According to the plan, Dean drove east through Arizona into Salt Lake City, Utah, then turned onto I-80 and traveled along the route of Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois before arriving at his destination in Indiana.

The journey was nearly 2,800 kilometers, and with a short break in between, it was estimated to take three days.

It's only a four-hour flight, but nine years ago, Dean's parents traveled by car along this long path, so Dean had to go through it all over again to gather some clues for a long-term event that had been put on hold in the system - Bloodline (Chapter 109):

Event difficulty: Undecided

Progress (0/100)

Duration: Indefinite

Reward: Undecided (adds up gradually)

Punishment: None...

……

From early morning to afternoon, after six and a half hours of non-stop travel, Dean made his way through the cool city of Arizona to Salt Lake City, Utah.

Get out of the car and take a break.

Salt Lake City is sunny, warm and dry, not as hot as Las Vegas, but close to July, the temperature is not low.

Dean bought a burger on the side of the street and rested against the car door to satisfy his hunger, looking around comfortably -

Surrounded by the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado Plateau and the Great Salt Lake, the city is surrounded by lush greenery, fresh air and a natural environment.

The streets of the city are wide and neat, because it is the weekend, there are hardly any cars on the road, but there are many men in short-sleeved white shirts, black trousers, and ties riding their bicycles leisurely, and women in conservative long skirts strolling along the streets.

None of them are ordinary people –

Utah is the stronghold of the Mormon Church, and Salt Lake City is the holy land of the Mormon Church, where more than half of the inhabitants are Mormons.

According to the Book of Mormon, followers are to follow a whole bunch of pure precepts: the Ten Commandments of Moses, the Proverbs of Wisdom, and even the strange rule that they must discriminate against Black Brother, regard Black as a descendant of Cain, pollute the bloodline, and those who intermarry with Black will be put to death.

In addition, to this day, polygamy within the church has not been completely broken, and many disputes have arisen from this.

The classic detective Sherlock Holmes detective book "A Study in Scarlet Letters" was born against this background.

……

Men and women smiled and nodded their heads in friendly acknowledgment when they noticed Dean's unfamiliar Asian face on the street.

Dean gained countless "hello" in half an hour, and for the first time, he didn't encounter a single white eye, well, the people here are very friendly.

"Hey."

A crisp and pleasant girl stopped him, a blonde girl in her twenties in a conservative and strict long skirt waved from the side of the street, and her smile with white teeth was full of the affinity of an American girl, which made people feel good.

"Thunder Monkey? Inside? I'm a Mormon preacher, Susie. The girl directly sent a very non-standard greeting in Cantonese and Hokkien.

"Dean Lew." Dean reluctantly smiled and replied,

"Are you visiting Salt Lake City for the first time?"

"Hmm."

Susie smiled brighter and spoke directly, "Allow me to show you around the sights of Salt Lake City... The state legislature, which is more luxurious than Capitol Hill, the vast salt lake..."

"Sorry, I didn't plan to hire a guide."

"You misunderstood, I don't charge money, but I want to visit the church with me and read the Book of Mormon when I travel... Yes, when the girls on our side reach adulthood, they have to serve for eighteen months at their own expense. ”

The girl clasped her hands to her chest, and the afternoon sun gilded her beautiful face with a layer of piety and holiness.

"But trust me, you won't regret it, God's faith will make you sunny, happy, and happy..."

Dean smiled and shook his head,

"Thank you for your kindness, but it suddenly occurred to me that I didn't have time." He swallowed the remaining half of the burger in one gulp, his cheeks puffed out like a squirrel, "I'll have to get to Wyming before it gets dark, and I'll talk about it next time I'm free." ”

"Please take my number... Contact me next time. "The girl's big eyes shone with sincerity and purity, like a lovely fawn.

Bang!

The doors slammed shut.

"What do you say? I can't hear clearly. Dean waved his hand in the window and stepped on the accelerator to speed away.

