The North American Gourmet Demon Handbook

The media has long been eager to get some explosive news out of her.

If the FBI had not protected this hospital so tightly that no one could get in - after Theodore Lancaster sneaked in, the FBI strengthened security for Annabell Graham - Annabelle probably wouldn't have had a peaceful day these days.

Hundreds of reporters packed the scene, and flashes of light flashed one after another like thunder and lightning before a storm.

So everyone is hoping to get some explosive news from this lady who is currently in the limelight.

Annabel Graham, although still a little pale, had changed into a dark professional suit and sat behind the podium.

Although there was no IV drip on her arm, her frail appearance added a touch of fragile charm to her, forming a sharp contrast with the shocking secret she was about to reveal.

She glanced at the dense crowd of reporters below the stage, took a deep breath, and pressed the microphone switch with her fingertips trembling slightly.

"Good afternoon, friends from the media." Her voice was a little hoarse, but she quickly regained the calmness and magnetism that are unique to anchors.

"Today, I stand here not as a CBS anchorwoman, but as a citizen to expose a shocking truth that has been covered up for too long."

Annabelle's voice was resounding, and every word carried undeniable weight. Her words were like a stone dropped into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a thousand waves.

The shocking truth? What was she trying to say? Could there be something deeper to the kidnapping?

This woman has always been smart and would never do anything without a purpose. This is definitely big news!

Is she trying to use this opportunity to hype herself up? But judging by her demeanor, it doesn't seem like that.

In this kind of situation, with this kind of wording, if she didn't have some really explosive news, she would be destroying her own future.

I had to capture every expression!

The reporters were instinctively excited, but were suppressed by a huge curiosity. No one dared to make too much noise for fear of missing any word.

The recorders in their hands were stretched straight forward, their cameras were already flashing non-stop, and their eyes were full of excitement and confusion.

Inside the live broadcast room, the barrage of comments was also scrolling rapidly.

[Could she be the real mastermind behind the kidnapping? Nothing could be more outrageous than this.]

[Are you trying to gain sympathy again? ]

[Haha, I guess I'm here to clean up my image as a gold digger.]

[Bitch! Mind your own business! She's clearly the victim!]

In a corner where no one cared, a quarrel broke out among the rapidly scrolling comments.

Annabell paused, her eyes sweeping across the audience, as if gathering strength. The audience was completely silent, everyone held their breath, sensing a storm was about to break out.

She pulled a letter from the folder in front of her. The edges of the letter were a little worn, but the handwriting was clear. She held it up so that everyone could see the signature at the end: "Theodore Lancaster."

"This letter is from Mr. Theodore Lancaster. He was once a loyal employee of the Drummond family and the 'main culprit' in this kidnapping. But today, he chose to confess to the world, revealing a secret that is darker and more cruel than the kidnapping itself."

Annabell's voice became firm, and every word she said struck the heartstrings of everyone present like a heavy hammer:

"'To all deceived men: I, Theodore Lancaster, do hereby repent of the crimes in which I have participated."

What is this, Theodore Lancaster? Is he trying to turn himself in?

"Under the Drummond family's instructions, the three pharmaceutical giants Merck, Johnson & Johnson, and Novartis have long been secretly conducting inhumane human experiments under the guise of science and colluding with wizards."

"They exploit innocent lives to test banned drugs, and even directly inject unknown viruses into human bodies to observe their reactions, thereby developing so-called 'breakthrough' drugs."

"These experiments completely disregard ethics and morality, treating human life as worthless. I was once a link in this dark chain. Now, I am willing to expose all this at the cost of my own life, simply to let the truth be known and justice be served."

Annabelle demonstrated her excellent professional qualities as an outstanding female anchor, speaking quickly and clearly as she read out the above words.

By this time the reporters were stunned.

No, we are here to report on the kidnapping case. What are you talking about?

The entire press conference room fell into an eerie silence.

Hundreds of reporters, who had been noisy just now, now seemed to be under a spell, holding their cameras and recorders stiffly, their mouths slightly open and their eyes dull.

Their brains were working at a rapid pace, trying to digest every word and phrase Annabell had just thrown out, but the amount of information was too overwhelming and too subversive.

A veteran investigative reporter from the New York Times was stunned.

