Chapter 133: The Bet is Completed

[Chapter 133: The Bet is Completed]

"Yay!"

At the moment Flight 77 safely touched down, the crowd watching erupted in excited cheers.

The control tower shouted, "A miracle! This is a miracle! God has blessed us!"

In the distance, ambulances and fire trucks sped toward the jet, and fortunately, the plane had not exploded.

The emergency escape hatches opened, and inflatable slides extended to the ground.

One by one, passengers slid down the inflatable slides, greeted by a swarm of first responders offering stretchers, regardless of whether they were injured or not. After such an ordeal, even if they seemed fine physically, the psychological impact could be enormous, leading to trauma. So, it was standard procedure to take everyone to the hospital.

Ian was the last to leave the plane.

Flight attendant Shawna clung tightly to his arm, and Ian smiled for the cameras, saying, "Shawna, look at the camera, you're our hero!"

Shawna responded, "I don't care. I want to see you! Don't forget your promise!"

Ian replied, "..."

"Shawna is a hero!"

"Ian Carr is also a hero!"

That day, people experienced a rollercoaster of emotions.

Three planes had crashed into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, causing the collapse of the two buildings, resulting in nearly ten thousand casualties.

Sorrow engulfed the entire United States and the world.

But unlike in the past, the fourth plane was saved.

The people on that plane became miracle survivors, with journalist Ian Carr, flight attendant Shawna, and photographer Daniel becoming beloved heroes in the eyes of the public...

---

In a private hospital in Brunswick, Ian Carr and Shawna lay together on the same hospital bed.

Shawna was passionately kissing Ian, her eyes filled with affection.

Then, a knock was heard at the door.

A doctor entered, glancing at the two of them. Shawna showed no embarrassment as she stubbornly stayed in Ian's blanket, refusing to return to her own bed.

The doctor smiled and said, "I was going to say you both are perfectly fine, but it looks like Shawna can prove that herself."

Shawna chimed in, "Absolutely healthy! Full of energy and vitality!"

Ian lightly patted Shawna and said, "No need to oversell it."

Shawna chuckled and moved a bit in Ian's arms, then turned to the doctor and said, "Do me a favor, don't pull the covers back; neither of us is wearing clothes."

The doctor sighed, "I think I'll come back later."

With that, he turned and left the room.

Shawna happily turned on the TV.

...

The news was covering the incident.

The 9/17 incident had made waves internationally and it was impossible for CBS to get exclusive coverage; however, Ian's scuffle with the hijackers, along with the details from another plane, ensured that Carr Media Group and CBS would have their exclusives.

As news became more high-profile, the subsequent reports multiplied, increasing the exclusive value.

They were tuned in to the news when a host with a somber expression reported, "...rescue operations are still ongoing, and the president has issued a statement, sternly condemning terrorism. No one has yet taken responsibility for this incident..."

...

Listening quietly to the report, Ian received a call.

It was James Perry.

Ian said, "Did you receive the materials I sent you?"

James Perry replied, "I did. You handled it brilliantly. Two planes' inside reports, including one where you fought the hijackers. I mean, Ian, you didn't..."

He didn't finish his sentence but it was clear: he was implying that Ian might have known about the plane's crisis before boarding it.

Ian sighed with a rueful smile, "I swear to God I didn't know. I might not fear death, but I certainly won't seek it out. Maybe it was fate, guiding us all along."

James Perry said, "Then I must congratulate you, you are now a national hero."

Ian understood well what this meant.

For the nation, this was a deep wound.

In such a solemn moment, a hero was needed to save them.

And Ian Carr and Shawna were undoubtedly the perfect candidates.

The American government would use his rise to fame to dilute fear and restore confidence, which would greatly benefit Ian.

Influence!

For a big shot, nothing was more vital than influence.

One could say that in Ian's current situation, if there had been an immediate presidential election, and Ian said, "I support someone," that person's approval rating would increase by ten points instantly.

This event had propelled Ian's fame and influence onto the world stage, placing him at the pinnacle right from the start.

The only downside was perhaps a lack of matching strength.

Yet, even a fool could leverage such fame to extract great value, let alone someone like Ian.

So Ian simply remarked, "Butterfly and I covered the news in double, how do you plan to handle it?"

James Perry replied, "We plan to split it up; we won't release everything at once."

Ian gently acknowledged.

That wasn't surprising; it's standard practice in media.

Good news must be maximized for profit, and revealing it all at once wouldn't be prudent.

James Perry and his team were pros at this, so Ian didn't pry further.

But the next moment, James Perry said, "There's an issue, though..."

He paused, and Ian understood, grinning, "Am I ahead of schedule to meet all six milestones?"

James Perry sighed heavily.

...

Yes, Ian was indeed about to complete all six milestones at once.

They had only anticipated a hijacking at worst, maybe a bombing, but no one expected two of the world's tallest buildings!

Those terrorists used two passenger planes as leverage to unleash the largest terror event in history, and the news impact skyrocketed. And as the only one with comprehensive insider information, Ian...

He had just signed a contract, and within ten days, he was completing a bet agreement that was originally expected to take three years!

The issue was that this would have a huge impact on CBS because their agreement had a timing clause, meaning if Ian completed early, payment times could correspondingly be delayed.

Simply put, if he finished early, he could acquire shares first and pay later, with profit from the timing difference being his extra reward. If he couldn't pay later, they could reclaim the shares.

According to the agreement, having completed the bet three years early, Ian had the right to pay for 12% of CBS shares eighteen months later.

In other words, he could own 12% of CBS shares now without spending a dime, plus the original 2%, totaling 14%, with dividends flowing in as they should.

It was absurd!

Of course, CBS wouldn't lose either. As they controlled a wealth of exclusive news, under their operations, they could monopolize the upcoming months' hot topics.

All the headlines would be theirs, and CBS's viewership would soar; their stock could potentially be the only one to rise against the trend -- a 10% increase in the stock market could mean several billion in asset growth!

Let alone how board members would rush to acquire CBS stocks early, short-selling airlines to reap huge benefits -- Ian too; he couldn't short-sell airlines but could buy CBS stocks on the market!

...

To which James Perry said, "I don't intend to violate the agreement, Ian, but eighteen months is indeed a long time."

Ian chuckled, "I understand your concerns, no worries, we can discuss it later. Don't forget, I'm now a desirable interview target... and I'll only give interviews to CBS."

Saying that, he glanced out the window.

A large number of reporters were gathering, waiting for a chance to interview Ian, and shining lights from cameras sparkled outside a nearby window.

...

Upon ending the call, Ian raised his middle finger toward the window and then pressed the automatic curtain closed.

He turned to Shawna and asked, "I'm good to go now, how about you?"

Shawna excitedly replied, "Ready whenever you are!"

Outside the hospital building, reporters shouted, "Ian Carr, can we get an interview? You're our idol!!!"

Inside the room, Shawna exuberantly yelled, "Fuck me! OH, MY GOD!!!"

*****

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