Kaze’s words echoed across the hall. A heavy silence hung in the air, broken only by his voice. The press was stunned, their gazes fervent. That was quite an expose from Kaze. They looked at Kaze, like a dog to a bone. Some even wondered if they should contact Kaze in private to get the inside scoop. That piece of news could earn them a top spot in the media circle.Many journalists would not come across this sort of headliner in a lifetime. Desmond’s staff grimaced. Their livelihood depended on him. Desmond was very generous to his employees. If Kaze ruined Desmond, the employees might not find another generous employer like Desmond again. “Shut up, Kaze!” “It’s bold of you to say that Lil Dee made a fraudulent donation, loser. Do you have proof?” “Trust us when we say we’ll sue you for slander. I hope life sucks for you behind bars.” “Don’t listen to the loser. It’s true influencers always claim to make donations when they don’t, but not Desmond. The loser
Desmond’s staff was relieved. They started hitting Kaze with a tirade of abuse. Kingston watched the drama and mocked, “Is that all you got, Lee?“You’re a loser. Bluffing is the only thing you have up your sleeve.“Do you think you can contact the Red Foundation to send you proof? Who do you think you are? “I know Mr. Nanas of the Red Foundation. Should I call him over to hit you?” Kingston held Kaze in contempt. The Red Foundation was a nationally recognized charity. While Kaze held sway in Lilyrose, he could not possibly stand against the Red Foundation. Kaze looked askance at Kingston and said with a pretentious smile, “You probably can’t even get Greg here. You can keep asking for it. I don’t mind sending you to prison with him.” News of Greg’s arrest had not been spread yet. Kingston and Desmond had no idea that Greg was finished. “What are you saying, Lee?” Kingston was visibly upset. “Ms. Holan from the Red Foundation’s Lilyrose branch is here, Lil Dee.”
“Ugh…” Gasps filled the hall of Desmond’s workplace. The press and Desmond’s staff were shocked. The executive of the Red Foundation treated Kaze with utmost respect. Faye even delivered proof of Desmond’s fraudulent donation. Um… It was impossible. Kaze waved his arm. “I can’t be bothered to read through the file. Just distribute the document to everybody.” “Of course.” Faye nodded with respect and shared the papers with the press. The journalists took the file skeptically. Soon, a wave of emotions hit them. “Lil Dee didn’t even donate a dime.” “Why did 300 million dollars come from Lilyrose Commerce Guild’s account?” “Did he really fake a donation?” A commotion stirred among the journalists. Desmond’s staff turned ashen, and some even fell to the ground in fright. It was over. Desmond was upset. At a closer inspection, his legs were shaking too. “H-How did you get the Red Foundation to turn in the evidence, Kaze?” Desmond glared at Kaze, his
“But Mr. Hobbs, Kaze is just using the media to his advantage.” Desmond said in distress, “The press wants a headliner. They work in the media and have the resources. It will take a lot of money to settle them down.” “Then, spend a lot of money to set them straight. We are all in it for the money.” Samson said menacingly, “Just do what you are told. Make the press stand with us to crush Kaze. “If Kaze wants to dig his grave, we might as well ruin him once and for all.” As expected from a veteran in the business. Samson was able to get a grip on himself during the time crunch and figured out a way to turn the tables on Kaze. He gave Desmond careful instructions. Desmond went from being flustered to gaining confidence and composure. In the hall, some journalists pulled out their laptops to pen out an article. No one wanted to pass up reporting on the big news. They edited the headline and article, making the news piece as eye-catching as possible. Desmond put away
“Um… I need to verify Lil Dee’s donation, so I’m holding off from posting the news for now.” “That’s right. We should report the news in a neutral manner. We can’t publish the news article because we have unverified documents.” “I’ll need further checking before I can proceed to do anything.” The press took their stand. One minute, they were typing away. Now, they shut their laptops. Faye looked at Kaze’s grimacing face and said angrily, “I work for the Red Foundation. Are you saying the evidence I provide is fake? “You are all lying through your teeth. Neutral, my ass. “You call yourselves journalists, but you can change the story when it suits you.” Faye lashed out at the press. Desmond uttered coldly, “You’re just a tiny executive for the Lilyrose branch. Do you really think you’re all that? “Who are you to represent the Red Foundation? “The list of donors posted by the Red Foundation is still on Twitter this morning. It’s clear it hasn’t changed its stance.
“What did you say? Tax evasion? Care to elaborate, Kaze?” Desmond froze. It took seconds before he started flipping out. Desmond could still explain himself for faking the donation. The Red Foundation only made the one-billion-dollar donation public this morning. He could still save his skin because the press was on his side even if the truth was out. Desmond could always say that the donation would be in installments. However, if he were found to be evading tax, the public would not stop at just grilling Desmond. He would become the victim of a public witch-hunt. The press fell silent once more. They stared at Kaze, who smiled faintly. Getting goosebumps, Kingston stared intently at Kaze as a bad feeling overcame him. Kaze looked too composed for his liking. It was the silence in his confidence that was terrifying. Kaze glanced at Faye and said with a smile, “Show him the document.” Faye held some papers in her hand. She went up and tossed them on Desmond’s f
“What are you going to do, Kaze?” After a momentary daze, Desmond looked up and glared at Kaze. Things were not so bad yet. Since Kaze gave the materials of his tax evasion instead of handing them over to the relevant department, all hope was not lost yet. “What do you think I want to do, Desmond?” Kaze returned the question to Desmond with a smile. Desmond took a deep breath and propped his hands on the ground to rise to his feet. He stood before Kaze. “If you pass the file to me and forget about the whole thing, I promise not to go after you and your wife, Kaze. “I will even clarify to the press that we have reached an agreement.” Pulling himself together, Desmond said composedly, “Besides, I can even promote the companies you are associated with. “Oh, right. Didn’t you want publicity for Rove? I can promote Rove on my live stream and sell its products.“You should know the influence I hold as a nationally recognized influencer. I hold the key to Rove’s survival.”
Desmond stepped back in fright. He looked at Kaze in horror and fury. “So you’re not for it, Kaze? “Do you even understand what I am proposing? You didn’t even consider it.” Desmond just presented Kaze with an offer of a lifetime. The offer was too tempting to refuse. The profit that an influencer of his caliber could bring was enormous. Barely anyone could resist it. However, Kaze remained unfazed. He said indifferently, “You said something similar when endorsing Mountain Dew Resort, Desmond. “But I don’t negotiate with snakes. “Oh, calling you a snake will flatter you. You’re just a dog, all bark and no bite. “All you can fool is a child. “The only thing you need to do now is get on your knees and beg.” Desmond opened his mouth to speak, but then thought better of it, seeing Kaze’s resolve.“Don’t do anything reckless, Kaze. We can always talk about it.” With Kaze pulling out his phone, probably to report him to the authorities, Desmond’s heart sank. Gritti