The North American Gourmet Demon Handbook

161 Method

Calvin Hope's method of curing his split personality really opened Li Shanze's eyes.

Killing another split personality in the consciousness space. Simple, crude, and straightforward.

Calvin Hope indeed split into two different personalities because of the conflict between ideals and reality.

Moreover, because of his identity as a wizard, the tug-of-war between his personalities even caused him to fall into an existential crisis, the problem that wizards fear the most, so that it was difficult for him to even maintain his self.

Taking all the above reasons into consideration, it is difficult for Li Shanze to say that this erasure therapy is not the right medicine.

At this time, Calvin Hope smiled bitterly: "Although I really want to promise you something, Agent Li."

"But after the split personality, I and the other me—maybe I should use 'we' here?"

Calvin Hope joked that his word play was somewhat humorous.

"We divided up some memories that we didn't want the other to know—or perhaps more accurately, memories that we wanted to forget. So, I don't know what kind of wealth or treasures my other self holds."

"What I'm trying to say is, Agent Li, no matter how much money or treasure it is, you can take it if you like."

"Although I don't think I have any wealth worth mentioning, these are just small tokens of my appreciation for my friends. Please don't despise them..."

As Calvin Hope spoke, he began to feel less confident.

However, in Li Shanze's opinion, it would be great if the RV built by Bain Benjamin that Xia Li was very interested in could be used as a reward.

Obviously, this RV is also part of Calvin Hope's promise.

So Calvin Hope was surprised and delighted to see Li Shanze nodded.

"Will you help me? Agent Li, that's great! I was right about you! Thank you so much!" Calvin Hope shouted happily.

Li Shanze nodded first, then shook his head.

"I'm willing to help you. But I have to make it clear first. I heard through other channels that you got a very special RV, and I want that RV."

Li Shanze chose to speak out directly.

It is always better to negotiate the terms in advance than to regret it later, or even turn against each other, or force yourself to admit your mistakes and then feel resentful.

Although the Calvin Hope in front of him in the consciousness space may be an idealist who despises money because of his existential crisis and split personality.

But what happens when Li Shanze really kills his other personality - the personality that uses all means to treat his black compatriots as stepping stones to climb up?

When the realism returns, will he still not care?

Li Shanze is not keen on testing human nature, so he would rather choose to deal with the villain first and the gentleman later.

"RV?" Calvin Hope chewed on the word in confusion and shook his head, as if he had no impression of it. But he still smiled, "Of course, no problem."

"Let me make it clear first, that RV is not an ordinary RV. It may be related to witchcraft and gods." Li Shanze continued.

"Ah!" Calvin Hope exclaimed in sudden realization.

"Why, you remembered?"

"No, I was just thinking, if I really had such an RV, where would I park it? Given my personality, I would definitely hide it very secretly. Maybe I'll have to take you to get it when the time comes."

Speaking of this, Calvin Hope shook his head.

"Maybe you're thinking, if I park my car somewhere no one can find it, there's a risk of uncertainty."

"But please forgive me, my friend, I really didn't know I had such a car."

Li Shanze nodded. "I understand, my friend. Please believe me, I will definitely drive it away."

Li Shanze's meaning was also very clear. "I just don't take it without asking for permission. Even if you want to renege on the debt, I will find a way to get it."

"No problem." Calvin Hope didn't seem to have any intention of shirking his debt. He even had the nerve to joke, "Does this count as a form of generosity towards others?"

Li Shanze smiled. "Okay, then we should talk about how to find another Calvin Hope. Do you need me to reimagine this place as a palace?"

"No, it's not that easy." Calvin Hope put away his smile and shook his head.

"I was in an existential crisis, so I was influenced by other people's impressions."

“But this is different because it’s anchored by the real-life Philadelphia African American Museum.”

"You subconsciously see this place as a cage, so it looks like a cage, and that's why you encounter me, who also subconsciously sees this place as a cage."

What this means is that if Li Shanze subconsciously regards this place as the "palace of wealth and glory" that Calvin Hope mentioned, then what he would encounter is another Calvin Hope who would do anything to climb up the ladder.

Of course, if Li Shanze could really change his subconscious, he would then join forces with another Calvin Hope to deal with this one.

"Okay, I understand." Li Shanze nodded. "Now, tell me what I should do to find him."

Calvin Hope frowned, as if he was thinking hard.

Li Shanze waited patiently for him to come up with a solution.

After a moment, Calvin Hope frowned and said, "I don't know how to describe it to you... See that cotton field?"

The former civil rights activist pointed to the vast fields of cottonwood trees to the South.

Li Shanze shook his head. "I've tried that before, but as soon as I get close, the cotton bolls explode and turn into whips and chains."

Calvin Hope nodded. "Yeah, you're a person of color too... It's normal that you triggered this kind of racial imprisonment mechanism. But your FBI ID should be valid. Show it to those cotton plants, and they'll clear a path for you."

Li Shanze nodded: "Well, then?"

"Then, try every possible way to fall down." Calvin Hope still frowned, looking very distressed.

"Cotton field? Falling down?" Li Shanze was completely confused.

This description is a bit too abstract. Is there a cliff in the cotton field? Should I jump off?

Calvin Hope quickly denied his statement: "No, I'm not sure about your angle..."

"Perhaps from your perspective, he is trying every possible way to climb up, to the highest point of this space, where his palace sits high in the clouds—"

"Though it seems to me that it is a descent into hell—"

"Or maybe there are other directions in your eyes... We should keep an open mind..."

These words were said hesitantly and mysteriously.

Li Shanze originally had some doubts in his heart whether Calvin Hope was pretending to have a split personality to deceive him.

