"This is the rare ingredient you sell for $500 a piece? This is a tiger pufferfish. In a huge transparent fish tank in the back kitchen, Jack saw seven or eight fat puffer fish with a body length of more than 50 centimeters and an eye-like black spot on their backs, swimming happily.

"Hi Yi, this is the 'Fugu King' from Shimonoseki City, my country, and it's the top-of-the-line 'Fugu'."

Chef Katsui's expression became very nervous, and his originally straight back unconsciously became a little rickety, as if he was ready to bow and apologize.

He had been working in New York for 20 years, and it was the first time he had seen a white person who could recognize the species of puffer fish at a glance, and looking at the young ghost in front of him with a smiling expression from beginning to end, a bad feeling gradually floated in his heart.

"Whoa." Jack rolled up his sleeves, scooped a fat tiger pufferfish out of the fish tank with a net, and gave it two brain breaks, and the guy immediately inflated like a balloon.

"It's so cute." Hannah on the side lit up her starry eyes, and stretched out her finger to tentatively poke the cute thing that had completely turned into a ball, but Jack grabbed her wrist.

"Be careful, the puffer fish is a very ferocious carnivorous fish, and its bite force can easily break through the hard shell."

Mike Taylor and Stella on the side watched suspiciously, carefully examining the mouth and lips of the pufferfish, but unexpectedly found that Chef Katsui's forehead was already covered with dense beads of sweat at this time.

"Tsk." Jack pinched the puffer fish in his hand, wiped his shoes with its belly covered with small spines, and threw it back into the fish tank, as if if he didn't do so, there was a certain procedure missing.

"Poof." Before everyone could react, Chef Katsui, who was still a little arrogant, had already knelt on the ground in a perfect orz posture, his head pressed against the ground, and shouted at the same time, "Moxia is a dog scum, Aunt Sain!" ”

All three except Jack were taken aback, and Mike Taylor subconsciously thought that this guy had pleaded guilty, and reached out to pull out the handcuffs.

"None of these fish are poisonous, and this matter should have nothing to do with him." Jack smiled and reached out to stop him, shaking his head.

Stella wondered, "You just have to look at it?" ”

Obviously, in her cognition, whether there is poison or not is up to the instrument, and these cute cute things should be caught back and stirred into meat sauce to test the ingredients.

Jack didn't explain immediately, but raised his hand to Chef Katsui, who was still lying on the ground, "Get up, we're here to find the murderer, not to cut off your money, help us find a quieter room." ”

A few minutes later, a few people sat cross-legged on tatami mats in a luxurious box, several beautiful yukata waitresses served delicate refreshments, and Hannah picked up a piece of cherry blossom cake and tasted it, narrowing her eyes slightly with an intoxicated expression on her face.

"Try this, the yokan of the island country is an indispensable supporting role in their tea ceremony, and the craftsmanship here is not bad." Jack also picked up a purple pastry from the food box and tasted it, and then recommended it to the two CSI detectives like a master.

Mike Taylor and Stella each picked up a piece and chewed it, with unconcealed curiosity in their eyes, "Can you explain what's going on?" How did you see at a glance that none of these fish were poisonous? ”

"The puffer fish is a very aggressive carnivorous fish that can easily become cannibalistic due to stress during farming and transportation, so farmers cut off their teeth and sew their mouths before transporting.

I just checked the tiger fish in the fish tank, not the expensive and rare wild species that the chef claimed, the kind of puffer fish is indeed very valuable, so they will be transported separately, neither cutting teeth nor sewing mouths, and the price of these farmed species in the fish tank just now is about twenty or thirty dollars per pound. ”

"If I'm not mistaken, that guy said before that a slice of fish here would sell for $500!" Stella gasped, "Are these rich people's money so easy to make?" ”

Jack shrugged and pointed to the beautiful waitresses in traditional Japanese yukata outside the door, "Do you think those rich people really care about what they eat in a place like this?"

Here, not only are the girls lying on the table using their bodies as a table without clothes, but I believe that the girls who wear kimono yukata also follow the tradition of wearing no underwear inside. ”

"Why do you know so much?" Hannah gave him a suspicious look.

Since Jack dared to speak, he was naturally ready to deal with it, "When you want to learn the language of a country, you need to understand the culture of that country, not to mention the materials I still need to prepare." ”

He then brought the topic back to the topic, "The current accepted view is that puffer fish do not produce toxins on their own, and that the TTX in their bodies generally comes from the food they eat, such as certain algae or shellfish such as weaving snails.

The farmed puffer fish are not only non-toxic, but also have a more tender and fatty taste than the so-called wild puffer fish in the wild because of the different food intake and the quality is uneven."

"Everyone, please slow down." Chef Katsui, who walked into the box, held a large plate of cut watermelon, knelt down in front of everyone, and respectfully placed it on the low table.

Knowing that this product was deliberately interrupting his own popular science, Jack didn't bother with him, he said before that he would not cut off people's money, and that island people make money from the old and rich people, and it is his business.

"Has your store been blackmailed or threatened recently?"

Chef Katsui shook his head suspiciously, "No, we're with the local uh. It's always been a good relationship. ”

Knowing that they must be covered by a gang, Jack didn't ask much and changed the subject.

"Katsui-san, does Deborah Gale often come to your restaurant for dinner?"

"Yes, Miss Gale is our guest here, and has been here many times, especially for the last two months, almost every week." Chef Katsui bowed his head and was extremely humble.

"Tell me about her impression of you."

Chef Katsui's question made Chef Katsui frown, and after a long time, he hesitated, "Her interest doesn't seem to be in the food at this restaurant. ”

"Why do you say that?" Mike Taylor straightened up a little awkwardly, and this cross-legged sitting position was really uncomfortable for him.

Chef Katsui hesitated again for a moment, and then he wondered, "One of our waitresses complained to me that she wouldn't always be the one to receive Miss Gale, but I told her that we don't have the right to choose our customers, especially when the other party is a VIP customer. ”

The eyes of the four people, including Jack, suddenly lit up, and Stella couldn't wait to ask, "Are the waiters you are talking about the kind that serves as a plate?" When Deborah Gale dined today, she was also hosted? ”

Chef Katsui nodded vigorously, "Yes, I'm going to call someone to get her." ”

Soon, a beautiful mixed-race girl was called to the door, and she was complaining as she walked, "I feel very unwell and don't want to receive any more guests today." ”

Seeing the four people sitting in the box, she couldn't help but be stunned, turned around and wanted to leave, but froze in place under the unkind gaze of Chef Katsui.

"Michiko, what exactly did you do?"

The girl named Michiko had a flustered expression and a wandering look in her eyes, "I didn't do anything, I don't know what you're talking about." ”

"Please come in, Miss Michiko, we must have a lot to talk about." Hannah got up and walked up to her, grabbed her arm without question, and pulled the sliding door shut.

(End of chapter)