American Gossip King

Chapter 317 I Like Making Friends

The firelight on the highway pierced the darkness, and the pursuing vehicles came to a stop.

The helicopter ascended into the sky, the burning rope ladder swaying and falling slowly through the air, accompanied by a shower of blood and flesh fragments.

With his injured arm in a sling, Ian got out of the car, followed by Monica Bellucci, Van Nistelrooy, and Ilzer.

Ilzer dutifully stood in front of Ian, but Ian pushed him away.

He said, "What I need has never been defensive bodyguards, but offensive killers."

Ilzer said nothing more and stepped aside.

Monica Bellucci was deathly pale.

In just one hour, she experienced a series of events including kidnapping, gunfight, car chase, and explosion, which had a tremendous psychological impact on her.

But looking at Ian, whose expression was calm and even ordinary, Monica Bellucci felt a surge of respect for him.

This is a real man, unlike those tough guys on screen.

Even if Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and others were all combined, they probably couldn't compare to him!

This gave Monica Bellucci a feeling of wanting to worship.

At that moment, what mission, what lobbyist?

I want him!

This is a real man!

Ian ignored Monica Bellucci's gaze; he looked at the flames and the mangled corpses, a hint of pity in his eyes.

That was a lament for yet another butterfly's demise.

Despite his cold-blooded nature, Ian was ultimately saddened by the loss of one of his companions.

All he could do was to take good care of their families.

After thinking for a moment, Ian said to Van Nistelrooy, "From now on, the resettlement allowance for all fallen butterflies will be increased to five million, including the families of Filipso and Vincent!"

Van Nistel nodded excitedly, "Thank you, sir!"

Jon Brown's car also stopped next to Ian's. He got out of the car and looked at the still-burning vehicle ruins.

Ilzer then began stitching up his wound.

The distant sound of police sirens caused the surrounding vehicles to stop.

George Tenet got out of the car, his face pale as he watched the scene unfold.

He walked around the bonfire and stood in front of Jon Brown: "Is Saddam in the car?"

Jon Brown nodded: "Yes, he was kidnapped by two terrorists, possibly from Afghanistan. They wanted to help Saddam escape so he could continue plotting rebellion in Iraq, but Saddam managed to get rid of them and go after Ian Karl for revenge... These guys aren't afraid of death; they had bombs in their car."

George Tenet's face was grim.

This result is terrible!

However, he couldn't blame Jon Brown. He had done everything he could. He was the first to find Saddam and the one who notified everyone. But because of this, after realizing that escape was impossible, the terrorists chose to self-destruct.

They do not intend to leave Saddam Hussein to be tried in the United States.

This means that the United States has become a joke!

George Tenet knew he was in deep trouble and that his political future would be seriously affected.

This made him extremely sad.

Jon Brown said softly, "This is a complicated matter, but fortunately Ian Carl is here. Perhaps you can ask him for help."

Ok?

George Tenet was taken aback.

Ian Carl?

He looked at Ian.

Ian remained standing by the fire, while his reporters continued to film the burning flames.

Several Secret Service agents and FBI agents stepped forward to stop them.

Chief Tenet's heart skipped a beat, and he shouted, "Don't stop them!"

The agents were stunned.

Director Tenet strode over and said, "Mr. Carl, I think we need to have a serious talk."

Ian smiled slightly: "No problem."

The two walked straight to the side of the road. Ilzer, holding the needle and thread, said helplessly, "The thread... the thread... isn't finished sewing yet."

Ian smiled and said, "I'll sew it later."

He paid no attention to the stitches, walking aside with the needle dangling from his hand, which made Monica Bellucci look at him with even more infatuation.

Arriving at the roadside, Ian leisurely took out a cigar.

His left hand was injured, so Chief Tenet lit the fire for him himself.

Ian took a light puff and said, "I know what you're trying to say, Director."

Tenet smiled broadly: "Just call me George."

Ian gave a soft "Yes, George. The situation is clear now: Saddam is dead, and the United States is destined to be caught in a media storm. Moreover, this is a major international political event!"

Director Tenet was having a headache.

Yes!

This is a major international political event!

Saddam was taken to the United States, then escaped from prison, gunfights, explosions...

The United States is destined to become a laughing stock, and the White House will be disgraced as well, with the US itself destined to be the scapegoat.

The latest novel is first published here!

Ian looked at him and said, "I expect a hearing for you soon, and your political enemies will do everything they can to get you. But that's not really the point; after all, it's not a crime!"

In this incident, Tenet's actions could at most be considered negligence, but certainly not a crime. The only thing the hearing can prove is whether he neglected his duties.

But what truly determined his position was not the hearing committee, but President George W. Bush.

Ian said, "And for Bush Jr., the biggest problem is that this will greatly affect his reputation. The benefits of the war may not be able to offset this impact, and he will no longer be so confident in next year's election."

These words struck a chord with me.

The real key is George W. Bush.

If George W. Bush believes this incident will lead to his failure to win re-election, he will certainly push Director Tenet out as a scapegoat to quell public opinion and as an explanation.

Whether it's useful or not, we have to do it.

George Tenet looked at Ian without saying a word.

The other party understands everything, so what else do I need to say? Just listen!

As expected, Ian said, "I can help President Bush get re-elected. As long as he believes he can win, he won't remove you from office!"

George Tenet: "What do you need me to do for you?"

He didn't ask Ian how to help George W. Bush get re-elected; with Ian Carr's prestige and ability, he had plenty of ways.

The question is, what can a special operations bureau chief like myself do?

Ian smiled slightly: "There's no need to do anything. I'm a journalist, and what I love most is making friends."

The Secret Service is responsible for protecting national VIPs. It has no influence outside the country, but on the other hand, it has the most contact with high-ranking officials and knows the secrets of countless government officials. As the old saying goes, the people who know your secrets the most are your driver and secretary, and in reality, you also need a bodyguard.

The person who knows Ian's secrets the most right now is Brideson!

If Ian wants to obtain the secrets of those high-ranking officials, the Secret Service is an obstacle he cannot bypass. Unless he is willing to strain his eyes to the point of blindness, it will be really difficult to get through to them—there are at least several hundred high-ranking officials in the US government, and they are replaced every few years.

Searching one by one is too much for the eyes. With the help of the Secret Service, we can strike precisely. Some cases don't even require us to search for information ourselves; we can get them directly.

Tenet isn't stupid either.

Ian said, "I'm a journalist, and what I love most is making friends," which is equivalent to telling him what he needs.

Tenet thought for a moment and replied, "I enjoy making friends, Mr. Carl, especially friends like you. But I don't like breaking the law for the sake of friends."

Ian shook his head slightly: "It's not illegal. We just have a few drinks and chat when we're bored. You won't do anything illegal. You might just say a few more words sometimes when you've had a few too many drinks, but that's all."

The meaning is quite clear; it's just a small clue. I'll handle the rest myself. It really won't affect you much.

Tenet was thinking seriously.

Ian Carl, puffing on his cigar, continued, "After you step down, the Carl Group will invite you to be a consultant. You understand the White House, and we need your help with many political news stories. Just don't mind that the annual salary of 1.5 million is too low."

Being a consultant means getting paid for nothing. Don't be fooled by the mere 1.5 million; the key is that you can get consultant titles at many large companies. 1.5 million from one company, that's tens of millions from a bunch of companies. Of course, if Tenet is still not satisfied, he can keep asking for more.

However, Tenet did not do that.

He smiled and nodded: "Thank you very much for your support. It's an honor to be your friend."

(End of this chapter)