Demon King: Hero, don’t run away!
Chapter 214 Sugar and Lollipop

What on earth was going on with this man?

So young, yet so incredibly strategic, able to keep others firmly in his grip—it was utterly unreasonable.

Clutching her fists, unwilling to just become a pawn controlled by others, Keke Ai made a final struggle,

"My doubts have mostly been cleared. However, there’s still one thing I must confirm with you. How exactly did you get to know Lady Tico, and how did you convey your feelings to her? Lady Tico is indeed famous, but only within the scope of All Things Library, and I don’t believe it would have been so simple for you, who have never been to All Things Library, to become acquainted with her."

This reporter was indeed sharp, aiming to find cracks by targeting fundamental issues.

But Yang Yu was fearless. He still vividly remembered the first time he’d seen Tico, and his story couldn’t change in front of her, so Yang Yu repeated what he had said before.

"The process was just like that. It was because of my friend who passed away that I became a fan of Lady Tico."

Facing Yang Yu, who spoke "from memory" with great conviction, Keke Ai narrowed her eyes. Could a reverence for Tico really arise from a single painting, in such a magical reality?

Yang Yu was highly suspect of lying.

But, if such a scenario was truly impossible, his ability to speak so calmly of such an incredible matter meant he must have prepared for it well in advance.

Starting a fight unprepared would only result in suffering.

Keke Ai’s final struggle never stirred any ripples on the calm surface of the lake, and she was unable to escape from Yang Yu’s Five-finger Mountain.

The only option left was clear.

"I understand. I agree to help you refute the rumors, and I hope you’ll keep your promise. After everything is over, I hope to get the exclusive right to interview you from your hands."

Keke Ai originally thought Yang Yu would happily accept this condition, but the smile on Yang Yu’s face disappeared without warning, and he scoffed at her words,

"Ms. Keke Ai, after all this, if you still think you can get anything from me, that’s just too naive. Besides, I said you would have the chance to interview me. I never agreed to give you exclusive rights. Don’t arbitrarily raise your price and forget who caused all of this.

If you had realized your mistake at the beginning and admitted you were wrong, perhaps I might have reluctantly accepted your interview.

But let’s see what you have actually done. Since we’ve been here, you’ve been trying to shirk your responsibility and even hoping to gain more benefits from the situation, deliberately leading Lady Tico and me to waver in our resolve to denounce the rumors.

Naturally, we have the right to refuse payment for the rumor refutation—you caused the trouble, after all. It’s already quite generous of us not to hold you fully accountable."

After gaining control of the situation, this man immediately burned bridges...

Rejected bluntly by Yang Yu, Keke Ai bit her lip, forced to admit defeat—no, she had to admit she got what she deserved.

If she had thought it through earlier, she might have guessed from the details that this man was not as simple as she’d imagined, and she’d have been more cautious.

Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets now.

"Do you have any complaints, Ms. Keke Ai? Everything I’ve said is reasonable, right? People like you who speculate without understanding the truth should be given a little punishment. But we’ll let you off easy this time, considering you turned over a new leaf. However, if you dare to shoot your mouth off without knowing the facts next time, don’t blame us for being harsh."

He has categorically refused to let me publish his article privately...

If she divulged what happened today, it would likely be construed as spouting nonsense and warrant punishment.

In the future, even if she wrote an article about him, it probably couldn’t be published without his permission...

Inside, Keke Ai’s mind protested, but she could only accept Yang Yu’s proposition,

"I understand. I promise not to recklessly publish news about you."

Only when he felt assured that Keke Ai could no longer stir up trouble did Yang Yu finally relax.

Having gained an important bargaining chip, he felt much more settled.

Truth be told, Yang Yu had never intended to offer Keke Ai the opportunity for an interview—the only topic allowed would be about dispelling rumors.

This entire issue was sparked by Keke Ai’s irresponsible comments.

If she were rewarded with candy before completing her remedial actions, it could set a precedent for countless similar situations in the future.

It’s like a child who breaks a vase and doesn’t get punished, but instead is rewarded with candy for apologizing, just leading them to break vases again and again to get more treats, expecting others to clean up after them.

So, indulging her was out of the question; if she didn’t want to clean up her own messes, you have to be firm.

A combination of punishment and reward, firm yet fair, is the most efficient way to teach.

The interview offer Yang Yu initially mentioned to Keke Ai was, in truth, merely a pie in the sky to make her more amenable to talking.

Using the child analogy, it’s like coaxing a child by saying, "Tell me who broke the vase, and you’ll get candy." Once the truth is out, whether the candy is given can be decided later; punishment is inevitably in store.

Sometimes, society needs to give a harsh punishment for one to grow.

Yang Yu indeed hoped that after a constructive thrashing, Keke Ai would grow from being a third-rate headline maker to a genuine reporter in pursuit of the truth, no longer chasing scandalous headlines at the expense of others, and saving the newspaper.

Resolving to discipline Keke Ai privately, he planned to give her a taste of her own medicine.

If his punishment didn’t change the way she thought, then so be it; if he didn’t discipline her strictly, someone like her would one day face society’s harsher judgment.

Perhaps the backlash would be much fiercer than his own beating, a mixed doubles match that would continue until she broke her own rice bowl.

But that was no longer Yang Yu’s concern. He’d given advice for her betterment; it’s up to her to redefine herself. If she heads towards her own downfall, that’s her own business—he certainly can’t spend 24 hours a day at her doorstep, desperately imploring her to change.

How idle would he have to be to do that?