Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

Pushing open the heavy wooden door, the sky remained a pristine, clear blue, without a single cloud.

There are many tourists.

Watching this scene, for some reason, my heart started beating faster and faster.

"Woo..."

A strong feeling of dizziness enveloped him, followed by an even stronger feeling of nausea.

He quickly found a secluded corner and began to gag repeatedly, vomiting up all the exquisite food he had just eaten!

Chapter 990: You and your father are really nothing alike

"So boring—"

Sitting in a chair, lost in thought, Zhang Wusheng leaned back, staring at the canopy of the military tent, and let out a long sigh for what seemed like the umpteenth time.

Half a month has passed.

Before his departure, Zhang Renfeng described the task of guarding the logistics as extremely important, which made Zhang Wusheng excited and happy that he could finally help. But as the days went by, what was originally the front line gradually became the rear.

The requisitioned train station was never put to use; the four locomotives lay quietly in the station, never moved.

Thinking about it carefully, would the team led by my father really need logistical supplies?

Zhang Lüjiu and Zhang Honglu are prime examples. Their rations for the expedition to Chicago were all obtained from the Union Army after the capture of Fort Ford. The warehouses contained enough supplies for ten thousand men, more than enough for their journey. This clearly demonstrates that Zhang Renfeng's style of command always involved treating the enemy's granaries and armories as his own.

Nothing happens.

As if a violent storm had passed, this city on the Pennsylvania border has returned to a state of peaceful tranquility.

Where are Dad and Mom now? Have they already fought their way out of Pennsylvania and into the old front states?

Green wine and red stove should also be heading towards Chicago, passing through the Buckeye State, right?

The thought that his parents and brothers might be fighting on the battlefield while he was sitting leisurely in a chair, swaying and looking at the sky, made Zhang Wusheng feel incredulous.

Right now, the only way to kill time is through the world of books.

……

"I'm back." Silverfrost lifted the tent flap in the camp, took off his sword, and hung it on the weapon rack. "Everything is normal in Morocco, just like before."

“...Oh, really…”

Zhang Wusheng was somewhat panicked and instinctively tried to hide the book.

Being and Forgetting.

This book was one of three books that Elenes had lent him. Zhang Wusheng had already finished reading *America's Eden* and *America's Hell*, but he hadn't quite grasped the essence of this one. Elenes suggested that he spend more time carefully reading *Being and Forgetting*, saying that he could gain many insights from it, so he started reading it again from the beginning.

As a result, not long after that meeting, the infamous "Three Dark Days" tragedy broke out in White Torch City, with Mike being assassinated, track racing cars going out of control, and hundreds of people killed or injured.

The mastermind behind all of this was none other than Elinis, who lent him these three books. His true identity was Samuel Graves, the former leader of the Illuminati, and his father's greatest enemy!

The seemingly humble, powerful, gentle, and tolerant Elizabeth clothing store owner was merely a disguise he used when infiltrating White Torch City. And her friendship with him, from beginning to end, was simply adding color to his "disguise."

Afterwards, no one questioned his past relationship with Samuel, and Zhang Renfeng didn't mention it at all. Everyone tacitly kept quiet, as if the incident had never happened. Nevertheless, Zhang Wusheng still felt somewhat uneasy.

He began counting on his fingers, recalling every casual conversation he had with Samuel, wondering if he had revealed any information he shouldn't have, which might have contributed to all of this. The more he thought about it, the more his head throbbed, and his mental state became even more unstable than before.

He was deceived.

Once you use this as a basis to examine past memories, all the beautiful moments seem to be shrouded in a layer of deception. The thought that someone you thought you knew well was actually pretending and deceiving you from beginning to end is enough to make your stomach ache just thinking about it.

However, in reality, Zhang Renfeng at that time couldn't care less about any of that. He had already made the decision to wage war and, as the commander-in-chief, would personally participate in the campaign against the Northern Federal Government. The army was about to set off, and there were countless things that he, as the commander-in-chief, would need to attend to.

He ran to Igor's house day and night, devising battle strategies, planning marching routes, coordinating subordinate units, and selecting the best soldiers from among the Lamon raiders... A series of complicated and complex matters, all related to the war, could not be taken lightly.

With Mike, the strategist, gone, Calaway was ultimately just a top-notch gunman and enforcer. He might be able to command a small squad, but in terms of strategic planning, he was a level below Mike. Left with no other choice, Zhang Renfeng summoned Meteora to temporarily replace Mike as strategist. Together with Meteora and Igor, they combined their opinions and finally drafted a complete plan for the expedition.