However, after saying these inexplicable words, Li Shanze really believed that Calvin Hope had a mental problem.

As the saying goes, mentally ill people have broad minds. It would be difficult for non-mentally ill people to have such a broad perspective on things.

Therefore, Li Shanze nodded: "In short, if you go to the end in a certain direction, you will meet him, right?"

"Right, that is it!"

Calvin Hope smiled and nodded vigorously.

"Then what? How are we going to leave here after this is done?" Li Shanze continued to ask.

"There will naturally be a way when the time comes."

You are Fu Yisheng trying to trick Chen Changjie! If you hold on firmly, there will be a way? (Note: Don’t ask why I use words, because the name cannot be typed)

When Li Shanze heard this self-evident answer, the desire to complain in his heart became overwhelming.

But he didn't know if these words would have any impact on Charlie.

Li Shanze didn't want to conduct such an exciting experiment when Xia Li was around.

Especially since this was a chaotic space of consciousness, he forced himself to swallow back the words that were about to come out of his mouth.

Calvin Hope also seemed to feel that what he said was a bit unreliable.

So he nodded and continued, "I'm sure there will be a way by then."

These words were spoken with conviction and confidence.

If the person who said this was not a mentally ill person but a civil rights activist who wanted to run for senator, Li Shanze might have believed it.

Even now, Li Shanze suspected that this confidence came from his subconscious. It was very likely that the two personalities shared a lot of memories when they separated, so he was so confident.

Li Shanze sighed. There was nothing he could do. Anyone trying to reason with a mentally ill person was most likely a mentally ill person himself.

If you place your hopes on a mentally ill person, you will become even more of a mental patient.

It seems that the only way to leave here is to rely on ourselves to find a way out.

Maybe I have to follow the old idea and first find a way to return to Vivian's consciousness space, then save those Internet emotional ghosts, defeat Vivian, and finally return to Philadelphia.

As for Calvin Hope, just treat it as a side quest to try and get the RV.

Maybe we can get a way to return directly to reality or to Vivian's consciousness space from the other Calvin Hope.

Li Shanze thought so.

"Then we'll set off. You wait here for our good news." Li Shanze waved and said goodbye to Calvin Hope temporarily.

When Li Shanze and Xia Li approached the cotton field, Li Shanze looked back with some curiosity.

Then, as expected, Li Shanze saw that Calvin Hope's temperament changed again.

He began to shake his head in a suit and tie, clenched his pinky and ring fingers, stretched out and put together his middle and index fingers, with the two fingers and the thumb at a 90-degree angle, and spoke in a rhythm like rap.

After Calvin Hope left Li Shanze, who forced himself to treat him as a normal person, he immediately began to perform according to other people's stereotypes of him.

Ha, I forgot that Calvin Hope is still a black gangster in the eyes of the FBI.

Li Shanze slapped his forehead speechlessly.

Looking at Xia Li, who was worried, Li Shanze put his arm around her shoulders and said, "Let's go, Xia Li. The sooner we solve the problem, the sooner he can return to normal."

"Yeah, okay." Charlie nodded and turned her head away, no longer looking at Calvin Hope, who was dressed in a suit and tie but dancing with his hands and feet.

Even though the two men, holding Li Shanze's FBI ID, pushed aside the cotton bolls and disappeared at the end of the wall of cotton plants, Calvin Hope was still dancing the dance that belonged to black people.

As if never tired.

Author's words: Thanks to book friends 30600563, Yinzhishisan, Polar Bear, and book friend 7670708763 for their recommendations

162 Not in service area

"Since Mr. Hope didn't explain it clearly, which direction should we go?" Standing in the cotton field, Charlie asked with a distressed look.

"Of course, go up and try to find a way to climb higher." Li Shanze shook his head.

He roughly understood what Calvin Hope's confusing remarks meant.

Calvin Hope became extreme because of his split personality. After the personality that would do anything to climb up was split out, the remaining personality most likely has moral obsession.

That is why he regards the process of climbing up as abandoning morality and "falling into hell."

But there is nothing wrong with Li Shanze's mind, he would not have such counterintuitive and illogical understanding - even Calvin Hope himself is aware of this problem.

So, in Li Shanze's view, the answer is undoubtedly upward.

But the question is, how can we move forward in this vast cotton field?

Could it be stepping on the tallest cotton plant?

However, in this wildly growing cotton field, perhaps because no one took care of it, or perhaps because the early plantation slaves were not good at intensive farming, the cotton plants grew exceptionally tall.

Even though Li Shanze is a big man from Shandong, when he stands on tiptoe, his vision is still frequently blocked by the cotton.

"Uh, my witchcraft is ineffective in this space, otherwise I could cast a spell to make the cotton plants shorter..." Charlie bit her lips unwillingly, feeling depressed.

Since there was no way to make the cotton plant that was blocking her view shorter, she wanted to find something to pad it out. So she lowered her head and began to search.

But Li Shanze had another solution. He smiled and comforted Miss Witch: "Don't worry."

Then he poked the elf on his shoulder and said, "Ella, please fly higher and see if there is any higher place nearby that we can climb up."

Perhaps it was because she finally got enough sleep after sleeping soundly on Li Shanze's shoulder every day, or perhaps it was because of her affinity with the space after returning to the consciousness space, Ella showed a mental outlook that was completely different from the wilted eggplant hit by frost every day before.

"Good~"

The elf flew up in high spirits.

At this moment, Xia Li let out a scream and staggered, but was quickly caught by Li Shanze.

"What did I step on just now?" Charlie's face was pale. She pointed at the thing she accidentally kicked away and said in disbelief.

Li Shanze looked over and found that it was half a skull.

What's more coincidental is that