American Scandal King

Chapter 98 Winning the Bet
The miracle of life really happened.

It would have been normal for Gaskell to be in a coma for a few days, but unexpectedly he woke up the next day.

With his head wrapped in thick gauze, Gaskell opened his eyes and saw Ian's smiling face and Lena's concerned face.

He chuckled and said in a husky, low voice, "Hey, baby. I hope I didn't scare you."

He was still wearing a respirator and his voice was a little weak, but overall he looked very good!
This means he will heal faster than expected.

Lena held Gaskell's hand: "God bless you, they said you are no longer in serious trouble. That bullet..."

She did not continue.

Gaskell whispered, "Ian took it out."

Ian was stunned: "Gaskell?"

Gaskell chuckled. "It's a medically defined state similar to suspended animation, where one still has some awareness of the outside world. I heard what you and Lena were saying."

Ian: "..."

After a while, he said, "I spent two hours weaving a lie, you bastard, you made me waste two hours of thinking time."

Gaskell smiled and said, "That's a good thing, Ian."

Ian looked at him calmly.

Gaskell said softly, "You once told me you had some skills that could be considered a master thief... You weren't bragging. After all, you're someone who can even steal a bullet out of a head. This is a good thing, Ian. It improves the trust between us."

Ian whispered, "I thought we always trusted each other."

Gaskell smiled and said, "Before, trust was limited to character and friendship, but now it has been extended to ability. You know what this means. I can lend you money with greater confidence. Otherwise, even if we were good friends, I would still consider the basic risks."

Ian laughed cheerfully: "You're right, this might not be a bad thing."

He lowered his head and kissed Gaskell's forehead. "Then let this secret be limited to the three of us. There's no need for more... Good friends don't need too many."

Gaskell chuckled and hummed, "By the way, did you report on my shooting?"

Ian shook his head: "No."

Gaskell said, "Report it."

Ian looked at Gaskell in astonishment: "You..."

The old man breathed faintly, "Those interviews about the Dam Scrapyard case were a bit hollow. They still didn't help you win the bet, did they?"

Ian grabbed the old man's hand and said, "We were very close. We had hope of saving the little girl. What a pity, that useless policewoman."

Gascoal smiled and said, "Then report my story... A 60-year-old banker was shot in the head, and the bullet miraculously fell out of his head. It's a miracle of life. People love miracles like this, and they are worth spreading. And there's no video of this incident, so it's just right as an exclusive report for the Pioneer. You can also interview Lena and me exclusively... That should help you fulfill your bet... An old man with a bullet in the head miraculously woke up the next day and gave you an interview. You can write whatever you want, and I'll accept it, except for his sex life."

The old man smiled.

Ian stared at the old man in a daze: "I really don't have that idea."

Gaskell smiled. "For someone who's willing to put himself on the line for journalism, it's no big deal for him to put his friends on the line. I'm counting on you, Ian. Don't be a bitch... We need to complete the acquisition of The Times as soon as possible before we can move on to the next step."

Looking at Gaskell, Ian's tears slowly fell.

He nodded gently. "Okay, Gaskell, thank you."

Gascoal smiled slightly and closed his eyes.

He was seriously exhausted, and talking for a while had consumed a lot of his energy, and he soon fell into a deep sleep.

--------

"Extra number! Extra number!"

"The chairman of Linuo Bank was shot, and Ian Carr stepped in to help."

"The bullet in the head dislodged on its own during the journey to the hospital."

"The Miracle of Life!"

"Please see the Los Angeles Herald for details!"

In the office, Ian read the newspaper in silence. The Dam Iron Works case, the little girl fire case, and the Gaskell Tavern shooting had caused the Los Angeles Herald to break a series of big news.

The bet with the public has been fulfilled, and advertisers are excited: their original advertising fees were based on an average daily circulation of 400,000 copies. Now the average daily circulation of the Pioneer News has reached about 700,000 copies, and it is still constantly releasing popular products, and sales continue to increase.

What could be better?

At dusk, Lloyd entered the office.

He stood beside Ian excitedly, "Today's sales are 104 million copies. Ian, our sales have exceeded one million! We have become one of the best newspapers in the United States."

Selling a million copies is a milestone in the American newspaper industry.

It represents that the newspaper has become one of the big players in the American newspaper industry.

Of course, the current Los Angeles Herald only has the highest sales volume, not the average daily sales volume, but with this breakthrough in the ceiling, I believe that a daily average of one million is not far away.

However, Ian did not react and just looked out the window silently.

Lloyd looked at him in surprise: "What's wrong? Ian."

Ian sighed softly.

He didn't say anything, just picked up the phone on the table: "Dill, it's me."

Dill Chandler's voice on the other end of the line was calm: "I was just about to call you. You win. The Los Angeles Times's circulation today is 98."

Ian's face was expressionless: "The Acton family hired a gunman to kill me. He's in the building across the street, pointing a gun at my head."

Dill Chandler and Lloyd were both shocked.

At that moment, Lloyd immediately stepped forward to block Ian.

Ian patted his shoulder and signaled him not to be nervous.

Dill Chandler cried, "I don't know about that."

Ian smiled and said, "I don't blame you. Don't worry, the man has been controlled."

Dill Chandler and Lloyd breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.

Lloyd looked at Ian even more strangely.

Ian said, "You know what? I can let him shoot. Once that shot is fired, I won't die, but the Acton family will be finished, and I will get another good news."

Dill Chandler was silent.

After a while, he said, "Those guys are idiots."

Ian smiled and sat back in his chair, then said into the phone, "Do you know why I shouldn't do this?"

Dill Chandler thought carefully for a while, then replied, "I can think of one reason. That's that you intend to use this to threaten the Acton family to lower the price further."

Ian laughed. "Well said! Yes, that's one of the goals."

"What other reasons?"

"There are two more reasons. First, they'll pin all the blame on you and try to deny it. They might even accuse you of collusion, which is true... I'm not afraid of that, Dill. The bet was notarized, so they can't deny it. But a lawsuit might delay the handover. I don't like that. I can't wait to take over The Times tomorrow. Victory isn't what matters to me anymore; reaping the fruits of victory quickly is more meaningful! I can't wait to win one moment and reap the spoils the next!"

Dill Chandler hummed, "Indeed."

Ian continued, "The second reason is that there's been too much violent news lately. You know, sometimes we can switch things up a bit. We can take stories about bloody violence and turn them into stories about feuds between wealthy families... This is my weakness. It's not that I don't have news about wealthy families, but the value of doing business with them is obviously greater. So, if there's a wealthy family that doesn't want to cooperate and wants to kill me because they can't afford to lose... I'd be very happy!"

Dill Chandler: "..."

Ron Lloyd: "..."

Ian said, "You're bound to encounter a storm when you return home tonight. You must prepare for it. This is your gift for joining Karl Media... It's also good for you, Dill. I can help you get a legitimate divorce and get rid of the harm caused by the Acton family. After all, I don't want my president to be the son-in-law of the Acton family! But before that, you may have to pay a small price... It will bleed."

Dill Chandler understood: "Who else but you?"

Ian replied, “Butterflies, of course!”

(End of this chapter)