C 12

In the midst of the chaotic day-to-day at the Daily Bugle, time slipped by quickly, blending into a flurry of activity. For the seasoned newsroom, taking down a corporation like the Life Foundation was a rare and lucrative opportunity—a chance to boost profiles and secure a hefty year-end bonus. 

Fueled by motivation, everyone dove into the task. With the front page now dedicated to the exposé, the entire issue had to be restructured. Anton emphasized that they needed to release the video materials promptly to spark social conversation, pushing the deadline into overdrive.

Luckily, the Daily Bugle usually finalize its daily editions in the evening, print them by midnight, and distribute them by early morning. By canceling the original front-page layout a day early, they faced minimal losses, though it did irritate the editors who had worked on it. But in the face of big news—and the potential bonuses—any resentment was set aside.

"Are we all set?" Anton asked, showing no sympathy for Betty, who looked utterly exhausted.

"Yes," she replied, barely hiding her frustration. Anton's detached oversight was only fueling her irritation. The life of a boss seemed to involve little more than barking orders while the team scrambled.

Anton nodded. "Good. Start publishing limited versions of the video on our official site and get our PR team ramped up. Twitter, Facebook, video platforms, forums—make sure we're visible everywhere."

Betty, despite her fatigue, gave a firm nod. "We won't let you down," she said with confidence. She knew how to manage a media hype better than anyone, thanks to her years with the Bugle.

"Also," Anton added, "send an official email to the Life Foundation, warning them to halt their experiments on human volunteers immediately. We need this message to reach them loud and clear." With a hint of concern, he sighed, "This is all we can do to ensure Eddie's safety right now."

Anton understood the precarious position Eddie was in. The video of the homeless shelter documented disturbing evidence against the Life Foundation. With it, the Daily Bugle could corner the corporation into public disgrace. By exposing the Foundation's unethical practices, they would provoke backlash from the public, forcing them to tread cautiously around Eddie and the other volunteers.

In the worst case, the Life Foundation might "eliminate" the volunteers to wipe out evidence. But rumors of their unethical experiments had already surfaced, so any overt cover-up would only make them look guiltier. Carlton Drake, the mastermind behind the Life Foundation, was ruthless but not foolish enough to take such drastic measures openly.

"Good luck, Eddie," Anton muttered under his breath, resigning himself to the little he could do from afar.

As expected, once the Daily Bugle's exposé went live, the Life Foundation's email inbox buzzed with the attached photos from the homeless shelter. Anton had purposely signed the email with Eddie Brock's name, banking on confusing the Foundation and keeping Eddie's exact role unclear. If they thought Eddie was merely an informant, they might refrain from targeting him immediately.

The Life Foundation's initial reaction was shock. Their employee, who opened the email, quickly escalated it up the chain. When it reached Carlton Drake, his calm shattered.

With a slam, he threw an ashtray across the room. "What happened?" he roared. "Didn't I tell you to keep the homeless shelter secure? How did Eddie Brock manage to get these photos?"

His assistant, who exuded a polished, corporate air, visibly trembled. "Sir, we've been monitoring the shelter closely. There was no sign of anyone breaking in or tampering with anything."

Drake's glare only intensified. "Then how did this happen?"

The assistant gulped, his voice barely a whisper. "Perhaps he slipped in by pretending to be homeless."

Drake's anger simmered. "Fine. Go through every individual at that shelter, cross-check every detail. If you find anyone suspicious—deal with them."

"Understood," the assistant stammered, hurrying out.

Drake turned to another subordinate. "What does the Daily Bugle want? Have they made any demands? Maybe a payoff to suppress the story?"

The subordinate shook his head, hesitant. "They haven't asked for anything yet."

At that moment, the door burst open as the head of the Life Foundation's PR department stormed in, visibly shaken—a rare sight for someone known to remain cool under pressure. This was the person who had spun favorable coverage after the Foundation's last scandal, and Drake trusted him deeply.

"Mr. Drake, we have a major crisis," he said urgently. "The Daily Bugle's email content has already spread online. It's not just still images; it's the full video."

Drake's face went pale. The PR chief didn't need to elaborate—the footage spoke for itself, depicting the Life Foundation's staff manhandling the homeless. The disturbing scenes had already ignited a wave of outrage, especially given the Life Foundation's public image as a charitable organization. For years, they had maintained a façade of helping the community, and now that image was in shreds.

Drake scrolled through the trending topics and comments, his anger bubbling up with each new post. The comments ranged from shock to disgust. People were furious that they'd been deceived, especially those who had supported the Foundation under the impression it was a force for good.

"Someone is coordinating this campaign," he growled, noticing the careful distribution of comments and shares across platforms. "Find out who's behind it!"

The PR chief hesitated, glancing at Drake's assistant, who looked even more apprehensive.

"Should we try to negotiate with the Bugle?" the PR chief suggested cautiously.

Drake clenched his fists, his voice cold. "Contact our allies in New York. Whatever it takes, stop the Daily Bugle from running any more stories. And Eddie Brock," he added, his voice dropping to a menacing tone, "make sure he disappears—permanently."

"Understood," the PR chief replied with a nod, steeling himself for the task ahead.

…

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