Almighty painter

Chapter 753 Black Material
Prasong was originally an entertainment reporter for the gossip section of Bangkok Life.

Being an entertainment reporter is a very hard job, as you have to run back and forth to various film festivals, art festivals, concerts, film and television award ceremonies or variety shows.

What the camera faces is the most glamorous life.

The life in the camera has nothing to do with you at all.

There is still a big difference between serious entertainment reporters and gossip paparazzi.

In particular, Bangkok Life is a long-established local newspaper, not some obscene and thieving tabloid.

These major newspapers often have some tacit understanding with the artist companies they are familiar with, and are unlikely to send their reporters to do things like secretly rummaging through other people's trash cans at three in the morning.

Originally, Basong thought that this might be the way his life would be.

Work hard for 5 or 6 years and slowly gain experience. When you're ready, you may consider switching to being a section editor. It may not be very glamorous, but at least it's stable.

But as Chairman Brown sighed earnestly to Miss Elena in his office - it's not easy to work in print media!
The New York Times is losing money these days.

The circulation of Bangkok Life has been declining year after year.

The editor lamented that young people in the new era like to follow entertainment trends on video websites and social media, and most of the people who still retain the habit of reading newspapers are middle-aged and elderly people, who tend not to pay much attention to the most trendy entertainment trends.

It seems like an unsolvable paradox.

Now the big boss is said to be considering disbanding the entire entertainment content creation team and moving towards the more serious news field.

Basong was still planning how he would transition into an editor, when suddenly he discovered that the entire column was going to be shut down.

That afternoon.

Basong sat in the back seat of a motorcycle waiting for the traffic light, flipping through the memory cards of his Sony camera one by one, until he found a photo of a local Thai drama actor and a girl holding hands with an intimate look on their faces.

The male artist is a new generation idol who has become popular very quickly recently. His agency has always claimed that he is still single and has almost no scandals. The photo was taken accidentally in the parking lot after an interview a few months ago.

According to their rules, such photos must be submitted to the editor, and there may be a bonus of several thousand Thai baht, equivalent to about a few hundred US dollars, which is neither high nor low, and there are also some empty rewards and encouragements.

As for the news itself, it will probably be suppressed and used to communicate with the other party's entertainment company to exchange some interview resources. If the male artist needs to announce his relationship in the future, the news will be given priority to Bangkok Life.

That's basically it.

Anyway, that has nothing to do with Basong.

Basong hesitated for a while. The newspaper's poor business situation was not a secret. Perhaps he had already had a vague idea in his mind when he subconsciously pressed the shutter but did not give the photo to the editor in exchange for the bonus of several thousand baht. Today's casual chat made him realize this point thoroughly.

Unlike most cities around the world, traffic lights in Bangkok change extremely slowly, and a red light can last for more than ten minutes.

The motorcycle taxi driver won’t know.

When his motorcycle stopped in the traffic, sitting on his back seat was Prasong, an entertainment reporter from Bangkok Life.

When the red light, which had lasted for hundreds of seconds, went out and he stepped on the accelerator and started the car off, the man sitting behind him, staring at the camera in a daze and almost falling flat on his face, had turned into a paparazzi with no shame.

The king of scandals in Southeast Asia’s fame and fortune world.

He managed to extort 30,000 baht from the entertainment company for the photo, which was not a very high price. Given the speed at which the actor became famous and his new status, it might be sold to some tabloids for 50,000 baht, 100,000 baht, or even higher. But Basong only asked for one-third of the market price. In exchange, he asked the other party's agent if he could find a way to get some gossip and black material about another popular actor who had a similar acting style to the actor, had a competitive ecological niche, and had always been at odds with him.

This time 100,000 beads.

Do they want to buy it?

……

After being freed from his "shackles", Basong returned to the wilderness like a wild beast.

He is good at finding prey like a vulture, patient like a crocodile, and has his own unique way of moving like snakes, insects, rats and ants. He can always quickly find a way to approach the target person.

He was born for this line of work.

In a sense, Basong felt that it was not wrong to say that he was a petty thief, just a smarter one.

Ordinary thieves steal gold, silver and jewelry.

Smart thieves steal information.

And the right information, in the eyes of the right person, is more glittering than gold and silver jewelry. This is an eternal truth in the world.

The risk is low and the return is high.

Unfortunately, there are so many thieves in the world, and Basong feels that there are very few people who can understand this truth like him.

