Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

A white shirt, dark jacket, jeans, and a gambler's hat—a classic cowboy outfit. He must have just finished a job, received his paycheck, and come to the tavern to spend money. Most cowboys have terrible money management skills; they have no concept of saving and basically spend all their money as soon as they get it. They were originally idle, wandering gunmen, taking odd jobs, but they couldn't shake their habit of living day to day.

As business in Baiju Town increased, so did the number of people like this. When they were broke, they would wander around the town aimlessly.

"I...I heard that if you cut off a dwarf's penis...soak it in alcohol and drink it, it can cure impotence? Hahaha...I think we're going to strike it rich today." Another drunken cowboy hiccuped. "There will be plenty of gentlemen willing to pay a hefty price for this penis..."

"Anyway, no woman wants to sleep with a dwarf, so how about this, do us a favor?" the cowboy asked with a grin. "Let us cut it up and sell it for a good price, and we can give you 20% of it."

"Ha ha ha ha--!"

……

They laughed wildly, completely unaware that the other patrons in the tavern had all turned around at the same time, casting cold stares at this group of people.

The bartender's hands froze, and he subconsciously took two steps back, as if he wanted to hide under the bar.

Igor smiled and nodded, "Indeed, there's a saying that a dwarf's penis can cure impotence, but did you know that a dwarf's urine can also sober you up?"

He picked up his glass, downed the London Heiress wine in one gulp, and sneered, "If you need more, buy me a few more, and I'll get you some right here."

----

A drunken mind works much slower, and it took them several minutes to realize that they had been fooled by the dwarf.

"Damn it, you're looking for death!"

The cowboy slammed his fist on the table in anger, wanting to teach the dwarf in front of him a lesson, but as soon as he stood up, a cold gun barrel was pressed against his forehead.

Upon closer inspection, all the customers in the tavern stopped what they were doing, drew their guns in unison, and aimed them from all directions.

The wine I had just drunk instantly turned into cold sweat, which broke out on my forehead.

"How is it?" The man with the gun pressed against his forehead was muscular and, like a soldier, his back ramrod straight beneath his suit. He asked coldly, "Should we kill him?"

After a moment of silence, Igor shook his head slightly.

……

"Boom!"

After disarming the cowboy, the man gripped the barrel with his other hand and smashed the butt of the gun hard across the cowboy's nose. The cowboy's vision went black, blood streamed from his nose, and he collapsed to the ground, sobering up considerably. Knowing he'd encountered a tough guy, he didn't dare scream, only panting heavily.

Upon seeing this, his companions turned even paler, and their gazes toward the dwarf changed completely.

Igor walked slowly up to him, his hands clasped behind his back, and for the first time looked down at him with a condescending gaze, asking in a sinister voice, "Have you paid for the drinks?"

"...Not yet..."

“Very well, it’s on me,” Igor commanded succinctly. “Finish this drink and get out.”

Chapter 112: The Origin and Development

The troublesome guy is gone, and sitting here waiting is getting a bit boring.

Igor pulled a Red Apple cigarette from his pocket, intending to kill time by puffing away.

"Red Apple?" The man who had just smacked the cowboy with the butt of his gun frowned slightly, utterly puzzled. "You would never have looked down on cigarettes of this quality before. If you want to smoke, I have better ones here, all high-end products that are rare on the market."

“You don’t understand, Varga, this is the one.” Igor held the cigarette between two fingers, showing it to him, and said proudly, “This is my ‘earned money’.”

These relatively high-end cigarettes and alcohol were actually looted during the hijacking of the Chedel train.

Zhang Renfeng confiscated them all, making them public property for the Red Central Gang, which anyone could take. He himself wasn't addicted to cigarettes or alcohol; in his words, compared to what he smoked and drank back home, neither the cigarettes nor the alcohol tasted right.

I'll only take a bite when I'm absolutely craving it.

