The North American Gourmet Demon Handbook

"Master...did I do something wrong? How did I upset you? I will try harder next time. Please don't..."

He begged incoherently, his body trembling slightly, as if he would kneel down at any second.

Li Shanze finally raised his eyes and looked at him. His eyes were as cold as ice, without a trace of warmth.

There was a casual sarcasm on the corner of Li Shanze's mouth, his voice was low and slow, and every word was like a thorn, piercing Zhou Liu's heart.

"You don't deserve this name." Li Shanze snorted contemptuously, as if the name itself was a slur. "From today on, you are only worthy of being called Theodore Lancaster."

"What?" Saturday asked blankly.

In his trance, he didn't even hear the name Li Shanze gave him.

"Theodore Lancaster." Li Shanze repeated, pronouncing the name word by word, his tone full of disgust.

It's as if the name itself carries a stench of decay.

Li Shanze didn't even look at the frightened Theodore Lancaster, but just threw the name over casually like a rag.

Hearing this unfamiliar name, Saturday's body shook violently.

The disgusted tone of his master made him feel physically uncomfortable.

Therefore, he felt that the name carried an inexplicable heaviness and darkness, which made him instinctively feel repulsed and disgusted.

He felt that he must have done something wrong, so his master deprived him of the glorious "Saturday" and gave him the lowly "Theodore Lancaster" again.

"Theodore...Lancaster?" He repeated in a low voice, his voice full of resistance, but when he saw Li Shanze's impatient look, he immediately suppressed all resistance.

"Yes... yes, master. My... my name is Theodore Lancaster." He uttered the name with difficulty, as if he had eaten something unclean, feeling nauseous and his stomach churning.

Li Shanze withdrew his gaze and ignored him, as if he was just an insignificant piece of air.

Theodore Lancaster stood there, looking at Li Shanze's back in fear. He didn't know what he had done to anger this moody master, but the cold feeling of being despised made him feel unprecedented despair.

He hated the name Theodore Lancaster; it made him feel strange, heavy, and even carried a hint of indescribable guilt.

He just wanted to become the Saturday given to him by his master again, the simple, pure servant who lived only for his master.

Li Shanze waved his hand casually, and Theodore Lancaster retreated cautiously, returned to the corner, and continued to wipe mechanically.

But Li Shanze's cold words "Theodore Lancaster" kept echoing in his mind. The undisguised disgust and disparagement made him feel very sad.

He secretly made up his mind to work harder to please his master, so that his master would like him again and give him the name "Saturday" again.

He believed that as long as he was well-behaved and useful enough, his master would definitely change his mind.

So he scrubbed harder, meticulously dealing with the debris in the room—the electronic components he had smashed to pieces, the broken glass, the blood on the floor.

It’s a pity that he worked as a wizard and an executive of a pharmaceutical company in the first half of his life, but he had never done any simple "serving" work.

So he appeared clumsy, his movements stiff and slow, which was inconsistent with his eagerness to show his diligence.

"Ah, yes, Theodore Lancaster. Come here and help me write a document."

Li Shanze looked coldly at the servant who was a little too obedient and waved to him.

Theodore Lancaster's body trembled violently, and then an almost fanatical desire burst out in his eyes.

This was the first time that the master took the initiative to ask him to do something "useful" instead of simple physical work!

He didn't care about the rag in his hand, and almost crawled to Li Shanze. He was so anxious that he almost knocked over the chair next to him.

"Yes! Master! I, I'll come right away!" His voice was full of flattery and excitement, as if he had been bestowed with the supreme honor.

Li Shanze pushed a blank report paper and a pen in front of him. "Write an open letter with your real name. I told you to write it. The content mainly points out that Merck, Johnson & Johnson, and Novartis conducted human experiments at the behest of the Drummond family."

Li Shanze's voice was firm and unquestionable.

Theodore Lancaster wrote excitedly, his pen scratching on the paper.

Li Shanze compared the photos sent by Ai Kou on his mobile phone and was satisfied to see that Theodore Lancaster's handwriting did not show any deformation due to muscle memory.

Author's words: Thanks to Qianxiao Anran and Xiaopingguo112633 for their recommendation votes

293 Conversation in the Ward

Inside the upscale private ward, the air was filled with the smell of disinfectant, which was in stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of Philadelphia outside the window.

