My absurd experiences in North America over the years

California sunshine seems perpetually bright, but Los Angeles nights are the complete opposite.

This world-renowned entertainment capital hides a filth and sordidness that almost matches its fame.

Li Fu's state of mind had been quietly changed with the receding tide on the south coast.

After returning to Los Angeles, he officially took over the operation of Pacific Horizon Distributors.

Li Fu knew very well that his relationship with Cole was not a simple employer-employee relationship, but rather an unspoken understanding.

Cole knew he didn't want to involve any blatant transfer of benefits in Lucy's relationship.

Therefore, this compromise was adopted, which was called "temporary custody," but in reality, the official seal and financial control were also transferred together.

Li Fu was fully aware of this, but he still took it over. His purpose was not to make money from this small company. The financial crisis was still a long way off, and that would be his chance to make his mark.

Now he's more interested in using his liquor company's business to reach out to the mysterious Blue Cellar bar.

Because of Cole's reminder, he couldn't touch Winslop for the time being, so he would investigate more thoroughly and find out the mysterious broker who was contacting Winslop.

That was the real culprit who framed Lucy.

After taking over Pacific Horizon Distributors, Li Fu handed over the main business to his employees and devised a seemingly crazy strategy.

He contacted Marcus, the manager of Blues Cellar, on behalf of the company, and supplied them with goods at the lowest prices in all of Los Angeles.

The price is so low that it is almost equal to the cost price.

However, Marcus is cautious and still unwilling to change suppliers.

Li Fu understood why the other party was being so cautious.

The bar's primary purpose may not be entirely to make a profit, but rather to provide a place to go.

It can be a blues cellar, a reds cellar, or whatever you call it.

The name doesn't matter at all.

As long as it offers sufficient privacy, it will definitely make money; it's just a matter of how much.

On the other hand, no matter how much the bar makes, it has almost no impact on Marcus's salary.

He doesn't need to develop the market, so naturally he doesn't get any commission.

Therefore, price wars are simply not a viable strategy.

Li Fu had to change his strategy.

Since the bar's performance doesn't significantly affect manager Marcus, he should be given an attractive discount.

He lied, claiming that he wanted to enter the high-end wine market but had no way to do so, and hoped that Marcus could open a door for him, for which he would reward him handsomely.

Indeed, money is still incredibly useful in capitalist countries.

Marcus was willing to change the supplier's name for less than half the price of the price war.

The alcoholic beverages supplied are still at market price.

However, in reality, Marcus can get a discount of about five dollars per bottle on average, which adds up to a huge sum over the years.

After becoming a supplier, Li Fu could more easily enter and leave this mysterious bar.

He disguised himself multiple times to infiltrate the interior, attempting to find the mysterious broker.

But reality was like punching cotton.

The Blues Cellar hasn't changed much; it has maintained its old-school jazz bar character for a long time, with its dim lighting always filled with the aroma of expensive cigars and the malty scent of whiskey.

After a long period of reconnaissance, Li Fu was already very familiar with the terrain here.

The leftmost private room on the basement floor is a blind spot, making it the best location for trading sensitive information.

There is a VIP room on the second basement floor with extremely poor soundproofing; you can hear everything that's going on inside just by standing right next to the ventilation ducts.

He even personally tested the load-bearing capacity and noise level of the elevator used to transport drinks in the kitchen.

However, the mysterious broker never appeared again.

Perhaps because his attempt to kidnap Lucy failed, he was afraid of being implicated by Winslop, so he proactively cut off all contact.

However, Li Fu never left empty-handed after so many visits.

During countless infiltrations and reconnaissance missions, he unexpectedly became an observer of many secrets.

This era had a specific atmosphere characteristic of George W. Bush's administration; the housing bubble had not yet burst, and Wall Street's greed was still in its infancy.

Hollywood's extravagance and decadence are even more blatant.

One rainy night, Li Fu hid in the shadows on the second floor and overheard the whispers of two seemingly respectable middle-aged men.

They weren't just talking about movie box office numbers; they were also discussing a land development proposal that was about to be passed in California.

"If that environmental bill is rejected, that piece of land in the San Fernando Valley will be worth ten times more," one of the voices said in a low voice. "We've already got the connections with Representative Winthrop, and the men in Congress might trade it for the passage of the healthcare bill."

