Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

This plan, on the other hand, is relatively more unrestrained, with several letters appearing in cursive from time to time.

Chapter 954: What a classic three-choice question!

Zhang Renfeng watched Elinis' departing figure from afar, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "Just now, did you feel that he was secretly watching you?"

“Me? No.” Yin thought for a moment and shook his head. “His gaze only turns to me when he’s talking to me, but that’s normal. When he’s talking to you, his attention isn’t on me.”

"The jeweler before him didn't say a word to me the whole time. His attention was focused on you the whole time, almost as if he was doing it on purpose."

Recalling his conversation with Riemann, Zhang Renfeng realized that this was indeed the case. Apart from the initial toast, he hadn't said a single word to Igor, who was played by Yin.

Of course, this could also be interpreted as him knowing that Zhang Renfeng was the real power holder here, even more powerful than Igor, who held sway over the southern border. At the top of the power structure, even a difference of a fraction of a rank, let alone half a rank, can cause drastic changes at the bottom. Intentionally ignoring Igor might be a tactic on his part.

Whether he was simply being overly obsequious, focusing all his energy on pleasing Zhang Renfeng at the pinnacle of power, or whether he had ulterior motives, remains unknown.

He took out his pocket watch and checked the time. Two visitors had come and gone, and they were almost out of time.

The third person went up the stairs.

Valentine.

Zhang Renfeng still remembered some of his own people within the group; he was the on-site general manager for the track racing competition. He was responsible for everything at the competition venue, including security, personnel access, lighting, and the entry of the cars.

“Mr. Zhang, Mr. Zola El, everything is ready at the venue.” Valentine nodded slightly to the two men, his expression completely businesslike, like a subordinate reporting to a superior. “The opening ceremony can begin at any time.”

"...Have all the safety issues been checked?"

“No problem. We have conducted multiple inspections inside and outside the venue, led by Sheriff Gordon himself, and we can assure you that there are no issues.”

"There are five entrances to the venue, as well as weapons storage cabinets. We have reached an agreement with Morgan Transportation Company and deployed a large number of personnel to conduct security checks at the entrance. We are ensuring that no guest is carrying any weapons, not even a single razor blade."

"The scheduled start time is 6 p.m. tonight, excluding some song and dance performances and entertainment shows."

"The scheduled 'racing entrance ceremony' will officially begin around 7:30 PM. All participating vehicles will take turns running two laps in front of the audience to showcase their performance. The drivers will then get out of their cars to receive the cheers of the fans. There will be a total of 20 cars, and this segment will last about an hour and a half. Tonight's program will end around 9 PM."

"Gentlemen, is there any further instruction? If possible, people can begin to enter the venue."

……

Zhang Renfeng nodded and said in a deep voice, "Go."

"Tell everyone below that tonight, security is paramount. Be on high alert and don't make any mistakes. If you need any support, whether it's supplies, manpower, or anything else, report to us immediately."

"Understood." Valentine nodded and turned to leave.

"..."

By now, Zhang Renfeng had become a powerful figure who could not show his emotions. Although he had a thousand thoughts in his mind, he remained calm and showed no sign of them.

This extraordinary night is destined to see many things happen, with the desires and plans of so many people intertwined.

No one can guarantee that their own plan will lead to victory in the end, not even him.

The clock ticked on, neither favoring one side nor the other, and the moment when the white torch clashed with the black poison was finally approaching. Even though Zhang Renfeng had the upper hand in terms of intelligence, manpower, and weaponry, he couldn't guarantee a victory tonight; he could only take it one step at a time.

However, one thing is certain.

"5:16... There's not much time left since they sent the signal; they won't be sending anyone else."

“Riemann Altztoré of Riemann Jewelry, Elinis of Isabella Clothing Store, and Valentine, the host of the field competition, one of these three people is ‘Petrified Stone’.”

"Heh, three choices? Interesting." Seeing that her work was almost finished, Yin relaxed, picked up her knife and fork, and continued her hearty meal. "Which one do you think it is?"

“They say those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things clearly,” Zhang Renfeng countered. “In this matter, you should be considered a true bystander. Who do you think is more like one?”

"I'm only responsible for playing the ghost, not solving the case. But if I had to say..." Yin's eyes darted around, "...the first one."

"That jeweler?"

“Isn’t there an old saying in your country that ‘the answer to the riddle is right there on the surface of the riddle’?” Yin picked up the huge “woman’s heart” and waved it in front of him. “He’s already slapped the answer in your face. What else is there to deduce?”

