Chapter 382 - Do You Believe In Me? (12) (2/2)

Given this, the reporter had no choice but to speak, ”Well, yesterday you called me and told me you had a big scoop in exchange for a payment.”

”Just a simple call like this for a 200 000 dollar deal?”

The reporter laughed. ”Of course normally it isn't like this, but between us there's mutual trust.”

At these words, Shen Xiu laughed derisively. ”So it seems Ms. Qiao is a veteran at selling insiders information!”

Ignoring him, Qiao Lian continued to look intently at the reporter. ”How did I give you the picture?”

”You sent it to me on my cell phone,” the reporter replied.

Qiao Lian asked for further details, ”Where's the text message? Or the mail?”

The reporter laughed. ”Why would I keep that kind of evidence? We are colleagues of the same field. Of course we have to be discreet about such things, they're against our professional ethics.”

Qiao Lian seemingly missed the sarcasm in his remarks. ”Do you think I'm an idiot?”

The reporter paused and replied, ”Ms. Qiao, you're exceptionally intelligent, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to get your hands on so much confidential information.”

Qiao Lian laughed coldly and looked at him, speaking clearly and deliberately, ”So you use such an underhanded way to insult my intelligence?”

The reporter widened his eyes, looking puzzled at her words, while Shen Xiu frowned and asked, ”What are you saying?”

Qiao Lian pointed at the bank receipt. ”Selling confidential information is against our professional ethics. And such discreet transactions would usually be made with cash, or in small and separate amounts using alternative accounts. But in this case, I openly had a large sum of 200 000 deposited into my account. In addition, I am a considerably well-known reporter in the industry, why would I even risk doing something like that, given my personal abilities?!”

”So,” Qiao Lian turned and looked menacingly at the reporter. ”You had better come clean and tell us who instructed you to set me up!”