Chapter 125
Soloso didn't respond at first, until Texas drew her Bronze Sword. Only then did the latter glance over in their direction, before shaking her head vigorously.
She frowned, carefully examining the face before her. The blank expression on his face seemed genuine.
Lappland was very puzzled and asked again:
"Chelinina, what's wrong?"
"Don't do anything yet. This is very likely a fake. Let me make a call and ask."
Texas was completely stumped, so she turned and went to the third-floor balcony. The view from there was excellent, overlooking the blood-soaked garden and her colleagues below.
She has now lost not only her ability to dodge, but also her ability to think deeply.
When in doubt, consult Shi Lei.
The phone rang twice before being answered. Texas explained the situation to the other party:
"We have penetrated deep into the stronghold and captured Soloso, the patriarch of the Bruno family, here."
"Soloso? That name sounds familiar. Is it the one who sent you flowers?"
Texas didn't want to talk about that and steered the conversation to the main point:
"Yes, that's him. But there's something off about the guy we just caught, Soloso. I have a feeling he might be a stand-in. What do you think would be the best course of action?"
On the other end of the microphone, Shi Lei thought of a film that was applying for World Heritage status before he traveled back in time:
"I have a small suggestion."
188 I was here first (3K)
Upon hearing Shi Lei's suggestion, Texas smiled slightly.
He found a solution to this problem, which even he himself found difficult, in less than a minute.
When it comes to reliability, you're the best.
"How do we do it?"
Shi Lei felt that explaining the background of Goose City to Texas was too complicated, so he changed his approach to describe it.
"Before that, I need to clarify one thing with you. Do you feel that the person using the Stand is a real Stand, or Soloso himself in disguise?"
"I'm pretty sure he's an imposter."
Texas stood on the balcony, glanced back at the bedroom, and continued:
"Although they are 80 or 90% similar, their auras are completely different. He doesn't seem to be acting, which is why I suspect he's a stunt double."
Having received an affirmative answer, Shi Lei patiently guided him:
"Okay, let's assume he's a double. Now, let's work backward from the known results to clarify the logic."
He left a double inside the stronghold, indicating he's a very cautious person. After receiving news of your destruction of the family stronghold, he would definitely seek refuge somewhere.
Texas seemed thoughtful, then nodded in agreement:
"Yes, that's true."
"But we won't stay in Lakmawati City for long; we'll leave once the lockdown is lifted. In other words, we simply don't have the time or energy to look for people."
Since time is limited, and a cautious person like Soloso must be eliminated, the only targets I can think of are the other families maintaining order.
Texas frowned, feeling a little puzzled:
"Wait, I don't quite understand. We don't have enough influence or appeal in Lakmawati City, how are we supposed to command the families maintaining order? Or do you mean you want me to use the name of Texas?"
"No need. You said you didn't want to get involved in the family feud in Syracuse, so how could I let you be the first to stick your neck out? You made such a commotion just now, and members of other families have already gathered at the crossroads. However, there are only a few dozen of them, and they probably won't come in until the main force arrives."
Lappland said she wanted to take the blame, so let her take it. Have her gag the Stand, take the person to the base entrance, and execute them. Emphasize to everyone that this is revenge for the massacre of the Konobo family.
Next, tell these people that Soloso has a double, his twin brother, who looks very similar. He usually works behind the scenes, managing the family's finances. He offers half the reward to anyone present who can help capture him and find the Bruno family's vault.
Regardless of whether Soloso has a secret stash of wealth or not, the other families won't let the opportunity to kick him while he's down pass by. Even if they find him, they probably won't hand it over. The best strategy is to force him to reveal the location of the stash and keep the wealth for himself. That way, it won't be considered a breach of contract. Even if Lappland kills the real Lappland, the problem will still be solved.
Texas's eyes lit up, and she sighed inwardly.
Brilliant!
After discussing some details with Shi Lei, she returned to her bedroom on the third floor to prepare to negotiate with White Wolf.