He dug up dirt on star A and sold it to company B. He also dug up scandals during the filming of company B's big-budget movies and got the roles that the artists under company C wanted.

If possible, he would avoid or at least not directly cooperate with gossip newspapers, so that the undisclosed black materials in his hands were like amulets, allowing him to escape several joint strangleholds in the industry. Many entertainment companies hated him to the core, but they could do nothing about him, and sometimes they even had to use him.

The Five-Eyed and Four-Eared God - this is Basong's name in the underworld, which comes from the nickname given to him by his peers.

The Five-Eyed and Four-Eared God is one of the four great gods of Thai Buddhism. It is said that he can find out all the secrets of the world and has the habit of "eating charcoal and excreting gold". He eats black charcoal and excretes glittering gold. This is a kind of respectful praise for Basong's well-informedness, and also a metaphor that his daily job is to feed on gossips as black as charcoal.

Over the years, Basong has put together a whole team with several elites under him. The black material territory not only involves Thailand, but also Malaysia, Indonesia and even South Korea. This industry is actually very similar to private detectives. As long as you have talent, pass the language barrier, and master some secrets, the rest of the things are common.

This is my first time going to Yangon.

When he received the commission, Basong actually muttered to himself for a long time. It was said that the place was a bit chaotic. He had offended many people. Was it possible that someone deliberately set up a trap to trick him over and kidnap him?

In other words, he agreed because the man opposite him was the son of a shipping tycoon and he would not have the time to trample him to death and splash his blood, and he had credibility, so he agreed.

Fortunately.

Overall, there were no major twists and turns. After all, it was just an investigation of an eighteen-year-old young man. The difficulty was completely different from that of investigating those performing stars who were protected by layers of management teams.

The process of getting this whole bag of US dollar cash in hand can be described as easy and pleasant.

As Basong counted the banknotes, his expression gradually became strange.

The money is wrong.

It’s not that the money has become less...it’s that...the money is more than he imagined.

His current fee for this type of short-term targeted investigation is $3, and the expedited fee is also $3. Because it requires traveling to a risky area and the region has its own special characteristics, he gritted his teeth and added an additional surcharge of $5.

Basong casually opened and counted the two bundles of banknotes. After confirming that there was no problem, he counted the total number -

One hundred dollar bills make a bundle.

And the whole bag.

There were fifteen bundles in total, which means a full $150,000.

When Basong picked up the bag, he realized that it was much heavier than he had imagined.

More than a lot.

There are 1500 banknotes in it with the portrait of his good friend Franklin printed on them.

We must also exclude the fact that the $50,000 travel expenses to Yangon were paid in advance, which means that Mr. Liu paid a full $200,000 - $200,000 - to ask him to take action!

It was almost twice as high as his original offer.

The personal information of an 20-year-old unknown boy whom he had never heard of before was worth $? The cheating photos of the most popular star in Malaysia might be worth the same amount.

Maybe you'd even be able to catch the other person in bed.

Is art such a lucrative profession?
He hasn't yet caught that "Gu Weijing" in bed with someone else!

"Mr. Liu... um, this money... is more than what we agreed on. You are so polite. It's not necessary. I am a person with professional ethics. In fact, I just take the money I deserve."

Basong spoke hesitantly to Liu Ziming.

Holding this heavy bag of money in his hand, he certainly felt as happy as if pie had fallen from the sky, but he felt more nervous.

It’s not that Basong doesn’t love money.

But the longer he works in this business and the more dirty news he comes into contact with, the clearer he becomes about what kind of money is easy to get and what kind of money is not, what kind of people are easy to offend, and what kind of people you may die if you offend them.

He knew where that hidden line was.

Just like today when he visited, Basong behaved very well and honestly, and he didn't dare to do any tricks like secretly recording the conversation, taking money from both sides, and then getting cheated.

He dare not.

The middle-aged man in front of me, who looks quiet and gentle, is the best customer you can encounter in this industry.

Generous, magnanimous, and open-minded.

He possesses all the qualities of a great employer.

Money is just a number to them. They will give a person a lot of money with a wave of their hands. They will never pester you for a 20% discount or something like that. They will not complain about the photos they took, saying that they are not high-definition enough, there is glare, and they did not capture the face of the person, and then deduct a hundred dollars from you.

No.

People like Mr. Liu would not bother to do these things.

