The North American Gourmet Demon Handbook

As the big producer Mr. Cohen smiled and happily puffed on cigarettes, the mermaid-like models returned to the swimming pool to play and have fun.

The brightly lit lobby was transformed in just a few minutes, and everything was rearranged as if Mr. Cohen's anger had never been vented.

Obviously, such a well-trained team of servants is definitely not something that the chaotic and criminal-infested town of Fern can provide.

…………

At the police station in Fern Town, Li Shanze received a warm reception that far exceeded his expectations.

Especially Sheriff Larry, who had changed his arrogance and arrogance in the evening and behaved in an unusually humble and respectful manner, which even made Li Shanze suspect that this guy was plotting something.

However, after a simple conversation, Li Shanze suddenly realized that Sheriff Larry was also a religious fanatic who believed that he was an angel.

Maybe others did not witness it at the first time, but the police officers in Fern Town, who were driving police cars to chase and intercept Li Shanze's Ford Raptor F150, witnessed Kate's brilliant attack that was like a white rainbow penetrating into their car.

Therefore, although it was unexpected, Li Shanze felt that it was reasonable for him to become a guest of honor at the Fern Town Police Department - not everyone can enjoy such sacred help when chasing car thieves.

At this time, the church bells rang.

"Oh! Damn, it's already ten o'clock!" When he heard the bell ringing, Sheriff Larry put his hands on his waist and started cursing.

Then, without warning, the lights in the sheriff's office went out.

At this time, a police officer came in with a lit kerosene lamp and placed it on the sheriff's desk. It seemed that everyone in the police station was used to this.

"Wait, what's going on? The power outage at ten o'clock?" Li Shanze frowned.

The last time I felt a power outage during curfew was when I was in college.

But how in the world can a police station impose a power outage and curfew? Is this still America? Where does this come from?

Li Shanze was full of doubts.

033 Misunderstanding

"Ah, Mr. Li, rest assured, if you invest in Fern Town, you don't need to worry too much about your factory's electricity needs." At this time, Mayor Vincent walked in. "It's just that the West Pennsylvania Power Company is currently giving priority to supplying electricity to the Glass Palace."

"Glass Palace?" Li Shanze looked out through the window of the sheriff's office curiously and saw that the entire town of Fern was almost plunged into darkness, with only two churches and another palace-like building brightly lit.

"Is that the Glass Palace?" Li Shanze asked, pointing at the palace that looked like an endless torch at night.

"Yes. Mr. Li, you must be familiar with the crew of 'Hunting Gods', right?"

"Ah, I've heard of it." Li Shanze nodded, perking up. "But I only know the name. I don't know what the show is about."

In Li Shanze's opinion, since Charlie has come to Fern Town to fulfill the "ancient contract between wizards and gods", the production team of the so-called "Hunting Gods" should not just use the horrifying name as a gimmick, but may be serious about it.

As the local bosses, the mayor and sheriff of Fern Town might know some real inside information.

Li Shanze noticed that Sheriff Larry was desperately trying to wink at the mayor under the dim kerosene lamp, but Mayor Vincent remained unmoved.

"That Glass Palace was just built not long ago. It serves as the filming base for the show and is also open to the public. It's just very luxurious, so local residents can't afford it."

"The Glass Palace consumes a lot of electricity, and the cable capacity of West Virginia Electric Company is limited, so we can only temporarily limit the electricity use of other residents in the town..." Mayor Vincent seemed quite frank and said whatever he wanted to say.

Li Shanze decided to act like a true, penny-pinching investor, so he added pressure: "Ah, so if I want to set up a call center that can handle the entire eastern United States, Fern is not a very ideal place."

Li Shanze threw out his bait, which was the telephone call center that Mayor Vincent had been longing for.

If you want to convince me to keep the call center in Fern, you're going to have to reveal some inside information.

Sure enough, after this topic was brought up, Sheriff Larry seemed very interested. Mayor Vincent said directly, "Larry, I want to talk to Mr. Li."

Li Shanze smiled. Very good, this is a good start and the first step to victory.

However, after Sheriff Larry closed the office door and blocked the entrance, Mayor Vincent's first words were: "Mr. Li, I don't know what you are doing in Fern Town, but I can be sure that you are not here to invest."

The smile on Li Shanze's face faded a little: "Why?"

"Believe me, Mr. Li, believe my eyes." Mayor Vincent stared at Li Shanze who was leaning on the sheriff's chair, then stretched out the index and middle fingers of his right hand and pointed at his own eyes.

"I've traveled almost all over the United States over the years, trying to attract investment for this town. I've met countless investors, but I can be sure that no investor would sit in a police station and chat with people calmly after their car was robbed, unless—"

Mayor Vincent paused, then suddenly pulled out a gun from his pocket and pointed it at Li Shanze, who was still sitting on the sheriff's chair: "Unless he is a liar with ulterior motives."

Mayor Vincent spoke word by word, exerting pressure with his words, as if the liar in front of him was already trapped.

