Chapter 191: The World Cup Was Coming
[Chapter 191: The World Cup Was Coming]
Beverly Hills, Godwin Manor.
On the soft bed in the third-floor bedroom, Ian lay back. He didn't want to find anyone else; it was rare for the girl to bow her head, so he thought he would give her a little break.
Ian stared silently at the ceiling, holding the phone in his hand. He was making a call. "No, no, James, I didn't think about any of this. It's just coincidence, and I didn't expect things to turn out this way."
On the line, James Perry laughed heartily. "That's the celebrity effect, Ian. Even if you're not out there taking risks, a few selfies could become hot news."
Ian shook his head. "That's just burning out your fame; I'm still young, and I don't intend to stop fighting."
James sensed something was off and asked, "What are you doing?"
Ian glanced at Katherine. Sweat trickled down her forehead, and her big eyes glared fiercely at him.
Ian whispered, "Being assaulted."
James Perry was silent for a moment, then said, "I never talk business under such circumstances."
Ian smiled. "I'm the opposite. Time is precious, with only 24 hours in a day; if I can do several things at once, there's no need to limit myself to just one."
"Who is it?" James asked.
Katherine quickly grabbed an ice pick from the ice bucket and pointed it at Ian's neck, clearly warning him not to say her name.
Ian chuckled. "A fierce woman forbids me to speak... but if you ask me any further, tomorrow's headline will be 'Ian Carr Found Stabbed to Death in Bed,' and it won't be pretty!"
James Perry laughed heartily, "Enjoy yourself."
...
He hung up. Ian embraced Katherine, knocking the ice pick out of her hand and pushing her down while grabbing a handful of ice from the bucket.
"Ah!" An excited Katherine screamed.
She bit down hard on Ian's shoulder like a wild woman.
Ian rolled over on top of her, regaining control, and then Katherine pushed him off once more...
...
After a while, the storm subsided.
Katherine lay on Ian, breathing heavily.
The balcony window was open, and her hair swayed in the breeze, her eyes sparkling in the light.
She whispered, "Is the baby Mrs. Bronte's?"
Ian smiled, "I'm not surprised you know the answer."
Katherine held onto Ian tightly, "But I didn't expect you to do this for her."
It was indeed surprising. From Katherine's perspective, nobody ever managed to stop Ian's crazy appetite for scoops; furthermore, he might even come up with tricks while pursuing Lee Malvo. Yet this time, he had given it up for Lena.
Ian looked at her for a long while before finally saying, "That was a year ago."
He got off Katherine, wrapped his arms around her neck, stared at the ceiling, and quietly shared his experiences with Gaskill.
His tone was calm but carried a hint of tenderness.
Katherine realized, "You love her?"
Ian forced a smile, his gaze becoming distant.
He thought carefully for a long moment.
Finally, he shook his head. "I don't know. Someone like me doesn't deserve to talk about love; it's too sacred, and I'm unworthy. However, human emotions always need an outlet, and she seems to fit the role. She wouldn't need anything from me; she loves me and Gaskill; it may not be complete, but it's genuine. They've given me all the help they could, and they are the only ones I can trust completely, even more than my mother."
Mrs. Carr was good to her son, but she was just an ordinary old lady who couldn't help Ian.
Her greatest contribution was not holding him back.
Katherine finally understood.
So that's how it is!
Ian Carr, the cold-hearted bastard, actually fell in love with another man's wife... and you even understood love, albeit just a little.
Katherine fell silent.
After a while, she said, "I want to be the director."
Ian looked at her in surprise.
Katherine raised her chin. "Beaton is running for office, and I know you can help me get there."
Ian stared at her for a long time before shaking his head. "No way."
"Why?" Katherine became furious.
She sat up angrily, showcasing her beautiful figure as if she were going to shatter Ian's hardest head with her softest spots.
Ian chuckled, "You should know why."
Hearing this, Katherine lowered her head.
She indeed understood.
She had too many principles, having her own ideas about many things.
Ian wanted to help someone he could work with, not someone who would pursue ideals for justice.
But really, did she even have justice?
She had already figured out Ian and what he had done.
Yet she chose to deceive herself, ignoring it.
She had long been infatuated with him.
It was merely pride and arrogance she used as a disguise.
She lightly bit her lip, her eyes staring dreamily at Ian.
She got off him and walked to the edge of the bed.
Under the light, she showcased her beautiful form and slowly knelt before Ian.
She murmured, "Fuck me! I beg you!"
Ian smiled.
He said, "That's not enough."
Had it been before, Katherine might have exploded in rage.
But at that moment, she merely leaned in, her voice full of tenderness, "You can have anything you want..."
So Ian gradually pressed her down: "Remember your current attitude..."
That night, Katherine seemed to transform into another person.
She flattered and fawned over Ian.
She explained it to herself as striving for the director's position, but deep down, she felt it was just an excuse.
All her strength seemed hollow in front of Ian; she knew it was the wrong way.
She just needed a reason to convince herself to lower her stance and fully submit.
Women like her, once submissive, would give everything.
Thus Ian enjoyed a rare and wonderful night.
---
The next day, Ian first went to see Lena.
In the hospital room, Ian looked tenderly at the baby in the crib.
"He's so adorable!" Ian couldn't contain himself and kissed the child's face again.
"Alright, Ian, if you keep kissing him, he'll start crying again," Lena said playfully as she took the baby from him and shot him a look.
