Chapter 143: The Real Ian Carr

[Chapter 143: The Real Ian Carr]

Sony Pictures, CEO Office.

Howard Stringer sat with a grim expression as he read the WND news, fuming with anger.

After a long pause, he exclaimed, "You messed this up, Brooke."

Standing before him, his assistant shook his head repeatedly, "The opponent is shrewd and has plenty of tricks up his sleeve."

"Damn it! That's not the point!" Howard shouted, slamming his hand on the table in frustration. "Now we have trouble at our doorstep!"

Brooke sighed, "I didn't expect him to be this unscrupulous. Now that it's reached this point, I'll find a way..."

"And what do you plan to do about those guys downstairs?"

As they spoke, Howard walked over to the window and pulled back the curtains, pointing out at the crowd below. "Look, look at those people!"

Outside the building, a throng of protesters waved signs reading "Down with Fake News", "Down with Those Who Hurt American Heroes," and "Down with Terrorist Supporters."

The crowd stirred with passion and energy.

Ian Carr was no ordinary man.

He was an American hero.

And now, Sony had joined forces with The New York Times to launch an attack against him, igniting public outrage in an instant.

Howard questioned whether this was truly a spontaneous public movement.

Perhaps there was some manipulation from Ian behind the scenes.

But he was helpless.

Justice was on Ian's side.

That damned guy had just scored another good headline.

Howard could only imagine the reporters at Carr Media snapping photos, capturing their disgrace.

The media might make someone the focus, but if mishandled, they could end up in the spotlight themselves.

This thought made Howard feel dizzy.

And without public support, what could he rely on?

Damn it, this was a decision from Sony headquarters; why was the trouble landing on him?

In that moment, Howard realized he was in deep trouble.

...

By evening, the protesting crowd finally dispersed.

Howard walked to the garage and entered his car.

Sitting in the back seat, he said, "Take me home."

"Yes, sir," the driver from the front seat responded softly.

Howard looked up in surprise. "You're not Barlow?"

The driver smiled and replied, "I'm Brydon, your new driver."

As he slowly drove off, Howard frantically reached for the door, only to find it locked.

Brydon chuckled softly, "It's a nice car."

He raised a gun in his hand, and Howard froze.

He looked at Brydon and asked, "Ian Carr sent you, didn't he?"

Brydon smiled. "Don't make any sudden moves and cooperate a bit. You won't die."

Howard let out a long breath.

He still didn't fully understand Ian Carr. For Ian, there was no need to kill him, even though his methods were certainly... breaking the rules.

However, soon his anxiety returned.

After leaving the building, the car drove out into the outskirts, entering a predominantly Black neighborhood.

The vehicle stopped in front of a villa, and Brydon opened the door. A group of Black gunmen smiled as they approached, "Welcome to Marshall Street, white man!"

...

This was the home of the Crips, the headquarters of the Crips Gang.

As Howard stepped inside, a large group of Black gunmen were sitting in the living room, drinking and laughing at him.

One of the gunmen led him to a nearby study.

Then Howard saw Ian sitting in a swivel chair behind a desk, with the bald, crippled leader of the Crips on the sofa beside him.

The gunman pushed Howard through the door and quietly closed it behind him.

...

Ian smiled at him.

Howard took a deep breath. "You've already won, Mr. Carr."

Ian didn't respond.

He simply stood up, picked up a glass, and poured some red wine.

Stepping out from behind the desk, he handed Howard the glass, saying, "Victory is only a temporary milestone; it just indicates a phase of achievement, while I want more. Have a seat."

Howard accepted the wine glass and silently sat down.

Ian leaned on the desk, grinning as he looked at Howard.

He nodded. "Calm demeanor, very good."

Howard forced a bitter smile. "I just hope you're not a cold-blooded killer."

"Well, you're mistaken." Ian nodded to Crips.

...

Crips smiled and excused himself from the room.

A moment later, he dragged a bloodied individual into the room and tossed him onto the floor.

Howard's pupils dilated slightly.

Ian laughed. "You know him, right? The lawyer I hired for Gannon and his crew. He broke his professional ethics. That's bad."

With that, Ian smashed his wine glass into the lawyer's face.

He grabbed the lawyer by the neck, shouting, "Journalists, lawyers, doctors, soldiers... our professions hold sacred values! We must be loyal to our work and the vows we take. That is the foundation of our achievements! And you, you have desecrated the sanctity of a lawyer!"

The lawyer protested, "The profession of a lawyer requires confidentiality."

"But we had an agreement; you violated the basic spirit of the contract!" Ian punched him hard in the face.

