Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

With a heavy heart, I walked a little further, and a secluded little door appeared at the end of the stairwell. The door was ajar for some reason, but it could be opened with a gentle push.

Seeing the stairs, he breathed a sigh of relief—perhaps he had just gotten lost because the shelves and display cases were so densely packed. Once up the stairs, he was in the women's clothing section on the second floor. Looking down, everything was crystal clear.

"Once we get up there, we'll determine the route from there and then return the way we came. Wu Sheng and the others should have finished their conversation by now."

"..."

That small door lay there quietly, half-closed, like a gleaming trap.

Zhang Fulin has always been a very curious person.

Nothing could pique his curiosity more than a half-open door.

He heard the whispers of the demons within him, and the content of those whispers was exceptionally clear.

"It's all here..."

----

The wooden door opened quietly without making the classic creaking sound of something worn out.

The room contained nothing unexpected, only men's and women's clothing, shoes, and a dressing table hanging on the walls. On the dressing table stood a mirror, and on it were many tools for drawing eyebrows and applying blush.

A strange fragrance wafted out from it.

Chapter 942: We all need faith to resist the emptiness in life.

It's not exactly fragrant, but it's not unpleasant to smell either.

Since setting foot on this land, there have been so many firsts for Zhang Fulin, and this smell is undoubtedly a first for him as well.

He searched his mind but couldn't find a suitable analogy. Then, a strange device lying on the ground caught his attention. He easily took a step forward, picked up the small device from the ground, and examined it carefully.

Is it an air pump?

The rubber air pump wasn't large; it could be held in the palm of your hand. It was connected to a flexible tube, and at the other end was a thin, semi-circular piece, about the length of a finger. The angle of the curve resembled a small crescent moon, which Zhang Fulin found strange. He pondered it for a long time but couldn't figure out what it was for.

He tried squeezing the air pump a couple of times. The semi-circular patch was elastic and immediately stretched to a larger size. When held in his hand, it would change shape depending on the strength of his fingers, showing great elasticity.

"Could this be a Western toy? Do they like playing with these strange things?"

……

Just as he was studying the object, footsteps suddenly came from the side. The waiter, Ado, whom he had just met and who was wearing a green suit, was already standing behind him, staring straight at him.

Despite the language barrier, many things can be expressed very clearly without words. For example, Ado's expression at this moment is telling him that he has entered a place he shouldn't have entered.

However, since he was a distinguished guest and there was a language barrier, it was understandable that he got lost, so they wouldn't hold it against him. Zhang Fulin, naturally embarrassed, brazenly stayed there any longer, made a joke, and left with him.

----

"I've already read all the books you lent me before," Zhang Wusheng said enthusiastically. "Any new ones?"

“Wu Sheng, reading isn’t about collecting stamps or accumulating conversation topics with others; it’s for your own enjoyment.” Elinis seemed to have seen through his thoughts long ago, half-closing his eyes and shaking his head with a smile. “At your age, those three books, if you only read them once, will probably seem obscure and difficult to understand.”

"Read it a few more times before returning it to me. Anyway, I'm not in a hurry."

Although they were friends, Zhang Wusheng and Elinis didn't actually have much interaction. Their most frequent interactions were nothing more than casual conversations, with the older Elinis lending Zhang Wusheng a few books to read. From childhood to adulthood, Elinis had practically been responsible for all of Zhang Wusheng's extracurricular reading.

Some parts were easy to understand, while others were obscure. Zhang Wusheng accepted them all, as this was the only opportunity he could communicate with people other than his parents, teachers, and brothers.

Recently, he lent three books to Zhang Wusheng: "Being and Forgetting", "America's Eden", and "America's Hell".

The latter two books, both written by the same author, became increasingly captivating for Zhang Wusheng, prompting his reflections. Erin Miller, with his detailed and nuanced prose, depicts the dramatic changes that have occurred on this land over the past few decades. Eden and purgatory coexist in the same place; no matter how much one knows, the sweeping tides of history cannot be altered by anyone.

However, Zhang Wusheng could at least understand these two books. Inspired by them, he discovered that many of the ideas presented in the books were already showing promise.

"To be honest, I didn't understand that book, 'Being and Forgetting,' very well." Zhang Wusheng scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed. "It's all very abstract content. By the end, it didn't explain what 'being' and 'forgetting' really meant."

Elinis smiled and nodded noncommittally.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Wusheng asked, puzzled. "Did I forget something?"

"No, you're right, that book... is indeed a bit obscure. Its author was in great pain, seeing many things but unable to find solutions, so what he wrote was filled with self-doubt, confusion... and pain."

"What is it?" Zhang Wusheng asked.

After a moment's thought, Elinis said, "Simply put, it's faith."