Igor enjoyed his spoils as if it were his due, rubbing his nose. "Did anything go wrong while I was away?"

“Chedell seemed very dissatisfied, and this dissatisfaction intensified after his train was hijacked.” Varga pulled out the chair next to him and sat down next to Igo, like a shrewd and capable secretary reporting to his superior. “He felt that you had not done a good job in providing adequate security, and that the Red Army had once again humiliated him. He has repeatedly asked me to have a face-to-face talk with you.”

“Hmph, old bastard… I’m here to take over Tuku’s business in New Elizabeth, not to be his personal bodyguard.” Igor snorted, flicked his cigarette ash, and continued, “So, how’s business?”

“Apart from the bootlegging business, other industries have been affected to varying degrees.” Varga’s tone was flat, simply stating the facts precisely. “Tuku’s killing by Red Zhong has reduced the Thunder Gang’s deterrent power, but they don’t dare to show it openly yet.”

"These are the accounts for this month."

“Hmm.” Igor nodded and took the notebook from Varga.

He reads extremely fast; after opening a book, he glances at it very quickly and then flips to the next page.

For a moment, the only sound in the tavern was the rustling of pages turning; it was so quiet it didn't seem like a tavern at all. Two young men even pushed open the door, hoping to come in and have some fun, but when they saw the atmosphere and the "I'll kill you if you dare step in" looks from everyone, they were scared away.

“Besides this, Cheddar’s lawyer contacted me and handed me an application.” Varga took out another envelope and placed it in front of Igor, saying, “You probably haven’t met him; he’s a slippery fellow.”

“Hmm.” Igor continued flipping through the book and calculating, gesturing for him to continue.

"He somehow got hold of a group of guys of dubious origin, saying they were migrant workers from the north who had gone out of business and wanted to make a living off us. When I went to see them, they were all skin and bones, looking like they had escaped from some mine."

"..."

The rustling of pages stopped, and Igor remained silent for a while, piecing together the cause and effect.

"What's that lawyer's name?"

“Jimmy McGill,” Varga said. “In the last cooperation cycle, he was Chedel’s assistant sent to the Thunder Gang to handle the gang’s accounting work. He seemed to be very good at using loopholes in the law, and he was also in charge of dealing with stolen goods.”

"Ha...haha...Jimmy McGill...it must be tough for him to work with someone like Tucus." Igor smiled meaningfully. "So, if I want to reconcile accounts, I'll have to find him, right?"

Varga immediately stood up. "I'll go and call him."

“No need, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. I’ll talk to him privately.” Igor opened the envelope, glanced at Jimmy’s application, and saw that the wording was sophisticated and the writing was fluent. The image of a somewhat shrewd lawyer was immediately formed in his mind. “After you get back, please take care of it and find them decent jobs.”

“They’re all Black.” Varga was a little uncertain and asked, “Are you sure you want ‘proper’ work? If it’s slave labor, it’ll be much easier to do.”

“A proper job!” Igor emphasized. “If all else fails, the White Bison Ranch is short of guards and workers; let them stay there.”

Having said that, Varga naturally didn't argue anymore and silently noted it down. Igor was finally able to concentrate on continuing to look at his ledgers.

The more I looked, the more terrified I became.

He had long since finished the Red Apple cigarette, and with the butt in his mouth, his brow furrowed, he remained oblivious for a long time.

----

"Besides me, who else has seen this ledger?"

“It’s gone.” Varga shook her head. “What’s wrong? Something’s not right?”

“It’s terrible.” Igor’s smile was complicated as he admitted, “We’re being squeezed out of the market.”

This is not a joke.

Varga's brow twitched. "It can't be that bad, can it? I checked the bootlegging business, and it seems pretty good..."

"Varga, do you really think my stupid family can support so many people with bootlegging?" Igor interrupted him forcefully. Although it was a question, it was clear from his tone that he didn't intend to let Varga answer at all.

At times like these, a truly insightful follower should remain silent and wait for the answer to be revealed by himself.

