Chapter 99: Family Feuds

[Chapter 99: Family Feuds]

Chandler Manor.

Deryl Chandler drove back to the luxurious estate and entered, finding his wife and her two brothers glaring at him with anger. He paid them no mind, calmly taking off his coat and discreetly placing a miniature camera aside.

Isadora Chandler glared fiercely at her husband, "Deryl, what did you do? They told me today's newspaper only sold 980,000 copies. Why is that? Why has the sales of the Times dropped so much during this time?"

Deryl Chandler replied in a calm voice, "The competition is intense; it's a normal in business."

The oldest brother, Danny Chandler, shouted, "You're lying! I've heard you rejected several valuable news stories. The Times doesn't have any major news today! That's why our sales are down! You've betrayed us!"

The second brother, Alex Chandler, glared at Deryl and said, "You've let us down. You've colluded with Ian Carr!"

Deryl Chandler shook his head lightly, "Don't you understand? You can't win against him. It's only May, and his sales have already surpassed one million copies. How long do you think you can hold out? Two months? Three months?"

As he spoke, Deryl raised his voice, "To go from selling 4,000 newspapers a day to an average of 700,000, peaking at 1.04 million, Ian Carr did it in just eight months! His achievements in eight months are what took us decades! What do you have to compare to that? And then you foolishly think about taking him out?"

The Chandler brothers paled, "What are you talking about?"

Deryl laughed coldly, "That hitman has already been caught by Ian Carr. Through him, they will find the broker. Following the leads isn't hard. The reason he hasn't acted yet is that he wants to give you a chance."

He looked at everyone, "That 63% stake you hold, he will buy at a 40% discount, and mine will be at 20% off."

"Damn it!" Isadora Chandler shouted, "You can't do this, Deryl! I'm your wife! You can't treat us this way. We gave you a chance!"

Deryl scoffed, "When have you ever treated me like a husband? Don't forget that the Times is what it is today because I developed it! If it were you, you would have ruined it long ago! I told you from the beginning not to bet against Ian Carr, but you didn't listen. Now, when things go wrong, you push all the blame onto me? Isadora, I've had enough of you!"

As he spread his hands, he said, "Today is a good day; the Times is changing ownership, and coincidentally, we are getting a divorce."

As he spoke, he began to back away, just as two figures appeared at the door.

...

Ian Carr and Philip Leyso!

The latter shouldered a camera and pointed it at them.

The Chandler brothers were stunned; how did they get here?

Ian smiled at Isadora, his left eye glinting, and said quietly, "For a man who betrayed you, you ought to let him feel the weight of his actions. You have the courage to do that, don't you?"

Isadora suddenly screamed, "I'm going to kill you, Deryl!"

With that, she grabbed a fruit knife and lunged at Deryl Chandler.

Deryl didn't dodge.

The knife plunged into his abdomen, and the Chandler brothers shrieked in horror, "No!"

Just as Isadora attempted another stab, Ian kicked her away. Deryl clutched his stomach and stumbled back, looking at Ian with terror in his eyes.

He was right! Isadora really attacked!

That bastard, is he a devil?

He stared at Ian in shock, "Am I going to die?"

Ian smiled slightly, "It's not a fatal wound; you'll be fine. An ambulance is waiting outside."

Deryl gasped, "Thank you!"

He clutched his abdomen and rushed outside just as two nurses and a doctor hurried in with a stretcher to carry Deryl away. He wouldn't take the long way this time.

...

Meanwhile, Ian laughed as he took the camera, saying, "Philip, you're interviewing this time."

Philip Leyso smiled as he took out the microphone and faced Isadora, "Mrs. Chandler... for now, at least, you are still Mrs. Chandler. Can you tell us if your hatred for your husband has escalated to the point of wanting to kill him personally?"

Isadora was stunned.

Looking at her blood-stained hands, she screamed, "Oh my God! What have I done? What have I done?"

Ian moved the camera to give her a close-up.