"Wu Sheng, do you have any beliefs?"

Zhang Wusheng shook his head.

Their family didn't really believe in gods. In a sense, Zhang Renfeng himself had almost replaced God as the faith of more people in Baiju City.

"The author of this book saw the decline of faith. As technology became more and more advanced, railways connected the entire country, and the light of electric lights illuminated thousands of households... People's faith eventually became weaker and weaker. God bless gradually became an empty phrase without power."

"Isn't this a good thing?" Zhang Wusheng scratched his head and asked curiously, "My teacher always said that if you use faith to rule a place, although it may have immediate effects, it will have endless consequences."

“Your teacher… ha… someone who could be invited to be your teacher must be quite a character,” Elinis said with a smile. “What he said isn’t entirely wrong, but he subconsciously equated ‘faith’ with ‘religion’.”

"What do you mean?" Zhang Wusheng asked suspiciously. "Aren't these two talking about the same thing?"

"It depends."

"what's the situation?"

"For most of human history, the two could be equated. However, in the last hundred years, with the emergence of various schools of thought, this has not been the case."

"Especially... with the advancement of technology, vast tracts of land have been connected. It is foreseeable that in the future, people will form new communities with a density that was previously unimaginable."

“He doesn’t want to rule the people with ‘religious’ beliefs, but people’s beliefs will not disappear. Humans are born needing to believe in something; it’s in their nature. If he doesn’t take over, other beliefs will naturally take over the vacant position.”

"Why?" Zhang Wusheng found it unbelievable. "Why do we have to have faith to survive?"

"Because people are stupid."

In a calm tone, Elinis uttered a shocking statement: "So stupid that they need someone to tell them what to do, what to buy, and how to live."

"Looking back on your life, Wu Sheng, from birth to now, what things have you fully realized through your own efforts? And how many things were told to you directly or indirectly by those around you—your mentors, parents, siblings, and friends?"

……

"People tend to blindly trust those in authority to tell them what to do, and are willing to hand over a portion of their power. When everyone hands over a little, it accumulates into an incredibly large, complex, and incomprehensible government."

"When you reach my age, you'll understand. We all need faith, Wu Sheng..."

"We need to throw ourselves into the greater torrent and become a part of it to resist the meaninglessness and nihilism of life."

Chapter 943: Family Banquet

"My Chinese... isn't very good, please... don't mind."

At the dinner table, Evelyn had changed into a plain-colored dress and styled her hair into an elegant updo. She nodded slightly to him, smiling somewhat shyly. She seemed genuinely embarrassed by her less-than-stellar Chinese proficiency.

Time seemed to have been exceptionally kind to her; outwardly, she looked no different from a 25 or 6-year-old girl. Her skin was fair, her figure slender, and she maintained an elegant and captivating silhouette. The expression on her face was also much more vibrant than before. Love truly is a good teacher; to communicate more effectively with her lover, Evelyn taught herself Chinese.

She was an excellent performing artist, and was naturally adept at memorizing lines. In a very short time, she learned another language, which was quite complex for her. But in daily life, Zhang Renfeng was also very kind to her, willing to accommodate her, and often communicated with her in English.

After a while, without anyone to practice with, her Chinese level naturally remained at the level of simple conversation. It wasn't that she couldn't speak, but before opening her mouth, she needed to think it through in her mind and make sure it was correct before speaking, so it wasn't fluent.

Previously, Zhang Fulin had only heard of Evelyn's name, and tonight's family dinner was the first time he had met her, which surprised him greatly.

Beauty is beauty. No matter how aesthetic standards change, skin color, region, or culture may differ, but the appreciation of beauty is ingrained in our genes. Zhang Fulin's first reaction was to marvel at Evelyn's near-perfect, stunning beauty, before he realized from whom Zhang Honglu inherited his succubus-like handsome face.

"Not at all, your Chinese is already very good. Compared to you, I don't even know half a Western word."

At the Isabella restaurant, Zhang Fulin changed into a more formal and serious outfit, finally participating in the family dinner.

Just as he had expected, Zhang Renfeng wasn't the type to indulge in luxury or extravagance. What was called a family banquet was actually just dining out in a private room. The trip was kept very low-key; they didn't alert anyone. Once the door to the private room was closed, none of the guests outside knew they were there.

All sorts of sounds—laughter, table-banging, and card-playing—came through the wooden planks, creating a lively atmosphere and adding a touch of warmth to the meal.

“Fulin, don’t be so reserved. We’re all family here.” Zhang Renfeng, with the demeanor of a patriarch, said with a smile, “We don’t have so many rules in our family. You call Xiaolang ‘Auntie,’ and I think that’s a pretty good way to address him. Even though we’re not related, we’re still family. Using ‘mother’ in the way of addressing him makes it sound more intimate.”