"Of course not, not entirely. Moonshine is just one leg of it. We are actually an agricultural family. Tobacco fields, cocoa beans, rubber, and coca trees... These plantations are the foundation of our enduring success. As for the Thunder Fury Gang, it's just an external means to maintain these assets."

“And now, we’re making less and less money in these businesses each month. Smuggled goods at even lower prices are flowing in and diluting our market.”

He slammed the notebook on the table and spread his hands. "I had you investigate. That guy did an excellent job of keeping things secret. We painstakingly pieced together the clues, but we only managed to get two letters out of him."

“E·U”.

Varga finally had some ideas. "So, you've been disappearing these past few days... to investigate this matter?"

“I managed to infiltrate a small gang in the north called the Wolf Shepherd Gang. They've been lying low on Sparrow Mountain, not very conspicuous, and we've had a few encounters with them. The EU also deals in the slave trade, and the Wolf Shepherd Gang is one of his proxies.”

Igor shook his head and sighed, "Unfortunately, his sense of secrecy is indeed quite strong. Even though I went there in person, I didn't get any valuable information, except for one thing—that the business that guy is engaged in should be related to shipping, and he may be a wealthy businessman involved in international trade."

“I don’t understand,” Varga said, genuinely puzzled. “I understand investigating the EU, but why did you kidnap those three kids? Are you really planning to sell them for money?”

……

Igor pressed his finger against the rim of the cup and rotated it in circles, his brows furrowed, as if trying to relieve the pressure in his heart through this action.

"You know that Red Center wiped out the Nordlin family, right?"

Varga nodded. This matter had a huge impact on both the legitimate and criminal worlds, to the point that people "didn't know he wasn't from Earth."

"Harganda and Mesvid are two families that rose to prominence in White Torch after Nordlin's death. One is an arms dealer, and the other is a banker."

"They are all the financial backers of the EU."

Chapter 113: The Truth is the Swiftest Blade (Bounty Still Available - 26)

What a terrible chemical reaction that can occur when overseas dumpers, local arms dealers, and a banker who manipulates the economy are added together?

At present, EU's industries have not yet fully taken off, or rather, he does not intend to have a direct conflict with the Thunder Gang.

Therefore, they adopted this "boiling frog" approach, gradually eroding their market share. By the time they were truly "cooked," the other side had become powerful enough that, with money and guns, they could have as many desperate criminals as they wanted, like the Thunder Gang.

“My original plan was this: first, I would kidnap the young men from the two families, then tell their parents that I would not accept any negotiations with anyone other than the EU. Once the pressure was on them, they would definitely send the EU to talk to me. After the EU showed up and his identity was confirmed, no matter who he was, I would kill him!”

Igor shook his head, his tone full of regret, "Unfortunately, I misjudged two things."

It was a rare sight to see him admit to miscalculation; at least, in Varga's memory, it had almost never happened.

"First, halfway there, heavy snow blocked the mountain pass. He fled from Fengchuisha all the way to Hongzhong in Sparrow Mountain and joined the group of these three children. His powerful strength, which was beyond the comprehension of ordinary people, directly caused the kidnapping plan to fail completely before it even began."

"Secondly, the internal conflicts within the Wolf Shepherd Gang are far more intense than imagined. Losing this job directly led to infighting within the gang, and the only person who knew my identity, the leader Wolf Shepherd, was killed by his own men who betrayed him. At that moment, my life was no longer guaranteed. Even self-preservation became a problem, so trying to find out any information about the EU was just wishful thinking."

Just listening to it made Varga's heart pound.

But he also knew that Igor never liked others showing him too much concern, especially his subordinates, whom he would take as pity. If there was anything in this world that he hated most, his father would be number one, and second would be anyone casting a pitying glance at him.

"So, you've already seen Hongzhong in person?"

“I’ve seen him.” Igor nodded, his tone surprisingly calm.

