The North American Gourmet Demon Handbook

Author's words: Thanks to Qianxiao Anran for the recommendation vote

304 An Inexplicable Invitation

But what needs to be distanced must be distanced.

Li Shanze shook his head. "I don't understand what you are talking about, Mr. Chandrasekhar. I'm just an FBI consultant."

"I don't know why you have such a misunderstanding. I regret that I have nothing to do with the kidnapping of Mr. Alex Drummond. As a member of the FBI, I promise to do my best, but this case has nothing to do with me."

However, Li Shanze's attempt to deny himself was useless.

Vikram Chandrasekhar continued to shout slogans passionately: "This is for a great ideal, for progress! Let me join your great cause! No, let's join hands and accomplish something even greater!"

When Li Shanze wanted to laugh in his heart, Vikram's smile appeared on his face again.

It was a smile filled with creepy hypocrisy, as if he had seen through everything about Li Shanze and had a pre-set role for him. He positioned himself as an "ally," trying to draw Li Shanze into his carefully crafted chess game.

"First of all, let me state for the record that I have nothing to do with the kidnapping of Mr. Alex Drummond, Mr. Chandrasekhar."

Li Shanze said seriously.

But this statement is undoubtedly a wink to the blind.

The Indian guy had an "I understand" smile on his face, as if he understood everything.

Faced with this idealist - he is both an Indian and a wizard, and can be called a double idealist - the "facts" he believes in cannot even be changed by real facts, and Li Shanze has no good solution.

Therefore, Li Shanze decided to change his thinking and provoke this Indian guy to see how he would react.

"What's the fundamental difference between you and Drummond? You're both pursuing your own interests and gaining more power. This isn't progress, Mr. Vikram. It's just a change of ownership for the pharmaceutical company."

Li Shanze's tone was a little frivolous and tentative. He wanted to see where Vikram's bottom line was and what his true concept of "progress" was.

So he deliberately spoke in a slightly contemptuous tone.

Li Shanze's words were like a needle, accurately piercing Vikram's self-esteem.

Vikram's smile froze on his face, and his eyes narrowed slightly behind his gold-rimmed glasses, a cold glint flashing in them. He stared at Li Shanze, as if he wanted to see through him.

“Power struggle?” Vikram’s voice lowered, with a hint of barely perceptible anger.

But soon, that anger was replaced by a deeper, almost morbid enthusiasm. He suddenly leaned forward, his body trembling slightly, not with fear, but with some long-suppressed passion about to burst out.

"Mr. Li, you are wrong. Absolutely wrong!" His voice suddenly rose a few notches, but soon lowered again, becoming more private, as if he was sharing a secret that only the two of them could understand.

"Drummond is a vulgar businessman who only knows how to exploit people's health and make money. He is not worthy of talking about 'progress'!"

"What he pursues is nothing more than money and temporary power! It's even worse than the hypocritical 'equality' and 'human rights' touted by those effeminate white leftists. Those things only hinder the true evolution of humanity!"

Vikram's eyes grew fiery and frantic, and he no longer concealed his distorted understanding of "progress."

"You are not someone who is bound by hypocritical morality, Mr. Li. You can draw such a conclusion just by looking at the numerous casualties at the kidnapping scene."

"Since you were chosen by the great sage Barnum, you must be a skilled wizard. You should know better than anyone how fragile the human body is, how inefficient emotions are, and how easily memories can be distorted!"

“We are bound by ‘unnecessary’ emotions such as fear, pain, and rebellion – in reality, we are just controlled by various boring hormones. We are limited by genetic defects and imprisoned by so-called ‘morals’ and ‘ethics’!”

He stretched out his hand as if to grasp something empty in the air.

"True progress is for the higher evolution of mankind! It is the sacrifice of the few to achieve the greatness of the many!"

Is this the reason why you are conducting human experiments in India?

"Real progress lies in eliminating useless and inefficient genes and emotions! Imagine, Mr. Li, a society without fear, without pain, without resistance, only absolute obedience and efficient operation!"

"A life form that has been 'optimized' to the extreme. They are no longer troubled by disease, no longer bound by emotions. They are perfect tools and the cornerstone of a higher civilization!"

Vikram's smile reappeared, but this time, it was no longer gentle, but rather had a creepy hypocrisy.

It was like a devout believer describing his miracles, but also like a butcher planning his livestock.

There was a bewitching fanaticism in his eyes, as if what he was describing was a cold and perfect future, a utopia shaped by his own hands that completely desecrated and manipulated the essence of life.

"People like Drummond will never understand this grand blueprint. He will only use his dirty business practices to tarnish this sacred cause."

"And I, Vikram Chandrasekhar, am the one who can truly lead humanity towards evolution."

"I need your strength, Mr. Li, your RV, and your skills. They are all the key to realizing this great vision. Will you join me in creating this brave new world?"

Li Shanze was indeed shocked by Vikram Chandrasekhar.

