The North American Gourmet Demon Handbook

You'll make us happier.

Author's words: Thanks to book friend 8057522239 for the monthly ticket and recommendation ticket

Thanks to Xu Shihan and Wukong for their recommendations

056 Shocking changes

After the laughter, the down-and-out middle-aged man said drunkenly, "Ha, bartender, your cocktail-mixing skills are really good, much better than Nathan's! But why haven't I seen you at night? What's your name?"

The bartender filled the glass with tonic water and smiled calmly: "Jimmy, my name is Jimmy. In the old days, Mr. Nathan was on the night shift, so I'm in charge of the day shift."

Hearing this, Li Shanze could understand the bartender Jimmy's washed-out clothes. Obviously, whether it was tips or commissions from drinks, the bartenders on the night shift had the better income.

"Oh, what a shame, Jimmy. Maybe I should talk to all my old friends and tell them that there were better drinks during the day in the old days. Give me a gin and tonic too!" The down-and-out middle-aged man shrugged when he heard this.

Li Shanze noticed that the down-and-out middle-aged man used the word "old buddy", just like Mayor Vincent used the term "old buddy of a good buddy" when talking about them.

So, Li Shanze guessed that this down-and-out middle-aged man had some relationship with the Good Buddy herbicide factory. He did not rush to speak and test it, but continued to listen patiently.

"Please wait a moment." The young bartender nodded and gently stirred the gin and tonic water in the glass with a bar spoon. "Your turn will come once Mr. Li's drink is ready."

"Oh? Do you know me?" Li Shanze raised his eyebrows curiously.

When Jimmy faced Li Shanze, his smile was no longer business-like and looked much more sincere.

"Of course, of course I know you, Mr. Li. You have done a great deed of kindness! The investment you have brought to Fern Town is enough to provide thousands of jobs for Fern Town!" The bartender seemed to be in high spirits.

"Oh? You know quite a lot." The man in the navy jacket turned his head curiously and looked at Li Shanze, his eyes as if he was sizing prey.

Bartender Jimmy nodded. "Of course. Before I became a bartender, I worked for the town's Public Services Department, helping drug addicts. Unfortunately, during the fiscal crisis, these non-revenue-generating positions are always under pressure to be laid off..."

Having said that, Jimmy shrugged and stopped talking about the unpleasant past.

Jimmy took out a lemon and continued enthusiastically, "But with the investment Mr. Li has brought in, I think Fern Town will slowly get better. I can also return to my job helping the townspeople. I have to admit, while that job is exhausting, it's also very satisfying."

Jimmy cut the lemon in half and cut off a wedge before saying to Li Shanze a little embarrassedly, "Mr. Li, I really want to buy you a glass of wine to express my gratitude, but I'm really embarrassed. Please forgive me."

"Ha, no problem." Li Shanze waved his hand.

Jimmy placed a lemon wedge on the rim of his glass and pushed the freshly prepared gin and tonic toward Li Shanze: "Here's your gin and tonic. Please enjoy it."

The highball glass filled with gin and tonic slid forward steadily on the bar. Just as it was about to slide into Li Shanze's palm, the down-and-out middle-aged man suddenly reached out and snatched the glass of wine.

"I say, Li, since you are the good man that Jimmy mentioned, you surely don't mind letting me, an old drunkard, try it first, right? I have never tasted a wine that is so carefully mixed!" The down-and-out man asked Li Shanze with sleepy eyes.

Even though the down-and-out man snatched the wine that should have belonged to Li Shanze, Li Shanze didn't know why he didn't want to drink it at all.

So Li Shanze shrugged and said without any concern: "Of course, please."

But the man in the navy jacket couldn't stand it any longer: "Jimmy adjusted it so carefully, naturally he wants to thank Mr. Li for his kindness, why did you, a drunk, snatch it away?"

