BSI Chapter 98: Warming Weather, Four Gunshots
Chapter 98: Warming Weather, Four Gunshots
Chapter 98 Warming Weather, Gunfire Erupts
"You're overthinking it!" Tom scoffed, his gaze sweeping across Zack's face.
"If there were any real treasure, they would have been emptied out ages ago!" He paused, then glanced meaningfully at the shed full of cattle. "If it weren't for the sheer number of these animals, they would have been completely devoured long ago!"
Zack's eyes darted around, and he asked mysteriously, "Could there be others, like us, eyeing this ranch?"
These words, like a cold needle, instantly pierced Tom's thoughts.
The ease on his face vanished, his eyes suddenly sharpened, and he fell into deep thought!
The snowstorm continued all night, and Tom never expected that instead of reinforcements, he would be greeted by the Klaus warrior "Snow Wolf".
"Snow Wolf" drove Tom's carriage, with two wild wolves following beside it like ghosts.
Behind him stood the silent "loach" and "snow woman".
Cooper, on the other hand, was driving another vehicle, fully loaded with daily necessities.
"Just the two of you? Can you hold out?" Cooper looked at Tom and Zack's dark circles under their eyes with concern.
Zack didn't even bother to lift his eyelids. "If anything happens, light the bomb! Make a loud enough noise we can hear!"
Cooper's lips twitched: "Wasn't last night's bombing enough of a commotion? Who knows if it attracted friends or enemies—"
He lowered his voice and leaned closer to Tom, "Madam said, if things get bad, run! Don't try to tough it out!"
Tom nodded in agreement, but his eyes remained calm.
Run? How could he possibly let go of this windfall!
Before leaving, Cooper surprisingly led away a fat, robust beef cow.
"Hey! What are you doing?" Zack's eyes widened.
Cooper scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly: "Ahem—everyone, want to try something new—"
Before he finished speaking, he had already nimbly tied the ox onto the cart and sped away.
"It must be that glutton Jonah's idea!" Tom shook his head helplessly, but his eyes were fixed on the "Snow Wolf".
"Why are you here?"
"Snow Wolf" didn't answer and walked straight to the livestock shed.
His gaze swept greedily over the densely packed cattle in the shed, so intense it felt like it was burning. His feet seemed rooted to the spot, unable to move.
"Go back and tell your chief," Tom grabbed a handful of hay without looking up, "that he can plunder all the pastures down the mountain! He can eat all the cows there!"
He paused, then said in a flat tone, "Since I'm just idling around anyway, why not lend a hand?"
The "Snow Wolf" actually followed Tom's example and silently began adding hay and shoveling manure.
"You can't hold out." A deep voice whispered in Tom's ear, carrying a subtle, almost imperceptible allure.
Tom continued moving, without even lifting his eyelids: "Oh? Then tell me, what should we do?"
"Snow Wolf" stopped what he was doing, looked directly at Tom, and said in an extremely "sincere" tone, "We can help you! We'll drive the cattle into our valley!"
"Pfft—" Zack, who was standing next to him, burst out laughing.
Tom finally looked up, a ridiculously absurd smile on his face, as if he were looking at someone who was an idiot: "Brother Snow Wolf, do you really think we're as stupid as you?"
These words were like a resounding slap across the face of "Snow Wolf"!
"You think you can spit out meat that's already in your mouths?" Tom's eyes were sharp as knives, full of sarcasm.
"Snow Wolf" blushed instantly, as if it had suffered a great humiliation, and growled, "We, the Klaue tribe, are the most trustworthy!"
He suppressed his anger and changed the subject: "Or, we could go to your valley!"
"Our valley?" Tom was taken aback, then realized, "Yes! They have a valley in their possession!"
At the mention of the valley, Tom's vigilance instantly heightened: "What about our gold mine? Won't you just dig it all up for us?"
"Snow Wolf" immediately retorted, "Winter! The gold mine is frozen harder than rock! What a load of crap!"
"Heh, who knows if you guys will accidentally dig a few more pickaxes when it gets warmer?" Zack chimed in sarcastically from the side.
What about trust?
The little bit of progress that had been carefully built up over the past month suddenly became lighter than snowflakes outside the window in the face of naked self-interest; it would dissipate with a gust of wind!
If Zack knew the "grievances" in "Snow Wolf's" heart at this moment, he would probably laugh his head off: You're already planning to devour someone else's cow, and you still have the nerve to ask for trust?
Tom knew perfectly well that with just a few people, it was a pipe dream to try and protect this nearly thousand lively "golden mountain" of animals!
Time passed until early March.
Although the cold wind was still biting, it was no longer the kind of deathly cold that could freeze living things to death instantly.
At least the gun won't freeze, which gives someone a chance to fire.
But this is definitely not good news for Tom and his friends!
Recently, all sorts of unfamiliar faces have started roaming the edge of the ranch, like hyenas that have smelled blood.
They were all forced back by the cold spear in Zach's hand.
"These are different from the previous trash?" Zack spat.
"Hmm." Tom stared intently.
"Snow Wolf" moved closer again, its voice tinged with urgency: "Let me call for help! My warriors can tear them apart!"
Tom didn't turn around, his gaze fixed on a few increasingly clear black dots on the distant horizon, and casually said, "Wait a little longer."
At least, until his hand can pull the trigger more steadily.
"Tom, do you think these guys will give up?"
Zach held up the binoculars, his voice a little strained.
Tom gripped the spear tightly, tapping it lightly with his dagger; the cold metallic sound was particularly jarring in the silence. "It's hard to say. They might be planning something drastic!"
The figures of six riders became clear in the binoculars, their hooves crunching through the thin snow, carrying an undisguised malice.
Zack abruptly lowered his binoculars, sweat beading on his forehead: "Call for backup?"
Tom gave a cold laugh: "Support? Once the gun fires, the family will come if they hear it. If they don't—"
He paused, then said in a chilling tone, "By the time they get here, we'll both be dead!"
Those guys peeking around the gate these days probably still don't know whether the cowboys in the ranch are alive or dead.
But the ruins of the houses, flattened by explosives, are the most glaring sign!
"This time, they're definitely going to force their way in!" Zack's voice trembled as he grabbed his spear. Glancing at "Snow Wolf" out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but growl, "Hey! There are guns over there! What good is your axe?!"
"Snow Wolf" completely ignored him.
This fierce Klaus warrior gripped a heavy battle axe tightly in both hands.
"Bang!"
Zack's gunshot rang out, startling the six riders ahead who jerked on their reins, causing the horses to rear up with neighs.
"Stop right there! If you take another step, my weapon won't discriminate!" Zack's roar echoed across the vast snowfield.
However, what responded to him was the sudden acceleration of the horse's hooves!
Instead of retreating, the six men spurred their horses and charged forward!
Tom had already pressed his body firmly into the snowdrift.
He closed his eyes tightly, and his vision "saw" the six riders rapidly approaching!
"Whoosh—thud!" The bullet whistled past the snowdrift, sending up a spray of ice shards.
"Tom! What do we do?" Zack's voice trembled with urgency.
Tom remained silent, his gaze fixed on the barely noticeable bulge on the snowy road.
Closer! Closer still! The galloping hooves were almost touching the edge of the disguised trap!
At this critical moment.
Tom's eyes snapped open, a cold glint flashing within them!
He twisted his body, raised his gun, and aimed with lightning speed, all in one smooth motion!
boom--!
boom-!!!