American variety show world begins with subduing Jason

"Don't worry, it's a great opportunity. Normally, every disciple of Hualian who breaks through will receive a gift as a reward. This time it just so happens to be the perfect opportunity, so let's just use this chance as a reward."

The Chamber of Commerce is currently gathering information diligently. Once we have a clearer understanding of the situation there, we'll call you in to make proper plans.

"Alright, let's not talk about anything else. Let's change the subject. I'll go to the Special Investigation Bureau tomorrow to discuss compensation. What kind of magical artifact do you want? I'll go and get you a few useful ones."

……

……

Thick chunks of tuna are cut open, revealing their tempting pink texture.

The dense oxygen bubbles inside the water tank surrounded the fist-sized conch.

The market, filled with a damp atmosphere, was bustling with noise.

"What exactly is this incredible opportunity? It's all so mysterious..."

As Zhu Mingyao watched the menacing, reddish-brown crustacean being stuffed into a foam insulated box and placed in a bag, his mind was still on Lai Henry's words from a few days ago.

After paying the bills and carrying his shopping bags, he deftly shrugged past the two plump middle-aged women blocking his way and walked out of the seafood market.

This is the season when New World lobsters are available in large quantities, each one plump and delicious, and the price is quite affordable.

Two days ago, Zhu Mingyao made himself a lobster pasta meal. After finishing it, he felt that he still wanted more, so he went to the market early today and picked out two freshly caught lobsters. He planned to add some porcini mushrooms and morel mushrooms and make a Baoshan Flying Dragon Hot Pot, imitating the style of Little Chef.

Last night, the sea breeze brought a sudden downpour, temporarily reducing the summer heat by a third. However, as the sun rose slowly from the east, the lingering coolness of the night vanished like bubbles.

Upon seeing the orange-red silhouette of the bus appear at the street corner, Zhu Mingyao quickly rushed onto the platform.

It's rush hour, so there will definitely be a lot of people. Let's grab a seat first!

After boarding the bus, the boy habitually walked to the back. Suddenly, he frowned almost imperceptibly, his eyes sweeping across the back row and locking onto a hunched man wearing a hoodie and wrapped up tightly.

Smelling the nauseating stench of sweat mixed with burnt tobacco, Zhu Mingyao's mind raced. He stopped and found a seat in front of him.

"He's probably just another guy high on marijuana. Stay away from him."

After a few stops, the train indeed became more crowded, and soon the carriage was full, with those who arrived later having to stand while holding onto the handrails.

Feeling relieved that he had arrived in time, the young man, bored, watched the crowd practice their usual routines.

Although the antique shop is now practically closed and he no longer makes a living from it, it's still a hobby to pass the time.

The old lady was wearing a gold-plated copper bracelet, and her coat was so tattered, but she still couldn't bear to change it. It seemed that she was not living a very happy life.

…While turquoise isn't exactly a rare or expensive gemstone, this cabochon is quite large, in good condition, and its style matches the owner's refined taste. This gentleman is certainly a man of taste and elegance…

This gold cross pendant looks a bit old; it's longer at the top and bottom than on the sides, a typical Latin cross. If it wasn't deliberately aged, it's at least a hundred years old. The chain is a new addition; it's too new.

But this mother next to her is really careless. Even if there are adults sitting together, she shouldn't let a girl around ten years old carry such expensive things. The public security in Los Angeles isn't that good...

Chapter 168 Goodbye, Invitation

After silently commenting on his actions, Zhu Mingyao, sitting by the window, withdrew his gaze and pondered whether he should take on a few house-protecting and exorcising missions, return to his old profession, and incidentally accumulate some reward points—even a small amount is still something.

Henry Lai instructed that he should not leave Los Angeles in the near future, not that he should be imprisoned at home; he could still move freely in the city.

The next stop has arrived. A passenger pressed the alighting button on the pillar, and the bus slowly glided towards the platform.

The hooded man swayed and squeezed to the front, seemingly waiting to get off. As he approached, the faint stench became more pronounced. Zhu Mingyao's nostrils flared slightly as he tried to discern the odor:

"Hmph, white flour with hemp leaves, quite the fancy trick, they're just trying to kill themselves too slowly."

Before the car had even come to a complete stop, the hooded man, seemingly impatient, squeezed past the mother and daughter in front of him and walked toward the car door with his head down.

"Ah!" A sudden scream drew the attention of everyone on the bus.

The hooded man reached out and grabbed the gold cross pendant around the little girl's neck with such force that he almost pulled her down on the spot. The scream came from the girl.

"Oh my god, a robbery!"

Screams erupted one after another, and the bus was thrown into chaos. Several passengers hesitated before standing up, seemingly intending to help.

"do not come!"

The hooded man shouted fiercely, revealing a mouthful of rotten, yellow teeth. He pulled harder on the pendant necklace, but he seemed to have underestimated its strength. The necklace snapped straight, drawing blood from the back of the girl's neck, yet it stubbornly refused to break.

The hooded man gritted his teeth, ultimately unwilling to let go. With his free hand, he drew a small knife with a whoosh, its cold light flashing, and slashed at the pendant chain!

Judging by the range of his swing, the girl's face is probably going to split open along with the pendant chain!

The mother beside her frantically reached out to block, trying to protect her child, but it was too late; the knife was about to fall on the girl's face.

At this critical moment, the hooded man suddenly shuddered as if he had been electrocuted, collapsed to the ground, his eyes rolled back, and white foam oozed from his mouth. He appeared to have fainted.

Several passengers mustered their courage and held down the unconscious bandit, while the rest quietly comforted the still-shaken mother and daughter. In the chaos, no one noticed the hand seal that Zhu Mingyao was quietly dispelling.

