Chapter 43: The Follow-Up Interview (Part 2)

[Chapter 43: The Follow-Up Interview (Part 2)]

Ten minutes later.

Gaskill changed to another room.

Three people sat in the room with cameras aimed at them. Ian held a microphone toward the lens and said, "This might be one of the rarest interviews, as the host is actually a participant in the event, while the interviewee is the photographer. We all experienced this incident in a unique environment, turning us into amateur journalists and unprofessional photographers. So now, let's interview the victim and photographer of the Olrat Hotel shooting, Mr. Gaskill Bronte, who happens to be the chairman of Lino Bank in Los Angeles."

He pointed the microphone toward Gaskill. "Mr. Bronte, what are your thoughts on the shootout that just happened?"

Gaskill smiled, "I was scared out of my wits! You can feel my anxiety through that shaky camera."

Lena covered her mouth, giggling. Initially, when Ian had done that carjacking, she thought he was just a reckless kid. But after the hotel shooting, she finally saw his strength and courage. He was just a smart and brave young man who liked to resolve problems efficiently!

She thought to herself.

Ian continued, "But you still bravely held up the camera. Was it to protect your wife?"

He shifted the perspective toward love, adding more elements.

Gaskill turned to look at Lena and smiled at the camera, saying, "I love my wife, but honestly, I wasn't thinking about that at the moment. The reason I held up the camera was that the host interviewing me told me not to be afraid; he would handle everything. I chose to trust you... not because we were that close, but like a drowning person clutching at straws, I had no other choice. But now I know that the kid interviewing me is a trustworthy guy, so if there's a next time, I will take the initiative for holding the camera."

He then turned to Ian. "Why don't you let me interview you? As a participant, you should also be interviewed. Tell me, Ian, what allowed you to keep your calm in that situation?"

Ian faced the camera and said, "It's the professionalism of a journalist! Our duty is to bring the truth to the audience! To let the viewers live in a world without deception, to show them everything that happens, to expose the darkness, to bring light. For this, we risk everything, even ourselves!"

Gaskill immediately chimed in, "Does that include interviewing those who were harmed?"

He alluded to Ian interviewing the "Burning Torch."

Ian smiled, "If one day I fell from a great height, I'd hope there would be a microphone to interview me about my feelings while falling without a parachute. If one day I soared through a fire, I would hope to give a victory sign to the camera. If one day a bullet pierced my chest, I would pull back my wound to show them my heart's final stubborn beats. If one day I got caught in bed with someone..."

He paused for effect.

Lena laughed and chimed in, "You'd reveal everything?"

Ian shook his head gently, "No, I would immediately rush over and smash the camera."

Interviews had to involve humor, twists, and jokes.

In short, it was about igniting the audience's emotions.

You couldn't let them guess what was coming next. For that reason, everything and everyone were fair game for mockery, humor, or even insults.

A famous celebrity once said, "Half the money you earn is for taking heat," which was undeniably true!

So if one day Ian really got caught by a paparazzo in bed, he would likely say, "Hey, watch your angle; don't make my buddy look small!"

But that didn't stop him from taking shots at himself now.

People loved to take shots.

They enjoyed mocking others, even themselves, but they couldn't let others get the upper hand!

...

The interview went well; after interviewing the Gaskill couple, Ian moved on to interview the front desk attendant and other guests in the hotel. Though they didn't like being disturbed, they cooperated considering they were saved by the hero.

One Black guy shouted at the camera, "I didn't know what was happening outside! Otherwise, I would have rushed out there and smashed their heads with my iron fists!"

Ian replied, "But there were dozens of gunshots fired; you didn't notice?"

The Black guy roared, "Because I'm hard of hearing! I can never hear what others say; otherwise, why would my voice be so loud? You know hard-of-hearing people tend to speak loudly, right?"

Ian smiled, "I believe you."

The Black guy grinned widely.

...

After interviewing other nearby guests, Ian returned to write his report.

The follow-up coverage on the shooting included some photos missing from the videos -- all of them would become the exclusive news for the Los Angeles Herald tomorrow.

After sending it to Lloyd for immediate arrangement, Ian finally went to bed.

Because he had stayed up late the previous night, he slept in the next morning.

...

The next day, ian got up and went out to buy a copy of the Herald.

Last night's online reports had already started to gain traction, so today's Los Angeles Herald also saw a surge in print numbers and sales.

As he looked at the contents of the Herald, Ian took a bite of the hot dog he had just bought, his face beamed with a satisfied smile.

He opened his computer to check the website and found it already filled with numerous comments.

"Damn! This was the most exciting shootout I'd seen all year!"

"This footage was so shaky! Too shaky!"

"You can't expect a bank president to shoot high-quality video."

"How do you know it was the bank president filming?"

"Idiot! Look at the Herald interview; the follow-up report is already out."

"Damn Ian Carr! Why did he split the report?"

"Because in addition to being a badass journalist, he's also a sly businessman."

"Wow, this guy can shoot!"

"I don't think it's that impressive; the key is he's great at timing, always able to shoot at just the right moment... Standing in the hallway shooting at the door, my eighty-year-old grandma could've taken those guys down!"

Clearly, the person speaking was a gun enthusiast who didn't care about Ian's rookie shooting skills but praised his sense for timing.

Someone else remarked:

"So, is this the reporter who interviewed the Burning Torch? He's pretty handsome! I want to freeze this moment!"

"Ian Carr, you're so charming. I saw your big gun, but now I want to see your little gun, which might not be that little! I can leave my address; I'm pretty, and I'm disease-free... at least for now!"

Of course, there were opposing voices as well.

Some cried out, "Ian Carr is just an attention-seeking clown!"

This was clearly jealousy from fellow journalists!

...

Looking at those comments, Ian couldn't help but chuckle.

He shook his head gently, "You could at least use a display picture and come to me... The Los Angeles Herald isn't hard to find."

The originally famous Butterfly hadn't really hit the spotlight yet, so he found himself gaining another wave of popularity through the Burning Torch and the shooting incident. Things were truly unpredictable.

Then he quickly left a message saying, "Go buy the Los Angeles Herald; there's more specific information there. Los Angeles Herald, focused on real-time news, delivering breaking news to you first! We never harbor outdated news!"

After leaving that message, Ian shut down his computer and, noticing his eyes, saw that his Influence Points had indeed started to rise.

The news had just begun to pick up steam, but it wouldn't be long before his right eye would officially advance to level two.

*****

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