Jason didn't know that Katherine had been quietly asking around about his whereabouts.
At that moment, his Gulfstream G550 had already lifted smoothly into the clouds.
There were two reasons he left so decisively.
First, his favorability among the models there had essentially reached a soft cap. Staying longer would yield diminishing returns.
Second—and more importantly—Lewis had called him.
New Vision Media was in trouble.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't a catastrophic problem yet.
But it was the kind of problem that, if mishandled, could snowball into something fatal.
The root cause was an old thorn.
That top streamer they had once signed for an astronomical fee—the one whose reputation collapsed and who fled overseas—was causing trouble again.
Back when Lewis first sought Jason's investment, that streamer's scandal had already erupted. He had fled the country, liquidated damages were impossible to recover, and New Vision Media had overextended itself, triggering a serious cash-flow crunch.
Lewis had assumed the worst outcome would simply be unrecoverable penalties.
He never expected the situation to deteriorate further.
From the intelligence gathered so far, that streamer didn't seem to have the guts to stir things up on his own.
Behind him was Infinity Media, currently ranked #1 MCN on TikTok.
Infinity Media's intent was obvious.
New Vision Media had been growing too fast.
Deep cooperation with Starlight Fashion meant explosive future potential.
Infinity Media sensed a threat.
So they chose to strike early and cut it down.
In business, such underhanded tactics were anything but rare.
Once the aircraft stabilized, Jason dialed Lewis again.
"Lewis," Jason said calmly,"Walk me through everything once more. Slowly."
Lewis sounded tired but resolute.
"Mr. Carter, I'm already flying to Los Angeles."
"Don't worry. This is my mess. I'll handle it myself."
"I'll cover the losses."
In truth, after Jason's investment, he already held 51% of New Vision Media.
He was entitled to profits—and equally responsible for risks.
But Lewis had benefited enormously from Jason and felt deeply indebted.
If Jason truly got angry, the consequences would be terrifying.
So Lewis would rather shoulder everything alone.
Jason's tone remained steady.
"We're partners."
"You carried the company on your back when things were good."
"I can't suddenly disappear when things turn bad."
He paused briefly, then added,
"Also, this timing is too coincidental."
"I just finished crushing Cloudstream International, and immediately afterward, Infinity Media starts playing dirty."
"And Cloudstream International has always had close ties with Infinity Media."
"There's enough reason to believe Ethan and Edward are trying to get revenge on me."
"Infinity Media wants us dead, and they're happy to cooperate."
"So realistically speaking, at least half of this mess is on me."
Lewis exhaled audibly.
That alone eased a heavy weight on his chest.
"At least it's not entirely my fault then…"
He continued, voice turning serious.
"Alright, I'll explain it clearly."
"The streamer's name is Jay."
"He was exposed for tax evasion and a sex scandal."
"But before federal authorities could formally file charges, he fled to Cambodia."
"There's no extradition treaty between the US and Cambodia."
"So legally, we can't bring him back."
"The contract we signed with him was $30 million per year."
"If he violated laws or moral clauses, we were entitled to recover all signing fees and claim damages."
"If he breached the contract unilaterally, he owed triple damages—$90 million."
"As a result of his escape, the $15 million signing fee already paid was unrecoverable."
"On top of that, collective brand partners sued, claiming $23 million in losses, which we had to advance ourselves."
"Because the defendant fled and failed to appear, the court temporarily suspended the breach-of-contract case."
Lewis let out a bitter laugh.
"But now, Infinity Media used its legal team to exploit a loophole."
Jason's eyes narrowed slightly.
"A loophole?"
"According to Article 64 of the Criminal Law, criminal proceeds take priority over civil compensation," Lewis continued grimly."Infinity Media, through an affiliated offshore company, reported Jay to Cambodian authorities for cross-border money laundering."
"They fabricated casino fund-flow records in Cambodia, which led local police to freeze Jay's overseas accounts."