You must be an Aryan! I remember a German mustache guy who was an Aryan fan also did this!

Li Shanze didn't know what kind of wrong information his performance just now had given this Indian, causing him to almost lose his composure and make such an inexplicable and crazy speech.

This inexplicable anti-human ideal of his shouldn't have been made up on the spur of the moment; he's probably thought it through several times...

Wait, this guy insisted that I was the one who did the kidnapping, but I was clearly acting in self-defense and had nothing to do with the kidnapping.

This guy thought I planned this case, so he added so many scenes later?

Li Shanze took a deep breath and suppressed the nausea and absurdity in his heart.

He knew that now was not the time to completely fall out.

He needed to get more information out of this madman, to learn the true secrets of Novartis, the Seething Sage, Barnum's death, and Archibald Drummond.

"Mr. Chandrasekhar, I cannot agree with your 'ideal'."

Li Shanze's tone became serious and firm, like a law enforcer who adheres to principles.

"I'm an FBI consultant. My duty is to maintain law and order, not to participate in this...anti-human 'evolution' experiment. I will not cooperate with you, nor will I become an accomplice to your so-called 'perfect new world'."

He looked Vikram straight in the eyes and spoke righteously.

At this moment, a barely perceptible glimmer of excitement flashed across his eyes.

To Vikram, this is both an identification with Vikram's vision, an exploration of unknown forces, a gaze at the edge of the abyss, and a morbid curiosity about the bold and explicit future he depicts.

It was obvious that this daring young man wanted to know the specific details of this "perfect new world," its operating mechanism, and how it would be achieved. This curiosity was cleverly concealed under his firm refusal, but a hint of it was revealed in the depths of his eyes.

Vikram's smile widened as he saw that glimmer of light.

He knew that although Li Shanze said no, deep in his soul, he was touched by this grand blueprint.

This was exactly the reaction he expected. A truly visionary person would never be bound by superficial morality.

"Mr. Li, you don't have to be so hasty to draw conclusions."

Vikram's voice grew softer, carrying a bewitching power, as if whispering to a soul on the verge of awakening.

"I understand your 'duty' and your insistence on 'order'. But don't you realize? This world, this so-called 'order', is itself the greatest chaos and the greatest injustice!"

"It shackles humanity to base desires and meaningless suffering, allowing mediocre individuals to control everything, while true wisdom and power are suppressed and marginalized!"

He took a step forward, as if to pull Li Shanze into his world.

"The look in your eyes just now, Mr. Li, tells me that you are not truly indifferent to my vision."

"You see its potential, and you sense its disruptive power. You're just hesitating, weighing the pros and cons, wondering how to harness this power for your own benefit in the most 'efficient' way, right?"

Vikram's tone was full of confidence, as if he had seen through Li Shanze's heart.

"You are the one chosen by the great sage Barnum. You own this RV. You have extraordinary blood flowing in your veins. You are destined to be extraordinary, destined to surpass those ordinary people."

"Are you willing to waste your talents and strength on maintaining a rotten old order? Don't you want to personally shape a pure and efficient future that truly belongs to us, to the chosen ones?"

He stretched out his hand, palm facing up, as if inviting Li Shanze to hold his hand and walk into the abyss together.

"I promise you, Mr. Li, I will show you my utmost sincerity. I will show you the true secrets of my 'Life Engineering Magic,' forbidden knowledge that even the great sage Barnum has not fully mastered."

"I will show you how, step by step, we will free humanity from the shackles of genes, completely sever the constraints of emotions, and create flawless life forms. You will have unprecedented power, unprecedented knowledge, and a future that truly belongs to you and is under your absolute control."

There was a fanatical fire flashing in Vikram's eyes. He believed that Li Shanze's "rejection" was just the beginning, just a prelude to deeper cooperation.

He had already seen the fleeting "curiosity" in Li Shanze's eyes, which was enough to make him firmly believe that this Asian wizard would eventually become an accomplice in his "great cause."

"I look forward to your careful consideration, Mr. Li." Vikram bowed again, his smile gentle yet strange. "I will await your response and prepare a 'cooperation proposal' for you that you cannot refuse."

He turned around and slowly disappeared into the night, leaving Li Shanze alone, standing in front of the RV, facing Vikram's bold and explicit "invitation".

Li Shanze tried hard not to make an expression like "old man on the subway with his cell phone", and his face was tense - since there were spies everywhere, it was naturally not a good idea to forcibly and violently kidnap Vikram as well.

It was obvious that Vikram was also involved in the human experiments in Kaguya Town. No, he might be one of the real organizers.

Didn’t you see that when Theodore Lancaster was approached about human experiments, his first reaction was to put the blame on Vikram Chandrasekhar?

But in Vikram Chandrasekhar's view, Li Shanze's pretense of seriousness was just a way of covering up the dangerous curiosity about the forbidden power that was aroused deep in his heart.

