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John Jameson's questioning method was almost one of the most common tactics used by all professional journalists.
The less cooperative the interviewee, the sharper their questions would be, making it difficult for you to respond and creating an awkward situation.
But if the opposite were true, they would show appropriate mercy, preserving a bit of dignity for both sides.
Homelander, who was frequently interviewed, naturally understood this, but he had never encountered a reporter who dared to deliberately make things difficult for him before, and the "hard-nosed" John Jameson was certainly not among them.
This caused Homelander's favorability towards John Jameson and The Daily Bugle to instantly skyrocket, and he immediately replied with a serious expression:
"Alright, buddy, I'd say what you just said is a pretty serious accusation, and Vought Corporation's stock price might plummet because of it tomorrow…
After all, before me, that man was almost the embodiment of Vought Corporation, and his statue still stands in the plaza of the group's building to this day!"
"And during my childhood, I always admired that man; I've watched almost all the movies he appeared in, and some I've watched hundreds of times without getting bored…
But I must now face this sharp question: after my investigation, there is indeed a high probability that that person is Soldier Boy!!"
"But to be honest, I also don't know why the Vought Corporation executives made such a stupid decision back then, but this precisely proves the importance and necessity of me freeing Vought Corporation from corruption and lies not long ago!!"
"One more thing, regarding what happened today, I can only say that the timing is almost too perfect…"
"Oh? How so?"
The smile on John Jameson's face gradually became intriguing, and he asked directly, "Are you implying to us that this terrorist attack was actually a 'false flag operation' targeting you and Vought Corporation?"
(Note: A 'false flag operation' refers to a special covert operation designed to mislead source analysis investigations and frame others. The process generally involves using uniforms, logos, flags, etc., of other organizations to mislead the public into believing that the operation was carried out by another organization—this type of operation is very common in espionage and is often used in political elections and other special occasions.)
"Oh, buddy, you said that, I never did. This could be S.H.I.E.L.D. or some other damn organization, or Stan Edgar… trying to deliberately create some trouble for me, to make me look ridiculous after just taking over Vought Corporation!"
Homelander immediately spread his hands, smiling as he shifted the blame: "What I want to say is, God knows how many similar things stupid executives like Stan Edgar have hidden over the past years?"
"But please rest assured, before I came to The Daily Bugle, I had already ordered a detailed and comprehensive major clear-out of Vought Corporation's past executive decisions, precisely to prevent similar incidents from happening again in the future."
John Jameson naturally would not comment on Homelander's self-promotion; he merely nodded slightly, then subtly guided the conversation to another hot topic.
"I just received news that the Mayor seems to have decided to implement a full curfew in all districts of New York until that superpowered terrorist is caught. What are your thoughts on this decision?"
Controlling the narrative, guiding public opinion, creating hot topics… these are all essential professional skills for a qualified media person.
"Please, regarding this, what I want to say to the Mayor is… as long as I, Homelander, am here, then America will always be the safest country in the World, bar none, okay?"
Homelander put on an indignant expression and said loudly to the camera: "So please, he must not issue such a foolish order; let everyone go out freely…
You can go to shopping malls, restaurants, cinemas as usual… take your family and children, and enjoy the warm life outside of work!!"
Finally, he frowned deeply and promised with extreme seriousness: "And your safety will be my responsibility, along with the New Seven."
"New Seven?" John Jameson immediately became interested upon hearing this.
"Yes."
Homelander sighed, a hint of reminiscence on his face, and said in a deep voice: "As everyone knows, since the successive deaths of Translucent and Black Noir, and Starlight becoming a vegetable in the last Seven Cities Vampire Crisis, still unconscious to this day, three core vacancies have appeared in The Seven…
And the recent frequent crises in New York have made me deeply realize that the vacancies in The Seven must be filled as soon as possible, so as to better defend the safety of New York and the entire U.S. populace!!"
"Oh? Then I presume you already have relevant candidates in mind?"
John Jameson asked with some curiosity, "Could you reveal some information in advance to our fans and friends of The Daily Bugle here?"
"This…"
Homelander immediately put on a difficult expression, but seeing that John Jameson on the opposite side seemed to be losing patience and was about to say, 'If it's inconvenient, then forget it,' he quickly spoke before the other party:
"You know what? If I were being interviewed by other media, I would absolutely not reveal these business secrets, which are crucial to Vought Corporation, in advance… But The Daily Bugle is different, I greatly appreciate your consistent style of work…"
John Jameson interrupted with some annoyance: "So…?"
My little brother, I'm giving you a chance, why are you playing hard to get with me?
If you're going to be like this, then don't blame me for not giving you face!
"Cough, cough…"
Homelander naturally wouldn't miss this god-given opportunity to 'preheat' the new CP, and immediately said concisely:
"Actually, among these three selected candidates, there is a well-known street hero… Oh no, I think she can no longer simply be called a street hero. After all, what she has done before, in my opinion, is far more like a superhero than those so-called Avengers."
Upon hearing the other party mention the Avengers, John Jameson's expression immediately brightened considerably. Homelander then stopped at the opportune moment, and then continued jokingly:
"Want to guess her true identity? I think with your clever mind, you'll definitely be able to guess it!!"