With military affairs so busy, the plan to have a proper talk with Wu Sheng has to be put on hold for now.

It wasn't until half a month ago, on the first day of the capture of Fordburg, that Zhang Renfeng spoke those words to Wu Sheng in person, which made him feel a little relieved—his father was still willing to assign him tasks, which at least... meant that he still valued him... right?

----

"..."

Zhang Wusheng suddenly realized that, in his eyes, this book was evidence of a dishonorable "personal relationship" with Samuel. Subconsciously, he could only read it when no one was around, fearing that a second person would discover it.

But in other people's eyes, a book is just a book.

"Any news from the front?"

"No."

Yinshuang removed the chainmail embedded within her leather armor. With the clanging of the chainmail's iron rings, she shook her head, her silver-white ponytail swaying dazzlingly from side to side. Looking at her lithe, well-proportioned figure beneath her underwear, Zhang Wusheng's pupils dilated slightly, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes.

"At times like these, no news is actually the best news."

"Why?" Zhang Wusheng asked, puzzled.

"Think about it, if the federal army had won a battle, they would definitely want to announce it to the world and boost morale, right? All sorts of propaganda offensives would have come to the south to shake the morale of our headquarters, but now there is nothing."

"At least it shows that they can't achieve results that are worth bragging about, right? This proves that Mr. Zhang and his team are still making steady progress."

"It's you..."

Yinshuang looked at him with some curiosity, "Aren't you bored staying in this tent all the time? They say we're supposed to stay behind, but actually, there aren't that many military affairs to handle, are there?"

"me……"

Zhang Wusheng was somewhat surprised by her sudden conversation. After hesitating for a moment, he forced a formulaic business smile and said, "I'm fine as I am now."

Yinshuang looked at him with a complicated expression, her gaze sweeping back and forth over his legs before she sighed.

“You and your father are nothing alike.”

Chapter 991: You are the highest-ranking officer here

"..."

Zhang Wusheng's first reaction was to laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" Silver Frost put her hands on her hips and said with a hint of exasperation, "This isn't something to laugh at, is it? I offended you, you should be angry!"

"I'm sorry... I..."

Zhang Wusheng touched his face, feeling the stiff muscles, and realized that he had unconsciously laughed. "I just... unconsciously... maybe I'm used to it."

Encountering rather intense words

"Why apologize...sigh..." Silver Frost sighed helplessly, frowning slightly in dissatisfaction. She pulled up a chair, sat down next to him, and crossed her legs. Her amber eyes, like cat's eyes, were wide open, and she leaned slightly forward, staring intently at him.

"We've been working together for about two weeks now, haven't we? In these two weeks, you've almost never initiated any communication with me. Every sentence you speak is limited to ten words or less. What, are you charging me for saying a few more words?"

"You only listen to your subordinates' reports about everything that happens outside; you never go out to see for yourself."

She counted on her fingers, listing them one by one, "The urban structure of Morocco, the specific political situation of the city, the attitude of the citizens towards us... and the highest task your father entrusted to us, to keep an eye on the Morocco train station! How can you tell these specific things from just a few sentences of report?"

"But, Miss Silverfrost... my leg..."

"Don't make excuses!"

Yinshuang glared at her and said bluntly, "Yes, your leg is inconvenient, but it's not like you can't walk. Besides, there are other ways besides walking! I can ride a horse to take you there and then bring you back. It's just one more person on horseback, but you didn't even have the intention to communicate with me."

“Now, all the things that you, as the Lord, should be doing in the future are being done by me on your behalf. Think about it, if this continues, will these soldiers still listen to you?”

"It's fortunate that it was me. What if your adjutant was an ambitious surrenderist? He might sell you out one day and you wouldn't even know it!"

At this point, Yinshuang sighed again, rubbed her forehead, and said with a helpless expression, "Let's be frank, Wusheng, do you have a problem with me? Is that why you don't want to talk to me?"

"No... how could that be..."

Zhang Wusheng had never been reprimanded so harshly before, and a strange feeling arose in his heart towards this dashing silver-haired woman.

He wanted to explain, but suddenly felt powerless. Many words were stuck in his throat, like thorns and brambles, tangled together, and he couldn't say them.

In this situation, it seems that no matter what you say, you will be seen as making excuses.

But Yinshuang moved very close, her cat-like amber eyes fixed on him, clearly not intending to let the matter slide.

"I...uh..." With no other choice, Zhang Wusheng had to tell the truth, "I'm not very good at...dealing with people. I can handle some written work, no problem with more, but when it comes to interacting with real people, it's a bit..."

"Does that include me?" Silverfrost blinked.

