The North American Gourmet Demon Handbook

She wanted to bury her head under the table.

Holy Mary! This way of eating is so shameful! Fortunately, Mrs. Li chose an affordable restaurant!

Claudia forced a smile and tried to explain to "Mrs. Li" who was watching the TV news: "I'm sorry, Mrs. Li, my brothers and the others are fine-"

"It's okay, it's okay. They've been hungry all night. We understand." Li Shanze interrupted Claudia's explanation.

He was following the news, wanting to see how the authorities would characterize this "missing case" and when it would escalate to a kidnapping case.

At this time, the panoramic camera in the studio switched to a photo showing the charred wreckage of two jeeps lying in all directions.

"The images here are extremely unstable and interfered with by witchcraft. We used quite special methods to barely save a photo."

"Last night, the convoy of Alex Drummond, heir to the Drummond Group, was attacked in the forest near the set of the reality show 'The Amish.'"

"Twelve bodies were found at the scene. It is understood that they were all security personnel of Alex Drummond."

Al slurped his spaghetti, making loud gulping sounds. In between swallows, he commented with relish, "Oh my God, twelve corpses! This is much more exciting than The Godfather!"

Unlike Al who was sweating profusely while eating, the news anchor on TV had a serious expression.

"After a comprehensive forensic examination, Alex Drummond was not among the bodies at the scene. The heir to the Drummond Group is currently missing. The FBI stated that they are actively searching for clues and cannot rule out the possibility of kidnapping at this time."

"The FBI claims that after the Boston church attack last night, the crew of 'The Amish,' which had already stopped production, all went to bed early and no one heard the sounds of fighting in the forest."

"The reality show cast members have been cleared of suspicion."

"Our reporter Annabell Graham luckily survived and called the police on the way to the hospital. She is currently receiving treatment in the intensive care unit."

At this time, the camera turned to Annabel Graham, who was lying on the hospital bed, wearing a hospital gown, and looked very weak.

"I, I had a date with Alex last night, and we agreed to go camping in the suburbs." When she said this, Annabel Graham's eyes turned red.

"I thought this would be a romantic night, but unexpectedly, it turned into a nightmare. Oh, Alex, my beloved Alex..."

Annabell burst into tears in front of the CBS camera.

Annabelle in the camera is completely different from the woman who hugged Alex's legs fiercely and tried to stop him from escaping last night.

"I just heard a loud bang, and then I passed out! When I woke up, I found myself still in the car, but Alex was gone. I struggled to climb out of the car, but found, I found--"

At this point, the poor and haggard woman on TV actually fainted. It was obvious that she was too frightened and the memories triggered PTSD.

After broadcasting the images that could arouse people's sympathy to the greatest extent, the camera returned to the studio scene again.

"Currently, the FBI's Special Affairs Division has cordoned off a twenty-mile radius to investigate any possible clues. Citizens, please remain vigilant and refrain from entering this dangerous area rife with witchcraft."

The female anchor in a light blue suit warned seriously.

Al was wiping the bottom of the plate with bread, even the sauce in the glare of the TV screen was gone.

He tossed the sauce-covered bread into his mouth and said wistfully, "Tell me, how many baked lobsters can you buy with five million?"

Then Claudia stepped hard on the instep of his foot, and his face twisted violently in pain.

Li Shanze laughed and snapped his fingers: "Waiter, two more baked lobsters."

Li Shanze didn't dislike a fool like Al. Just because he was terrified of the "female ghost" and still ran back to save his sister, Li Shanze concluded that Al was essentially a good person.

So this eating style that actually looks miserable and like a starving ghost has become generous.

Enzo's eating manners are much better than Al's, and he looks methodical, but his eating speed is not much slower than his brother - it is not difficult to imagine the Vitali brothers fighting for food at the dinner table back then.

However, as more and more information appeared on TV, Enzo's expression became more and more serious, and his eating speed became slower and slower.

As Al used his fork to tackle the tiramisu that was served, he asked, "By the way, what was the name of that unlucky guy on TV? Enzo, should we still collect clues about his kidnapping?"

Enzo sighed: "Al, you should just eat your meal and don't worry about the case for now. I'll collect the information."

Li Shanze was still watching the special report on CBS TV with great interest.

At present, everything is progressing smoothly according to Cyrus Morton's plan.

