Chapter 197: Negotiating with Murdoch (Part 1)

[Chapter 197: Negotiating with Murdoch (Part 1)]

June 15.

In the early morning, Ian sat at his computer. He began by checking on some bets before diving into the newspaper.

The news about the bar brawl from the previous day had come out, and it had become a hot topic due to Britney Spears being involved. However, since Ian had not released any of the details regarding her singing in the bar or included himself in the story, the news didn't blow up too much. It was just about Britney getting drunk in a Korean bar and coincidentally encountering a bar fight.

Some unscrupulous media outlets twisted it into a headline saying that the brawl had something to do with Britney -- well, that unscrupulous media outlet was Carr Media Group.

They spun the story first, and then tried to cover it up. This had always been Ian Carr's routine. Although he didn't release the singing news, he believed that a rumor would surface soon -- laying the groundwork for the follow-up MV-style news.

Thus, while the news was somewhat hot, it wasn't exactly sensational.

...

After going through the articles, Ian started receiving messages from Vincent's side. Listening to the dialogue in the video, he chuckled.

He was lucky to gather the content he wanted on the very first day.

Many people thought big shots would speak carefully. This was a misconception. Big shots were also people, and they had their weaknesses. An official who could openly promote bribing referees for a promotion, along with a group of players who relied on kicking balls rather than strategy, how cautious could they be?

Especially those players; their minds were filled with tactics.

"Kick hard, don't be afraid of fouls, the referees will take care of us!"

"If you can't kick the ball, kick the man, this is our turf, we can't lose!"

Such dialogues continued endlessly.

In addition to that, there were the private conversations among those Korean players.

"Lee Young-pyo is useless. It was foolish for Hiddink to reject Hong Myung-bo. I suspect Lee Young-pyo gave him his ass."

"Shut up, do you want to die?"

"Let's talk about something fun; after the match, I'll definitely go after Yoon Suna. She can't reject me again. I'll do it right in front of her husband; no one can stop me, and I'll become a hero of the Republic of Korea!"

"I bet we'll win our match against Italy."

"Are you crazy? We can't participate in football betting."

"Better than insulting the coach behind our backs. Knowing we'll win, why not make some money? Don't worry; I'm not betting myself."

Hearing these conversations, Ian shook his head with a smile. People's private dialogues were always filled with ugliness and even wickedness.

He was used to it all, so he began his editing work.

...

At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

His secretary, Ida, went to open it and saw it was Britney. She called into the room, "Mr. Carr, it's Ms. Spears."

"Let her in," Ian responded.

Britney walked in and noticed that Ian was busy at his computer. She leaned in, wanting to take a peek, but Ian had already closed the computer, looking at her warily.

This action made Britney somewhat displeased. "Are you on guard against me?"

"I just don't like anyone watching me while I work," Ian stood up. "What's up?"

Britney replied somewhat irately, "I wanted to ask if you had time today to watch the Germany vs. Paraguay match together."

Ian shook his head. "I have plans to watch the match with Mr. Murdoch."

Britney was taken aback. "Murdoch? Rupert Murdoch of News Corp?"

Ian nodded. "Yes."

Knowing that Ian had an appointment with Murdoch, Britney felt helpless and said, "Alright, seems I misunderstood."

Am I really just useful to him and not at all charming?

This made Britney question herself for the first time.

Seeing her disappointed expression, Ian smiled, "But if you want, you can still come along."

Britney's eyes lit up. "Are you sure? You guys can't just be watching the game."

"Only about ten percent of our attention will be on that," Ian replied with a laugh. "But you must promise not to disclose our discussions. Also, don't bring your manager or assistant."

Ian enjoyed flirting with girls while working; it was the best way to showcase his masculine charm! Of course, it was only if he could excel in his work!

Britney was thrilled and nodded eagerly. "Of course."

---

Daejeon was just over two hundred kilometers from Seoul.

In the afternoon, Ian and Britney drove to Daejeon Stadium. Rupert had already booked a private box, and they entered the stadium under the protection of bodyguards, arriving at the box where the renowned media mogul Rupert Murdoch awaited.