Li Fu didn't understand politics very well.

But one thing he was very clear about was that Republicans and Democrats in the Senate would block each other's bills.

Sometimes, implementing a policy requires repeated back-and-forth negotiations or the exchange of interests.

If you Republicans want to pass your bill, then first veto any bills that are detrimental to my Democrats.

Choose one of the two.

Sometimes, even if one side controls a majority of the Senate seats, private bribery can still lead some senators to defect.

Li Fu didn't react much after hearing this.

He had heard plenty about this kind of political corruption in his previous life, when information was readily available.

Furthermore, the inside stories revealed during Trump's second term were far more explosive than this; it's possible that even the First Lady of North America, Trump's wife, had something going on with Epstein.

His threshold was raised significantly.

These sound like child's play.

Besides political secrets, gossip and deals in the entertainment industry are also common topics of conversation here.

He had heard that a popular male star was looking for a scapegoat to cover up a scandal, and that a senior executive at a major film studio was secretly preparing a comic book movie about a superhero.

Iron Man had not yet been released at this time, so it could be considered a high-risk gamble.

"Blue Cellar" is like a giant intelligence black hole, devouring Los Angeles' most secretive desires.

Those political brokers are exchanging information and then trying to facilitate some kind of exchange of interests.

In the entertainment industry, brokers are more likely to be looking for candidates and then sending them to the residence of some important person.

Of course, some are willing to do it.

As many people know, Hollywood directors often place a red sofa during auditions, and once an actor sits on it, it signifies that they have agreed to the unspoken rules.

And that's just the most basic level.

Below that is an abyss that stretches as far as the eye can see.

Li Fu was well aware of the logic behind the operation of power in this city, and even more aware of the filth in Hollywood that ordinary people could not see.

However, he did nothing.

He wouldn't be foolish enough to fight against these things; it would be pointless.

He just wanted to find that mysterious broker and send him to hell with Winslop.

But the trail went cold.

This made him feel extremely bored.

During this time, he tried to revive the "Twenty Dollar Bodyguard" video series on YouTube.

It still involves selecting passersby.

He didn't expect to make money from this, and of course he can't make any money now; it's just a way to pass the time.

He wasn't in the mood to do anything else until he had brought an end to the people who had hurt Lucy.

Summer arrived quickly.

That afternoon, in the sweltering heat, Li Fu's private phone suddenly rang.

He was confused because not many people knew his phone number; the employees at the liquor company usually contacted him by another number.

But he still answered the call.

A young woman's professional and capable voice came through the receiver, "Hello, is this Mr. Li?"

"Yes, it's me," Li Fu replied affirmatively.

"Mr. Li, hello. We are here because we were introduced by someone and would like to hire you as our bodyguard."

The voice on the other end was very polite, even a little respectful.

Li Fu subconsciously assumed they were fans who wanted to film videos or strange passersby who somehow got his phone number.

His tone was somewhat perfunctory, "Sorry, I'm not in the mood today."

He refused outright.

Then he hung up the phone.

However, less than half a minute later, the phone rang again.

"I told you, I'm not in the mood today, let's reschedule for another day," Li Fu said, still maintaining basic restraint.

However, if the other party continues to pester him, he will start cursing.

"Mr. Li, don't worry, you can take a look first," the other party said, not flustered by his refusal. "We are a project team for the well-known men's magazine Maxim, and we need a professional bodyguard to be responsible for the security of the shooting location for the next two weeks."

She gave a detailed introduction and promised that the amount of remuneration was negotiable, showing great sincerity.

Li Fu wasn't particularly interested in the fee, but his heart skipped a beat when he heard about Maxim magazine.

He suddenly sat up straight, his body, which had been lazily leaning back in the chair.

Maxim is an internationally renowned men's magazine that was launched in North America in 1997 and quickly became a hit, once becoming the best-selling men's magazine in the United States.

Its global distribution covers more than 20 countries.

But that's not the key point.

No matter how popular it becomes, Li Fu won't be very interested.

The main difference lies in the magazine's content, which covers a wide range of topics including music, sports, television, movies, trendsetters, technology products, and advice on relationships.

