Chapter 0010: Hotel Special Services Claudio

As Claudio was about to exit the restroom, John Taylor, drawing on his professional instinct honed from five or six years as a paparazzo, called out to Claudio and handed him a tape recorder, saying: "Did you not mention that a major company is coming for a meeting today? Let’s get some insurance; we might record something useful"

As soon as John Taylor pressed the play button, a young man's voice came through the tape recorder

John Taylor did not wait long; Claudio, who was watching Peter walk into the restaurant from a distance, opened the car door and got into the vehicle

"Are you crazy, John? Do you think we can provoke these large companies? Don't put me in danger," Claudio immediately objected, as he did not want to be caught as a corporate spy; what would happen to his wife and children?

Starting at 100 million pounds

Alright, I won't give it to you first, John. If you want to provoke these big companies, it would be better to wait until you become a renowned journalist. I certainly do not wish to see you in prison one day

"Wait for me, John. Get rid of your assistant, and I'll come to your car to find you. Remember, it's a secret," said Claudio before hanging up the phone

"That would be even better, Claudio. You should put your skills to use; being honest all day long won't earn you a lot of money," said John Taylor

Go to hell, Claudio, I won't go in even if you do

"Stop talking nonsense. I have a wife and children now, so I can't take any risks. I'm heading to the conference room now, wait for my call. John, don't fall asleep!" Claudio joked.

William's intuition is still reliable. In a small bridge car not far from the Hilton Hotel, John Taylor from The Sun is now so excited that he is almost trembling, continuously saying: "I am going to get rich, haha, I am going to get rich, I am going to be famous. After working as a journalist for five or six years, I have finally uncovered a big story. This time, let's see how that fat pig supervisor will respond."

Alright, alright, you are a journalist. Claudio rolled his eyes in exasperation, having graduated from university and yet here he was, reduced to being a tabloid reporter.

"You go ahead and eat first, and we can talk when I get hungry. If needed, Peter, I will give you a call," said John Taylor

Claudio exclaimed: "Yes, I met that guy this morning. Goodness, this guy is truly the illegitimate child of God, about to become a millionaire, and on top of that, he is exceptionally handsome. God is really unfair"

Welcome, gentlemen, my name is William Devonshire, I am the creator, designer, and sole individual behind Plants vs. Zombies

Get lost, for I am a professional journalist

As soon as I heard the guy named William Devenshire speaking in the recording

This was a tremendous opportunity for him to become wealthy and promoted. At that moment, John Taylor felt as if the god of paparazzi was shining upon him, allowing him to inexplicably stop Claudio and hand him a recording device. Claudio, being a seasoned veteran after spending so many years in the military, remarkably went undetected by the bodyguards of these large companies.

"You are crazy, John. It is working hours now. If the supervisor sees him, he will get me in trouble," Claudio whispered in complaint.

"Damn, I received a notice yesterday that several large companies would be coming to the hotel for a meeting today. I have to go to the conference room soon. Why do they have to hold a meeting at this time, neither early nor late? It's delaying my ability to make money, and I'm still waiting to buy a birthday gift for my child," Claudio complained.

Peter, upon seeing John Taylor hang up the phone, sensed that John had something to attend to that he did not want him to know. He nodded understandingly and said, "Alright, John, I'm just about to head to the restaurant for lunch. Would you like me to bring you something to eat?"

Rest assured, when the time comes, we will listen first. If it cannot be reported, I will definitely not submit it to the newspaper. I am not done living yet. Don't worry, we will listen together. If you feel it is dangerous, we will not proceed

John, don't pay attention to that short guy Dennis Weiss. John, I think we are going to get rich. Do you know what was recorded in the conference room? John, we are going to get rich. Your newspaper will definitely pay a high price for this recording

Claudio was extremely pleased to hear that he could sell it for £50,000, pondering whether he should really stop being so honest; the things he learned in the military were still quite useful.

"Alright, I will take my leave," Peter said as he opened the car door and headed to the restaurant

Aren't you just a paparazzo, reporter

"Wait a moment, John, let's first park the car in a suitable place; it will be more convenient when we run later," Claudio reminded.

"What happened at 9 AM?" Claudio replied

John Taylor dared not speak harshly to Claudio, who had served in the English forces for six or seven years and had only retired due to injury. He hurriedly reassured him, "Relax, Claudio, it's fine. It's just the two of us in the restroom. If someone comes in, they will hear us. Listen, mate, I came to the hotel with Dennis Wise from Chelsea"

"Hello, hello," John Taylor called out several times. When he checked his phone, he saw that Claudio had hung up. Remembering that Claudio had instructed him to send his assistant away, John Taylor said to his assistant, "Peter, it's noon. Go to the restaurant for lunch and take a break. Wait for my call."

