The North American Gourmet Demon Handbook

Vikram curled up on the straw, his body shaking uncontrollably, his eyes hot and tears streaming silently, but he didn't even have the courage to look up at Li Shanze.

He knew that from this moment on, he was no longer Vikram Chandrasekhar, no longer a Novartis executive, no longer a high-level wizard, no longer a doctor of pharmacy, he was just a piece of "meat" in a cage, a "food" waiting to be disposed of.

Li Shanze raised his eyebrows in surprise when he saw Vikram Chandrasekhar's performance.

No wonder white people like to use Indians as housekeepers, their ability to manage themselves is really strong...

Li Shanze was indeed on guard against Vikram Chandrasekhar's sudden attack along the way. He even suspected that Vikram Chandrasekhar had deliberately sneaked into the RV to cause damage.

It was not until Vikram took the initiative to crawl into the iron cage with extremely clear humiliation without Li Shanze's instructions - Li Shanze didn't think that this kind of dog cage could hold a wizard - and then curled up on the straw in an expensive suit, crying silently, that Li Shanze was sure that this Indian guy had no tricks.

Li Shanze guessed that this Indian was probably scared out of his wits and therefore had no courage to resist.

That’s not right. You can’t judge others by yourself. Li Shanze shook his head.

Perhaps for Vikram Chandrasekhar, the so-called "courage to resist" itself is just a false proposition. After all, he is an Indian.

Although the Vikram Chandrasekhar who has lost all his courage now seems to be a completely different person from the Vikram Chandrasekhar who boasted to Li Shanze before that he would build a new world - but isn't that how Indians have always been, they are all good at bragging.

Since traveling through time, Li Shanze has become increasingly aware that his methodology of judging others by his own standards and treating everyone as normal modern Chinese is wrong.

There are reasons why stereotypes become stereotypes. In a sense, stereotypes are also a kind of big data.

While thinking, Li Shanze carried Romano to another cell.

Originally, the cage was prepared by Li Shanze for Romano. He didn't want to walk around boredly with such a heavy person in his arms. Who would have thought that Vikram Chandrasekhar would take the initiative to get in it.

Vikram Chandrasekhar heard Li Shanze's footsteps fading away. The heavy footsteps, which carried some kind of irresistible force, gradually disappeared into the depths of the RV, leaving only deathly silence.

He curled up in a cold iron cage, with rough straw beneath him and an expensive suit stained with dust, tears and sweat on his body. All of this was like a blunt knife, biting at his remaining dignity.

The fear did not dissipate with Li Shanze's departure. Instead, it surged up like a tide, completely drowning him. He felt his stomach churning and his throat was so dry that it felt like smoking.

He even suspected that the ogre was just going to have a meal - he really hoped that Romano's three hundred-pound body could provide the ogre with a good meal.

Soon, the footsteps sounded again, and his heart was in a knot again, but fortunately, the footsteps sounded dull and regular, completely different from Li Shanze's leisurely pace.

However, what shocked him even more was yet to come.

"My master asked me to guard you. You must be Vikram Chandrasekhar, right?" A calm yet familiar voice sounded in Vikram's ears.

Vikram tried desperately to calm himself down. He tried to search his memory but found nothing.

There's no doubt about it, I've definitely heard this sound somewhere before.

Vikram's head snapped up and he looked in the direction of the sound.

He tried hard to recognize that face, the face that once looked so high and mighty, with a look of disdain and contempt always in its eyes.

At this moment, there was no trace of arrogance on that face. Instead, there was an almost numb calmness, and a kind of... an indescribable humility.

Those eyes, which once sparkled with wisdom and ambition, were now like two stagnant pools of water, calm and even with a hint of flattery and obedience.

"Theodore...Lancaster?" Vikram's voice was dry and hoarse, trembling with disbelief.

He could hardly believe his ears, let alone his eyes. This voice, this tone, completely overturned everything he knew about Theodore Lancaster.

What kind of person was Theodore Lancaster in the past?

A core member of the Seething Sage and Barnum's favorite student, he is a powerful figure in the wizarding world and has the final say in the pharmaceutical factory. His words always carry the unquestionable authority and condescending arrogance that is unique to people of English descent.

Even in the most ordinary conversations, his voice carried a kind of all-knowing confidence and contempt for mortals.

He had heard Theodore scold his disobedient subordinates in a nasal, arrogant tone during meetings, and he even dared to question some of Barnum or Drummond's proposals.

