Chapter 238: The Art of Information Gathering
Chapter 238: The Art of Information Gathering
So, he's here to pick a fight...
After hearing Lyon's aggressive questioning, the female reporter, who had been tense, couldn't help but relax slightly.
Great, let's fight! As long as he didn't come to arrest me!
"Mr. Lyon... no, Your Highness, the soon-to-be son-in-law of the royal family, it seems you have a slight misunderstanding about me."
After taking a moment to compose herself, the female reporter smiled and said:
"First of all, I only wrote seven reports about you, not eight.
Secondly, let's assume that you were the reporter for the Sun Herald, and you discovered the news that I did. Wouldn't you write a few articles as well?"
Of course, and I would probably write more than you.
Hearing the female reporter's retort, Lyon's expression turned slightly awkward as he realized his recent mischief had been a bit too frequent, and it was quite normal for a reporter to keep an eye on him.
Fortunately, these weren't the main points, and his true purpose wasn't to question her about the news reports but to probe the bottom of this suspected rebel member, "Nicole, the reporter."
...
"Fine, I admit that my recent activities have been excellent news topics."
Wearing a woolen hat, a turtleneck, a professional skirt suit, leather shoes, and a thick shawl, her clothes were extremely concealing, and except for her fingertips painted with light pink nail polish, no skin was exposed.
That's odd, the Sun Herald office had metal heat pipes embedded in its walls, and the indoor temperature wasn't low. Wearing so many layers seemed a bit unusual.
Lyon carefully observed the female reporter before him, his eyes filled with feigned indignation. "But every article you wrote spoke ill of me, and some were outright slander!"
"You're being too harsh~"
The female reporter shook her head, also observing her "opponent" while smiling and extending her finger to point at the newspaper on the table.
"Although, in many people's eyes, the Sun Herald is only considered a tabloid, and even the political and business quality section's news is mostly based on hearsay, personally, I still value the authenticity of my reports.
For example, in those articles about you, I refrained from making direct conclusions about any uncertain situations and instead used phrases like 'suspected,' 'possibly,' and 'according to the author's speculation.' Isn't that right?"
Her hands were so white, and her skin was incredibly smooth, with a delicate and moist texture.
Lyon didn't immediately respond to the female reporter's question but pretended to look at the newspaper while secretly glancing at her hand. His eyes narrowed slightly.
This skin quality was a bit too perfect.
It was already winter in the royal capital, and the winters were cold and dry. Moreover, the wind at the entrance of the Sun Herald office was strong, so her skin should have been slightly dehydrated after coming in from outside.
This abnormal moist skin shouldn't have appeared today... Considering her identity as an anomaly object holder, her hand should have had some special "issues." He could find an opportunity to shake her hand later to check for any anomalies.
"Alright, I admit you have a point."
Lyon's expression softened slightly as he withdrew his gaze from the "newspaper," then took out an older newspaper from his shopping bag and placed it on the table.
"The 'Sewage' Incident Deliberate? Thomas Lane: Evidence is Fabricated"
"Nicole, did you write this report as well?"
This was... the Lane family, together with two other noble houses, conspiring to seize Char Department Store by having the Waterworks Company pump sewage into the public water pipes?
Lyon remembered that after finishing this report, he had handed over the evidence he found to the royal family's Minister of Justice. Although the Lane family vehemently denied the allegations, they still faced a strict investigation led by the Princess, resulting in fines of nearly three hundred thousand gold luns and the forced sale of their Waterworks Company shares at a low price.
So... the previous reports were just a cover, and the real reason the newly appointed Duke of Lionheart came to pick a fight was because of this report that caused the Lane family significant losses?
After recognizing the newspaper Lyon produced, the female reporter frowned slightly and then nodded expressionlessly at the new head of the Lane family.
"Yes, I wrote it. Do you have any questions about this report?"
"I do have a question for you."
Lyon pondered as he tried to figure out where the "sheep's tail" mentioned by Black Sheep was, his eyes narrowing slightly. "The biggest question is about the evidence. Where did you get it?"
"Mr. Lyon, if you've read this report carefully, you should know that I've clearly stated the source of the evidence."
The sharpness of Lyon's gaze made the female reporter feel slightly uncomfortable. She furrowed her brows and replied, "When the Char Department Store's cash box collapsed and injured someone, I rushed to the scene after receiving the news. I just so happened to find those pieces of evidence at the shopping plaza... Whether you believe it or not, these are the facts!"
"I believe you, of course."
Lyon nodded, and then, just as expressionless, he said, "But have you ever considered why such important evidence would appear there for no reason, and you just happened to find it? Could it be that someone deliberately placed it there?"
"So, are you implying that I took money from someone and intentionally published negative news about the Lane family?"
Sensing the meaning behind the newly appointed Duke of Lionheart's words, the female reporter's attitude became less polite. She crossed her legs, leaning back in her chair with her short boots propped up, and smirked, "Your Grace, first of all, are the data about the Waterworks Company real or fake? Surely you must know something as crucial as that. If you're not even aware of such a critical situation, I suggest you conduct a thorough self-examination. At the very least, according to my investigation, the kingdom's punishment of your Lane family could even be considered lenient."
"And if you think my report is false and has caused your family to be penalized, you should go to the Sun Herald's Dispute Resolution Department to file a complaint. Then, go straight to the News Management Bureau and sue me. The complaint window is to the right after you exit, and downstairs."
After pointing out the location of the Dispute Resolution Department to Lyon, the female reporter straightened her body and put on a pretense of fear. She blinked her eyes and said with feigned trepidation, "Your Grace, although your Lane family is almost ruined, it's not something a small reporter like me can afford to provoke. If you go and sue me, I will definitely plead guilty and compensate you according to the maximum penalty for defamation, which I believe is... thirty silver luns?"
Tsk, tsk, a full thirty silver luns! If you multiply that by a hundred thousand, it would be enough to cover your family's fine. This penalty is enormous, and I, a reckless little reporter, have already learned my lesson. Please, let me off the hook."
"..."
Observing the female reporter, who was verbally provoking him while feigning fear, Lyon remained silent for a moment. Contrary to her expectations, he did not fly into a rage. Instead, he picked up a stack of old newspapers he had just obtained from the guide.
As the female reporter watched him with a puzzled expression, Lyon flipped to the article titled, "Char Department Store's Big Sale, a Man Hospitalized After Being 'Heavily' Hit by Money." He pointed to the photo of himself buried under a pile of money, then turned his body away from her and asked, "Miss Nicole, doesn't this person look familiar?"
"..."
Looking at Lyon's back and the old coat he was wearing, which matched the one in the photo, the female reporter couldn't help but widen her eyes in surprise.
"That... the unlucky guy who almost got killed by money... is actually you?"
"Yes, it's me. So, during this period, you did write eight news articles about me. However, seven of them were published in the Sun Herald's Political and Business Quality Section, and this one was in the Mass Entertainment Section. Moreover..."
Turning back to face the astonished female reporter, Lyon said slowly, "The evidence you found was indeed brought by me to the shopping plaza. I had intended to let the owner of Char Department Store come forward and expose the sewage incident, but due to an accident, I ended up in the hospital, and the evidence was left behind in the plaza. That's when you, who had rushed to the scene for an interview, picked it up."
"..."
"..."
Facing Lyon, who seemed genuine, the female reporter was taken aback and stuttered, "Then... then you're here to..."
"I'm here to thank you."
Lyon grabbed the female reporter's unusually fair palm and shook it up and down. A brilliant smile gradually spread across his face, and he said with intense sincerity, "Thank you. You've helped me a great deal!"
"..."
(End of Chapter)
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