The North American Gourmet Demon Handbook

"If these allegations are true, then this is not only a blatant violation of human ethics and morals, but also a serious erosion of the foundation of our society."

"Whether these crimes originate from greedy capital or evil dark forces, they must be condemned and punished in the most severe manner."

"I call on the FBI, the Department of Justice, and all relevant law enforcement agencies to immediately launch a comprehensive, thorough, and transparent investigation, leaving no stone unturned and no criminal unpunished. We must ensure that the truth comes to light and justice is served."

"At the same time, I also reiterate my continued commitment to combating all forms of evil, whether hidden in the shadows of laboratories or lurking in the corners of society. We must defend human dignity and light and never allow any dark forces to erode our homeland."

The senator's statement cleverly juxtaposed the accusations of "human experimentation" and "witches", classifying them as "evil dark forces", consistent with his previous position of "declaring war on witches".

He did not name any companies or individuals, but made a general call for a full investigation.

In this way, he shifted the responsibility entirely to the law enforcement agencies, allowing him to maintain a moral high ground while avoiding prematurely taking sides, leaving ample room for future political maneuvers.

Obviously, the senator who had previously declared war on wizards in a high-profile manner did not understand what was going on at first.

I was just saying it casually to get votes, do you really want to declare war?

This is probably what the senator really thinks.

Standing in the hospital lobby, Li Shanze watched the TV with amusement. From the senator's flashy speech full of empty slogans, he could clearly see his indecision.

Afterwards, Li Shanze walked out of the hospital quickly as if he had forgotten something.

At this moment, a woman in a well-tailored dark gray suit was walking towards him gracefully. Her long chestnut hair was neatly tied up, revealing her graceful neck.

Although her steps seemed elegant, they were surprisingly fast and she soon arrived in front of Li Shanze.

Who could have sent this woman? She better not let me down.

Li Shanze thought.

But on the surface, he just glanced at her quickly, as if it was just a professional habit.

The woman had a professional smile on her face, but her amber eyes were flashing with an elusive light, as if ready to catch prey at any time.

"Are you an FBI agent?" She looked at Li Shanze's name tag and asked knowingly.

"Hello, I'm Vivian Sterling, a public relations consultant appointed by Merck."

The first one to come forward was Merck... Theodore Lancaster was Merck's. Perhaps Theodore Lancaster's sudden betrayal was the one that gave Merck the most headaches.

Her voice was soft, yet unmistakable: "I need to visit Ms. Annabell Graham."

"I know she is currently under FBI protection, but we need to understand her true situation in order to assist the police investigation and clear up some unnecessary misunderstandings."

Li Shanze waved his hand and said directly, "If you want to visit Miss Annabell Graham, please go back. There's no need to waste your time. She is not accepting any visitors at the moment. This is my arrangement."

After saying that, Li Shanze turned around and was about to leave with an impatient look on his face - as if the FBI was already fed up with him.

Vivian Sterling sneered in her heart.

Haha, it's nothing more than a bribe. If they really wanted to refuse, they could have just passed the buck and told me to "consult the superiors" instead of going through the trouble of saying "this was my arrangement."

She took a graceful step forward, blocking Li Shanze's path perfectly. Her face still wore that professional smile, but a glint of understanding flashed in her amber eyes.

"Agent, please wait a moment." Her voice was as soft as silk, with an unquestionable charm, but it was inadvertently lowered a few degrees, making it seem particularly intimate.

"I understand your difficulties. After all, handling such a difficult case requires a lot of energy and may even affect your personal time." She said, twirling a pen lightly with her fingertips.

His eyes vaguely swept over Li Shanze's name tag, memorizing the name Li Shanze in his mind, as if he was calculating something.

Li Shanze stopped and turned his head slightly, revealing a tired profile: "Ms. Sterling, I'm just following the rules."

"Rules are dead, but people are alive, aren't they?" Vivian chuckled, with a barely perceptible hint of temptation in her voice.

She took another step forward, and the faint scent of perfume on her body drifted away with her movement, just enough for Li Shanze to smell.

She reached out her hand and seemingly casually adjusted the non-existent wrinkles on Li Shanze's coat. Her fingertips inadvertently brushed against his cuffs. The movement was gentle and brief, but carried a subtle hint.

"Agent, your dedication and diligence are undoubtedly noticed by your superiors. However, sometimes, a bit of flexibility can actually make things go more smoothly and save you...some trouble."

She withdrew her hand, gently stroking her chin with her fingertips, and her amber eyes looked directly at Li Shanze's profile, as if she could see through his thoughts.

"Merck has always been generous, especially to those who can help us solve problems. We are very happy to give you an extra token of appreciation for your 'hard work'."