Obviously, as the mayor of Fern, a town full of crime, Mayor Vincent is also quite skilled. His brows are full of confidence. He determined that the distance between him and Li Shanze was not enough for this scammer who knows "Kung Fu" to succeed.

At the same time, Sheriff Larry also took out a gun from his arms, but he was a little hesitant. He did not point the gun at Li Shanze, but looked at his old partner in surprise.

Li Shanze, who was still leaning on the sheriff's chair, was already quickly thinking about the possibility of breaking through the window and jumping down the stairs to steal a police car and escape.

If you move fast enough, you can avoid the bullet...

While Li Shanze was quickly thinking about how to minimize the probability of being hit by bullets, he heard the sound of horse hooves coming closer and closer. It was Kate bringing Charlie to the police station.

Well, this is an opportunity. Might as well take a chance.

Li Shanze calmly leaned back into the sheriff's chair and even put his feet on the sheriff's desk, looking fearless.

"Perhaps the investor in front of you has a particularly good temper?" Li Shanze smiled and said slowly.

"Well, maybe." Mayor Vincent remained noncommittal, his finger slowly pressing down on the trigger. "Well, let's be frank, Mr. Li, are you really an investor?"

"Unfortunately, no." Listening to the sound of Kate and Charlie's shoes stepping on the stairs, Li Shanze said slowly.

"Then please surrender, Mr. Li." Mayor Vincent said, and then signaled with his eyes.

"Tell Mayor Vincent! I am your assistant! Kate Mackenzie!" Li Shanze shouted loudly outside the police station door.

In Li Shanze's opinion, betting on the credibility of Kate, a "sacred" existence, has a much greater chance of winning than betting on himself dodging bullets in mid-air.

Li Shanze didn't know that Kate was struck by lightning when she heard Li Shanze's order.

The policewoman used up all her strength. She was shaking all over and sweating profusely. She barely restrained herself from blurting out: "Yes, Master."

"Yes, Mayor Vincent, Mr. Li, Mr. Li is my, my, a consultant to the FBI's Special Affairs Division." Kate shouted through the door.

Kate even considered simple words like "Li Shanze is my assistant" as an act of usurpation because of the spell, preventing her from saying it. Therefore, she had to arrange a position for Li Shanze that could really assist her.

In fact, if Li Shanze asked for help, she would even break in and rescue Li Shanze.

After Kate spoke, Li Shanze completely relaxed.

Ah, so you are from the FBI. Li Shanze originally thought that a supernatural being like Kate would have a separate agency, but he didn't expect it to be under the FBI's organization.

But since Kate was willing to speak up and cover up for him, it meant that the deal was still valid - Li Shanze didn't know that Xia Li had accidentally made Kate her slave - Li Shanze was still thinking about what words to use to bargain with Kate, so as to get more benefits or even clear himself.

Therefore, the smile on Li Shanze's face became even brighter, and he fiddled with his black bowler hat with both hands, making it rotate in front of his chest.

Sheriff Larry opened the locked office door, checked Kate McKenzie's ID, and after confirming that it was indeed an FBI ID, nodded to Mayor Vincent.

At this time, Li Shanze put his bowler hat on his head and said with a smile: "Look, Mayor Vincent, this is a complete misunderstanding. Can you put away your little toys?"

"Okay, Mr. Li. But next time you're going to conduct undercover work, please notify the town government first." Mayor Vincent said unhappily, "We will definitely provide all the assistance we can."

"Ah, so I really need your help." Li Shanze didn't care that Mayor Vincent was just being polite, he just took advantage of the situation.

"I'm sorry, it's late, and my old bones need some rest. Please come to the mayor's office after mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church tomorrow to discuss the details."

Mayor Vincent handed Li Shanze a business card with the address of the mayor's office printed on it, and then strode away without looking back.

Then the room fell into silence again.

Li Shanze looked at Kate who had a stern face.

Ha, this FBI knight must be very angry because she was forced to cover up for me. No wonder she didn't say a word.

In fact, although Kate was indeed very angry, the reason why she did not speak up was simple: when the master does not speak up, the slave has no right to speak up.

Feeling that she had gotten into trouble, Xia Li was afraid that she would say something wrong again and let Li Shanze realize Kate's situation, so she held back and didn't dare to speak.

Li Shanze didn't know any of this. He only knew that the room had fallen into inexplicable silence.

So Li Shanze looked at Sheriff Larry, who seemed to be thinking about life, and then looked at the two ladies who remained silent, and frowned.

Li Shanze stood up and patted Sheriff Larry on the shoulder: "Thank you for your help, Mr. Sheriff."

Then he turned to Charlie and Kate and said, "Let's go."

The three of them filed out of the sheriff's office, leaving only Sheriff Larry. He looked at his slowly recovering right hand, lost in thought.

Author's words: Thanks to Wukong for the recommendation vote

034 Story

In the distance, in the darkness, two pairs of eyes were looking at the Fern Town Police Station.

