Top Notch War God

Chapter 96

Talon waited for a bit until Pete was fully dressed, and Ariya came in and sat beside Talon. The moment Pete saw Ariya, his eyes narrowed. "This woman looks familiar. Oh, you're Ariya from earlier this morning, right? Hahaha, not bad! Can I have a go as well?"

Ariya glared at him and said angrily, "Mr. Norman, let me make this clear. That wasn't me! I demand that you immediately delete those posts and publicly apologize across all platforms! If you don't, I'll sue you for defamation and take you to court!"

"I didn't write those posts. Why are you taking it out on me? If you want me to delete bad press, you'd better be nice. Otherwise, I'll blow this up even more. Soon, the whole country will know about you! And if you want to sue me, I promise I'll ruin your reputation long before the trial."

"You're despicable!" Ariya slammed her hand on the table in frustration, but there was nothing she could do. Even if she filed a lawsuit, the earliest court date would be months away, and by then, Pete could completely destroy her and the Arilon Group.

Pete lit a cigar, taking a long, satisfied puff. "Despicable? Hm, that's the best compliment I've heard. I won't lie, I have these kinds of disputes every month. The witnesses, the investigators—we're all very familiar with each other."

He laughed. "In the judicial world, I'm untouchable. Besides, the article was submitted by someone else, and we're just the publishers. They're anonymous submissions—if you say someone framed you, I could just as easily say you posted it yourself."

"But the picture is such an obvious fake, and you still dared to publish it?" Ariya asked.

Pete chuckled. "So what? Everyone knows the picture is doctored, and that the story is fake, but it still grabs attention. As long as it spreads, that's all I care about. In this era where traffic is king, Ms. Willis, your so-called truths don't matter!"

Ariya was at a loss for words, unable to come up with a strong enough insult. Pete was like a mad dog; he would bite regardless of the consequences.

"Since you're here, I assume you want to resolve this issue, so let's cut to the chase. First, let me make one thing clear: I'm not taking down the article, and I'm not apologizing. If you want to keep fighting, be my guest. But I guarantee in a few days, there'll be even more damning content—maybe even a video."

He added, "If you're ready to stop fighting, we can discuss the fee for taking down the article. Simply put, you messed with us, so you deserve what's coming. You can't beat me." Pete placed his cigar down and crossed his hands on the table.

"We're not giving you a dime! Don't even think about it!" Ariya said fiercely. If Pete wanted a fight, she was ready to give him one. She didn't care if her reputation was destroyed—as long as Talon believed in her, that was all that mattered.

"Ms. Willis, does that mean there's no room for negotiation?" Pete spread his hands mockingly.

"How much do you want? Name your price." Talon suddenly spoke up. Ariya looked at him in confusion, but Talon gently pressed her hand, signaling her to stay quiet.

Pete eyed Ariya up and down, a sleazy look on his face. "Heh, at least your husband is more sensible. Why make such a scene? My staff worked hard posting that article in the middle of the night, so they deserve some compensation. I won't ask for much—fifty million should do it."

He chuckled. "Pay that, and I'll take everything down, issue a public apology—whatever you want. Heck, I'll even serve you coffee if you like. Or, if Ariya spends one night with me, we can negotiate that price too. Hahaha."

"No way! Stop dreaming!" Ariya was furious. After everything he'd done to smear her, Pete still had the nerve to ask her to sleep with him. It was disgusting!

Talon spoke calmly, "I think fifty million is too low—it's hardly enough. As you said, your staff had to wake up in the middle of the night to post the article, right? They deserve at least a hundred million for their trouble."

He continued, "Then there's the cost of removing the article, which would require them to work overtime—that's another hundred million. Earlier, you mentioned tripling the amount for negotiating during this time, so that comes to six hundred million. That way, you won't be losing out."

"Wow, kid, you sure know your math," Pete muttered to himself. 'Could this kid really come up with six hundred million? That would be practically half the fortune of the Norman family!'

Ariya's mouth dropped open. 'Is Talon really offering six hundred million? Is he out of his mind?'

"Six hundred million—how about it?" Talon asked after doing the math.

"Are you serious, or are you messing with me?" Pete hesitated. A deal like this was once in a lifetime, so he was excited but also a bit anxious.

"I wouldn't dare mess with you. It'll take about half an hour to arrange the funds. We'll be back then." Talon stood up and left, taking a bewildered Ariya with him to a nearby café to wait.

"Mr. Norman, do you think they really have six hundred million? Maybe they're just bluffing us," that woman asked, puzzled.

Pete chuckled smugly, starting to feel excited. "Hmph, what choice do they have? Are they really going to go against me? I didn't expect it, but they just offered six hundred million when I was only asking for fifty million!"

He laughed out loud. "Once half an hour is up, we'll collect the money—who cares about the rest? Jessica, tell the PR department to pause promoting Ariya's bad press, and prepare an apology letter to clear her name!"

"Mr. Norman, are you really going to clear her name?" Jessica asked, stunned.

"Haha, in this business, you have to keep your word! If they pay, why wouldn't I clear Ariya's name? But of course, if more scandalous content leaks later, that's not my problem. Every time we remove negative press, I'll charge them again, until Ariya's completely broke!"

Pete giggled. "Now, come here—you've got me hard as stone, and you still haven't finished me yet!" He grinned wickedly, feeling triumphant.

"You bad boy." Jessica giggled as she moved closer to Pete.

Pete's face lit up with excitement as he murmured filthily, "Oh, this feels so good. If only you were Ariya, I'd f**k your brain out. Hahaha!"