Chapter 194: Tracking and Anti-Tracking

[Chapter 194: Tracking and Anti-Tracking]

In a music bar downstairs, Ian sat casually with Britney, sipping drinks together. Britney was 21 years old, in the prime of her youth. She was gorgeous and had an incredible singing voice. It was said that women's vocal cords were naturally a bit longer than men's, which added to her allure, making her the center of attention for many young men. However, in front of Ian, she seemed more like a down-to-earth girl rather than a big star, speaking freely like a girl-next-door.

"Honestly, I didn't come to see you; my agent insisted I meet you. She can't accept my current situation and wants to explore all opportunities for me..."

She rambled on, and Ian listened quietly. Britney, in the low point of her career in 2002, was struggling as the music market shifted with new faces coming in. Her attempt to transition to film with the movie Crossroads had flopped a few months prior, and her ex-boyfriend, Justin Timberlake, was intentionally bashing her in the press, hitting her with triple whammies.

According to the usual timeline, this would lead to a period of depression, with her not returning to the spotlight until 2003. In other words, the second half of 2002 was when she felt most lost and helpless. It was no wonder she had come to see the World Cup, and why her agent urged her to initiate connections.

Ian glanced at Britney's agent nearby, a middle-aged woman sitting at another table, smiling at him. He remembered, "Isn't your management contract with RCA?"

RCA, the Radio Corporation of America, was part of BMG, one of the top five recording companies in the world. Britney nodded vigorously. "Yeah. Why? Are you trying to recruit me to UTA? I wouldn't agree to that; they're not good at music."

"But they excel in film," Ian replied.

Britney sighed, "My movie bombed."

"That's because BMG isn't knowledgeable about film and failed to select good scripts," Ian smiled. Britney looked surprised, "You don't actually want to recruit me, right?"

Ian shrugged, "You approached me, not the other way around."

Britney was momentarily speechless. Seeing her adorable expression made Ian smile back, "But honestly, I'm not looking to recruit you."

Britney didn't like that statement. Ian continued: "I plan to buy RCA."

Britney stared at him in disbelief. "Are you sure?"

Ian replied nonchalantly, "The media industry excels at hype. Buying a company, inflating its value, and then selling it off is the best business strategy."

RCA wasn't a significant company; its market value had plummeted to fifty million at one point, but it was worth around three hundred million now. Britney said, "I thought you wanted to get into music."

Ian shook his head gently. "The world is big, and we're all just passing through. That goes for people and companies alike."

He smiled at Britney. "So for me, your current low period is advantageous. It means I can buy the record label for a low price since you're their main star. Once I buy it, you'll have another hit production, and I can sell the company for a good profit."

Britney looked shocked. She had never met a man like this before! She thought that every man who met her was trying to woo her, while Ian seemed to treat her as a bargaining chip in a business deal.

She glared at him, "Mr. Carr, is this really who you are?"

Ian replied seriously, "I worked hard for two years to get to where I am today. Everything can be a business opportunity! Miss Spears, I appreciate your invitation, but I'm afraid I can't help your current situation. I believe you will find your way out of this gloom and have a beautiful tomorrow... if you can distance yourself from your father."

Britney's expression darkened. "Don't talk badly about my father!"

Britney had been let down badly by her father. However, she wouldn't realize that until much later, when things got worse.

Ian wasn't interested in arguing with her to change her perspective. He smiled slightly. "The truth is often hard to hear, and good medicine tastes bitter."

With that, he stood up and walked outside. Britney's agent rushed over, grabbing Ian's arm. "Justin Timberlake has been slandering Britney! Mr. Carr, you can help her!"

Ian looked at Britney, who pouted adorably but was clearly still upset. He replied, "No, at least not right now."

With that, he brushed her hand off and strode away.

---

Later in the evening, Ian stepped onto the street.

He got into Brydon's car, which drove on while a follow-up vehicle was managed by Vincent. Halfway down the road, Brydon said, "Someone's following us."

Ian responded lightly, "It's Britney Spears."

Brydon wasn't surprised Ian knew; he was just responsible as always. He asked, "Do you need me to shake her off?"

Ian laughed, "No need. She has a camera in hand... Isn't that entertaining? A big star chasing a reporter."

Brydon chuckled, "You're a celebrity too. Maybe she thinks it's amusing; she's young, just a kid."

"A young star who gained fame too soon can be reckless," Ian murmured.

...

They arrived near a hotel where the World Cup organizers had arranged accommodations for the referees. Security stood outside, preventing outsiders from entering. However, this was meaningless to Ian.

Upon getting out, he first went to a small alley, then covered himself with the invisible white fabric to hide his presence before heading into the hotel. The building was quite tall, and to avoid any elevator mishaps, Ian had to climb the stairs, finding places to install cameras one by one.

Since he was already there, he figured he might as well set up more than just one target, as the match between Korea and Spain was also rigged -- though not as egregiously as the Italy game. After hiding all the cameras, Ian left the hotel.

...

After being hidden for so long, it weighed heavily on his right eye, especially since Ian hadn't worked on political news for a while, resulting in him in tears as he emerged.

He put on sunglasses and rushed to the car, saying, "Let's go to Chung Mong-joon; Vincent can handle things here."

Brydon drove off, directing towards Chung Mong-joon.

Following the same process, Ian went on to install cameras and listening devices at Chung Mong-joon's residence and the hotel where the Korean team was staying before leaving.

Now, it was time to wait. With four days until the Korean team faced Italy, it was unlikely they wouldn't discuss this matter in that time.

...

On their way back, Brydon said, "Britney's car is gone."

Ian laughed, "It's not gone; she's at the bar next door."

With that, he instructed Brydon, "Stop at the intersection ahead, and follow me."

*****

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