Claudio thought that this time he might receive several tens of thousands of pounds from the newspaper, and with this amount, his financial situation would greatly improve. He eagerly called John Taylor

After 7:00 AM, he and his companion switched shifts and walked into the Hilton Hotel, pretending to wait for someone. In fact, he was looking for his high school classmate, Claudio, who works at the Hilton Hotel

Without a word, John Taylor embraced Claudio and kissed him on the forehead: "Claudio, you are truly my lucky star. We are going to make a fortune. No one should expect to take this recording from us for less than £50,000"

Claudio himself is a hotel staff member, and this time, after retiring from the military, it is the first time he has utilized the skills he learned previously. He carefully avoided the eyes of all his colleagues and, at last, everything went smoothly without alarming anyone. He obtained the recorder and concealed it in his inner pocket

Indeed, it is him. He currently holds significant news value. If we could capture photos of him in an affair, we would strike it rich, selling them to the Sun for at least £10,000. Claudio, you would get half of that. Just think, this could be your salary for 3 months.

I, John Taylor, must uncover everything about you, William Devonshire, even to the extent of digging up whether you wet the bed as a child

Last night, he followed Chelsea's Dennis Wise to the Hilton Hotel, hoping to take some candid photos of Dennis Wise, but after waiting all night, he ended up with nothing.

"I am a journalist, a journalist, and I am a university graduate with a major in media," John Taylor growled softly

Claudio reached into the pocket of his jacket; instead of taking out the recorder, he pressed the play button inside the pocket of his clothing

"God, what exactly is the recording that has made you so cautious? Let me hear it quickly," John Taylor asked Claudio eagerly as he got into the car.

After sitting for about ten minutes, John Taylor asked the staff for directions to the restroom. After washing his face, brushing his teeth, and taking care of his urgent needs, John Taylor sat in the hotel lobby pretending to wait for someone

"Forget about God, Claudio. Let's wait for him outside the hotel. Today, I must get a photo of him. Let's go, GOGOGO! Claudio, you are so stubborn. If I had your skills, I would have made a fortune by now." After saying this, John Taylor tried to pull Claudio to the hotel entrance to lie in wait.

Claudio entered the restroom shortly after, and as soon as he stepped in, he grabbed John Taylor by the collar and pulled him over.

"Don't rush, I'll play it for you right away. Remember, I want half; otherwise, you know my skills. Don't even think about taking the recorder from me," Claudio reminded.

John Taylor has heard of Plants vs. Zombies; his younger brother recently mentioned to him that this game is very popular among young people, and his brother also purchased a game disc

OK, OK, please start the recording

Alright, I will take my leave now, please pay attention to my call

The recording continued as John Taylor heard that in 15 days, the sales data for Plants vs. Zombies in London and the surrounding 5 counties amounted to 430,000 units, with a revenue of 6.45 million pounds, averaging 15 pounds per unit. When the game Plants vs. Zombies was projected to sell 7 million copies, John Taylor's expression became excited, his eyes shining, and his hands trembling

"What time does the meeting room open?" John Taylor asked

John Taylor was truly trembling with excitement; he knew he had inadvertently uncovered a monumental piece of news. If everything in the recording was true, this news could create a sensation throughout England, and even the entire world, as it had prompted so many gaming companies and agencies to scramble for it. Moreover, these unscrupulous individuals had colluded to suppress the information; otherwise, how could they, who were so attuned to the gossip, have heard nothing? More importantly, everything about the game was accomplished solely by a young man named William Devonshire.

It's alright, we still have a chance. Dennis Weiss hasn't come out yet. Claudio, you go to the conference room first. I will set my phone to vibrate. We still have time. You won't take long to organize things in the conference room. I will wait for you in the lobby

Alright, I will arrange the meeting room as soon as possible and wait at the service desk. I will be able to see the elevator, and when I spot Dennis Weiss, I will call you. Perhaps I can also discreetly place the listening device you gave me last time on him.

During lunch, I listened to the recordings on the tape recorder outside the hotel using headphones, so by this time, he had already fast-forwarded the tape recorder to the part where someone started speaking in the conference room

Hello, Claudio, how is it going? Dennis Wise has come out," John Taylor asked eagerly

Feeling pleased, John Taylor calmly said: "Claudio, damn it, we don't have any photos. Is that William still at the hotel? We need to get a picture of him; we need to dig up everything about this guy so that we can make the headlines of The Sun more than once"

Around 8 o'clock in the morning, John Taylor encountered his high school classmate Claudio. John Taylor gave Claudio a glance and walked calmly towards the restroom.

Once everything was ready, the two men took their cameras and hid outside the hotel. Claudio even wore his coat inside out, donned John's hat and mask, waiting for William to come out

"Claudio asked about the equalizer scored by Dennis Wise for AC Milan at the San Siro Stadium in the Champions League

John Taylor waited all morning but did not receive a call from Claudio. Feeling anxious, he was just about to call Claudio when, unexpectedly, Claudio's call came in first