If you serve them well and make them satisfied, you will get the best cooperation experience in the world.

in contrast.

If you displease them, Mr. Liu will become the most terrible employer you will ever meet in this industry.

People like him are not qualified to be compared with those second- and third-tier celebrities.

Not to mention one's own identity and status.

Those wealthy families in Southeast Asia who developed through industry are by no means comparable to the businessmen who make money by running entertainment companies.

Markets are like battlefields.

In that environment, there are no simple people who can rise to power. Many rubber and industrial tycoons, one after another, have strong backgrounds and tough means. Of course, it is also possible that the other way around, one after another has strong backgrounds and tough means.

He couldn't figure out the ways of this Mr. Liu, but, to put it bluntly.

Anyway, this person must be someone that Basong couldn't afford to offend even if he had the guts to do so. He didn't know if the consequence of angering the other party would be throwing him into the sea to feed the sharks, but he knew very well that he definitely didn't want to anger the other party.

Before Liu Ziming expressed his opinion, Basong would feel uneasy holding the money even if it was in front of him.

"Take it yourself. You said you are the best in the business, and I like your confidence."

Liu Ziming lowered his head and flipped through the documents.

"I also like to work with the most professional people. Professionals can always help me save a lot of trouble, and I don't want any risks or accidents to happen. My elders told me since I was a child that in the shipping industry, any unnecessary accidents may bring unpredictable losses. A large insurance payment is hundreds of millions of dollars. So don't be greedy to save money on trivial details."

His voice was gentle, and even when facing a small figure like Basong, he remained polite and explained softly.

"Thank you, Mr. Liu. Thank you, Mr. Liu."

Only then did Basong hold the white handbag in his arms and put on an obviously flattering smile.

Read the error-free version at 69shuba! 6=9+shu_ba is the first to publish this novel.

"I know the rules, don't worry, I will forget everything that happened here once I leave this door. I won't tell anyone even if you ask me. I promise I'll be reliable."

"It's up to you." Liu Ziming's tone was as relaxed as ever.

He flipped through the documents and photos in his hand page by page.

Looking at the teacher comments, Fitz International School's transcripts, and even interviews with neighbors, he smiled and spoke softly.

"He does look like a good kid."

Liu Ziming sighed softly.

Basong was trying to figure out what his boss was thinking, but he didn't dare to say anything. He just sat on the sofa with a smile on his face.

"Are you satisfied with the money I gave you? Just as you said, cash, $100 in whole bills."

"Satisfied, of course I'm satisfied. There's nothing to say about you, Mr. Liu." Basong gave a thumbs up.

In just about a week, he received a total of 20 US dollars. He was very satisfied. This income was comparable to that of the top-paid superstars in the five major leagues.

"Then Mr. Basong..." The middle-aged man murmured for a moment.

"Basong, you can just call me Basong."

"Basong, I paid you $20 without any falsehood, even more than what you asked for. $20 is not a small amount of money. I don't know how you did business before. However, I am afraid that I must point out a fact."

Liu Ziming paused.

He took out Gu Weijing's transcript from the folder and pushed it on the table, and there was still no anger in his tone.

"Typically, when someone pays $20 for information, they don't want to know how many A's a young person got in high school or which orphanage he likes to volunteer at."

"What do you think?"

"Of course, of course, what you said is absolutely right..." Basong raised his hands, still with a smile on his face, but without too much nervousness.

"That's just part of it. I'm Arnoldzo from Training Day, and I'll give you what you want if you give me the order."

In the battle between police and gang members on America's streets, there is a strange dilemma.

Detectives who fully abide by the legal system will give a hand to the real drug dealers. The drug gang leaders have money, subordinates, and can hire good lawyers.

After finally arresting someone, he may be released on bail not long after and continue to be at large the next day.

Therefore, some police supervisors in Los Angeles or New York will turn a blind eye to the cross-line behavior of some of their police officers. They will secretly put a bag of contraband in the car of the gang leader, and then search the car when the other party gets in. In this way, with such hard evidence, it is easy to arrest the other party.

But the law is the law.

A crime is a crime, and trampling on the law is not a good thing, and it is always the same for both parties.

Fighting violence with violence often does not bring real stability. Instead, it will cause the degeneration of police order, thereby exacerbating the instability in chaotic neighborhoods.

It's like a vicious cycle.