"After all, you shoulder such a heavy responsibility, and we only hope to do our part to help you."

Her words were full of hints, and every word was like a carefully thrown bait, trying to paint a picture of a "win-win" situation.

She even leaned forward slightly, so that her eyes were almost level with Li Shanze's profile. Her eyes were full of confidence and determination, as well as a certain admiration.

Vivian Sterling believed that no man could refuse such an offer that would bring him benefits and "special treatment".

Vivian's series of actions were part of her sophisticated psychological tactics. Instead of offering a bribe directly, she used subtle body language to try to break down Li Shanze's defenses at the sensory and subconscious levels, establishing a "special" and ambiguous connection.

This kind of connection can quickly narrow the psychological distance, making Li Shanze more easily influenced by her verbal temptation in the subsequent conversation, thus creating favorable conditions for her subsequent inducement and deeper negotiations.

She exploits the natural human response to closeness, special treatment, and potential seduction to achieve her goals.

Li Shanze finally turned around and faced her. His eyes were no longer tired, but instead held a deep and unfathomable calm, as if he could see through everything.

He didn't laugh, nor was he angry. He just said calmly: "Ms. Sterling, the rules are the rules. Ms. Annabell Graham is under FBI protection. We don't allow anyone to visit her."

Vivian's smile was still flawless, even more playful.

She leaned forward, and the faint scent of perfume lingered on Li Shanze's nose again. Her voice was low and magnetic, like a glass of mellow whiskey, with a hint of seductive hoarseness.

"Rules, of course, are rules. But Mr. Agent, don't you think that some rules exist for the sake of more important 'exceptions'?"

"These 'exceptions' in particular can save you from countless unnecessary troubles. They can even... make your career more 'smooth'."

Her gaze boldly swept across Li Shanze's face, and finally stopped in his eyes, as if she wanted to see through him.

"After all, someone as capable as you shouldn't be bound by rigid rules and regulations, right? Sometimes, the fastest shortcuts are often hidden in those 'unconventional' collaborations. And I happen to know a few such shortcuts."

As she spoke, her fingertips brushed the collar of his coat softly, the movement ambiguous and brief, as if silently inviting him into a more private area.

There was no fluctuation in Li Shanze's eyes. He just looked at her quietly, as if he was appreciating a painting or examining a prey.

He finally spoke, his voice as calm as a deep pool of water, yet with an undeniable coldness and hardness: "Ms. Sterling, I only know that the price of breaking the rules is often much higher than the price of following them. Especially in my position."

"You seem to have a soft spot for 'exceptions.' But some 'exceptions,' once opened, can never be closed again. Are you sure you can afford that 'freedom'? It may be much heavier than you imagine."

There was a hint of warning in his words, but it also seemed like he was challenging her courage.

Upon hearing this, Vivian smiled with a hint of excitement.

298 Hunter

Vivian Sterling's eyes flashed with excitement. She was addicted to this kind of confrontation with men, especially with confident men.

Conquering a confident man is like successfully capturing a dangerous prey. For Vivian, it gives her a special sense of conquest.

This is not just a simple negotiation, but an ancient and eternal power game between the sexes.

Vivian Sterling is well aware of this. She disdains direct power suppression, which is too crude and lacks beauty.

She is better at using softness to overcome hardness, using her unique female charm, insight and patience - all of which Vivian Sterling considers to be her unique weapons - to weave an invisible web.

The bait she throws out is not just money or benefits, but also the psychological satisfaction of being understood, appreciated, and even "treated specially."

She enjoys watching a man go from being indestructible to being slightly shaken by her charm offensive.

It is a precise grasp of male instincts and a clever use of their deep desire for recognition, temptation, and breaking the rules.

At least the man in front of her, Li Shanze, is very much in line with the hunting hobbies of Vivian Sterling, the female hunter.

As for whether this FBI agent is a truly qualified prey that can satisfy her, she needs to test him further.

Therefore, Vivian Sterling smiled even more deeply, and that smile carried the confidence and temptation that only belonged to a beautiful and charming woman.

"Risk always comes with greater rewards, doesn't it? As for 'freedom'... I always like to be in control of it myself."

"Agent, you'll find that working with me is much more... 'free' than you imagine."

She deliberately emphasized the word "freedom", and her eyes were full of teasing, as if implying a kind of "freedom" that transcends money and power.

Vivian Sterling took another step forward and could almost feel the warmth of Li Shanze's breath.

She lowered her voice, a tone that only the two of them could hear. "Aren't you curious about where this 'freedom' can take you? Perhaps it will take you to heights you've never dared to imagine."

When talking about height, she straightened her chest calmly, making her graceful curves that could not be restrained by her professional suit more prominent, as if hinting at something.

Li Shanze's playful gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds.

