day peacefully: he gets up in the morning, makes his bed, washes up, and greets me. After breakfast, he goes to Igor's place to help him with his affairs, has lunch there, and then comes back to sleep in the evening. Every day is the same, and no one can say that anything is wrong with him."

"But I don't know why, I just have a feeling..."

"He seems to be getting further and further away from us."

……

The boat rocked, and the atmosphere between the two men became tense for a moment.

Everything was unfolding in an orderly fashion. Even with immense power, Zhang Renfeng could not sway people's hearts, let alone his own son.

"Little Wolf, I'm just suggesting a possibility. Tell me, is it possible...?"

Before this, Zhang Renfeng had never mentioned this matter, fearing it would touch upon Lang's painful memories. But now, since the situation had changed, he had no choice but to bring it up: "Wu Sheng's mental state has always been... somewhat different from that of a normal person?"

"?!"

The wolf's behavior suddenly changed; its brows furrowed, revealing a hint of fear.

Although Zhang Renfeng phrased it rather tactfully, she still understood his meaning. The thought of her chaotic yet painful childhood memories sent a chill down her spine. Subconsciously, even just thinking about it, she didn't want to consider that possibility.

"no, I can not……"

Wolf bit his lip, leaving a white mark. Thinking of this, a layer of cold sweat beaded on his forehead. "My hysteria started when I was very young. Once it started, I couldn't even tell which way was north, south, east, or west, let alone people. The world in my eyes was... distorted beyond recognition, completely unlike what it is now."

“If he had hysteria like me, he probably wouldn’t even have time to take care of himself. But… from childhood, his words and actions have been no different from normal people! Apart from being weak and having difficulty walking, he is no different from other children!”

"Okay, okay, I understand. I was just saying maybe. If not, that would be best." Zhang Renfeng comforted him for a moment, then sighed, "This child's life has been hard enough as it is. Perhaps he's just feeling down and unhappy... that's why he's distanced himself from us."

"It's all my fault as a father; I failed in my responsibilities."

“Senior brother, it’s not entirely your fault, I…” Wolf’s tone was very distressed, and he said hesitantly, “I really want to talk to him, but… every time I open my mouth, I don’t know what to say.”

Zhang Renfeng wasn't surprised; he knew his junior sister best. Aside from martial arts, she was quite slow-witted in other aspects of life.

“After we get back, let’s find some time for you, me, and Wusheng, the three of us as a family, to have a good talk.”

Zhang Renfeng said with a smile, "We're family, so let's talk things out, everything will be fine."

Chapter 926: Even an Emperor's Tour Couldn't Be This Special

"So many people!"

Looking at the bustling crowds at the dock from afar, Zhang Fulin felt a mix of emotions.

He only had a vague idea of ​​what his own father did on the other side of the ocean. Zhu Kuilong and Qiu Yun couldn't say for sure either; their impressions of America didn't seem very good. The naturally cautious Zhang Fulin, sensing this from their tone in a few words, naturally stopped asking and could only guess.

Every few months, Zhang Renfeng would come to visit them by boat and stay with Qiu Yun for a while. His imagination of the other side of the ocean was all pieced together from fragmented moments of time.

Perhaps he's a businessman with a large business operation?

But now, seeing the large crowds and orderly procession at the dock, Zhang Fulin finally realized that his father was no ordinary businessman. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been such a grand welcome for his arrival and departure.

"Even if the emperor returns from his travels, it will probably be no different..." Zhang Fulin thought to himself.

"..."

Zhang Renfeng had excellent eyesight. Standing on the deck, facing the sea breeze, he could see several people standing at the front of the crowd from a distance away from the dock. Among them was Igor!

This old friend, wearing a thick black cotton robe, stood prominently at the front of the line, supported by his daughter, Allison.

Beside him was Xiao Mei, whom he hadn't seen in a long time—after more than ten years of training, she had become the super weightlifting champion of the Sanyuan Group, just like Igor, carrying the weight of the sixteen southern states of America on her shoulders.

From the very beginning, Xiaomei was given high hopes and groomed to be the successor. Over a decade of hard work and experience allowed her to accumulate a wealth of knowledge, making her rarely make mistakes in handling any matter. She was like Igor's double, venturing deep into the southern states and counties to ensure the smooth implementation of the group's will and policies.

And now, this very busy man has actually appeared at the dock.

Zhang Renfeng's expression changed slightly, and the joy of his successful arrival was somewhat diminished.

“Strange…” Wolf muttered softly, “When we left, there weren’t this many people seeing us off.”

Zhang Renfeng pursed his lips, his expression turning somewhat gloomy, a bad premonition already forming in his heart.

"Something must have happened somewhere."

----

Counting on his fingers, he realized it had been quite a while since he and Igor had last seen each other. Igor had been busy with official duties, rarely leaving his home, working tirelessly for this vast family business. Especially recently, Zhang Wusheng had told him that Igor had become increasingly sleepy, needing to sleep for about ten hours a day before he could get up to work.