The black police officer Arozzo, the protagonist in "Training Day", is such a representative. Denzel Washington won the Oscar for Best Actor for playing this role.

Alozo is the street detective who always gets the hard stuff.

Basong is the black-and-white paparazzi who always manages to get the hard stuff.

He clicked on his special belt buckle, took out a tiny miniSD card, and placed it on the table.

"The decompression password of the compressed file is Mamaw@813713. There are two videos in it. I think that's what you'll be satisfied with."

Liu Ziming didn't care about the other party's cleverness.

He asked someone to bring a laptop, put the memory card into the card reader, entered the password to decompress the file package, and sure enough, two video files appeared.

The middle-aged man used the touchpad to select the first one.

Click play.

The first half of the video appears to be a transcription of a local TV station's evening news.
A large photo of Brother Hao appeared on the left side of the screen, and on the right was the huge Xihe Club. The camera once again swept across the stolen Picasso oil painting worth more than 3000 million euros hanging in Brother Hao's study.

There are English subtitles next to it explaining that this is the largest, most extensive, and most lucrative art counterfeiting, theft, and smuggling case in the underground art trade that Interpol has uncovered so far, and it is also related to the underground money laundering network in the international arms market.

"Big news!"

Basong smiled.

Liu Ziming did not comment.

The fall of Hao Ge is huge news in the art industry. In a sense, its influence is no less than that of Sir Brown’s statement at the European Art Conference not long ago.

He had heard it a long time ago.

The first few minutes of the video are all excerpts from public news about Chen Shenglin, which briefly explain Hao Ge's background, identity and business scope.

These were contents that Liu Ziming was very clear about, but he still read them patiently.

A few minutes later.

The picture suddenly went quiet, changing from a high-definition live broadcast of a TV program to a scene captured by a low-quality closed-circuit camera.

A man holding a cat walked from a distance to the door of Xihe Guild Hall and was stopped by someone.

After a while.

A luxury limousine drove out of the manor's gate and a blonde hostess got out. There was no sound from the camera and one could not hear what the two of them were talking about.

All he could see on the computer screen was that the etiquette lady bowed to him very respectfully and opened the car door for him.

The car drove into the manor.

"I think you have recognized it. The manor is the Xihe Hall of the counterfeiting tycoon Hao Ge in the show just now. And the young man holding the cat..."

Basong paused for a moment with a meaningful look.

Liu Ziming changed his posture.

"Gu Weijing, it's you."

His tone remained calm, no emotion could be heard, he just stroked his fingers gently, lowered his head and stared at the photo of Gu Weijing on the coffee table. Liu Ziming recognized that the young man who appeared in the surveillance video just now was the owner of the photo.

The rest of the time in this video is filled with various surveillance images.

Basong is truly the king of paparazzi gossip and deserves the reputation of "the God of Five Eyes and Four Ears".

No one knows how Brother Hao got some internal surveillance of Xihe Club, nor does anyone know how he accurately found the footage related to Gu Weijing in the surveillance.

The entire video is over an hour long.

They are all spliced ​​together from the surveillance footage of the Xihe Guild Hall. There are videos of Gu Weijing walking alone in the guild hall, videos of Gu Weijing meditating with a drawing board beside a rockery, and videos of Gu Weijing and another girl walking and stopping in the garden of the guild hall.

The most amazing thing is.

In the parking lot, Gu Weijing and Miss Koko were also photographed opening the door of the luxurious Bentley Continental sedan, getting in together and driving away.

Basong smiled as if he had caught the fox's tail.

That's how paparazzi work.

It doesn’t matter what the truth is. The only important thing is to put the evidence in front of people so that the public will subjectively believe what the truth is.

The truth does not exist.

All that exists are the subjective biases of millions of individuals.

On June 2005, 6, just four years after the death of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson was finally acquitted.

But the legal not guilty verdict could not undo the immeasurable damage to MJ's personal reputation and commercial value caused by the tabloid reports.

Even the nearly $3000 million out-of-court settlement that Michael Jackson paid ten years ago could not be recovered.

To know.

At about the same time, OJ Simpson, who was believed by all of America to have killed his cheating wife, escaped criminal punishment only by relying on the eloquence of his dream legal team.

The huge fine that baseball star Simpson paid for murdering his wife after being found guilty of civil crimes by the judge was almost the same as the compensation paid by Michael Jackson for moral judgment.

This is the power of public opinion.

(End of this chapter)