Vikram smiled confidently, knowing that the young man had stepped into a vortex from which there was no turning back.

305 The Untimely Eavesdropper

Li Shanze slowly withdrew his gaze until Vikram's figure completely disappeared into the night.

He did not enter the RV immediately, but stood there, letting the night breeze blow, trying to dispel Vikram's crazy words from his mind.

However, those distorted ideas of "progress" and those descriptions of "perfect life forms" entangled him like maggots on his tarsal bones, causing him to feel waves of physical discomfort.

Li Shanze knew clearly that his previous performance, especially the deliberate "curiosity" in his eyes, had been perfectly captured and misinterpreted by the madman Vikram.

This is exactly what he wants.

However, if Kate hadn't warned him about the numerous spies, Li Shanze wouldn't have resorted to such a coy approach. He would have simply struck out and arrested Vikram Chandrasekhar, who had come to his doorstep.

As long as he uses the great memory recovery technique, Li Shanze believes that there will be no information that he cannot get.

Just as Li Shanze was thinking this, a cold voice came from beside him, with a hint of amusement and ill intention.

"Agent Li, your visitor tonight is truly remarkable. I'm truly astonished by his grand vision."

Li Shanze turned around slowly and saw Vivian Sterling walking out from the shadows of the woods, her graceful figure outlined in the moonlight.

She was wearing a dark windbreaker, with her arms folded across her chest, a half-smile on her face, and her blue eyes looked particularly bright in the night, as if they could see through everything.

She had obviously been here for some time and had heard Vikram's entire "grand plan" just now.

"Ms. Sterling, visiting you late at night without an invitation is not what a lady should do." Li Shanze said calmly.

But he was very surprised in his heart.

Because Li Shanze originally thought that Vivian Sterling was just an ambitious female public relations officer - or to put it bluntly, a professional prostitute.

He didn't think such a woman could escape his keen senses and Vikram's ability as a wizard.

Vivian chuckled, took a few steps forward, and stopped not far from Li Shanze as if she was fearless.

"Lady? When you and Mr. Chandrasekhar are discussing how to 'optimize' humans and create 'perfect tools', the word 'lady' seems a bit...out of place, doesn't it?"

Her voice was tinged with sarcasm, yet revealed an unquestionable confidence.

"I have to say, Mr. Li, your performance just now was truly brilliant. Your curiosity about forbidden knowledge and your desire for absolute control were truly penetrating. Even I, a bystander, was nearly fooled by you."

It seemed that this woman not only overheard the conversation between Li Shanze and Vikram, but also witnessed Li Shanze's performance as if she were there in person.

"Oh, what a pity! Although I know it's a performance, have you ever thought about the harm this kind of performance will cause to you?"

Vivian Sterling's smile was icy.

She paused, stared at Li Shanze sharply, and her tone became cold and direct.

"Do you know what would happen to you if this 'performance' were to become public? An FBI consultant conspiring with an anti-human fanatic to 'evolve' humanity—that sounds far more daring and explosive than the Drummond family scandal."

"There's no doubt that Mr. Marco Giuseppe Romano will seize this new vulnerability without hesitation and use public opinion and public relations to divert public attention from the pharmaceutical scandal to the FBI scandal."

"He would first release some vague, intriguing inside information, such as 'FBI consultant suspected of participating in secret human experiments' or 'FBI collusion with anti-human organizations'."

"These stories will spread like a virus on social media, triggering an initial wave of panic and doubt. The public's appetite will be whetted, and they will be eager to know more."

"Then he would arrange for some anonymous informants or righteous journalists to release more concrete evidence - such as an edited recording or a few blurry photos."

"And then with inflammatory headlines: 'Revealed! FBI consultant conspires with Indian madman to transform humans!' 'Neo-Nazi ideology infiltrates federal agencies!'"

"He will ensure that the 'evidence' is vague enough, yet evocative enough, so that everyone can find the shadow of their worst fear in it."

"Then, those 'independent' media and commentators will immediately follow up and link your conversation with Vikram to the darkest stories of 'eugenics' and 'human experiments' in history."

"They will use the boldest and most explicit language to paint a chilling picture of the cold and brutal new world you and Vikram have envisioned. They will emphasize that this is not just corruption but a complete violation of human dignity."

"The Democrats will use this opportunity to advocate for freedom and human rights, and the Republicans will claim this is a conspiracy by people of color. Even now that the two parties are divided, you still won't have any allies politically."

"Public outrage will be ignited. They will demand a thorough investigation and an explanation. The FBI's credibility will plummet, and you, Mr. Li, will become the target of public criticism and be nailed to history's pillar of shame."

"The Drummond family's pharmaceutical scandal? That would become an insignificant episode. After all, it was the FBI that orchestrated the human experiments, not the Drummond family? It would be completely forgotten, and might even be portrayed as a smokescreen you set up to cover up deeper crimes."