Chapter 78: Time to Speed Things Up

[Chapter 78: Time to Speed Things Up]

March 7.

The leader of the Israeli Likud Party, Ariel Sharon, was sworn in as Prime Minister. He implemented tough policies against Palestine, causing an escalation in radical activities against Israel.

However, in America, people were more concerned about another matter.

"Extra! Extra!"

"Ian Carr, chairman of Carr Media Group, officially broke up with Kate Beckinsale!"

"After the incident with Charlie Mills, the two entered a brief romantic phase. However, this relationship, lacking understanding and relying solely on passion, clearly lacked foundation, resulting in a split after only half a year."

"Ian's new love interest has been confirmed to be Scarlett Johansson. The two had already known each other, having previously collaborated in saving a suicidal teenager."

"This exclusive report comes from the Los Angeles Herald and WND News Network."

...

With the news of Ian and Scarlett's relationship revealed, the promotional campaign for Pearl Harbor officially kicked off. The public exposure of Ian's two relationships brought Ian, Kate, and Scarlett back into the spotlight, stirring up discussions among the masses.

Not long after, new reports surfaced, this time detailing Kate Beckinsale's heartbreak over Ian's betrayal and her alleged romance with Ben Affleck. It was interesting to note that the same report had come from the Los Angeles Herald.

The main characters of the news were in a room, enjoying their time together while reading the paper.

In a luxurious hotel suite, Kate Beckinsale, naked and beautiful, tightly held onto Ian's neck.

She shouted with glee, releasing her inner pleasure and... dissatisfaction. There was even a thrill of excitement as she was cheating on Ben.

To this, Ben remarked, "At least having sex with someone is considered cuckolding. If there is nothing else, just creating an empty rumor is nothing."

The couple indulged themselves in each other's company.

After a long while, Kate finally relaxed from her demands on Ian, her body feeling soft as she looked at him, who lay breathlessly on her curves. She sparkled with her big eyes and, with her red lips lightly parted, playfully asked, "So how many times did you and Scarlett do it that day?"

Ian kissed her soft cheeks and replied, "Three times."

Kate bit her lip in anger, "You bastard, you didn't work that hard for me."

"I promise we'll do it three times today too," Ian chuckled as he snuggled closer to her.

His recent workouts had been paying off, and his stamina had noticeably increased.

Kate shook her head continuously, "I can't do anymore, Ian, let's take a break, but I won't let you work!"

Unlike Scarlett, who enjoyed watching him work, Kate despised the idea of Ian working while they were together. To her, it felt like a disrespect to their time together.

Perhaps it was the psychological impact of Ian abandoning her for the sake of news that led to this mindset, while Scarlett had taken advantage of the situation during work to get close to Ian.

The paths to their achievements were different, resulting in differing feelings.

"But I still have to take calls," Ian said, getting off her and reaching for a glass of wine to pour and hand to Kate.

She leaned back against the bed, showcasing her beautiful figure, causing Ian to suppress his excitement, as he was now immune to her charms.

Kate looked at him and asked, "How's our news doing? Is it trending?"

"Not yet, which is quite a disappointment," Ian sighed.

Kate gently kissed him and replied, "It's okay, you'll get your time in the spotlight. You always do."

Ian smiled but stayed silent.

Kate said, "By the way, I found out why Charlie Mills wanted to kill Jude Codd."

"What did you say?" Ian was taken aback.

Jude Codd was the producer killed by Charlie Mills shortly after Ian's arrival.

Kate tossed her hair and explained, "Bloods gang is involved in many illegal businesses, one of which is human trafficking, primarily targeting women for some powerful figures."

Ian was well aware of this, especially since Charlie Mills had intended to sell Kate to Bloods.

Kate continued, "Jude Codd worked with Bloods, sometimes seeking out unknown beautiful girls in Hollywood, finding ways to trick them into getting involved, and then Bloods would step in."

Hollywood was never short of pretty girls lacking fame.

"So that's how it was. How did you find out?" Ian inquired, puzzled.

Then it hit him: "Do you have proof?"

Was the crazy Jett's evidence with Kate?

Kate sighed softly, "One day, Jude's wife came to my house and left some things behind. Looking back now, it seems she did it on purpose."

"I knew it," Ian frowned. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Kate shook her head gently, "I didn't dare to... there were some big players involved. If it fell into your hands, I knew you would do something."

Ian chuckled.

He squinted his eyes and embraced Kate, "So why tell me now?"

Kate rolled her eyes at him, "Because I'm afraid you'd lose the bet! I'm scared you might fall for Scarlett and forget about me! You bastard, I can't live without you!"

She clung to Ian, kissing him passionately, her eyes filled with obsession.

So that's what it was? Feeling the affection from his beautiful companion, Ian's heart softened.

He promised softly, "I won't leave you, Kate."

Kate bit him hard, "Remember what you said, bastard. I'll need to go shoot films soon, don't forget me, tremember to think of me!"

Ian responded with the most passionate kiss, deepening their connection.

...

The next day, Ian received the tape Kate had given him, containing videos of some prominent figures, including several politicians.

Looking at those dignitaries on screen, Ian couldn't help but feel amusement.

They projected an air of sophistication, but behind the scenes, it was all dirty business.

Suddenly, one face caught his eye, "Inez Kasar?"

Inez Kasar was a U.S. Senator. Should he expose him? Perhaps even test how political news would enhance his resources?

However, doing so would alert the crazy Jett that the evidence was with him.

Ian wasn't afraid of Jett, but dealing with retributions from gangsters would ultimately be troublesome. Even if they couldn't kill him, they could attack his newspaper.

The best approach was to deal with this guy swiftly and cleanly.

This was something that required more thought.

Fortunately, political events usually had a longer response time, so this news didn't need to be rushed to press. 

...

[T/N: The U.S. Senator from above was the template for the pioneers of anti-China sentiment. This is related to Hainan Island incident of April 1, 2001, where there was mid-air collision between a U.S. Navy EP-3E ARIES II signals intelligence aircraft and a Chinese J-8 interceptor over the South China Sea.]

[T/N: Next part is about Ian asking Gaskill his media to speak favorably of China. Gaskill asked him not to, not even in fair and neutral manner, unless he is powerful enough to be one of the behind-the-scenes players. So, he decides to speed things up.]

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