To everyone's surprise, Lappland dragged out Soloso's double, tied his hands with clothes, and then pressed his neck down with her knee, using violence to force him to answer:
"See the clock on the wall? I'm giving you only ten seconds to tell me the whereabouts of Soloso himself. If you can't answer, your head will be gone when the time is up."
The stand-in trembled with fear, tears streaming uncontrollably from his eyes. He shook his head repeatedly, indicating he knew nothing. He mumbled incoherently, as if there was something wrong with his tongue.
Lappland grinned crookedly and continued to threaten:
"Cry? You have to time your crying."
As she counted down from 10 to 1, the stand-in still couldn't answer, seemingly completely clueless.
Affection.
"Lappland, stop playing around. I've already come up with a plan. You can leave once you're ready."
Texas told her about Shi Lei's plan, which made Lappland exclaim in admiration.
She tied up the stand-in, covering his eyes and gagging him with a tie and handkerchief. Whether the guy was mute or not, she couldn't let him talk nonsense and disrupt the plan later.
The stand-in knew all along that his existence was meant to shield him from disaster. He thought the Bruno family's business was about to flourish, but it was about to come to an end in the blink of an eye.
Covering their eyes was to prevent the stand-ins from being unable to walk after seeing the gruesome scene in the courtyard. Before the three of them even reached the first floor, the strong smell of blood assaulted their nostrils.
Soloso's Stand trembled violently, its legs shaking like a leaf. Lappland gave the guy a disdainful look and simply hoisted him up on her shoulder.
The central courtyard has now been turned into a meat grinder.
The family members, knowing they were outmatched, still charged in, like cannon fodder in a game level. The blood flowing from the corpses completely stained the garden pool red.
The family's unwavering spirit in the face of death is admirable. However, this is merely a manifestation of blind loyalty.
Texas decided not to show herself and waited for Lappland to carry the stand-in towards the main gate. She then called Exusiai and Croissant and waited quietly by the garden wall.
Before long, Shi Lei took to the air from an inconspicuous corner. After finding his three colleagues, he used Rock Constructs to transport them out of the base.
He had just spoken with Exusiai on the phone and learned that there were no other survivors inside the stronghold. This would create the illusion that Lappland had single-handedly massacred the stronghold.
Even if, based on the wounds on the corpses, it is determined that there were reinforcements besides the White Wolf, these families would still weigh the pros and cons before revealing the truth.
Wow~
Lisa stared in astonishment as she saw Shi Lei fly. A picture flashed through her mind of him holding her high in the air.
No, don't let your mind wander.
Lisa quickly recalled her mother to distract herself and dispel the strange thought.
After everyone was safe, they circled around to the main gate. Before they even got close to the stronghold, they were blocked by other family members who had gathered there.
"Family affairs, no outsiders allowed."
Unable to get close, the group decided to return to the hotel to wait. They figured Lappland would come back once she didn't see anyone.
Not long after, the gates of the stronghold slowly opened.
"Squeak~"
The heavy, teeth-grinding sound was like the sigh of an Old Man. The Bruno family members had closed the door to create a barrier, but the hunter had become the hunted.
The heads of the small and medium-sized families near the crossroads all held their breath.
Lappland emerged from behind the door, dragging a man who bore a striking resemblance to Soloso Bruno. This signified that the brutal battle inside had come to an end.
Who is this?
"You don't even know the White Wolf of the Saluzzo family? The one who betrayed the family and wandered around everywhere."
Seeing this, the family members on the street whispered among themselves. Some wondered who this guy was, while others had already recognized Lappland's identity.
Could she really sweep through the entire Bruno family's stronghold all by herself? That's just too outrageous!
What's even more outrageous is that the White Wolf was completely clean, without a single drop of blood on him, which was extremely strange.
Some of the smaller clan leaders, realizing the vast difference in strength between the two sides, gradually led their men to the edge of the crowd. The White Wolf was so powerful that even if they attacked together, they might not gain the upper hand.
