Chapter 620 Intense Argument On The Web
Amelia looked at Tiffany. She was worried about her a moment ago, but now, she began to laugh.
“Tiff, did you assume that my heart is too healthy and decided to scare me?” Amelia approached Tiffany and could not stop laughing.
Tiffany looked down at her new get-up and found it funny too.
“Let’s get in the car first before we speak further. I want to go home to take a bath before having a meal. I’m famished.” Tiffany patted her belly with a pitiful expression.
Amelia asked, “Can you walk?”
“Yes.” Tiffany dashed off and was first to get into the car.
Jolin and Amelia entered the driver’s seat and the backseat respectively. Then, Jolin started the car.
Meanwhile, Amelia got up and took a bag from the front seat. “These are the clothes we bought on the way here. We thought they might be useful for you in this run-down neighborhood. However, we didn’t expect you to actually need them.”
Tiffany accepted the clothes and raised her thumb. “Babe, our thoughts are in sync. If I were a man, I would not hesitate to marry you.”
“Stop talking nonsense. You should change into these clothes and shoes quickly and throw away the dirty ones,” Amelia said helplessly.
Tiffany quickly changed into the new clothes and shoes in the car. Then, she tried to push her luck and asked, “Babe, do you have any food?”
“No.” Amelia denied immediately. “Can you tell us why you are here?”
“It’s all thanks to those dastard reporters. I don’t know how they found my address and gathered at my place in the early morning. Initially, I planned to go to the company. However, they forced me to drive my car to somewhere near here. My car ran out of gas, so I had no choice but to get out. However, those reporters kept following me like bandits. Then, I fell into a large pit while running away from them. Thankfully, I managed to shake them off with my wit.” Tiffany growled and continued indignantly, “You have no idea how much I’ve suffered. Those lunatics kept chasing after me for hours. I didn’t even dare to answer your call just now. What did I ever do to them to deserve this?”
Amelia’s expression turned solemn as she fell into deep thought.
“Tiff, although you are a famous author, you have always guarded your privacy. Therefore, the reporters can’t find your address unless someone leaked it deliberately. Aren’t you worried that someone is planning to harm you?” Amelia said solemnly.
“Babe, what are you getting at?” Tiffany asked.
Amelia continued grimly, “I think someone could have planned this plagiarism scandal for some time. I have just been to your company, and numerous reporters and newscasters were crowding there. I think someone wanted to drag you and Derrick’s company into trouble.”
Tiffany shrugged and said, “Other than the Hissons, I can’t think of anyone who would want to get me in trouble. Only Mrs. Hisson could be that vicious. I think she would even dare to damage her son’s business to make me leave him. I’m quite impressed, to be honest.”
“There’s no use grumbling about it. I think you need to organize a press conference to clear the scandal. Otherwise, I fear it would get worst to the point that the public would believe that you plagiarized your work even if you didn’t,” Amelia said.
“Let me have some food and sleep first. I need to recharge my energy before fighting Mrs. Hisson,” Tiffany replied.
Amelia nodded.
Soon, Jolin sent them back to Tiffany’s neighborhood. The three of them rode an elevator upstairs and entered the apartment. Amelia said, “I’ll make you some pasta.”
“Babe, thank you,” Tiffany replied.
Then, Amelia entered the kitchen and cooked a plate of pasta. Tiffany soon devoured everything.
After that, Amelia let Jolin wash the plates in the kitchen while Amelia showed Tiffany her phone.
“Tiff, the news accusing you of plagiarism is now trending on Twitter. It seems the mastermind is determined to ruin your name. The number of searches on this topic exceeded a million in a mere couple of hours. The mastermind must have pulled the strings behind the scenes,” Amelia explained.
Tiffany glanced at the screen and sneered, “I didn’t expect a novelist like me to be more famous than the hottest celebrities. Celebrities tried every means possible but couldn’t make it to the headlines. On the other hand, I got there without doing anything. These articles do not have any basis or proof. Yet, many people still believe them. I’m impressed with the netizens’ immaturity. They have no idea that their malicious comments could drive people to take their lives. Of course, I won’t end my life.”
Amelia was impressed with Tiffany’s positivity and ability to joke even in such a dire situation.
“Fine, let’s not be angry over it anymore. I will ask Jolin to investigate the origin of the ID used to publish the post feed.” After saying that, Amelia turned to Jolin as she came out of the kitchen. “Jolin, can you get Tiff’s computer from the bedroom and investigate the source of the ID?”
Jolin nodded.
Then, she brought out the computer and used her superb skills to investigate the source of the ID. It took her nearly an hour to find it.
“Mrs. Clinton, the creator of this ID used a fake ID card. They probably sent it from an internet cafe. I have traced it to a bar called Blue Light. Should we go there?” Jolin looked up from the computer at Amelia.
“Is it far from here?” Amelia asked.
“It is at Gray Street. We should be able to get there in half an hour by car,” Jolin answered.
“Sure, let’s go,” Amelia replied.
The three of them rushed to Blue Light. It was a small and shabby internet cafe. Jolin went to speak with the owner. He told them their surveillance camera had broken down mysteriously two days ago. Therefore, they did not have surveillance footage for the past two days.
