Chapter 119: Arrogant Reporter Shen Lin

Inside the office.

Xu Shaochen was chatting with Liu Rushuang.

“Bang!”

Right then, the office door swung open as an employee rushed in and anxiously said, “Mr. Xu, something’s wrong. Those people are back again, and they brought reporters.”

“They just don’t know what’s good for them. Courting death!”

The smile on Xu Shaochen’s face gradually disappeared, leaving nothing but a cold, dark expression. He said icily, “Let them in.”

He thought that would be the end of it.

Who would have thought that those ungrateful wolves were still unwilling to give up? Did they really think Xu Shaochen was easy to bully?
“Reporter comrades, that’s him—he’s the one! We relatives did so much to help him back then and even lent him a lot of money. But now that he’s gotten rich, he doesn’t even acknowledge us. People like him must be exposed to let society condemn him!”

Xu Ling pointed at Xu Shaochen and spoke to the reporter beside her through gritted teeth.

“Mr. Xu, is what they’re saying true? Do you have anything to say about this?”

There were two reporters: a young man doing the interview and a photographer tagging along.

“You really know how to distort the truth, don’t you?”

Xu Shaochen completely ignored the reporter and coldly addressed Xu Ling instead.

It was clearly these people who borrowed money from his family and never repaid it, yet now they twisted the story to make it seem like he owed them. Utterly ridiculous.

“What distortion? Everything I said is the truth! Are all these people telling lies?”

Xu Ling spoke without fear, a mocking smile on her face.

“Mr. Xu, please answer my question directly!”

The young reporter’s tone was stiff as he looked at Xu Shaochen. As a reporter, wherever he went, people treated him with utmost respect.

But just now, Xu Shaochen dared to ignore him. This was an insult, and if that was the case, then don’t blame him for being ruthless.

Moreover, this topic was highly sensational. He believed that once the news was out, his fame would reach new heights.

Whether the story was true or false didn’t matter. He intended to paint Xu Shaochen as a heartless ingrate who turned his back on his family after becoming wealthy.

After all, only such a story could capture the public’s attention.

“Who do you think you are, demanding I answer your question? You think you’re worthy?”

Xu Shaochen looked at the reporter and spoke coldly.

Xu Ling and the others displayed schadenfreude at the scene. How dare Xu Shaochen offend a reporter? He was simply digging his own grave.

“I’m a reporter, and I have the right to conduct interviews.”

The young reporter didn’t flinch as he locked eyes with Xu Shaochen. He was hoping for Xu Shaochen to lose his cool because that would make the video more explosive.

“Which media outlet are you a reporter for?”

Xu Shaochen asked.

“Jiangzhou Daily’s reporter, Shen Lin.” The young reporter pointed at his work badge hanging from his neck, proudly declaring it, his face showing a trace of mockery.

Xu Shaochen took out his Phone and called Linda: “Contact the boss of Jiangzhou Daily and have a reporter named Shen Lin fired. Also, tell them if there’s any news about me in tomorrow’s paper, then Jiangzhou will soon only have the Jiangzhou Evening News. There will be no more Jiangzhou Daily.”

Shen Lin heard this as if he’d just heard a joke. A newly established company dares to be this arrogant? Contact my boss? My boss is dealing with a thousand things every day, and you think you’re important enough to know him? To Shen Lin, Xu Shaochen’s words were nothing more than nonsense. Someone in Jiangzhou dared to threaten Jiangzhou Daily? Utterly laughable.

“Mr. Xu, I think you don’t understand what the words Jiangzhou Daily represent. People like you have no qualification to threaten me.”

Shen Lin looked at Xu Shaochen with disdain, as if he were watching a ridiculous clown.

“Smack!”

Before he could finish his sentence, Xu Shaochen slapped him across the face and said coldly, “I didn’t ask you to speak. Shut up, understand?”

“You… you dare hit me! Fine, fine, just wait and see! All of that was captured on video. You’re going to regret this!”

Feeling the burning pain on his face, Shen Lin was furious, staring at Xu Shaochen with gritted teeth.

“Smack!”

Xu Shaochen slapped him again: “I said, shut up if I haven’t asked you to speak. Next time, it won’t just be two slaps.”

Shen Lin’s face alternated between green and white. In his entire career, he had never been humiliated this way. He swore he wouldn’t rest until he ruined Xu Shaochen.

“Ring ring ring…”

At that moment, Shen Lin’s Phone started ringing. He took it out and saw that it was his chief editor calling.

“Editor-in-Chief Liang, I’m currently working on an interview. I’ve already reserved tomorrow’s headline…” Shen Lin eagerly tried to report his achievements as soon as he answered the call.

“What interview? You’ve just been fired by our boss personally. Also, you’ve been blacklisted in the industry. You better think about whose toes you’ve stepped on! I have a meeting to attend, bye.”

The person on the other side hurriedly finished speaking and immediately hung up, as if afraid of being associated with him.

“Beep… Beep…”

Listening to the disconnected tone from the Phone, Shen Lin was still in shock.

Fired?

And blacklisted? How could he be fired? His performance was always the best in the company. He was the star reporter of Jiangzhou Daily. He was about to be promoted, so how could he suddenly be fired? The worst part was, he was blacklisted in the industry! This was basically cutting off his future!

Think carefully about who you’ve offended!

Recalling Editor-in-Chief Liang’s words, Shen Lin felt as if he’d been struck by lightning. He looked up at Xu Shaochen in disbelief, his face suddenly drained of color, his lips trembling.

Just one Phone call from Xu Shaochen, and his boss personally ordered his dismissal and industry-wide blacklisting.

Although he didn’t want to believe it, that was the reality.

“M-Mr. Xu, I was wrong.” Shen Lin said with a tearful face. If he could do it all over again, he wouldn’t have meddled in this matter even if someone paid him.

Xu Ling and the others, who were expecting Xu Shaochen to suffer, were utterly dumbfounded. What just happened? Aren’t reporters usually quite influential? Why did Shen Lin suddenly lower his head and admit his mistake?

Xu Shaochen sneered and spoke softly to Shen Lin: “You were wrong? How could you be wrong? You’re a big-shot reporter, right? You could ruin me with just a few words. How could someone like you be wrong?”

Xu Shaochen’s tone was calm, but every word was filled with disdain. In Shen Lin’s ears, it felt like needles piercing his heart.

“Thud!”

Shen Lin’s legs gave out, and he fell to his knees before Xu Shaochen, begging repeatedly.

“Mr. Xu, I was wrong, I really know I was wrong. I beg you to forgive me. I don’t want to lose my job. I really don’t. It was my eyes that deceived me. I’m not worth anything. Please, please forgive me!”

Not wanting to lose his job was one thing. But being blacklisted in the industry was another. Unless he changed careers, it was impossible for him to continue as a journalist.
This meant that all his past efforts were in vain. It was like throwing everything into the water. It was almost as if one night had sent him back to square one. How could he accept that?