William's intuition proved to be reliable. Not far from the Hilton Hotel, inside a small car, John Taylor from The Sun was so excited he was trembling. He kept muttering to himself, "I'm going to be rich. Haha, I'm going to be famous. After five or six years as a journalist, I've finally dug up a big scoop. Let's see what that fat boss has to say now."
The previous night, he had followed Chelsea's Dennis Wise to the Hilton, hoping to catch some scandalous photos. But after waiting all night, he got nothing.
After his shift at 7 AM, he swapped with his partner and walked into the Hilton, pretending to wait for someone. In reality, he was looking for his high school classmate Claudio, who worked at the Hilton.
After sitting for about ten minutes, John asked a staff member for directions to the restroom. After washing his face, brushing his teeth, and dealing with nature's call, he returned to the lobby, still pretending to wait.
At around 8 AM, John finally spotted Claudio and signaled to him discreetly. He calmly walked to the restroom, where Claudio joined him shortly after.
As soon as Claudio entered the restroom, he grabbed John's collar and pulled him close, whispering angrily, "Are you crazy, John? I'm working right now. If the supervisor sees this, I'll get fired."
John, aware of Claudio's military background, quickly reassured him, "Relax, Claudio. It's fine. There's no one else here, and we'll hear anyone coming. Listen, buddy, I followed Dennis Wise from Chelsea here."
"The same Dennis Wise who equalized against AC Milan at San Siro in the Champions League?" Claudio asked.
"That's right. He's high-profile news right now. If we can get a picture of him cheating, we'll be rich. The Sun would pay at least £10,000 for that. You'd get half, which is three months of your salary," John enticed.
"FUCK, I got notified yesterday that a few major companies are coming here for a meeting today. I have to set up the conference room soon. Why now, of all times, do they have to hold a meeting? It's ruining my chance to make money. I was hoping to buy my kid a birthday present," Claudio complained.
"What time's the meeting?" John asked.
"9 AM. Why?"
"No worries. We still have time. Dennis Wise hasn't come out yet. It won't take long to set up the conference room. I'll wait for you in the lobby."
"Alright, I'll set up quickly and then wait at the service desk where I can see the elevators. If I spot Dennis Wise, I'll call you. Maybe I can even use the bug you gave me last time and plant it on him," Claudio said.
"That would be perfect, buddy. You should use your skills more. Playing it safe won't make you rich," John said.
"Enough nonsense. I have a wife and kids now. I can't take risks. I'll head to the conference room. Wait for my call, and don't fall asleep," Claudio joked.
"Get lost. I'm a professional journalist."
"Journalist? You're just a paparazzo."
"I'm a journalist, a university graduate in media studies," John growled quietly.
"Alright, alright. You're a journalist," Claudio said, rolling his eyes. A university degree didn't change the fact that John was still a paparazzo.
Just as Claudio was about to leave the restroom, John's professional instincts kicked in. He called Claudio back and handed him a tape recorder. "You said there are big companies meeting today. Let's play it safe and record it. You never know what we might catch."
"Are you nuts, John? We can't mess with these big companies. Don't get me in trouble," Claudio protested, not wanting to be caught as a corporate spy.
"Relax. We'll listen to it first. If it's not newsworthy, I won't send it to the paper. I don't want to risk my life either. Trust me, we'll listen together. If it's too risky, we won't do anything," John assured him.
"Alright, but I won't give it to you first, John. If you want to mess with big companies, wait until you're a famous journalist. I don't want to visit you in jail."
"Screw you. If you end up in jail, I won't be joining you."
"Fine, I'll go now. Watch for my call."
John waited the entire morning without hearing from Claudio. Just as he was about to call, Claudio's call came through.
John hurriedly answered, "Hey, buddy, any news? Did Dennis Wise come out yet?"
"Forget about that shorty. John, we're going to be rich. Do you know what I recorded in the conference room? We're going to be rich. Your paper will pay a fortune for this recording."
Claudio was excited, thinking he might earn a substantial amount, possibly several thousand pounds, improving his financial situation significantly. He couldn't wait to call John.
"Wait for me, John. Get rid of your assistant. I'll come to your car. Remember, it's a secret," Claudio said before hanging up.
"Hello, hello," John said a few more times before realizing Claudio had hung up. Recalling Claudio's instructions, he told his assistant, "Peter, it's lunchtime. Go to the restaurant for lunch and take a break. I'll call you later."
Peter knew John wanted him gone for some reason, so he nodded, "Alright, John. I am hungry. Want me to bring you something?"
"You go ahead. I'll call when I'm hungry," John replied.
"Okay, then. I'm off," Peter said, opening the car door and heading to the restaurant.
A few minutes later, Claudio, who had been watching from a distance, saw Peter enter the restaurant and quickly approached John's car, getting in.
"God, what did you record that's got you so cautious? Let me hear it," John demanded eagerly.
"Hold on. Just remember, I want half. If you try to cheat me, you'll regret it," Claudio warned.
"Okay, okay, just play it."
Claudio reached into his jacket pocket, not taking out the recorder, but pressing play while it remained inside his pocket.
A young man's voice filled the car, "Welcome, gentlemen. My name is William Devonshire. I am the creator, designer, and owner of Plants vs. Zombies."
John had heard of Plants vs. Zombies. His younger brother had mentioned it recently, saying it was very popular among young people. His brother had even bought a game disc.
As the recording continued, John listened intently. When he heard that in 15 days, Plants vs. Zombies merchandise sold 430,000 units in London and surrounding areas, generating £6.45 million at an average price of £15 per item, and that the game could sell 7 million copies, John's excitement grew. His hands trembled as his eyes lit up.
When William's voice said, "Starting at £100 million," John was genuinely shaking with excitement. He knew he had stumbled upon a massive scoop. If everything on the tape was true, it would be a sensational story, not just in England but potentially worldwide.
This was a golden opportunity for a major career breakthrough. Hugging Claudio, John kissed his forehead, exclaiming, "Buddy, you're my lucky star. We're going to be rich. This recording is worth at least £50,000. No one gets it for less."
Claudio was also thrilled, thinking maybe he shouldn't play it safe all the time. His military training was proving useful.
After calming down a bit, John said, "Claudio, damn it, we need photos. Is William still at the hotel? We need to get his picture and dig up everything about him. This could be multiple front-page headlines for The Sun."
"Yes, he's still there. I saw him this morning. Damn, he's handsome too. About to become a millionaire and he's good-looking. God really isn't fair," Claudio complained.
"Forget about God. Let's wait for him outside the hotel. I need to get his picture today. Come on, Mr. Special Agent, if I had your skills, I'd be rich already."
Claudio chuckled, "Wait, John. Let's park the car in a better spot for a quick getaway."
After everything was set, the two of them, armed with cameras, staked out the hotel entrance. Claudio reversed his jacket and wore John's hat and mask, ready to snap William's photo as soon as he emerged.
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