For her, aside from caring for the baby, the most important thing was to get her figure back. It made her a bit jealous that she couldn't get close to Ian in the coming days.
Don't think I didn't know you went to bed with Anne Hathaway after Megan Fox... and that's just what I know.
You've changed, Ian Carr.
Last year, you had restraint, but this year, you've started to womanize all over the place.
You even took the initiative!
Indeed, people change with their circumstances! You're not forgetting your roots in journalism but are quite adaptable when it comes to women!
Lena's eyes shone with resentment.
Had it not been for the stitches and others watching, she might have pulled Ian onto the hospital bed and started.
Even so, she couldn't resist asking Ian jealously, "You're going to the World Cup, right? Who are you taking?"
...
Although for the first half of that year, Ian had focused most of his energy on Hollywood, 2002 was actually a time of terror across the globe - -terrorism was synonymous with that year.
Many things happened that year, with waves of terror erupting worldwide, and the voice against terrorism grew louder.
Yet no matter how turbulent the world was, life still had to go on.
The most typical example was that the World Cup was about to kick off.
Afghanistan was ablaze with war, yet the World Cup would proceed as scheduled.
May 31 marked the opening of the South Korea-Japan World Cup, serving as a festive occasion for media worldwide.
Even though to America this international event seemed inconsequential, with baseball, football, and basketball being the big three, soccer didn't have much of a space.
On the flip side, Ian needed international expansion, and he certainly wouldn't miss the World Cup.
It didn't matter that CBS lacked broadcasting rights for the World Cup; other news about the tournament could still be covered!
Like fan riots, you definitely couldn't do exclusive coverage on that, right?
As a result, global media flocked in search of news.
...
Another major story was also brewing: the scandal in Korea!
During the 2002 World Cup, Korea took fourth place but also ruined their reputation.
Later, Chung Mong-joon even publicly boasted about bribing the referees.
Publicly declaring cheating and still getting support?
During the Seoul Olympics before the World Cup, they made headlines for assaulting referees, leading to infamy -- no event they participated in stayed clean.
Koreans had blacked out Italy and Spain to reach that fourth spot, resulting in deteriorating relations with both countries and a notably ruined international reputation; it was a classic case of shortsightedness.
Ian did not intend to prevent Korea from taking the fourth place. But the evidence of Chung Mong-joon bribing the referees could still be leaked -- it doesn't have to come from you, I'll help you out.
Chung Mong-joon spilling the beans would mean he had the domestic support and didn't need votes from abroad anymore.
If Ian helped him leak it, he wouldn't be there to choose good timing.
Furthermore, Korea's fourth place was a huge upset that could trigger illegal betting.
Ian had promised Gaskill not to gamble, but an occasional sports bet could help him recoup a bit of blood... after all, he had spent a lot recently.
Not asking for much, just some interest would do.
Besides that, Koreans certainly had some beautiful women.
Thinking this way, it was all upside: making money, producing the news, mess with beauties -- it was a win-win-win!
...
Numerous thoughts flashed through Ian's mind, but he simply smiled at Lena and kissed her: "I'm bringing no one; I have work to do. I need to meet Murdoch."
"Or you might just be looking for new targets, since there are plenty of beauties over there," Lena teased.
Ian had to soothe Lena again, speaking earnestly, "Beauties in this world are like delicious food; most just require tasting, experiencing, no need for longing. But you are different, sweetheart; I care about you immensely; you are my forever staple!!!"
Lena gazed into his eyes, and in that moment, she believed Ian was sincere.
So she smiled joyfully, "Until we're old and gray!"
Ian nodded confidently, "Until we're old and gray!"
---
As evening fell, Ian left the hospital.
Walking down the streets of Los Angeles, he saw a large poster outside a cinema.
Spider-Man had been released.
After the events of 9/17, the American public was desperate for a superhero to save them.
Spider-Man's release at that moment was undoubtedly fortuitous.
Substantial profits were on the way and wouldn't require Ian to ponder for more than a few seconds.
Still, the point remained: whether in media, film, or the Internet, what mattered was influence and profit.
...
Now, with his wings growing stronger, Ian Carr was focusing more on enterprises.
Amazon, Exxon Mobil, Apple, United Health, Berkshire Hathaway, Microsoft, General Motors, Boeing, Pfizer, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon -- these were Ian's ultimate future goals.
Once he had enough power, he could expand globally further.
Japanese Toyota, French Total Energies, British Petroleum, German Deutsche Telekom, Korean Samsung, Dutch ASML, etc.
With powerful enough reach, even Russia's Gazprom and Singapore's Trafigura could be considered.
For China, Tencent, Alibaba, Pinduoduo, ByteDance, and the like were certainly on the table -- China National Petroleum also fit the bill.
While lost in thought, his phone rang.
...
Ian looked at the number; it was unfamiliar.
He answered, using a voice changer.
"Ian Carr?" A voice on the other end had a somewhat accented English, edged with experience.
"I'm not sure if I should be; who are you?" Ian vaguely sensed something peculiar.
The line continued, the rough voice spoke low, "I'm a friend of Mohammed Atta."
Hearing this reply, Ian laughed. "Oh, that's interesting."
"I can understand your reaction; your voice sounds different, and you're cautious," the other replied with a chuckle. "Perhaps we should find a place to talk?"
"You're in Los Angeles?"
"Eighty feet from you; just look up."
Ian glanced upward and saw a middle-aged man standing by a second-floor window looking at him.
No big beard.
*****
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