Even so, when their eyes met, Zhang Renfeng could clearly sense that his old friend was not as energetic as he remembered.

However, in the exchange of smiles, one could still sense his profound wisdom, and the atmosphere instantly returned to what it was before.

“…You’re just like me.” Igor squinted and looked Zhang Fulin up and down, and said with admiration, “I just glanced at you from afar and I was a little dazed. I thought you had practiced some kind of martial arts and your body was aging in reverse and you had become younger.”

"Hahaha, that's for sure." Hearing this, Zhang Ren couldn't help but laugh out loud, patted Zhang Fulin on the shoulder, and proudly introduced, "The real deal, the genuine article, my and Qiu Yun's own son, Zhang Fulin!"

Any father would feel a strange sense of joy upon hearing others say that his child resembles him, and Zhang Renfeng was no exception. Perhaps this was the satisfaction he felt as a "human" being certain that his genetic heritage could be passed down in the world.

Igor's words weren't just polite small talk. Evelyn was a native of America, and her family had mixed-race ancestors from other countries; as for Little Wolf, his ancestral origins traced back to Russia. Zhang Renfeng and her two children were all mixed-race, while only his son with Qiu Yun was of native Chinese descent, lacking mixed-race features and naturally resembling him more.

In this setting, Zhang Fulin once again played the role of a well-mannered junior. He stood behind Zhang Renfeng and Lang, his hands hanging down, his face humble, and he remained silent.

……

“Green Wine, do you see him? That one standing behind Ms. Nymeria should be him.” Zhang Honglu gazed into the distance, his expression somewhat complicated. “This is the first time I’ve seen him in person… He looks just like my father.”

Zhang Lvjiu calmly said, "We are all mixed race, but he is not, so it's only natural."

“This is quite strange.” Zhang Honglu pondered for a moment. “Before, my father would just take a boat trip overseas every now and then to see them. Why did he bring him back now? He’s unfamiliar with the place, and judging from his appearance, he probably doesn’t speak English. What is he here for? Is he here for tourism?”

“The Red Furnace is not to be underestimated,” Zhang Lüjiu said in a deep voice. “I observe that Brother Fulin; his gait is steady and his spirit is restrained. His skill and cultivation are not to be underestimated; he may even be stronger than the two of us.”

“He is Father’s eldest son, so it’s only natural that he is more capable than us.” Zhang Honglu shook his head and sighed. “It’s just a pity that he came at the wrong time. This kind of thing just happened… Father may not have much time to spend with him anymore.”

"Oh, by the way, second brother, what do you think? Now there's suddenly an older brother out there. Do you think Father might arrange for him to stay at our house?"

"..."

Zhang Wusheng didn't answer immediately. He looked at Zhang Fulin, who was standing behind his parents, from a distance. Zhang Fulin's hand, which was holding a cane, trembled slightly. The force was so great that it seemed as if he wanted to nail the cane into his palm.

He took a deep breath and said in an extremely calm tone, "I will listen to Father. I will do whatever Father arranges."

“Brother is absolutely right.” Zhang Lvjiu nodded, seemingly agreeing wholeheartedly. He turned to Zhang Honglu and admonished, “Honglu, no matter what, Zhang Fulin is our elder brother. It’s perfectly normal for him to stay at our house temporarily; he’s just a relative staying with us.”

"They have come from afar, so we should treat them with respect during this time and not act recklessly."

Zhang Honglu smiled noncommittally, shrugged, and said nothing more. He simply looked at the dock not far away and fell into deep thought.

……

Zhang Wusheng tried his best to calm his breathing. In order not to let his two younger brothers beside him notice anything amiss, he dared not take deep breaths and just tried his best to control his heartbeat.

However, the rustling whispers continued to echo around him like a persistent, lingering ailment.

----

"..."

After hearing about the sudden changes that had occurred during his nearly month-long voyage at sea, Zhang Renfeng's smile faded little by little, like an oil painting that had been splashed with water.

"What about people?"

“He’s in a federal prison,” Xiaomei answered fluently. “His left arm was cut off by the furnace, causing severe bleeding. He received emergency treatment during transport and is now conscious and able to ask questions. He might be an important witness, so we haven’t given him any trouble.”

“Okay.” Zhang Renfeng nodded and said seriously, “The matter is urgent and cannot be delayed. All arrangements will be postponed.”

"I want to see him in person."

Chapter 927: I hope you will cherish this opportunity.

The clinking of keys jolted Simon awake, and he jumped to his feet.

Although he was disheveled, he was still relatively clean. Apart from his severed arm, he didn't have many other injuries.

After being thrown into prison, each day felt like an eternity, but at least he was still alive. Simon didn't have much hope; he was just taking it one day at a time.

