Chapter 441 - Recording

"You're too kind; this is my fault, and I don't think you should have to pay for it," Laila chuckled, staring at him with inexplicably bright eyes.

The icy blue eyes made the police chief shudder. He swore that in all his years of catching ruthless criminals, he had never seen such a compelling gaze. It wasn't about cruelty or brutality, but it was as cold as a fully drawn arrow, ready to pierce the depths of your soul at any moment.

He wanted to shout in frustration, "Just tell me what you want in exchange!" But he couldn't speak that way. The reputation of the police station was like a fragile layer of skin, and even a gentle breeze could blow it away. He couldn't risk using a more forceful tone during this conversation.

"As long as it's something we can compensate for, we'll do it without hesitation," the police chief said, other than this condition, he didn't know what else to say.

However, Laila didn't see it that way. The reason she hadn't directly disclosed her ordeal in front of the journalists earlier was for this negotiation. The police station couldn't offer her much, but the police chief himself had something that intrigued her.

But it was clear that she hadn't pushed him far enough yet, so she didn't respond to his words. Instead, she took out her phone from her pocket and pressed the play button.

- "You're the first person who dares to speak to me this way and live."

- "So, you mean even the police here have been bribed, is that right?"

- "So what if they have been? Once you become as wealthy as I am, you'll understand that this world only shows kindness to the rich!"

Listening to the words playing inside, the police chief was shocked. What shocked him wasn't the inappropriate content of the conversation but the fact that Laila herself had recorded it. If there was no recording, he could have easily denied everything and focused on putting unrelated individuals in the interrogation room. However, the appearance of this recording shattered his illusion, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.

This was no longer just a matter of greed and accepting bribes; the content inside could easily make headlines worldwide. By then, not only would those two fools be doomed, but the entire police station would be implicated. And that was just the beginning; with Moran Media's power, they could ignite a firestorm throughout the entire system.

At that point, no matter how many times they died, they couldn't make amends for the public's distrust of the police. This recording must not be allowed to circulate.

"Miss Moran, I believe we can find a better solution. Don't you think so?" the police chief said.

Laila's name was something he couldn't bring himself to say. If, at this moment, he still thought she was an inexperienced young person, he would have wasted the past few decades of his life. He had three children, but none of them combined had the wisdom she possessed. He really wanted to know how the Moran family had raised her to become such a prodigy.

If possible, he wanted to grab the phone and delete the recording right then and there. But he couldn't. This was his office, his police station, and it was filled with journalists outside, along with a watchful lawyer not far away. Unless he could silence Laila and withstand the Moran family's retaliation, attempting to snatch the phone or do anything rash was merely a fleeting thought and wouldn't become reality.

He didn't want to risk his life to resolve this crisis. He just wanted to advance in his political career, not become a superhero who could fly.

Seeing his reaction, Laila knew she had achieved her goal.

So, she smiled slightly, "I'm delighted to hear you say that. I think we'll find a lot of common ground in the near future."

No one knew what Laila had said to the police chief during the next half hour. When lawyer Walton completed all the formalities and brought Aiden out, they saw the sweating police chief escorting Laila out of his office.

"Miss Moran, now that we've agreed, I trust you won't need to use that anymore. Can you delete it now?"

Laila patted the pocket where her phone was with a smug smile, "You can rest assured. I'll keep it safe; it won't get lost."

The director was on the verge of tears. In the half-hour negotiation just now, he knew for the first time that there would be someone more difficult to deal with than the lawyer, or... A young girl who was more than half his age.

If possible, he really wished that nothing had happened just now. He hadn't agreed to so many conditions to save face for the police station, he hadn't been dumped by a girl, and he hadn't realized after the conversation that despite all he had given, the thing he most wanted and deserved remained in the hands of the other party.

Where was this monster from? Was it really acceptable for the Morans to let her out to bully people? What about the excellent virtues of respecting the elderly and loving the young?

"In that case, please make sure to keep it safe," he reluctantly said.

While the chief was feeling down, Laila had a mischievous smile on her face. "Of course, how could I let her disappear from my side?"

The chief felt like crying again. This was blatant extortion, and it was happening to him, the police chief. What frustrated him the most was that he couldn't do much about it.

Under the police chief's eager gaze of "Please don't appear in front of me ever again," Laila left the police station. In reality, what she had done wasn't too extreme. She had indeed used the recording to gain something she wanted. However, the same principles she applied would ensure the other party gained some benefits as well. Her upbringing, including guidance from her grandfather, had taught her the right way to negotiate with people. It was essential to create situations where both parties benefited, even if the other side didn't ask for anything in return. This was a key aspect of maintaining long-term relationships.

Laila could have obtained what she wanted with the recording, but by ensuring the other party also gained something, this "once" could turn into "many times," and incremental changes could lead to a significant transformation. Eventually, she could achieve things that she hadn't even considered possible.

Laila was a smart person. Having seen so much in her past life and learning from her grandfather in this life, she believed that when the right time came, the chief's current discontent would turn into a smile. By that time, she was sure he would understand that the negotiation results that seemed unfavorable at the moment would bring him a much brighter future.

As she walked outside the police station, some reporters who had waited in the cold winter for a long time surrounded her, eager to get the latest news from her.