America: The Cremator

Upon hearing Su Long's affirmative answer, a hint of joy flashed in Dania's sapphire-like eyes. She tapped her finger lightly on the table a few times and said with satisfaction:

"Very good, Mr. Suron, it seems we'll soon be rid of this annoying curse."

Surong adjusted his posture, leaning back in his velvet chair, and poured cold water on the celebration: "Don't rush to celebrate, Miss Dania, I have conditions."

Dania's smile faded slightly. She leaned forward a little, crossed her hands on the edge of the table, and said confidently, "The Yurievich family doesn't let people work for free. As long as the family can do it, Mr. Suron, please feel free to ask."

After a moment's thought, Su Long said, "The risks of being bait are extremely high, especially for a C-grade, bizarre bait. Therefore, I need $50,000 as a deposit, and I need it now."

"After the deal is done, I will pay the remaining 50,000."

"Of course, money is no problem. Bank transfer or cash, it's up to you."

Dania nodded nonchalantly, agreeing in a relaxed tone, as if the $100,000 were no different from a $10 coin.

Seeing this, Su Long continued, "I need a close-fitting chainmail vest made of silver-tungsten alloy for self-defense. It must be high-density and puncture-resistant."

Dania shrugged and said, "That's simpler. Aside from nuclear bombs and intercontinental ballistic missiles, there's nothing the Yurievich family can't get. If you want, I can even get you a retired M1 main battle tank."

"We'll get the vest to you as soon as possible."

Su Long picked up his glass of wine, took a sip, and made his final request: "I need to know your complete battle plan."

"Who will lead the attack, and who will provide support? And all known files about the 'Rain Girl'."

"I don't want to die without knowing why."

Dania pondered for a moment, then replied, "Besides you, there's only one other person involved in the operation; she's the lead attacker this time."

"As for the files and plans, tomorrow at 2 pm, Woodland Park Zoo."

"I'll arrange for her to wait for you there with the documents."

Su Long nodded and said, "Deal."

A smile returned to Dania's face. She stood up, picked up the bottle of White Whale Epic Vodka on the table, and slowly tilted the bottle to pour out the amber-colored liquid.

She raised one of the glasses and handed it to Su Long, saying in a cheerful tone, "It's a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Su Long."

Surong accepted the glass and replied with a smile, "It's a pleasure doing business with you, Miss Dania."

The two clinked glasses lightly, and then Dania tilted her head back and drank the vodka in her glass in one gulp.

Su Long also raised his glass, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.

The spicy liquid flowed down my throat, accompanied by a strong burning sensation.

Dania looked at the empty bottom of Suron's glass with a hint of admiration in her eyes, and then picked up the bottle again.

"Looking at your build, I didn't expect you to have such a commanding presence when you drink."

She picked up the bottle and poured another glass for Su Long: "Let's go again. I've never lost when it comes to drinking."

Su Long felt the alcohol in his stomach rapidly evaporating and trying to enter the bloodstream, so he made a slight mental movement.

The blood in his body began to quietly adjust its flow rate according to his instructions.

The body's vascular valves begin to contract, the flow rate of capillaries under the gastric mucosa is forcibly slowed down, the absorption efficiency of alcohol is suppressed to the minimum, a large amount of blood is mobilized to the liver, and the secretion rate of liver enzymes is increased exponentially.

He picked up his wine glass.

"please."

The two drank it all in one gulp.

The third cup.

The fourth cup.

The two bottles of Belga vodka were quickly emptied.

The empty bottle was carelessly tossed on the carpet, making a dull rolling sound.

Only scraps of Wagyu beef and venison remained on the table.

Dania's posture was no longer as upright as it had been at the beginning.

Her body leaned slightly to the left, her elbows resting on the table, and her palm supporting her chin.

Two distinct blushes appeared on her originally fair cheeks, spreading all the way to her ears.

Her eyes were somewhat unfocused, but she kept staring at Su Long.

"Open another bottle..."

She mumbled something indistinctly, interspersed with a few Russian words that Sulong couldn't understand.

She casually grabbed a plate of pickled cucumbers from the table and handed it to Su Long.

"eat."

"This is what you should drink with."

"The wine here... is like water."

Su Long reached out and picked up a pickled cucumber; the pungent smell of vinegar stung his nasal cavity.

He looked at Dania across from him. The woman's breathing became heavy, and she casually unbuttoned one of the buttons on her collar. Her aloofness and coldness had largely dissipated, replaced by a relaxed and unguarded demeanor.