He picked up a steel rod and began to pummel the lawyer relentlessly, causing him to scream in agony, blood spurting everywhere, bones breaking.

It was brutal, merciless, with no hint of restraint whatsoever!

Howard watched in horror.

How could this be?

How could he do something like this right in front of me?

This was the real Ian Carr!!!

...

After a frenzied beating that left the lawyer barely conscious, Ian finally dropped the steel rod.

He turned to Howard, coldly sneering, "Do you still think I'm just a businessman who talks a big game?"

Howard trembled and shook his head gently. "No, sir, I no longer think that."

"Good!" Ian returned to his position at the desk.

He wiped the blood from his hands with a white cloth, picked up a cigar, took a leisurely puff while looking at Howard, and said, "I know Sony headquarters wants to back out. Tell me why? You're not at a loss with this deal!"

Howard sighed helplessly, "The Jews have targeted you. They told the Japanese that if they cooperate with you, they will face a backlash from the Jewish community."

He could not reveal that he was also surreptitiously stirring the pot -- having noticed Ian's desire for Spider-Man, he simply blamed it on the Jews.

"I knew it," Ian scoffed. "Backlash? Nonsense!"

Not all Jews were united; some were Zionists, while others were purely self-interested.

For instance, the famous financier Soros openly disdained Zionism.

That said, the Jews, however divided, were still more united than a chaotic American system.

Even if only the Jewish media banded together, it was enough trouble for Ian.

Because of this, Sony did not dare offend them.

Ian asked, "What specific means do they use to back out?"

Howard swallowed hard.

He clearly lacked the courage to confront death and said, "They've bribed some judges, trying to prove the contract is invalid."

Ian tossed him a pen and paper. "The list."

Howard straightforwardly wrote down the names.

Ian looked it over, grinned, "Four judges, one of whom is a Supreme Court judge. But do you know what's the most interesting part?"

He glanced at Howard, who shook his head in confusion.

Ian said, "I have dirt on three of them, but I haven't released it. I only lack one, but that's not a problem; I can get that too."

He displayed the list to Crips, "Notify Yata; she has work to do. I want her in this guy's bed within three days -- by any means necessary! Find a small suit to compromise him a bit, and if you can, coax him into saying things he shouldn't... Why is it so hard to gather dirt on a judge?"

Judges hold high positions with strong independence; it can be tough to gather sufficient evidence.

Crips nodded with a smile.

Ian turned back to Howard: "I could handle them the same way I did with you, but I don't intend to do that, as that would be a tremendous waste. I'd rather expose their scandals and have them spend their lives providing value to my business!"

Howard smiled bitterly. "I'm starting to understand why you have so many bombshell stories, but I have to say this is not how a proper journalist operates."

"So there's only one Ian Carr!" Ian retorted with a grin.

Then he waved his hand, "I have dirt on you too. For example, you have an illegitimate son in Chicago; that guy raped a girl, and you helped him get off..."

Howard's eyes widened slightly.

How did he know that?

Ian chuckled, "Don't be surprised; how could I not pay attention to my peers? An insightful elder once told me the reason icebergs are magnificent is that only one-eighth shows above the surface. And I, my foundations far exceed seven-eighths. Now, tell me why I'm not exposing your dirt and came to meet you this way?"

Howard took a deep breath. "Because you don't intend to ruin me? You need me!"

Ian burst into laughter.

He stared at the ceiling, mumbling, "You go tell Sony headquarters that the wager can be canceled, but they must give me what I want. Including rights to Spider-Man, Venom, and Resident Evil. I promise to hand over the sequel productions to you, profit-sharing model."

The licensing rights for the Resident Evil game were definitely not possible, but the movie rights were still attainable.

Ian originally wanted to marry the pregnant woman to secure a child.

Since Sony wasn't interested in marrying, just wanting a kid was just as good!

As long as he held some leverage over Howard, all of Sony's good stuff would eventually be his to take... hopefully, he wouldn't get fired.

Howard shook his head gently. "They won't agree; I have no power to decide what happens at Sony headquarters."

"Ridiculous!" Ian scoffed. "I'll make them fear me, let them understand that backing out is not a good habit, and all you have to do is cooperate when I need you."

Ian wasn't in a hurry to deal with Sony; he needed to gather all their dirt first before making his move.

At that moment, he smiled at Crips and said, "Give Yata to him too; I need more good stuff, and he doesn't care about this anyway."

Howard's face changed drastically.

He was indifferent to the exposure of his secrets, but being involved in adult films was a whole different matter!

*****

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