Chapter 122: Escalation
2023-05-02 Author: Yue Shang Xintou
"This is a terrific story!"
At the Frontline Press, Ben Urich couldn't help but exclaim as he looked at the evidence in Colin's hands.
"If this information is true, it's going to cause a major earthquake in New York politics."
Without a moment's hesitation, Ben Urich published it on the front page of Sunday's issue of Frontline.
The next day, the citizens of New York saw the report in the newspaper.
"...An investigation by Frontline reporter Clark Kent has found that New York City Mayor Wilson Fisk has close ties to the city's underworld organizations and has been involved in violent incidents on more than one occasion, violating federal and state laws, and has concealed this past through secret means."
"The investigation shows that Mayor Wilson Fisk is connected to at least five or more criminal cases. The most serious of these involved severe intimidation and violent crimes. However, a case of this magnitude went silent after entering the investigation phase, which makes one wonder if there are also serious problems within the New York City Police Department."
Frontline's accusations against Mayor Wilson Fisk quickly sparked massive controversy.
Major newspapers vied to reprint the story, and the citizens of New York began to doubt their mayor's true nature.
That afternoon, Kingpin denied Frontline's accusations.
In a recorded video, he claimed the investigative report was clearly biased and misleading.
He stated that the facts were vastly different from what was described in the news, that he had never participated in any illegal activities, nor had he ever been associated with any underground organizations.
"I have never been ashamed of my past. In fact, just as I've said in interviews, my father died on the streets in a gang war, and I grew up in that environment," Wilson said. "It is precisely because of that past that I know my boundaries all the more clearly and do not recklessly cross them. I overcame my past, and I will overcome the present as well."
Meanwhile, later that evening.
The New York City Police Department also denied Frontline's accusations of inaction at a press conference, emphasizing that the NYPD has always done its utmost to protect the safety of New York's citizens and treats all cases equally, stating there was no such thing as a "negligent investigation."
...
"It looks like you've run into a bit of trouble."
Inside the New York Mayor's office.
Putting down the Frontline newspaper, Osborn spoke to Kingpin.
"As you said, it's just a little trouble."
Averting his gaze from the name Clark Kent in the newspaper, Kingpin replied slowly in a deep voice.
"Need my help?"
Looking up at Kingpin, who stood before the mayor's desk, the expression on Osborn's face twisted for a moment. He grinned, letting out a sharp, maniacal laugh. "I'll take care of everything for you, make everyone shut their mouths, ahahaha..."
Leaning on his cane, Kingpin rose from the mayor's chair, ignoring Osborn—no, the Green Goblin's—maniacal laughter. "I will handle everything. Compared to these insignificant troubles, I'm more concerned about the attack you encountered at the hospital. That fellow who saved Spider-Man, Collin Roper."
For Kingpin, the Green Goblin was merely a tool to use against the superheroes of New York City.
Beyond that, he had no intention of letting him get involved in any more of his affairs.
"..."
In the office, the Green Goblin's laughter came to an abrupt halt.
"Collin Roper!"
"Clearly, the Thunderbolts are unwilling to give me more information about Collin Roper."
"No matter. I will find him, in my own Green Goblin way, hahaha..."
...
"What's wrong, Kent?"
[Contact with a Twisted Time Node. Collected a small amount of Time Shards ×1]
[Bronze Mark (81/100)]
"It's nothing."
Shaking his head, Colin pulled his gaze away from the text prompt before him and said to Ben Urich, "I was just thinking about how to counter Wilson's response tomorrow."
The reporting on Kingpin naturally wouldn't end with just one article.
In fact, Colin had already prepared two or three more front-page stories centered on the issue of Kingpin's identity.
The report Frontline published over the weekend was merely an appetizer.
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. You've already done a great job..."
Hearing this, Ben Urich didn't think much of it.
Colin's report had caused the sales of Frontline's weekend edition to increase by nearly three times compared to the day before. At the same time, even the number of digital subscribers had grown by about twenty thousand. The scandal involving Mayor Wilson Fisk had garnered tens of thousands of clicks on various media platforms, with the most popular article already surpassing a million views.
Without a doubt, what Colin had exposed about the Mayor of New York City had become the most-read and most-talked-about news report since Frontline was founded.
"Judging by the current media trends, the major newspapers have already started following up on your report. Among them are some veteran reporters who, more or less, have some information on Wilson. They were just hampered by a lack of concrete evidence, deterred by his previously high approval ratings, or were simply waiting for the right moment."
"Nurturing" a story was a common practice in media circles.
Ben Urich himself was accustomed to this practice.
Since it was called "nurturing," there were naturally two outcomes: the story could either grow big or die off.
Right now, with Colin having blown the whistle on Kingpin's mob ties, some reporters who had been planning to wait and see were forced to make a choice. They could either watch the news in their hands lose its value, or they could release it while it was still useful, which would at least ensure their previous investigations didn't go to waste.
Therefore, Ben Urich predicted that the major newspapers would enter a phase of revelations, and Colin's best move was to wait for this period before releasing the evidence he held.
As a veteran reporter, Ben Urich clearly had a wealth of experience in handling news.
And the facts unfolded just as he had predicted.
Over the next few days, numerous media outlets published related news reports one after another.
Among them, there wasn't much content specifically on Kingpin; the focus was mainly on the investigative reports concerning the New York City Police Department.
After all, unlike Kingpin, who had always concealed his crimes and maintained a good public image.
The corruption within the New York City Police Department had always been a serious problem. In various New York surveys, the police department consistently ranked at the bottom. This was common knowledge, as many New York citizens had experienced being ticketed and extorted by the police. Before, they were afraid to speak out due to the department's power.
But with the publication of the media's investigation, this anger was successfully ignited.
(end of chapter)