The North American Gourmet Demon Handbook

Charlie frowned in distress, pondering as she slowly said, "There's no doubt that Merck and Johnson & Johnson are the names of multinational pharmaceutical groups. The teacher does have connections with these companies..."

"But what does new technology mean? I don't recall ever hearing the teacher use that term. She always refers to new spells and new skills..."

Kate suddenly interrupted, "Lee, what did Mr. Loganfield say at the beginning? Was it English?"

"Unfortunately, I can only understand English among Western languages." Li Shanze shrugged.

"No, what I mean is that Mr. Loganfield and I have both received rigorous Latin training. So, new technology may mean novartis in Latin. Nov means new, and artis refers to technology, skill, or technique."

Kate explained while steering, "Coincidentally, Novartis is also the name of a multinational pharmaceutical company. Coincidentally, their US headquarters is also in New Jersey. Coincidentally, it's the same Novartis company that William Butner works for."

After saying that, she looked meaningfully at the expressions of Xia Li, Li Shanze and Jennifer in turn through the rearview mirror.

Li Shanze suddenly realized.

Now the riddle is completely explained. It turns out that Teacher Xia Li’s last words were the names of three pharmaceutical companies.

"Yes, sir, we also have cooperation with Novartis Pharmaceuticals, um, and Bristol-Myers Squibb... I think this sentence should be Novartis, Merck and Johnson & Johnson."

"Why did the teacher angrily leave the names of three companies instead of the specific people in charge? Did they team up to betray the teacher?"

Charlie was puzzled.

"If you can't come up with any new clues, the current information only allows us to figure this out," Kate said at the right moment. "But there's William Butner, who works for Novartis Pharmaceuticals. He's actually a wizard from the Root Man Esoteric Cult. What's your impression of him, Charlie?"

Kate emphasized the word "Butner" as if to remind Charlie of something.

Haha, Kate is starting to have some little thoughts too. Li Shanze glared at Kate coldly through the rearview mirror.

"He has the same last name as me, but I don't know him. What's wrong?" Charlie shook her head, looked at Kate, and asked curiously.

"Oh, nothing." Kate shook her head and said perfunctorily, "It's just an occupational disease of FBI agents."

"That Mr. William has the same last name as you, and he works for the pharmaceutical company mentioned in your teacher's will. I just thought that if you happened to know him, perhaps our investigation would go much more smoothly."

Charlie spread her hands, looking very sorry that she couldn't help. "I'm sorry, Kate, there aren't so many coincidences in the world. I don't know Mr. Butner at all. I don't have any brothers or sisters. I'm an only child."

I knew there weren't so many ridiculous things in the world. Li Shanze breathed a sigh of relief, completely relieved.

"That's good, then I feel relieved. Because Mr. William Butner unfortunately passed away." Kate said it was unfortunate, but her face looked very happy, as if she was happy that the person who passed away was not Charlie's relative.

"I'm sorry," Charlie sighed.

"Yes, it's a pity." Kate also put away her smile and sighed, "Especially since he is actually the fiancé of this Ms. Bolton."

"Ah." Charlie looked as if she suddenly understood why this plainly dressed woman was sitting in the car.

Kate must have brought her here to identify the body. No wonder she was dressed so plainly, completely out of place with her beauty. She must have just randomly picked something to throw on before leaving.

The death of her fiancé must have been a huge blow to her, right?

"My condolences, Miss Bolton." Charlie took the initiative to say to Jennifer out of sympathy.

What? My condolences! What's there to be condoled about? That bastard William Butner killed my employees. He should be dead!

Jennifer shook her head in confusion.

Then, Jennifer realized that the person talking to her was her "mistress" and shook her head, which seemed not very good, so she smiled again and nodded ingratiatingly to the mistress.

Charlie was stunned by Jennifer's completely unconventional reaction.

What does it mean when someone shakes their head first and then nods? What does it mean when someone is silent for a moment and then suddenly laughs?

Ah, what a poor woman! The sudden death of her fiancé must have left her at a loss and bewildered, right?

She was so sad that she couldn't even speak, but she still managed to force a smile at me from her dull face. What a kind person! I really shouldn't have provoked her!

Charlie's sympathy for Miss Bolton continued to grow, and she even began to reflect on herself.

At this moment, Kate suddenly spoke up: "We have already entered the barrier. Where should we go next? Miss Bolton?"

"Go left and follow the frozen river, sticking to the forest," Jennifer replied.

