Chapter 1 A Good Mood

Griff Jenkins had been in a pretty good mood recently.

As the deputy editor of FOX Sports, he had a very good relationship with Adam Silver.

Just two days ago, Silver had sent him an email from an anonymous account containing some alleged "dark history" about Tang Tian.

By leaking this dark history, he would not only receive first-hand news from the league in the future but also a personal reward of $50,000 from Silver.

As a professional journalist, he knew that this so-called dark history was harmless, so he gladly accepted it.

And the next day, Silver gave him a lot of first-hand news, making the deal very profitable for him.

If this momentum continued, he would have a good chance of replacing his current editor-in-chief.

On this day, he was sitting in his office with his legs crossed, smoking a cigar, listening to popular jazz from the last century, his leg rhythmically shaking.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

It was one of his old reporters.

He turned off the music, put the cigar aside, sat up straight, and signaled them to come in.

Two people came in. Besides his subordinate, there was also someone he didn't recognize, carrying a thick briefcase.

"Boss, this is Tang's assistant, Carl. He has something he wants to talk to you about."

Jenkins frowned slightly but motioned for his subordinate to leave.

Everyone has connections. It was not surprising that someone on Tang Tian's team knew someone at FOX.

This was probably a request to delete the news.

He didn't get up to pour Carl a coffee. He just glanced at Carl with an obvious look in his eyes: say what you have to say, and get out.

"Mr. Jenkins, hello, I'm Carl. What I'm about to say represents only myself."

Carl was quite vigilant, knowing that many reporters had the habit of carrying recorders.

"I don't have any recording devices here. Say what you have to say quickly, I'm very busy."

Jenkins said impatiently.

Silver had already delivered the chips for the deal, so he couldn't delete the news. Talking to Carl any longer would be a waste of time.

Without further ado, Carl put the briefcase on the table and sat down opposite Jenkins.

Jenkins frowned even deeper. This Carl was very rude.

"Okay, Mr. Jenkins, I'll get straight to the point. I know someone provided these news materials. If you're willing to reveal who gave them to you and the related details, you'll receive a generous reward."

Carl's words made Jenkins' eyes flicker.

Did Tang Tian's side know about his deal with Silver?

Had Silver sold him out?

Had his email been hacked?

A series of thoughts flashed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed them all.

He had already deleted the emails in his inbox, and Silver had no reason to sell him out. This Carl was just trying to scare him.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Jenkins felt a little guilty, but he directly rejected Carl.

Carl didn't say much. He just raised a hand and made a "1" gesture.

Jenkins' heart skipped a beat when he saw Carl's gesture.

For something of this magnitude, $10,000 would be just a small tip, and $100,000 wouldn't justify this gesture.

A million dollars!

Although he was a deputy editor-in-chief, he was still just an employee, and there were several deputy editors-in-chief at FOX. His annual income was only between $150,000 and $200,000.

A million dollars was at least five years' salary for him!

He glanced at the briefcase. Its size meant it probably held exactly one million in cash.

A cash transaction, leaving no trace.

He was tempted, but hesitant.

But slowly, he made up his mind.

Although a million dollars was very tempting, if he publicly said that Silver had provided these news materials, he would lose his position as deputy editor-in-chief.

That wasn't worth it.

"I told you, I really don't know what you're talking about."

Jenkins said through gritted teeth, giving the briefcase one last look.

Even though he had thought it wasn't worth it, having a million dollars in front of him and refusing it felt like throwing away a piece of meat.

"It's a pity. I didn't expect Mr. Jenkins to be so uninterested in money."

Carl said as he stood up.

"If it were me, it would be difficult to remain indifferent to ten million."

"What?!"

Jenkins shouted in surprise, almost jumping out of his leather chair.

Ten million!

That gesture meant ten million!

Fxck!

Why the hell would you make a gesture when offering ten million? Just say it!

Ten million was worth fifty years of his income, no, a lifetime!

And there was no guarantee that he would remain a deputy editor-in-chief for the rest of his life!

And with ten million, why would he be a damn employee? He'd just start his own company!

Even if he didn't start a business, ten million would be enough to cover his expenses for the rest of his life!

"Are you saying ten million dollars?"

Jenkins stopped him and asked to confirm.

Carl smiled and nodded.

Having been Tang's assistant for so long, he had become very good at observing people.

The suit Jenkins was wearing, the cigar on the table, and the way his eyes kept drifting towards the briefcase all indicated that he was a man who liked money.

That's why he said what he did.

Now it seemed that everything was as he had predicted.

"This is a down payment of one million. After the matter is completed, the remaining nine million will be delivered in full."

Carl continued.

Jenkins licked his lips. His mouth was a little dry.

Rich people were really capricious. Should he raise the price?

"If things go smoothly, there will be an additional one million reward for you."

Carl noticed the change in his eyes. Although he didn't like such greedy people, he still added.

"Deal."

Jenkins agreed. He agreed so much.

"So, the person who gave you these materials was league president Adam Silver?"

Carl then asked.

"Yes, he sent an email. I've already deleted it from my inbox, but I have a backup on my computer."

Jenkins nodded.

Carl smiled after hearing that.

This guy was indeed a character. Was he keeping this to blackmail Silver in the future?

But none of that mattered anymore. His goal had been basically achieved.

"What kind of coffee do you want to drink?"

Jenkins' attitude had completely changed compared to when he arrived. Now that they had made a deal, they should have a cup of coffee to celebrate.

Carl shook his head. He opened his suit to reveal the recorder inside.

"Everything you just said has been recorded here. If you do as we agreed, the remaining money will naturally be given to you. If not, you won't get a penny and your reputation will be ruined."

With this recorder, they had Jenkins' weakness. And even if Jenkins went back on his word, the question he had just asked had confirmed that Silver was behind it, and they already had a backup plan.

Jenkins clenched his fist involuntarily after hearing that. This Carl looked young, but he was very cautious and ruthless.

But that was to be expected. How could someone in Tang's core team not have some ability?

"Don't worry, I've already made my choice."

Jenkins said.

On one side was $11 million, and on the other was $50,000 plus the identity of an employee. Only a real idiot wouldn't know which to choose.

As for credibility, screw it. A media person didn't have any credibility to speak of. He wasn't a pure white lotus.

Carl nodded in satisfaction, left the briefcase, and then walked straight out of Jenkins' office.

Fans were still hotly discussing Tang Tian's dark history. Because of a series of statements from Calhoun and Demps, this dark history seemed not so dark anymore.

Only the NCAA decided to conduct a public investigation into Tang's matter.

Just then, a long tweet from FOX Sports deputy editor-in-chief, Griff Jenkins, who had previously published Tang Tian's dark history, completely exploded on social media.