These two people are the bounty hunters, Anjie and Guy, who are lurking in the dark and never give up.

Although the police station was plunged into darkness due to a power outage, with only the faint light from the kerosene lamp in the office, they still held binoculars and searched from afar.

"Did you see it clearly?" Anjie asked.

"I saw it clearly, there's no mistake. The box is on the knight's saddle belt," Guy replied.

"So, what are you going to do? Take advantage of the moment when the Knight leaves his beloved horse, rush over, grab the box and run away?" Anjie asked curiously.

Guy put down his binoculars and looked at Anjie. "Do you think I can outrun the Knight's horse?"

Anjie shook her head. "I'm afraid not, unfortunately."

"So, what's your plan, Miss Anjie?" Guy's smile seemed warm, but in reality, it lacked any warmth. "Among us bounty hunters and our employers, almost everyone knows that you're an outstanding bounty hunter who's elevated thievery to an art form. Your name is well-known, so I'd like to hear your plan."

"Aha, in our line of work, the best reputation is no reputation at all. If everyone really knew my name, I might as well just retire." Although she said this, Angel's expression was beaming, and she looked as if she was overjoyed.

"So, you have a retirement plan?" Guy asked casually, as if just curious.

Anjie sighed, "Yes, bounty hunters still need fresh blood like you who are unknown. I have indeed been thinking about my retirement."

Guy nodded, seemingly oblivious to the sarcasm in Anjie's words, and acted as if he was listening attentively.

"Look, Mr. Guy, you'll need a substantial pension to retire," Anjie said. "And I've always loved art, which isn't a cheap hobby."

"Is it just because of money that you didn't leave here the first time?"

"What else could it be?" Anjie asked. "After the Great Knight radiated such a divine light, the ring must have been completely purified. Now it's just an ordinary ruby ​​ring."

Guy said sarcastically, "This is the first time I've heard that the famous Lady of Night is interested in a 'normal ruby ​​ring'. I think the collectors will love this news."

"You won't understand. What I need is wealth, not power. And this exquisite gem ring that came from your world happens to be a favorite among mortal collectors and can be sold for a large sum of money." Anjie denied Guy's statement.

"After losing its power, it's just an exquisitely crafted ruby ​​ring. How much can it be sold for? Eight hundred thousand dollars? One million dollars?" Guy didn't take Angel's words seriously at all.

"No, no, no, this is not an ordinary ruby ​​ring. This is a ruby ​​ring with a story - a cursed ruby. I can add countless legendary experiences to it, such as the fact that its first famous owner in history was Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt..."

"Later, for example, it passed into the hands of Queen Marie Antoinette... It flowed into Germany during the Franco-Prussian War or World War II. After the end of World War II, it was brought to the United States by a high-ranking Nazi official who fled and changed his identity... and then triggered a series of serial killings..."

"The point is, this is a cursed ring with a story... The best part is, it once fell into the hands of the Grand Knight, and then was immediately stolen—the Grand Knight would definitely track down who stole the ring, which almost endorses the entire story."

At this point, Anjie smiled. "Mr. Guy, how much do you think ordinary wealthy people would pay for a ruby ​​ring that carries so many stories? At least 20 million US dollars."

Anjie held up two fingers.

Guy frowned and carefully studied Anjie's expression, trying to find any flaws that would prove she was lying.

Unfortunately, Anjie's expression looked too calm and natural, so Guy returned empty-handed.

"Just for the money?" Guy asked finally in disbelief.

"Yeah, it's just for the money." Anjie smiled. "Look, those bounty hunters who wanted the power contained in this ring have all left, haven't they?"

"Well, then I wish you great wealth, Lady Night." Guy nodded, then turned around, walked away, and disappeared into the night.

Anjie put away the smile on her face and looked back at the police station under the night sky.

…………

Li Shanze and his three companions walked out of the police station in silence. It was not until they came to Kate's beloved horse Mickey that Li Shanze spoke to break the deadlock.

In Li Shanze's opinion, since Kate has taken the lead in proving her sincerity, he must also show corresponding sincerity so that the transaction can continue.

Therefore, Li Shanze looked at Kate and said, "I will start investigating the herbicide factory tomorrow."

Li Shanze noticed that Kate's lips trembled for a long time, and in the end she said nothing, just nodded and said "hmm" vaguely.

Li Shanze was confused. He blinked and tried to press his buttons. "Uh, by the way, Officer McKenzie, since you've been covering for me today by saying I'm a consultant for the FBI's Special Affairs Division, can you make this my legal identity and cancel the nationwide wanted notice for me?"

What? This pushy bastard! No, absolutely not!

Kate could hardly suppress the urge to say "yes" loudly. She was trembling all over, sweating profusely, staring at Li Shanze hatefully, and used all her strength to force back the words of agreement.

It seems that covering for me, the "Ogre", has made this sacred lady very angry.