Chapter 39: If I Die That’s On You
The next two days passed quietly.
On the morning of the third day, Carl finally handed him the list of the powerful individuals of the Golden City and what troubles they had.
The list included businessmen, restaurant owners, top artists, pro athletes, doctors, lawyers, and so on.
Klaus read through the list with a surprised yet calm expression. It was detailed enough to look like some big media channel had made it after intensive research, but he wasn’t going to show how surprised he actually was.
If he praised it now, he’d owe Carl the promised favor, and Klaus wasn’t ready to make that phone call yet.
He didn’t know if he would ever be ready to do that.
They hadn’t broken apart on good terms, after all.
Just thinking about her made goosebumps rise across his body.
’I don’t want to deal with that crazy woman,’ he remarked inwardly as he eyed Carl, who was staring at him with a haughty look on his face.
After skimming through the list on his untraceable phone, he lowered it and said impassively, "It’s okay."
A crack appeared in Carl’s haughty look, and he mumbled with a shadow of despair in his eyes, "So it’s not great... or good... just okay?"
Klaus shrugged and walked toward the door leading to the staircase. "That will depend on how useful it is."
Carl turned to him and asked with slouched shoulders, "What are you planning to do?"
He pushed the door and said, "I am going to meet those people and try to solve their problems."
Carl frowned. "You know how dangerous that would be, right? They would be cautious of you just for knowing about them."
’Right,’ Klaus nodded.
He knew how dangerous it was, and that was precisely why he was doing that. He couldn’t just sit and wait for things to go his way; he needed to gain influence, and what better way could there be than becoming the savior of already influential people.
’With my current stats, it’s not like an ordinary person can do much to me anyway.’
He chuckled and turned his head to Carl.
"Are you worried about me?"
"I am," Carl said in a genuine tone.
Klaus blinked in surprise; he had expected him to deny that.
’Seems like he is warming up to me—’
"You can do that after getting me the autograph."
Klaus’s thoughts crumbled instantly; he shot Carl a deadpan glare.
’I am stupid for even thinking that this guy has a heart in him.’
Carl scratched his cheek and frowned awkwardly, "What?"
Klaus shook his head with a disappointed look and muttered as he left the room, "If I die, that’s on you and your list."
Carl’s jaw fell open, and he mumbled, "What the hell?"
He rushed to the door. "Get me that autograph right now!"
To his misfortune, Klaus had already left the place.
*
As usual, Liliana Palmer sat in her office, reading articles and reports for tonight’s news anchoring. Being the most trusted news anchor of the Golden City came with fame, power, immense responsibility, and pressure.
With furrowed blade-like brows and her long, deep scarlet hair fanning over the desk, she read the reports, but her gaze kept drifting to the ash in the trash basket.
She fell back in her chair and stared at the ceiling with a troubled look on her sharp, angular face.
"What do I do?"
For the past ten days she had been receiving anonymous letters from some creep talking about having her explicit images.
At first she had believed that it was just a horrible prank and didn’t give it much mind, but today she received a photo with the letter.
The photo was obviously fake; that much was true, but it was too real. Even she wasn’t able to tell the difference between her and the image.
To an anchor as well-known as her, it was very troublesome. Any kind of rumor could cause her image to be ruined; after all, what people liked more than seeing someone rise was seeing someone fall.
And to make things work, she didn’t have anyone she could trust. She was sure that the person doing it was at least an employee of the channel; otherwise, they couldn’t even get into her office.
She rubbed her forehead with her fingers and mumbled, "I shouldn’t have asked them to remove the CCTV."
She had gotten them removed because it made her feel trapped, but now that decision felt very stupid.
"Haah..." she let out a tired sigh.
At the same time, the door to her office opened, and a man wearing a black cap and face mask walked in.
Seeing him invade her office without even knocking, Liliana narrowed her eyes and asked coldly, "Do you think this is your home?"
The masked man looked at her with smiling eyes and held his hand before her. "Why so serious? Calm down a little."
She looked at his hand, and her hand moved to the distress button under the desk. "Leave, or I’ll call security and have your ass thrown out."
The masked man chuckled and leaned on her desk.
"Are you sure you want to do that?"
"I sure as hell am," she said, her eyes sharp with confidence.
"Alright then." The masked man turned around and mumbled as he made his way to the door, "Was I wrong to think that she wants to find out the letter-sending creep?"
Liliana’s eyes widened, and she mumbled darkly, "What did you just say?"
He stopped and turned his head to her, then he looked in front of him and continued toward the door.
"Nothing. Just ignore me," he said while raising a peace sign with his right hand.
Liliana shot to her feet and called out, "Wait!"
He halted and blurted in an annoyed tone, "What?"
She stared at his back, her eyes trembling and her heart beating loudly against her chest.
"H-How do you know about the letters?"
’Got you.’
He turned to her and asked flatly, "Do you care more about that than finding out who is behind those letters?"
The masked man was none other than Klaus Murrow.