Chapter 527: 0525 Program and Assassin
Vera instinctively wanted to refuse; this kind of refusal was purely... a refusal. She considered that it might catch the attention of some people, and gossip might spread within the community and society.
Sometimes, one has to admire how gossipy people can be. A seemingly ordinary matter can deviate from the truth through the spread of some "enthusiastic folks."
It’s like that famous joke about a group of soldiers from different places conducting night maneuvers. The person at the front shouted, "No flashlights!"
Using flashlights at night could expose oneself, so no light sources are allowed during covert night maneuvers.
Eventually, they were exposed because the people at the end of the line used lights recklessly. When their instructor asked why those traveling with lights disregard orders, their answer was unexpected.
"No peeing!"
Accents, combined with subjective assumptions and exaggerations, can easily turn "a handsome young man stayed overnight at the divorced Vera’s house" into "Vera found a young pretty boy from somewhere and they are living together!"
And further develop into malicious comments like "It’s said Vera supports her household by selling her body. Think about it, how could a woman afford to live in such a community and enjoy its premium services without dirty means?"
This is also why communication between political leaders is never conducted through third parties. Regardless of their opposing stances, they ensure clarity in understanding each other’s attitudes and decisions through phone calls or meetings.
Vera worried that rumors about her having a "next partner" would spread soon; this was just a woman’s instinct to protect herself. However, her consideration for safety quickly dismissed this thought, and she acceded to Lynch’s request.
"I’ll tidy up the guest room..."
Lynch nodded and casually turned on the TV, watching the evening programs.
9:30 PM is the best time in the Federation. Previously, people worked late due to requirements from capitalists that they couldn’t leave work until after seven. So people returned home, had something to eat, and after tidying up, it was almost nine.
Workers, tired after a long day, finally had time to relax. They chose cheap TV entertainment, which led to peak viewership during this time frame.
As for now, perhaps people feel a bit revitalized after a day of indulgence, and viewership remains high.
The state TV station was airing the Three Jerks’ talk show. This is a hot political talk show, and based on the audience’s reactions, the Three Jerks were performing reasonably well.
"... As far as I know, you guys have been commenting on professional men’s rugby. Why did you suddenly decide to appear on our show? Are you planning a career change?"
As long as the money is right, nothing is unachievable. Coupled with backing from forces behind the scenes, the host smiled broadly without any sense of confrontation.
This was just a normal question. Someone cutting into the program surely had a reason; they could reveal a bit about themselves, perhaps expressing dissatisfaction with certain things and seized this platform.
Or maybe they wanted to explore new fields, transitioning from sports commentators to guests or hosts in talk shows.
There are countless potential answers, introduction of oneself while sparking viewers’ interest and stating a stance; this is basic Q&A and has never gone wrong, but this time it was apparently different.
The second commentator in the middle raised his hand; just that simple gesture seemed somewhat inexplicably funny, like an adult acting like a child raising a hand in class, with a seriously focused expression suggesting he was about to do something great.
You couldn’t pinpoint why he was funny, but you surprisingly found it amusing, perhaps even chuckling.
"Pick me, I can answer this question!" he seriously demanded, leaving the host no choice but to nod.
The microphone was handed to the second commentator, who directly bombarded the host’s face by saying, "Everyone who knows us is aware that we love money. Someone paid us to come and comment, and they don’t mind us speaking the truth, so here we are."
The host was left blank after the bombardment; she even dramatically changed her posture looking at the producer, questioning if this was a broadcast accident?
Talking about "invited to the show for money" during a live broadcast is a fact most people avoid. Regardless of whether the guests do it or not, they try to avoid and downplay this matter.
This would make it seem their performance on the show is more driven by money than being neutral, although they’ve never been neutral.
However, having guests like the Three Jerks openly declare they came for money on the program was a first. The host looked at the producer, hinting to quickly cut to commercials or something and resolve the "script" issue.
Yet, the producer didn’t seem to do that or give any response to the host, forcing her to continue facing this hellish challenge.
She raised an eyebrow, quickly glanced at the cue card in her hand, then crumpled it into a ball, deeming it useless.