"Don't go, please leave your contact information, please!"

"Goodbye!"

Dean stared at the reluctant Pretty Girl Missionary in the rearview mirror, turned the steering wheel, and headed for the I-80 highway that passed through Salt Lake City.

"What about polygamy? Don't try to trick me into believing in religion. ”

He distanced himself from all religious beliefs.

……

Fearing that he would be brainwashed and proselytized again, Dean did not dare to stop in Utah, so he walked down the I-80 highway into the Evanston neighborhood southwest of Owimin, and found a remote rural town according to the map and parked his car.

It was seven o'clock in the evening, and the night was falling, and the mid-air was swarthy like a monster's open mouth.

Most of the town's commercial buildings are closed, there are no people on the streets, and only a few hotels are open except for bars, which are still brightly lit.

Guided by a sense of intimacy, Dean cocked the collar of his trench coat and walked into a hotel restaurant in the center of town where Papa Mack's restaurant was still open.

Two cars have been parked outside the hotel, a red Ford pickup and a pure white Chevrolet.

A gray-haired but energetic old man at the front desk immediately greeted loudly,

"Guests from afar, welcome to our shop. Tired from a long day's journey, why don't you take a night's rest at Old Mike's house? Old Mack is guaranteed to make you feel at home, with hot water, comfortable rooms, and Wyoming specialties. ”

The hungry Dean nodded and looked around, although this hotel is not big and has been renovated for a certain year, it is fully furnished, the floor, walls, tables and lampshades are all warm colors, which makes people feel very warm.

And there are not many guests, it has already arrived, but there are only two tables of guests in the restaurant on the first floor opposite.

"Okay, a single room, three steaks..."

"I suggest you have a copy of our Wyoming Rocky Mountain oysters... The food is said to be good, and it is especially nourishing, especially suitable for strong young people like you. Old Mike's face trembled with a white beard, his eyes flashed with sincerity, and he had an expression of no regret after eating.

"Rocky Mountain oysters?" Dean raised an eyebrow, Rocky Mountain is inland, and there is a place to produce oysters?

But it's also good to travel and try some local characteristics,

"Add another oyster, then."

"Oysters go best with red wine," said Old Mike, who continued to sell hard. This kind of small place in the middle of nowhere, as long as you turn eighteen. ”

"I don't drink, I'll have a pot of grape juice,"

"Stick guy, you made a wise choice, accommodation, steaks, oysters, drinks, tips, a total of seventy dollars." Old Mike accepted the money, his face was wrinkled and stretched, and his eyes were so enthusiastic that he seemed to see a long-lost relative. "Please wait a moment in the restaurant, the food will be coming soon."

……

Dean left the front desk after paying and walked to the side of the dining room, where he noticed a dazzling array of decorative photo frames hanging on the walls, framed with many family-style group photos, fathers, mothers, and children smiling in a circle.

The date is outlined with a black pen in the center of the photo, along with a few short lines of description.

"In March 1981, Lily, Johnny, I experienced the sensation of an explosion in my mouth at Papa Mack, thank God, I will always remember this day."

"In July 1980, Apu, Lisa, Kathy, and Wyoming were dry and cold, but Daddy Mack kept us warm and full of firepower."

Dean looked at the photos on the wall one by one, and found that there were even family photos from 1971 10 years ago, and this Mack Daddy was still a time-honored brand.

"I'm sorry, little brother, can you come over for a moment?" When Dean walked to the north corner of the restaurant, he was stopped by a middle-aged man who was eating, wearing a shirt and a fur vest, black hair, rectangular face with a pair of thick tortoiseshell-colored glasses, and looked polite.

And beside him, a woman with curly blond hair still has charm in her hands, her head puffed up, and next to him, a blonde girl who looks to be eighteen or nine years old, petite and delicate, and has a sweet and well-behaved appearance, is munching on a vegetable salad.