"How is he?" Varga's attitude changed slightly, with the adrenaline rush of excitement when facing a powerful opponent. "Is his gun fast enough? Is his knife steady enough? Or is it really like the rumors from the Windblown Sands, that he has horseshoes, wolf teeth, and deer antlers?"

"he……"

Just as he was about to speak, Zhang Renfeng's words and actions suddenly flashed through Igor's mind, scene after scene frozen in his mind. Only then did he realize that he had spent so much time observing Zhang Renfeng's every move after knowing him for less than a few days.

Two men dressed in black pushed open the main door and slowly walked in, like messengers under the command of death.

"...far beyond my imagination."

A hint of wariness flashed in Igor's eyes. He abruptly ended the conversation, stood up, and offered his right hand to the newcomer.

"Agent Micah, Agent Ross."

Micah's expression was subtle. He hesitated for a long time, but ultimately didn't take off his gloves. He gave Micah's hand a perfunctory shake, as if there was something dirty on his hands. Ross, on the other hand, held his head high, as if he were going to catch raindrops with his nostrils as soon as he stepped outside, completely disregarding the people in the tavern.

"I was delayed a little on the way, sorry to have kept you waiting..."

"【The Mule】(referring specifically to 'that mule')"

----

"To make a long story short, we've come here on behalf of Mr. Cheddar. I'm sure your colleagues, or rather your underlings, have already given you a heads-up." Micah clasped his hands together and laid them on the table, one of his unconscious gestures when negotiating. "He's extremely, extremely, extremely dissatisfied with this incident."

"He felt humiliated. Red Center killed his son, burned his house, and turned his town upside down, which greatly damaged his prestige. Therefore, he did not hesitate to take drastic measures, merging the bounties of the two states to form the largest encirclement and suppression since the Jack Gang."

Igor wore a businesslike smile and nodded frequently, indicating that he was listening.

"However, just a few weeks later, Red Center reappeared on the border between the two states and brazenly hijacked his goods."

"It sounds like you're in trouble," Igor said with a forced smile. "After all... you're the security company, aren't you?"

“Dwarf, do you know who you’re talking to?” Ross tilted his head back slightly and squinted. “If you were born into an ordinary family, a deformed child like you wouldn’t have lived this long, let alone be qualified to sit at the same table with us.”

“I can put you in jail right now if I want to! Do you want to experience what it’s like in a state prison? The people in there have done everything, except for dwarfs.”

Ross braced himself on the table, his expression and tone becoming increasingly arrogant. "If you don't want to, you'd better show us some respect."

“I didn’t disrespect you.” Being humiliated like this was nothing new to Ego, and he didn’t even change his expression. He just sneered, “The only one I disrespect is you, Agent Ross.”

"As far as I know, when you arrived at Windblown Sands, Red Center was still there, right? However, your only contribution in this siege seems to have been helping the servants put out the fire... Don't misunderstand me, putting out fires is also a remarkable job, but compared to your main duties, it seems rather insignificant, doesn't it?"

"After that, you were in charge of all personnel deployment for the encirclement, right?"

"Manpower, material resources, financial resources, and plenty of time. Chedel even entrusted you with the command of some of his security personnel, just to set up an encirclement around Fengchuisha. I heard my men describe the scene, and wow, it was spectacular... I'm afraid even if the Jack Gang were reborn, it wouldn't be any better."

“You assured Cheder that with such an ambush, the Red Central gang would definitely not be able to escape. And what happened? In just a few days, they were slapped in the face, ha…” Igor shook his head, his tone slightly helpless, “To be honest, I can understand why you’re in such a hurry.”

Lies don't hurt, truth is the knife.

From almost childhood, Ego had lived under the blade of language, so he naturally knew which words were most likely to break a person's defenses. A simple statement of facts was like a knife stabbing Ross in the carotid artery, making him grit his teeth, turn pale, and tremble involuntarily.

"..."