So this woman can talk? And her emotions are quite normal? Then why didn't she speak just now?

Wait, a barrier? This woman is also a witch?

Charlie frowned. At this moment, she suddenly remembered what Kate had said just now, that William Butner was a wizard of the Root Man Mysticism.

It seems normal for a wizard to have a wizard fiancée...

But the reaction of the wizard's fiancée was a bit too abnormal. Why didn't she show any grief or sadness about her fiancé's death?

Charlie asked tentatively, "Miss Bolton, aren't you sad about the death of your fiancé?"

I can't help but answer the hostess's question, right?

Jennifer looked at Li Shanze with a pleading look, but Li Shanze closed his eyes and seemed to have fallen into a doze.

What to do, what to do?

Jennifer hesitated for a moment, then decided to follow her master's will and turned a deaf ear to Charlie's questions.

What's wrong with this woman? She was smiling enthusiastically when she first got in the car, but now she looks so blank, and now she's arrogantly ignoring my questions?

Charlie frowned. She felt that this Miss Bolton seemed a little abnormal.

Just as Charlie was about to continue asking, Kate suddenly said, "Be careful, I smell heresy. There are other wizards lurking in the woods. Maybe they're looking for that RV just like us."

As she spoke, Kate turned off the engine and lights and raised her lance.

The dark woods seemed particularly deep and gloomy.

"No, that's just a magic circle set up by William Butner to cover the RV." Jennifer said at the right time, "He taught me how to dispel the magic circle and asked me to dispel it."

"Just in case, let's arrange for someone to go with you. Lee, you protect Miss Bolton. Charlie and I will stay in the car and observe."

Kate gave Li Shanze orders naturally, as if she were really his female boss.

"Yes, madam." Li Shanze saluted pretentiously. "Come back after we confirm it's safe."

After saying that, Li Shanze opened the car door and jumped out.

The Chevrolet Suburban, with only Charlie and Kate in it, became even quieter.

239 Fierce Quarrel

The night without lights is pitch black.

Neither Kate, who was holding the steering wheel, nor Charlie, who was absent-mindedly staring at the darkness outside the window, seemed to have any desire to speak.

The Chevrolet Suburban with two women in it was as quiet as death.

Kate waited until Li Shanze walked away before she tried to find some topics to talk about.

"Xia Li, the herbal aroma on you—"

Charlie, who had been quiet, suddenly interrupted Kate: "You just had sex, right?"

Kate was caught off guard by Charlie's sudden attack: "What—"

"Don't forget, I'm a witch with enhanced five senses. I'm very familiar with the scent of Li. Now, the same scent he has is on you. Hmm?" Charlie sneered. "Do you have anything else to say, Agent Mackenzie?"

The fact that Li Shanze bought a car for Gray - even though it was justified since he damaged someone else's car - made Xia Li feel unhappy.

After Li Shanze got out of the car, Xia Li was convinced by the remaining smell on Kate's body that Li Shanze had even rolled into bed with Kate, which made Xia Li a little angry.

More importantly, it was the look Kate gave Li Shanze.

Kate's eyes were no longer filled with the faint wariness and fear she had before, but instead took a 180-degree turn.

I don’t know what happened, but just one afternoon later, Kate’s eyes when she looked at Li Shanze were full of love and attachment, as if carrying an electric current.

This look made Charlie feel particularly uncomfortable.

Because she had also seen the look in her eyes when she looked at Li Shanze in the mirror.

Charlie clearly realized that the way Kate looked at Li Shanze was almost the same as the way she looked at Li Shanze. This made Charlie's heart alarm bells ring.

When Kate mentioned the smell of her body, Charlie subconsciously concluded that Kate was demonstrating to her, so she finally exploded.

Charlie's blunt questioning made Kate particularly unhappy. Why do you regard yourself as Li Shanze's official girlfriend?

And who is to blame for all this in the first place? Why are you blaming me? If you hadn't used the Eye of Blasphemy to activate the slave contract, how could all this nonsense have happened?

"Haha, you have a pretty good nose. If you join the FBI, we can eliminate police dogs." Kate retorted bluntly.

"I suggest you pay more attention to Li Shanze's clothes and appearance. I will never allow him to go out dressed so messy and disheveled." Xia Li said, looking at her nails seemingly nonchalantly.

Obviously, Xia Li was dissatisfied with Li Shanze's miserable appearance after he jumped into the river twice.