The old man was already 71, but he looked pretty good. Next to him was his wife, Wendi Deng.

At this moment, the old man smiled and embraced Ian. "I couldn't personally greet you; those reporters are bothersome. If they knew we were meeting, they would blow it up."

As he spoke, he glanced at Britney beside Ian with surprise. "Hello, Ms. Spears."

Britney responded with a smile; as a big star, she was used to such occasions, although private meetings with big shots were somewhat rare. This did make her a bit nervous.

But not too much.

Ian said, "Some reporters are already aware."

"What do you mean?" the old man asked in shock.

Ian replied, "There's a guy outside keeping an eye on us; he's been following you. He didn't know me, but now he does."

Murdoch nodded, his expression serious. "Where is he?"

Ian walked to the entrance of the box and pointed outside. "Did you see that guy in the yellow vest? The one with the camera?"

Murdoch looked out through the box window and indeed saw a man in a yellow vest taking pictures.

He signaled to his men, and a few bodyguards left the box to handle the situation.

...

Meanwhile, Murdoch led Ian and Britney to their seats, with a servant pouring them wine.

In front of this media giant, Ian Carr displayed an unusually amiable attitude, foregoing his usual domineering style. Regardless of everything, Murdoch controlled more than a hundred media companies, with assets worth billions; he deserved respect.

At this moment, Murdoch personally poured wine for him. "The World Cup is a great place; it legitimately gathers many people to connect, meet, and discuss cooperation... but even so, it's still hard to avoid being monitored. You have keen insight, Ian; I'm starting to understand why you have your current fame. But do you know what your biggest problem is?"

Ian took the wine glass. "I have more of a journalist's attributes than a businessman's."

Murdoch chuckled. "You know this, but you can't change it."

Ian sighed. "It's certainly unchangeable."

His abilities stemmed from his unique advantages, needed for his news coverage. Even if he became the world's number one media mogul in the future, there would still be times to dive into the fray.

But fortunately, Ian liked it.

He had no aversion to it deep down.

For him, that luxurious lifestyle was merely a sweet part of life. A life without excitement was equivalent to giving up spicy food.. He found it unacceptable!

Of course, Ian wouldn't say it so bluntly; he just remarked, "I enjoy what I do; it gives me a special sense of accomplishment. There are many successful businessmen in the world, but very few can be both a successful businessman and a successful journalist. Sometimes, life requires pursuing things that others can't achieve. Ian Carr, the greatest journalist in the world, won't be surpassed for the next five hundred years. This honor satisfies me and drives my pursuit."

Murdoch roared with laughter. "Young people are always full of vigor, willing to do anything to achieve their goals, but sometimes extreme behavior can backfire. Do you agree, Carr?"

Ian understood his meaning.

He was referring to how Ian had used News Corp's dirt to threaten people.

The problem was, did Murdoch think his actions were not radical?

How was Ian Carr's eavesdropping radical while News Corp's was stable?

He smiled and said, "You know what's interesting, Mr. Murdoch? Many truths we understand, but we usually don't change until we hit rock bottom. Some people won't change, even if they smash their heads."

As he said this, he spread his hands. "The world is vast, history is long, and human life is limited. So for me, money isn't the most important; time is. If a problem can be solved in a day, I won't want to stretch it over a month."

The old man chuckled. "It sounds like you're going to force me to sign a contract by pressing my head."

At that moment, Wendi Deng shot him an angry glare!

She looked more like a bodyguard than the bodyguard themselves.

Britney was also astonished.

As one of the world's most renowned pop stars, countless people admired her. However, now in front of two business titans, she felt as weak as an ignorant little girl, completely unable to interject.

But this did not make her dissatisfied; it only made her excited.

Ian Carr was amazing!

To be able to have such a conversation with Murdoch?

Women are naturally attracted to power, and although Britney had encountered many big personalities, few had managed to make her feel this admiration.

*****

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