Annabel Graham, the leading female anchor of CBS TV, is now lying on the hospital bed with a pale face and an IV hanging on her arm. The glamorous appearance she once had on the screen has been completely worn away by illness.

Being the "heroine" in the kidnapping case made her the center of attention, but it also forced her to temporarily say goodbye to the camera.

She was boredly watching CBS News, watching Emily Jennings, who had recently received much acclaim and was in the spotlight.

Why are you working so hard? Are you eager to take my place?

Annabelle thought unhappily, completely forgetting that she also coveted Jennifer Burton's producer position.

"Hmph, bitch." Annabelle cursed her colleague viciously and even spat without paying any attention to her image.

At this moment, the door of the ward was gently pushed open. A man in a black windbreaker walked in. He was wearing a low-brimmed hat with the brim pulled down so low that it almost covered half of his face.

Annabelle frowned warily; she didn't remember having a visitor scheduled.

At the same time, she also had some expectations in her heart.

Although Annabelle didn't know why, Theodore Lancaster, who had once tried to bribe her, was inexplicably blamed and became the number one suspect in the kidnapping of Alex Drummond.

But Annabelle didn't care about that - as long as he could afford the price, I'd take the money and disappear.

"Who are you?" Her voice was a little hoarse, with a hint of the majesty unique to anchors.

The man didn't answer, but walked to the bed, pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Ms. Annabelle Graham, let's talk." Li Shanze's voice was low and calm, yet it carried an undeniable sense of oppression. He raised his head, his gaze from beneath the brim of his hat as sharp as a knife, staring directly into Annabelle's eyes.

Annabelle's heart skipped a beat. She finally recognized the person. The smiling figure, seemingly invulnerable in the moonlight, left a deep impression on her. "Agent Li?"

"Is there something wrong with you?" Facing the "mastermind" of the kidnapping case, Annabelle didn't dare to put on airs. She could only smile.

She tried to make her eyes look innocent and weak, like a victim who needed to be protected, rather than the bitch who had just been cursing her colleague viciously.

Of course, in front of this fierce man, Annabelle was indeed very weak - she had no interest in knowing how easy it would be for Li Shanze, the "cannibal", to tear her in half with his invulnerable and powerful body.

Li Shanze ignored her deliberate attempts to please him. His eyes remained cold and sharp, as if they could penetrate all her disguises.

He pulled a sealed bag from the inside of his windbreaker, which contained a neatly folded letter. He placed the letter on the bedside table and pushed it towards Annabelle.

He simply pushed the sealed letter in front of Annabelle, and in a calm, emotionless tone, he repeated, "Ms. Annabelle Graham, let's talk."

Li Shanze's tone was as cold as a robot following orders.

Annabelle's smile froze on her face.

She realized that her little tricks were completely exposed in front of this man. He was like a piece of hard ice, and any enthusiasm that tried to melt him would be frozen instantly.

She had no choice but to suppress those unnecessary expressions and picked up the letter with a hint of uneasiness.

When she saw the familiar yet unfamiliar signature at the end of the letter - Theodore Lancaster, her pupils suddenly contracted.

The content of the letter made her shudder: Merck, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, the Drummond family, human experiments, banned drugs, virus injections... Every word was like a hammer, hitting her nerves hard.

This is not just explosive news, it is a scandal that is enough to subvert the entire medical community and even cause social unrest!

"What is this?" she asked tremblingly, her face turning even paler. She tried to put the letter back on the bedside table, as if it were a hot potato.

"A confession from a prisoner of conscience, an exclusive piece of news that will make you famous in history." Li Shanze's voice was calm, but to Annabelle it sounded like the hissing of a venomous snake. "Of course, the prerequisite is that you dare to make it public."

"Haven't a lot of women on social media recently mocked you as a gold digger, a mere toilet thrown away after being played with by Alex Drummond?"

Li Shanze's tone was filled with sarcasm: "Ah, this is internet violence. What's worse than the overwhelming abuse is that they are right to abuse."

Annabelle wanted to bite the bullet and ignore the facts to defend herself, but the "ogre" in front of her was so terrifying that her face turned pale, her lips trembled, and she dared not make a sound.

"This document can shut them up."

"Isn't it true that you've suddenly transformed from a 'scheming bitch' to a 'scheming bitch with a sense of justice and courage'? Doesn't that sound much better?"

Li Shanze smiled.

"This is impossible!" Annabelle mustered up her courage. Obviously, the behemoth Medical Complex was even more terrifying to her than the Ogre.