“…What is he after?” Zhang Renfeng frowned.

"Who knows? Maybe he just wants to show off his intelligence, to enjoy the feeling of having his enemies at his fingertips?" Yin guessed. "I've met many smart people who are very proud of their intelligence and won't be satisfied unless they show it off in front of others."

"The feeling of fooling the most powerful person in the entire American South in front of everyone might actually be really exhilarating."

"..."

Zhang Renfeng remained silent, but judging from his furrowed brows, he did not quite agree with this statement.

“The second person is Elinis,” Zhang Renfeng said in a deep voice. “Without anyone reminding him, he recognized at a glance that the ring was alexandrite.”

"Perhaps he has just seen too many gemstones and has a certain ability to appreciate them? That old man has an aristocratic air about him, so the existence of this kind of stone must not be new to him."

He said, feigning annoyance, "Besides, didn't he also submit a proposal related to artisans? He was willing to provide funding and venues; such a good role model in the industry, how could he be an assassin?"

“…Yes, he’s too good,” Zhang Renfeng murmured, “too good to be true.”

"If that's the case, why don't you suspect a third person?" Yin continued. "Didn't the previous arms smuggling case prove that there was a mole within your group?"

"For intelligence to leak, it definitely requires the cooperation of someone inside. Moreover, that person's position within the organization is likely quite high. In conclusion..."

Zhang Renfeng fell silent again. Without further evidence, relying solely on conjecture, the more he thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed.

Valentine is one of their own, which is why it's easiest for him to obtain intelligence and information. However, his suspicion cannot be ruled out.

----

"call out----"

"boom!!!"

Fireworks exploded.

The grand event has begun.

The entire city was once again engulfed in a frenzy of excitement.

"It's almost time," Zhang Renfeng murmured, as if sensing something. "It's about to begin."

Chapter 955: Let's end all of this quickly.

The man touched the scar on his face, his thick eyebrows furrowed. Every time this happened, the scar on his face would emit a burning sensation and ache faintly.

He faintly smelled the lingering stench of blood in the air, but had no further means to verify it. He huddled beside a musty-smelling wooden crate near the side entrance of the Krashir shopping street. Despite being unburdened, he felt extremely uncomfortable.

The jubilant sounds drifting from the street annoyed him, making him want to tear everything apart and run into the street to wreak havoc. He gripped the rifle in his hand so tightly it creaked.

"Calm down, Francis, be careful not to break that thing." A thin man with gloomy eyes tightened his hat brim. "The signal for the petrification has been sent out. In thirty minutes at most, everything will be settled."

“I just want to kill him with my own hands,” Francis said bitterly. “After lying low for more than ten years, in the end, on this most crucial night, I can only shrink into the corner of the room like an insect, keeping company with these damp, rotten furniture.”

"There's no way we could come up with such an idea on our own," the short man shrugged. "Since this was all planned by Alexandrite, we have no choice but to..."

"Don't give me that crap, 'pig farmer,' did you get too much pig manure in your head while raising pigs? Can't you see that that guy has never cared about us or any of his partners? He only helps us because of his own...those bullshit political considerations!"

Francis said impatiently, "Therefore, he would rather give this opportunity to those fucking Yankees than give it to us. But I...we are the ones who truly have the right to demand revenge!"

"Not really."

The pig farmer, despite being reprimanded, didn't get angry. He seemed used to his companion's foul mouth and simply said indifferently, "We're the backup plan. If they fail, it'll be our turn. You can crush that little dwarf like a bug then, and no one will mind."

"Ha, that's a really funny joke," Francis said coldly. "Two snipers, two observers, and one observer watching them... military-grade high-velocity sniper bullets, is that dwarf a god reincarnated? How come he can't be killed by that?"

"They promised we'd have a chance to get our own revenge before joining. And what happened? We waited so long for his plan, only to be left watching from the sidelines. Damn it, that bastard has absolutely no respect for us! What's the difference between him and the damn victims?!"

"If... if Dad were still alive, who would dare to look down on us like this?!"

……

Upon hearing this, even the cunning pig herder showed a slight change in expression.

He suddenly had a strong urge to reach for a cigarette and offer it to the big guy in front of him, but reason quickly stopped him—at this moment, this seven-man assassin team was still in stealth mode. Although probably no one would notice, they still needed to avoid any possibility of being exposed.

