Chapter 715 - 711: I Can Help You Get What You Want

The man appeared suddenly, and his suspicious getup made Tanya Hughes instinctively pull her father back a step, her eyes fixed on him warily.

"Who are you?"

The man took off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of shrewd, calculating eyes. "Don’t be afraid. I’m someone who can help you."

"Help us?" Tanya sized him up. No matter how she looked at him, the man didn’t seem like a good person. She said coldly, "We don’t need any help from you."

With that, she took her father’s arm to leave.

But Leopold Hughes refused to budge. The man’s words had piqued his curiosity. "How can you help us?" he asked.

The man could see that Leopold was the easier one to win over, so he tempted him. "I know what you want, and I can help you get it."

Ever since the events at last night’s function went viral, many netizens had already started to suspect that these two hadn’t shown up for a reunion with Lily Sterling, but for her money.

"Dad, he’s probably a scammer. Let’s just ignore him."

"Tanya, what if this is an opportunity?" Leopold was full of wishful thinking. "We’re dirt poor. What do we have to lose?"

The man couldn’t help but smile at that. "Well, we can find out if I’m a scammer just by talking, can’t we?"

"Talk, let’s talk!" Leopold nodded eagerly. "What do you want to talk about?"

The man glanced around. They were still right outside the Goldman Golding building. He looked at the Starbucks not far across the street. "How about we go somewhere else? Let me treat you two to a cup of coffee!"

At the mention of a hot drink, Tanya’s resolve wavered. The winters in Lorcain were just too cold.

But then, a glint appeared in Leopold’s eye. "I’m not used to that stuff. Why don’t you buy us a meal instead? I hear the roast duck in Lorcain is amazing, and we haven’t tried it yet."

Tanya gave her father a speechless look, but to her surprise, the man agreed instantly. "No problem. We can talk while we eat."

Leopold beamed, shooting his daughter a smugly raised eyebrow.

Putting everything else aside, a free meal was definitely not a loss for them!

「At a well-known chain roast duck restaurant in Lorcain」

The lunch service had just begun, and the three of them found a table by the window with a view of the snow outside.

"Ah, it’s so warm. It’s much more comfortable indoors." Leopold took off his outer coat and unceremoniously snatched the menu from the waiter’s hand.

"This roast duck is two hundred yuan?" Leopold’s eyes widened. It was nearly ten times more expensive than the roast duck he bought at the market back home.

The man took off his coat, hat, and mask, saying warmly, "Don’t be shy, sir. Order whatever you like."

Tanya took the opportunity to get a better look at the man. He seemed to be around thirty-five, with a thin build and sharp, weaselly features that gave him a treacherous air.

His overall appearance did not give her a good impression.

But his attitude was surprisingly pleasant. Even as her father displayed the manners of an uncouth commoner, the man showed no trace of disdain or contempt. Instead, he kept smiling cheerfully.

"You’re sure? I’ll order then?"

Leopold didn’t hold back. Once he got the man’s permission, he ordered seven or eight dishes in one go, only stopping after he’d flipped through the menu back and forth three times.

After the food was ordered, the man finally looked at them and began, "Ahem, let me introduce myself. My surname is Hughes, and I’m a reporter for Stellarwind Media in Lorcain. Here’s my business card."

He handed over the card, which Leopold readily accepted. Tanya, meanwhile, took out her phone to search for "Stellarwind Media" to see if it was a legitimate company.

Mason Hughes, Entertainment Reporter, Stellarwind Media Ltd.

"Hey, you’re a Hughes too, buddy? We’re family!" The shared surname instantly made Leopold feel a sense of camaraderie.

"You’re also a Hughes, sir?" Mason put on a delighted expression, standing up to shake Leopold’s hand enthusiastically. "What a coincidence! So, that means Lily Sterling’s original surname was also Hughes?"

"That’s right. Her original name was Josephine Hughes," Leopold said smoothly.

Mason nodded, then turned to look at Tanya, clicking his tongue in amazement. "Wow, you really are twins. The resemblance is uncanny. You’re practically identical."

Tanya ignored his comment and asked, "Does your company have a physical address?"

’I’m still not convinced.’

"Of course. We’re a proper media company with nearly a hundred employees."

"So what do you want from us?" Tanya asked.

Mason looked at her. Although Tanya was being cautious and vigilant, she was, in the end, just a twenty-year-old girl. He didn’t really see her as a threat.

"Whatever you want from Lily Sterling, I can give it to you," Mason hinted meaningfully.

Leopold wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but he understood the implication. "Really, my friend? Y-You can give us money?"

"Of course it’s true. But you’ll have to cooperate with me."

"Cooperation, you got it! As long as we get paid, we’ll cooperate with anything."

"Dad!" Tanya shot her father a glare and warned in a low voice, "You don’t even know what he wants us to do and you’re already agreeing?"

"Anything’s fine! As long as we get money, right?"

Tanya couldn’t stop herself from rolling her eyes. She turned back to Mason and asked, "First, tell us what we need to do."

"It’s actually very simple. Just chat with me. Tell me some things about your family and about Lily Sterling." Mason explained with a straight face, "Don’t be nervous. I’m a reporter, so of course I have to chase the current hot topics. Lily Sterling is red-hot in the entertainment industry right now, so news about her is guaranteed to blow up our click and view counts. That’s what we want. We’re not asking you to do anything illegal."

Tanya felt a little relieved to hear that, but she still asked uncertainly, "That’s it?"

"Yep. We’re not interested in anything else, and neither are the netizens."

Beside her, Leopold was nodding furiously, overjoyed. "That’s easy! Just ask whatever you want to know. I’ll tell you everything!"

But Tanya interjected, pressing him, "So how much can you give us?"

Her words snapped Leopold back to reality. His expression immediately sobered, and he also asked, "Right, how much can you give us?"

Mason held up one hand, fingers spread wide. "A guaranteed minimum of fifty thousand. If your cooperation is good, I can go even higher!"

Fifty thousand!

’And he could go even higher?’

’Just for a casual chat?’

Looking like someone who’d never seen such a sum of money, Leopold’s eyes lit up, and he looked ready to agree on the spot.

But this time, Tanya didn’t let her father speak first. She pressed down hard on his leg under the table and looked at Mason, shaking her head. "No. Fifty thousand is too little."

"Fifty thousand is too little?" Mason was surprised; he had clearly underestimated this young woman. He was taken aback that she had the nerve to calmly haggle with him at a time like this.

Tanya was actually nervous on the inside, but she put on a calm front. "You just reminded me of something. There must be a lot of people who want to interview us right now. An exclusive scoop is worth the most, so I’m sure someone will offer a higher price than you!"