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CH110 | DI
🕑 Added 2025-05-14 12:26:16 +0000 UTCWednesday afternoon.
I left work early and was alone at home.
Outside the window, New York’s bright summer unfolded.
The skyscrapers gleamed under the sunlight, and in the distance, Central Park’s greenery appeared no larger than a thumbnail.
Since it was a weekday afternoon, my roommates were all at work.
‘It’s nice and quiet for once.’
Due to my recent, sudden rise in fame, my roommates had started getting uncomfortably familiar with me.
We had only agreed to share the living room and kitchen, but they were trying to turn that into a real friendship.
Because of that, I had been coming home only to sleep at night and leaving immediately in the morning.
But today was different.
A very important guest was supposed to visit.
‘They’re a little late…’
I lowered my gaze, and the delicate artwork on my wrist pointed to 4:02 PM.
The appointment was at 4 PM.
I had told the doorman that a guest would be arriving at that time and to send them up immediately, but they had yet to arrive.
The doorbell rang precisely at 4:08 PM.
When I opened the door, a white man who appeared to be in his mid-40s was standing there.
His name was Jonathan Kurtz.
In my past life, he was the journalist from ‘The Wall Street Times’ who exposed the Theranos scandal.
I had arranged this meeting by emailing him, claiming I had information related to Theranos.
The moment Jonathan saw my face, his eyes widened in shock.
“Huh? No way… The Shark Hunter?”
So, he had seen that broadcast as well.
Well, these days, it was probably harder to find someone in America who hadn’t seen it.
“Please, come in.”
I invited him inside, but he still looked bewildered, glancing around suspiciously.
He seemed to be checking whether this was some kind of hidden camera prank.
I could understand that.
From his perspective, there shouldn’t have been any connection between the famous Asian guy from ‘Epicura’ and the Theranos case.
Eventually, Jonathan accepted reality and stepped inside.
I led him to the living room table and handed him a glass of ice water.
“My name is Ha Si-heon. You can call me Sean.”
“Oh, I’m Jonathan Kurtz. Sorry, I just… wasn’t expecting this at all.”
He kept glancing at me a few more times before nodding and continuing.
“So this is why you refused to meet at a café.”
“Yes. Lately, a lot of people have been recognizing me.”
Originally, I had offered to visit his newspaper office, but he had surprisingly declined and suggested meeting at a café instead.
However, with my current level of fame, a café meeting would attract way too much attention, and eavesdroppers would surely be lurking.
That’s why we ultimately decided to meet at my place.
“Haha, I can see why. Quite a few people at our office keep rewatching that broadcast too…”
Jonathan briefly brought up the show but soon trailed off.
Then, with a serious expression, he got to the point.
“You mentioned in your email that you had a tip regarding Theranos.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
After hearing my response, Jonathan took a sip of water.
Then, after setting the glass down, he looked at me sharply and asked,
“If you don’t mind me asking—how did you find out about me? The fact that I’m investigating Theranos hasn’t been made public yet.”
Though he was smiling, I could sense the suspicion behind his words.
“You suspect that I’m from Theranos’s side.”
He looked slightly surprised but then nodded.
“To be honest, yes. As soon as I received your email, my first thought was that you were either from Theranos or their law firm.”
Jonathan looked straight at me as he continued.
“There are only two groups of people who know about my investigation—my sources and Theranos’s people. And my sources have assured me they didn’t mention anything about me. That only leaves one possibility.”
Logically, that meant I had to be from Theranos’s side.
But I smiled and refuted his assumption.
“That’s not true. There are other ways I could have found out about your investigation.”
“What would that be?”
If I told him I knew because I came from the future… well, that wouldn’t go over well.
So I gave him a more plausible explanation.
“I hired a private investigator to look into Theranos. That’s how I found out that a journalist was on their trail.”
Jonathan’s eyes widened again.
“If you don’t believe me, you can check for yourself.”
I pulled out my tablet and showed him the emails I had exchanged with the detective.
I didn’t reveal the contents of the attached files, but even just the email body was enough to prove I wasn’t working for Theranos.
Jonathan nodded, but his expression still held traces of doubt.
“Then, may I ask why you’re investigating Theranos?”
“Well…”
“Oh, hold on a moment.”
Just as I was about to answer, Jonathan stopped me and pulled a notebook, a pen, and a small device from the inner pocket of his jacket.
“Would you mind if I recorded this conversation?”
He then carefully explained a set of rules as if reciting the Miranda rights.
“This recording is for my reference only. None of it will be leaked. If I wish to quote any part of it, I will contact you first to obtain your explicit permission. I will ensure that both the quoted lines and their attribution are agreed upon before publication. If you wish to remain anonymous, I will respect that. If you allow me to describe you as a certain kind of insider, we can also discuss that…”
His professionalism was impressive.
If anything, he was ‘too’ thorough.
“I will strictly protect your anonymity. Under the First Amendment, the press is guaranteed independence and freedom. Additionally, under New York’s Shield Law, I am not required to disclose my sources. However, exceptions apply in cases involving terrorism, public safety threats, or if a court orders disclosure despite First Amendment protections.”
I couldn’t help but smile.
The way he meticulously laid out all the risks before seeking my consent reminded me of someone I knew.
‘As expected…’
He was a journalist with an unshakable sense of ethics.
That’s probably why he was able to expose Theranos’s fraudulent scheme in my past life, despite facing lawsuits and threats.
“I will never reveal your identity. However, once the article is published, Theranos may be able to deduce who you are. Especially if the information you provide is something only one person could know, even if I keep your name out of it, they might still figure it out. In that case, you could face legal repercussions. Even so, are you willing to provide this information?”
“Yes.”