Damn, the person who published the post was well prepared. They even knew to damage the surveillance cameras. It seems the clue is another dead end.
The three of them left the internet cafe. Suddenly, Tiffany’s phone rang. She glanced at the screen and saw Derrick’s name.
She answered the call and heard Derrick’s voice. “Tiff, where are you? Why didn’t you answer my call? I was worried about you.”
“I got into a situation earlier but am all right now. Also, I am now with Amelia. Are you okay? Your voice sounds strange. Is something wrong?” Tiffany asked worriedly.
“It’s nothing, I just finished a three-hour meeting and spoke a lot, so my voice is a little hoarse,” Derrick explained. “There are still many reporters at the company, so don’t come here. I feel assured knowing that Amelia is with you. Anyway, I have discussed a solution with the senior management and will resolve the plagiarism issue as soon as possible. Don’t worry about it.”
Tiffany was concerned about Derrick and said, “Don’t worry about the plagiarism accusation. My conscience is clear, and my readers know I did not plagiarize. I believe this matter will soon die down.”
Derrick chuckled and felt much better.
“Hearing you say that makes me feel much better. I knew the matter wouldn’t bother you. I am relieved,” Derrick said. “Anyway, I have to head back to work. Continue to stay with Amelia. I will see you tonight.”
Tiffany hung up and stuffed the phone into her handbag.
“What did Derrick say?” Amelia asked.
“He said the reporters are still at the company. He had a meeting with the senior management to discuss how to alter public opinions. However, there was already a buzz on the Internet about the film before we started filming. It helped many people find out about the film. Thus, I see it as a free promotion that propelled my fame. Hmm, should I thank the mastermind instead?” Tiffany said.
Amelia was at a loss for words.
The three of them returned to Tiffany’s neighborhood. Later, Amelia called Oscar and discussed the plagiarism accusation with him. He was aware of it and was working with Julian and the public relations to gather evidence for a flawless counterattack. They would not let anyone ruin the film before they could film it.
Amelia breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Oscar, thank you.”
“Silly, don’t forget. I have invested a large sum in this. Furthermore, I am a businessman. Thus, how could I bear to watch her getting into trouble?” Then, Oscar smiled and continued, “I’m having a meeting, so I have to go. I will talk to you again once I’m back.”
“Okay.” After hanging up, Amelia continued to pay attention to the development of the rumor on the Web. There were intense discussions by netizens. It was hard to differentiate between ghostwriters and supporters. The number of those who came to watch the debate also fluctuated.
Suddenly, someone deleted the more extreme postings. However, a few netizens soon reposted screenshots of the deleted posts and continued to argue over them. It seems someone refused to let the matter die down.
Those internet trolls refused to give up.
Amelia looked at what was going on and began to laugh.
“Tiff, look at this. An internet troll criticized your story and said that you wrote badly. However, your readers questioned him back and demanded him to tell them if he knew whether the main character was good or bad. Naturally, the internet troll could not answer that. What an incompetent fool,” Amelia said.
Tiffany taunted, “Let’s see how they will continue criticizing me. They must have gone through a lot of trouble. I’m only a novelist. Although I have loyal readers, there can’t have been a million of them. Somehow, these internet trolls made me seem as famous as the hottest celebrities.”
Amelia understood how frustrating it was to have one’s work criticized. She knew Tiffany was furious but did not show it.
“Tiff, come sit next to me. This problem will be over soon, and your conscience is clear. Anyone who has read your work in earnest praised it. Otherwise, Julian and Oscar wouldn’t invest more than a hundred million to make a movie based on it,” Amelia comforted Tiffany.
Tiffany shrugged and said, “I’m fine. I’m waiting for their words to bite back at them. How dare they accuse me of plagiarism? Every word in the novel came from the countless nights I spent figuring out plots. My hair nearly turned white from all the thinking, but their malicious comments denied all my hard work.”
Amelia did not say anything but patted Tiffany’s back to comfort her.
By night, the matter reached a complete reversal. Someone posted the profile of the person who created the rumors. It listed the schools he went to, the company he worked in, the names of his wife and children, and even the celebrities he had created rumors about previously. The profile immediately attracted immense attention. Fans of other affected celebrities were furious. They scolded the rumor maker for his lack of morals.
The man who had hidden in a secret place to create rumors was now panicking. He hid in his room and made a call.
“Mrs. Hisson, what should I do? Someone exposed my personal information on the Web. Please save me. I only wanted to earn a little money and not put my life on the line,” the man said urgently.
“Why are you panicking? I will get someone to remove your information from the Web. Focus on getting more ghostwriters to stir up the scandal. I want Tiffany’s reputation ruined,” Kate said coldly.
“Understood, Mrs. Hisson,” the man replied.
After hanging up, the man checked the situation on the Web from his secret location. What he saw shook him to the core. He realized he had offended someone he should never offend. However, he had no way out of this predicament. If he refused to continue his work, Kate would never forgive him. On the other hand, if he continued, he feared the person backing Tiffany would not forgive him either.
The man held his head and sighed heavily. There was no turning back. He had no choice but to force himself to continue.