"After that, Infinity Media applied as a victim in the domestic tax-evasion case, intercepting all of Jay's remaining assets inside the country."
"In other words, even if we win the lawsuit in the future, there will be nothing left to enforce."
Lewis paused, then spoke even faster.
"Next, Infinity Media registered a shell company in the Cayman Islands. Under that shell company, they signed an overseas livestream cooperation agreement with Jay."
"The contract stipulates that Jay streams on TikTok overseas, which technically does not violate the non-compete clause."
"They paid a $2 million USD signing fee directly into his Cambodian account, completely bypassing foreign-exchange controls."
"And they argue that since the contract is governed by UK commercial law, it has nothing to do with domestic jurisdiction."
Lewis let out a bitter laugh.
"On top of that, they manipulated public opinion. Their media matrix published press releases accusing us of forcing streamers to evade taxes, deliberately shifting public focus and turning all the firepower onto New Vision Media."
"There's more," he added."I received reliable information that Infinity Media is also poaching our streamers."
"Mia received private messages and reported it to me, but we still don't know how many others they've contacted in secret."
It sounded extremely complicated.
But at its core, the logic was brutally simple.
Infinity Media had settled Jay overseas, protected him, and swallowed all his remaining domestic assets.Jay, having already burned his reputation beyond repair, had nothing left to lose.
So he became their weapon.
His role was to smear New Vision Media, drag them down, and die together if necessary.
Lewis sighed deeply.
"Mr. Carter… this is my fault."
"I underestimated them. I thought the worst-case scenario was simply losing the compensation."
"I never imagined they'd play the law this ruthlessly."
"After so many years in the industry, I still learned a painful lesson."
He continued in a low voice.
"I've discussed this with our legal team."
"We can file a criminal counter-claim, accusing Infinity Media of false litigation, but that requires proving their Cambodian reports were fabricated."
"Cross-border evidence collection is extremely difficult."
"We can also invoke Article 154 of the Civil Code—malicious collusion harming a third party—but proving intent is equally hard."
"If Infinity Media uses a VIE structure, we could try to pierce the corporate veil and pursue the real controllers domestically."
"But that litigation would take two to three years, with huge uncertainty."
"In short… we're not without chances."
"If they want to fight, we'll fight."
"The legal team estimates our chance of ultimate victory at around 50%."
Jason Carter listened quietly, then said calmly,"Have the legal team send all materials to my legal department."
Lewis was slightly stunned.
Jason had already built his own in-house legal department—one far beyond the level of ordinary firms.
Even so, Jason knew the truth.
Legal warfare meant uncertainty.Time.Delays.
And Jason Carter hated uncertainty.
He also had no intention of dragging this out for two or three years.
So after hanging up, Jason turned to Olivia beside him.
"Olivia," he said casually,"Find out Infinity Media's market valuation."
Olivia raised her eyebrows slightly."Mr. Carter, Infinity Media is a listed company with multiple major shareholders."
"It won't be as easy to acquire as a private company."
Jason smiled faintly.
"But precisely because it's listed—and its ownership is scattered—as long as the operation is handled correctly…"
"Even if the founders oppose it with everything they have,they won't be able to stop it."
Olivia instantly understood.
Jason wasn't talking about negotiation.
He was talking about a hostile takeover.
She nodded without hesitation.
Within hours, the asset-assessment firm sent back the results.
Jason didn't even bother reading the fine details.
He only glanced at one number.
Market value: approximately $3 million USD.
Jason leaned back slightly and smiled.
"Only three billion."
With two or three times the capital, such a company could already be dismantled through brute force.
With smart tactics, it would be even easier.
And the capital Jason Carter possessed wasn't two or three times.
It was twenty times that amount.
To him, Infinity Media wasn't a rival.
It was a target.
There are 200 chapters ahead in my Patreon. If you are interested can check it out.
patreon.com/B_A_3439