Chapter 6 Eddie’s Determination

"Anton, I think for a long time before deciding to come see you."

Eddie hesitated, then said, "There's something I've been keeping inside for a while, and I have to get it out. Before I go on, do you know why I was fired from my previous job?"

"I've heard a bit—you offended a 'big shot.'"

Anton shrugged.

He walked over to the chair behind his desk and gestured for Eddie to sit.

Once Eddie had sat down, he asked, "Do you want to know why I ended up offending him?"

"Let's hear your story," Anton replied, leaning back and crossing his legs as he watched Eddie, who was visibly tense.

"Relax. Whatever you say, I won't fire you. I'm just the deputy editor; I don't even have the authority to fire you. Remember, you're the editor-in-chief. Whatever you want to say, speak with courage."

Eddie still looked uneasy but began slowly, "Carlton Drake, the head of the Life Foundation. His pharmaceutical company grew so rapidly because they were using homeless people as test subjects for illegal human experimentation. His entire empire is built on the bodies of countless victims. I brought this up during an interview, and that's what made him furious."

Anton thought for a moment. "So you lost your job because of that, and now you're not satisfied and want to keep pursuing it?"

"I'm not sure," Eddie replied, his tone hesitant but with a hint of conviction. "I finally got another job… But like you said, my life's been ruined by him, and I'm not content with that."

"I'll discuss this with the old man."

After a moment of thought, Anton said, "For now, go back to work, and I'll get back to you soon."

The Life Foundation's Carlton Drake was a powerful billionaire.

In terms of wealth, the young yet accomplished Dr. Drake might even rival Jonah Jameson's years of accumulated assets.

If Eddie continued to pursue this, it would mean the Daily Bugle was openly declaring war on the Life Foundation.

Personally, Anton fully supported Eddie exposing Carlton Drake for the scum he was.

But he had to consider that the Daily Bugle didn't belong to him, and he didn't have the luxury to act on a whim.

Acting without considering the consequences was immature.

Perhaps Anton could lend Eddie some support in the aftermath, but as far as the Daily Bugle was concerned, Jonah Jameson was the decision-maker, and Anton had to respect his grandfather's stance.

"Alright."

Eddie, assuming this was just an excuse to stall, looked disappointed as he got up to leave.

"Hold on, Eddie. Speaking personally, I support you, but you know, the Daily Bugle may belong to my family, but it isn't mine."

Anton added, "Rest assured, I'll do my best to persuade the old man."

"I understand. Thank you," Eddie replied, sensing the sincerity in Anton's words and looking grateful.

Once Eddie was gone, Anton rubbed his chin and took out his phone to call his grandfather and report everything.

To Anton's surprise, Jonah Jameson didn't tell him to back off; instead, he laughed heartily and instructed Anton to tell Eddie to pursue it full force.

Anton was taken aback—he hadn't even figured out how to convince his grandfather, yet Jonah had agreed right away.

"Why?" he asked, curious. "old man, you should know better than I do that investigating the Life Foundation is risky. I've heard the Life Foundation is involved in all sorts of shady dealings. If we agree to Eddie's investigation, we might face threats from them, even assassination attempts."

"Anton, New York is our territory; the Life Foundation is based in San Francisco. Trust me, they can't extend their reach into New York, nor would they dare."

Jonah's tone was firm. "If you want to go ahead, then go for it."

"Old man, I may need to rethink my impression of you. It turns out you really are a retired editor, not just the penny-pinching owner I thought you were."

Anton smiled.

Besides being a businessman, Jonah Jameson had also served as editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle for decades.

Everyone knew that newspapers didn't just publish gossip; they also held the responsibility of exposing society's dark side and promoting positive change.

If Jonah didn't care about justice, why would he have spent years doing this tedious work?

Had he put the same effort into other ventures, his wealth would be several times greater by now.

"You've impressed me too, Anton," Jonah said with satisfaction and a hint of pride over the phone. "Whether or not you succeed, you've already shown the resolve of a newspaper owner."

"Save the compliments for when it's all over."

Anton hung up the phone.

Knock knock!

Just as he was about to call Eddie back to the office to discuss things further, there was another knock at the door.

The screenwriter had arrived.

Anton immediately set Eddie's issue aside and began discussing the screenplay with the writer.

While the Life Foundation's story was important, his current priority was the movie.

The screenwriter, a white man named Browning Tobey, came from a poor background.

Having worked hard to achieve his current life, Browning valued money above all else.

As a result, he was very respectful towards Anton, who was paying him.

Their discussion went smoothly.

Browning found Anton wasn't just a spoiled rich kid. Batman's detailed background captivated him, and the storyline was well-suited to public tastes.

His role was more about adding the finishing touches rather than providing crucial support.

"Please give me more of these well-paid, enjoyable jobs!" Browning thought.

"Work on perfecting the script as quickly as possible, following what we discussed," Anton said. "Besides that, I thought of another job for you."

"Go ahead," Browning nodded.

"Turn this story into a novel and release it to the public as the first step in our movie's promotion," Anton said. "You'll be compensated fairly for this as well."

"Deal."

Browning agreed without hesitation.

The Batman story was already well-developed, so the task wasn't difficult, and the pay was above market rate, so he was more than happy to work with Anton.

"I'll be flying to Los Angeles tomorrow to meet with Jim. If you're heading back to LA, you can join me."

Anton nodded.

"Great. I'll take my leave then."

Browning picked up on Anton's subtle cue to end the meeting and excused himself.

Anton looked out the window, where the golden sunset cast a warm glow across the clouds.

He hadn't realized he'd talked with Browning this long.

He got up and walked to the staff area, where he saw Betty packing up her things to leave for the day.

"Hey, Betty, has Eddie clocked out?"

"No idea," Betty replied coldly, not looking back as she walked away.

"All because I didn't make her editor-in-chief? Women can be so petty," Anton muttered, scratching his nose awkwardly.

"Anton, were you looking for me?"

Eddie had just stepped out of his office.

"Yes, up for a drink? There's a bar not far from here."

Anton invited him. "I have a few things I'd like to discuss with you."