The iron bars that most people would avoid at all costs actually gave him a sense of security. But now... he didn't know what he would face if he got out of here, perhaps unimaginable torture and forced confessions, which made his heart leap into his throat once again.

Two burly soldiers strode in like the wind, startling him so much that he cried out in alarm and shrank back into the corner, shouting in a fierce but weak voice, "You...you dare touch me? You've been ordered to do so!"

The two soldiers ignored him completely, grabbed his only remaining arm, lifted him up like a chick, put a hood over his head without a word, and shoved him out.

"I...I know other things, I know other things! If you kill me, you'll never be able to..."

"Boom!"

He was shoved into a carriage, and then the ride began, a constant clattering and rattling. He kept muttering angry curses, but there was also a hint of him trying to bolster his courage.

But when the carriage arrived at the destination, and he was taken away and his hood was removed, all the courage he had painstakingly built up along the way vanished without a trace—a heavily guarded recruit training camp was right in front of him.

Judging from their uniforms, these soldiers were the infamous "Ramoun Raiders" of the North. Even though they were still new recruits, their discipline and discipline were remarkable, and their ranks were as orderly as those of a regular army. One group of soldiers noticed him, their gazes filled with murderous intent, making him break out in a cold sweat and dare not utter a single word.

Ultimately, the so-called Howling Wolf Gang is nothing more than a bunch of thugs. They might put up a fight against sheriffs, but they'd be pretty much chickens out at the sight of state troopers or mounted police. Now, seeing the military, they've truly learned what it means to be outmatched; they can't afford to be arrogant anymore.

The soldiers escorting him gave him a push.

"Um, I...I wanted to ask..." His voice dropped an octave as he cautiously asked, "Who are you going to take me to see?"

"go!"

The soldier didn't say a word, but shoved him hard.

……

With another hard shove, Simon stumbled and fell into the military tent, landing on the ground. Now, with his life in someone else's hands, he dared not be negligent in the slightest. He quickly got up, looked around, and saw that the atmosphere inside the tent was extremely tense.

The people sitting on both sides, though dressed in suits, exuded a chilling aura of killing intent, clearly not people who were merely skilled in writing and painting.

In the center of the camp, there was a huge sand table simulating the terrain of the entire New Orleans region, covered with a dense array of red military flags.

On either side of the sand table sat two people, each with their own peculiarities: one was no more than half the height of the other, a standard dwarf. The other was a woman with claw marks on her face, an indifferent expression, and an expression that never betrayed her emotions. Simon couldn't understand why a woman and a dwarf could sit in such positions in this setting, but judging from their demeanor, their status seemed to be even higher.

Then, at the end of the camp, a figure stood there.

At this moment, he was facing away from himself, holding a map in his hand, his arms outstretched, studying it carefully in the light of the electric lamp.

No one said anything.

Inside the vast tent, the silence was eerily profound; you could hear a pin drop.

Simon felt as if his insides were burning. Anxiety, tension, fear... all sorts of negative emotions washed over him like sauce. If Wendigo were to be resurrected now and cut him up to make a dish, he might find that his flesh had been soaked in negative emotions, making it unbearably sour.

In a sense, if Zhang Honglu had killed him with an axe that night, it might have been better to end it quickly and avoid such suffering.

"you you……"

He finally couldn't hold on any longer. Gritting his teeth, he mustered his last bit of strength and blurted out, on the verge of collapse, "What exactly do you want? You brought me here from prison, what do you... want to know? Just ask! How am I supposed to know if you don't ask me?!"

“I know a lot more. If you want to know more, you should listen to my conditions. I... I don't want much. I just want to live! Let me go, spare my life, and I can use..."

……

“My son, I broke your arm.” Zhang Renfeng gently put down the map, slowly turned around, his tone calm and his expression unchanged. “As your father, I’ll give it to you as an apology.”

"..."

Upon seeing his skin color and face clearly, the former leader of the Howling Wolf Gang instantly changed color, his face filled with terror, and his legs went weak, causing him to kneel on the ground.

"However, as far as I know, my men should have already treated your wounds. You're conscious and articulate now. You should be able to talk to us, right?"

Zhang Renfeng turned his head slightly and let out a cold laugh.

“Fengchuisha is a great place. There was a gang there 14 years ago called the Thunder Fury Gang, and now the Howling Wolf Gang has come.”

"But you are much more resourceful than your predecessors, and you have even managed to do business with northerners."

“No… that’s not it.” Simon’s voice became stammering. “We… were cheated by the people from the North. The brothers have never seen so much money in their lives. We had no reason to refuse.”

"They call me the 'Red Peril,' don't they?"

Zhang Renfeng let out a long breath and murmured, "Perhaps we should thank them. I couldn't have come up with such a good name myself."

Zhang Renfeng slowly approached him. Like a moving mountain, he made his heart pound wildly, filled with extreme fear.

“That’s right. We must make those people remember that to them, I am like a walking natural disaster… Anyone who provokes me will definitely pay the price.”