The North American Gourmet Demon Handbook

"What's the matter, Martha?" Mr. Robert asked in a low voice. "Hurry up and finish your story. I have to go back to entertain the guests."

Mr. Robert's tone was full of doubt.

"Haven't you poured coffee for Kate? Huh? Aren't you worried about our guests? Haha, there's nothing in our house that the boss of an investment company would be interested in." Mrs. Robert whispered.

"Oh, what a joke! With Kate, the mounted police officer, here, why would I be afraid of losing things?" Mr. Robert snorted coldly.

"That's right, Kate is a brave, honest and enthusiastic girl. You have nothing to worry about."

"But how could a host leave unrelated guests alone in the living room? It's very rude," said Mr. Robert.

"Oh, who said it's irrelevant? Didn't you see the look between Kate and Mr. Li? There's a story at first glance!" Mrs. Robert also spoke in a low voice, but there was uncontrollable excitement in her tone.

"Isn't it just Kate helping Mr. Li and his friends fix their car? What could a mounted police officer have to do with the owner of an investment company?" Mr. Robert disagreed. "What kind of story could there be? You just have too many weird ideas in your head, Martha."

"Oh, if they were just helping to repair the car, what was that look between them that seemed like they wanted to eat each other alive? Believe me, they must have a story!" Mrs. Robert didn't care and was confident in her own judgment.

When she thought of Li Shanze wearing a wedding ring on his left ring finger, while the female police officer Kate had nothing on her hand, and the look in their eyes that was like a collision between Mars and the Earth, Mrs. Robert imagined a tens of thousands of words of lingering love story that ended in tragedy.

"Wouldn't it be awkward for them to be in the same room?" Mr. Robert frowned and turned to go back to the living room, but was stopped by Mrs. Robert.

"Well, let the young people solve their own problems! You're already an old man, don't forget about Ilya! There will be no good results if we interfere."

The name ignited Mr. Robert's anger.

"Don't mention that name in front of me! Martha! He hasn't been home for Christmas in years! He'd rather go to Cleveland and fool around! We should just treat him as dead!"

Although Mr. Robert growled angrily, he was obviously persuaded by his wife. After venting his anger, he stopped and gave up the idea of ​​returning to the living room.

"Okay, okay. Let's go bake some pies, and you help me cut up the vegetables and shell the corn, and I'm going to make some salad!"

In order to ease the atmosphere, Mrs. Robert suppressed her longing for her son, pretended to be cheerful, and hummed a little song from decades ago, thinking about the confrontation that might take place in the living room.

There was indeed a confrontation in the living room, and the atmosphere was indeed tense.

It's just completely different from what Mrs. Robert imagined, and has nothing to do with the bloody love-hate relationship between men and women.

The blonde female police officer Kate Mackenzie had her right hand shallowly tucked into her jeans pocket. As long as she raised her hand, she could instantly pull out the pistol on her waist.

Among the three, Li Shanze looked the most relaxed.

Li Shanze sat relaxedly in the chair, his left hand resting naturally on the arm of the chair, and his right elbow resting on the arm of the chair, supporting his tilted head.

"Hello again, Officer Mackenzie." Li Shanze no longer pretended, and his smile, which at least appeared polite on the surface, turned into an undisguised sneer.

The female police officer didn't seem to take Li Shanze's sarcastic sneer to heart, but nodded: "Yes, we meet again, Mr. Li, Ms. Butner."

Haha, this female police officer mentioned both of our last names, implying that she knew our true identities, but she didn't make it clear completely, leaving room for maneuver.

It seems that she really wants to use us to accomplish something.

Revealing our last name is just a means of exerting pressure and raising the price.

After hearing Kate Mackenzie's opening remarks, Li Shanze roughly understood the tone of the negotiations.

But I’m afraid that the young witch lady, who is not very worldly-wise, will lose her patience?

Li Shanze looked at Xia Li while thinking about countermeasures.

However, to Li Shanze's surprise, although the witch lady was angry and looked like she had something to say, she forced herself not to say anything. Instead, she signaled Li Shanze with her eyes, as if waiting for Li Shanze to speak first.

She is a sensible girl who won't hold me back. Not bad, I like her.

Li Shanze praised it in his heart, which made the smile on his face become more sincere again.

"Okay, Officer Mackenzie," Li Shanze said, "We've demonstrated our sincerity by following your advice and coming to Fern Town. So, we undoubtedly have a basis for cooperation."

Li Shanze concealed the fact that Xia Li's original destination was Fern Town, and beautified it as "following advice", and called it a show of sincerity. This was also to increase his side's negotiation skills.

Li Shanze leaned back in his chair as he spoke, his hands resting on his chest. "This is a good start, isn't it? Now, all you need to do is show due sincerity, and I think we can continue our cooperation."