And now, the man standing in front of him, the "guardian" who called himself "master", no longer had any arrogance or disdain in his voice. There was only an almost mechanical calmness, and a kind of... a creepy humility.

The tone was like that of a completely tamed servant, a tool that had lost its self-awareness, even more obedient than the humblest slave.

However, upon hearing Vikram Chandrasekhar's probing questions, the humble and submissive servant flew into a rage.

"Don't call me Theodore Lancaster! You don't deserve it! You don't deserve it!" Theodore Lancaster was furious.

This familiar arrogant rebuke made Vikram Chandrasekhar sure that the man in front of him was indeed Theodore Lancaster.

"Call me Saturday! You can only call me by that name!" Theodore Lancaster shouted loudly, "but not in front of the master!"

Theodore Lancaster was very eager to gain his master's praise and recognition and restore his honorable name "Saturday" instead of the disgusting "Theodore Lancaster".

Fortunately, he has not forgotten the rules Li Shanze set for him.

Author's words: Thank you for your monthly ticket!

Thanks to Qianxiao Anran and Xiaopingguo112633 for their recommendation votes

326 Survival Wisdom of the Ancient Country

“Theodore, what’s wrong with you? I thought—” Vikram asked tentatively.

But before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by a low growl filled with suppressed anger.

"Shut up! I told you not to call that name when the Master is not around!"

Theodore Lancaster, no, the man who should be called "Saturday" now, took a step forward, and a rare, almost terrifying light flashed in his empty eyes.

His body trembled slightly, as if just hearing the name made him feel some kind of invisible punishment.

Vikram was startled by his sudden reaction and subconsciously shrank back until his back hit the cold iron bars.

He looked at Theodore's distorted face, which no longer showed the arrogance of the past, but deep fear and a kind of obedience engraved in the bones.

“I…I just…” Vikram stammered, trying to explain.

But Theodore had already regained his numb calm, only with a hint of unquestionable hardness in his voice: "From now on, when the master is not around, call me Saturday. Do you understand, new guy!"

Vikram Chandrasekhar felt his blood run cold as he watched the scene.

Theodore Lancaster's complete submission and his almost pathological fanaticism made him feel more horrified than Li Shanze's direct slaughter.

This means that Li Shanze can not only kill them, but also completely destroy their will, crush their former pride and dignity, and turn them into his most loyal slaves.

The name Saturday, like a brand, announced how a once arrogant high-level wizard was completely wiped out, leaving only an empty shell that existed for his master.

He looked at the wizard in front of him who was once so invincible, but now looked like a brainwashed puppet, showing such great fear and obedience just because of a name.

Vikram felt dizzy and his stomach churned.

If Theodore Lancaster could not survive, what about myself who was of similar strength?

It wasn't that he hadn't fantasized about how to please Li Shanze and how to show his value to avoid becoming Li Shanze's food. But now it seemed that Li Shanze didn't need to be flattered.

Li Shanze has a way to make himself completely surrender, give up everything, and become a soulless "day of the week".

The good news is that there is a chance that he will not become food. The bad news is that the difference between this and becoming food is not very obvious.

However, as long as one is not directly deprived of life, everything can still be saved.

Theodore Lancaster's presence actually inspired Vikram.

A strange light flashed through Vikram's mind at this moment.

He thought of the ancient and complex land of his hometown, and the people who seemed submissive but had undercurrents of resistance under colonial rule.

He thought of Gandhi and his philosophy of non-violent non-cooperation, which was not direct confrontation but a seemingly docile but actually passive way of making the oppressor feel powerless and bored.

He believed that he could not become a slave without self like Theodore. That would be more terrible than death.

But he couldn't resist directly - he was frightened by the fighting power displayed by Li Shanze, and didn't even have the idea of ​​violent resistance - that would only accelerate his demise.

Vikram believes that he must find a middle path, a path that can save his life while preserving himself to the greatest extent possible.

“Passive cooperation.” Vikram repeated the word in his mind.

He had to be extremely cooperative, even more enthusiastic than on Saturday, so that Li Shanze would feel that he was a useful slave, a tool that did not require extra effort to train.

He would bow and nod, obey orders, and volunteer.

However, he will fail at the critical moment.

He would provide information, but the information was always a little bit missing, and Li Shanze needed to supplement and verify it himself.

He would carry out his tasks, but he would always be a step behind or make harmless mistakes in small details that did not affect the overall situation.

He would offer suggestions, but they sounded grand but were full of hidden loopholes and unrealistic fantasies.

He would show extreme effort, but the results were always unsatisfactory, making people feel that he "tried his best, but his ability was limited."