Human experiments?! Black magic?! Merck, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis?! This… this is insane! This isn't news anymore; this is a nuclear bomb! If this were true, the entire pharmaceutical industry would be shaken!

The tabloid reporters were already excited.

Oh my god! What kind of drug did this woman take? A kidnapping victim suddenly transformed into a messenger of justice? And they're even bringing up three major pharmaceutical companies and human experiments? This traffic! This headline! I have to post this quickly! I don't care if it's true or not, I just need to grab the headlines first!

The middle-aged independent media person was filled with anger.

I knew it! I knew none of these big companies were clean! All those breakthrough drugs? Behind them are bloody crimes! Virus injections! Black magic! Look at these scumbags! This is pure inhumanity!

Financial journalists have already begun to rapidly calculate the economic losses that this blockbuster may cause, and how to find entry points for reporting from this crisis.

Merck, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis... What's the combined market capitalization of these three companies? If this news is true, their stock prices will collapse instantly! Global stock markets will be affected! This isn't just a moral issue, it's an economic disaster! Is the Drummond family involved? How vast is the network of interests behind this? This is simply a precursor to a financial tsunami!

No, that's not right. Reporting the news isn't the most urgent thing right now! The financial reporter whipped out his phone and placed a short position on the three major pharmaceutical companies.

The redneck newspaper reporters who are conspiracy theorists were trembling with excitement.

See! I've said it before! These so-called "pharmaceutical giants" are nothing but wolves in sheep's clothing! Vaccines, new drugs, whatever, are all tools used to control humanity!

Injecting a virus? Isn't that a biological weapon?! The government must know about it and be involved!

There must be a bigger force behind this! Like the deep state!

Annabelle, who pushed her out? Was she also threatened?

The redneck reporter felt that all his guesses were confirmed at this moment, and his soul was so happy that it seemed to ascend to heaven.

Wait, two days ago, Democratic Senator Hamilton just declared war on wizards, and then a scandal broke out here that wizards sneaked into pharmaceutical factories to conduct human experiments.

Who doesn't know that pharmaceutical companies are the Democratic Party's base? Is this a fight within the Democratic Party?

Everyone's mental activities were like lightning, but the temporary studio was dead silent at that moment, like the silence before an earthquake.

"Bang!" The crisp sound of a camera falling broke the silence.

What followed was a series of gasps and the reporters' suppressed exclamations.

The flashbulbs instantly lit up, as if it were daylight. The entire press conference venue instantly became seething, and the buzz of discussion surged like a tide, quickly drowning out Annabell's voice.

"Human experiments?!"

"Three major pharmaceutical companies?!"

"Injecting the virus?!"

"Dark magic?!"

"This...how is this possible?!"

In the live broadcast room, the barrage of comments had completely gotten out of control. The screen was completely covered with dense text, and Annabelle's face could not be seen at all. There were only constantly flashing exclamation marks and question marks.

Annabell ignored the commotion in the audience. She took a deep breath, gently put the letter down, and looked straight ahead with a firm gaze.

"The authenticity of this letter has been verified by a handwriting expert. It is indeed the handwriting of Mr. Theodore Lancaster."

At this moment, Annabelle was as solemn as Joan of Arc leading her soldiers into Orleans.

"As a journalist, I know we have a responsibility to bring this evidence, which has the potential to change the world's perception, to the public. We cannot allow these dark crimes to remain hidden."

"I call on all my colleagues in the media and all citizens with conscience to pay close attention to this matter, investigate the truth, and ensure that those criminals who trample on life and destroy humanity receive the punishment they deserve!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the entire press conference spiraled out of control. Reporters swarmed the podium like hungry wolves, countless hands raised high with recorders and microphones, flashbulbs flashed wildly, and the sound of shutter clicks was deafening.

"Ms. Annabell! Is the source of this letter reliable?!"

"Where is Theodore Lancaster now?! Why would he give you this letter?!"

"What does CBS have to say about this?! Do you have more evidence?!"

"Does this mean the Drummond family is involved?! Will they be held accountable?!"

"Merck, Johnson & Johnson, and Novartis, how will these three companies respond?! What impact will this have on the global pharmaceutical market?!"

"Ms. Annabelle, you were a victim of a kidnapping case, and now you're exposing this matter. Is there a deeper connection between them?!"

"Have you been threatened?!"

"Are you worried about your safety?!"