"In that case, stop addressing Evelyn with such formal 'you' and just call her Auntie."

"Little Aunt".

"Hmm...? Hmm, okay."

Evelyn's Chinese wasn't good enough to distinguish these messy kinship terms, so when he called her that, she just nodded, smiled, and gave him a slight nod.

"Come on, eat, eat more. Our family is separated by thousands of miles, so it's really not easy for us to get together."

Apart from Evelyn, everyone else at the table used chopsticks.

Zhang Fulin glanced at them briefly; the brothers Zhang Lüjiu and Zhang Honglu were very clumsy with chopsticks. Even with immense strength, these two small chopsticks wouldn't tolerate your lack of skill; if you don't know how to use them, you simply don't know how. If their fingers weren't in the right position when picking up food, it would easily slip away.

Zhang Lvjiu insisted on using it, but Zhang Honglu frowned, lacking the patience. After failing to pick up the chopsticks several times, he put them aside and went back to using a knife and fork.

"Fortune arrives."

Surprisingly, after the meal began, the first person to speak to him was Evelyn, "How...is your mother doing lately?"

“She’s in good health and is currently unemployed at home with nothing to do. Occasionally she’ll go to the opera troupe to perform a couple of times and help out at the venue.” Zhang Fulin asked curiously, “Auntie, have you met my mother before? She once said that you were half a colleague of hers.”

“A long time ago…we met a few times. Back then, your mother and I were in the same theater troupe, and we performed together for a while. I received a lot of help from her.” Recalling the past, Evelyn’s beautiful face showed a gentle smile again. “She even helped me comb my hair.”

"This afternoon, your three younger brothers must have taken you around Baiju City, right?" Zhang Renfeng picked up his wine glass and downed it in one gulp. "How did it go?"

"It's like a city from a dream, incredible. Many places have already broadened my horizons, but on the first day, I've only scratched the surface of many places, barely scratching the surface. Many things remain a mystery to me..."

He smiled sheepishly and touched the tip of his nose. "I had a lot of questions, but I was afraid of bothering my brothers, so I didn't dare to ask."

Zhang Renfeng recalled how, when they were on the boat, Zhang Fulin had inquired about everything on the ship, from the smokestack to the engine, leaving no stone unturned. He couldn't help but chuckle. This son seemed to possess a relentless spirit of inquiry, somewhat like a scientist like Tao.

Thinking about it this way, Tao must like him; he likes assistants who respond. Zhang Fulin's endless questions might actually ignite his passion for research. Zhang Renfeng even seriously considered sending his eldest son to study under scientists to learn some real skills.

Unfortunately, the language barrier remains a major problem.

"No rush, no rush, Baiju City is a big city."

Zhang Renfeng pondered for a moment, then said with a smile, "Today, Wusheng took you shopping for clothes, right? Tomorrow, let him take you to other places to shop."

Upon receiving this task, Zhang Wusheng looked up in surprise.

"The circuit racing competition will start in a few days. People from all over the country will flock here; it'll be incredibly lively. By then, you'll be more familiar with the city, and then we can..."

……

"Dong dong!"

A rapid, forceful knock on the door interrupted what should have been a warm family dinner.

Zhang Renfeng's expression changed, the smile on his face quickly faded, his brows furrowed, and after hesitating for a moment, he cleared his throat and lowered his voice slightly.

"Please come in."

……

Zhang Fulin's brow twitched.

This was the first time he had seen his father display such a dignified side in public. Although he was somewhat prepared, this imposing presence still took his breath away. The word "please" was used, but the quiet authority conveyed in those two words was enough to intimidate and scare any outsider…and make them feel alienated.

For a fleeting moment, Zhang Fulin even felt that this was not his father.

----

Ren strode in, his face calm. He didn't make eye contact with the family members at the table, but walked over to Zhang Renfeng and whispered a few words.

……

"..."

Zhang Renfeng's expression was hesitant, and his lips were slightly pursed.

"Senior brother, go ahead, there's more important stuff to do," the wolf said, showing great understanding.

Anyway... my mind isn't here anymore, I can't even eat in peace, so I might as well wait until next time.

"...Okay, I'll go now."

Zhang Renfeng nodded, then stood up, looking apologetic. "I'll make up for tonight's meal later."

He got up, left his seat, and walked away quickly.

Chapter 944: Letter (Fifth update today, should be able to post this now~~~)

"I'm sorry, it's rare for me to get together with my family. We were having dinner when I called you out." Ren's tone was somewhat apologetic. "It's really urgent. You said before that any progress related to that 'Black Water Poison' should be treated at the highest level."

The so-called "highest level" refers to major matters that need to be reported to Zhang Renfeng and reviewed personally.