He wanted to make Li Shanze feel that he, Vikram Chandrasekhar, was a useless person who appeared loyal but was actually inefficient, troublesome, and required a lot of energy to clean up his mess.

He wanted to make Li Shanze feel that instead of spending effort to reform and educate him, it would be better to just throw him away or let him fend for himself.

In this way, he would neither be killed for resisting nor be completely enslaved for being useful.

He would become a useless being that "there is no need to kill him, but there is no need to keep him as a slave either."

This is a gamble, a gamble on Li Shanze's patience and pursuit of "efficiency".

A sly glint flickered deep in Vikram's eyes.

He curled up in the cage, his face still showing an expression of fear and grievance, but deep in his heart, a silent non-violent non-cooperation movement had quietly begun.

He wanted to use the wisdom of the Indians to gain a little breathing space and a possibility of preserving himself in this desperate situation.

Deep in the RV, the heavy footsteps, which carried a certain irresistible force, sounded again, coming from far away and getting closer, like the drumbeat of death.

It was the familiar sound of Li Shanze's footsteps that frightened Vikram.

Vikram's heart was pounding in his chest; he knew the real test was about to begin.

The carriage door slid open silently, and Li Shanze's figure appeared at the door. His tall figure blocked the light, and shadows fell on the faces of Vikram Chandrasekhar and Theodore Lancaster.

Li Shanze's eyes swept across Vikram's iron cage, and then fell on Theodore Lancaster, with some questioning in his eyes.

Theodore Lancaster, like a precision machine activated by an invisible hand, his back, which had been straightened out of arrogance when facing Vikram, instantly softened, and his face showed the kind of fanaticism and obedience that was engraved in his bones.

He took a step forward, his posture humble and almost pious, his voice filled with brainwashed, almost hymn-like praise: "Master! You have returned! Your humble servant, Theodore Lancaster, is here to await your supreme command!"

"Your departure once made this space dim and gloomy. Now your arrival is like the rising sun, illuminating everything and purifying this filthy air!"

Does America have its own sun?

Li Shanze was not impressed by Theodore Lancaster's sudden flood of flattery, but rather felt like laughing.

Li Shanze had no idea where Theodore Lancaster had learned these embarrassing words.

However, Vikram, in the cage, watched Saturday's textbook flattery and nodded inwardly. It seemed this was the baseline, especially the authentic British accent, which was indeed very effective.

So, Vikram took a deep breath, and his face was instantly filled with ecstasy and awe that was even more exaggerated and flamboyant than on Saturday.

"Oh, Master!" Vikram's voice, with an almost operatic vibrato, came from the iron cage, full of dramatic sorrow and joy of reunion.

"Your brilliance almost blinds my mortal eyes! My soul, my master, was once a thirsty desert, longing day and night for the sweet rain of your wisdom!"

"Every minute and every second without you feels as long and hopeless as ten thousand years! We were once dust, Master, but now, thanks to your divine return, we are given life and meaning!"

The pronunciation was clear and the London accent was not a single bit curry.

Vikram Chandrasekhar's usual thick Indian accent is a form of self-protection. At the critical moment of saving his life, he naturally had to use the authentic London accent with the old England Union Jack.

Why does this sound like Terra's Custodians praising the Emperor?

What's going on here?

Li Shanze was almost embarrassed by Vikram Chandrasekhar.

Although he barely understood that Vikram Chandrasekhar was expressing his surrender and wanted to become a slave like Theodore Lancaster.

Theodore Lancaster's head tilted slightly at an almost imperceptible angle.

His empty eyes, like a robot, flashed with a glimmer of data processing overload.

Vikram's flattery clearly went beyond the scope of Theodore Lancaster's preconceived expression of loyalty.

He celebrates return and purification, but Vikram goes straight to the “soul,” “desert,” “ten millennia,” and “divine return.”

This was the quantum mechanics of flattery, and he, on Saturday, was still stuck in Newtonian classical physics.

Theodore Lancaster struggled to pace his oath of allegiance, trying to keep up with Vikram.

"Master! My existence is an extension of your will! I am but the sharpest tool in your hands, honed by your divine purpose!"

He tried to include some deeper elements of self-sacrifice and holiness, but it still sounded a bit stilted, like a recited dogma.

Seeing this, Vikram sneered in his heart and attacked more fiercely.

"Tools? Master! We are more than just tools! We are the dust in your universe! Our existence, every breath we breathe, is to bathe in the radiance of your unparalleled wisdom!"