"Everyone!"
With just two words, Lappland drew everyone's attention. She removed the tie that was binding her eyes, revealing the true face of her double.
Seeing the Bruno family patriarch captured, everyone's hearts sank. Even the usually steady and cautious Soloso was now trembling like a chick.
Is the White Wolf of the Saluzzo family really that strong?
Hearing the whispers of those people, Lappland knew very well that she was only able to steal the spotlight because of Shi Lei's abilities.
However, this feeling was surprisingly good.
"I'm here for revenge. A few days ago, Soloso orchestrated a raid on the Konobo family, wiping them out. In Syracuse, the wicked are held accountable. I took Soloso's life, and anyone who wants revenge, step forward."
Such an arrogant attitude sounds infuriating, but no one present could do anything about it.
Bruno family were like ants before the White Wolf. How could these smaller families dare to avenge Soloso? They all retreated.
"Nobody here, is there? Fine, then let's put an end to the feud between the Bruno family and Konobo family. I have something else I need your help with."
Lappland publicly executed the body double, allowing other family members to witness his death up close:
"Soloso has a double who manages the accounts and looks almost exactly like him. Now that he knows I'm helping the Konobo family take revenge, he'll definitely hide away. I have other things to take care of and won't be here for long. If you find Soloso's double, please arrest him. When you open the vault, I'll give you a third of the money as a reward."
As a native of Syracuse, she knew the market better. She felt that Shi Lei's offer of half was too high, so she deliberately lowered it a bit to make the deal more believable.
The heads of the various families exchanged bewildered glances, all finding it hard to believe. So many years had passed...
They went there, but they had never heard of Soloso having a stand-in.
However, the White Wolf had no reason to lie.
If she wanted to go on a killing spree here, probably very few people would be able to escape. She wouldn't set up an extra job to find a substitute just to toy with them.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Lappland decided not to linger and turned back to the hotel. Family members along the way were terrified and tried to avoid him.
There were clearly two or three hundred people at the scene, but not a single one dared to lay a hand on the White Wolf whose back was exposed.
Lappland returned to the hotel and knocked on Shi Lei's door. Having not seen any familiar faces outside the base, she assumed everyone was waiting there.
As soon as he entered, Lappland gave himself a thumbs-up, boasting:
"It's a pity you didn't see how well I handled this. If there's another opportunity to show off like this, just leave it to me. One more or one less won't make a difference. Anyway, I'm all alone and I'm not afraid of taking the blame."
Seeing the White Wolf enthusiastically approach Shi Lei, Texas frowned slightly. She disliked women who lacked boundaries and directly stood between the two.
With me here, you won't get close to him!
189 It's over, I've become a stand-in.
Soloso was completely numb.
He was staying comfortably in a luxury hotel, waiting to leave as soon as the lockdown ended.
Unexpectedly, less than eight hours after moving in, members of other families came knocking on their door in a very aggressive manner.
If Torey hadn't gone downstairs to buy cigarettes and happened to notice something amiss, then called to warn him, Soloso Bruce would probably be dead today.
They had youthful faces and a roguish air about them. They were also incredibly energetic, seemingly with inexhaustible stamina. They were probably young people who had just joined the family and were eager to make a name for themselves.
Such guys are everywhere in Syracuse.
The family is like a furnace, and the Syracuse are like firewood. Thrown into the furnace and burned, those who survive are forged further, while those who don't become ashes.
Soloso was quite surprised that they had come all this way. He followed the fire escape to the Underground Parking Lot, and left without even checking out of the apartment.
Strangeness...
Wasn't the double who stayed at the base dead? Could it be that he betrayed him, or accidentally revealed a flaw?
But these newcomers to the family, what right do they have to try and arrest me? They deserve to die!
The family's years of hard-earned wealth were destroyed overnight, making it difficult for Soloso to maintain his former elegance. If it weren't for the bodyguard's repeated reassurances, he would have given up entirely.