"Ha! Li has agreed, so how can you, a jerk, have a say?" The down-and-out man raised his hand disdainfully. "Just let Jimmy adjust it for him, right, Jimmy?"

Jimmy nodded helplessly, then shook his head: "The tonic water is out. I'll go look for it backstage."

After that, the bartender Jimmy got up and left.

The down-and-out man proudly picked up the wine glass. He took a sip and immediately arched his eyebrows. "Hmm! The taste is subtle and balanced. The bitterness and sweetness of the tonic water, the aroma of the gin, and the refreshing feeling of the carbonic acid bubbles bursting in the mouth are all intertwined. Complex and harmonious. Good wine, good wine!"

Li Shanze knew nothing about these foreign liquors and didn't understand the ins and outs of them. He just observed the down-and-out man in front of him, who might know something about the Good Buddy Herbicide Factory, and looked for an opportunity to ask him some questions.

Maybe it would be a better time to ask him some questions when he is almost drunk. Maybe I should buy him a few more drinks?

Li Shanze thought silently as he watched the down-and-out man raise his glass with satisfaction and drink the gin and tonic in one gulp like a cow.

"Hmph, what a waste of a good drink." The man in the navy jacket shook his head regretfully as he played with the grenade. "Originally, I set a rule for myself that I could only have one drink after work, but seeing him like this, I can't help but want another."

"No problem. Let me buy you a drink when Jimmy comes back." Li Shanze extended his hand. "Li Shanze."

"George Simpson," said the navy jacket. "Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Lee, but rules are rules. I have to leave now."

After saying that, George Simpson shook hands with Li Shanze vigorously, then stood up, picked up the box at his feet, turned around and left the tavern.

At this moment, the down-and-out middle-aged man fell on the bar with a bang.

Isn't he drunk too quickly? How much did he drink? Maybe he shouldn't have had this drink.

Li Shanze shook his head helplessly.

He reached out to push the drunk, trying to shake him awake so he could get some information out of him: "Sir, wake up, sir?"

Then Li Shanze's face changed, he realized something was wrong.

The down-and-out drunk was no longer breathing, black blood oozing out of his mouth and nose, leaving pits and holes on the wooden bar.

This person is poisoned, and the poison is clearly aimed at me. This drunkard who loves wine has taken the blame for me!

Li Shanze was furious. He pulled out his gun, jumped over the bar counter and went to the backstage of the bar.

The back door of the bar was wide open, and the bartender Jimmy was nowhere to be seen.

Li Shanze frowned.

At the same time, George Simpson walked out of the bar with a sneer. He put on sunglasses, pulled the ring of the grenade, and threw the grenade into the tavern.

A loud explosion tore through the dark, snowy sky. The pre-buried explosives were detonated, shattering the bar's windows instantly. Glass fragments flew everywhere, and flames gushed out from the broken windows.

Then, a massive shockwave surged outwards, the aftermath of the explosion sweeping in like a violent storm, igniting the surrounding air. Hot winds swept through George Simpson's navy jacket, roaring loudly outwards.

The roof of the bar began to collapse in the flames, wooden beams and bricks falling with a deafening sound. The fire spread rapidly, engulfing the entire building in a sea of ​​fire.

George Simpson could feel the heat rising sharply, hear the crackle of the flames and the pop of burning wood.

The bar's door had been blown away, and the flames within were like an enraged beast, devouring everything. Thick smoke billowed out, obscuring the sky and the sun, and the air was filled with the smell of burnt wood and metal.

The corners of George Simpson's cold mouth curled up slightly, revealing a smile. He took out a metal wine jug from his arms and raised it towards the Old Time Tavern, which had been bombed into ruins. "Now, I can have another drink, Mr. Li."

George Simpson had just raised the wine jug with pride when he felt a sharp pain in his arm. A bullet pierced his right arm.

He could no longer hold the wine jug, and it fell to the ground, spilling the wine all over the floor.

Then, a voice he didn't expect rang out: "Don't worry, Mr. Simpson."