Only after ensuring I understood all the risks did Jonathan turn on his recorder and open his notebook.
His grip on the pen tightened, and his gaze turned serious.
“Alright then… What information do you have on Theranos?”
“In Goldman’s asset management team, we were analyzing customer portfolios when we came across Theranos. During that process…”
I began revealing everything I had investigated.
How I inquired about clinical trials with a pharmaceutical company, issues regarding FDA approval, and verification documents from Johns Hopkins.
—
—
Even the Johns Hopkins document—I directly showed him the file that the professor had sent me on my tablet.
Jonathan carefully examined the evidence I presented, asking sharp questions.
“Hm, I see. Would it be possible for me to obtain the original files? Also, could you provide me with the professor’s contact information?”
His experience as a veteran journalist was evident.
He wasn’t simply taking my words at face value but was intent on verifying everything himself.
After passing along the professor’s contact information, I clasped my hands together on the table and looked at him directly.
“This is the extent of what I can share with you ‘for free’.”
Jonathan tilted his head slightly.
He pondered my words for a moment before speaking.
“You say that’s all you can share ‘for free’… As if you have more information but require something in exchange.”
“Yes, that’s exactly right.”
At my response, Jonathan’s brow furrowed.
His gaze flickered between wariness and curiosity.
“You’re saying I need to pay a price to hear the rest… May I ask what that price is?”
“I want to know the information you have. Think of it as an exchange.”
I give you something, you give me something in return.
The moment I made my proposal, Jonathan shook his head, immediately rejecting the idea.
“That won’t be possible. My investigation is still ongoing, and I have many leads whose significance I haven’t fully grasped yet. Besides, revealing my findings could expose my sources. More importantly…”
His expression turned sharp again.
“The ones most desperate for my information are none other than Theranos themselves. To be frank, I find this whole situation highly suspicious.”
In other words, he suspected that I might be a spy for Theranos.
His reaction confirmed something important:
Not only was Theranos aware of his investigation, but they were actively trying to obstruct it.
For him to be this cautious, they must have already tried various tactics to interfere.
Jonathan scrutinized me, pinpointing the root of his suspicion.
“A typical whistleblower wouldn’t be so interested in the specifics of my investigation, would they?”
He wanted me to justify why I had a legitimate reason to know about his work on Theranos.
I smiled and answered.
“I am certain that Theranos is a fraudulent company.”
At this point, Jonathan’s expression didn’t change.
But his reaction shifted at my next words.
“That’s why I plan to sue them.”
His eyes widened.
Seeing his surprised reaction, I chuckled and continued.
“More precisely, my ‘client’ will be filing a lawsuit. They invested in good faith, only to realize the company is built on empty promises.”
As I mentioned before, this was the whole reason I established a company through David.
No other investors would take the risk of suing, no matter how much I convinced them.
“For a legal battle, evidence is crucial. That’s why I hired a private investigator. And in that process, I discovered you. I figured that if a journalist was investigating this case, you might have the most valuable evidence for us. That’s why I reached out.”
Jonathan fell silent for a long moment.
He seemed to be weighing the truth of my words.
His conclusion…
“I’m sorry, but until an actual lawsuit is filed, I can’t take your claims at face value. This case involves multiple people, not just me. Even if you’re telling the truth, I have no obligation to cooperate with you.”
Even if I really was planning to sue Theranos, he had no reason to help me.
“I don’t understand. They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend, don’t they?”
“There seems to be a misunderstanding. I am not Theranos’s enemy.”
He met my gaze directly and continued.
“I have no personal vendetta against them. I am simply investigating the truth and reporting it to the public. A journalist must maintain strict neutrality. Even if you and Theranos end up in a legal dispute, I will remain neutral and only report the facts.”
“I see.”
As expected, his ethical integrity was remarkable.
I rested my chin on my hand and murmured.
“You have no reason to cooperate with me… huh?”
This wasn’t a problem.
If he lacked a reason, I just had to give him one.
Everyone has desires.
And for a journalist obsessed with uncovering the truth, his greatest desire at this moment was obvious.
I just needed to dangle the right bait.
I looked him straight in the eye and spoke.
“I have access to Theranos’s board members.”
“…!”
Jonathan’s eyes gleamed.
He knew as well as I did that Theranos’s board was made up of high-profile individuals who were nearly impossible to approach.
“I’m scheduled to meet them in a week. At that time, I can ask them any questions you want me to. And in return, I can share with you what I uncover from them.”
“….”
Jonathan remained silent.
A true journalist must interview all key players in a case.
Yet, in my past life, his reporting lacked any direct statements from the board members.
Most likely, they had refused to speak with the media.
I was offering to fill that gap in his investigation.
“So far, most of the people you’ve interviewed have probably been regular employees of Theranos. Given enough time, I could gather the same information from them as well. But the board members are different. No matter how much time you spend, they are nearly impossible to reach. In that sense, this deal actually benefits you more.”
Jonathan pondered my words for a moment before letting out a small chuckle.
“If it was really that advantageous for me, you wouldn’t be offering it so willingly.”
I shrugged.
“The most important thing for me is time. If I can save time by exchanging information, it’s more than worth it. Besides, there’s no reason for me to hoard this information for myself.”
“……”
“What do you say? Will you agree to this exchange?”
Jonathan’s cooperation was critical to my plan.
Would he accept my proposal?
He picked up his glass and took another slow sip of water.
Then, finally, he parted his lips to speak.
Comments
Jayant Suthar
I thought no one was reading this. I'll update it regularly from onwards.
Ishan Agarwal
Mr inkbound, can I please request you to update this amazing novel more often. I find this one the best in your whole collection and can't wait to read more. Thanks