Although reason prevailed, emotions, after much internal struggle, ultimately turned into a sigh.

“Dad, that’s right, if Dad were still here…”

The two were speechless for a moment, then let out a long sigh.

Those who operate in the underworld know better than anyone the truth that death ends everything. These days, few can even remember what the word "Old Man" represents. So much so that the long-awaited revenge, in a world where he's no longer there, might hardly be considered a form of solace.

The operation had just begun when the pig farmer suddenly felt somewhat tired.

"Let's get this over with quickly," he thought to himself.

Anyone will do. Just fire a shot, get rid of that dwarf, and consider it revenge for Dad. Then...

Let all of this end quickly.

----

A golden glint flashed in the distance.

"Eh?"

The observer, who had been using binoculars to scan two sniper positions not far away, suddenly felt a gust of wind brush past him. Something golden seemed to suddenly dart out from the exterior wall of the building and then disappear into the distance.

He hurriedly put down his binoculars, but before he could draw his gun, a heavy weight suddenly pressed down on his shoulder and neck.

"Varied……"

"Click!"

The wolf wasted no time. After wrapping its arms around his neck, it twisted its waist and used its legs like pincers to suddenly exert force! In just an instant, it snapped his spine, concise, efficient, and very humane, minimizing the pain.

With a thud, the observer collapsed to the ground, twitching twice before falling still. The entire process was remarkably practiced, an almost silent assassination, making not a single extra sound—much easier for the wolf than she had imagined. She rose from the corpse, stretched, and yawned.

"Ok?"

She suddenly noticed that his right hand was already inside his belt, gripping the pistol's handle, but he hadn't pulled it out. Because he had died from a broken neck, his reflexes were frozen, and his body was frozen in the motion of drawing a gun.

This took her by surprise.

"He actually... realized it? That shouldn't be the case..." the wolf muttered, searching the corpse for anything. Finally, he found a square iron pendant around the neck. Engraved on it were a string of numbers, a blood type, and a name.

"A dog tag?" Wolf was surprised, looking at the corpse again. "Was someone from the military?!"

----

"call……"

Clinging to the outer layer of the wall with one hand, Zhang Lvjiu took a deep breath. He felt like a spider, suspended in mid-air using only his finger strength.

With his feet almost suspended in mid-air, he could have crushed the bricks of the outer wall, but the thought of how someone would go crazy over those two holes, and how much extra money would be spent on renovations, ultimately prevented him from doing so. Instead, he pressed his ear against the brick wall, feeling the vibrations of the sound traveling through the solid to reach his ears.

He could confirm that a sniper and an observer were already in position on the roof.

All that's left is to wait.

When... the two figures finally overlapped into a straight line.

The hands gripping the wall edge suddenly exerted force!

Using his powerful arm and finger strength, Zhang Lujiu leaped up and rolled over the last bit of distance. He had already pinpointed the positions of the sniper and the observer, but the two men, so focused that one was looking through binoculars and the other through the sniper scope, failed to notice his presence immediately.

Moment.

On the battlefield, victory or defeat can be decided in an instant.

"boom----!!"

Zhang Lvjiu pulled out the Panlong Staff from behind him and hurled it. With a whooshing sound, the staff transformed into a blur, piercing through the bodies of the two men.

Blood and shattered bones flew out together.

The intense pain instantly overwhelmed everything, and the two were unable to retaliate before immediately losing consciousness.

Chapter 956: Going to Higher Ground for Some Fresh Air

Wine is hard to drink, a truth that applies to all times and cultures.

Zhang Fulin's English was limited to a few words he learned while visiting local elders. He was far from being fluent enough to communicate with people.

However, his three younger brothers, who could speak Chinese, all left one after another, citing "something to do." Although there were other people at the table, they couldn't communicate; the English drifting in from all sides was like a high wall, separating him from the world.

Looking around, I couldn't find my aunt anywhere.

As for his father, who had brought him here, he sat with the dwarf gentleman in a secluded spot on the second floor. For some reason, he was very far away from everyone else. After hesitating for a while, he decided not to disturb Zhang Renfeng, and then got up and slowly strolled around the spacious hall, which was large enough to run around, play, or even kick a football.

No one viewed this dinner party as simply a meal. The guests who entered were all prominent and elite individuals. To them, it was more like a social platform that brought together the best resources from across Southern America.