Li Shanze appeared in front of George Simpson unharmed.

What surprised Simpson most was that Li Shanze seemed to be completely unaffected by the explosion. There was no smoky color on his face, and his hair was neatly combed. It did not look messy due to the shock wave of the explosion, and he did not look the least bit embarrassed.

Li Shanze pointed his gun at George Simpson and said, "Your mission is not yet complete, Mr. Simpson. Rules are rules, aren't they?"

Li Shanze sneered and crushed the wine jug with his foot.

057 Ogres and Undead

After the bartender Jimmy disappeared, Li Shanze was stunned for a moment. His intuition immediately sensed the danger and he began to call the police frantically.

Li Shanze didn't hesitate for half a second, he ran out of the tavern.

Li Shanze had just run out of the tavern from the back door when a rumbling explosion was heard behind him, shaking the earth.

In order to avoid the shock wave and scorching air waves caused by the explosion, Li Shanze had to speed up desperately.

The explosion woke up the elf Ella, who had been sleeping soundly on Li Shanze's shoulder.

Ella rubbed her sleepy eyes, and stared blankly at the flames that were getting closer and closer as Li Shanze ran wildly, and gradually woke up.

Then the elf shouted with great loyalty: "Li Shanze! Don't be afraid! Master Ella is here to help you!"

She flapped her wings and opened a shield of light to block the explosion for a while.

Then the small light shield was shattered by the impact, and Ella let out a cry of "Ouch" and was blown away by the shock wave.

However, Ella helped Li Shanze a lot by only blocking the explosion for a moment, which gave Li Shanze enough time to rush out of the explosion range, leaving Li Shanze unharmed - this is not entirely accurate, at least his black bowler hat was reduced to ashes in the explosion.

When Li Shanze accelerated and ran away from the explosion radius, he opened his palm, and then Ella hit his hand with a snap like a dragonfly.

The young lady grabbed Li Shanze's knuckles with both hands, poked her head out from Li Shanze's palm, and proudly asked for credit: "How about it, isn't Master Ella awesome!"

"Well, Lady Ella is really amazing." Li Shanze was generous in praising the little thing, and gently stroked Ella's little head with his fingers.

"Hehe." Ella squinted her eyes happily, and then yawned loudly, "Haah, Master Ella is so tired, please don't let the bad guys disturb Master Ella's sleep again."

After saying that, the young lady lay in Li Shanze's palm and fell asleep again.

Li Shanze put Ella back on his shoulder and let her fall into a sound sleep.

He quickly walked back to the front of the Old Time Tavern, which had turned into ruins, and tried to catch George Simpson, who had blown up the tavern. This guy usually played with grenades in his hands, so who else could have done it if not him.

Obviously, Li Shanze's judgment was correct. Simpson, the guy in the navy jacket, had never expected that Li Shanze could escape this earth-shattering explosion. He even took out a wine jug and admired the damage he caused.

When Li Shanze appeared and crushed his wine jug with one foot, his cheeks twitched, and pain and astonishment intertwined, looking extremely hideous.

George Simpson suddenly crouched down to avoid Li Shanze's gun, and then threw a grenade at Li Shanze with his still movable left hand.

Li Shanze kicked the grenade away, then shot Simpson in the left arm, causing the gun he had just raised in his left hand to fall to the ground with a thud.

At this moment, the grenade exploded in the air. Because Li Shanze's kick just now was accurate and fierce, the grenade was kicked too far away. The shrapnel had no time to fly in front of Li Shanze, and it exhausted all its energy and fell to the ground.

However, George Simpson was aroused to his ferocity. Although he could no longer lift his arms, he still had a fierce look in his eyes and rushed towards Li Shanze with a roar.

Li Shanze calmly raised his hand and fired another shot, hitting his left leg.

This time, the fierce man could no longer maintain his balance. His feet went soft and he fell heavily to the ground, like a mountain collapsing, with mud splattering everywhere.