She sat up suddenly, pulling the needle in her arm and causing a sharp pain. She ignored the pain and said urgently, "This kind of thing must not be made public! It will destroy me and CBS!"

"Ruin you?" Li Shanze smiled contemptuously, with a hint of sarcasm in his smile. "Ms. Annabelle, do you think you are safe now?"

"Just think about it, now you're a kidnapping victim and Alex Drummond's 'live for life'."

"You were the popular female anchor who was innocently implicated and looked so pitiful. The public was filled with sympathy for you, and your fame soared."

"Even your colleagues who once scoffed at you now have to be polite to you. Hollywood is already writing the script. You can already make a living from the Alex kidnapping case!"

"But if this document were to become public, and it wasn't leaked through you, how would you be perceived?"

Li Shanze said mockingly.

"An accomplice who knew the truth but kept it a secret? A media person who, for the sake of profit, was willing to collude with criminals? A clown like Theodore Lancaster, who had a change of heart and wanted to expose the Drummond family through your channels, but betrayed him at the critical moment?"

He looked at Annabell coldly.

Annabelle's face was drained of all color, and her eyes were filled with despair.

"I'm innocent!" Annabelle growled in pain, her voice filled with tears. She tried to grasp the last straw and defend herself.

"Yes, Miss Graham, of course you are innocent." Li Shanze's voice was full of extreme mockery, as if he was listening to a childish joke.

"But compared to the Drummond family and the three giant pharmaceutical companies, who is the easier target?"

"Do you think those powerful people will let go of an innocent person who knows their secrets but cannot be used by them?"

"They will dig up all the dirt on you, or if there isn't any, they'll create it, ruining your reputation and making you a scapegoat. They'll condemn you in public, making it impossible for you to ever recover."

"You're a TV anchor yourself. You know better than I do how these big companies, corporations, and conglomerates manipulate public opinion."

Li Shanze paused, his gaze becoming more condescending.

He pronounced her fate word by word.

"And you, Annabel Graham, you will become their victim to appease the public anger."

"All your reputation, status, and wealth will vanish into thin air. Even your career, which you were once so proud of, will become a dirty joke."

Annabelle's body trembled violently, and she felt a bone-chilling chill running from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. All her arguments and struggles collapsed in the face of Li Shanze's cold and cruel words.

She knew that what he said was true. In front of those giants, she was just a soft persimmon that could be squeezed and twisted at will.

Her only choice was to follow his instructions and become the knife in his hand.

She finally "faced reality": she was trying to curry favor with Alex Drummond, but accidentally got involved in the open and secret struggles between the FBI and the Drummond Group.

She didn't even know who was behind the FBI - and of course, she didn't want to know at all.

She only knew that she had no choice but to be a good puppet. After all, she had already "betrayed" Alex.

"Agent Li, you will keep me safe, right?" she pleaded.

At this moment, the woman finally gave up the fantasy of getting money from Theodore Lancaster and became honest.

"That depends on your performance, Miss Graham." Li Shanze said with a smile.

"But, won't I become an accomplice to the kidnapping?" This woman's IQ was not completely offline, and she was still thinking about how to get herself out of this case.

But this made Li Shanze laugh: "Ms. Graham, when you grabbed Alex's leg, you were already an accomplice to the kidnapping."

Li Shanze said cheerfully, "So it's inevitable that you'll be questioned by the FBI. Oh, or do you hope the FBI will recuse themselves from this case? Let other agencies interrogate you?"

Li Shanze believed that as long as this woman was not completely stupid, she would definitely not recruit him as an "FBI agent" - but no one could predict what irrational things a woman could do.

So Li Shanze chose to take a preventive measure.

Although he had made a plan in case this woman told the truth, he still hoped to hide behind the scenes as much as possible to avoid alerting the enemy before using public opinion to lure Marco Giuseppe Romano out.

Annabelle picked up the phone with shaking hands, and it took several tries before she succeeded in picking it up.

Then she called the CBS News director. Her voice, though hoarse, carried an unprecedented level of resolve: "Arrange an emergency press conference immediately. I have an exclusive report that will shock the world!"

294 Press Conference

Inside a temporarily converted press conference room in the hospital, the air was so heavy that it seemed as if water could be wrung out of it.

Annabelle Graham is the heroine of the kidnapping case that has rocked the nation. She is the lover of the wealthy young man, Alex Drummond.