"Tony and Anton are at it again!"
"Didn't you just hear? They've switched things up this time! Apparently, it's because of that actress Tony's been seen with!"
"Making a movie?"
"This is getting interesting!"
"It makes me want to get involved! There are so many actresses in Hollywood, and I haven't slept with many of them yet! Those two really know how to have fun!"
"Money isn't the issue, it's just that Anton is going to be a movie director... Tsk, has he lost his mind?"
"This is going to be good, even more exciting than a movie!"
"Turning the story of this bet into a movie, and slapping Tony Stark's name on it, is guaranteed to be a blockbuster!"
A group of bored, top-tier rich kids were excitedly discussing the bet between Anton and Tony.
Compared to that, the luxurious dinner in front of them already tasted like nothing.
All they wanted to do now was stare at the most exciting part and chew it over and over.
"Are they both gone?"
"Nope, still inside."
"They haven't fought yet. How do we handle the bets we just placed?"
"Hold them. We'll settle up when the movie comes out."
"I heard if Anton loses, he has to be Tony's errand boy. How exciting! Really exciting!"
A group of rich kids rushed into the banquet hall and saw that Tony had two more beautiful women with him.
Anton was the same.
Even though he hadn't brought a date, he wasn't short of women at his side now.
As a rich young master, Anton's status was quite well-received in New York, and girls were happy to stick close to him.
Moreover, the bet between Tony and Anton had spread not only among the rich kids, but also among the onlookers who witnessed it. They were all astonished.
Just to prove a point, they threw down fifty million!
It was like they didn't care about money at all!
"Anton, are you really going to make a movie?"
A stunningly beautiful woman, with a captivating figure, clung to Anton. Her cheeks were almost touching his chest, her arms wrapped around him as she whispered in his ear, "I think this movie is missing a leading lady?"
"Hahaha, you're right!"
Anton unceremoniously wrapped his arms around the beauty's waist, laughing, "Beautiful lady, are you interested in being my leading lady tonight?"
A night of pleasure.
The next day, Anton left the hotel feeling refreshed.
Before getting into the car, he casually tossed the woman's contact information into the trash.
The Daily Bugle.
Betty looked at Anton in surprise.
She hadn't expected Anton to actually show up at the newspaper office on time; it was a real surprise.
"Betty, how long have you been working at the newspaper?"
Even more surprisingly, Anton asked her this question the moment he saw her.
"About three years, since I graduated," Betty replied.
Anton nodded. "You've been the old man's assistant all this time, so you know the newspaper inside and out. I'm confident that you can take over my work in the future, and the old man will be too."
"???"
Betty was completely bewildered.
"Alright, it's settled then." Anton stood up, waved his hand, and left the office, saying, "I'll go talk to the old man about this."
"?"
Betty watched Anton leave without looking back, thinking that he was probably bored and wanted to find somewhere else to have fun.
However, Jameson would probably be furious.
As she expected.
BANG!!
In a high-end villa area in New York.
"You bastard! Do you think my Daily Bugle is a place you can just come and go as you please?"
Jonah Jameson slammed his hand on the table, his face flushed with rage.
"Handing over your life's work to the more reassuring Betty was definitely the right decision." Anton stared at the old man in surprise. "Weren't you planning to groom Betty as your successor before I took over the newspaper?"
"Bullshit!"
Jameson roared. "She's your assistant, and she'll always be just an assistant! The editor-in-chief position is not for a young girl who just graduated!"
Anton said, "You're discriminating against women. As the newspaper owner, you're being biased!"
"Discriminate my ass!"
Jameson scoffed. "Even if I did discriminate, no one would believe it! I'm the famous champion of equality in New York City. Even the mayor and the council members have to consider my opinion! You think you can threaten me?"
"I'm not threatening you, I just want you to speak properly."
Anton remained calm.
Although the old man in front of him was angry, baring a ferocious face, Anton didn't find him the least bit scary.
In his memories, Jonah Jameson was most proud of his son.
That is, the cheap old dad of Anton's current body, John Jameson, who had gotten his girlfriend pregnant at the tender age of nineteen.
However, John, as an astronaut, spent a quarter of the year in the space station, and the remaining three-quarters of the year training and recovering at the astronaut base. He hadn't been seen for nearly a year, and his rest time was extremely limited.
Anton reviewed the memories in his mind, and found that his impression of his astronaut father was rather vague.
And his mother, after giving birth to him, took a sum of money from Jameson and hadn't shown her face for so many years, not knowing where she was living a carefree life.
The closest person in his life had become the knife-mouthed, tofu-hearted old man in front of him, who, in the original timeline's plot, especially loved to go after a certain little spider who hadn't yet appeared.
"In short, I don't care about the newspaper!"
Anton said firmly, "I'm going to make a movie. I've already decided what I'm going to film, old man."
"You?"
Jonah Jameson was furious, sneering, "Anton, I'm absolutely not going to pay for this! You might as well go to Hollywood next door and be the male lead in a porn film. Maybe you could earn enough for a night's worth of booze."
Anton automatically ignored Jameson's insults and casually shrugged, "I don't need your money. I've already found a sucker, oh no, an investor!"
"Who?"
Jameson was shocked, "Are there really people this stupid in the world?"
"I'm really happy to hear you say that."
Anton laughed heartily and said cheerfully, "Because it's rare that we two stubborn people agree on something."
"Tell me who?"
Jonah Jameson scoffed. "Who would dare fund you? I guarantee I'll go right up to them and laugh in their face for being an idiot."
"Tony."
"Your hairdresser?"
"…"
Anton paused, then said, "It's the Tony from Stark Industries, the top genius inventor of the twenty-first century, a global arms dealer, a playboy who's slept with every magazine model, and also, the idiot you just mentioned."
"…"
Jameson fell silent.
He opened his mouth, feeling like he'd only retired a few days ago, yet already disconnected from society.
How could Tony Stark, that notoriously cocky and brilliant man, be hanging out with someone as notoriously cocky and not-so-brilliant as his own?
They must be birds of a feather.
"Spill it, which actress are you trying to sleep with this time?" Jonah Jameson, certain he'd seen through Anton's scheme, rubbed his temples.
"You're slandering me out of thin air!!"
Anton said righteously, "Old man, I had no idea you were this kind of person! I'm going to cut ties with you for three months! You leave me alone for those three months! I'm going to start my own career!"
"Should I help you make up your mind, and freeze your bank card while I'm at it?"
"Alright, I'll reconsider the issue of cutting ties with you, and I'll give you an answer tomorrow."
"Seriously, you're not really going to make a movie, are you?"
"Of course, I have the script ready!"
"Let me see it!"
"Uh…"
Anton stammered, choked slightly, and quickly said, "I'll give it to you when I give you my answer tomorrow."
Jonah Jameson's mouth twitched, and he felt that Anton was becoming increasingly unreliable.
Then he waved his hand, signaling that he was already impatient and that the kid should quickly get out of his sight.
Anton followed suit and returned to his room.
Behind him, Jameson watched the departing back of Anton, opened his mouth, and in the end, said nothing.
Anyway, with Tony Stark, that famous playboy, backing him this time, Anton could do whatever he wanted!
Jonah Jameson was truly too lazy to bother with his own prodigal son!
Of course, he had also made up his mind to immediately change his will, putting all the cash originally left for Anton into a family trust fund.
When I die, you'll just get a fixed salary from now on, you brat!
Don't even think about getting a penny more each month!
(End of Chapter)