Chapter 89: A Visit from Bloods
[Chapter 89: A Visit from Bloods]
As Ian anticipated, the case involving Senator Inez Kasar and the allegations against her had become a double-edged story, both political and scandalous.
This situation resulted in an increase in his Influence Points with the left eye, alongside a boost in right eye capabilities. Although the right eye did not gain extra Influence Points, both its x-ray vision and telekinesis thread control had seen enhancements.
Under normal circumstances, reaching maximum level with the right eye would mean each thread's control strength was around 150 grams. However, due to the politically charged nature of the news, Ian found his threads managed to reach about 125 grams with 6,200 experience points.
It provided an extra bump of roughly 20 grams. Besides that, the range for thread control extended from 20 meters to 22 meters. The increased length was particularly significant; it meant sending cameras into the field would be much easier in the future.
...
On April 3rd, Ian received a call from the White House. It concerned the report about Inez Kasar. The White House officials asked him to refrain from future reporting on such stories, as they had caused some disruption within the entire White House administration.
Being in media meant having ties to politics -- it inherently served a political purpose. Every media had its own biases... Criticizing the government was not problematic; the real issue arose if one did not outright support either the Republican or Democratic party, which was a significant concern.
While Carr Media did not align with a clear political stance, CBS, which Ian looked to acquire, leaned firmly Democratic. Meanwhile, both President George W. Bush and Inez Kasar were Republicans. In a sense, Ian's revelations about Inez Kasar also worked as a favor to CBS -- Gaskill had been assisting him in liaising with them.
However, given that the Republican Party was in power, Ian could not afford to go too hard on them. Therefore, he simply stated that he could refrain from future exposes on such events, but the White House needed to reciprocate.
What he wanted was simple: he sought a qualification for Carr Media Group's journalists to cover political news directly from the White House. Such access was not given to just any media outlet; it required substantial influence.
Naturally, news released by the White House often tended to glorify themselves, leaving no room for any dirt. Despite dirt being the most sought-after news, no media outlet could survive solely on that; legitimate news routes were still necessary.
Thus, the White House quickly agreed to grant press access. This move allowed the Los Angeles Herald to secure a pathway for political news.
The news sourced from the White House might not be major stories, but a wealth of ordinary political news could still provide Ian with significant boosts -- he would not personally conduct the interviews but could write impactful articles based on the breaking news, allowing him to gain some enhancements from them.
After coming to an agreement with the White House, Ian effectively resolved the channels for political news, thus laying a solid foundation for the growth of the Los Angeles Herald. While the Herald had yet to outpace the Times, its surge in base sales made it evident that overcoming the Times was merely a matter of time.
...
As dusk fell, Ian stepped out of the newspaper office. He walked while on the phone: "Signet Daily is a good paper; it just hasn't been fully utilized. Under my management, it has already started turning a profit in the second quarter... Yes, Mr. Lawrence. Two million is indeed not much, but great entrepreneurs recognize potential. Once its quarterly profits hit ten million, the price will surely increase."
Casually glancing around while on the phone, a smirk crept onto Ian's lips.
A car pulled up next to him, and as the window rolled down, a menacing black muzzle of a gun aimed at him. Accompanying it was a grim face -- Bloods's lunatic leader, Jett.
Ian glanced at the gun's barrel as the car door swung open. He slipped inside and continued the call, "Sorry, but that price is still too low; I can't accept it."
He then covered the mouthpiece and said to Jett, "Just let me finish this call, okay? We're talking several million here."
Jett looked at him, bewildered. Did he even know who he was facing?
The leader of Bloods, Jett -- who preferred to be called Gold Jett-- had a reputation that was not to be trifled with. Anyone who referred to him as a lunatic didn't live to tell the tale. Yet, here was Ian, nonchalantly chatting on the phone as if the entire situation was beneath his concern. He didn't even bother to glance at the gun pressed against his stomach.
Releasing his hand from the mouthpiece, Ian continued speaking: "Yes, yes, I won't deny some resources were diverted to the Herald, but that's not the crux of the matter. The heart of a newspaper lies in its journalists and content! I cut out the dead weight and left the elite. Would you prefer a company with a valuation of a hundred million that loses tens of millions each year, or one that's worth eighty million and profits ten million each year? Which one would you choose?"
He turned to Jett, who was now staring at him in disbelief.
Ian smiled slightly and returned to the phone, "Here's what I'll do, Mr. Lawrence. I'll take a step back -- let's say I'll sell it for 120 million; you'll be acquiring three profitable enterprises! Ah, regarding news sharing... I can offer a portion. I can't guarantee all, but at least by the end of this year, I promise those three papers can receive some of the Herald's treatment, at least one heavy-hitting share. Therefore, the quicker you buy, the better -- every day you delay is a loss for you. Alright, we can discuss specifics in person. I look forward to your visit. I have some friends to take care of; sorry to cut you off."
...
Ian hung up and looked at Jett with a smile. The bodyguard in the front seat couldn't contain himself any longer.
He pressed the gun against Ian's head, barking, "Do you even know what you're doing? You bastard! You're discussing business at a time like this?"
Ian shrugged it off carelessly: "Haven't you seen my reports? Even if I fell from a height, I'd expect a microphone to come forward, ready to interview me about the thrill of the fall! Oh, by the way, I always carry a camera and mic, could I get an interview with you, Mr. Jett? What's going through your mind about kidnapping one of America's most famous journalists, a media owner? Would it give you a greater sense of achievement?"
"Fuck!" Jett's bodyguard was completely enraged; raising a fist, he was ready to hit Ian.
Yet Jett stopped his henchman.
Today, the lunatic seemed a bit calm because he realized that Ian Carr was much crazier than he was.
He hadn't seen anyone like this before!
Waving his hand for the driver to proceed, Jett cracked a smile. "You are the craziest journalist I've ever met, Ian Carr."
Ian replied, grinning, "That's not surprising. Do you know how big of a deal I just struck? I bought three newspapers for 120 million. Just minutes ago, I sold them for the same price... I nearly emptied them out... It means I netted seventy to eighty million. This is the thrill of doing business in mergers and acquisitions! I've never made this much through my newspapers before."
Jett chuckled in response, "And you'd lose your life for it?"
Ian shook his head, unbothered: "I'll die someday, but not today."
He gazed at Jett with a look that conveyed how ridiculous he found him. Things had changed; he no longer had the leverage to intimidate me, buddy!
*****
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