Xu Ke raised an eyebrow. "Photos?"

"Correct." The man lifted the camera in his hands.

"Let me see," Xu Ke said.

The man immediately displayed the photo and moved closer. Xu Ke fixed his gaze on it. The first was a photo of him opening the door to let Qian Hong in. The next showed Qian Hong leaving the room, her expression frightened and dazed, her hair a mess.

"What's the meaning of this?" Xu Ke asked coolly.

It turned out this reporter had been lying in wait in the corridor the whole time, and I just hadn't noticed.

"Isn't it obvious?" the man sneered. "The Wang Family's son-in-law doesn't want to move out of his rental apartment, apparently because the flowers at home aren't as fragrant as the wild ones. It's much safer to have an affair in a place like this."

He continued, "Wong Qifu is so pitiful, being compared to a fifty-year-old landlady. How embarrassing do you think it would be for Wong Qifu if these photos got out?"

Xu Ke smiled. "And you think these two photos are credible enough?"

"Of course, two ambiguous photos aren't much on their own. But what if I give them to someone with an agenda? And what if that someone gets this old landlady to give a testimony? I believe that would be enough to cause a massive uproar, don't you?" the reporter asked, looking at Xu Ke with a smug smile.

Silence filled the small gap between them.

Xu Ke remained quiet for a moment before slowly saying, "What do you want?"

"Mister Xu, why don't you invite me in for a cup of tea first? The hallway isn't a great place to chat."

"Indeed. Come in," Xu Ke nodded.

Xu Ke turned, and the reporter followed him inside.

BANG.

The door swung shut.

"Not bad, Mister Xu. You live alone but keep the place so neat and tidy. You truly are worthy of being the man Miss Wang chose." After entering, the reporter surveyed the clean and orderly room, clicking his tongue in admiration.

"How should I address you?" Xu Ke asked, gesturing for the man to sit on a stool.

"I'm Jiang Yi. Mister Xu, you can just call me Little Jiang." Jiang Yi took off his baseball cap.

Upon seeing the man's face, Xu Ke's expression shifted slightly. I recognize that face.

Last night, when he was looking down from the balcony, he had happened to see Jiang Yi. This was the man who had been downstairs, carrying a camera and arguing with Lin Chu.

So he's one of them. One of that pack of reporters. Realization dawned on Xu Ke.

"Little Jiang, what do you want?" Xu Ke asked, getting straight to the point now that he knew his name.

"Mister Xu is certainly a direct man," Jiang Yi said with a sly grin. "It's simple. I want you to pay five million to buy these photos."

Xu Ke leaned back slightly. "Go ahead and publish them. I'll wait for the press release."

Jiang Yi's smile stiffened. "Aren't you going to bargain?"

"Nope. I don't have the money," Xu Ke said bluntly. "You can either change your demand or go publish your story. Do whatever you want. I have no money."

Jiang Yi was speechless. The atmosphere grew stagnant.

His plan was to hit Xu Ke with an exorbitant demand of five million to intimidate him before revealing his true purpose. It would have increased his chances of success. But Xu Ke's refusal to even engage with the premise left Jiang Yi feeling like he had no angle of attack.

After hemming and hawing for a moment, Jiang Yi finally said, "Well, if Mister Xu doesn't have the money, then how about... you secure my future for me."

Xu Ke raised an eyebrow. "Your future?"

"How would I do that?"

Clutching his baseball cap, Jiang Yi said, "To be honest, I'm a low-class and greedy man..."

"I can tell you're low-class," Xu Ke cut in.

Jiang Yi was left sputtering. That was just me being humble! Can't you let a man finish?

After composing himself, he finally continued, "Actually, I'm a reporter, and I'm also the only hope for my gravely ill mother. But..." A look of profound sorrow washed over his face as he choked up. "Because I hit it off with the CEO's daughter, a few rich kids got jealous and started suppressing me at every turn. Just a few days ago, they even collaborated with the heads of several major news media outlets to have me blacklisted. I have nowhere left to go."

"So, I'm asking for one of two things. Either you, Mister Xu, give me the money to ensure my mother is cared for and healthy for the rest of her life, or you use your influence to secure a future for me, Jiang Yi. What do you say?"

Jiang Yi watched Xu Ke with a probing gaze.

Xu Ke remained expressionless and silent.

But inwardly, he was laughing. This Jiang Yi spun lies just like Qian Hong, one story after another. He probably assumes that since I didn't show my face last night, I wouldn't recognize him as one of the reporters who swarmed us. And now he's trying to use these excuses to win sympathy points. In reality, Jiang Yi is only here because the Reporters Association cracked down hard, ending his career in media. For the sake of his future, his only option is to try and squeeze an opportunity for survival out of me.

Thinking this, Xu Ke couldn't help a small, grim smile. Just when I was wondering how to deal with the Li Family, Qian Hong, a woman they bribed, shows up asking for help, and now a reporter they bribed shows up for extortion... My luck is almost too good to be true!

Xu Ke stood up. "You're in a truly pitiful situation."

"Sigh, don't even mention it," Jiang Yi said, lowering his head and covering his face as if about to cry.

Xu Ke shook his head. He pulled a tissue from a box, leaned toward Jiang Yi, and offered it. "Here, wipe your tears."

Jiang Yi took it automatically.

"However, your problems have nothing to do with me," Xu Ke said calmly. "So delete the photos and see yourself out."

Hearing this, Jiang Yi immediately looked up, his expression turning cold. "So you're not going to cooperate with me?"

Xu Ke chuckled. "I've lived a long time, and this is the first I've heard an extortionist call what they do 'cooperating' with their victim."

Jiang Yi's face stiffened, a flash of embarrassment in his eyes. Then, a hint of venomous resentment appeared in his gaze. "After all that, you're just not going to help me, is that it?"

"Why should I help you?" Xu Ke scoffed.

"Because of this," Jiang Yi said, raising the camera and displaying the photos again, looking at Xu Ke with arrogance. "The evidence of your cheating." As long as I have this, I can't lose.

"Evidence?" Xu Ke laughed.

A triumphant smile spread across Jiang Yi's face, and he was just about to speak... But at that moment, a slender hand shot out like a phantom.

Jiang Yi felt the weight in his own hands vanish.

What's happening? The question had barely formed in his mind when he jerked his head down.

The camera was gone.

Jiang Yi's face drained of all color. He snapped his head back up.

Xu Ke was holding his camera, his expression calm. "Is this the evidence?"

Jiang Yi stared, stunned.

"Well," Xu Ke said coolly, "now you don't have any."

Jiang Yi's eyes flew wide. He lunged forward, trying to snatch the camera back.

But he was too late. Xu Ke kicked out fiercely, and he even adjusted his position to make sure the man wouldn't crash into any of his things. The kick landed squarely in Jiang Yi's stomach, sending him flying backward into the wall.

BANG!

The impact echoed through the room.

"Argh..." Jiang Yi retched, spitting up acidic bile as his stomach spasmed in pain. But when he saw Xu Ke holding the camera, he screamed in a panic, "You... give that back to me right now!"

"Is this yours?" Xu Ke laughed.

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