My absurd experiences in North America over the years

Lucy turned to the side, rested her elbow on the bar, and smiled at the young man.

That smile was completely different from the one she used to give when rejecting others; it wasn't the polite, aloof, and perfectly appropriate smile.

Rather, it carries a sense of provocation and novelty.

Li Fu sat next to her, holding the drink, watching the scene with a blank expression.

Only the fingers tightened slightly on the cup wall.

"Hello, my name is Marcus," the young man said as he approached Lucy.

His voice was gentler than his appearance, with a deep, resonant quality.

"Lucy," she said, reaching out her hand and touching his fingers to his seasonally.

"You look absolutely gorgeous today," Marcus said, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment before naturally shifting away, unlike the other pick-up artists who had stared at her legs or chest.

"Thank you," Lucy responded indifferently to the compliment.

Perhaps it's because I've heard it so many times.

Marcus leaned against the bar, forming a semi-enclosed angle with Lucy, naturally keeping Li Fu outside.

The movement was so natural that Lucy didn't even notice it.

"You must be from the South, I'm guessing... Tennessee," he said, changing the subject.

Lucy was a little surprised. "How did you know?"

"I could tell from your accent," Marcus said, taking a casual sip of his drink. "Your pronunciation has a slight upward inflection at the end of your sentences. Others might not notice, but my mother is from Nashville, and I've heard it since I was a child."

Lucy's expression changed.

She is indeed from Tennessee and grew up in Nashville, the state capital and country music capital.

She didn't even tell Li Fu about this; she only said that she wanted to study music but her family wouldn't allow it.

She was too young to understand.

In the eyes of politicians, the entertainment industry is not very respectable.

This Marcus, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

The opening remarks certainly caught Lucy's attention.

"Are you from Nashville?" Her voice was a little louder than before, and she leaned forward slightly.

"No, I grew up in Chicago, but every summer my mom would take me back to Nashville for a while." Marcus spoke casually, as if he were talking about something trivial.

"I see," Lucy nodded slowly.

They then talked about country music in Nashville.

We talked about some singers from Grand Ole Opry, the most famous country music radio show.

I've never heard of Li Fuquan.

However, this does not mean that country music is not popular in North America.

In fact, one-third of Americans consider country music their favorite, and its radio coverage far exceeds that of pop music.

In the vast rural farms of the Midwest, few musical genres can rival it.

Lucy once wanted to pursue country music.

Her idols in her youth were all country musicians.

Marcus's approach to the topic from this angle was quite successful.

Li Fu took a sip of his drink and began to assess this guy named Marcus in his mind.

The other party wasn't there to hunt for women, or at least not for that purpose; he had probably done his homework thoroughly.

He knew where Lucy came from, knew her accent, and knew how to use Nashville and country music to open her heart.

This is not the level of casual flirting in a bar.

Li Fu put down his drink and began to concentrate.

He needs to start being wary of this guy.

"How did you end up on the West Coast after leaving Nashville?" Marcus asked casually.

The tone was so natural, as if he were saying the weather was nice today.

Lucy was silent for a moment. Her purpose in leaving home was simply to escape her parents' strict discipline.

But she couldn't say those words easily.

"I recently read a poem that really touched me," Marcus said, seemingly to himself, but he was actually observing Lucy's changing expressions.

"What poem?" Lucy asked casually.

"Life is precious, love is more precious, but freedom is the most precious of all!" Marcus whispered affectionately.

Li Fu raised an eyebrow.

This is a short poem by the Hungarian poet Sándor Petőfi.

Of course, who created it isn't that important right now.

Importantly, this Marcus hit Lucy's "Achilles' heel" again.

Some people think that freedom is nothing special.

Life is so stressful; just being alive is a blessing.

What's the point of talking about freedom then?

However, for some people, it is too important.

For example, Lucy.

If she hadn't left her family, she would have felt like she was suffocating during her rebellious teenage years.

It's almost impossible to truly understand that feeling unless you've had the same experience.

Listening from the side, Li Fu had to admit that Marcus was indeed a talented person; he had a specific set of methods.

He didn't compliment Lucy's beauty, didn't make overt advances, and didn't say anything that would make anyone feel awkward. He just talked about music and things as ethereal as freedom.

And that's exactly what Lucy cares about.

That's a precise "sniper shot".

Lucy and he had a great time chatting. Her face was flushed from the alcohol, and her eyes shone brightly in the bar's amber lights.

Li Fu glanced at the time; it was almost midnight.

The two of them had been talking for more than half an hour.

Lucy has already had three glasses of whiskey tonight.

My movements have started to slow down, and my head is throbbing.

Marcus slid his right hand off the bar and let it hang down at his side as he adjusted his posture. Then, he held his glass in his left hand, blocking Lucy's view.

Almost as if by magic, a white solid, about the size of a grain of rice, appeared between his right thumb and forefinger.

If Li Fu hadn't been keeping an eye on him, it probably would have gone unnoticed.

Li Fu didn't even see his movement clearly before the white solid had fallen into Lucy's glass, barely causing a ripple.

It probably only took a second or two to completely melt away without a trace.

Li Fu's pupils suddenly contracted.

He probably knew what it was.

Because he worked as Lucy's bodyguard and frequently went to parties and nightclubs, he specifically researched the drugs commonly found in bars and nightclubs.

He had a basic understanding of those colorless, odorless, and rapidly dissolving pills that could cause people to lose consciousness without them even realizing it. The most common one was GHB, which would take effect in fifteen to twenty minutes after being ingested.

It can make people feel relaxed, excited, and arouse lust, while severely impairing judgment and self-control.

When combined with alcohol, the effect is doubled.

Another one is Rohypnol, also known as the "date rape drug," which causes confusion after it takes effect.

The victim may wake up the next day with no recollection of what happened.

Marcus most likely put in the first type.

But regardless of the method, the goal is likely the same.

He plotted against his employer, Lucy.