Su Long felt his temples throbbing. Even with the help of his blood-controlling ability, the excessive alcohol intake still put pressure on his central nervous system. If he continued drinking, he couldn't guarantee that he would be able to stay sober.

Dania swayed as she reached for the third bottle of wine, but Surong stopped her with his hand.

That's enough.

Dania raised her eyelids, a hint of displeasure in her blue eyes: "What, you... admit defeat?"

Su Long replied calmly, "I'm going to the zoo tomorrow."

"Let's save the rest of the wine for the celebration after we win."

Dania stared at Surong's hand for a few seconds, then released her grip on the bottle and leaned back heavily in her chair. "Boring."

She grabbed a pickled cucumber, stuffed it into her mouth, and chewed it vigorously.

"Alright, drinking with you... has been quite enjoyable."

"Next time I'll take you to my usual shop."

"That's a real restaurant, only serving meat and wine, without these fancy plates, so it's not suitable for entertaining guests."

Su Long stood up and nodded in response, "I'll wait. I hope your plan works and allows me, the bait, to survive until then."

Dania waved her hand: "Don't worry, the Yurievich family doesn't sell counterfeit goods, nor do they cheat their teammates."

After saying that, she pressed a service bell on the table: "The driver will take you home."

Su Long nodded and turned to walk towards the door.

……

In the early hours of the morning, darkness enveloped Seattle.

A black Ford hearse drove along the winding streets of Capitol Hill.

The streetlights on both sides of the street cast a dim, yellowish light, making the shadows of the trees long, thin, and distorted.

This is an old, affluent area of ​​Seattle, but unlike those modern mansions, most of the buildings here retain the style of the early 20th century.

The vehicle stopped at the end of a steep slope.

As Surong got out of the car, a cold wind mixed with the dampness of Puget Sound hit him, clearing his head of a bit of a headache.

Su Long turned to look at the building in front of him.

It was a three-story detached villa in the Victorian style. The dark gray exterior bricks looked particularly oppressive in the night, like a huge tombstone standing among the trees.

The towering roof pierces the sky, and several rusty wind chimes hang from the eaves, making a dull clattering sound in the wind.

The plants in the yard were not trimmed, and the rampant vines climbed all over the wrought iron fence. The unlocked iron gate was easily pushed open, making a teeth-grinding creaking sound.

Sulong walked through the overgrown front yard, up the moss-covered stone steps, stood in front of the heavy oak door, and rang the doorbell.

no respond.

He pressed the button again, but there was still no response.

Remembering what Elena had said at the hospital, Su Long took out his phone from his pocket and dialed the number.

The receiver emitted a monotonous waiting tone.

A sound.

Two sounds.

Until the call is automatically disconnected.

Su Long put away his phone, raised his left hand again, and the exquisite clay sculpture emerged from under his skin.

Su Long extended his right index finger, gently tracing the smooth back of the clay sculpture before stopping at the waist hollow and pressing down slightly.

A few seconds later, a series of hurried footsteps came from inside the door in front of them.

The door was suddenly pulled open, and Elena appeared in the doorway.

She was wearing a silk nightgown with the belt loosely tied at the waist.

Her damp hair was draped over her shoulders, clearly indicating she had just taken a shower; Su Long could even smell the faint scent of shower gel emanating from her.

Elena's cheeks flushed red, her chest heaving, and her grey-green eyes blazing with fury as she stared intently at Su Long: "Come in."

Her voice trembled slightly, carrying a hint of gritted teeth.

Su Long slowly lowered his left hand, and the clay sculpture on the back of his hand sank back into his skin.

Seeing Elena's expression, he tried to feign innocence, but he couldn't suppress the smirk on his face. He could only step over the threshold with a sly grin: "Good evening, Captain. Your doorbell seems to be broken."

Elena didn't reply, slamming the door shut with a loud bang that finally woke up the long-neglected motion-activated light in the entryway.

In the living room, which is in front of the entrance hall, only the flames burning in the fireplace provide illumination.

Several oil paintings hung on the wall, depicting distorted human faces and absurd religious scenes.

This woman's decorating style is the complete opposite of Professor Stella's; one pursues simplicity and cleanliness, while the other wants to pile as many elements as possible into the room.

Elena turned around, leaning against the door, and stared at Su Long's left hand: "You did that on purpose just now."