Chapter 452: President of Feihua News Agency
With an ear-piercing shout, Elvin was left utterly baffled.
He glanced back at Yuliya, who was sporting a dazzling smile.
Then he faced forward again and said, “President, is there a problem? Riya is a great person with top-notch qualities. Our club really needs talent!”
“It’s precisely because she’s too talented that it’s a problem! Use your thick-headed brain for once!”
“…”
“With her kind of star power, she’s bound to attract attention. She could pick any good club she wants—why on earth would she want to come here?”
“She’s a young eagle soaring under the sun and sky; why would she want to hang out with you sewer rats?”
“President, that’s a bit harsh! Since when did we become sewer rats…?” Elvin muttered.
“Aren’t you?”
“Uh… well, yeah, seems like it.”
And the kind everyone’s trying to stomp out.
So, what’s the deal with putting eagles and rats together?
Hunger, of course!
I must say, this mysterious president lives up to their reputation as a five-star critic; their words are sharp as daggers.
After getting roasted like that, Elvin finally realized he might be in deep trouble.
No wonder he felt something was off!
Now he got it: the fundamental premise was wrong!
He was just a rat, stuck hiding in the dark sewers, spying on the shining people outside.
If an eagle caught him, playing dead was his only option.
And now? He just sold out his own cozy little nest!
He turned back to give Yuliya another look.
Yuliya’s brilliant smile looked a bit too chilling under the circumstances.
“President… I…”
“Calm down, senior! She’s a member of the newspaper club now, a comrade-in-arms, and the forms are all filled out!”
The mysterious president smirked: “Elvin, you work fast!”
“I… it’s fine! I can rip it up right now! Riya, I don’t think the news agency is the best fit for you. You deserve a bigger stage. We each have our dreams to chase!”
“Not so fast!” Yuliya raised a hand to stop him. “That’s a bit inappropriate, senior. We agreed on this. If you back out now, I can’t guarantee some unsavory secrets won’t get out!”
Yuliya suddenly turned to the gang peeking in through the door.
“Shira, what do you think?”
Shira looked utterly confused. I was just munching on some popcorn; why am I being dragged into this?!
Wait, why does she even know my name?!
Yuliya, noticing Shira’s stunned expression, called out again, “And what about you, Antuo?”
Antuo: What the heck! How does she know me?!
Then Yuliya shouted, “Bagel, is this drama tasty or what?”
Bagel’s eyes widened as he pointed a finger at Elvin, shouting, “You j*rk! You let us get caught and then threw us under the bus too!”
Elvin, already on high alert, felt like his brain CPU had crashed under the pressure.
When did I sell you guys out?!
“I swear! I didn’t tell her anything about the newspaper club, except for bringing her here!”
“You didn’t say anything? Then how does she know us?”
“I have no idea!”
Yuliya just smiled as they bickered, not bothering to clarify.
She didn’t know these people at all! She just guessed that Antuo was from Euphilia’s class, and that was easy enough.
As for Shira and Bagel? Just names she picked off a list of folks frequenting the medical room.
Shira was the only visible girl in the news agency, so matching names had an 80% chance of success.
And as for Bagel? Total random pick! She just wanted to cast a wide net and see who would bite, like calling out “Old Wang” in a crowd—someone was bound to respond!
If no one did, she’d just change the name and try again.
The key was to shout out those three names and then just stand there smiling, giving the impression that she was totally confident and everyone else recognized them too.
We call this a “box deterrence.”
I’ve opened the box on all of you; do you dare gamble with me?
The folks at Feihua News Agency definitely wouldn’t dare.
Nothing’s crazier than being caught!
If they found the base, they could always relocate.
But if your identity was exposed? You wouldn’t just kick everyone out and recruit new folks, right?
Suddenly, with a loud “click,” the last door that had been firmly shut—the President’s room—swung open.
A voice emerged from inside.
“Alright, stop the noise. If Elvin says there’s nothing, then there’s nothing. He might be a bit slow, but he’s trustworthy. We’ve underestimated our ‘Lady Riya.’”
“Riya, don’t mess with my club members anymore! Come in, let’s have a private chat.”
The other members were wide-eyed, mouths agape.
“The President shows up personally?!”
“This is a first!”
“I’ve never even seen the President’s face! Only two or three people in our club even know who they are!”
“It’s because you’re all so dense!” snapped the President, lightening up a bit. “Come in, Riya, and close the door behind you.”
Yuliya stepped forward, peered inside, and saw nothing but a simple desk and chair, with only a shadow sitting there.
Other than that, it was empty—no papers cluttered around, unlike the outside.
She entered, shut the door, and spoke first, “I must admit, I didn’t expect the President of Feihua News Agency to be a girl.”
The figure clearly paused for a moment. “How did you know?”
“I have a good ear. Though your voice is well-disguised, some of your speaking habits still give you away.”
“Impressive. You’re the first person to guess my gender based solely on my voice.”
The silhouette behind the desk turned, “Nice to meet you, Riya. I thought this might be troublesome at first, but I just changed my mind. You’re quite interesting.”
Now it was Yuliya’s turn to be stunned.
Because the figure in front of her was actually a fake!
Some kind of alchemical device, controlled remotely, communicating through a sound crystal.
“You… are really cautious.”
“Likewise.”
The President chuckled softly.
Yuliya had put the President on the spot, but now she’d managed to regain a bit of her footing.
“Then please, have a seat. Let’s have a good chat.”