"Street hero? Her?"
John Jameson's face suddenly became a bit strange, but this wasn't because he couldn't guess the answer; on the contrary, it was precisely because he guessed the answer immediately that he felt this way.
After all, even with his "extensive experience," he couldn't fathom why that person would choose to join The Seven and become Homelander's teammate?
Little Spider, are you going to fall?
"You're not talking about… Spider-Woman, are you?!"
"Bingo!"
Homelander snapped his fingers and said with slight excitement, "That's right, it's her… I know many people might doubt or disbelieve this news, but it's the truth."
"As a female superhero embodying 'hating evil like a personal enemy,' 'upholding justice,' and 'fighting violence with violence,' Spider-Woman actually has too many similarities with me… It is based on this consideration that I have invited her to join The Seven time and again."
"I believe that only by absorbing more 'upright' and 'righteous' superheroes like Spider-Woman can the New Seven radiate an even more dazzling brilliance!!"
"And for the crisis that has emerged this time, I am confident in leading the members of the New Seven to bring Soldier… cough, I mean, the super-powered individual who committed the evil act, to justice."
"However, I hope that the general public, when they see the whereabouts of this person, will call Vought Corporation immediately. We will reward those citizens who provide useful information…"
"Congratulations, Homelander."
John Jameson nodded noncommittally, "I have to say, your vision is really good this time. I also have high hopes for that little Spider-Woman… But I hope that when your final decisive battle comes, you can reserve a live broadcast position for The Daily Bugle."
Homelander smiled and said, "No problem, I also hope that an excellent and influential newspaper like The Daily Bugle can personally witness the successful completion of our operation!!"
…
After the interview, Homelander excitedly flew back to Vought Corporation. As soon as he entered his office, his 'little follower' Ashley Barrett came running towards him with a tablet, excitedly saying:
"Sir, it's up, your approval rating is up again, your performance in the interview with The Daily Bugle was simply perfect…"
Homelander snatched the tablet, looking at the soaring red curve on it, his heart bursting with joy, "Yes, I knew it would be like this, The Daily Bugle's influence is just so much more powerful than Vought News Network!!"
Honestly, he really hadn't expected John Jameson to be so accommodating, every question he asked seemed sharp, but in reality, almost all of them were "biased" towards him.
Originally, even before heading to The Daily Bugle, Homelander had been in a very anxious state.
Because John Jameson's bad temper and difficult interviewing style were notoriously strong in the industry.
Just ask yourself, across the entire media industry, how many people dare to directly confront S.H.I.E.L.D.… The answer is none, except for John Jameson!
So Homelander didn't think the other party would give him any face.
If he didn't respond actively, this live interview might not only fail to achieve the positive effect he envisioned but could also backfire, causing serious negative repercussions.
But who would have thought that the entire interview process would be so smooth?
Homelander immediately decided in his heart that from today onwards, The Daily Bugle and John Jameson would be his "allies"!!!
However, what he didn't know was that John Jameson was so "accommodating" not because he was optimistic about him and the New Seven.
But because John Jameson had already learned the truth behind this terrorist attack from his boss, Karl—that is, the key information and Temporary Compound V that Nick Fury secretly provided to Billy Butcher and others.
That's why he deliberately used Homelander to hype up the news first, and then ignite it at the right time!!
What?
How did Karl know that Nick Fury provided assistance to Billy Butcher and others?
Of course, it was because… the hospital where Starlight was located was actually an asset under the Wizard Society ruled by Selena.
And Selena, upon receiving reports from her subordinates, immediately reported the relevant information to Karl.
It was precisely because of this that John Jameson, against all odds, did not directly "spray" Homelander, but instead saved his firepower for the soon-to-be-exposed Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D.!!
Meanwhile, Homelander, completely unaware that he had long become a "player in the game," stood with his hands on his hips, laughing heartily with a triumphant expression:
"Haha, then let's wait and see… I hope that damn old bastard can hurry up and cause some more big trouble during this time!!"
… … … …
…
In a secluded outdoor camp.
After a struggle, Billy Butcher, who had been injected with Temporary Compound V, successfully subdued a woman wearing a crimson leather outfit and with short reddish-brown hair.
"Sorry, Scarlet Countess, we're not here to hurt you, but considering your superpowers, I have to do this… At least it will make us both much safer."
Billy Butcher secured the red-haired woman to a chair with thumb-thick iron chains, then wrapped her hands with pre-prepared tape.
Because for this red-haired woman to activate her superpowers, she had to touch her hands together to release them.
And she was one of the former members of the Blood Debt Repayment Squad—the Scarlet Countess!!!
She was also the first target Billy Butcher and others learned from Legend that Soldier Boy was looking for next.
That's why Billy Butcher brought Hughie Campbell and Marvin, code-named Mother's Milk, here in advance, just to get ahead of Soldier Boy, and then use this hostage as leverage to negotiate cooperation with the other party to eliminate Homelander!
"Ma'am, I have something to tell you, but I don't want to scare you…"
Marvin, standing nearby, said apologetically, "Your old lover… Soldier Boy will come here to find you later… Yes, he's still alive!!"