Then, amidst the sound of someone dialing 911, the boy picked up his shopping bag and walked straight off the bus.

Unexpectedly, taking the bus occasionally while my beat-up pickup truck was being repaired led to some unexpected gains.

Zhu Mingyao glanced at the 3 reward points he had received and was in a very good mood.

That's called gaining three experience points. Goodbye!

He turned and walked into the supermarket across the street, heading straight for the fresh produce section to select wild mushrooms.

……

……

"They handled it pretty quickly. It seems that the Los Angeles police have improved their efficiency since the Christmas attack. Sure enough, pressure from above motivates the bureaucrats below."

A dozen minutes later, Zhu Mingyao pushed open the supermarket door and glanced at the crowd gradually dispersing by the bus stop. Two policemen were escorting the hooded man into a police car.

The mother squatted on the ground, lovingly comforting her daughter who was still trembling.

Just then, a figure suddenly turned around the street corner and almost bumped into Zhu Mingyao.

"Sorry! Sorry!"

He apologized, but his steps didn't falter. He rushed over and embraced the mother and daughter on the ground.

"Mom, Mary, are you alright? You scared me to death! I shouldn't have let you bring these things..."

A young woman in her early twenties spoke with a sob in her voice. She had her hair up, was wearing a suit, and high heels, but the name tag on her chest suggested she was a saleswoman at some clothing store.

"It's alright, Fanny..." The middle-aged woman explained the incident with lingering fear.

After exchanging a few words, the mother and her two daughters stood up with relief, and were about to turn and leave, when they happened to run into Zhu Mingyao.

"I'm sorry, sir, I was too hasty just now and didn't touch you..."

Perhaps it was an instinctive reaction brought on by her work, but the young woman quickly put on a professional smile and apologized repeatedly.

"Ok?"

Their eyes met, and both were taken aback.

A hint of surprise appeared on the woman's face. She tried hard to make out her features and tentatively asked:

"Are you... the gentleman from that night?"

At this moment, Zhu Mingyao also recalled the relevant memories.

Isn't this the woman I rescued from the evil ritual a few months ago after killing Dan Tuo, the disciple of Venerable Red Sun? What a coincidence.

Seeing him nod slightly, the woman excitedly opened her mouth to speak, but perhaps thinking of the magical scene from that day, she looked around warily, covered her mouth, and pulled her mother and sister aside to introduce the scene in a low voice.

Upon learning that the Asian youth before them was the great benefactor who had saved their daughter/sister, both of them showed deep gratitude. Holding the cross to their chests, they recited "Bless the Virgin Mary" seventeen or eighteen times. Judging from their posture, if they weren't on the street, they would have almost knelt down on the spot, making Zhu Mingyao feel a little embarrassed.

He then deliberately avoided the matter and started chatting with the other party.

"...Actually, my family had wanted to visit you to express our gratitude for a long time, but you didn't leave your name at the time. Later, the gentlemen from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce told us that you had been threatened by that evil wizard's accomplices and had been involved in a lawsuit. So, my parents took Perrin to the Cathedral of St. Angels for help..."

The young woman, Fanny, bit her lip apologetically.

"...We only learned you were alright when Bishop Johnson returned from the government office, but then he got busy with church affairs, and the gentlemen of the Chamber of Commerce seemed unwilling to reveal too much, so we couldn't find your house for a while..."

Zhu Mingyao understood immediately. The directors of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the bishop of the Catholic Church were both high-ranking and powerful figures. It was already considered approachable for them to give an explanation to a few ordinary people. They would not have the mind to care about such a trivial matter.

He laughed heartily, waved to indicate that he didn't care, and prepared to say goodbye and leave.

“Please wait a moment, Mr. Milhaud. It must be God’s will that we meet you today, reminding us to repay your kindness!”

Suddenly, her mother, Emily, spoke, her hands clenched tightly, her voice firm.

"Sicilians are very clear about their gratitude and repay kindness. Although my family doesn't have much money, we certainly don't..."

"Madam, please don't say that!"

Zhu Mingyao quickly interrupted her, refusing to accept the payment no matter what she said.

Just as the two were refusing each other's offer, the little girl Mary's gaze shifted and landed on the seafood box he was carrying.

Her eyes lit up, and she whispered a few words to her sister.

Fanny nodded knowingly and smiled sweetly.

"In that case, how about we repay you in another way?"

Please allow me to invite you to our family's seaside party!

Chapter 169 Sea Fishing

Fanny said earnestly:

"My father is a retired sailor. He recently bought a sailboat and plans to start a family tourism business. Tomorrow is his first voyage, and he'll be going fishing at sea. On behalf of my whole family, I would like to invite you to be our first guest and have a wonderful day!"

She playfully pointed to the lobster box Zhu Mingyao was carrying, "You can catch the freshest Jinzhou Duangou lobsters and Dungeness crabs with your own hands, along with plump halibut and sea bass. My dad's Italian seafood soup is comparable to that of a professional chef."

Hearing her tempting words, Zhu Mingyao couldn't help but feel his appetite whetted. After thinking for a moment, he finally accepted her invitation.

"But I have some personal matters to attend to and cannot stray too far from Los Angeles. May I ask which sea area you are fishing in..."

"It's located near the bay area. My family's boat is a medium-sized sailboat, so it can't go too far out to sea."

……

……

The next morning, at a small dock in Long Beach, Los Angeles, fishing boats and speedboats of all sizes lined up on both sides.

Flocks of seagulls circled and landed, searching for food scraps in the gaps of the pier. A cool breeze carrying the salty smell blew from the pale blue sea, easing the summer heat.