Zhang Wusheng didn't speak, he just nodded.

Knowing that the other person wasn't targeting her, Yinshuang's tone softened slightly, "But you can't go your whole life without ever interacting with people, can you?"

“…” Zhang Wusheng remained silent.

“Go out for a walk and you’ll see,” Silver Frost said softly. “Not many people will keep staring at your legs.”

Zhang Wusheng abruptly raised his head, his numb eyes flashing with intense hostility in an instant. He changed his tone and spoke to her, "Are you sure?"

"I'm not sure." Silverfrost shook her head honestly. "If you want to know, go outside this tent and find out for yourself."

……

Having come this far, Zhang Wusheng had no other choice in order not to jeopardize unity. Nominally, Yinshuang was, after all, his adjutant.

Her unique constitution gave her exceptionally strong anti-aging abilities, making her appear to be the same age as him. However, Yin Shuang was actually a partner he had known since his father's early days of starting his business, making her practically his elder. Under the pressure of this dual identity, Zhang Wusheng couldn't find any other reason.

The cane lifted the corner of the tent, and the blinding light made him instinctively squint and raise his hand to shield his eyes.

In the makeshift camp, soldiers were carrying out their daily physical training, and the dust kicked up by their running flew through the air above the camp.

The soldiers trained by Zhang Renfeng often placed great emphasis on physical training, a trait that distinguished them from the soldiers of the Northern Federation. Even when stationed in relatively remote areas of the battlefield, without supervision, their daily physical training was never neglected.

The neat formation ran past him, and as Silverfrost had said, not many people looked at his right leg.

"What...it seems like there are fewer people?" Zhang Wusheng glanced around and quickly noticed the clue. "The number of troops remaining in the camp is about 200 fewer."

"You actually figured it out." Silver Frost was actually delighted. "I thought you'd been lying in the tent for so long that your brain had completely gone moldy."

“It can’t be that bad…” Zhang Wusheng said with a wry smile. “However, I understand what Miss Yinshuang means. Many things cannot be grasped from reports alone; we have to conduct on-site investigations. This was my oversight.”

"There are indeed fewer people. Those soldiers have been relocated to the Morocco city train station as a precaution."

"Um……"

Zhang Wusheng frowned, pondered for a moment, and quickly realized Yinshuang's intention.

Logically speaking, a train station would be considered quite important to have around fifty guards. After all, Zhang Renfeng's order was to establish a logistical support line that could be activated "at any time if necessary." He only left himself with about 500 men, yet Yinshuang immediately deployed two-fifths of them to the train station.

Zhang Wusheng said in a deep voice, "Miss Yinshuang, do you believe... there are armed forces in this city that might be opposing us?"

"Not bad, you're pretty smart."

Seeing that he was finally able to follow her train of thought, Yinshuang smiled with relief, but then immediately became serious again, "At present, it is only a hint, but we must be wary."

"Why?" Zhang Wusheng asked, puzzled. "Hasn't the mayor of this city already surrendered to my father?"

"Yes, he's a very opportunistic politician. One second he was supporting the Union Army, and the next he put his bet on us after the Union Army was wiped out. It's like... he lost all his bets on the Northern Army. He's willing to accept defeat and is starting the next round right away."

"But there are many other people in this city who got on the train with him and lost everything together."

“They’re not so open-minded.”

Silver Frost took a letter out of her trouser pocket—or rather, an invitation.

"They sent it to me, and I haven't replied yet."

"You are the highest-ranking officer here. Consider what to do."

Chapter 992: Am I a particularly cruel person?

"Huh...huh..."

"Boom!"

Koreya hurried over, unable to stop, and practically slammed her shoulder through the heavy wooden door of the city hall with a loud thud. While it seemed loud, the council chamber was unusually large, and the noise she made only caused a few nearby councilors to turn around and give her a few slightly impatient glances.

She also felt a bit abrupt, and after an awkward laugh, she subconsciously began to look around the crowd, trying to find at least one person she knew.

Those appearing in the council chamber were mostly from the city's upper class. Having worked in this line of work for a long time, Correa had encountered many people of the same type. They placed great importance on their hairstyles, clothes, and overall cleanliness; even their nails were meticulously manicured, and their shoes were so shiny they reflected light. What frustrated Correa was that, in this day and age, her primary clients were these wealthy and leisurely individuals. As for ordinary people from modest backgrounds, they were completely unaware that the mind, like the body, could fall ill.

Looking around, she finally spotted someone familiar among these remarkable faces. Correa quickly took small steps closer, lowered her voice, and greeted him softly, "Lucas."

"Ah, doctor."