Damn, isn't he an ogre? Apparently, he's not only more cunning than I thought, but even more cunning than I could have imagined. Oh, yeah, I've never met an ogre who's so well-dressed and so articulate before.

Officer Kate McKenzie frowned. It was obvious that Li Shanze's performance was far beyond the female police officer's expectations.

Similarly, Kate also understood why this seemingly gentle "Ogre" in front of her was a wanted criminal with an internal risk rating of five stars.

Kate's voice was firm, and she refused to give in. "I think I've shown my sincerity by not arresting you right away."

"No, no, no, Miss Police." Li Shanze smiled and shook his head, "Let's be more open and honest."

Looking at the confident smile on the face of "Ogre" Li Shanze, Kate really wanted to punch him.

"Since you've left your partner behind and privately approached us two wanted criminals to discuss cooperation, there must be something we can handle that you're uncomfortable intervening in," Li Shanze said with a smile. "So, our cooperation is equal, and you'd better show your sincerity."

For a moment, Kate began to waver in her idea of ​​"cooperation" with Li Shanze.

Kate glanced sideways at Charlie and found that Charlie was glaring at her angrily.

This actually gave Kate strength.

No, no matter what, I can't stand by and watch this witch fall into the clutches of the ogre.

Even if she is an evil witch and a wanted criminal, she should be tried and executed, and should never become food for the ogre! I cannot watch a witch become an accomplice of the ogre, as this will only make evil grow stronger!

In Kate's opinion, there was no doubt that Charlie Butner was kidnapped by Li Shanze, the cannibal who drove all the way from the West Coast, and suffered from Stockholm syndrome during the kidnapping.

After all, the female police officer saw with her own eyes that Charlie Butner was tied up tightly by Li Shanze, but she still kept protecting this cannibal.

If this isn't Stockholm syndrome, what else could it be?

"What do you want?" Kate Mackenzie asked coldly.

"My female companion was wrongly accused and should not be burdened with murder. I hope the police system can reinvestigate her case - of course, this is just a deposit, I have other requests," said Li Shanze.

Humph, cunning ogre.

Seeing the affection in Xia Li's eyes as she looked at Li Shanze, Kate frowned slightly.

015 Conditions

As far as Li Shanze's observation is concerned, Xia Li has always been well protected and still maintains the innocence of a girl. Obviously, her growth experience is happy, and she lacks experience in dealing with people.

Not to mention anything else, she actually ran to someone else's house as a guest with a wanted warrant on her back, and even wanted to fulfill the "ancient covenant between wizards and gods."

If he is a powerful wizard, then of course he has his own confidence.

However, in the absence of corresponding strength (before coming to Fern Town, she could only use relatively simple spells, and she became exhausted after using a large-scale illusion that did not last long), Charlie was undoubtedly a manifestation of her inexperience with the world.

This shows that Miss Witch has always been well protected.

If possible, Li Shanze hoped that Miss Witch could maintain her innocence, so he did not hesitate to return Xia Li's kindness.

As for Officer McKenzie giving a negative answer, then you will be the bad guy.

Li Shanze looked at Officer Kate McKenzie.

However, the female officer's answer was beyond Li Shanze's expectations. Noticing the provocation in Li Shanze's eyes, she raised an eyebrow and replied cheerfully, "Okay, I'll have the Ohio State Police send the case files over right away to see if Ms. Butner can be ruled out as a suspect."

After that, she took out the walkie-talkie and tried to say something.

"Eh, that's strange. Why can't I get any radio signals? Ah, okay. Hello, hello, Command Center, this is Dragoon 1-1..."

Li Shanze noticed that only after the almost imperceptible magical glow in Charlie's hand completely dimmed did the radio in Officer Kate's hand regain its signal.

Li Shanze suddenly realized that this almost imperceptible magical glow was very similar to the light emitted by the cross on the wall that he had noticed before.

However, when Li Shanze quietly turned his head to look at the cross, he found that the cross remained plain and dim, as if what he had seen before was just an illusion.

Now is not the time to get to the bottom of this, let's go back and ask Charlie.

Li Shanze thought so.

As to whether this female police officer was just pretending to be important and writing a blank check, or whether she really had a powerful background, Li Shanze couldn't make up his mind for a while.

"How do I know if you're just making empty promises or if you truly have the authority to do so?" Li Shanze demanded. "Perhaps you should be honest about your identity, officer."

Li Shanze would rather the female police officer was just pretending, and would rather she was just a bold little police officer who dared to cooperate with him, the so-called "cannibal".

The dirty work that a senior police officer who can command state police across states needs to do is not comparable to the dirty work that an ordinary female trooper needs to do. The difference in difficulty is obvious.

However, when he asked the question, Li Shanze had actually concluded that things would not develop in an optimistic direction.

A police officer who dares to do underground business with the "cannibal" wanted by the whole United States is definitely not a simple person.

The journey from Ohio to Pennsylvania was the most leisurely one in Li Shanze's escape career since he traveled through time.