…………

After having a good meal and a drink, Li Shanze drove the Vitali brothers to Claudia's apartment and watched them find their Ford Kuga.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Al rubbed his stomach contentedly and burped a lobster-smelling burp. "This 'Godfather' is quite kind, not scary at all. Can we ask him to help us investigate the murder of that unfortunate guy?"

"Think about it, such a big boss must know a lot of inside information, right?" Al said with a beaming face.

In a sense, Al's guess was correct.

Enzo, however, poured a bucket of cold water on his brother: "Okay, fasten your seat belts, we're going back to New Jersey."

"What about the kidnapping case of that unlucky guy? Do you have any clues?" Al asked in surprise and joy.

"No, there are no clues. We won't investigate anymore." Enzo said firmly.

"Why? That's five million, five million! We came to Philadelphia this time and got nothing. Not only did we lose money on gas, but we also had to pay a twenty-dollar tip for the RV manager!" Al protested dissatisfiedly.

"Did you really look at the photo CBS took? Explosions and bullet shells all over the ground, two jeeps destroyed, and twelve bodyguards dead—not to mention the scene took place in the wizarding area."

Enzo turned the car key and started the engine.

"Are we qualified to be involved in a kidnapping case of this magnitude? Let's go back to New Jersey and continue helping people track and investigate infidelity."

Enzo asked his brother back.

However, Al forcibly turned the car key and turned off the fire of the shabby Ford Escape.

"Even if we really go back to New Jersey in disgrace, we've already messed up two of Romano's commissions. Do you still want to rely on his connections to get other cases in Pharma Valley in the future?" Al asked.

"We can go back to Brooklyn," Enzo said seriously. "In New York, people are cheating on their partners every day, every hour, and every block. It's a paradise for private detectives like us."

"Al, don't you think we've got a bit too much gossip about those pharmaceutical executives?"

Enzo started the car and the Ford Edge slowly moved forward.

"New Jersey is just across the Walt Whitman Bridge. Don't overthink it, Al," Enzo advised patiently. "It's not our place to earn the money, so we'd better stay away from it."

Al also became serious: "Then let's do a serious calculation."

"What we'll face when we return to New York: gang activity, drug dealing, open-air sex, car thefts, street fights, frequent shootings."

"Are the wizard's magic circles, the ambush of mercenaries, the precise kidnapping, and the possible silencing of pharmaceutical executives really that dangerous compared to New York?"

"That's five million, five million!" Al opened his palm, stretched out five fingers and waved them.

Al's persuasion worked.

Enzo turned on his left turn signal.

Then, the unassuming Ford Escape merged into the stream of traffic heading from New Jersey to Philadelphia across the Walt Whitman Bridge.

Meanwhile, in the hospital, an old man in a suit and tie slowly approached Annabel Graham's ward.

He had an extraordinary demeanor and a kind smile on his face. He held a cane in one hand and a bouquet of light yellow carnations in the other. It was obvious that he was here to visit a patient.

The doctors and nurses who came and went were all impressed by the old gentleman's expensive suit and gold-rimmed glasses, and they all gave him friendly smiles.

The old gentleman seemed to be moving at a leisurely pace.

However, when no one was paying attention, he quietly pushed open the door of Annabel Graham's ward, then dodged and slipped in with agility that was completely disproportionate to his age.

The door of the ward slowly closed.

264 Visiting the Sick

The detector in the ward made a long, thin ticking sound in the corner.

Annabell was half leaning against the headboard, her fingers tugging at the sheets in boredom. Not allowed to use her mobile phone because she was "frightened", Annabell felt that she was bored to death.

An old man in a suit and tie pushed the door open and walked in. His leather shoes and cane made crisp sounds on the floor tiles.

Seeing someone break in, Annabelle's wooden face lit up.

But she looked at the old gentleman and was sure she didn't know him.

So Annabell took the initiative to speak: "Sir, perhaps you have found the wrong ward?"

The old gentleman took off his hat and pressed it against his chest. "Ms. Graham, I'm Theodore Lancaster, Senior Vice President of Strategic Investments at Merck. The Drummond family sent me their regards."

Annabelle's eyes showed obvious wariness.

Annabell said coldly, "The FBI promised that I won't be disturbed by anyone during my recuperation. Anyone who wants to inquire about the details of the kidnapping should be an FBI agent, not a pharmaceutical company executive. Please leave, Mr. Lancaster. I need to rest."