Even though this part might not be useful, Ian's good professional instinct kicked in, and he wanted to capture a perfect shot to appreciate later.

The Chandler brothers were roaring and charging at them.

Philip Leyso pulled a gun on them, "Don't even think about it, guys. Do you know that at Carr Media, armed interviews are standard operating procedure?"

The brothers stopped simultaneously.

Nearby servants screamed and retreated in fear.

Leyso joked, "Honestly, even without the gun, you still can't make a move. Want to know why? I have AIDS, and if we fight, my blood might splash on you. Now you've only lost the Times; you still have money. But if you get my blood on you, you might lose everything."

"Perfectly put," Ian marveled.

Indeed, you learn from the people you follow; Leyso's interviewing style mirrored his own.

Even AIDS turned into Leyso's powerful weapon!

Leyso refocused on the brothers and Isadora, "So, shall we continue the interview? What are your thoughts on the failed bet? Are you willing to complete the bet immediately? Or find another way to back out? What made you choose assassination, the lowest level of defaulting method?"

The three of them paled at Leyso and Ian.

Finally, the youngest son exclaimed, "It was our father's idea; he couldn't accept losing his lifelong work just like that. He arranged everything; it has nothing to do with us."

Leyso clicked his tongue in disbelief, "Sure enough, people close to death show more courage, but that doesn't free you from responsibility... The old man in the hospital bed can't coordinate an assassination."

Just then, a nurse rushed down the stairs, shouting, "Master is nearing the end!"

The brothers exchanged glances, and Ian thought, "Let's go check it out together."

They headed upstairs simultaneously.

...

Entering the bedroom, they saw an old man lying in bed, IV fluids hanging nearby.

Ian glanced at Leyso, who understood and stepped forward, handing the microphone, "Mr. George Chandler? How are you? Do you still have the energy to give me an interview?"

The old man glared at Leyso. Despite being near death, the angry fire in his eyes was still fierce!

Leyso smiled, "I can understand your anger, but this is business. One must learn to take losses. You brought this upon yourself; now you face the consequences."

Ian whispered, "For an elderly capitalist, there's no need to reason. They don't care about reason; they only care about outcomes."

Leyso nodded.

He looked at the old man, "You lost, sir. The Times will change ownership. How do you feel about that? Are you satisfied with this outcome? The Times falling into Ian Carr's hands will surely grow, but it could also be drained; does that concern you?"

The salt dug deeply into the wound!

The old man roared angrily, "Get out!!!"

That shout exhausted all his strength, and then his eyes rolled back, lying still on the bed.

Leyso looked at him coldly.

He was dead.

Leyso had driven him to his grave!

Leyso chuckled.

He turned to the camera, "This is the Los Angeles Herald, reporter Butterfly bringing you live coverage. Just moments ago, Mr. George Chandler, the founder of the Los Angeles Times, passed away due to health issues. This is a significant loss for all in the newspaper industry; let us remember him in death. But perhaps his departure is a form of luck, for until he leaves this world, the Los Angeles Times still belonged to him.

The Times carried the glorious legacy of the Chandler family, although it will eventually change hands, all media professionals will remember the immense contributions the Chandler family made to the industry.

Here, the Los Angeles Herald extends its highest respect to Mr. George Chandler. May he look down from the heavens and see the Times thrive, allowing him to rest in peace."

Finishing his statement, he glanced at Ian, "How did I do?"

Ian smiled, "Fantastic, Philip. You're becoming an outstanding reporter."

Then he looked at the three Chandler siblings, "Now there are two pieces of reporting. One is about you three hiring a hitman to assassinate Ian Carr, while Mrs. Chandler attempted to kill her husband. The other piece is about Mr. George Chandler passing away but indicating support for the bet, reflecting the Chandler family's integrity... I'll cut out the part where he yelled get out and only keep the moment he passes... such a good shot must not go to waste!"

Then he smiled slightly, "You can choose which one you want; for me, the answer is quite simple."

*****

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