America: The neighbor's wife is so incredibly hospitable!

Reynolds turned his head, glanced at Chen An sitting in the outdoor seating area through his sunglasses, frowned, and then walked over.

"Did you deliberately wait for me here, Chen?"

"No, I'm here to deliver your sales figures." Chen An smiled and gestured to the chair opposite him. "Sit?"

Reynolds sat down suspiciously: "If it's another time that explosives have been planted somewhere, you'd better tell me everything at once."

"More interesting than dynamite."

Chen An took out an envelope and pushed it in front of Reynolds. "Open it and take a look."

Reynolds picked up the envelope and pulled out a few sheets of paper.

Those were printed records of the conversation.

At first, Reynolds was somewhat nonchalant.

But when he saw the words "town mayor," "forced expropriation," and "kickbacks," his expression changed instantly.

He abruptly raised his head, his gray-brown eyes fixed intently on Chen An: "Where did this come from?"

"Yesterday a 'big bird' was flying around my territory and I accidentally shot it down."

Chen An casually took a sip of coffee.

"I never imagined that what was inside this bird's belly would be even more interesting than I had imagined."

Reynolds tapped his fingers on the table. He wasn't stupid; he immediately understood the weight of this thing.

As the sheriff, he was an independent law enforcement officer selected by the county and did not directly report to the town mayor.

In fact, the sheriff's office and the mayor's office have always been at odds due to issues of budget and law enforcement authority.

"What do you want?" Reynolds asked, pressing the envelope under his hand and lowering his voice.

"I don't want to cause trouble, sir." Chen An's smile faded, and his eyes became serious.

"I'm just a farmer who wants to raise cattle in peace. But these people... they've crossed the line. They're trying to take my land and drive my neighbor to his death."

Chen An leaned forward and looked directly into Reynolds' eyes.

"If this recording ends up in the state attorney general's inbox, or on Fox News's front page..."

"I think Mayor Anderson's re-election is probably out of the question."

"And as the sheriff in charge of local security, if you were completely unaware of this, you might also be implicated, wouldn't you?"

This is both a threat and an attempt to win someone over.

"On the contrary..." Chen An changed the subject, "If you can uphold the law impartially and investigate this company that is illegally surveying and is suspected of commercial intimidation..."

"Then this is not only a demonstration of your dedication to your duties, but also a heroic act in the fight against corruption."

"In the next election, I will mobilize all my friends to vote for you."

Reynolds fell silent.

He looked at the nineteen-year-old Eastern boy in front of him and felt a chill, but he felt more admiration.

This kid is smarter and more ruthless than those rednecks who've lived half their lives.

"Where's the evidence? The original documents?" Reynolds asked.

"In a safe place." Chen An shook the USB drive in his hand, which didn't actually contain the original files.

"This is a copy. Sir, I only need you to do one thing."

"explain."

"Get that Smith out of my sight."

"Furthermore, I want Red Rock to remove the names 'Sunset Creek' and 'Miller Farm' from their acquisition list from now on."

Reynolds stared at Chen An for a full ten seconds.

Finally, he suddenly grinned, picked up the envelope, and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Someone reported the illegal use of drones in the no-fly zone, which is suspected of invading other people's privacy."

Reynolds stood up, put on his sunglasses, and said, "This is illegal. I'll have a serious 'talk' with Mr. Smith."

"By the way, ask him whether the 'business plan' mentioned in the video is compliant."

"Thank you for your help, Sheriff." Chen An raised his coffee cup in greeting.

"There's more." Reynolds took two steps, then stopped and looked back at Chen An.

"Next time you shoot down a drone, remember to use a No. 7 bird bomb. That way, even if it falls, it won't hurt anyone. Got it?"

Chen An smiled.

"Yes, sir."

………………

Half an hour later.

Chen An sat in the pickup truck, watching Sheriff Reynolds, accompanied by two deputy sheriffs, storm into the Red Rock Company's temporary office not far away.

A short while later, Smith, looking like a wilted eggplant, was "invited" out and stuffed into a police car.

Although it's highly unlikely the lockdown will last long, this sends an extremely strong signal:

In this territory, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake.

Chen An took out his phone and sent Katie a text message:

Are you free tonight? Bring some fresh wasabi. I think we could talk about that long-term "free water delivery" contract.

Now that the external threat has been temporarily eliminated, the next step is to make money and then completely devour that delicious "fat piece of meat" next door.

After all, the $200,000 debt crisis that Sarah mentioned last night still requires real money to fill the hole.

Simply seducing someone isn't enough; you have to use your real skills.

………………

The kitchen of the "Aurora" restaurant is always like a meticulously planned battlefield.

But today, on the command platform at the very heart of this battlefield, on that massive stainless steel central island, all sound has vanished.

All that remained was the faint rustling sound of the millstone rubbing against each other.

Chen An held the fresh wasabi and slowly drew circles on a special grinding board covered with sharkskin.

A pale green, fine, muddy substance slowly accumulated.

A fresh, spicy aroma with a hint of herbs and wood, like an invisible hook, instantly drew the noses of all the chefs around.

"This taste..."

Louis, the dishwasher, sniffed, and even from a distance, the refreshing sensation that went straight to his head invigorated him.

Katie stood opposite Chen An, her hands resting on the table, her bright green eyes fixed on the green mud.

She didn't say anything, but simply picked up a small spoon, dipped it in a tiny bit, and put it in her mouth.

one second.

two seconds.

Her eyebrows shot up sharply, and at that moment, it felt as if a cold wind from the Montana mountains swept through her mouth.

Unlike the harsh chemical stimulation of tubular mustard, this is a layered, sweet, and vibrant spiciness.

"incredible……"

Katie swallowed, a flush rising to her face.

"This level of sweetness, this consistency... if it were paired with top-quality bluefin tuna belly, it would be a crime."

She suddenly raised her head, looking at Chen An with fervent eyes.

"How much do you have? I'll take it all. And this water too!" She pointed to the bottle of underground river water from the devil's throat next to her.

"The broth made with this water is as clear as a mirror, yet it tastes even better than broth made with concentrated chicken stock!"

"Current production is limited."

Chen An slowly wiped his hands; this was the confidence of a seller's market.

"Wasabi, as you know, has a slow growth cycle and is picky about its environment."

"I was lucky to have this little bit of inventory on my land."