For a moment, Vivian Sterling felt that this man almost saw through her completely.

This kind of excitement of dealing with prey, where conquest and being conquered are only a fine line away, makes Vivian Sterling particularly addicted.

This obsession is not just a desire for victory, but an ultimate experience of the fundamental tension of life.

When Li Shanze's eyes, as tired as a social animal's, seemed to penetrate her carefully constructed disguise and reach the most secret corner of her heart, she did not feel offended, but instead felt a shudder like an electric current.

It is a danger of being seen through, but also carries the temptation of being completely understood.

She is like a tightrope dancer, repeatedly testing the boundaries between conquest and being conquered. Every step she takes may lead her to the abyss, but she may also reach an unprecedented climax.

This kind of stimulation is stronger than any satisfaction brought by money or power, because it touches upon the most primitive desires of human nature - control and submission, hunting and being hunted.

She enjoys the pleasure of putting herself in danger, enjoying watching a man go from being indestructible to being slightly shaken by her charm and wisdom, and even conversely, she herself may be attracted and "conquered" by his silent power.

This two-way tug made her feel more alive than ever before, as if all the blood in her body was boiling with this silent struggle.

She longed to see even a hint of hesitation, a hint of desire deep in his eyes; that would be her sweetest victory.

And if he could really see through her, or even "conquer" her in return, that would be another extreme experience, a pleasure that she subconsciously desires, the pleasure of being controlled by a more powerful force.

This dangerous balance made her unable to stop, and every breath was filled with anticipation for the next round of confrontation.

Li Shanze did not directly answer Vivian's question, but just slightly turned sideways to make way.

His movements were gentle, yet they carried an undeniable rejection. He didn't look at her again, but simply said, "Ms. Sterling, please go back. My time is precious."

Li Shanze's refusal actually made Vivian Sterling more satisfied with him.

Obviously, Li Shanze is the prey most worthy of challenge in her eyes.

His calmness, his principles, and his unwavering confidence are like solid barriers. He represents a kind of order and perseverance, in stark contrast to the "flexibility" and "disruption" represented by Vivian.

The fact that he was not bewildered by her beauty, nor swayed by her allure, was in itself a powerful masculine charm—a wildness that could not be easily tamed.

His rejection was not a simple denial, but a powerful, silent confrontation, which in turn aroused Vivian's deeper desire to conquer.

"Agent, you'll find that some 'rules' will eventually give way to 'exceptions.'" So, Vivian still put on what she thought was her most charming smile and said.

But Vivian Sterling had expressed the wrong sentiment entirely.

Li Shanze was actually not interested in her at all.

In Li Shanze's opinion, the so-called "female public relations" are nothing more than expensive high-end bitches.

He looked down on such people from the bottom of his heart, because their work was worthless both morally and productively.

No, exactly, it would be a good thing if their work was simply worthless.

By misidentifying right and wrong, these people are only preventing mistakes from being corrected, preventing society's error correction mechanisms, and preventing the birth of a better world.

Therefore, whether from the personal level or from the professional level of Vivian Sterling, Li Shanze despises her very much and naturally has no interest in her.

Li Shanze had just looked at Vivian Sterling with amusement, just to assess whether this woman had the potential to influence Marco Giuseppe Romano or Vikram Chandrasekhar.

In other words, whether it has any value.

When he was sure that this woman was just a professional public relations person and might not even be an insider of the pharmaceutical company, he completely lost all interest in her.

In Li Shanze's eyes, Vivian's smile was nothing more than a carefully crafted business mask, devoid of soul.

The original amusement in Li Shanze's black eyes had disappeared, replaced by an almost indifferent calmness, as if he was looking at a decoration that had nothing to do with him.

He nodded slightly, his tone was flat without a trace of emotion, but every word was clear, with an unquestionable sense of alienation.

"Ms. Sterling, your understanding of protocol is truly... unique and impressive."

Vivian Sterling's eye twitched.

This kind of polite opening remarks that start with praise often represent a rejection.

As expected, Li Shanze changed the subject. "However, the FBI operates under established rules and strict procedures. These aren't designed to be flexible, but to ensure the rigor of every action and the fairness of the final outcome."

Li Shanze's voice was flat, as if he was reading out a boring official document. Every word was precise and cold, completely freezing the ambiguous atmosphere she was trying to create.

"We are dealing with a serious matter concerning social order and citizen safety, which does not allow for any form of shortcuts or exceptions."

"Any attempt to deviate from the right path may lead to irreversible consequences, which is completely contrary to our purpose of upholding the dignity of the law."

Li Shanze's gaze shifted away from her face and turned to the end of the corridor, as if there were things there that were more worthy of his attention, and he was reluctant to even give her an extra glance.