Relying on years of hosting experience, she continued along the opponent’s line, "That must have been a lot of money?"
It’s not a great time to abruptly change the topic. Actually, sometimes the audience is quite careless, but other times they are very sensitive.
Just as Commentator Two was about to nod in agreement, Commentator Three covered his mouth, and Commentator One managed to snatch the microphone back from the struggling Commentator Two.
He tidied his messy hair a bit and said very seriously, "My friend just made a joke..."
The somewhat serious atmosphere turned into a "farce" when Commentator Two kicked off a shoe while thrashing!
Those familiar with the Three Jokers continued pointing at the TV, telling their friends about the past antics of these rascals. Those who were just getting to know the Three Jokers also began to feel curious about these clowns.
The host twitched her mouth, took the chance to roll her eyes as she turned around, and repeated, "A joke?"
Commentator Three kept holding Commentator Two’s mouth shut while craning his neck toward the camera with a smile, "Yes, that was a joke, we’re here for the dream!"
Their laughter made the serious content become unserious, even if people realized at this point that they weren’t really joking, it was hard to hate them.
Though there’s always a chance someone might dislike them, more people feel that even if they wouldn’t like them, they wouldn’t deliberately hate or target them.
The atmosphere of the show lightened up instantly, and the three rascals began unabashedly criticizing the Governor candidates’ various actions. Occasionally, they’d also criticize the Governor’s actions, especially Commentator Two, who often "let things slip" while speaking.
At that point, Commentator One and Commentator Three would proactively step in, either by making subtle gestures in plain view of everyone or simply not giving him a chance to speak, making their clear stance and likable style instantly endear them to the audience.
"They’re very interesting!", Vera said, having finished setting up Lynch’s room, now coming down to stand and watch for a while.
Lynch nodded with a smile, "These three guys have a very unique style, they don’t make it easy for people to dislike them, so even when they go overboard, it doesn’t backfire."
He looked up at Vera, "Don’t stand, sit down and watch, the show just started."
Vera hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed.
The two of them sat on the couch watching the show, a very lively program. Perhaps this was the first time this political news program had shifted from serious to lighthearted.
The host wasn’t very comfortable at first, but quickly loosened up. Sometimes she’d say something biting amidst the audience’s exclamations, but soon enough the audience got used to it too.
As long as it wasn’t overly biting and the content wasn’t malicious, people could ultimately find it forgivable and even acceptable.
Vera’s occasional laughter made her feel very relaxed. She hadn’t simply enjoyed herself like this in a long time, and it wasn’t until the show ended that she realized how close she was sitting to Lynch.
She was unsure when she had inched so close to Lynch, and judging by how Lynch was sitting on the couch, it seemed like she had moved closer on her own.
After the show ended, it was already ten-thirty, which was about the time people typically started getting ready for bed. At that moment, their eyes met, breaths mingling warmly in the air between them, sending a thrill through Vera’s heart.
Lynch maintained his smile, looking at her. She felt that if she didn’t leave now, some problems might arise.
As her thoughts were about to spill over, she stood up, turned around, took a deep breath, "The guest room is ready, I..."
Saying this, she bit her lip and quickly left, as if staying another second would be torture.
Lynch smirked, got up, and went upstairs. After a quick wash-up, he lay in bed.
This house had centralized heating, the basement boiler sent warmth to every room, so even without thick blankets or clothing, it wouldn’t feel cold.
Lynch fell asleep quickly; he’s the type who can doze off in a few seconds. It’s a great habit, allowing one to quickly recover energy and stamina at times.
He wasn’t sure how long he slept when suddenly, in the darkness, he opened his eyes.
At the gap under the bedroom door, there was a shadow, blocking the light coming from outside.
He furrowed his brow slightly, maintained his sleeping posture without moving, and reached for the pen he had deliberately placed on the bedside table, unscrewed the cap, and held it in his hand.
It’s said that this pen worth over a thousand bucks has a high-strength, wear-resistant alloy nib, and even if it gets dropped on the table, it won’t deform. So it should be able to pierce through someone’s chest, right?
The door slowly opened...