"I'm Leo Bernard, I'm from Los Angeles, and this is my wife, Camille, and my daughter, Julie."

The man explained, holding out his hand.

Dean shook his hand, grinned, and accepted the invitation to sit at the table,

"Dean, from Las Vegas."

"Can you do me a favor and see how appropriately Julie wears that dress?" The man handed Dean a photo, and his wife's also turned her gaze, her face full of anticipation like a contestant waiting for the judges' score,

"I'm sorry, three, I'm a person with no fashion taste, I can only talk about feelings," Dean swept the girl in the red dress with a stinky face and made a salad, and then looked at the photo of her in a blue dress, "Well, the red dress, with tulle sleeves and bows, just fits Julie's appearance and makes her look... Well, even more delicate and sweet. ”

The corners of her daughter's mouth curled uncontrollably when she heard this,

"Haha, look!" The husband looked at his wife with a smug expression, "I just said that Julie is more appropriate to wear red!" ”

"You win, stingy!" The wife rolled her eyes at her husband amorously, propped her chin and looked at Dean with a beautiful smile,

"You're visiting Wyoming?"

"That's right, I've heard that Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park here are worth visiting. Your Excellency's family too? Dean was full of nonsense,

The man's eyes lit up, he raised the eyes on the bridge of his nose, and said pretending to be reserved,

"We're preparing to send Julie to college in Lafayette City, Indiana."

He and his wife were gushing about showing off as the family drove to Purdue University's philosophy department in Indiana to get their daughter into college.

"Congratulations, Purdue University is ranked well in the United States, and your daughter's future is limitless." Dean complimented, Leo smiled from ear to ear, Camille trembled and her chest trembled, and Julie snorted softly in her nose, raising her chin proudly and proudly, revealing her slender snow-white neck...

"Your dish has arrived." At this time, old Mike smiled and pushed the dining cart to the front.

"Wow... Three steaks, the appetite of young people is good. Leo touched his beer belly, his face amazed and envious,

"Asian detective, you eat so much in one night, and you're not afraid of panicking?" Julie propped her chin with her hands, and couldn't help but joke about this peer in a big black trench coat and a deer hunting hat,

"I didn't eat much during the day, so now I have a bigger appetite." Dean smiled and opened the grape juice and poured a glass for each of Leo's family,

"Let's raise a glass to today's fate."

A group of four people touched a glass.

Sipping his drink, Dean noticed that at the table opposite, a tall man in denim overalls, with medium-length hair, and a "sharp chin" stood up and nodded in friendly acknowledgment.

Leaving the table, I went straight out of the hotel gate.

Under the light that no one was paying attention to, the man shrugged his nose like a dog, got into his Ford pickup truck with excitement in his eyes, and walked away.

……

"Wait, Daddy Mac," Dean glanced at a strange plate of steaks that looked like browned and crispy slices of meat coated in flour and garnished with salt and pepper. "Why did you give me a fried tenderloin for the Rocky Mountain oysters I ordered?"

"That's right, it's Rocky Mountain oysters," Daddy said meaningfully, "and you'll know when you taste it." ”

Dean raised his eyebrows and put a piece in his mouth with a knife, and suddenly his nose moved, and the powerful perception took effect instantly,

"Why does this oyster smell strange?"

"Man, I'd suggest you dip some chili sauce," Leo said with a commendable expression of courage, "to get rid of the smell." ”

“OK。”

"Shall I help you taste it?" Julie spit out her pink tongue and licked her lips, carefully stretching out her knife, but was stopped by a disgraced Camille.

And Dean has already put the dish in his mouth.

As soon as you chew your teeth, the thick and fresh juice, the natural smell, the mellow aroma of grapes, and the spicy spice of chili sauce blend together.

It was like throwing a bomb into the mouth, and in an instant, a powerful impact went straight to the mind and broke through the Tianling cover.