"No, you don't need it, Miss Graham." Theodore Lancaster slowly unpacked the carnations he brought, put them in a vase, and then placed them on Annabel's bedside table.

"Everything that has appeared to me since I entered the room indicates that you are in good spirits—a judgment that may be somewhat arbitrary and arrogant—but I maintain that you have hardly been frightened at all."

"You may as well give up ringing the alarm, Miss Graham. I'm afraid it won't work until I leave your room."

Theodore Lancaster had a kind smile on his face, but his words were full of threats.

He also casually exposed the fact that Annabelle Graham was pressing the nurse's bell to pieces under the covers.

Wizard, this man is a wizard.

Although Annabelle didn't understand why she was so sure, she firmly believed that the man in front of her was a wizard.

Annabelle felt as if her heart was being strangled, making her want to scream in pain.

And Theodore Lancaster, after making a brief threat, slowly walked to the curtains with his crutches and pulled the blinds up with his hands.

The sunlight, carrying dust with it, pierced into the ward, and thousands of dust particles scattered in disorder and vain in the beam of light.

"Anyway, getting more sun exposure is good for your health. It replenishes vitamin D and also has a calming effect."

Lancaster still looked gentle and polite as he gave these instructions earnestly.

If you ignore Annabelle's pale cheeks due to shock, anyone would see the picture of a loving grandfather taking care of his doted granddaughter.

Of course, Annabell was originally hospitalized because she was "overly frightened by the kidnapping incident," so her frightened appearance would not arouse anyone's suspicion.

After finishing all this, Theodore Lancaster clapped his hands slowly, then dragged a chair over and sat down.

"Okay, Miss Graham, let's talk frankly." The old gentleman's smile was particularly warm in the sunshine. "What exactly happened to Alex last night?"

"I passed out and didn't know anything. When I woke up, there was no one else alive in the jeep." Annabell bit her lip and insisted.

"I've already told Agent MacKenzie of the FBI's Special Affairs Division everything I know. The powerful Drummond family should ask Agent MacKenzie for information."

Annabelle uses irony to embolden herself.

"Lies." Theodore Lancaster's smile became even more charming.

If this were not in the hospital ward but at a dance, Annabel Graham would never refuse to dance with him just based on this charming smile.

However, when the old gentleman gently stroked his exquisite wooden cane with his index finger, the words he uttered had nothing to do with the word charming.

Lancaster's fingertips gently ran over the indentations on the handle of his cane, which he was carefully playing with.

"Look, Miss Graham. This ebony inlaid with silver wire, Victorian craftsmanship, so classical and elegant. It would be a pity to break such a beautiful neck."

When he said the last sentence, Theodore Lancaster raised his gray-blue eyes and stared at Annabelle's slender neck.

Cold sweat began to form on Annabelle's forehead.

"Ah, poor Miss Graham, you're sweating." Theodore Lancaster still kept smiling.

He stood up from the chair and walked slowly towards the blinds. His leather shoes and his cane seemed to strike Annabelle's heart with every step.

"I didn't think it through. Maybe I should have drawn the curtains."

With a swish, the blinds were lowered again, and the sunlight was blocked out of the room again.

Also blocked out is any possible view of this room from other directions in the hospital.

"How are you? Are you feeling better? Miss Graham, do you remember anything?" Theodore Lancaster's voice remained calm, but the last syllable suddenly became louder. "Hmm?"

"I don't know, I don't know anything more, please go out! I want to rest, I want to rest!" Annabelle cried loudly, and it was obvious that she had collapsed under the pressure.

For the first time, a look of doubt appeared on Theodore Lancaster's calm face.

But this expression only flashed by.

"Well, I don't know what benefits those kidnappers offered you. I only know that their strength is in no way comparable to Merck Pharmaceuticals. Perhaps a small token of friendship could change your mind?"

Seeing that coercion didn't work, Theodore Lancaster turned to bribery.

"We all know that it is impossible for Mr. Alex Drummond to choose a CBS reporter with no background as his wife."

"And you simply want to use this kidnapping case that has shocked the entire United States to gain capital for your own memoirs."

"If you can think of anything, anything, anything that might lead us to Alex Drummond—"