After evading the Ohio State Police's pursuit of Charlie, he could drive the car stolen from Illinois at high speed on Highway 80, the main highway across the United States, all the way to the outskirts of Fern. He originally thought that he had finally broken through the police encirclement, but now it seems that it was mostly the "credit" of the female police officer in front of him.

Kate Mackenzie looked at Li Shanze deeply. The ogre in front of her had repeatedly exceeded her expectations and was incredibly cunning.

Humph, but these are just some tricks.

The female police officer with a golden ponytail thought confidently in her heart. Therefore, she did not mind meeting Li Shanze's small request: "Okay, Mr. Li, you are a smart gentleman, so please allow me to formally introduce you--"

Li Shanze noticed that Kate Mackenzie's temperament had completely changed.

A noble and awe-inspiring temperament replaced her original simplicity and heroism as a female police officer.

This feeling is very subtle. Although the female police officer's expression has not changed, her temperament has become completely different from before.

A kind of pressure that only belongs to the superior surged up, leaving Li Shanze no time to observe Xia Li's expression.

Under pressure, Li Shanze suddenly interrupted her: "No, Officer McKenzie, I suddenly don't want to know your true identity."

Kate's lips curled up slightly. "Your wisdom is beyond my expectations. To reward your wisdom, I can listen to your request first."

"I hope to completely cancel the wanted order against me. I also need a large sum of money, enough for me to spend the rest of my life in extravagance."

Li Shanze pulled out a cigar like a magic trick and cut off the end of the cigar while speaking slowly.

"As you can see, it's never too late to enjoy something as good as this."

Li Shanze lit the cigar with a match, took a deep breath, and then exhaled the smoke with a whoosh.

Then he crossed his legs, leaned back in his chair, squinted his eyes, and greedily sniffed the aroma of the cigar.

"I hope to enjoy this good thing to the fullest."

In fact, Li Shanze had no energy to think about the issue of enjoyment. His artificial performance and the material conditions he put forward were just for bargaining.

Kate Mackenzie frowned in disgust, then said, "Money is not a problem, but legal identity may be difficult."

"What I need is not a legal fake identity, but to walk proudly in this 'free' country with my real identity." Li Shanze noticed the trap in Kate's words and corrected her dissatisfiedly.

In fact, Li Shanze is a pragmatist. It would be best if he could whitewash his identity in an upright manner. If that is not possible, using a fake identity is also acceptable.

"Please accept the reality, Mr. Li. No matter how free the United States is, it cannot accept an ogre gaining legal status."

"I'm not an ogre at all!" Li Shanze had always felt it was baffling to be labeled an ogre, and now he took the opportunity to explode, seemingly unable to bear it any longer and questioned, "This accusation is completely false! I've never had anything to do with cannibalism since I was a child!"

Kate Mackenzie nodded. "I understand your fervor to convert to humanity, and I admire your adherence to the precepts and willingness to change your diet. It's for this reason that I'm choosing to collaborate with you instead of arresting you outright."

Ah, I see, this is the doctrine of original sin, the same thing they were trying to sell me on indulgences.

Li Shanze sneered in his heart, but still showed his rage.

It was obvious that the woman in front of him had never lowered her vigilance towards him. Li Shanze thought it would be best for him to act superficial to paralyze her, or at least show a weakness that she could easily exploit - as to whether this was a real weakness, that was another matter.

"But whether you are an ogre or not, your word doesn't count, Mr. Li. Please remain calm."

Before Li Shanze could "explode," Kate continued, "Even if you can convince me, can you convince the media, the public, and the president who is committed to expelling illegal immigrants?"

Ah, so there is a way. All we have to do is convince the media, convince the public, and convince the president.

Li Shanze raised his eyebrows.

Kate took this as a sign of surrender and continued, "So, please accept the reality, Mr. Lee. Under the president's shrinking border policy, even arranging legal status for you is already very difficult."

Li Shanze sighed in mock resignation, then resumed his meticulous demeanor. "You only said it was difficult, but you didn't say it was impossible, right, Officer McKenzie?"

"That depends on your performance, Mr. Li." The female police officer felt she had the upper hand, so she spread out her palms with satisfaction. "Next, it's your turn to listen to my request."

"If things are too difficult, I will refuse." Li Shanze still looked angry, as if he was at a disadvantage.

016 mission

Li Shanze had actually made a contingency plan in case Kate Mackenzie's offer was too high and the negotiations broke down - although he actually did not want the negotiations to break down.

In Li Shanze's opinion, it is not unacceptable to clear his identity by doing some dirty work for this female "mounted police officer" of high status.

Li Shanze also needs a relatively stable environment to study how to break free from the control of the devil's contract.

Similarly, Li Shanze also concluded that this powerful woman in front of him went to great lengths to disguise herself as a mounted police officer and lead him to Fern Town, and she must have some reason to cooperate with him.