"I'm afraid some people can only focus their energy on caring about men's clothes and appearance. You are really worthy of being a lady who was educated by elegant ladies in the 18th century!"

Kate became more and more sarcastic.

"She even learned how to find a bed partner for a man. But if she becomes jealous after finding a bed partner for a man, that would be a laughing stock."

Oh, I got Li Shanze into bed thanks to you, and now you’re looking for trouble with me again?

"Hehe, it's a good thing to realize that you are just a bed partner. People are afraid of not being able to see themselves clearly." Charlie became more and more slow and measured.

Even though Xia Li could tolerate Kate having sex with Li Shanze, she couldn't tolerate Kate trying to get promoted.

Li Shanze doesn't like his devilish "wife" Alessia, so that's not a big deal. But why did Kate, who originally disliked Li Shanze, change so much?

Charlie couldn't understand this for a moment, but this didn't prevent Charlie from instinctively defending her position, suppressing the mistress, and reminding Kate to realize that she was just a tool for Li Shanze to deal with his sexual desires.

As a Grand Knight of the Church and a senior agent of the FBI, Kate felt an inexplicable impatience in her heart.

My life should not be wasted on competing with such a little woman.

Kate's romantic feelings were shattered by Charlie, and she began to think about quitting.

At worst, we can just be sex buddies in the future. At least Li’s skills in bed are really enjoyable, aren’t they?

Kate was a little upset when she made the decision.

"Listen, young lady from the eighteenth century." Kate drummed her fingers on the steering wheel irritably. "Let me tell you clearly, if it weren't for that damn slave contract of yours, I would never sleep with an ogre in my life!"

She was unhappy that Kate was competing with her for Li Shanze, but when Kate started to belittle Li Shanze, it made Xia Li even more unhappy - women are probably such contradictory creatures.

"Ogre?" Charlie sneered. "The look in your eyes when you saw him get off the car just now, the way your heartbeat quickened when he smiled back at you, are you so bewildered by an ogre, Your Excellency the Holy Knight?"

Damn it, you're upset again because I quit? Fine, then let's grab the man! Let's see who can grab the man first!

Kate was completely furious, and the string of reason in her heart broke.

The knight turned on the lights inside the car, unbuttoned his collar, and revealed the kiss mark left by Li Shanze on his collarbone. "Put away your tricks! I won't pretend to be magnanimous and arrange a lover for my man, then turn around and act jealous like a high school girl!"

Women are obviously unreasonable when arguing. They believe that admitting mistakes is a sign of weakness, not an objective analysis of the problem, so they will never admit their mistakes like men do.

Putting the facts aside, even if it was wrong for me to use the Eye of Blasphemy, does that mean you are not responsible for seducing my man?

Charlie laughed in anger: "Miss FBI agent in heat, I just want to remind you that you will always be Li's slave girl."

Another characteristic of women's quarrels is that they argue separately and talk to themselves.

Kate, too enraged, didn't bother to listen to what Charlie was saying. "Did you see that Miss Jennifer Burton? She's the slave girl and bitch I arranged for my man. Don't worry, I won't be as ridiculously jealous of her as you are."

"What did you say?!" Charlie's voice was distorted with anger, and it was particularly sharp. "You're still looking for a woman for him? Mackenzie? Are you crazy?"

"Didn't I learn all this from you, our Mr. Li's great lover? Ms. Butner?" Kate was in a good mood when she saw Charlie's frustrated look.

During the quarrel, the two women's temporary friendship was completely broken.

"Who are you calling a lover?" Charlie obviously didn't like the word. With her traditional upbringing, she only wanted to be the legal wife.

"Oh, Li's wedding ring is still firmly on his ring finger. If you are not his lover, then what are you? Why are you still dreaming of getting promoted?" Kate's words became more and more sharp.

Lies don't hurt, truth is the knife.

No matter how much truth there was in it, Kate was still telling the truth, which made Charlie even angrier.

"I don't bother to explain to you!"

"I'm afraid you can't explain yourself clearly, Miss Lover?"

"you!"

"How about it?"

"Just wait, I won't allow you to meet Li again!" Charlie swore angrily with gritted teeth.

"You can control me, but can you control who Li wants to fuck?" Kate, who has had sex before, naturally spoke more ferociously than Charlie, who was still a virgin.

As soon as Kate started to make dirty jokes, Charlie was completely overwhelmed.