“woh… Not... Hiss... Ah......h

Dean screamed strangely, his whole body trembled, a piece of warmth, a row of sweat beads appeared on his forehead, and two tears soaked out of the corners of his eyes.

"It's so strong, it's definitely not an oyster!"

"Rocky Mountain oysters, also known as Montana tenderloin, cowboy caviar, rubbed nuts, swinging beef." Old Mike smiled flatteringly, "It's made by peeling off the skin of the little bull's eggs, slicing and frying!" It is only during the festive season that cowboys can eat this supreme delicacy and draw the power of the bull from it to become strong. ”

"So, you're in luck, man, you're officially a Wyoming cowboy starting today."

"Poof! This guy ate cow balls! Julie pointed at Dean and was overjoyed.

And Dean's face is getting darker and darker, obviously a dark cuisine just making up a foolish name.

But not to mention that the taste is really unique, the more you chew, the more addictive it becomes.

"One slice is to eat, one plate is also to eat,"

He simply picked up the Rocky oyster and munched on it.

"Take it easy, man," Leo said with a solemn face, "be careful to make up for it when you're young!" ”

……

Dinner was spent in such a pleasant atmosphere.

"See you tomorrow morning!"

Having eaten and drunk, the Leo family said goodbye to Dean with a gig and returned to their room on the second floor.

Dean sat in the dining room in a daze, his cheeks flushed, and his lower abdomen couldn't stop pouring out of the heat.

Grape juice, steak and pure dark dish Rocky Mountain oysters.

It's powerful.

"Hey, man, if you really can't take it, don't take it?" At this time, Mike came up very intimately, and rolled his eyes, "How about I find a caring lady to help you extinguish the fire?" The price is negotiable. ”

Dean's eyelids jumped, did the countryside play so much?

"One ring after another, and one-stop service?"

"Do you need that?" The boss's enthusiastic smiling face is shrewd and obscene, "Fifty beautiful knives will let you release the passion of your whole body!" ”

"No, I don't."

Dean took a deep breath and suppressed the commotion, thinking that he would go out for a while at night to vent his energy and desires.

"Seriously, old Mike, how long have you been open in this shop?"

"Eighteen years, I plan to develop him into a century-old shop and pass it on to future generations," Old Mike pulled out a chair and sat next to him, "What's the matter, you want to find a job?" ”

"No, I wonder if there was a couple staying in the store nine years ago, in July 1972. The man is an Asian like me, named Bright Lou, and the female is called Lena Lou, an Indian...," Dean asked casually, with the attitude of giving it a try.

"I'm sorry, I'm old," the old man rubbed his temples in annoyance, "I don't have a good brain and can't remember." ”

"And now?" Dean magically grabbed two beautiful knives from the void and stuffed them into his withered palms,

"I remember!" The old man clapped his hands excitedly and got up, and quietly stuffed the money into his pocket, "If the couples staying here with me are very right, I will usually take a photo of them!" I'll look for it, July 1972..."

……

The old man turned to leave, and in less than five minutes he brought back a framed photograph.

In the photo, the man has a Chinese face, tall and burly, and the woman is wrapped around his arms, tall and beautiful.

The eyebrows and eyes of the two are somewhat similar to Dean's.

And under the photo is written a sentence:

July 16, 1972, Bright Lew, Lena Lew.

Dean, my boy, don't try Rocky Mountain oysters at Papa McMike unless you bring a girlfriend, and by the way, our next stop is Indiana Hawkins, visiting Jane Seymour.

"You're too late." Dean hugged the photo and smiled, "But Hawkins is the end of this trip, so I'll ask this Jane when the time comes." ”

The system shook.

An unknown event that has been put on hold for months, and the progress of the Journey to the Mists has jumped from zero to one percent.

"I'm sorry, man, but after all these years, there's not much I can do about it but this picture." Old Mac said regretfully,

"It's okay, just sell me the photos."

(End of chapter)