Most importantly, it features a large number of photographs of sexy women.

Actually, photography and portraiture aren't that important.

If Li Fu wanted to, he could pursue many beautiful women in real life; what's the point of just looking at photos?

What he's really interested in is that, chronologically speaking, Gal Gadot should have retired by now.

If he remembers correctly, this future "Wonder Woman" should be shooting a cover story for this magazine that could change her career.

In the summer of 2006, she was not yet the superhero who saved the world, but just a fledgling Miss Israel looking for opportunities.

Gal Gadot later admitted that she had attended Didi's white party, which sparked a global controversy.

Since that mysterious broker has disappeared without a trace.

Starting with her might be a better approach.

If the mysterious broker promised Winslop tickets to the white party, then he must be a deep participant.

"Price is negotiable," Li Fu changed his mind, his previous dejection vanishing. "Tell me the address; I happen to be free this afternoon."

The sea breeze may not be able to dispel the sorrow of parting, but under the scorching sun of Los Angeles, new opportunities are quietly emerging.

Li Fu did not show any extra emotion during that phone call; he even kept the frequency of his voice steady and calm.

"Alright then, we can offer you the highest market rate. If you agree, I can send you a draft contract via email now." The other party offered a very straightforward price, seemingly well aware of Li Fu's capabilities.

"OK, send it to my email!" Li Fu didn't negotiate the price; he didn't even know the market price.

The man on the other end of the phone, clearly used to haggling and striking up conversations, was slightly surprised by Li Fu's businesslike and efficient manner.

Of course, she felt mostly relieved.

Because it can save a lot of tedious steps and unnecessary words.

In less than three minutes, a draft contract in PDF format was sent to Li Fu's email address.

Li Fu glanced at it and saw that the salary standard was the top standard set by SAG-AFTRA (Screenwriters Guild of America) for stunt coordinators or senior security personnel. For a short-term job of half a month, this money was quite generous.

But he didn't even look at the amount column and printed it out directly.

This is followed by a confidentiality agreement (NDA).

This is of utmost importance for magazines like Maxim; the photos must never be leaked before publication, not to mention the privacy of the artists that may be involved during the shoot.

After carefully reviewing the information, Li Fu picked up the phone and called back.

"I've reviewed the contract, no problem." His voice remained indifferent. "But I need to confirm one thing: besides standard security, do you need me to handle any... special interference?"

He paused for a moment on the other end of the phone, then laughed and said, "Mr. Li, you are indeed very professional. Yes, our filming location is quite private, and there may be some paparazzi or enthusiastic fans. We need you to ensure that the scene is absolutely safe and undisturbed."

"Understood," Li Fu said without further ado. "Tell me the address, and I'll bring the signed contract over."

"Actually... the location isn't in Los Angeles," Emily said tentatively. "Our filming crew has already set off for Tel Aviv. If you're okay with that, we can sign the contract and then arrange for you to fly there as soon as possible."

Li Fu's lips curled up slightly, and the moment he hung up the phone, the gloom in his eyes completely disappeared.

It really was there.

According to fragments of her past life memories, Gal Gadot, who had just retired from the military in 2006, received an invitation from Maxim magazine to return to Israel to shoot a feature film titled "Women in the Israel Defense Forces".

Although the photos sparked some controversy due to their depiction of military personnel, they also successfully brought this fledgling model into the mainstream North American public eye.

Li Fu didn't pack much luggage. He only brought a tactical backpack containing his usual self-defense tools, a few printed contracts, and two sets of civilian clothes.

The contract signing process went very smoothly.

The project team booked him the earliest flight to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport.

The moment Li Fu boarded the plane, he suddenly remembered something.

The tall figure he and Lucy had seen on a beach in Southern California a few months ago.

Is she Gal Gadot?

If so, then she might have approached him intentionally. The two were complete strangers, so her intentional approach might have been at someone else's behest.

Who is behind this?

(Just to clarify, Gal Gadot is mentioned mainly because she is Jewish, as is Epstein, who was a political broker. This aspect makes it easier to understand her. She's a minor character, so don't worry about her too much. If you want to focus on the plot, skip to chapter 65.)