"Who are you? Why do you want to kill me? Where did the bartender Jimmy go? How many accomplices do you have?" Li Shanze asked a series of questions.

Li Shanze had many opportunities to shoot Simpson in the head or heart, but he only shot him to disable him in order to get more information from him.

"Oh, I'm George Simpson, just a mercenary, hired to kill you, I don't know anything else - Ah! Ah!!"

Li Shanze stepped on Simpson's right hand and broke it. In severe pain, Simpson wailed loudly and his forehead was covered with cold sweat.

"Kill me, kill me! I don't know anything! I'm just a mercenary! Just a mercenary!" Although Simpson was sweating all over from the pain, he still refused to say anything.

Li Shanze sighed: "It seems that I need to use some methods to restore your memory, Mr. Simpson."

Li Shanze squatted down, slapped Simpson's face a few times, and said slowly, "Let me give you a hint. Look, I have black hair and black eyes, I wear a black windbreaker and a black bowler hat, and your proud bomb has no effect on me. So, do you remember who I am?"

"Are you... a wanted ogre?" Simpson's voice was full of confusion.

Li Shanze squeezed Simpson's sturdy arm. "Oh, this meat is quite thick, perfect for slicing and grilling. So, would you like to taste my cooking for yourself?"

Li Shanze recalled how people along the way were terrified of the ogre, and decided to use this identity to scare the tough George Simpson.

It was obvious that Simpson was shocked when he heard that he might have to eat the flesh of his own arm.

So Li Shanze struck while the iron was hot: "You know, Mr. Simpson, in my hometown, there's an excellent knife technique called Lingchi. It can slice your flesh into at least three hundred pieces without killing you. Perhaps you'd prefer to savor the delicious flavor of your belly? Do you prefer it fried on a sizzling iron plate, or roasted in large pieces with salt and cumin?"

The mercenary finally began to tremble when he heard this, his teeth chattering: "Don't eat me, please, don't eat me!"

"How is it? With my help, did you remember anything, Mr. Simpson?" Li Shanze asked with a smile.

"I'm really, really just a mercenary! I really don't know anything!" Simpson screamed. "The money they gave me is in my bag! It's all yours, all yours! It can be used as proof!"

Li Shanze didn't want to touch the bag of a mercenary playing with a grenade. God knows what mechanism was inside and whether it would blow him up.

So Li Shanze shot Simpson's right leg again, making his limbs completely unable to move. Then, Li Shanze took out a dagger and gestured at Simpson's body, as if looking for which piece of flesh to cut first.

Simpson's screams were filled with fear, and he had completely collapsed because of fear.

So Li Shanze asked again: "Who are they? Hmm, it looks like your thighs are very firm..."

"I! I don't know! I only know that the money was paid to me by the 'volunteers'! Please, don't eat me, just let me die! Please!"

"Volunteer?"

"It's Jimmy the bartender! His code name is Volunteer! I don't know his real name! I really don't know! Please don't eat me, please!"

Feeling Li Shanze's cold dagger waving at his body, George Simpson was almost scared to death.

"Hehe, do you have anything else to say? At this point, do you still want to keep it a secret for those guys who hired you to kill me? Tell me everything you know, and I promise to give you a quick death." Li Shanze said slowly.

"I was hired by the 'Volunteers' to come to Fern Town to kill producer Tim Cohen and Mr. Li."

Huh? Tim Cohen? Why kill him?

Li Shanze frowned, but he did not interrupt the mercenary George Simpson's narration.

"We were in touch via prepaid phone. I received a total of $300,000 in commissions. After killing Tim Cohen, I received a call from the volunteers and came to the Old Time Tavern. That's all I know..."

George Simpson spilled the beans quickly.

"Who was the middle-aged man poisoned to death by the 'volunteer'?" Li Shanze asked.

Simpson shook his head repeatedly: "I! I don't know! I don't know!"