Questions bombarded Annabell like a barrage of bullets, each one carrying a powerful impact.

Her face was pale, but her eyes revealed a subtle determination. She knew she had no way out.

This "performance" carefully planned by Li Shanze has just begun. She must play her role well until this storm completely swallows up all the enemies she doesn't want to face.

She looked calmly at the smiling Asian man in the corner, hoping to gain strength and courage from his confident look.

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

295 Study Conversation

Annabelle's press conference was like a nuclear bomb dropped into a calm lake, instantly igniting public opinion across the United States.

In the next few hours, the chain reaction spread at an alarming speed, shaking the hearts of politicians, business people and even every ordinary person.

James Drummond sat silently on the sofa, while Vikram Chandrasekhar and Marco Giuseppe Romano stood obediently by his side without daring to breathe.

The atmosphere in the room was as heavy as the sea before a storm.

Drummond's weather-beaten face was calm, without a trace of emotion.

He didn't even glance at the news still scrolling on the TV, nor did he pay attention to the urgent messages that kept pouring into his phone.

He just sat there quietly, one hand casually resting on the armrest of the sofa, a cigar between the other, his back relaxed, as if he was enjoying a leisurely afternoon.

His gaze fell on the window, where there was a meticulously trimmed lawn and the shimmering lake in the distance. Everything seemed so peaceful, incompatible with the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

However, in the eyes of Vikram and Marco, this extreme calmness was more chilling than any roar.

Beads of sweat had begun to trickle down Vikram Chandrasekhar's temples, and his gold-rimmed glasses felt suddenly sticky.

He subconsciously wanted to adjust his glasses and wipe the sweat off his face, but he didn't dare to make any unnecessary movements, for fear of breaking the suffocating silence.

His breathing became more and more rapid, his chest felt like it was being pressed down by a huge rock, and every heartbeat seemed to be beating like a drum in his ears.

Annabelle's word "witch" and the public outrage over "human experiments" kept echoing in his mind.

Novartis's stock price had begun to plummet, and he could feel that his career, and even his entire life, was crumbling in this moment of silence.

He glanced secretly at Drummond. The unfathomable calmness in his eyes made him feel an unprecedented fear, as if he was not facing a person, but an active volcano about to erupt, and he was standing at the crater.

Although Marco Giuseppe Romano always used exaggeration to cover up his calm heart, he could not remain completely calm at this moment.

His tense jawline revealed his inner struggle, and his fists were clenched at his sides, his nails almost digging into his palms.

He was used to being in control of everything and used to making plans in crises, but now he was facing a completely unpredictable situation.

Drummond's silence made it impossible for him to judge the old fox's true thoughts, let alone predict his next actions.

Why could this man remain so calm after experiencing his son's kidnapping, Theodore Lancaster's betrayal, and the sudden accusations from his son's girlfriend Annabell Graham?

Romano felt that he was increasingly unable to see through James Drummond.

At this moment, James Drummond was no longer the superficial and irritable tyrant, but became as unfathomable as the abyss and the ocean.

Is this the kind of character that allows one to remain exceptionally calm even when faced with real danger?

Romano had a lot of admiration for James Drummond.

"Go ahead, Romano, clean your ass." Drummond didn't yell, but just spoke in a calm tone, as if he was telling the butler what to have for dinner.

Because of his previous admiration, Romano rarely acted in a hypocritical manner like before - although it is hard to say whether the 0.03% of Johnson & Johnson stock he held played a more important role.

He nodded decisively: "Yes, Mr. Drummond."

"Can I trust you, Marco?" Drummond asked playfully.

His tone remained calm, but his deep eyes were like two ancient wells, bottomless, as if they could see into the deepest corners of Marco's soul.

In Marco Giuseppe Romano's view, this was no longer a simple inquiry, but a silent judgment and a heavy trust.

Romano didn't answer immediately, but took a deep breath, as if he wanted to inhale the heavy air in the room into his lungs.

He raised his head and met Drummond's gaze firmly. His eyes, which usually seemed shrewd and calculating, now held pure loyalty without any distractions.

He slowly placed his right hand on his chest, with his palm close to his heart. This was an ancient and solemn Italian oath gesture, representing an oath with life and soul.

"Mr. Drummond," his voice was low and hoarse, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of his soul, carrying unquestionable weight.